God Stories (from Corinth)

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Series intro: June, July & August - stories of the people of God…

God Stories from Corinth

God Stories from Kamloops

Acts:

chapter 1 - Ascension - waiting

chapter 2 - 7 Pentecost - receiving - the birth of the Church… focus remains on Jerusalem

chapter 8-12 The Church goes International

Philip goes to Samaria

Saul of Tarsus goes from persecuting Christians to following Jesus

Peter’s vision of including Gentiles

From Bible Project: These themes all culminate in the founding of the church at Antioch (ch. 11), the largest, most cosmopolitan city in that part of the Roman empire. Luke tells us that Barnabas, a Jewish leader from the Jerusalem church, went along with Paul to help lead this church community. During their time there, it also became the first large multiethnic church in history, as well as being the location at which Jesus’ followers were first called Christians (Acts 11:26). From this church, the first international missionaries were sent out, and Jesus’ commission became a reality.

chapters 13-14 first missionary journey from the “flagship” church at Antioch

chapter 15 - the Jerusalem council

From Bible Project:

This decision was groundbreaking for the history of the Jesus movement. Jesus, who is the risen King of all nations, is an ethnically Jewish Messiah. However, a person’s membership among his people is not based on ethnic identity or Torah observance. Instead, one must simply trust in Jesus and follow his teachings.

The trajectory is set, but we’ll see throughout the letters in the New Testament that even though the trajectory is set, many things will threaten it, bring it into question, and even work in opposing direction.

In our text this morning, we catch up with Paul who has parted ways with Barnabas and has travelled with Silas to Syria & Cilcisa, tis time going overland through Turkey. They visited Derbe & Lystra, then passed through Phrygia & Galatia, finally arriving in Troas, where Paul has a vision calling them to Macedonia. (Luke - the author of Acts - joins the trip at Troas. They travel to Philippi, Samothrace, Neopolis, Amphipolis, Thessalonica, and Berea. Then to Athens (Acts 17) and finally to Corinth, where he stays for a year and a half. From Corinth, Paul will begin what we call his “3rd Missionary Journey”…

But that’s for you to read on your own. This time, we’re going to zero in on Acts 18, see Paul’s arrival in Corinth and get to know this new church in Corinth.

Reading Acts 18:1-23

-eastern/western mediterranean meeting place

- 46 miles from Athens but a world away from Paul speaking at Mars Hill

- a new baby church, planted next door to the synagogue by Paul and 2 displaced Jews - Aquila & Priscilla (who will travel on with him from Corinth, ending up in Ephesus)

Paul for Everyone: 1 Corinthians Introduction

Paul’s first letter to Corinth—a lively seaport where people and cultures of every sort jostled together, just like so many places in today’s world—is full of wisdom and challenge. The young church there was as lively as the place itself, with as many questions and problems—and as much joy and excitement—as any growing church today. Paul’s pastoral sensitivity and deep insight come together to make this letter one of his crowning achievements, full of good things for us to ponder and enjoy today.

Juras Family as “research team”

Hannah: We have such a Kamloops Farmer's market understanding of "Market" and "town Center" - so to be in the ruins of this Agora- it changed my perspective of what I saw in my mind. I think seeing the size of it (combined with the Greek religious aspects) gave me a better (visual) context of how Paul might interact. Or even the magnitude of a miracle/gospel message at an Agora.

Joanne: My takeaway was really...what was Paul's perspective? Who and what did he see and who saw him, when he gave his message. What did that location mean for him and his journey(s). For me it highlighted the extensive visibility both of him and by him, the importance of this precise location politically, spiritually, geographically ...and who was the "church" in this region.

Paul’s reaction to Jewish opposition… human frustration

Acts (Belief: A Theological Commentary on the Bible) 18:1–11: A Community in the Double Bind

Love will sometimes threaten to abandon, but it never does. Paul is caught in the threat of an action that God will not follow. God does not follow abandonment, because God has brought abandonment into the divine life. The abandoned now have a home in God if they want it.

Hannah’s notes on Corinth:

“They have VERY little on the Jewish Synagogue that was there- it's location is lost with very few pieces of the building (although we did see one hunk of rock with stuff on it). I had a *ohmygosh* moment - when we stood in the location of Acts 18:12- that spot is pretty specific. I had a moment realizing I was standing where Paul had - and then later cluing into the fact that the inscription at that spot is a pretty big time marker for Paul's life. It was cool to see the city and some markers of history that help us date Paul and give validity to his letters.

The visual that is stuck in my head is standing in this site in the Agora, with the ruins of the temple to Apollo right there (we have a fun sister picture in front of it) plus the temple to Aphroditie big on top of the hill close by. So when Paul talks about God's temple in 1 Cor 3- it's radically counter-cultural. Since the Greek Gods have two temples a stones throw from each other. Visually seeing the two temples and then reading all the different ways Paul calls this Church to live differently - I got a deeper sense of how countercultural this message was. I think for us, our religious practices are so far removed from day to day society- this was so not the case.”

1 Corinthians 1 reading

1 Corinthians 3 reading - the Spirit of God dwells in your midst and you together are the temple

And so the Table becomes the place where we can act on what Paul is saying to the church in Corinth…