After this Paul departed from Athens and went on to Corinth. There he found a Jew named Aq'uila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla. Claudius had required all Jews to get out of Rome. Paul visited them; and that's how he came to stay and work with these tentmakers. Paul argued in the synagogue every Sabbath, persuading Jews and Greeks.
In a Nutshell
Paul moved from Athens to Corinth. He settled there and worked as a tentmaker for some time.
Questions
What had happened to Silas and Timothy? Where were they?
Up until this point we have got used to Luke telling us how the gospel got preached, how some believed and how some Jewish opposition made things difficult. But here the pattern changes. There is no mention of a fight in the Athens synagogue. Paul taught in the synagogue and in the market-place. Some Jews and Greeks accepted his message. But then he decided to move on. We know he was waiting for Silas and Timothy. He had addressed the Areopagus and then, for some reason, decided to move on before they arrived. I wonder why?
If Luke knew he hasn't said so directly. Maybe Luke was wondering about this too. If so, like us, he would know that when anyone moves from one place to another there are "push factors" and "pull factors". Luke goes on to tell us what might have been a strong "pull" factor - Aquila and Priscilla had set up business in Corinth. These Jewish tent-makers were strong Christians. Paul knew they had been in Rome and he also knew the Emperor had kicked out all the Jews from the capital. Luke tells us that Paul went to Corinth in order to find the couple, so Luke seems to be saying they were already friends and they shared the same trade - tent-making. We also learn about the political situation. The first churches of Jesus' disciples were built in the midst of political unrest and uncertainty. The churches need people like Priscilla and Aquila to help them survive. They still do.
What about the "push" factors? Paul's speech at the Areopagus shows us he was teaching the same message but in a new way to a new group of people. Maybe he was wanting feed-back. Had he made an impact with the philosophers of Athens? Paul knew Silas and Timothy were on his trail, so he may have left for Corinth in order to let Silas and Timothy assess the Athens church without him being there. Maybe Paul was letting things be. Had his seed taken root in the soil of Athens? It's not all that clear now, but then it may not have been all that clear then either.
Paul settled in Corinth with Priscilla and Aquila. The small church grew, but it also had to wrestle through many problems. Did Paul stay around to bring the tensions out in the open? It certainly needed wise leadership to overcome any trouble.
The Gospel has to be told to Gentiles. In the church at Corinth it was never exclusively a Gentile operation. Paul, Priscilla and Aquila, Silas and Timothy were all Christians of Jewish background. They knew they had a message for all people. They wanted to share this message with their fellow Jews as they discovered new ways of sharing it with Gentiles.