“After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 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, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.
When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. 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.’ 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. 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. 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.’ And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.” [1]
“We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto!” That was the overwhelming sentiment in my mind upon arrival in Vancouver. It was May 1980, and I quickly experienced a sense of foreignness compared to all that I had known previously. After two years of diligent effort, the church I had come to pastor had grown slowly. During that time I had witnessed many fellow Americans come to Canada to pastor, only to leave shortly after they had arrived. The work was difficult, made more difficult still due to the need to adjust to a new culture. I was feeling discouraged, disoriented, and discontented. I was ready to leave.
At that time, in my private devotions I was reading the Book of Acts, and I read the account of Paul’s ministry in Corinth with fresh eyes. It was as though I was reading the account for the first time, and what I saw proved to be a source of rich encouragement. Paul was discouraged and fearful; every indication is that he was prepared to forsake the city and leave for greener pastures. Paul stayed, and the reason he stayed is revealed in the message this day.
THE BACKGROUND FOR OUR STUDY — “After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth” [ACTS 18:1]. This initial verse of our text serves as more than a mere introduction meant to get things moving with an opening sentence before transitioning to the account of what happened in Corinth. “After this,” should lead the perceptive reader to ask, “After what?” What happened that induced the Apostle to leave Athens to go to Corinth? The implication is that some event was sufficiently significant that it played a part in Paul’s decision-making. Something made him willing to leave Athens to go to Corinth.
The seventeenth chapter recites movement of the missionaries in the first foray into European territory. Though we look back at that initial penetration of the European continent as phenomenally successful, I suspect it felt like an abject failure to Paul as he led this missionary band. Having trekked through Phrygia and Galatia, intending to turn toward Asia, the Spirit of Christ forbade the Apostle to go that direction [see ACTS 16:6].
I can speak with some certainty that a missionary can plan, believing he has freedom to pursue a particular course. Then, when God’s Spirit gives no rest, it is disconcerting, almost traumatic at times. There is a sense of confusion as the missionary’s plans are thrown aside and he is left with a degree of uncertainty. He trusts God, but the immediate direction for his service is left in seeming disarray. For a man of action, the uncertainty he experiences is foreign and deeply disorienting.
Having been prohibited by the Spirit of Christ from moving into Bithynia, the missionaries moved down to Troas, uncertain where they were to go next. One night, as the others lay sleeping, Paul had a vision. He clearly saw “a man of Macedonia … standing there, urging him and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us’ [ACTS 16:9]. Sharing the vision with the others, they agreed that it seemed clear that God was directing them to go into Macedonia. So, they booked passage across the Hellespont, setting foot on European soil for the first time as missionaries of the Risen Son of God.
They promptly moved to Philippi, a major commercial centre and as it happened the city where the Aegean fleet was harboured. They had no definite leading what they were to do there, other then knowing they were to bring the message of life in anticipation that the message would find lodging in hearts as some would believe. And that is exactly what happened, only not precisely as they might have anticipated. There was no synagogue there, and so the usual plan of finding a potential audience to whom they could introduce the Gospel was set aside. Instead, on their first Sabbath in Philippi, the missionary band went to the riverside where they hoped they would find a contingent, however small, of worshippers gathered for prayer.
That first effort of finding an audience was not quite as they expected, for there were only some women gathered in worship. One of those present was a merchant from Thyatira, a woman who marketed purple goods, a highly desirable coloured cloth in that day. That woman, named Lydia, heard the message the missionaries proclaimed, and she believed. Upon believing, she was baptised in obedience to the command of the Lord. This new follower of the Christ led her household to also embrace the Faith. She then prevailed upon the missionaries to take up residence at her house, using that as the centre for beginning the work of shedding the light of the Gospel on that pagan society.
The missionaries persevered, and a small congregation was gathered—the first church on European soil. Almost immediately, Satan beset the missionaries when a slave girl held in bondage as a fortune teller was freed of the demonic power that had long possessed her. Her owners, angered that they could no longer make money off her, had Paul and Silas thrown in prison. The Lord intervened, sending an earthquake that destroyed the prison, rendering it unusable for incarcerating prisoners. Through this incident, the missionaries became the means by which the gaoler and his family were saved and brought into the membership of the nascent congregation.
To spare injury to the little assembly, already under attack from the community, the missionaries chose to leave, travelling to the next community where they would declare the message of Christ the Lord and the salvation He alone can give.
The missionaries journeyed to Thessalonica where they gathered a congregation of new believers. Within a matter of days, in an effort to spare trouble for the newly gathered church, the missionaries were compelled to leave for the next town. They were received in Berea, enjoying a brief but productive ministry until jealous Jews from Thessalonica hurried to Berea to stir up trouble. Paul was the primary apologist for the Faith, so for the sake of a measure of peace, the Apostle was sent by boat to Athens while Silas and Timothy remained in Berea to establish the new believers in the Faith.
In Athens, Paul found his spirit stirred as he witnessed the idols that filled the city. He was not silent, investing his time reasoning with the Jews in the synagogue and with whoever would listen as he frequented the Agora each day. Shortly, his discussions attracted attention from some powerful Athenians. And thus we read, “[Paul] reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, ‘What does this babbler wish to say?’ Others said, ‘He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities’—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, ‘May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean’” [ACTS 17:17-20].
Now the Apostle was compelled to present the message of Christ in the Areopagus. It appears all present listened until Paul spoke of the resurrection from the dead. Doctor Luke records, “Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, ‘We will hear you again about this.’ So Paul went out from their midst. But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them” [ACTS 17:32-34].
I’m left with the impression that at this point in his service for Christ Paul felt as if his work in Europe was a failure. He had accomplished quite a bit for the cause of Christ during his first missionary tour, but it must have seemed as if little had been accomplished so far during this tour. A few people had believed in Philippi before the Apostles had been forced to flee in order to avoid bringing difficulties down on the heads of the little band of new believers. In Thessalonia, the ministry the missionaries provided was limited to a matter of days before such severe opposition arose that the missionaries were again forced to flee, leaving behind a tiny group of new Christians, Christians who had never been tested in the hot fires of opposition and persecution. How would these untested saints stand up under the pressure of hostile people intent on silencing them. Fleeing to Berea it appeared that at last the missionaries would have a fertile field in which to work. But before their work could really take root, the missionaries and the few Bereans who had believed were forced to send Paul away. Wasn’t Paul the driving force that drew people to Christ? Wasn’t it Paul who had the powerful and convincing arguments when challenges were advanced? In Athens, the Apostle was compelled to defend the Faith without any assistance. There, he declared the message of Christ with somewhat pitiful results. There appeared to be little fruit for the effort expended.
All that the Apostle had to show for his efforts were a few tiny congregations composed of new followers of Christ. It was very much in doubt that they could withstand the attacks they were experiencing. None of them had preachers trained in homiletics or hermeneutics. None of the churches had a diaconate composed of talented people capable of performing the labours of service required of a congregation.
We read, “After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth” [ACTS 18:1]. Having expended tremendous energy, there was little fruit to show for the missionaries’ efforts. After experiencing such unremitting hardship, such challenges that would have long since driven most ministers from the work of establishing a church, let alone establishing multiple churches in separate places, Paul departed Athens, leaving yet another incomplete planting of a congregation of the Lord Jesus. He left to journey to Corinth, though it would appear that he didn’t have high hopes that he would do any better there. I suspect Paul was discouraged, perhaps he was even ready to reassess his work. It was his great faith in the truth of the Risen Saviour that kept the Apostle on course. There are some truths that you and I need to remember when we walk with the Master.
Success in Christ’s work is not measured as the world measures success. Success is measured by standing firm in the face of what often will feel like defeat. Many times, success comes only through difficulties arising because we are forced to stand firm. We need the viewpoint that was adopted by Moses when his life become difficult. Do you remember this assessment of Moses leadership? “By faith [Moses] left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible” [HEBREWS 11:27]. Moses would never set foot on the soil of the land God had promised Israel, but he was nevertheless the Great Lawgiver and the one whom the Lord chose to lead Israel out of Egypt. While you might argue that Moses wasn’t totally successful, God was pleased with what he had accomplished and history judged him as the Great Lawgiver.
Again, note that You are not the best judge of whether you have been a success. Christ the Lord is the Judge, and He will determine the success of the work you have done. Each follower of Christ needs to be encouraged by the promises of the Word. We have witnessed the Apostle testifying, “He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor” [1 CORINTHIANS 3:8].
We are given a similar encouraging promise when the Apostle writes, “My beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” [1 CORINTHIANS 15:58].
For your eternal encouragement, allow me to point you to yet one other promise delivered when the Apostle writes, “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” [GALATIANS 6:9].
There is a third truth that must not be ignored as we review what Paul may have felt. The work of Christ is not dependent upon one individual. You might argue that Paul was the driving force in this missionary band—and you would be right; but we must never forget that they were a band, a troupe, a team. The missionaries worked together to accomplish whatever might be accomplished. And that is true for you as a member of the congregation. No one individual is indispensable in the congregation. As the Apostle says elsewhere, “We are workers together with Him” [2 CORINTHIANS 6:1 KJV].
Surely, this is the message that is easily forgotten when we witness the Apostle speaking of his work together with Apollos. Recall how Paul has written, “What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building” [1 CORINTHIANS 3:5-9].
If I may be so bold, the truth of what went on before the events recounted in the text caution us to avoid attempting to measure the success of our own efforts for Christ using the metric provided by this dying world. Never forget that the most godly congregation is not necessarily the largest congregation, or the wealthiest congregation, or the most popular congregation. Are we seeking God’s will and striving to do what He wills? That is the criterion for success. By this criterion, don’t fall into the rut by which you attempt to judge what you have done by the world’s standard. Focus on Christ and pleasing Him by fulfilling His will. View the congregation where God has placed you as consisting of redeemed men and women, each uniquely equipped by the Spirit of Christ in such a way that when we work together we reveal the character of the Risen Saviour.
IMPEDIMENTS PAUL FACED — Our text informs us, “[Paul] 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, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.
“When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the Word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. 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 18:2-6].
It may be hard for us to imagine, but the first and some of the most vicious opponents of the Faith of Christ the Lord were Jews. This may be hard for us to imagine that this could have been the case because we are aware that the first members of the Faith were Jews. However, remember that the first followers of the Risen Saviour were at best viewed as a sect of the Jews. The Jewish religious leaders would have dissented vigorously from agreeing that the early followers of Christ were a sect of Judaism, but it is not without reason that to this day we speak of Judeo-Christian religious views. We Christians share much in common with those Jews who walked humbly before the Lord GOD, honouring the Faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is an undeniable truth that the Faith of Christ the Lord has roots buried deep within the Old Covenant. We rightly consider the history of Israel as a history that is shared with us Christians.
We are living in a world in which hatred toward the Jewish people is growing like some toxic brew heated in a cauldron of boiling animosity, contempt, hostility, and prejudice. I need to state quite clearly that no Christian, no twice-born follower of the Christ can share in this antisemitism and imagine they are honouring the Son of God. We are secure, as we are humble, in the knowledge that God has never turned from His love of the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
We are humbled by the words the Apostle penned, “I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? ‘Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.’ But what is God’s reply to him? ‘I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.’ So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
“What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, as it is written,
‘God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes that would not see
and ears that would not hear,
down to this very day.’
And David says,
‘Let their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them;
let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,
and bend their backs forever.’
“So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean” [ROMANS 11:1-12]!
We must not fall into the trap of ignoring history in an effort to demonstrate sensitivity. There has been quite enough of such weird efforts by those who are willingly blind to reality. Knowing the past allows us to avoid the pitfalls that afflict all mankind. Thus, stating that the first systematic and sustained opposition to the Faith of Christ the Lord was Jewish is not an excuse to adopt the perverted attitude of this fallen world that permits hatred of the Jewish people.
While the first opposition to the Faith was Jewish, there was quickly opposition arising from all peoples. Opposition and persecution of the Faith arose from pagan governments. And opposition to the Faith has continued throughout the history of the Faith, arising from both religious and non-religious quarters. Among the most serious opposition to the Faith of Christ the Lord in this day are religions—both Christian and non-Christian religions, and secular governments.
Even as Jesus sent out His disciples, He warned them that they would be hated. “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake” [MATTHEW 10:16-22a].
The unreasoning, and unreasonable, hatred was a feature of the attitude of the world as Jesus was sending out His disciples to minister among their Jewish brothers. They would have success as they laboured, but the success would always be achieved against the backdrop of bitter hatred from the world into which they were to venture. The religionists among whom they laboured could not accept them or their message.
Speaking of conditions disciples would encounter immediately before His return, in MATTHEW 24:4-12 Jesus warned, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.”
Until the end of the age, opposition and persecution will be the conditions in which Christ’s people will be compelled to serve. And the opposition will come from quarters that are not always anticipated. Jesus is the Prince of Peace, but the peace He brings is not shared by the world. Do you remember how the Master cautioned disciples, “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law” [LUKE 12:51-53].
These statements delivered by the Master are but emphases of a more extended warning delivered when Jesus taught those who would follow Him what they could expect. He said, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father” [JOHN 15:18-24].
Defending his labours, the Apostle spoke of the opposition he had faced when he wrote exposing those who boasted they were the real disciples of the Christ. He testified, “Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers” [2 CORINTHIANS 11:24-26].
The Apostle was open about danger from his own people, the Jews. But even at that early day, Paul speaks of danger from Gentiles. He is especially adamant about noting danger from false brothers. The Book of Acts lists multiple instances of threats from the Jews against Paul. Immediately after his conversion to Christ, Paul’s life was threatened by Jewish leaders, first in Damascus and later in Jerusalem [see ACTS 9:23-30]. Later, in Antioch of Pisidia, Paul faced Jewish opposition [see ACTS 13:45, 50]. Likewise, the missionaries were threatened in Thessalonica [see ACTS 17:5-9].
Threats from Gentiles became increasingly frequent as the Faith spread. First in Iconium [see ACTS 14:4-6], then in Philippi [see ACTS 16:19-24], in Salonica [see ACTS 17:5-9], and at last in Corinth as we read in the text.
The Apostle reveals incidents when he was beset by false brothers. He warns against such people when he writes, Timothy. He warns against Demas, Alexander the coppersmith who together with Hymenaeus was handed over to Satan. He spoke quite strongly against those who insisted on mixing Judaism with the Faith of Christ the Lord [see GALATIANS 5:12]. Earlier in this same missive, he spoke of these individuals as the false brothers they in fact were [see GALATIANS 2:1-5]. And the opposition Paul faced would continue until the day when the Apostle was at last executed. Following the day in which the Apostle lived and served the cause of Christ, opposition and persecution would be focused on any who named the Son of God as the Saviour. To this day, there is assuredly opposition to any who serve Christ. The old saying stands true to this day: if you don’t want any trouble, don’t say anything, don’t do anything, don’t be anything.
THE ENCOURAGEMENT GOD PROVIDES — “[Paul] left [the synagogue] and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue. 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. 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 18:7-10].
Don’t fall into the trap of imagining that the Apostle never faltered, never questioned what he was doing. Paul did despair at times, and he did hesitate on occasion. Let me give a few examples of such hesitation. Here is an example of a time when Paul despaired. He speaks of that time as he is writing his second missive to the Church of God in Corinth. “We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many” [2 CORINTHIANS 1:8-11].
First, it will be essential for us to determine who Paul is referring to when he writes of “we.” Take a moment to establish that the letter is attributed to Paul and Timothy. The letter begins in this manner: “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
“To the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia” [2 CORINTHIANS 1:1]. Thus, it should be apparent that Timothy was a contributor to this missive, if only through association with the Apostle. Therefore, when we conclude that Paul was speaking of the experience of both himself and Timothy, we are on reasonably solid ground. However, as we have seen up to this point in the message, Silas was serving with the missionary band, as was Doctor Luke. This knowledge would lead me to deduce that the entire missionary troupe struggled with deep concerns for their welfare at times. The affliction they endured appears to have driven them to the edge of exhaustion and subsequent despair.
Burdened to the point that he questioned whether he would continue living, the Apostle was being trained to set his hope fully on the Lord, as were each of the members of the missionary band. Timothy, Silas, and Luke were receiving a post-graduate course in standing firm in the face of persecution for the cause of Christ. Looking back, everything seemed to point to Paul’s imminent death as well as the death those who were labouring with him. None of the missionaries were unmoved by the trials they were compelled to endure. Despite every appearance to the contrary, God intervened and the missionaries, especially the Apostle, received a necessary lesson that they were able to share with others.
Here is another example of indecision for the Apostle, though the Lord did intervene to direct him in the way he should go. It was during the second missionary journey and the missionary band intended to turn south into the Roman province of Asia. The timing seemed right; the desire of the missionaries appeared to be in line with the will of the Lord, but as is always the case, the Spirit of God had a say in the final decision. Debarred by the Spirit of Christ from fulfilling their initial intention, the missionaries then thought to move north and east into Bithynia and Pontus, but they were again kept from this plan as God intervened.
Here is the account as recorded by Doctor Luke. “[The missionary band] went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them” [ACTS 16:6-10].
There is another instance that is worthy of our study at this time. In the final letter we have from the Apostle, a missive written to the young theologue who shared so much of his life during the days Paul was under attack, the Apostle includes a wistful account as he reviews what appears to be a lonely situation. Paul writes, “Do your best to come to me soon. For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them” [2 TIMOTHY 4:9-16]!
However, lest you should conclude that Paul was defeated, you need to hear what he says next. Paul testifies, “But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen” [2 TIMOTHY 4:17-18]. Paul informs us how he endured, writing, “We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” [2 CORINTHIANS 4:7-10].
He saw that the trials he was forced to endure were not because of who he was, but because of the One he served. Therefore, he saw purpose behind his experiences. Thus, he testified, “We who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh” [2 CORINTHIANS 4:11].
Though we know it to be true, we nevertheless need to remember that the flesh is passing away. Our bodies are identified with this fallen world, and the world is passing away just as we are informed when the Apostle of Love writes, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” [1 JOHN 2:15-17]. Do we who are twice born actually want to sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the temporary? Are we so foolish that we will surrender the promise of God for that which must corrode, or tarnish, or rot, or fade away? Do we who follow the Risen Lord of Glory not long to seize the promise of that which will last for all eternity?
When we were in the world, we could only think in terms of the things of this world—we didn’t know better. However, we who have been born from above now have the Spirit of Christ living in us! Moreover, we know that the world is indeed passing away! The evidence that this is the case is that this flesh that now enrobes us is passing away. Though we are mere mortals, we have been redeemed in Christ the Lord Who has given us His Spirit and Who has saved our soul. Moreover, He has promised to redeem our body. Indeed, things have changed for us.
The admonition delivered by the Apostle holds true, as we well know. Paul has written, “Many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself” [PHILIPPIANS 3:18-21].
One day you’ll hear that I have died. Don’t believe it! I’m telling you now, I won’t be dead! I have this glorious hope because of what my Saviour has done for me. I have this promise, and so do you if you are born from above. “I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’
‘O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?’
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” [1 CORINTHIANS 15:50-57]. Amen!
That is enough to make even a Baptist shout “Hallelujah!” Christ the Lord has given hope—real hope—to us who follow Him. We have peace with God and the hope of glory as we walk in the light of Christ’s presence!
But what of you who are yet unsaved. And if you have never put your trust in the Son of God, you are indeed lost. But it need not be so. The Word of God now invites you to life, the Living God promising, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” [ROMANS 10:9-10]. God promises, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” [ROMANS 10:13]. Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
