I. PRAYER
II. Introduction
a. Aquila finished stitching the last seam on the large market canopy as his wife, Priscilla, rose to answer the loud knock on the door of their shop. Daylight was fading quickly, and the sputtering oil lamp was struggling to dispel the darkness.
b. The door swung open on its rusty hinges, and a small man walked into the cluttered room. Sabbath was over for another week, and the Apostle Paul, having spent the day expounding the Scriptures at the synagogue, had come to begin work on eight new tents for a family of North African traders.
c. They would sleep little this night, the three of them. After a simple meal they would begin the wearying process of cutting and stitching and cutting some more. Their work would be punctuated by Paul’s rehearsal of the day’s events in the synagogue and by animated discussion of the teachings of the Christ. As they cut thick tabs of bull hide to reinforce corners and tie-downs, they would pause often to pray for the many new believers in Corinth and ask God for wisdom in establishing this new assembly with its diversity of people...
d. Paul spent one and a half years in Corinth, and for a season, he made tents to support himself and the newborn church there in Corinth. We are going to begin to look at Paul’s stay in the city of Corinth, as we reach another chapter in our continuous study through the book of Acts.
III. Background
a. Last week, we saw the apostle in the city of Athens, proclaiming the gospel to the intellectual elite. These would have been white-collar kind of people. These were people who made their income with their intellect and reasoning.
b. This week though, Paul enters the bustling commercial center of Corinth. Corinth was a boomtown where there was plenty of work, and unemployment was unheard of. Paul wasn’t afraid to do work to support himself here. In fact, God provided Paul with work that he knew and could do skillfully.
c. In the next two chapters, chapter 18 and 19, we see that Paul is going to be used by God greatly. Not that he hadn’t been used before, but at this point, on his one and a half missionary journeys, the most time Paul had spent in a particular city had been a couple of months. But here, in Corinth, and again as we will see later on in Ephesus, God will manifest Himself in a very powerful and special way.
d. As we look at the life and journeys of Paul, we like to think that his ministry was always filled with booming successes. But, as we saw last week, while in Athens, the ministry of Paul was largely ineffective. Only a
e. But, in contrast to that, what happened in Corinth would best be described by the word revival. A revival is an outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit in a powerful and demonstrative way. The word revive means simply to awaken or to bring something back to life. Because God is sovereign though, these outpourings of the Holy Spirit are unpredictable. You never know when God’s grace will manifest itself. This is not the kind of thing that man can plan up and manufacture.
f. As I drive around, I occasionally see a sign outside of a church that says something like – Revival here tonight, or revival and some dates. I usually chuckle when I see signs like that, because what they more accurately mean is that they are going to have some special meetings, and that they are hoping that God will pour out His Spirit.
g. What actually happens when God does choose to pour out His Spirit is an awakening or a realization of who Jesus is, and a desire for holiness and obedience that comes simply out of the moving of the Holy Spirit.
h. The churches that came out of the revivals at Corinth and Ephesus were very strong churches that became outreach centers to the surrounding areas. These churches had large numbers of active and committed believers.
i. Paul was used by God to start these churches, first in Corinth, and later in Ephesus, as he spends two years with the Ephesians. Paul had known some success in ministry to this point, but by en large, he faced trials, tribulations, and suffering.
j. We think of Paul as great leader and evangelist in the church, a man used to write two thirds of the New Testament, and this is all true. I think though, as we look at the Bible, and history, we see God working through people that He chooses, regardless of their ability.
k. In the book of Judges, chapter 6 Gideon told God, "O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house." 16 And the Lord said to him, "Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man."
l. Most times, God uses us in spite of our weaknesses. God chooses who will serve Him not because of their abilities or talents. God didn’t use Paul because of his intellect or preaching ability, and Paul even says himself, God used Him by His grace, His favor, His mercy, and it was nothing that Paul could offer the Lord.
m. Let’s get into our study though, read with me, starting in Acts chapter 18 verse 1. Acts is just past John and right before Romans in the New Testament. If you need a Bible, look on with someone else, or just raise your hand, and we will get you one, because this is good stuff.
IV. Study
a. Intro
i. 1 After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them. 3 So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers. 4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks. 5 When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. 6 But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, "Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."
ii. 7 And he departed from there and entered the house of a certain man named Justus, one who worshiped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized. 9 Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city." 11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
iii. 12 When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat, 13 saying, "This fellow persuades men to worship God contrary to the law." 14 And when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it were a matter of wrongdoing or wicked crimes, O Jews, there would be reason why I should bear with you. 15 But if it is a question of words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves; for I do not want to be a judge of such matters." 16 And he drove them from the judgment seat. 17 Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. But Gallio took no notice of these things.
iv. As I was studying this week, I also thought that it was rather interesting that we don’t see the Apostle Paul making goals or putting plans down on paper. Paul’s plan was a simple one – follow God, and be led by Him.
v. Paul was simply led by faith to follow God. One pastor I studied described Paul’s journeys through the ancient world as a big game of connect the dots. Paul is led to go one place, he would then preach the gospel, get a few converts, get a little church going, then Paul gets run out of town. Paul then goes to the next town and starts all over, and connects the dots. He didn’t know what the picture was going to look like until he would reach the end, and he could go home to be with the Lord.
vi. Paul’s only sure thing in life was that he was to preach the gospel, wherever he went. Later on in Acts chapter 20, he would say, “The only thing I know for certain is that everywhere I go, suffering and persecution were going to be part of it.” His only goal was to simply preach Jesus Christ.
vii. Paul realized that his life as a Christian was a simple one. He would later write to the Corinthians in 1st Corinthians chapter 2, verse 2 For I resolve to know nothing while I was with you, and that is Christ, and Him crucified. This was a very simple message for the Corinthians, just Jesus.
viii. As I was studying this, I realized that, as a pastor, I only really have two responsibilities. First, is to love my wife and family, regardless of whether I haven’t had enough sleep, if I’ve had a bad day, it doesn’t matter. As a Christian father, I am to love my family, and that comes first.
ix. Second, Jesus told Peter simply this “If you love Me, feed my sheep.” Not once, not twice, but three times. As a pastor, it is my job to feed the sheep, and that is what we are doing this morning by studying God’s Word.
x. Neither one of those is very complicated. It isn’t very easy all the time, either one, but it is very simple, not too complicated. Too many times though, I find myself trying to make both very complicated for myself, and for that, I am repentant. If I do these things though, then God says that I will be honored, and I will fulfill my ministry that He has called me to, and He will accomplish what He wants to accomplish, and get all the glory.
xi. In the spirit of making things less complicated, we will look at four points today in our text. There’s a place to take notes on your handout, and I would encourage you to do that, not for me, but for your own study and encouragement. In our first point, we see Paul arriving in Corinth from Athens in the first three verses.
b. Moving In (Acts 18:1 – 3)
i. 1 After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them. 3 So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers.
ii. So Paul leaves Athens and arrives at Corinth. In this section of Acts, chapters 17, 18, and 19, Paul visits the three main cultural centers of the Roman world.
iii. Last week, in chapter 17, we see Paul in Athens, the intellectual capital of the ancient world. There were three great universities at this time, one in Alexandria, one in Tarsus, where Paul was from, and some think he may have studied there, and the one in Athens, which was by far the most famous. The elite thinkers of the day went to the one in Athens.
iv. This week we see Paul traveling to Corinth in chapter 18. Corinth was the commercial capital of the ancient world. It was located where all the main north – south, and east – west trade routes converged. The north – south trade routes were land routes, and the east – west ones were by sea. Almost all of the commerce flowed through Corinth as traders and merchants moved throughout the Roman Empire.
v. This city of Corinth wasn’t the ancient Greek city. That city had been destroyed by the invading Roman army in 146 B.C., but it was rebuilt by Julius Caesar in the year 44, some seven years earlier, to be the booming city of trade that it was in these days.
vi. Corinth was a very prosperous city, everyone was making money. This made the city attractive to industrious Jews, who had left their homeland in search of prosperity. Like I said though, Corinth was booming. Everyone was making money, and unemployment was unheard of.
vii. In the coming weeks, we will look at Paul as he journeys to the third great cultural center in the ancient world in chapter 19. This was the city of Ephesus. Ephesus was the religious center of the ancient world. There were three temples devoted to the worship of the Emperor there, as well as the temple of Artemis, or Diana. This was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
viii. But this week, we’re in Corinth, with Paul just arriving from Athens. Corinth was not only a very prosperous city, but a very wicked and depraved city as well.
ix. Paul’s letters to the church at Corinth give us more insight as to what went on during his stay in Corinth, and we will be quoting from 1st and 2nd Corinthians a few times today, to get more insight as to what is going on during this year and a half.
x. As I was studying though, I ran across this passage, in which Paul talks about his stay at Corinth. It is found in 1st Corinthians, chapter 2, and verse 3, where Paul writes - 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.
xi. What was it that drove Paul to weakness and trembling? Well, I believe, and many others believe that it was the city and the culture of Corinth itself that caused Paul to be intimidated.
xii. We don’t usually equate Paul with a person who is intimidated though, right? We like to think of Paul as a bold, brazen, outspoken proponent of Christ, and as I study this passage in Acts, and look at some corresponding passages in 1st Corinthians, I see Paul’s humanness.
xiii. People that are called to serve God have the same fears and weaknesses that we all have, and Paul is included in this. After the string of sub-par results that Paul had, he was probably doubtful of the results at Corinth. He was likely questioning his competency, and his abilities to share the gospel effectively at this point.
xiv. I have known people to turn away from God’s calling on their life simply because they didn’t feel qualified. That’s just what the enemy wants though, he wants us to not step out and not be used to touch other people’s lives. God so desperately wants us to step out though.
xv. The word tells us in the book of Isaiah, chapter 6, verse 8, where the Lord asks Isaiah, Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us ? Isaiah’s answer is what we should answer when God calls us - “Here am I! Send me."
xvi. The reality is that all of us are in the same boat. All of us have those same fears and insecurities. All of us feel underqualified to do what God has called us to do. That’s all part of God’s plan though.
xvii. Even if you do feel qualified, in one area or another, if you are obedient, it will not be long before God puts you in a situation where you feel like you are in way over your head. You feel like God’s expectations so far outstrip your own abilities and strengths, that there’s no way to accomplish it all. When we give up though, where we come to the end of our rope that is the point that God can take over.
xviii. Up until this point, it is just us being godly. Maybe some things get done, but there isn’t an abundance of fruit. Past this point though, it is God moving in and through you to accomplish what He wants to accomplish on earth.
xix. At this point - you know, and likely everyone around you knows that it wasn’t you doing anything, it was God doing the work through you, and that is true ministry, something that will last, just like Paul was doing in Corinth.
xx. A good number of scholars look at these two chapters, 18 and 19, as the high water mark of Paul’s ministry. I don’t want to get into what exactly happened in Paul’s life at this point, and truthfully, only God knows. But regardless, Paul while in Corinth was a broken, weak man that was used by God to do great and mighty things.
xxi. The city of Corinth was a very intimidating city. Not only was it a very rich and depraved city, like I said earlier, but this was one of the largest cities in the ancient world. It was a large city by our modern standards. Three quarters of a million people lived in Corinth at this time. That is a huge area of land; especially when you consider that their buildings were no more than three stories tall, the vast majority being only one story.
xxii. So, the city was wealthy, depraved, large, and it was very powerful politically. The city was the capital of the Roman province of Achaia. The city hosted its own athletic games, and people would come from all over the empire to compete in these games.
xxiii. The people of Corinth were very proud of their city, and they weren’t the kind of folks who would be open to listening to new ideas, quite unlike the Athenians. They listened; they just didn’t get it for the most part.
xxiv. Paul noted that the Athenians were very religious people. They were idolaters, but they were very religious. They were very moral people as well. Just because someone is religious, and they’re a good person, doesn’t mean that they are going to heaven. You ask the average person on the street if they are going to heaven, they say, yes. You ask them why they think that, they say, because I am a good person.
xxv. One thing we as Christians need to be very clear on is that you do not get into heaven by good works. There’s no cosmic balance where your good and bad deeds are measured, none. The only question you will be asked is whether you believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, if you put your faith in Him.
xxvi. Paul would later write in 1st Corinthians chapter 1 that the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
xxvii. That’s why he would write a few lines later that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.
xxviii. In Corinth, the people there had turned religion into immorality. This was because the temple of Aphrodite was there in Corinth, with its 1000 temple prostitutes. Ancient historians tell us that every night, you would see a long line of torches coming down the mountainside from the temple as these prostitutes would stream into every part of the city to ply their trade, so that they could take that money and put it back into the temple treasury.
xxix. So, Paul arrives in this seething, immoral metropolis, and he probably wondered, how am I going to share the gospel with these folks? God leads him to a dear couple that we are introduced to in verse 2, Aquila and Priscilla.
xxx. Aquila was a native of Pontus, and Pontus was a region in Asia Minor, a narrow strip of land on the south coastline of the Black Sea. But Pontus was an area that was known for its tent making trade, just like Paul’s native area of Tarsus. They came from Rome, as they lived there for a time. It is pretty obvious that these guys were Christians already.
xxxi. The reason they left Rome was an interesting one as well. Seutonius, and ancient historian wrote an account of the life of Claudius Caesar, and we know from these writings that they Jews were kicked out of Rome because the Jews were making disturbances at the instigation of Christus.
xxxii. It is clear that the gospel had already reached Rome at this point, probably carried by Jews who had gone to Jerusalem for the celebration of Passover.
xxxiii. This caused great disturbances in the synagogues, as we have seen from what has been happening to Paul. But Claudius got so fed up with all of this that he threw all of the Jews out of Rome, which was a lot of people, and Aquila and his wife got caught up in all of that.
xxxiv. Every Jewish rabbi had to know a trade so they could support themselves in the lean times. The Talmud says that not teaching your son a trade is teaching him to steal.
xxxv. Paul knew the trade of tent making, and he had no support when he arrived in Corinth. So, he meets up with Aquila and Priscilla, and joins up in their trade.
xxxvi. These people weren’t rich. The average person worked in order to simply put food on the table to survive, and Paul was just trying to scratch out a living in Corinth, and so were Aquila and Priscilla. But, tent making wasn’t the only thing that Paul was doing in Corinth. Tent making was not his main goal in Corinth, and we see this in the next three verses.
c. Moving On (Acts 18:4 – 6 )
i. 4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks. 5 When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. 6 But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, "Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."
ii. Here again we see that Paul was reasoning with the Jews and God-fearing Greeks in the synagogue there in Corinth every Sabbath. Here again, the word reasoned is the Greek word dialegomai, he had a dialog going with these guys every Sabbath.
iii. He was very persuasive under the power of the Spirit, and we see that Paul had some early successes there in the synagogue at Corinth. This is in sharp contrast to the reception to the gospel at Athens, where very few people were persuaded.
iv. The key thing to remember whenever we are presenting the gospel to people is that it is God and God alone that brings the results. We just have to be faithful to present the gospel in the best way that we know how to the people we are ministering to, and pray that the Lord will give the increase.
v. Silas and Timothy catch up with Paul about this time, arriving from Berea in Macedonia, where they were ministering. Pretty straightforward verse, verse 5. The last part of that verse has had some sticky translation over the years. If you are reading the New King James, like I teach out of, you see that Paul is compelled by the Spirit to testify about Jesus to the Jews.
vi. However, some of the more modern translations more closely translate this passage, and in the NIV and a few others, you see that Paul devotes himself full time to preaching the gospel when Timothy and Silas arrive on the scene.
vii. How is he able to do that? Well, we get a clue from some of Paul’s letters to the other churches. In Philippians chapter 4, Paul is writing to the church at Philippi, and most scholars agree that it was during these one and a half years at Corinth that Paul wrote the epistle to the Philippians. But in Philippians chapter 4, Paul commends the Philippian church for “renewing their concern for me,” he goes on to say “Indeed you were concerned, but you weren’t able to show it.”
viii. So, they were separated from Paul by his leaving, and they weren’t able to catch up with him until Timothy and Silas come to Corinth, and the general idea is that Timothy and Silas brought a gift from the church at Philippi to Paul, which paid for his expenses at Corinth.
ix. Philippi was the fist church that Paul helped to establish in Europe, and it was a small, poor church. But as we look at the scriptures, we see that this was the church that consistently supported the apostle Paul throughout his missionary journeys.
x. On the other hand, after Paul moves on to Ephesus, he writes to epistles to the Corinthian church, and in 2nd Corinthians, he chastises the Corinthians for not helping him out while he was in Ephesus. We see this in chapter 11 of 2nd Corinthians.
xi. Very interesting that the small, poor church supported Paul’s ministry. The large, prosperous church a Corinth struggled with this issue. I pray that as we continue to grow as a fellowship that we will continue to support missions work, and give generously.
xii. This brings me to an interesting point. There are some denominations that do not allow paid staff members, because they claim that the apostle Paul supported himself. But the scripture tells us that the workman is worthy of his hire, or his wage, and clearly we see that the apostle Paul accepted support from the churches so that he could be fully devoted to ministry.
xiii. We see in verse 6 that after Paul went full time into ministry at Corinth, the local Jews got rather stirred up with his message, and blasphemed God, namely Jesus Christ, and at this point, Paul gets fed up with them insulting the gospel. It was clear to Paul that he was going to do no more good there in the synagogue and he moves on to reach out to the gentiles there in Corinth. We next see him moving out of Aquila and Pricilla’s house to a more convenient base of operations in the next five verses.
d. Moving Out (Acts 18:7 - 11)
i. 7 And he departed from there and entered the house of a certain man named Justus, one who worshiped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized. 9 Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city." 11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
ii. So, we see that Paul sets up shop in the house right next to the synagogue, by staying in the house of a man named Justus, or Titius Justus. He could still very effectively minister to the people coming and going from the synagogue there, and when I read this passage, I get the mental picture of two kids setting up lemonade stands across the street from one another, they’re rivals at this point, but the reality is, Paul’s lemonade is far, far sweeter, and best of all, it’s free.
iii. The gospel of Christ attracts Crispus the synagogue ruler and his family to believe. This probably went over real well with the hardcore Jews there in Corinth. Crispus is then used by God to lead many others to Christ, why? Likely because he was a local, Crispus knew them, and they knew him. The gospel was coming from a familiar source, and they were more inclined to hear it.
iv. The vast majority of people who come to the Lord are usually led by a friend or relative that cared enough about them to share the gospel with them.
v. So, share the gospel with your unsaved friends and relatives. If they flat refuse, then at least you know, like Paul that you are released from feeling the guilt of not sharing the gospel with them. You may still feel bad for them, but at least you know that you have shared the gospel with them.
vi. Then we get down to verse 9, and we see that the Lord speaks to Paul through a vision, telling him not to be afraid. Why did God tell him that? Well, it is because Paul was afraid. He had been run out of every other town he had ever ministered in by the Jews, he had beaten, stoned, thrown in prison, and now, he had set up shop next door to them. He was probably thinking, “Hey, it’s only a matter of time now before things get bad!” It’s reassuring to me that even the apostle Paul got scared from time to time.
vii. The Lord told Paul not to be afraid. Fear was the instrument of Satan in this instance. Hebrews 2:15 tells us that Christ came to free those who lived their lives in fear of death. God didn’t want Paul to be afraid, no, if Paul were afraid, the gospel would not have gone out as effectively. Paul would have been stuck making tents instead of teaching God’s Word as we see here.
viii. That is what Satan wants to do to the church, he wants to paralyze us, he wants to make us ineffective, and a very useful tool to that end is fear. We are afraid of failure, we are afraid of ridicule, we are afraid of uncomfortable situations, and if we are overcome by our fears, we can do nothing.
ix. Sir Winston Churchill once said while the Nazis were bombing London, “The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.” and he was right. Fear, left unchecked will destroy a believer’s witness, it will destroy a family, and it can destroy a church or a ministry, and that is what Satan seeks to do to each and every one of us here this morning.
x. If you’re here this morning and you don’t know Christ though. Don’t let fear paralyze you. Don’t worry about what others might think, don’t worry about whether you think you can live up the quote-unquote “standards” of being a Christian. You need to put that fear behind you and embrace the cross of Christ this morning, and we will give you that opportunity at the end of this teaching.
xi. But, the Lord reassures Paul, and tells him to not be afraid, that he wasn’t going to be hurt, and that God had many people in the city of Corinth there. As Paul would teach God’s Word, the sheep would hear God’s voice, and give their lives to Him. Satan wanted Paul to be silent in Corinth; he didn’t want those sheep to hear God’s voice. So, God comes alongside Paul and reassures him at this point.
xii. So, Paul draws strength from the Lord, and remains in Corinth for a year and a half, which was to this point, the longest he had stayed in any one place while out on his missionary journeys, teaching God’s Word, and letting God do the work.
xiii. The Jews were certainly not happy about that, and we see what their plan to foil the gospel was in the next few verses, and we are going to stop there today. Starting in verse 12 -
e. Moving Up (Acts 18:12 – 17)
i. 12 When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat, 13 saying, "This fellow persuades men to worship God contrary to the law." 14 And when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it were a matter of wrongdoing or wicked crimes, O Jews, there would be reason why I should bear with you. 15 But if it is a question of words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves; for I do not want to be a judge of such matters." 16 And he drove them from the judgment seat. 17 Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. But Gallio took no notice of these things.
ii. We see here that the Jews seized Paul and used the occasion of a new governor being installed to try to make their case against him. They wanted to put Christianity on trial. Paul probably though, “Hey, wait a minute God, I though I wasn’t going to be hurt.” Well, read on.
iii. Gallio was the son of the great Stoic philosopher Seneca, who was the tutor of the man that would be Emperor, Nero. His full name was Lucius Junius Gallio. Gallio was given the governorship of this prosperous province through his father’s influence on the royal family. He would later die though, like many other government officials, under suspicion of treason under Nero.
iv. But, Gallio we are told was a very fair minded and just man. Remember last week that I told you that the Stoic school of thought put a premium on reasoning and justice. His father being a Stoic would have a great influence on this young man.
v. Here also, we have a case of the facts presented in the Bible being verified by the science of archaeology. An inscription commemorating the installation of Gallio as proconsul of Achaia, at the Greek city of Delphi.
vi. So, the Jews bring Paul in and accuse him of practicing a religion contrary to the laws of the Roman government. But, Gallio, in his wisdom sees right through this, and sees this as a religious debate between the Jewish and the Christian faith.
vii. The Jews had already been thrown out of Rome because of this same debate, and now this debate had come to Corinth. But, Gallio’s response was simply this – I don’t care. I am not going to be the judge of Jewish religious smatters, now go away.
viii. All this happens before Paul could even open his mouth to defend himself. There we see God’s grace at work. The guards then drive the Jews accusing Paul out of the building, and when the Jews get outside, they find an angry mob of Corinthian Greeks, who didn’t care too much for the Jews and their funny traditions.
ix. So, to make sure they didn’t come back and cause a stir again, they take the local synagogue ruler, Sosthenes, and beat him up. Later, Paul would salute a Sosthenes in a letter to the Corinthians, so it is possible that this man came to Christ as well.
x. Gallio didn’t get involved, and was really protection to Paul and the ministry there at Corinth from that point. Paul had Gallio’s support, in an indirect kind of way, and a powerful church would be built there in Corinth.
xi. We are going to wrap up here this week, but come back next week, and we’ll find out what happens next. Or better yet, read ahead, and find out for yourself, but still come back.
xii. I‘d like to close with a short story.
f. Conclusion
i. The story is told of a young American sergeant who was told by his commanding officer to take a small squad of men and attack a hill. The intelligence indicated that the hill was loosely held, by a few enemy soldiers. The sergeant gathers the men and begins the assault on the hill.
ii. The resistance was much more than expected, and in fact there were 3 squads of enemy troops that held the hill. In a more disastrous turn of events, during the fierce fighting, the main American force was driven back from their positions, leaving this small squad cut off. However, defeating the odds and taking the hill, the sergeant digs in on top of the hill. Two days later, when the army advances and re-takes the area around the hill, they are shocked to find this sergeant and his small squad, still dug in on the hill.
iii. This sergeant would be awarded for his bravery and skill as a leader on the battlefield. When he was being given the medals though, the general there asked him, “How did you do it, son? Were you scared? To this the sergeant replied, “Why yes, I was sir, but at that point, the only way we had to go was up.”
iv. Maybe you’re here this morning and you feel scared. Scared of what’s going to happen to you when you die. You need to give your life to Jesus. Maybe you’re here this morning and you are a Christian, and you feel like you’ve been all beat up, like Sosthenes in our study. Maybe you’re scared to step out in ministry. I don’t know where you are at this morning, but God knows, and He wants so desperately to meet you at your point of need. So, let’s take a minute to take it to Him.
g. Let’s Pray.
