Acts 18:12

Acts 18:12 says, And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat,  The Jews were after Paul again.  We are told that they made an insurrection and brought Paul before Gallio, the deputy of Acacia.  They brought Paul before the judgment seat.  They couldn't stop him from preaching with religious threats, so they went to the government's official.  We can be certain that those who oppose Christ will do anything to stop His word from being preached, even if it means allying themselves with people they don't really like.  Verse thirteen adds, Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law.  They charged Paul with teaching people about God contrary to the law.  Verse fourteen continues, And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you:  Verse fifteen concludes, But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters.   As Paul was about to answer, Gallio told them that if it was about words and names of their Law, they should look unto it.  If they had been able to charge Paul with lewdness or riotous behavior, then Gallio would have judged him, but he no longer judged religious matters.  If we are ever brought before government judges, let us make sure that the only thing that they can accuse us of is preaching the gospel. Remember God's promise to Paul, that he no harm would come to him while he was here.  Usually, after failing to get satisfaction from the governmental officials, the Jews would beat and threaten Paul.  Verse sixteen says, And he drave them from the judgment seat.  Since this was a religious and not a civil matter, Gallio drove the Jews and therefore Paul from the judgment seat.  Civil and religious matters are seldom the same and should not be tried in the same court.  Verse seventeen continues, Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things.  We are told the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue and beat him before the judgment seat, and Gallio cared nothing for the matter.  We have God's chosen people dragging Paul before the civil authorities and flailing to have Paul stopped, beating their own religious leader.  We can be sure that the failure of the world to stop the spread of the gospel is going to be frustrating for them, and at times they may even fight amongst themselves.  Verse eighteen concludes, And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow.  Paul continued to preach in peace for some time.  We can rest easy in God's promises, just as Paul did.  He next sailed to Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila went with him.  Paul had also shorn his head because he had taken a vow, but we aren’t told what the vow was.   Matthew Henry says it isn’t clear whether it was Paul or Aquila who had his head shorn, which would release one from the Nazarite vow, but I understand it to be Paul.  Verse nineteen states, And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.  When Paul got to Ephesus, he left Pricilla and Aquilla, but he went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.  If we have a difference of opinion with others about Who Jesus Christ is, we need to attempt to reason with them, and not just argue.   Verse twenty adds, When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not;  Unlike the Jews at Corinth, the people at Ephesus wanted Paul to stay with them a while longer, but he wouldn’t agree too.  He had a destination that he felt God was leading him to, and he did not tarry too long along the way.  Even if we are sharing the gospel effectively where we are, we need to move on if God has called us to.  Verse twenty-one continues, But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.  Paul left them, saying he had to get to Jerusalem to keep the coming feast, but said that God willing he would return to them again.  We need to place everything in God’s hands as we do His work today.  Verse twenty-two says, And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch.  After Paul got to Antioch, he spent some time there.  It does not specifically say that he was preaching the gospel, but I think we can safely say that is what he was doing.  Again, he was on his way to Jerusalem, but he was sharing the gospel as he went.  We are called to share the gospel as we go.  As we move about in the world, we do not need to separate witnessing from regular life. Witnessing should be our regular life. Verse twenty-three adds, And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.  Paul then traveled all over the country of Galatia and Phrygia, in that order, strengthening the disciples.  Again, after we reach someone with the gospel and they become a Christian, we need to strengthen them in their life in Christ.  Even those who have been Christians for years sometimes are in need of strengthening.  We can become complacent or disheartened at times and need a fellow Christian to lift us up. And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace: