Paul moved from Athens into the city of Corinth where he “reasoned” with the Jews and the God fearing Gentiles who met in the synagogue. The word “reasoned” ( Gr. dielegeto) also means “discuss,” and “discourse” besides meaning “to reason,”  and “to argue.” This means there was some question and answer time along with some challenging debate occurring while Paul was presenting. As it always happened, the synagogue was split when some of the Jews became “abusive” while others “believed in the Lord.”

When the Jews in the Corinthian synagogue became “abusive” during Paul’s first visit to Corinth he left the synagogue along with those who believed and began to meet next door in the residence of a believing Gentile named Titus Justus. Also, Crispus, the leader of the synagogue himself, believed that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah and left the synagogue with Paul to join the other believers who met next door in Titus Justus’ house.

Paul had been traveling alone for several weeks since he fled from the hardships in Macedonia (which included a beating in the Philippian prison, a Thessalonica riot, the Berean assault from Jews). Paul escaped to Corinth by way of Athens. In 50 AD Paul arrived in Corinth alone, out of money, homeless and unemployed.  Five years later when Paul writes the Corinthians he describes how he felt when he first arrived in Corinth:

“I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.” – 1 Corinthians 2:3

During those first few weeks in Corinth Paul met Aquila and Priscilla, most likely in the synagogue, and they hired him as a leather worker to make and repair tents. Eventually, Silas and Timothy left the Macedonian (Thessalonica, Philippi, Berea, etc.) and caught up with Paul in Corinth with a gift from the Macedonian believers. The Macedonians had sent along financial support for Paul, so when it arrived Paul “devoted himself exclusively to preaching.”

Paul had acquired a marketable skill during his training as a rabbi so that he could support himself and not rely on the gifts and support of his listeners and students. By requiring that their students learn a craft the rabbis helped protected the integrity of their student’s teaching which could easily succumb to the temptation of manipulation or compromise for financial support. Some of the failed prophets of the Old Testament used their positions to earn payments and gifts from the people.

Rabbi Gamaliel III (220 AD) taught:

“An excellent thing is the study of Torah combined with some secular occupation, for the labor by them both puts sin out of one’s mind. All study of the Torah which is not combined with work will ultimately be futile and lead to sin.” (here see ch.2, point 2)

" Faith and obedience are bound up in the same bundle. He that obeys God trusts God; and he that trusts God obeys God. He that is without faith is without works; and he that is without works is without faith." - Charles H. Spurgeon