The Acts of the Apostles 69

Subtitle: The Gospel Goes to Corinth

Acts 18:1-11.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on June 23, 2024.

We continue our look at the Apostle Paul on his Second Missionary Journey.  At the end of chapter 17, Paul had ministered in Athens, where there were some who believed.  However, Paul then left Athens and went to Corinth. 

We have two letters written by Paul to the church that he started there in Corinth (1^st and 2^nd Corinthians).

It would be helpful to bear in mind the tension between the good response to the Gospel in Corinth and the sinful culture that was still impacting these believers later when Paul writes to them.  Following Jesus is a new way of life in which we are transformed from a person who is animated by self to a person who is led by the Spirit of God to live like Jesus.

Let’s look at our passage.

Paul meets Aquila and Priscilla (v. 1-3)

When Paul arrives in Corinth, we are told that he finds a couple named Aquila and Priscilla.  Aquila is a Jew who was born in Pontus on the south side of the Black Sea.  Though it is not stated, it seems apparent that Priscilla is not a Jew.  They had come from Rome to work in Corinth as tentmakers.  This has led some scholars to make the connection that her name is a diminutive form of an important family in Rome called the Prisca Family.  This may explain why her name is put first 50 percent of the time when they are mentioned in the Bible (3 of the 6 times).  This was not normal and points to something being important about her.

We should also note that it tells us why they left Rome.  Claudius Caesar had issued a decree for all Jews to leave Rome.  This is attested by the Roman historian, Suetonius.  He lived from 69 AD to 122 AD.  He mentions that they were kicked out of the city because of riots over a man named Chrestus.  It is clear that this is talking about Christ (Greek is Christos).  Though it is tough to nail down exactly what year this decree was given, it would have been around 49 AD ( 1 or 2 years earlier than our story).

Paul made fast friends with these two.  They were tentmakers like him and Aquila was a Jew like him.  Paul was having to work and minister at the same time, so they were a perfect help for him.

Luke’s account is unclear when they became Christians.  In fact, it is quite possible that they were already Christians.  It has been 20 some years since the death and resurrection of Jesus.  News travelled fast and Rome was the capital of the empire.  We also know that the Jews were kicked out of Rome for rioting over a man named Chrestus (Christ).  Regardless, they not only become fast friends, but also fellow-workers in the sharing the Gospel.

It is important that people put their faith in Christ, and that is what an evangelist focuses on.  However, the Lord sometimes connects us with people who can help us in the ministry.  It is important to be led by Christ and to work with others who are led by Christ in this mission to take the Gospel to the world.  Jesus is the Anointed One of God to save the world from its sins and from the destruction we are hurtling towards.

Paul’s ministry in the synagogue (v. 4-6)

As was his pattern, we see Paul focusing on the synagogue first.  It would actually have Jews and God-fearing Gentiles who were attached to it.  They would know the Scriptures and more readily understand what Paul was teaching.  This makes it easier to communicate the Gospel, compared to speaking to an atheist, but it doesn’t ensure that a person will believe and be saved.

This is a practical reason to start in the synagogue.  However, Paul went to the Jews first because he also had a duty to share the good news with them.  They had served as God’s people for nearly 2 millennia.  They had been waiting for Messiah to come.  Many Jews had been dispersed through the centuries.  They needed to hear that all that service had been worth it.  Messiah has come!  It would be immoral to refuse to tell them, or try to avoid them.

At some point, Silas and Timothy show up from Berea.  We are told that this allowed Paul to minister full-time, but the reason is not explained here.  This is most likely because of money supplied by the believers in Philippi.  Paul mentions such a situation in 2 Corinthians 11.  There he challenges the Corinthian church with the fact that he could have expected them to take care of him when he ministered there.  However, it was the Philippians who covered his costs while he ministered among them.

Paul’s speaking in the synagogue eventually wears out his welcome.  We are told that some of them opposed him and blasphemed him (reviled him, spoke abusively against him).  This comes to a head where Paul shakes out his clothing and makes a public declaration that he is done coming to the synagogue.  This is a cultural thing that is related to the commands of Jesus in Matthew 10:14.  There he speaks of shaking the dust off your feet when you leave a place of people who reject your service for Jesus.  It is a symbolic gesture that serves as a witness against those you spoke to.  This dust testifies that it was on my sandals as I came into your midst to share the Gospel.  It also represents that he is leaving without taking anything from them.  Here, have your dirt back.

His statement does not mean he will never try to reach Jews again, or will not go into any synagogues.  Rather, this is clearly about the synagogue in Corinth, and we can imagine that he may have done so in some other synagogues as well.  Paul will continue to reach out to Jews in new cities and go into their synagogues, as we will see next week.

Paul continues to minister in Corinth (v. 7-11)

Sometimes the plan that we are following doesn’t go the way that we had hoped.  But, that doesn’t mean that God isn’t with you, or even helping you.  If you always interpret resistance as a sign that something is out of the will of God, then you will most certainly not fulfill what God has for you to do.  Did Adam and Eve give God any resistance?  What about Jesus and his crucifixion?  Surely God was not with such a man, and yet He most definitely was.  You will run into resistance in this world.  They key is to always look to Christ and His Holy Spirit to lead you in such times.

Paul most likely took time to pray about God’s direction for the ministry.  He had been successful to convince some of the Jews, even Crispus the ruler of the synagogue.  He had also convinced some of the God-fearers.  Thus, they begin meeting at the nearby home of a new believer, Justus. 

It is at this time that Paul has a vision of Jesus. The message of Jesus has four points to it.  First, don’t be afraid, which is another way of saying, “Fear not!”  This is a theme throughout Scripture.  If we are to do God’s will, then we cannot be driven and dissuaded by fear.  It may be scary, but you don’t have to be scared of it.  It may be fearful, but you don’t have to fear it. 

Jesus is not saying this like somehow Paul (or any of us for that matter) can reach a state where he never feels fear again.  Fear is a lot like whack-a-mole.  It is going to crop up from time to time because we are still mortals in the flesh.  However, we can take hold of that fear and put it on the altar before God.  Lord, I don’t want to be a fearful man!  Help me to overcome my fears and walk out your will! 

In fact, our flesh is not just fearful of the leading of the Holy Spirit.  It is downright hostile towards the things the Spirit wants to do in us.  When you go to pray, your flesh will fight you.  It will be a battle.  It will fight you to either quit praying, or it will convince you to pray only in ways that bring you glory.  Over time, we can develop a discipline in prayer, and in taking hold of our fears.

How does a person not fear?  You look to Jesus, ask for his help, and then do what he has told you to do.  You repent quickly when you miss the mark, and then you get back to doing his will.  Jesus is greater than anything that you will ever face.  They are all under his authority and answer to him.  Of course, they are not submitted to him, but he is still their boss.

Secondly, Jesus tells Paul to speak and not be silent.  I like the positive and negative way of saying the same thing.  This is just what it takes to get our flesh to move in the direction that God wants.  Open your mouth, and cease saying nothing!  Get out there and say something.  You may feel that it falls flat and is ineffective, but at least you are doing what the Lord has said.  He will continue to lead you and help you to know what to say.

Thirdly, He tells Paul that he is with him.  It is hard on our flesh that we cannot see Jesus.  We are told that he is with us and that we are authorized by him to take the Gospel everywhere (even communist countries).  Our flesh complains that it cannot see him.  It complains that Jesus being with us by his Holy Spirit isn’t the same as him being with us physically.  Yes, its not the same.  In fact, its better!  We will learn to lean upon God better.  We learn to grow in intimacy with him much deeper.  We also develop a much stronger faith.

Lastly, Jesus tells Paul that he doesn’t have to worry about being harmed because he has many people in this city.  When the mob grabs hold of you and drags  you through the streets, it is a relief when they take you to the courtroom.  They could do much worse things, and have throughout history.  Jesus gives Paul the understanding that he doesn’t have to fear such things in Corinth.  He would have freedom to minister, if he has faith to believe Jesus.  Isn’t this so true for all of us.

It is one thing to have a vision from Jesus in the night.  However, when you wake up in the morning, you have a decision to make.  Am I going to speak and not be silent today?  We can do this same thing with church and Sunday services.  We can find it easy to sing songs, praise God, worship, and say bold things for Jesus in a church service.  However, on Monday morning, our knees go wobbly and our hands hang down and our mouths stay silent.

This is where prayer is so important.  Take time to talk to Christ about your fears and your silent mouth.  Tell him that you don’t want to be a fearful person, and ask him to help you gain your voice.  Yet, in our immaturity, we want Jesus to zap us with courage.  This isn’t how it works.  If you are fearful, then Christ has strength for you.  Yet, it will come to you little by little as you choose to obey him.

Know this.  When you feel alone, God has people all around you and all around this world.  It is amazing how you can meet another Christian, half way around the world, and still have deep and meaningful conversations with them, even though you have never met them before.  This is because we have been serving the same Jesus with the help of the same Holy Spirit!

Corinth was a very sinful place.  Yet, God had a lot of people there.  Imagine that!  He even has Caesar kick the Jews out of Rome so that Paul will have some help when he arrives.  God is always working.  He just wants us to boldly join Him in the field.

Are you in doubt about this world today?  Do you feel like the Gospel doesn’t work anymore?  We can become fearful.  But always remember this.  If God is the one telling you not to be afraid, then who is telling you to fear?  The devil has a vested interest in stirring up your fears.  He uses governments, people in authority, media, friends, and even your own flesh to cause you to fear.  Our technology even makes it easier to pump us full of fear.  Perhaps, it is time to disconnect from the purveyors of fear and open our hearts to the one who can help us to boldly work for the souls of the people around you.

Gospel in Corinth audio