Paul in Corinth - encouragement

Main Idea - There sometimes comes a time in our lives where we are so discouraged by circumstances around us we may want to quit. But God will give us the strength to keep going in His will.

Intro

Paul had left Athens and went to almost 100 km to Corinth. Silas and Timothy had joined Him but one thing we remember from Athens is that the response was not all that good.

Only a few people came to know the Lord through His ministry . One of the easiest things to do when it seems that everything in your life is going wrong, that people are not responding to the gospel like they should is to give up. It is easy just to call it quits and say that you do not want to do it anymore.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Seventeen: It’s Always Too Soon to Quit (Acts 18:1–22)

A man was shoveling snow from his driveway when two boys carrying snow shovels approached him.

“Shovel your snow, Mister?” one of them asked. “Only two dollars!”

Puzzled, the man replied, “Can’t you see that I’m doing it myself?”

“Sure,” said the enterprising lad; “that’s why we asked. We get most of our business from people who are half through and feel like quitting!”

Dr. V. Raymond Edman used to say to the students at Wheaton (Illinois) College, “It’s always too soon to quit!” And Charles Spurgeon reminded his London congregation, “By perseverance, the snail reached the ark.”

Corinth, with its 200,000 people, would not be the easiest city in which to start a church, and yet that’s where Paul went after leaving Athens. And he went alone! The going was tough, but the apostle did not give up.

Corinth’s reputation for wickedness was known all over the Roman Empire. (Rom. 1:18–32 was written in Corinth!) Thanks to its location, the city was a center for both trade and travel. Money and vice, along with strange philosophies and new religions, came to Corinth and found a home there. Corinth was the capital of Achaia and one of the two most important cities Paul visited. The other was Ephesus.

When God opens doors, the enemy tries to close them, and there are times when we close the doors on ourselves because we get discouraged and quit. As Paul ministered in Corinth, the Lord gave him just the encouragements that he needed to keep him going, and these same encouragements are available to us today.

When following the will of God, are we willing to do what it takes. I am not talking about the strategies we use and the programs we use to carry the gospel out. I am talking about the will of God, the purpose he has for our lives and our church. Where do we get encouragement from? How can we keep going?

Acts 18:1-4 - Helpers

So Paul went to Corinth to plant a church as he did everywhere else. he met up with an Jewish Italian couple who had been chased out of their hometown by the emperor Claudius.

Acts 18:2 (CSB)

where he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul came to them,

One important thing to know is that If one wanted to plant a church, Corinth was not usually the place to do it, at least it wasn't if you wanted an easy task. Corinth was a major commercial hub, a very important city. Probably this was one of the reasons why it was known for sexual sin as it was.

They had quite the reputation for sexual liberty, even amongst the people that did not know Jesus at the time. In classical Greek there was a word to mean to “act the Corinthian” means to practice fornication; “Corinthian companions” or “Corinthian girls” were harlots. The temple of Aphrodite on the acropolis of Corinth gave religious sanction to this kind of activity. I

Paul eventually had to write back to the church in Corinth as they had such a hard time keeping to the standard of sexual purity that the bible called for. after all, look at the city they lived in.

This is the place that Paul was going to try and plant a church in. He ended up with a couple of helpers, who where tent makers like he was. You see

Paul was a tentmaker by trade.

Paul earned his money by working as a tent maker. He could have asked the churches to support him, and he did address the reason why he chose to do it this way. Though there where churches who chose to support him anyways, without his asking and he was grateful for it.

Acts 18:4 (CSB)

He reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and tried to persuade both Jews and Greeks.

While he went about his ministry as he was called to do, he had the encouragement and support of two christian friends. This is important as we look into this passage. Paul surrounded himself with other apostles and he surrounded himself with Christian people who could help and encourage him in his times of need. maybe even to hold him accountable if he needed to be held accountable.

if you are discouraged in the ministry God has called you to do, remember you are not meant to do it on your own. surround yourself with christian brothers and sisters who can support you.

Acts 18:5-11 - Despair & Encouragement

Paul was doing what He always did, he reasoend with eople that he met trying to persuade thm that Jesus was the long awaited for messiah.

Acts 18:5 (CSB)

When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself to preaching the word and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah.

Yet again he did not have the best response. But this did not go over well on their part. verse 6 says they spoke evil against Paul. The spoke evil evil against the Lord no matter how Paul tried to reason with them, and that was enough.

Paul was frustrated and said

Acts 18:6 (CSB)

When they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his clothes and told them, “Your blood is on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

It was quite the gesture, even though it might be lost on today’s culture. It is the same as washing your hands of someone. It is sating that I am done with you, I have tried and failed, your blood, your future judgement is on your own head and I have done all I can to change your minds. I refuse to even let the dust from your unbelieving synagogue cling to my clothes.

Due to the unbelief of the people around Him, the lack of response for the last while i believe that Paul was discouraged.

why would this be though? after this he went to the house of a God worshipper and He believed and was baptized, it says many people believed and where baptized.

Acts 18:8 (CSB)

Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, along with his whole household. Many of the Corinthians, when they heard, believed and were baptized.

I am going off of what we are reading in the broader context of this assage but the next verse seems to say Paul was having a bit of a hard time.

Acts 18:9–10 (CSB)

The Lord said to Paul in a night vision, “Don’t be afraid, but keep on speaking and don’t be silent. For I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to hurt you, because I have many people in this city.”

when following the will of the Lord, do not be afraid, do not be discouraged. Paul had to be reminded, as do we all at some point in time. as Joshua was reminded we are to be strong and of good courage, do not be afraid for the Lord you God is with you wherever you go.

How do I know Paul was struggling when He went to Corinth? Just from the evidence that we have here. He joined other people for support, and mainly the fact that God had spoken to him directly and encouraged him to keep going, to not give up, to keep following the will of God. He needed encouragement at that time in his life.

Part of being empowered by the HS is that we will receive the strength and encouragement we need from Him. When following the will of God, look to Him for the strength and encouragement you need to keep going.

Acts 18:12-23 - God’s Will

SO first of all we read that we need to sometimes seek the help of others. Encourage each other as you live your life for God. Help each other and work together for the glory of God.

second we need to look to God always for strength and encouragement. And know that when we are following God, though times may be difficult, maybe it seems like no one is responding to what we are doing know that our strength and encouragement also comes from the Lord

what do we do when we are discourages, when it feels like we are getting attacked, when things seem to be not working. this is what we are looking at.

Paul seemed to be doing okay after this again, we all need a bit of encouragement sometimes to keep following God. Paul came under attack again, even to the point of being brought forward to be brought under charges again, but the Roman leader did not really care about the Jewish problems.

after close to 2 years there Paul left to go back to Antioch where we see a few things happen. the first of which is he shaved his head.

Acts 18:18 (CSB)

After staying for some time, Paul said farewell to the brothers and sisters and sailed away to Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved his head at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken.

why is this important? following the line of educated reasoning if Paul was depressed due to all that was going on, it is entirely possible that he took a vow to seek God’s intervention. do we we know for sure? no we do not but it makes sense seeing as it is added in here like this.

it would have been a personal nazeritic vow he would have taken. Seeing as he was a Jewish man this would not have been out of place for him to do. Though it was not official as he did not go to the Jerusalem temple to have his head shaved.

through the enemies attacks (Satan never beats a dead horse), through following God's will, through the word of God.

but it is what Paul said as He was leaving to go spend time with other churches, disciplining them and training them that I want to focus on finally.

Acts 18:21 (CSB)

but he said farewell and added, “I’ll come back to you again, if God wills.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.

So the third thing we need to remember when we are discouraged, or we really want to quit is we need to first and foremost seek God.

this seems like a small thing, maybe you think I am making to much out of one little verse. But it is vital that we seek the will of God.

some people see this as a cop out, something that Christians always say when they either lack faith, or just want an easy way out of a conversation. But we all need to have this attitude. we all need to first and foremost seek God’s will, we need to ask for God’s will to be done in our lives.

Why do we have to do this? even in the prayer that Jesus shared with His disciples we are taught to do this. the first thing we are told to pray for is God’s will to be done. it is not a cop out but rather it is purposely saying, Lord I need your will done in my life for I do not know what I am doing or where You are going. Please lead me in your will.

So What?

so what do we do with this? it is always to soon to give up, when you are following the will of the Lord. Our focus needs to be on seeking God in all that we do and as we are doing this we will come under discouragement, we may lose friends, we may face sickness and pain.

But as we do this we can remember that Satan does not beat a dead horse. If we are being successful in doing what God has called us to do then these things will happen. so what do we do when we face discouragement and we want to quit?

Join a body of Christ to be encouraged by others.

it has become easy for people to worship at home now more then ever with all the technology we have at our fingertips. But our faith was never meant to be lived out alone.

seek encouragement and support from fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Find your Priscilla and Aquilla who can come alongside you and support you.

also be an encourager and support for others when you are doing okay and they are not. check up on people when you have not seen them in a while use what God has given you to help others.

Seek the encouragement that comes from a relationship with God

First and foremost you need to come to the Lord. Part of what it means to be empowered by the HS is that we will be lifted up by God and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are His and He loves us and no matter what He will give us what we need to follow Him.

without this relationship with God, this intimate relationship, we will not be able to ge through our seasons of discouragement.

It is not a cop out to seek the will of God

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Seventeen: It’s Always Too Soon to Quit (Acts 18:1–22)

“If God will” (Acts 18:21) was more than a religious slogan with Paul; it was one of the strengths and encouragements of his life and ministry. Knowing and doing God’s will is one of the blessings of the Christian life