Acts 18, Part 1
Notes
Transcript
Paul now leaves Athens, after speaking to the Areopagus and presenting the Gospel message. Some mocked, some believed. It is interesting to me that the same Gospel preached by Jesus, by the apostles, and by preachers throughout the years receive the same response. Some mock, some do not believe, some believe. Through it all, though, it comes down to the personal choice of the person listening to the urging of the Holy Spirit in their life. Since Paul has finished what God called him to Athens for, he now travels to Corinth (Around 48.5 miles west).
Corinth was a major city of Greece, a peninsula at the southern tip of Greece with land stretching only about five miles across. It was bordered by two harbors, one lying on the west coast and the other on the east coast. All traffic north and south passed right through the city.
It was made up of Greeks, Romans, Jews, and adventurers who conducted their business by day and frequented the night clubs by night. It was a pleasure-mad city, wallowing in sensuality, drunkenness, and extortion. Its temples were consecrated to the goddess of fertility, Aphrodite. It was a sports-minded city, the home of the Isthmian Games, second only to the Olympic Games. It was just the kind of metropolitan city Paul looked for to spread the gospel worldwide.
1 After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
Paul left Athens and travelled to Corinth. The decision was by choice. There had been some results in Athens, but the philosophical and intellectual pride made most people close-minded and self-sufficient when considering God and eternity. Apparently Paul felt his time could be spent more profitably in Corinth. No doubt he stayed in Athens long enough to ground the Athenian believers in the faith, then he struck out for Corinth.
2 And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them,
The Christian disciple finds and develops (disciples) other people. Note the word found. Wherever Paul went he looked for people who either needed Christ or needed to grow in Christ. Whether Aquila and Priscilla were believers or not at this time is not known. But Paul found this couple, stayed with them, and either led them to the Lord or into a deeper commitment to the Lord. The point to see is how Paul was always reaching out to find people who needed Christ. An example for us all!
Priscilla and Aquila were companions of Paul. They were originally residents of Rome. But the Roman emperor, Claudius, had the Jews banished from Rome in A.D. 52. Priscilla and Aquila moved to Corinth. They were the couple who opened their home to Paul the apostle when he first entered Corinth. They were also the couple who went into business with Paul as tent-makers. They later travelled with Paul to Ephesus where they settled (Acts 18:18). The chief characteristic of this couple was an open heart and an open house. Wherever we find them, we find that their home is the center for Christian worship and fellowship.
3 and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.
The Christian disciple worked at secular employment when required. Paul was usually supported in his ministry and did not have to work at secular work. In fact, he was soon to receive financial support from the Philippian church when Silas and Timothy arrived, and the support would free him to preach the gospel and minister full time (Acts 18:5; cp. 1 Th. 3:6; 2 Cor. 11:9; Ph. 4:15). But note this verse. Paul did not hesitate to work with his hands in order to get the gospel out to people. He would do whatever was necessary to reach people and meet their desperate need for Christ and the glorious life of joy and eternity that Christ gives.
4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.
The Christian disciple worshipped and taught every Sabbath. Note where Paul was on the day of worship. He was where he should be—worshipping the Lord and serving Him by preaching and teaching others just as the Lord had gifted him to do.
1. Paul “reasoned” (dielegeto): presented sound, thoughtful, logical points; answered and settled questions in a reasonable way. The tense is continuous action. Paul reasoned and reasoned doing all he could to convince the listeners that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. Note there was no sense of bombarding a person in a demanding, forceful, fiery, argumentative spirit.
2. Paul “persuaded” (epeithen): prevailed, urged, induced, pleaded, begged, sought to move and bring about a change of heart and mind. Paul reasoned and reasoned, doing all he could to reach and help people to trust Christ Jesus the Lord. Again, the tense is continuous action. Paul continued to persuade.
5 When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.
6 And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
The Christian disciple experienced terrible strain and rejection, but he marched on. Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Silas coming from Philippi and Berea and Timothy from Thessalonica.
⇒ They brought financial support which freed Paul to preach Christ full time.
⇒ They brought wonderful news about the churches of Macedonia growing in the Lord.
Such blessings stirred Paul to minister and proclaim Christ with new vigor. Note three points.
1. Paul was pressed in the spirit, constrained by the Word to give himself completely to preaching and teaching the Word. Note what he was proclaiming: that Jesus is the Messiah (see DEEPER STUDY # 2—Mt. 1:18 for discussion).
2. Paul was rejected. The Jews opposed and blasphemed the name of Jesus. The idea is that they organized and opposed the preaching and teaching of Jesus as the Messiah, and they reviled and spoke reproachfully of Christ.
3. Paul turned from the Jews to the Gentiles. This was a turning point in the ministry at Corinth. Some Jews were saved, but the vast majority of those reached would be Gentiles. The scene was dramatic and forceful. Paul was not pronouncing a curse upon the Jews, but declaring he had fulfilled his responsibility to them. He was free of their blood, of the responsibility for their salvation. Their blood, the responsibility for their salvation, was now upon their own heads.
Thought 1. The Christian disciple is to turn from those who continue to reject the gospel; but when rejected, he is to continue on, not quitting or slacking up. Note: Paul did exactly what Christ said for us to do. He shook off the dust of those who had rejected him.
7 And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue.
The Christian disciple identified with those to whom he ministered. Rejected by the Jews, Paul could no longer preach in the synagogue. Note what he did: he began to preach in the home of a convert named Justus. This says two significant things.
1. Paul strategically planned and located his ministry. He had been preaching to the people attending the synagogue, so he wanted to be located nearby in order to continue reaching those already familiar with the message. Under the leadership of the Lord, he was able to secure quarters in the most favorable location, right next door to the synagogue itself.
Thought 1. This is a significant lesson. We should always be alert to favorable locations in establishing churches and buildings, and holding meetings.
2. Paul identified with those to whom he ministered. This is a much needed point. He was not removed from his congregation, not high-minded or above others in any sense of the word. He was one with the flock of God.
8 Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized.
The Christian disciple witnessed to high and low. This is clearly seen in that the chief ruler of the synagogue and his family were reached for Christ, but so were many of the other citizens of Corinth. And remember, many of these would be coming from the most sinful backgrounds imaginable, for Corinth was one of the cesspools of immorality and night club life in the ancient world.
Thought 1. What an example for the church—reaching both high and low for Christ!
9 And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent,
10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.”
11 And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
The Christian disciple faced terrible discouragement. This is a striking picture of just how human Paul was and how dependent he was upon the Lord’s presence and encouragement. What happened to this Christian servant is a glorious lesson for every Christian servant when facing terrible discouragement.
1. Paul sensed fear, terrible fear. Apparently when Crispus, the chief synagogue leader, and so many others were saved, the Jews began to be stirred; and the potential storm of persecution once again lay on the horizon for Paul.
Keep in mind how severely he had been persecuted, suffering so much for his precious Lord …
• his life had been threatened in Damascus (Acts 9:23)
• his life had been threatened again in Jerusalem (Acts 9:29)
• he had been persecuted and run out of Antioch of Pisidia (Acts 13:50)
• he had faced possible stoning in Iconium (Acts 14:5)
• he had been stoned and left for dead in Lystra (Acts 14:19)
• he had been opposed and made the center of controversy by the church itself (Acts 15:1f)
• he had experienced the loss of his closest friend and companion Barnabas (Acts 15:39)
• he had been beaten with rods and imprisoned in Philippi (Acts 16:23f)
• he had been cast out of Philippi (Acts 16:39)
• his life had been threatened in Thessalonica (Acts 17:5–7, 10)
• he had been forced out of Berea (Acts 17:13–14)
• he had been mocked in Athens (Acts 17:18)
The dear servant of God was shrinking from having to face the uproar of persecution again. He was apparently thinking about moving on or else keeping silent for awhile, hoping the storm would pass. This is seen in the very first words which the Lord spoke to Paul …
• Be not afraid
• Speak
• Hold not thy peace
2. God met the need of His dear servant with a vision of the Lord Jesus Himself. Note: it was the presence of the Lord that encouraged Paul. The Lord gave Paul a most glorious promise, “I am with thee.” It is the very same promise He gives to us. Paul needed nothing else, just the perfect assurance and sense of the Lord’s presence, the presence of the One who had done so much for him and whom he loved so much.
3. The Lord assured Paul that he would be kept safe and bear much fruit while in Corinth.
4. Paul was faithful to the Lord’s call, remaining in Corinth for eighteen months teaching the Word of God. Note a crucial point that we all need to learn. Paul continued on by faith, enduring in the ministry. He did not live on spiritual highs but by faith. God gave him spiritual highs, deep experiences with Himself when Paul needed such encouragement and guidance. But the deep spiritual experiences were not common occurrences. Paul had to walk by faith and not feeling. What a lesson for us!
12 But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal,
13 saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law.”
14 But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint.
15 But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things.”
16 And he drove them from the tribunal.
17 And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this.
The Christian disciple saw God’s hand at work. God fulfilled His promise. This is clearly seen in these verses. Some months later a new deputy, Gallio, began his rule in the district of Achaia of which Corinth was a part. The Jews, thinking they might be able to manipulate this new ruler, rose up against Paul and dragged him before Gallio. But note what happened.
⇒ Gallio would have nothing to do with these religious hair-splitters. He had them removed from the court.
⇒ The Jews, embarrassed and shamed, turned against the leader Sosthenes, who had aroused them against Paul; they beat him right there in the judgment hall before Gallio.
Note: Sosthenes later became a convert to Christ. He also became a minister of the gospel with Paul (1 Cor. 1:1). How marvelously the Lord fulfilled His promise to Paul, not only in protecting him from harm, but the Lord converted the very leader of those who would harm His dear servant.
God calls us to continue His work, even when times are difficult, when we feel like giving up, when we may even wonder why we do what we do. And, we all get there! We do for people, people act like people, and we get discouraged by people. It brings us down, brings us to a place where we may feel defeated. But it’s the ones who follow Jesus… even though that may be the very same ones that bring us down - that bring us joy when we serve along side of them.
Keep the faith! Do God’s work! Don’t get discouraged! Rejoice in His victory!
Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2003. The Acts of the Apostles. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
