Two Responses to Biblical Reasoning

Lord’s Supper

Ask the men to come and have a seat at the front.

Reminder: when the men bring the plate around, if you wish to participate, you’ll need to take from the plate.

Pray and thank the Lord for giving His body and shedding His blood for us.

Serve the bread

Read Matthew 26:26.

Partake

Serve the grape juice

Read Matthew 26:27-28.

Partake.

Read 1 Peter 1:3-4???

1 Peter 1:3–4 KJV 1900

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

Pray

Review - title slide here

Turn to Acts 18.

Paul and his team continued to move forward on the second missionary journey as the Holy Spirit lead them through the cities of Greece. In the process, they turned the Jewish and pagan worlds upside down and introduced them both to the one true God, who is found through Jesus Christ.

They made a difference in those cities, not with social programs, which we’re not opposed to, but with reasoning and persuading out of the Scriptures. We saw from Acts 17 that they did this wherever they had influence, wherever they found the public, and wherever God gave them special opportunities.

Message

Read Acts 18:1.

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Map of Macedonia to Achaia

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Map from Athens to Corinth

The distance from Athens to Corinth was about 50 miles, but there was a world of difference between these two cities. Athens was known for its arts, science, and academia, whereas Corinth was known as a hub of pagan worship and immorality. For perspective, Corinth was the Las Vegas of Greece, only worse. That reputation did not stop Paul from moving forward into the city.

Read slowly:

Wherever moral darkness is the greatest, that is where the life-changing good news of Jesus Christ needs to shine the most.

Acts chapter eighteen is going to show us two responses to Biblical reasoning.

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Reasoning rejected - Acts 18:1-17.

Read Acts 18:1-11.

Paul entered this famous city for the first time and here he followed his pattern: he reasoned out of the Scriptures.

This is the same word that we saw last week in Acts 17:2 and 17.

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Reasoned: to converse, to have discourse, to reason with others, to discuss

Even in cities like Corinth, there were pockets of Jewish people in the city’s population. Paul found them, began to reason with them, and like nearly everywhere that he went, there were two responses to his reasoning out of the Scriptures: some rejected his reasoning and others accepted his reasoning.

Corinth had both.

First, there was Aquila and Priscilla. Probably here under Paul’s ministry they came to believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Savior. They had been expelled from Rome during the reign of Claudius, who reigned from AD 41-54. They had a business as tentmakers. Paul crossed paths with them easily enough because in that day all the same tradespeople would live and work on the same street or district. Paul began to work for them or with them and they believed.

Meanwhile, every Sabbath day, Paul went to the place where he had influence. He went to the Jewish synagogue, where he argued from the Scriptures that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies of the coming Savior. Finally, Silas and Timothy rejoined Paul after ministering for a time back in Berea, and the ministry continued on. Slowly, more and more Jews and Greeks believed in Jesus Christ. The local synagogue began to see more and more converts to Christ, but then we read verse six.

Read Acts 18:6.

Despite the many converts, there were many Jews who chose to reject Christ.

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Opposed: to resist one’s self, to be self-defeating

One writer said that this is “a military term for an army resisting an enemy, implying ‘systematic and concerted opposition.’”

In other words, these particular Jews didn’t just say “no” to Paul’s reasoning from the Scriptures, they tried so hard to resist his arguments that they made themselves look like fools! All they could do was personally attack Paul and slander him.

Later on, in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, Paul shares how that he ministered among them in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. This was how he felt as he ministered in Corinth.

Their response left Paul with few options. He wanted to reason with them, but they refused to reason with him. He would dialogue with them, but they would hurl insults in return.

These Jews fiercely opposed Paul and his arguments, but he didn’t try to force them to believe. He did something that was symbolic in Jewish culture. He shook out the dust off his robe, indicating abhorrence and great displeasure. They would have to give an answer to God for rejecting His Son. When Paul realized that this was what he was up against, he did the one thing that he could do: he moved on to those that would listen. He refocused his ministry on the Gentiles.

Application: Church family, sometimes there will be folks who will refuse to hear any reasoning out of the Scriptures. If sinners could reject the love of Jesus, if Jews could reject the logic of Paul, then you be certain that they will reject you and me.

Don’t be surprised by it.

Don’t take it personally.

They’re not rejecting you; they are rejecting Christ.

Ultimately, that is their choice, their right, their decision.

As Baptists, we believe in unforced conversions. We believe that individuals must make the choice for themselves to trust in Christ alone as their Savior from sin. We believe that everyone must follow the dictates of their own conscience and then answer to God for it. We can’t force them and we won’t force them! The heart is never persuaded by the sword.

If someone fiercely opposes the Scriptures, pray for them and move on, but as long as they continue to listen, then you continue to point them to Jesus. It may be that at some later time the hard heart will become broken and tender again.

Since he was no longer welcome there, Paul moved on from his ministry at the synagogue. Where did he move to? The house right beside the synagogue! The house of Justus! Along the way, Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed on the Lord. He was one of the few personally baptized by Paul, which Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 1:14-16.

In verses 9-10, Luke tells us of a vision that Paul received of the Lord.

Read Acts 18:9-11.

Why do you think that the Lord gave that message to Paul? This wasn’t just a pat on the back, “keep it up”, kind of a message.

It was because Paul experienced weakness, fear, and anxiety along the way. He would need that reassurance, because after a long ministry in the city, the Jews dragged him before the judgment seat of the Roman proconsul, Gallio.

You see, these apostles and early Christians experienced the same fears and feelings of distress that you do today.

Paul knew what it was like to be discouraged.

He knew what it was like to be faced with real anxiety.

He knew what it was like to be rejected.

But he didn’t give up, and God used that Roman proconsul to protect him at Corinth.

We’ve seen reasoning rejected. Now secondly…

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Reasoning accepted - Acts 18:18-28.

Read Acts 18:18-23.

Many months and many miles pass in these five verses.

In verse 19, Paul travels to Ephesus for the first time, but it is a short visit. They wanted him to stay longer, but he wanted to sail for Jerusalem in time for the upcoming Jewish festival. The text doesn’t reveal which feast it was, but it would have been either Passover, the Feast of Weeks, or the Feast of Tabernacles. These were the three big feasts that brought Jews in from all over the Roman Empire. It seems that Paul made it to Jerusalem and then he finished his second missionary journey in Antioch.

Verse 23 is the start of the third missionary journey as Luke summarizes Paul’s journey from Antioch and across present-day Turkey. You may wonder, why did Luke share all of this information so briefly?

It seems that the reason why is because there is one particular city that Luke wants to focus our attention on and that is the city of Ephesus. We saw it briefly in verses 19-21, we’ll see it again in verses 24-28, and the story will pick back up in chapter 19.

Read Acts 18:24-28.

Apollos, this tremendous Jewish orator, is where we find reasoning accepted. He knew the Old Testament Scriptures and excelled in delivering them. He would be what we call an Old Testament saint. He believed in John’s message of repentance toward God, but having been in Alexandria, Egypt, his doctrine was incomplete.

What amazes me about Apollos is not his great knowledge of the Old Testament.

What amazes me about Apollos is not his ability in public speaking.

What amazes me about Apollos is not even his zeal for God.

No, what amazes me about Apollos is that this great teacher was so teachable! What a wonderful quality to find in a man so gifted!

This eloquent man, this man mighty in the Scriptures, this man who was taught in the way of the Lord and zealous for God, after he began speaking in the synagogue at Ephesus, was willing to be taken aside by a husband and wife and be taught the doctrine of Paul concerning Jesus Christ. Wow! How extraordinary! What character he had, to be sat down and have someone else teach him!

It’s a rare thing to find such a combination of skill, knowledge, and character all in one person.

These tentmakers sat down with Apollos and took the time to explain to him the Scriptures as they had been taught by Paul. They reasoned with Apollos and their reasoning was accepted.

Application: Why did he receive it, but others did not? The answer is this: he had a good dose of humility.

That’s the difference between reasoning rejected and reasoning accepted. That was the difference between the Jews at Corinth who hurled insults at Paul and the great Alexandrian teacher who listened to the two tentmakers at Ephesus.

Conclusion

So Christian, when God looks at you, does He see someone who is teachable? Someone who is ready, willing, and thirsty to learn? Or does God see someone who is satisfied with how much they know already? Be careful, because that is exactly where some of the Jews in Corinth were. They thought that they had God all figured out and that they could please Him by obeying the Mosaic law when in reality the only way to please God was by trusting in His Son who had lived the law perfectly.

Two Responses to Biblical Reasoning. As you try to reason with others from the Scriptures, those are the responses that you’ll find. If they reject your reasoning, just be like Paul and move on. Look for the people who will humble themselves and accept the Scriptures.

As we have an invitation, you take these few moments to meet privately with God and let Him show you the response of your heart also.