Reading: Acts chapter 18 verses 1-17.
• Last Sunday you looked at chapter 17 when the apostle Paul was in Athens
• This week in chapter 18 he has left Athens;
• And made a 90-mile journey west to Corinth.
• And unlike Athens, when he is with Christian friends (chapter 17 vs 15)
• This time Paul is alone,
• A 90 mile journey and he arrives in the winter of about A.D. 50.
Ill:
• A man who bragged that he had cut off the tail of a man-eating lion;
• Using only a small pen knife.
• When someone asked him why he hadn’t cut off the lion’s head,
• The man looked embarrassed and replied: “Someone had already done that.”
Paul was a man of great courage:
• To go alone to a place like Corinth and share the good news of Jesus;
• Takes some doing!
• Ill: Open air prayer: “Let it rain!”
• Ill: Door to door prayer: “Let them be out!”
• To go alone to a place like Corinth and share the good news of Jesus;
• Takes some doing!
Note:
• Athens and Corinth were very different types of cities;
• There was great rivalry between the two cities.
• Athens had been the leading political and commercial centre in Greece.
• But now Corinth had replaced it! That alone caused major rivalry & opposition.
Ill:
• Corinth & Athens were in every sense cities of contrast:
• Glasgow and Edinburgh.
• Athens was the university city, a cultural city,
• Where the eggheads, the intellectuals met and spent time in philosophical discussion.
• Corinth was a bustling port;
• It was a cosmopolitan city, containing a mixture of people and races,
(A). Cosmopolitan:
• Cosmopolitan simply means multi-ethnic, international, broad-based,
• Ill: Hounslow Holiday Club – at least 15 nationalities.
Ill:
• Bob Telford – we must do something in Stratford – upon –Avon.
• Asked him why, he would reply; “Because you will meet people from all over the world!”
The city of Corinth was like that!
• People passed through from all over the world!
• The city was mostly populated by freedmen – ex slaves:
• They had either bought their freedom or earned it in some way.
• Ill: 7 years later Paul wrote the Church in Corinth a letter (1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 26):
“Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you.”
• Many of these ex-slaves had worked their way up the social ladder;
• They had become quite wealthy and they occupied some important positions in society.
(B). Commercial.
• Thanks to its location,
• The city was a centre for both trade and travel:
• It was seated at the crossroads of the Roman Empire.
• Corinth was a place where all trade routes met.
The southern part of Greece is very much an island.
• Ill: 10 miles away from Ports mouth (which is an island -cut off by water).
• A couple of man made roads that go into the city,
• All traffic in and out of the city must pass though those limited ways!
Similarly the southern part of Greece is almost an island:
• On the west is the Corinthian Gulf;
• On the east the Saronic Gulf.
• The only thing to join these two parts of Greece together is a little isthmus (ist-mus);
• A little strip of land four miles across.
• In ancient times it was called “The bridge of Greece”.
• Because all trade routes met and used this city.
• This meant that Corinth became a rich and populous city;
• With one of the greatest commercial trades in the ancient world.
(3). Corrupt.
Ill:
• If In asked you to name some of the great ‘sin’ capitols of the world;
• You would probably come up with…..?
• Amsterdam, Buenos Aires, Bangkok, Las Vegas etc.
Well, in the ancient world Corinth was up their, with the worst of them!
• In New Testament times the Greek language had a verb; “To play the Corinthian”.
• Which meant; someone who lived a life of debauchery (shamelessness).
• Ill: Throughout Greece whenever a Corinthian was shown on the stage in a play,
• He was always shown drunk.
Ill:
In fact, seven years later (AD 57) Paul wrote a letter to the Church at Corinth:
• He listed some of their lifestyles before they met Christ,
• (1 Corinthians chapter 6 verse 9-11).
• Some of you were ….wicked, thieves, greedy, drunkards, slanderers, and swindlers.
• He goes on to say....Sexual immoral, idolatrous, adulterous, homosexual and prostitution!
• It is an embarrassing list of sins to have read out publicly;
• But after them is that great line; “that is what some of you WERE!”
• That is the difference Christ makes to an individual;
• He is in the business of transforming lives, making the old new!
Ill:
Now part of the Corinthian’s sexual hang ups was due to their religion;
• Dominating the city of Corinth stood the hill of the Acropolis (1,500 ft high):
• It was the temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love,
• Aphrodite is the same goddess as Venus,
• Venus was the Roman name & Aphrodite was the Greek name.
• The temple of Aphrodite in Corinth;
• Was one of the architectural wonders of the ancient world:
Quote: James Montagomery Boyce
• “It had 10,000 priestesses (each priestess was a prostitutes)”,
• Who would descend down into the city at night, to ply their trade.
• Worship at this temple meant sexual immorality!
• The more you were willing to pay, then the more perverse & depraved it got!
• Money and vice,
• Along all sorts of strange philosophies and new religions, bloomed in Corinth.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Note: When Paul arrived at Corinth, it was during a very low point in his life:
• Physically, emotionally and even financially.
• Remember from last week, he had had limited success in Athens,
• He is physically tired after a 90 mile journey,
• Probably made on foot, walking!
• He was alone, he left his co-workers Silas & Timothy in Macedonia,
• (ill: Paul was a team player and struggled when he had to operate on his own.)
• He is physically, emotionally and financially at a low;
• It would have been easy for Paul to keep a low profile and make life easy for himself.
Ill:
• A man was shovelling snow from his driveway;
• When two boys carrying snow shovels approached him:
• “Shovel your snow, Mister?” one of them asked. “Only two pounds!”
• 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!”
• For Paul the going was tough:
• But the apostle did not give up, he pressed on.
• And God gave Paul some encouragements to keep him going,
• And these same encouragements are available to us today!
(1). Friends / Devoted Helpers (vs 1-5).
“After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2There he met 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 went to see them, 3and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.
4Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.
5When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ”
• Some might say he met them by accident (I don’t believe that!);
• By the providence of God, he met a couple called Aquila & Priscilla:
• Quote “When I pray coincidences happen, and when I don’t pray they don’t happen”.
• God arranged for Paul to meet this couple.
Note: Aquilla and Priscilla had at least three things in common with Paul:
(FIRST): they were Jewish,
• When you are on your own in a new city;
• It is good to meet people who share the same language, food and culture.
• Ill: Holiday;
• We chat and talk to all around pool, became friends with another English couple.
• Language, food, love of football etc, all bind you together!
(SECOND): They shared the same occupation (work) as Paul.
• Aquilla and Priscilla had to work for a living.
• And at times so did the apostle Paul.
• Ill: Someone once asked the pope how many people worked in the Vatican;
• He replied; “Ooo, about half of them!”
• Aquilla and Priscilla were workers in leather.
• And before Paul became a preacher he too was a worker in leather.
Ill:
• All Jewish boys were expected to learn a trade,
• And most Jewish boys would follow in their father’s trade.
• Quote the Rabbis:
• “He who does not teach his son to work, teaches him to steal!”
• So as a young man Saul of Tarsus learned to be a skilled leather worker,
• And at times he earned his way around Europe by practicing a trade.
• He always trusted the Lord to meet his needs,
• And sometimes those needs were met by him taking employment.
Ill:
• In the year 2000 I had a sabbatical year;
• That is 12 months off from preaching.
• I had a three month break working on our then new house (run down);
• Six months I became a taxi-driver to pay the bills!
• I still had to trust the Lord to meet my needs,
• But on that occasion those needs were met by myself taking employment.
Verse 5: Paul carried on as a leather worker until Silas and Timothy rejoined him:
• They brought a financial gift probably from the Christians in Macedonia
• (2 Corinthians chapter11 verse 9).
• This gift enabled Paul to devote all his time to Christian work.
• And he spent that time preaching to the Jews in Corinth.
Ill:
About to spend almost two-weeks on ‘LIFE’ Expo:
• I am not paid for being there,
• It costs me petrol and time when I could be earning ‘a wage’ elsewhere.
• But Churches & individuals choose to support our ministry,
• Which means I can invest time in projects like ‘LIFE’.
• It is a Biblical principle; That those who preach the gospel for a living ;
• Should be supported in that calling!
THIRD: they were travellers.
Ill:
• In A.D.49 Emperor Claudius banished all Jews from Rome
• Verse 2 tells us that this ban may well have forced Aquilla and Priscilla to relocate.
• And they chose to relocate their business from Italy to Greece;
• From Rome to Corinth.
• And if you trace this couple in the New Testament they are people on the move;
• They go from Rome to Corinth, then on to Ephesus, then back to Rome.
• But whenever they are mentioned, one thing remains constant!
• They always have an open home demonstrating fellowship and service.
Question: Were Aquila and Priscilla Christian’s when they met Paul?
Answer:
• At a guess, I would say yes!
• But we don’t know for certain, we are not told.
• We do know that they are not mentioned as converts;
• In either the book of Acts or in the two letters Paul wrote to Corinth.
Ill:
• As Christians they served Jesus well (they make a great character study):
• We are told that this couple……
• (a). Risked their lives for Paul (Romans chapter 16 verse 34).
• (b). They assisted him in Ephesus (Acts chapter 18 verses 18-28)
• (c). They even hosted a church in their home (1 Corinthians chapter 16 verse 19).
Ill:
• Aquila and Priscilla were an important part of Paul’s “team”;
• And he often thanked God for them:
• Every pastor, evangelist and missionary thanks God for people like Aquila and Priscilla,
• People with hands, hearts, and homes dedicated to the work of the Lord.
• If you were in Hampshire I could point out some Aquila and Priscilla’ s there;
• Folks with big hearts, big hands and open homes who provide so much practical support.
Paul lived and worked with Aquila and Priscilla,
• But on the Sabbath days (Saturday) he bravely witnessed in the synagogue.
• After all, that was why he had come to Corinth.
(2). Converts (vs 4&7):
Verse 4:
“Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks”.
Ill;
• Song!
• You look like you could do with a quick break, so sit back & listen!
• From the Old Testament scriptures (all they had);
• He proved to the Jews that Jesus was their Messiah.
• He reasoned with them that his death was not an accident or mistake;
• It was part of God’s plan of salvation!
• Paul preached and debated question and answer style,
• When the Jews would not respond;
• He went next door to the synagogue;
• Where he found a God fearing Greek called Titus Justus & his household.
Verse 7:
“Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. 8Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized”.
Note:
• The response of faith in verse 7 – ‘Believe & baptised’ ill: Siamese twins.
• Ill: Baptism – Wokingham!
(3). Promise (vs 9-10):
• Paul had faced some opposition and he was about to face a whole lot more;
• To help him handle this difficult time, God gave him a word of encouragement!
“One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” 11So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God”.
• This is one of six visions that God gave to Paul in the book of Acts,
• All of them were given at crucial times in his ministry.
• In other words they were not every day experiences;
• But God gave them to Paul at key moments in his life!
GOD GAVE PAUL 4 REASONS FOR HIM TO STAY AT CORINTH:
• (1). God commanded it when he said “Keep on speaking”.
• (2). God reminded him, “I am with you”.
• (3). God promised “No –one would attack and harm you”.
• (4). God promised he would see converts “I have many people in this city”.
In tough times we all need assurance – the type that comes from the Lord:
• We need to know that what we are doing is according to his will,
• And that the presence of the Lord is with you!
Ill:
• When he was a young man, the famous British preacher G. Campbell Morgan,
• Used to read the Bible each week to two elderly women.
• One evening, when he finished reading the closing words of Matthew 28,
• “I am with you always”, Morgan said to the ladies,
• “Isn’t that a wonderful promise!” and one of them replied,
• “Young man, that is not a promise—it is a certainty!”
• Paul was encouraged by the presence of the Lord,
• And by the promise of the Lord:
Verse 11: “So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.”
• With the promise of God as his anchor;
• Paul continued to live and preach in Corinth for eighteen months.
Note from now on there is a change of tactics in Paul’s ministry:
• Up to now he has been itinerant preacher, moving from place to place,
• He spent a week here, three weeks there, a month somewhere else.
• But from now on he becomes moor resident,
• A year and a half in Corinth.
• The next major city he visited was Ephesus, where he stayed two years,
• Eventually he got to Rome, and he spent several years there.
(4).Opposition (6, 12-17)
• Whenever God is blessing a ministry,
• You can expect increased opposition as well as increased opportunities.
Quote Hudson Taylor the great missionary to China:
“If you want God to open up the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing,
then you should also expect the devil to open up the windows of hell and pour out opposition, and you will be caught between the two!”
Quote:
• When we preach the gospel,
• We are preaching treason in the devils kingdom!
• So expect some comeback!
Verse 6 tells us:
• It was the unbelieving Jews, those who had rejected the Word;
• Who stirred up trouble for Paul and his friends.
Ill:
• John Wesley who would ask his ministers in training:
• “Did anyone get converted, did anyone get mad!”
• In fact he went on to say that if your preaching got nether reaction;
• “Perhaps you were not suited to the ministry”
Verse 6 contains a very Jewish, Old Testament gesture:
“He shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."”
To shake out your clothes was a typical Jewish gesture that said;
• “You have had your opportunity, but now it’s over!”
• Today we might say that “We were washing our hands of a situation”.
• Paul is saying;
• “If you Jews won’t respond to the gospel, then I will share it with the Gentiles”.
Apply this:
• What if I did that this morning.
• What if I said this was your last opportunity to believe – would you grasp it?
• Quote: “No-one has the right to hear the gospel twice, until all have heard it once!”
• Ill: Billy Graham: “Not become a Christian when you want to!”
Verse 7:
• Paul leaves the synagogue and began using the house of Titus Justus,
• Which happened to be right next to the synagogue!
• This house now became the centre for a Christian Church,
Note: Moving next door to the synagogue was:
• A very brave or stupid thing to do, it was certainly un-diplomatic!
• As you might imagine, this act infuriated the unbelieving Jews;
Ill:
• Imagine the reaction I would get, if I fell out with your Church leaders;
• And decided to start a rival church next door to this one.
Now if that wasn’t bad enough for the Jews:
• Verse 8 tells us that it got worse (from their perspective);
• They hear some startling news that would have shocked the whole Jewish community.
• The news was Crispus who was the leader of the Synagogue & members of his family;
• Had had been converted to Christianity.
• Note: Crispus did not keep this quiet;
• Because they obeyed the Lord’s command by being baptized!
• Verse 7 tells us that many Gentiles living in Corinth also became Christians,
• And they too demonstrated their commitment to Christ by being baptized.
NOW: The Jewish community in Corinth were furious at Paul’s success
• And so they did everything possible to silence him and get rid of him.
• In fact in verses 12-17 they take Paul to court.
• The arrival of a new proconsul gave the unbelieving Jews,
• Hope that Rome might declare this new “Christian sect” illegal.
Gallio the new Roman proconsul immediately saw what the real issue was:
• It was not a problem to do with Roman law,
• And therefore Paul had not committed any offense against Roman law.
• Not interested in or concerned about Jewish law, Jewish religion,
• Gallio the new Roman proconsul throws the case out of court!.
• Gallio clearly thinks that these Jews, are wasting the courts time.
• So he refused to try the case!
Verse 16-17:
16So he had them ejected from the court. 17Then they all turned on Sosthenes the synagogue ruler and beat him in front of the court. But Gallio showed no concern whatever.
• Sosthenes was the new ruler of the synagogue,
• He had replace Crispus who left (or was sacked) when he got converted.
• They beat up Sosthenes because as leader of the Synagogue,
• It would have been his responsibility to present the case against Paul.
• They felt he had done a rotten job;
• So they beat the poor bloke up!
Note:
• Just as we finish there is a nice touch;
• God’s sense of humour I guess, in the first letter to the Corinthians.
• In 1 Corinthians 1 verse 1, written seven years after this incident of being beaten up.
• A man called Sosthenes is mentioned.
• If this is the same person, then he too got converted to Christ;
• Which meant the Jews had to find yet another ruler for their synagogue!
Punchline:
• Witnessing, hospitality, supporting others,
• Conversion & baptism are key truths in this passage.
• As we apply it;
• If the hat fits, make sure you wear it!
