Paul at Corinth
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of the chosen servants of God. Not satisfied with choosing error and
fables for themselves, they wrest the Scriptures from the true meaning
in order to deceive others and hinder them from accepting the truth.
Though Paul had a measure of success, yet he became very weary
of the sight of his eyes and the hearing of his ears in the corrupt city
of Corinth, He doubted the wisdom of building up a church from the
material he found there. He considered Corinth a very questionable
field of labor, and determined to leave it. The depravity which he
witnessed among the Gentiles, and the contempt and insult which he
received from the Jews, caused him great anguish of spirit.
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As he was contemplating leaving the city for a more promising
field, and feeling very anxious to understand his duty in the case,
the Lord appeared to him in a vision of the night, and said, “Be not
afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace; for I am with thee, and
no man shall set on thee to hurt thee; for I have much people in this
city.” Paul understood this to be a command to remain in Corinth,
and a guarantee that the Lord would give increase to the seed sown.
Strengthened and encouraged, he continued to labor there with great
zeal and perseverance for one year and six months. A large church was
enrolled under the banner of Jesus Christ. Some came from among
the most dissipated of the Gentiles; and many of this class were true
converts, and became monuments of God’s mercy and the efficacy of
the blood of Christ to cleanse from sin.
The increased success of Paul in presenting Christ to the peo-
ple, roused the unbelieving Jews to more determined opposition.
They arose in a body with great tumult, and brought him before the
judgment-seat of Gallio, who was then deputy of Achaia. They ex-
pected, as on former occasions of a similar character, to have the
authorities on their side; and with loud and angry voices they preferred
their complaints against the apostle, saying, “This fellow persuadeth
men to worship God contrary to the law.”
The proconsul, disgusted with the bigotry and self-righteousness
of the accusing Jews, refused to take notice of the charge. As Paul
prepared to speak in self-defense, Gallio informed him that it was not
necessary. Then, turning to the angry accusers, he said, “If it were a
matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I
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should bear with you. But if it be a question of words and names, and