Paul In Corinth Series

Secondly, Jesus assures him that "there are many in this city who are my people." The work of preaching the gospel isn’t just our work. Nor is it a case of beating your head against a brick wall until it gives way. The people we preach to include those whom Jesus has already claimed as his own. These are people who are ready to hear and respond. And that’s what you find when you preach the gospel. Some people are deaf to what you have to say, but there are others who respond immediately, almost as if they’ve been waiting all their life for someone to tell them about Jesus Christ.

I don’t know if you’ve ever thought about the implications of that statement. Even though this city was filled with people who had no knowledge or understanding of the living God, people who were totally pagan in their worship and belief structures, God had chosen some of them to become his people. Among our friends there are those who may have no understanding of Christianity yet have been chosen by God to respond when the gospel is preached to them. But how is that going to happen? That’s the question Paul raises in Romans 10:14-15: "14But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? 15And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, ’How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’"

You see, the only way they’ll respond is if someone like you or me tells them about Jesus Christ.

Well that encouragement is such that Paul stays in Corinth for another 18 months preaching and teaching.

But there’s a second piece of encouragement that God gives Paul, perhaps related to his promise that no one would hurt him.

5. The Roman officials sanction his preaching of the gospel

The Jews increase their opposition to Paul to the point where they end up taking him to court to have Gallio, the Roman proconsul stop him or maybe even put him in gaol for preaching a new religion, one that wasn’t approved by Roman law. But Gallio is having nothing to do with it. In his eyes this is an argument between different Jewish sects about the meaning of certain terms; words and names and the meaning of the Jewish laws. Gallio was clearly an intelligent man who knew enough of the Jewish religion to see through their arguments, but at the same time he was sufficiently contemptuous of them to be not slightly interested in their petty arguments.

So before Paul can even open his mouth to defend himself Gallio declares their complaint invalid, outside the jurisdiction of his court, and he throws them out. As a result the crowd turns on Sosthenes who is now the ruler of the synagogue and they beat him up. This may have been to try to sway Gallio to their side but it’s a waste of time. He just turns a blind eye.

Just as an aside, by the way, There’s a Sosthenes mentioned in the opening verse of 1 Corinthians as a brother, so it may be that Sosthenes was leaning towards Paul’s teaching at this stage the same way his predecessor had and that some time later he was converted.