Conversions in The Book of Acts - VIII

Conversions In The Book Of Acts
The Corinthians (18:1-11)

Following his limited success at Athens, Paul went to nearby Corinth. An economic center of Greece, known for its immorality. It became an important focus of Paul’s ministry. He stayed a year and a half on his second missionary journey. Where he visited once and possibly twice on his third journey. A well-known church was established, the recipient of at least two epistles by Paul. The establishment of the church is described in Ac 18:1-11 in which we read of Paul’s work in the local synagogue. We also read of he conversion of many Corinthians, including the ruler of the synagogue. We also read something about their conversion in 1 Co 1:14-17, where Paul expresses thanks for personally baptizing just a few of the Corinthians in which some have concluded that Paul was declaring the non-essentiality of baptism. In this study we shall examine the conversion of "The Corinthians". Once again, to glean what we can about the gospel’s message and response. We want to look at and determine whether Paul was actually demeaning the importance of baptism in his epistle to the Corinthians.

Turning to Ac 18:1-11, let’s review Luke’s account of the conversion of the Corinthians. Upon Paul’s arrival in Corinth he meets up with Aquila and Priscilla - Ac 18:1-2 "Paul left Athens and went to Corinth, where he met Aquila, a Jewish man from Pontus. Not long before this, Aquila had come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Emperor Claudius had ordered the Jewish people to leave Rome. Paul went to see Aquila and Priscilla" Of the same trade (tentmakers), Paul stays with them - Ac 18:3 "and found out that they were tent makers. Paul was a tent maker too. So he stayed with them, and they worked together."

Looking at Paul’s ministry at Corinth he goes to the synagogue, as was his custom - Ac 18:4 "Every Sabbath, Paul went to the Jewish meeting place. He spoke to Jews and Gentiles and tried to win them over.";also see 17:1-3. He "reasons" with the people, as he did with those at Thessalonica and those at Athens - se Ac 17:2 and Ac 17:17 We will find that Paul did the same with those at Ephesus - Ac 18:19; 19:8-9; Felix the governor - Ac 24:25; Festus and Agrippa - Ac 26:25 where the gospel is designed to appeal to the mind as well as the heart! He "persuades" both Jews and Greeks just as he did at Thessalonica - Ac 17:4 and as he did at Ephesus - Ac 19:8 He came close to doing the same with King Agrippa - Ac 26:28. Again, the gospel appeals to the reasoning processes of the mind.

When Silas and Timothy arrive, Paul is constrained to preach even more - Ac 18:5 "But after Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, he spent all his time preaching to the Jews about Jesus the Messiah." He "testified" to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ - just as he did in Ac 20:21,24; 23:11; 28:23. Such testimony likely involved using the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament as in - Ac 17:2-3 "So as usual, Paul went there to worship, and on three Sabbaths he spoke to the people. He used the Scriptures to show them that the Messiah had to suffer, but that he would rise from death. Paul also told them that Jesus is the Messiah he was preaching about." He likely used his eyewitness testimony as an apostle - Ac 26:16 "Now stand up. I have appeared to you, because I have chosen you to be my servant. You are to tell others what you have learned about me and what I will show you later."’

Rejection by some of the Jews sends him to the Gentiles - Ac 18:6-7 "Finally, they turned against him and insulted him. So he shook the dust from his clothes and told them, "Whatever happens to you will be your own fault! I am not to blame. From now on I am going to preach to the Gentiles." Paul then moved into the house of a man named Titius Justus, who worshiped God and lived next door to the Jewish meeting place." Just as it did at Antioch of Pisidia - Ac 13:45-46. In Corinth, Paul has only to go next door, to the home of Justus. The gospel bears fruit in Corinth - Ac 18:8 "Crispus was the leader of the meeting place. He and everyone in his family put their faith in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also heard the message, and all the people who had faith in the Lord were baptized." Crispus, ruler of the synagogue, believes with all his household - (see also 1 Co 1:14 "I thank God that I didn't baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius.") Many of the Corinthians believe and are baptized. Encouraged by the Lord in a vision, Paul stays for a year and a half - Ac 18:9-11 "One night, Paul had a vision, and in it the Lord said, "Don't be afraid to keep on preaching. Don't stop! I am with you, and you won't be harmed. Many people in this city belong to me." Paul stayed on in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching God's message to the people."

With Luke’s description, we see a similarity with what we have read before. Upon hearing the gospel, those persuaded both believe and are baptized (cf. Ac 8:12; 18:8). This is certainly in keeping with the commission of our Lord (cf. Mk 16:15-16). But often people will use Paul’s comments in 1 Co 1:14-17 to say that baptism has nothing to do with conversion (salvation). Is that true? Let’s take a close look at Paul’s comments to the Corinthians. Keeping to the context the church at Corinth was badly divided - 1 Co 1:10-11 "My dear friends, as a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, I beg you to get along with each other. Don't take sides. Always try to agree in what you think. Several people from Chloe's family have already reported to me that you keep arguing with each other." People were aligning themselves as followers of different men (perhaps based upon who baptized them) - 1 Co 1:12-13 "They have said that some of you claim to follow me, while others claim to follow Apollos or Peter or Christ. Has Christ been divided up? Was I nailed to a cross for you? Were you baptized in my name?" Paul illustrates the absurdity of calling themselves after men with several rhetorical questions. "Is Christ divided?" "Was Paul crucified for you?" "Were you baptized in the name of Paul?" The implied answer to each question was "No!" But notice what else is implied by each question. Christ is not divided. It was Christ (not some man) who was crucified for you. You were baptized, not in the name of some man, but in the name of Christ! So the context itself implies what we read in Ac 18:8 ("...many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.")

Note Paul’s comments, "I thank God that I baptized none of you except..." - 1 Co 1:14 "I thank God that I didn't baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius." Paul should be understood in light of the context. Since some of the Corinthians were dividing over who may have baptized them, Paul was grateful that he had not personally baptized many of them. His reason? Not because he did not consider baptism important. But as he states himself: "...lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name." - 1 Co 1:15. The Corinthians had been baptized - as seen in Ac 18:8; 1 Co 1:13 as a result of Paul’s preaching, by the way. But not many by Paul personally, for which he was later thankful! "For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel..." - 1 Co 1:17. Are we to understand Paul to say that he did not preach baptism?

Clearly he did to Lydia and the Philippian jailor - Ac 16:14-15; 32-33. Clearly he did to the Corinthians - Ac 18:8. He taught baptism as the means by which one puts on Christ - Ga 3:27 "And when you were baptized, it was as though you had put on Christ in the same way you put on new clothes." He taught baptism as the means by which one dies to sin - Ro 6:3-7 "Don't you know that all who share in Christ Jesus by being baptized also share in his death? When we were baptized, we died and were buried with Christ. We were baptized, so that we would live a new life, as Christ was raised to life by the glory of God the Father. If we shared in Jesus' death by being baptized, we will be raised to life with him. We know that the persons we used to be were nailed to the cross with Jesus. This was done, so that our sinful bodies would no longer be the slaves of sin. We know that sin doesn't have power over dead people."
Instead, we are to understand that Paul was emphasizing his function as an apostle. He was sent to preach the gospel (which includes the command to be baptized - Mk 16:15-16 "Then he told them: Go and preach the good news to everyone in the world. Anyone who believes me and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe me will be condemned.") It was not his primary function to perform the baptisms of those who responded to the gospel! Though he did in some cases - 1 Co 1:14,16. But he was often accompanied by others (e.g., Silas, Timothy, Luke), and they were likely the ones to handle the physical act of immersing people. In view of what later occurred at Corinth, he is simply thankful that his involvement in the act of baptizing others was rather limited. Such was the point of Paul’s comments, and they should not be understood as Paul demeaning the value or place of baptism in the process of conversion!

The conversion of "The Corinthians" confirms what we have seen in previous examples of conversions in the book of Acts. The gospel concerning Jesus as the Christ (Messiah) was proclaimed. Those "persuaded" by the gospel message believed and were baptized immediately. The conversion of "The Corinthians" also stands out because of the impact the gospel had in their lives. As mentioned, the city of Corinth was known for its immorality. Many of the members of the church had lived immoral lives - cf. 1 Co 6:9-11a "Don't you know that evil people won't have a share in the blessings of God's kingdom? Don't fool yourselves! No one who is immoral or worships idols or is unfaithful in marriage or is a pervert or behaves like a homosexual will share in God's kingdom. Neither will any thief or greedy person or drunkard or anyone who curses and cheats others. Some of you used to be like that." Yet through their faith and obedience to the gospel of Christ, Paul could write:
"But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Co 6:11)

Such is the power of the gospel of Christ to the obedient believer. Have you been "washed", "sanctified", and "justified"? Let the conversions in the book of Acts show you how!. Have you taken advantage of this wonderful gift, by responding to the gospel of Jesus Christ? If you have not responded to the gospel message as we have just examined in the conversion of the Corinthians and would like to do so, by all means please contact me directly at jnlnewsted@nts-online.net

This study is from The Executable Outlines Series, a collection of sermon outlines and Bible study lessons by Mark A. Copeland . These outlines were developed in the course of my ministry as a preacher of the gospel. Feel free to use them as they are, or adapt them to suit your own personal style. To God be the glory!
The Executable Outlines Series, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2001

God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx

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