6 But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, “Your blood beupon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” 7 And he departed from there and entered the house of a certain man named Justus, one who worshiped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.
18:6
But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, “Your blood beupon your own heads; I am clean.
Again, Paul experienced persecution from the Jews in Corinth. They both oppose and insult him. The apostle accepted their negative volition by shaking his garments and declaring he did what he could to share Christ with them. The shaking of his garments meant that he broke relations with them. The onus is now upon them.
From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
He makes a statement about the change in strategy to reach Gentiles for Christ.
18:7
And he departed from there and entered the house of a certain man named Justus, one who worshiped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue.
Paul found hospitality in the home of a man named Justus, a Gentile and God-fearing man. Some manuscripts give a fuller title of Titius Justus. His house was next door to the synagogue. God continually worked in sovereign movements to help Paul at each step of his journey.
18:8
Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.
An official of the synagogue named Crispus became a believer, as well as everyone in his household. He was a convert that Paul personally baptized (1 Co 1:14). Many other Corinthians also became believers. These two events must have caused dissidence among the Jews.
PRINCIPLE:
Adversaries are common to gospel presentations.
APPLICATION:
When Paul wrote First Corinthians later, he said that “there are many adversaries” (1 Co 16:9). Wherever people preach the gospel in the world, adversaries will arise to oppose the message. Adversity happened to Paul in Thessalonica and Berea (Acts 17:5-13). It happened in Thessalonica (1 Th 2:14-16). The devil usually does not bother a dead church. His idea is to leave them alone; they are not damaging my cause.
