18:16,17
So Gallio drove them out of the judgement seat. The events in Rome (Nero expelling many Jews) may have led to an unfavourable attitude towards the Jews among the authorities. The crowds then turn on Sosthenes and beat him up, and Gallio paid no attention to this, so allowed it to happen. There is some argument over whether the crowd were Jews or Greeks, Greeks seems more likely. So the words of the Lord to Paul in 18:9,10 are seen to be true. There is a Sosthenes mentioned in 1 Cor 1:1, it is possible that this is the same Sosthenes, but we cannot be certain.
18:18
Paul had stayed in Corinth for some eighteen months at least, these days may be in addition to that. Paul so evangelism as a long term matter. It was not just a matter of “winning souls”, but of nurturing new converts. Priscilla and Aquila left with him. It is noteworthy that Priscilla is named first, indicating the importance attached to her. Paul had taken a vow not to have his haircut. This was probably related to a Nazirite vow. It is interesting that Paul took vows. We know he argued vehemently against anyone who sought to impose religious observance on Gentile converts, yet here we see him taking a vow. We need to understand Paul properly. He was against anything that sought to add something other than faith in Christ as being necessary for salvation, but that did not mean that religious exercises were of no value.
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