Corinth and the End of the Second Journey

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1. Observe

   Why had Aquila and Priscilla recently come to Corinth when Paul arrived?

   • They had heard Paul was coming and wanted to support his ministry
   • Emperor Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome
   • They were traveling merchants who happened to be passing through
   • They had been sent by the Jerusalem church to establish a congregation

2. Observe

   What did the Lord say to Paul in the vision at Corinth (vv. 9-10), and how long did Paul stay after that?

   • "Go to Jerusalem, for I will show you what you must suffer for my name" — and he left within the week
   • "Don't be afraid, but speak and don't be silent; for I am with you, and I have many people in this city" — and he stayed a year and six months
   • "Sail to Rome, for you must testify there also" — and he stayed six months
   • "The synagogue will receive you; speak boldly to the rulers" — and he stayed three months

3. Interpret

   Apollos was "mighty in the Scriptures," "fervent in spirit," and taught "accurately the things concerning Jesus" — yet he knew "only the baptism of John" (vv. 24-25) and needed Priscilla and Aquila's correction. What does this teach about gifted teachers who have an incomplete understanding?

   • Apollos was disqualified from ministry until he was fully retrained.
   • His fervor and giftedness were irrelevant since his knowledge was incomplete.
   • Giftedness and accuracy can coexist with genuine gaps; Apollos was not a false teacher but an incomplete one — like an arrow well-made but aimed short of the full target. The right response (which Priscilla and Aquila model) is private, respectful, generous correction rather than public criticism; they "explained the way of God more accurately" without undermining his ministry or his character. The test of a teachable teacher is whether he receives such correction and grows.
   • It shows that women should not teach men, so Priscilla must have been silent during the correction.

4. Interpret

   Jesus told Paul in the vision, "I have many people in this city" (v. 10), referring to Corinthians who had not yet believed. What does this say about how God views those who are not yet Christians?

   • God had already predestined a large number of Corinthians to be saved before Paul arrived.
   • God was saying that the existing church in Corinth was already large and would protect Paul.
   • Jesus was encouraging Paul that many in Corinth would eventually believe, which should embolden proclamation; God's sovereign knowledge of his own (those who belong to him) is not a reason for passivity but a basis for confidence in preaching — the harvest is there, which is why the laborer must not be silent. It also frames every city and community as a place where God may have more of "his people" waiting to hear the gospel than we might assume.
   • It meant Corinth was a uniquely receptive city and Paul's method there should be the template for all ministry.

5. Apply

   Priscilla and Aquila heard Apollos preaching boldly in the synagogue, recognized his gap, and "took him aside" to explain the way of God more accurately (v. 26). What does their approach model for correcting someone in ministry?

   • All correction of public teachers should happen publicly so the congregation can evaluate the issue.
   • Leaders should wait for a formal church process before addressing any doctrinal gap in a teacher.
   • Correcting a gifted teacher privately, with respect for his gifts and standing, is the most effective and honoring approach; "taking aside" rather than confronting in public protects the teacher's dignity, focuses the conversation on truth rather than ego, and is far more likely to produce genuine growth. The fact that Priscilla is named first and that this is a woman instructing a man indicates the principle of correction overrides the discomfort of social convention when truth is at stake.
   • Apollos' situation was unique; most preachers have too much pride to receive private correction.

6. Apply

   Paul worked as a tentmaker alongside his preaching (vv. 2-3), and Jesus' vision did not promise him ease but only presence and protection. How does this challenge or expand your sense of what faithful ministry can look like?

   • Working a secular job while doing ministry is always a compromise and should be avoided if possible.
   • The tentmaker model only applies when a church cannot support its leaders financially.
   • Full financial support from a congregation is the only biblical model for ministry.
   • Faithful ministry does not require a particular institutional structure or salary; Paul's tentmaking was not a failure of church support but a deliberate pattern of integrity and accessibility. The combination of manual work and gospel proclamation shows that ministry can be woven into ordinary economic life, that a minister's credibility is sometimes strengthened by not being financially dependent on his hearers, and that "bivocational" is not a lesser category but a legitimate and often powerful form of kingdom service.

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