Acts 18:9-18

Acts 18:9-18

One night while Paul was in Corinth, the Lord said to him in a vision,

“Do not be afraid.

Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you.

No one will attack and harm you,

for I have many people in this city.”

He settled there for a year and a half

and taught the word of God among them.

But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia,

the Jews rose up together against Paul

and brought him to the tribunal, saying,

“This man is inducing people to worship God contrary to the law.”

When Paul was about to reply, Gallio spoke to the Jews,

“If it were a matter of some crime or malicious fraud,

I should with reason hear the complaint of you Jews;

but since it is a question of arguments over doctrine and titles

and your own law, see to it yourselves.

I do not wish to be a judge of such matters.”

And he drove them away from the tribunal.

They all seized Sosthenes, the synagogue official,

and beat him in full view of the tribunal.

But none of this was of concern to Gallio.

Paul remained for quite some time,

and after saying farewell to the brothers he sailed for Syria,

together with Priscilla and Aquila.

At Cenchreae he had shaved his head because he had taken a vow.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you are with me. I have no reason to fear. I will speak your Word faithfully and seek always to be guided by your Spirit. Strengthen me to remain steadfast in your service.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Paul in Corinth: The First Reading continues the story of Paul’s Second Missionary Journey. We can date Paul’s time in Corinth to A.D. 51 or 52, when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia. Paul spent a year and a half with the Corinthians, preaching and teaching the word of God. He was reassured by the Lord Jesus in a dream or vision at night to continue his witness and not be silent. The Lord assures Paul that, even though he will be brought before the governor by the Jews, no one will attack him or harm him. What the Lord predicted came to pass. The Jews in Corinth accused Paul of inducing people to worship God contrary to the law of Moses and brought him before Gallio, who was indifferent to the complaints of the Jews. Gallio rejected their case and drove them from the tribunal. Instead of attacking Paul, the Jews seized Sosthenes, who was a synagogue official who had accepted the Gospel, and publicly beat him.

2. Priscilla and Aquila: The end of the First Reading mentions Priscilla and Aquila, a married couple who were expelled from Rome by the Emperor Claudius in A.D. 49. They encountered Paul in Corinth and welcomed him into their home, and worked together making tents. Priscilla and Aquila welcomed into their home the Christians who gathered to hear the Word of God and celebrate the Eucharist. Pope Benedict XVI reflected on this and taught: “Every home can transform itself into a little church. Not only in the sense that in them Christian love must reign... but still more in the sense that the whole of family life, based on faith, is called to revolve around the singular lordship of Jesus Christ” (Benedict XVI, February 14, 2007). Paul and the early Christians suffered for their faith in Jesus Christ. They were strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit and did not waver under persecution. They rejoiced that they had been found worthy to suffer something for the name of Jesus. Their joy is not fleeting and is not based on their whims or sentiments. It is based on the conviction that they have become sons and daughters of God through Jesus Christ and will receive the divine inheritance of eternal life. In prayer, we lift our hearts and minds to the Father who will grant us our petitions when we ask for what we need in the name of Jesus. God the Father knows what to give us, his children, and when to give these good things to us.

3. Paul’s Vow: The last line in the First Reading speaks about Paul shaving his head or getting a haircut because he had taken a vow. Luke doesn’t say what vow this was, but it was probably a Nazirite vow. This was a form of consecration to God that included abstention from alcohol and cutting one’s hair (see Numbers 6:1-21). “On completing the terms of the vow, a Nazirite would offer sacrifices in the temple and shave his head; [Acts 18:22] implies that after arriving in Caesarea, Paul did in fact go to the temple in Jerusalem. This mention of this detail shows that Paul is still an observant Jew. This will be further underlined by James’s request that Paul join four men taking a vow and pay their expenses so as to silence those who accuse Paul of breaking the Mosaic law (Acts 21:23-24)” (Kurz, Acts of the Apostles, 285).

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, make my home and household a little Church where you reign and where all of my family members are united in a bond of true love. Help us to offer up our sufferings and experience true and lasting joy.

Living the Word of God: What do I need to do to allow Christ to reign more fully in my home? Is the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist a high point during the week? Do we pray together as a family? Do we serve the poor and needy in our local community as a family?