Acts 18:6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

That is, they insulted him and attacked him. So they acted. And what does Paul do? He leaves them, and with a great threat. He no longer says, "It was necessary that the word of God should first be spoken to you" (Acts 13:46). He also turns to them with an outward sign: "But when they opposed and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, 'Your blood be upon your heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.'"

See how, after saying again, "From now on," he nevertheless does not cease caring for them. Therefore he said this in order to rouse them. Then he went to Justus, whose house was next to the synagogue.

"He shook out his garments and said to them." He did this to frighten them not only by word, but also by deed. "Your blood be upon your own heads." The saying is unclear. I think Paul means this: everyone who falls away from Christ, who is life, appears to kill himself. He passes from life to death, and through the murder inflicted on himself he in some way sheds his own blood. Therefore he says this: because through unbelief you kill yourselves, you yourselves will answer before the judgment. I am innocent of this. From this one may conclude that a suicide is punished by God as a murderer.

"Your blood be upon your heads." These words are difficult to understand. I think they mean the following. Everyone who does not believe in Christ, that He is life, seems to kill himself. He passes from life to death and, in some way, sheds his blood from the wound he inflicts on himself.

Thus he says: because you kill yourselves by unbelief, you are punished for this, and I am innocent. From this one may conclude that a person who kills himself is punished by God as a murderer. If someone else is guilty of causing him to kill himself, that person also is punished.

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.

But when they opposed him, Paul shook the dust from his feet, left the synagogue forever, and moved to live in the house of a proselyte named Justus, so that from there he might preach to the Gentiles.

"They opposed and blasphemed": the stubborn opposition of the Jews to the apostolic preaching reached open blasphemy in the synagogue. They probably blasphemed not only the preachers and their teaching, but also Him Whom they preached, that is, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Compare Acts 13:45 and the note.

Then Paul resolved to break off every relation with the Corinthian synagogue and turned to the Corinthian Gentiles. "Having shaken out his garments" means the same as shaking the dust from one's feet. See Acts 13:51 and the note. It is an expression of decisive rupture and separation from unbelievers.

The arrival of his fellow workers in Corinth strengthened Paul. Gradually preparing his hearers to receive the teaching of the faith, he evidently first explained various passages of Holy Scripture that referred to Christ. Now he spoke more directly and positively about Jesus as the Messiah and Savior.

Yet many of them remained unbelieving. Then he used a decisive measure. He warned his Jewish hearers that a fearful responsibility for their unbelief would fall upon them. He would no longer preach to them, but would turn exclusively to the Gentiles.

As a sign that every relation was being broken off, he shook out his garments. He said that he had fulfilled his duty, and therefore his conscience was clean concerning them before God.