yf<\ . I. — :l
general population of C. many were baptized (Ac 18*). None of the b.iptisms in C. were performed by St. Paul himself, except those of Crispus and of Gaius.andof the household of Stephanas (1 Co 1"- "i). It is not certain whether this abstention from personally baptizing was something peculiar in the special case of C, or was commonly practised by St. Paul ; but the other apostles seem to have often left the work of baptizing to ministers and subordinates (Ac 10<» 13^); and St. Paul probably did the same. The three exceptions mentioned by him are noteworthy ; the circumstances show why St. Paul was likely to attach special importance to them ; Stephanas was ' the first - fruits of Achaia' (1 Co IG""); Gains was his host on his later visit (Ro 10-^), and therefore probably a specially beloved friend ; Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, was a convert of uncommon importance.
About five or six weeks, perliaps, after St. Paul's arrival at C, he was rejoined by Silas and Timothy, returning from Macedonia. He had left them at Bercoa, and tlu'y had joined him prob- ably in Athens, and been immediately sent away on a missiiin to Thessalonica (1 Th 3', Ac 17'^ IS'') and probably also to Philippi.* Tlie fact that Timothy alone is quoted as authority for news from Thessalonica (1 Th 'i''), and as messenger to Thessalonica, shows that Silas had been sent to some other city of Macedonia (douljtless to Philippi). Inunediately on receipt of Timothy's news St. Paid wrote his First Ep. to the Thess. (1 Th S") from C. The date of the second is not so clearly fixed ; but it also was probably composed in the early part of the Corinthian work, immediately on reccijit of news about the reception of the first letter in Thessalonica.
During St. Paul's residence in C, Gallio came to govern Achaia as proconsul of praitorian rank. There is no evidence, except what can be derived from the life of St. Paul, to fix the year in wliich Gallio administered the province ; but he may probably have come (luring the summer of a ii, fiU, though .some authorities tix the date differently (o-'i, Henan, Lightfoot ; see (iAl.l.ld). During his administration, the Jews — angry at the defection of at least one leading compatriot, at the manner in which St. Paul had turned away from them with a very exasperating gesture, and at the institution of a rival nieeting-liouse next door to the syna- gogue, in the house of 'I'itus Justus, a Roman, and a ' God-fearing proselyte' (Ac 18"-*) — brought an accusation against St. Paul before the procoTisul. In order that such an accusation might be admitted for trial, the Jews nuist have tried to give to it a colouring of offence against Koman law, for the .Jews still po.sscssed the right to try among them- selves in their own way any offence against i)urely Jewish religious observance. But the attempt to give colour to a charge which w.as essenlially religious did not deceive Gallio; ho refused to admit the case to trial, and 'drave them from tlie judgment-seat.' His action wa-s highly imjiortant ; it amounted to an authoritative decision that SI. Paul's preaching could not be construed as an offence against Kom. law, and that, if there was anything wrong in it, the wrong w.as only in respect of Jewish law, and therefore .shouhl ciune before a .Jewi.sh court, and could not be admilled before the proconsular court. This decision by an official of such rank formed a precedent which might be appealed to in later trials ; and it is not too much to .say that it had iiractically the force of a declaration of freedom to preach in llie province. According to our view, this incident had a marked effect in directing SI. Paul's attention to the i>ro- tection which the Koman state might give him
• W<> Kiv tlmt rbilippi was In frequent comnninlcatlon with
Si. Paul (I'll l'''-l.
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against the Jews. Hitherto his position had been so humble that liis relation to the state had prob- ably not entered consciously into his mind, or formed any part of his calculations , but the de- cision of the first Koinan imperial official before whom he had been accused (combined with the favourable memory of the other high imperial official, Sergius Paulus, with whom he had come in contact), was calculated to make a strong im- pression on his mind.
When St. I'aul ceased to preach in the syna- gogue, lie began to use the house qf Titus Justus, a ' God-fearing proselyte ' (evidently Roman frt)m his name), as a centre for teaching. In the follow- ing months he was evidently understood by the Corinthian population to be one of those lecturers on philosophy and morals, so common in the Greek world, who often travelled, and settled in new cities where there seemed a good opening for a teacher ; and scornful remarks were made contrast- ing the high fees charged by teachers of estab- lished reputation with the gratis lectures of this new a-spirant, and an impression was common that St. I'aul (like other beginners in philosophy) was workint; to obtain a reputation and position such as would justify him, after a time, in beginning to charge fees, and make a livelihood by his brains instead of by his hands. The effect produced on St. Paul by these remarks is shown in 1 Co.