What Happens in Corinth Doesn't Stay in Corinth

Children’s Sermon

The Sorter Hat in Harry Potter - wouldn’t it be cool if we had one of those? WE DO! SCRIPTURE AND THE HOLY SPIRIT! MAC and others…no reason we can’t all be sorters…wealth and weakness

Scripture

Acts 18:1-11 - Next, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There they found a Jew named Aquila, who had been born in Pontus, and his wife Priscilla. They had just arrived in Corinth from Italy because Emperor Claudius had expelled all Jews from Rome. They were tentmakers by trade as Paul was so he moved in with them. Paul would teach in the synagogue every Sabbath and so doing he convinced both Jews and Greeks that Jesus was the Christ. Then Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia and Paul was able to spend all his time testifying. When people opposed and slandered him, he shook the dust from his clothes in protest and said, “May your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I’ll testify to the Gentiles.” Even so, the ruler of the synagogue, Crispus, and his entire family became believers in Jesus. Many other Corinthians also believed and were baptized. One night Jesus spoke to Paul in a vision, saying, “Don’t be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and nobody will harm you, for I have many people in this city.” Paul stayed in Corinth a year and a half, teaching the word of God among them.

Engage

Early in our RV vacation, we went to Salina, Kansas to see family and, also, to celebrate the life of my mother-in-law Jackie Brown on Memorial Day. We arrived in Salina on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and then attended church at First Methodist Salina on Sunday before Jackie’s service on Monday. During that service, we met David Powell, who goes by the name Allthumbs 2004 (PICTURE) on social media. Here’s a picture of David THAT Sunday, though from the earlier service. We attended the second service so we’re not in the picture. David just has two partial legs, one with a sort of foot. For hands, he basically just has nubs with thumbs of sorts. He’s overcome a great deal in his life…including a substance addicted mother, his own substance issues, and other challenges. To look at him, you might think he’s massively disadvantaged and weak. Yet, he is strong. He’s really quite amazing in all he’s able to do. He drives, he dresses and feeds himself, he works his phone, just about anything you and I do...He used that pretty famous passage that is so often abused (though not in his case, I don’t believe), Philippians 4:13, to talk about all the ways Christ is exemplified through his difficulties.

Encounter

1st Century Corinth was quite a place. Here’s an image of how it was likely set up (PICTURE). Here’s a view from more recently (PICTURE). Not a bad looking place! It was a lively and lascivious city with social hierarchy, law courts, temples, markets, brothels, you name it. Corinth is situated on a narrow neck of land between northern and southern Greece. Consequently, a great deal flowed through and happened in Corinth. Corinth was blessed with several freshwater springs, a fertile growing plane nearby, and was famous for its lack of morals. It had been destroyed in 146 BC but rebuilt in 44BC…so in Jesus and Paul’s day, it was almost like new. For many of these reasons, I often refer to Corinth as the Las Vegas of the 1st Century Ancient Near East. Ah, but that great Satanic lie a city to our West tries to spin, that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, isn’t even remotely true now. And, it wasn’t true then, either. What Happened in Corinth certainly didn’t stay in Corinth.

You can accurately say that if you were looking for how the world viewed wealth and poverty, as well as power and weakness in the 1st Century, Corinth was a shining example. But, friends, a faithful walk with Jesus should trample worldly views of wealth and weakness.

Paul’s dealings with Corinth, as we understand them, go something like this: He comes to them initially only shortly after a bad beating in Philippi and alone, having sent Timothy back to check on Thessalonica. In 1 Corinthians 2 he writes, “I came to you in weakness, in great fear and trembling.” And, boy did he. On his first visit, though, he meets Aquila and Priscilla…also Jewish and tent-makers. They had only recently moved to Corinth themselves after being expelled (along with other Jews) from Rome. Paul becomes fast friends with this couple and even stays with them. At first, he preaches only in synagogues on Sabbath days. But his message is consistent. He preaches a radical alternative to the Roman / Corinthian views of wealth and power. He preaches a crucified Messiah, a radical contradiction in terms for most Corinthian Jews and Gentiles. Paul likely speaks on the importance of sexual purity and financial generosity in a hedonistic and selfish place and on the Lordship of Jesus as the Messiah. Paul has not only the encouragement of Priscilla, Aquila, and others here but also from Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, who becomes a Christian…along with his family. Also, he gets direct encouragement from the risen Jesus in a vision. He spends approximately 18 months in Corinth on this visit…likely from early 51 AD to late 52 AD.

Then Paul leaves Corinth for Jerusalem and then Ephesus. Somewhere in this journey he writes 1 Corinthians. While in Ephesus, he makes a short and very painful visit to Corinth that I’ll elaborate on shortly. Then he returns to Ephesus and is imprisoned…very painfully (more about this next week). In prison he writes Philippians and likely Philemon, Colossians, and Ephesians. Then, unexpectedly, he’s released and begins working his way back to Corinth…but he doesn’t go directly...

After his painful visit and his confrontation of the Corinthians, he’s very nervous. He has told them that their walks with Jesus should trample on worldly views of wealth and weakness! Their initial reaction to being corrected is very defensive. He had converted a number of folks in Corinth, no doubt, but as the rubber of the gospel hits the road of life, there is conflict. It can be hard, stressful, difficult work. Especially in such a worldly place as Corinth. They don’t like how his presentation (often showing signs of being beaten), his simple appearance, his lack of distinguished eloquence and polish. They even go so far as to tell him they might need new references from him, a real insult. These messages from the Corinthians, on top of the deep wounds from Ephesus, really put Paul in a dark place. He sends Titus ahead to Corinth to get a feel of how things are on the ground there after these deeply troubling communications back and forth. As he’s traveling, he’s anxiously awaiting meeting up with Titus somewhere to hear what he’s found. And he waits. He reports on his mood at the time in 2 Corinthians 7:5, “Even after we arrived in Macedonia, we couldn’t rest physically. We were surrounded by problems. There was external conflict, and there were internal fears.”

Then, a breathe of fresh air. Titus arrives in Philippi. Titus brings word that the Corinthians are repentant. And, they’re worried about Paul. They’re sorry for their behavior and how they treated him. Paul writes about this in 2 Corinthians 7…hear vss 9 and following, “I’m glad - not because you were sad but because you were made sad enough to change your hearts and lives. You felt godly sadness so that no one was harmed by us in anyway. Godly sadness produces a changed heart and life that leads to salvation and leaves no regrets, but sorrow under the influence of the world produces death.”

Now that he knows the good condition of the Corinthians, he goes on to Corinth and facilitates the Corinthian contribution to the fundraising for the persecuted church in Jerusalem. By the way, fundraising was difficult even for Paul. The fundraising section of 2 Corinthians, chapter 8-9, are, in the words of NT Wright, in “tortured” Greek. It may not be fun, but Paul does it.

Overall, I’ll say that Paul’s approach to the Corinthians is radical to them. It was common for Roman men to compile lists of accomplishments, resume’s of sorts, in order to elevate themselves. Paul mentions in the Corinthian Correspondence how other, fake, apostles had tried to sell the Corinthians on a counterfeit gospel…I’m sure at least in part due to the wealth in Corinth. Paul boasts in his weaknesses, doesn’t hide his beatings and difficulties. Also in the Roman world, for soldiers, was the possibility of the wall crown. The first soldier to go over a defensive wall and live to tell about it could claim the wall crown, a highly distinguished honor. Something akin to the purple heart or medal of valor or some such. Paul tells the Corinthians he was the first over the wall RUNNING AWAY from trouble. Instead of a resume of successes, he gives them a resume of shames. And yet, he displays the remarkable power of the gospel and the Holy Spirit. He is a testimony to its power and so are the members of the church in Corinth.

A faithful walk with Jesus should trample worldly views of wealth and weakness.

Empower

It wasn’t easy for many of those Corinthians to shake off that Roman view of life, and wealth, and weakness, I’m sure. But I have no doubt that many of them, through Paul and the Spirit, grew to know that wealth comes from Jesus and is defined by Jesus. Lasting wealth, eternal wealth, the best kind of wealth and worth that exists in the universe. The Roman / Corinthian view of things still exists too often in cultures all around the world, including our own. A walk with Christ should help you realize that no matter who you’re dealing with or what you see, you’re dealing with an eternal creature of worth.

There’s an old story of country singer Lonzo Green who took his wife and children one summer to visit and stay with relatives in Tennessee. Lonzo’s teen-aged nephew Jimmy was so excited that his famous uncle was coming and told everyone he knew about it. Everyone was impressed…especially one young dark-haired friend of Jimmy’s. Jimmy came home one day and told his uncle Lonzo about this friend…how he had his own guitar but didn’t even know how to tune it. Could Lonzo teach him? Sure, Lonzo said! But them Jimmy’s mom and dad made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that this young friend of Jimmy’s could come but would not to be allowed inside. He was from the wrong side of the tracks and some in town even called him “white trash” and it just wouldn’t do for them to let him in their house. So, they met outside. Lonzo saw this young boy approach with a battered guitar and guitar sling. Lonzo showed him how to tune the guitar and then invited the young man to stay and talk for a while, bringing a big grin to the young man. Lonzo played and sang for the boy and taught him some basic chords on the tattered guitar. But they never went inside. The boy left after thanking Lonzo and carried this warm memory with him the rest of his life, never seeing Lonzo again. That young boy never really had to worry about feeling unwelcome again…especially after 33 motion pictures, 400 million + records, and fame that few have ever seen. That young boy…too trashy to be invited inside but precious enough for a country star to teach and care about, even if only for a few hours, was Elvis Presley. I visited Debbie Coleman last evening in the hospital…she and her sister Denise were watching an old Elvis movie! “We were really Elvis girls,” Denise said. I hope she gets to hear this little story...

Pray...