In his series on the Acts of the Apostles, BRUCE C WEARNE looks at what may have been the reasons for Paul’s decision to move from Athens to Corinth as recounted in Acts 8…
Some time after this, when Paul departed from Athens he went on to Corinth. It was there that he found a Jew named Aq’uila, a native of Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife Priscilla after Claudius had decreed that all Jews were to leave Rome. Paul visited them; and that’s how he came to stay and work with these tentmakers. Meanwhile, every Sabbath, Paul engaged [in his by now customary] exegetical expository addresses in the synagogue, seeking to bring assurance to both Jews and Greeks. – Acts 8:1-4/transliteration by Bruce C Wearne
TENT-MAKERS: Bruce C Wearne speculates that one of the reasons Paul may have moved onto Corinth was to meet Priscilla and Aquila, fellow believers and tent-makers who have been kicked out of Rome. PICTURE: Vivek Chugh/www.freeimages.com
IN A NUTSHELL
Paul moved from Athens to Corinth. He settled there and worked as a tentmaker for some time.
Up until this point we have got used to Luke telling us how the Gospel got preached, how some believed and how some Jewish opposition made things difficult. But here the pattern changes. There is no mention of a fight in the Athens synagogue. Paul taught in the synagogue and in the market-place. He may have even returned to the Areopagus for further discussion. Some Jews and some Greeks accepted his message. But then he decided to move on. We know he was waiting for Silas and Timothy. He had addressed the Areopagus and then, before they arrived, decided to move. I wonder why?
If Luke knew, he hasn’t said so directly. Maybe Luke was wondering about this too. If so, like us, he would know that when anyone moves from one place to another there are “push factors” and “pull factors”. Luke goes on to tell us what might have been a strong “pull” factor – Aquila and Priscilla had set up business in Corinth. These Jewish tent-makers were strong Christians. Paul knew they had been in Rome and he also knew the emperor had kicked out all the Jews from the capital. Luke tells us that Paul went to Corinth in order to find the couple, so Luke seems to be saying they were already friends and they shared the same trade – tent-making. We also learn about the political situation. The first churches of Jesus’ disciples were built in the midst of political unrest and uncertainty. We say that the churches need people with initiative like Priscilla and Aquila in order to meet the very real threats to their life. That is what they did them. Such people are still needed today.
What about the “push” factors? Paul’s speech at the Areopagus shows us he was teaching the same message but in a new way to a new group of people. Maybe he was wanting feedback. What had his impact been upon the philosophers of Athens? Paul knew Silas and Timothy were on his trail. Did he leave Corinth in order that they would assess the Athens situation for themselves? Had his seed taken root in Athenian soil? It’s not all that clear now, but then it may not have been all that clear then either.
Paul settled in Corinth with Priscilla and Aquila. The small church grew, but it also had to wrestle through many problems. Did Paul stay around to bring the tensions out in the open? It certainly needed wise leadership to overcome any trouble. Here it seems that there was no organised and concerted opposition. Could this mean that this synagogue was more open to Paul’s Scriptural exposition? Clearly, he was also intent on assisting his fellow Jews to understand that the fulfilment of the law and the prophets would only come from the Lord’s Anointed.
The Gospel has to be told to Gentiles. And in the church at Corinth it was never exclusively a Gentile operation. Paul, Priscilla and Aquila, Silas and Timothy were all Christians of Jewish background. They knew they had a message for all people. They wanted to share this message with their fellow Jews as they discovered new ways of sharing it with Gentiles. And this “way” had to be lived, as it has always had to be lived, in the midst of complex opposition: there was Jewish opposition to this welcoming of the Jewish Messiah among Jews and Gentiles, as well as Gentile antagonism because of perceived threats to commercial interests that lost markets when people turned from worshipping idols. The political problems were also complex. The disputes among the Jewish diaspora could give official administrators headaches. Were Christian communities to be viewed as just another Jewish sect? And then, of course, there was the attitude of the Roman Emperor to the Jewish people. Priscilla and Aquila had come to Corinth when the Jews were expelled from Rome.
OPEN BOOK – HINTS FROM THE SPIRIT OF HOLINESS: ONTO CORINTH
In his series on the Acts of the Apostles, BRUCE C WEARNE looks at what may have been the reasons for Paul’s decision to move from Athens to Corinth as recounted in Acts 8…
Some time after this, when Paul departed from Athens he went on to Corinth. It was there that he found a Jew named Aq’uila, a native of Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife Priscilla after Claudius had decreed that all Jews were to leave Rome. Paul visited them; and that’s how he came to stay and work with these tentmakers. Meanwhile, every Sabbath, Paul engaged [in his by now customary] exegetical expository addresses in the synagogue, seeking to bring assurance to both Jews and Greeks. – Acts 8:1-4/transliteration by Bruce C Wearne
TENT-MAKERS: Bruce C Wearne speculates that one of the reasons Paul may have moved onto Corinth was to meet Priscilla and Aquila, fellow believers and tent-makers who have been kicked out of Rome. PICTURE: Vivek Chugh/www.freeimages.com
IN A NUTSHELL
Paul moved from Athens to Corinth. He settled there and worked as a tentmaker for some time.
Up until this point we have got used to Luke telling us how the Gospel got preached, how some believed and how some Jewish opposition made things difficult. But here the pattern changes. There is no mention of a fight in the Athens synagogue. Paul taught in the synagogue and in the market-place. He may have even returned to the Areopagus for further discussion. Some Jews and some Greeks accepted his message. But then he decided to move on. We know he was waiting for Silas and Timothy. He had addressed the Areopagus and then, before they arrived, decided to move. I wonder why?
If Luke knew, he hasn’t said so directly. Maybe Luke was wondering about this too. If so, like us, he would know that when anyone moves from one place to another there are “push factors” and “pull factors”. Luke goes on to tell us what might have been a strong “pull” factor – Aquila and Priscilla had set up business in Corinth. These Jewish tent-makers were strong Christians. Paul knew they had been in Rome and he also knew the emperor had kicked out all the Jews from the capital. Luke tells us that Paul went to Corinth in order to find the couple, so Luke seems to be saying they were already friends and they shared the same trade – tent-making. We also learn about the political situation. The first churches of Jesus’ disciples were built in the midst of political unrest and uncertainty. We say that the churches need people with initiative like Priscilla and Aquila in order to meet the very real threats to their life. That is what they did them. Such people are still needed today.
What about the “push” factors? Paul’s speech at the Areopagus shows us he was teaching the same message but in a new way to a new group of people. Maybe he was wanting feedback. What had his impact been upon the philosophers of Athens? Paul knew Silas and Timothy were on his trail. Did he leave Corinth in order that they would assess the Athens situation for themselves? Had his seed taken root in Athenian soil? It’s not all that clear now, but then it may not have been all that clear then either.
Paul settled in Corinth with Priscilla and Aquila. The small church grew, but it also had to wrestle through many problems. Did Paul stay around to bring the tensions out in the open? It certainly needed wise leadership to overcome any trouble. Here it seems that there was no organised and concerted opposition. Could this mean that this synagogue was more open to Paul’s Scriptural exposition? Clearly, he was also intent on assisting his fellow Jews to understand that the fulfilment of the law and the prophets would only come from the Lord’s Anointed.
The Gospel has to be told to Gentiles. And in the church at Corinth it was never exclusively a Gentile operation. Paul, Priscilla and Aquila, Silas and Timothy were all Christians of Jewish background. They knew they had a message for all people. They wanted to share this message with their fellow Jews as they discovered new ways of sharing it with Gentiles. And this “way” had to be lived, as it has always had to be lived, in the midst of complex opposition: there was Jewish opposition to this welcoming of the Jewish Messiah among Jews and Gentiles, as well as Gentile antagonism because of perceived threats to commercial interests that lost markets when people turned from worshipping idols. The political problems were also complex. The disputes among the Jewish diaspora could give official administrators headaches. Were Christian communities to be viewed as just another Jewish sect? And then, of course, there was the attitude of the Roman Emperor to the Jewish people. Priscilla and Aquila had come to Corinth when the Jews were expelled from Rome.
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