Acts 18:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

See how He persuades him, and how afterward He tells him what especially encouraged him: "I have many people in this city." How then, someone may say, did they all attack him together? But they did him no harm. They only brought him to the proconsul.

"And do not keep silent," He says, "for I have many people in this city." Perhaps for this reason Christ appears to him.

"Do not be afraid," He says. This was enough to encourage him. He is convicted of fear, or rather, he is not convicted but encouraged, so that this would not happen to him. God did not allow the apostles constantly to suffer calamities, lest they grow faint.

Although the preaching of the Gospel in the synagogue of Corinth was not well received by most of the Jews, Paul did not cease to testify to them about Jesus Christ. He did this especially when Timothy and Silas also came to him. But seeing no further success, he turned with his preaching to the Gentiles. A new Church was formed mostly from the Gentiles, and very few Jews joined them. In these labors he was strengthened by a divine vision, which revealed to him that many people there were ready to receive the preaching.

Encouraged by a special vision of the Lord, who commanded him to continue acting fearlessly in Corinth and promised him His divine help, Paul preached the Gospel to the Corinthian Gentiles for a year and a half. During this stay in Corinth, the Apostle Paul wrote the First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians.

The hostile attitude of the Jews for a time brought the Apostle into despondency, and he wanted to stop his preaching. But his spirit was strengthened by a night vision of the Lord, who said to him: "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you; for I have many people in this city." This vision calmed and encouraged the Apostle, and he remained in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching its inhabitants the word of God.

He confirms the word of encouragement by assuring him of His universal help: "I am with you." Under My protection, no one will do you harm. Therefore do not fear calamities in the coming uprising of your enemies against you.

The Lord confirms the word of command by indicating that He has many people in this city. More precisely, "a numerous people," a people belonging to Me, that is, My people, in contrast to the Gentiles. Compare the note on Acts 15:14. It is the Lord's people from among the Gentiles.

By His people the Lord means not only the Corinthians already converted to Him. He means chiefly those who are to turn to Him in this city, those appointed to eternal life. Compare Jn 10:16; Jn 11:52; Acts 13:48.

The Gospel must still be preached to them, so that they may be converted. Therefore: "Speak, and do not keep silent."

The Lord's strengthening of Paul in a vision clearly shows how far the work of Gospel preaching surpassed human strength. It also shows where the chief power in the success of apostolic preaching lay. "I am with you," the Lord said to Paul.

"Therefore he remained there, in Corinth, for a long time," says Saint John Chrysostom. "The multitude of believers also moved him to this, but Christ's good pleasure did so still more. For great danger was impending, since many had believed, even the ruler of the synagogue himself.

"'Do not be afraid,' He says. This was sufficient to encourage him. He is convicted of fear, or rather, he is not convicted, but encouraged, so that this would not happen to him. For God did not allow the apostles constantly to suffer calamities, lest they grow faint.