We begin a new series today. Our church celebrates its 125th year anniversary. We have some things planned for later this year. We also begin a new book: 1 Corinthians. Many of you may think it odd to begin journey of a book of the Bible and then focus on Acts. Yet, Luke tells us the beginnings of the church in Corinth in Acts 18.
After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, 3 and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. 4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks. 5 When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. 6 And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” 7 And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. 9 And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” 11 And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. 12 But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal, 13 saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law.” 14 But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint. 15 But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things.” 16 And he drove them from the tribunal. 17 And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this.” (Acts 18:1-17)
1. The City of Corinth
“After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.” (Acts 18:1)
Since we’re going to focus on Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church in the days to come, let’s focus on the city for a few moments. In verse one, Paul traveled 53 miles as he left from Athens to Corinth. Or, about the distance from Fayetteville to Van Buren (about 51 miles via I-540).
1.1 Corinth’s Importance
The City of Corinth was important for Paul’s purposes of reaching the world with the Gospel. Corinth and Ephesus were two important cities to Paul’s missionary work. He stayed in both of the cities considerably longer than other places because of their importance to surrounding areas. If you were traveling east to west in Paul’s day, you would have traveled through Corinth. It was a center of business, commerce, travel, and culture. Corinth was the most important city in Greece during Paul’s day. Corinth was the biggest city Paul had yet encountered with approximately 250,000 people.
The city of Corinth was just about 100 years old when Paul arrived. In 44 BC, Julius Caesar decided to establish a Roman colony at Corinth shortly before his assassination. Rome had destroyed the city earlier (146 BC) and nothing existed there for 102 years. So, Paul would not have encountered any building more than 100 years old. The poor of Rome along with numerous freed slaves had settled the town. In additional to slaves, Rome sent its army veterans there. Rome even gave them land to set up a home. Yet, Julius Caesar recognized the strategic location of the city and its ability to make lots of money. Corinth was the master of two harbors. It was a natural crossroad for land and sea travel. Cenchreae was six miles to east and opened ships to Asia. Lechaeum was two miles to the north and opened ships to Italy. A four-mile rock-cut track connected the two ports. This four mile land bridge saved sailors around 200 miles of sailing around the cape. Boats would be removed and placed on rollers to cross the isthmus. In additional, it prevented them from experiencing potential storms as they traveled around the cape of Greece was dangerous in the winter. There was a saying among sailors: “Let him that would sail around Malea make his will first.”
A canal was first attempted by Nero (67 AD) and not completed until 1893. When Paul arrived there in the late 40’s AD, there was no canal cut, only a land bridge. When Paul arrived in Corinth, he probably would have seen whatever was left from the Isthmian Games in 49 AD. Corinth hosted these games and they were second only to the Olympic games in popularity. People from all corners of the Roman Empire would have come every two years to participate and watch this important athletic event. They could see chariot races, athletic contests for women, poetry readings, all kinds of athletic events. There was even a game where a rider would leap from one team of horses to another. Paul even alludes to these games in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. The games were very important to the economy of Corinth.
1.2 Corinth’s Wealth
Because Corinth was the master of two harbors, the town was wealthy. The town offered incredible financial opportunity to the people of the first century. Because the town was relatively young, there was no entrenched aristocracy. They were not fatted to remain in their allotted position on the social scale. They had a real opportunity to move up in social rank by acquiring wealth and buying friendships. Again, many freed slaves were working to forge a new life in Corinth. This lack of tradition because of the city’s lack of history would have been helpful to Paul’s attempts at evangelism – the people and the city’s culture was more open to change. Think of Corinth in terms of a boom-town in the American West more than a century ago. The prospect of wealth elicits numerous people to come, yet many leave with their hopes dashed. The prospect of money attracts people like dead meat attracts flies. And Corinth quickly experienced a great influx of people from both West and East. As one person said of Corinth, only “the tough survived there.” This was a competitive town where the “Big Man” ruled. The town was highly materialistic. One writer described why he didn’t go to Corinth about 100 years after Paul’s time there: “I learned a short time the nauseating behavior of the rich and the misery of the poor.” The majority of Corinth’s population was on the lower end of economic ladder.
1.3 Corinth’s Religion
The temple of Aphrodite was built upon the flat surface an 1,800-foot high precipice called the Acrocorinth. This small mountain was behind the city of Corinth as it displayed a foreboding presence to everyone who visited the city. The Corinthian people credited Aphrodite with bringing wealth to the city of Corinth. There were 26 sacred places in Corinth devoted to the many gods of the Roman religion. So the competitive nature of the city was not only financial but religious as well. Paul’s preaching of Christ as the only true God would not have been welcome by many in such a diverse religious community. The major religion of Corinth in Paul’s day was self-promotion and self-achievement. A competition for success was everywhere in Corinth.
1.4 Sexual Sin
To call the city “sex-obsessed” would not be too much to say. The city pulsated with life and all the trappings of sin when Paul arrived there many years ago. Aphrodite (Roman god Venus) was worshipped in Corinth. She was called the “Goddess of Love” and her worshipers made use of the Hierodules - 1,000 consecrated temple prostitutes. Aphrodite was worshipped by sacred prostitution. In 464 BC a man named Xenophon, a citizen of Corinth, an acclaimed runner and winner of the pentathlon at the Olympic Games, dedicated one hundred (100) young girls to the temple of the goddess as a sign of thanksgiving. A museum is now in Corinth were nude statues of the god Apollo can be seen. This was to stimulate the male worshippers of Aphrodite to homosexual acts. Corinth was a center of homosexual practice. When Paul traveled the 53 miles from Athens to Corinth in verse one, this is the kind of city he encountered.
2. Evangelism Includes Reason
I want you to see two prominent words in verse four: “And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks” (Acts 18:4)
I don’t know what you think of when you think of evangelism, but evangelism is reason powered by the Holy Spirit. Paul would consistently use the persuasive powers of reason as he talked to people about becoming a follower of Jesus Christ. We see him doing the same thing a chapter earlier in Acts 17: “And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” (Acts 17:2-3) And again in verse 17 of chapter 17: “So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.” (Acts 17:17)
These words present an ongoing conversation about the importance of Jesus Christ. Part of his evangelism was a call for self-denial in a city that had become obsessed with seeking pleasure in sex. Such strongholds are not overcome easily. So Paul reasoned as made tents. He persuaded people of the beauty of the Gospel.
With everything I’ve told you about this city today, many of you might be interested in going there as tourist. Not Paul. Paul didn’t arrive their as a tourist but an evangelist. What about you? How do you see yourself? A wallpaper hanger, hangs paper in big homes in the area of California. After he finishes a job, he writes out the bill. As he hands it to the owner, he says, “Now you have seen my side job; let me take five minutes and tell you about my real work.” He takes out a tract and spends some time telling the good news before he leaves.
3. Evangelism and God’s Sovereignty Go Together
What is Evangelism? Evangelism is, “to present Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit to sinful people, in order that they may come to put their trust in God through Him as the Savior, and serve Him as their King in the fellowship of the His church.”
Evangelism then is stating specific Gospel facts to a non-believer. “And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.’” (Acts 18:9-10)
Quite literally the Lord said, “Do not be afraid.” Or, “Stop being afraid. Keep on speaking, and do not be silent.” We like to think of Paul as bold and fearless. Some may be a bit surprised to see that he was only human. Paul had begun speaking in the synagogue. He had not preached long before severe Jewish opposition arose. Paul then turned to the Gentiles and moved next door to the home of Titius Justus (see verse seven).
At that time, the ruler of the synagogue, along with his household, believed, and many other Corinthians embraced the faith and were baptized. While Paul doubtless rejoiced over the new converts, he could sense what was to come. The same opposition had caused him to be shown out or thrown out of the last several places he had been. Paul and Silas had been beaten, jailed, and asked to leave by the authorities at Philippi. At Thessalonica, the brethren had sent Paul and Silas away by night for their own safety. At Athens, Paul left with the mockery of the intellectuals ringing in his ears, and now, at Corinth, similar opposition was building. Paul knew full well how life-threatening this opposition could be.
Paul was told not to be afraid for two reasons. First, God was with him. God had told Paul that “no one will attack you to harm you.” Paul’s catalog of suffering in 2 Corinthians 11:23-29 indicates clearly that this was not always the case. Yet, that was God’s special provision for Corinth, and it enabled Paul to remain there for eighteen months. There is no specific promise that the faithful witness will not come to harm today. Yet, in our culture, harm is the exception rather than the rule. Ordinarily, the greatest danger is that of minimal persecution in the form of ridicule, ostracism, threats, or harsh words.
Second, God has “for I have many in this city who are my people.” Earlier in Acts, Luke records these words:
“And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed”
(Acts 13:48). Or in Acts 16:14: “One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.” (Acts 16:14)
God is saying to Paul that through your work of evangelism, I (God) will draw these people to Myself. The apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:14 that fallen man is blinded, and so is unable to grasp spiritual truth. However clear we present the gospel – we have no hope of converting anyone – it is the Lord who saves.
This belief in God’s sovereignty should do four items. First, It should give us boldness, prayerfulness, and humility. It should make us bold. We should be bold because we know God will accomplish his purpose and bring glory to his name. Second, it should develop patience within us. Patience is a trust that rests in knowing that God will accomplish his perfect will in his perfect time. Third, this confidence in God’s sovereignty should make us prayerful. In prayer we acknowledge that God is in control and we plead that he would be glorified and that he would be pleased to use us in bringing glory to his name. Fourth, this confidence in God’s sovereignty should make us humble.
Who am I that God should set his love and mercy upon me? God’s divine sovereignty in salvation should be an endless supply of humility in our lives. Two centuries ago, the chairman of a ministers’ group sought to stop the beginning of a missionary society which William Carey was seeking to start. The chairman said to Carey, “Sit down, when God is pleased to convert the heathen, He will do it without your aid or mine!” The mistake is not taking our evangelistic responsibility seriously. The belief that God is sovereign in grace does not deny the urgency of evangelism. Whatever we may believe about election, the fact remains that men without Christ are lost, and are going to hell. The point is this: If God had many people in the city of Corinth, a city whose very name symbolized perversion and corruption, then surely God has many people in the River Valley. Some of them work where you do, go to your school, and live in your community.
What remains is for us to declare a moratorium on our silence. We must keep on speaking and draw on the strength of God’s presence in our lives. Our witness must be forthright and clear. For only then can God use us to win the people whom He has in our cities. I would encourage you to write down the names of three people you know who are non-Christians. They may be family, friends, or co-workers. You may want to stick this card in your Bible so that you are reminded to pray for them regularly during your quiet times. One other thing that I would encourage you to consider doing is asking someone to hold you accountable. Hold one another accountable for praying for these people as well as encouraging one another to share the Gospel with them.
1. Expect Success and Rejection
Some people will reject the Gospel: And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” (Acts 18:6) “And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this” (Acts 18:17). Some people will accept the Gospel: “And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue.” (Acts 18:8)
Look back at two names in verse two for a moment: Aquila and his wife Priscilla. We know from the book of Acts and Romans and 2 Timothy that Aquila was from Pontus originally (northern Turkey). He and Priscilla lived in Rome until they were driven out by the Emperor Claudius in 49 AD with all the other Jews (Acts 18:2). They then traveled to Ephesus where they settled and had a church in their house (Acts 18:26; 1 Corinthians 16:19). Then they travelled back to Rome according to Romans 16:3 and have a church in their house. But finally in 2 Timothy 4:19, they are back in Ephesus. And that’s the last we hear of them. So from the little that we know, they lived in Pontus, Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, Rome, Ephesus. That’s not an easy life. Just a good one: sojourners. Exiles. And everywhere they are, it seems, they had a church in their house. They were movers—with Christ. Is God calling any of you to live like that?
Motivated – Do I have a heartfelt desire to share the good news of Christ?
Available – Do I have social contact with non-Christians?
Equipped – Can I effectively explain the Gospel message?
