Acts 18:18 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Paul after this tarried, &c.— The apostle, thus screened by Gallio, remained at Corinth a good while longer; so that his stay in that city was in all about two years. Considering his unwearied diligence, and that he did not use to stay long in any place, unless he had a prospect of success, we may reasonably suppose that he had gathered a large church there: and from St. Luke's account, and especially from St. Paul's second Epistle to the Corinthians, it appears, that most of that church consisted of converts from among the idolatrous Gentiles. Silas and Timothy seem still to have continued at Corinth; but St. Paul, taking leave of the Christian brethren there, set out for Syria, and along with him Aquila and Priscilla. When they arrived at Cenchrea, the eastern part of the isthmus, St. Paul shaved his head, because he was under the Nazarite's vow (see ch. Acts 21:24.Numbers 6:18.); for to the Jews he became as a Jew, and made all lawful condescensions, in compliance with their prejudices, as we shall see in other instances in the progress of this history.St. Paul seems to have made this vow upon some remarkable deliverance from his enemies; perhaps, upon the account of Gallio's screening him from the fury of the unbelieving Jews; and possiblysome of the Jewish Christians at Corinth might also be in danger of throwing off Christianity itself, if St. Paul had not condescended so far in that or some other instances. It is evident that Judaizers did afterwards make a very great disturbance in that church; but whatever was the particular reason, it appears that St. Paul submitted to that Jewish custom. See particularly the next note. We must not, however, fail to observe here, that some very considerable critics think that this latter clause of the verse refers to Aquila. And for this construction's sake Castalio and Grotius observe, that the sacred writer seems to have named the wife before the husband. But it seems much more probable from the construction, that this clause, as well as the beginning of the next verse, must refer to the same person, that is, to St. Paul. And as to Priscilla's being named first, that is done elsewhere, where there could be no such reason inducing to it. See Romans 16:3. 2 Timothy 4:19. Some have imagined that Mephibosheth's vow during David's exile, 2 Samuel 19:24 might be something of the same kind with this of St. Paul.