The Word in Corinth

Acts 18:1-23

Fear. Trembling. Anxiety. Worry. Excited. Sacred. Overwhelmed. A few of the emotions that gripped my 18 year old heart when I stepped on campus of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love. I was a conservative, suburban midwestern public school kid stepping onto a campus of an elite Ivy League academic institution with students from some of the finest private schools in the country whose parents could provide for every one of their financial needs. I never viewed myself as an intellectual or incredibly sharp student, but merely a student who was willing to work hard enough to do well. Will I make it? How will I make it at this school? Can I handle the size of this city? Will I be good enough? Fear and trembling gripped my 18 year old heart as I faced the intellectual and worldly elite.

Can you relate? Have you ever stepped into a situation that you thought was bigger than you could handle? Maybe just a little too overwhelming? Well you and I are in good company for even the Apostle Paul had moments like that. 1 Corinthians 2:1–3,

[1] And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. [2] For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. [3] And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling,

Paul walked into the intellectual and worldly elite Corinth with fear and trembling. Corinth was a proud, immoral city. It was wonderfully rebuilt by Julius Caesar in 46 B.C. and hosted the renown Isthmian games once a year and was the political capital of Achaia. It was also home the temple Aphrodite, the goddess of love, attended by 1,000 slaves during the day who would roam the streets as prostitutes during the night. “The sexual promiscuity of Corinth was proverbial, so that korinthiazomai meant to practise immorality, and korinthiastēs was a synonym for a harlot.”

So the mighty Apostle Paul walked into Corinth in weakness and in fear and much trembling. But in his weakness and fear and trembling, he made a decision. His decision was to enter into the intimidating city with the one thing that was far more powerful than Corinthian pride and sexual immorality. Paul came with Jesus Christ and him crucified in the power of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:2–5,

[2] For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. [3] And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, [4] and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, [5] so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

When we are weak, God is strong. When we are afraid, we trust in Him. When we tremble with worry, we remember Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Paul entered Corinth with fear and trembling armed with the Word of God. Therefore, he was ready to thwart their intellectual pride and prick their sin-soaked immoral hearts with the power and love of the cross of the Lord Jesus. I pray you will find courage to enter into those overwhelming, fear inducing moments as Paul did with the hope of Christ and the Word of God.

Do you have friends in the Word?

Fear is natural to fallen man. Our first parents sinned against God in the Garden and then they hid in fear. We have a sin nature riddled with the fear of man. And one precious gift to overcome our fears is the courage of having dear friends to support you. Acts 18:1–4,

[1] 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.

Paul preached the resurrection of Christ in the Areopagus in Athens. Some believed while others mocked. Paul was waiting for his companions to join him but knew he needed support and community so he found Aquila and Priscilla. Aquila and Priscilla were Jews who had to leave Rome because of an edict from Claudius. An ancient historian Suetonius in his Life of Claudius writes, “as the Jews were making constant disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus (impulsore Chresto), he banished them from Rome.” Chrestus was the Greek name for Jesus. We can therefore assume that Aquila and Priscilla arrived in Corinth as followers of Jesus Christ. The edict took place in A.D. 52 about twenty years after Jesus’ death on the cross.

Aquila and Priscilla were tentmakers by trade. Tents were very important in the ancient world as many of the people were still nomadic people. Tent-making involved working with fine leather and may have even involved making sails for ships. Remember Paul was from Tarsus which was known for their great ships with their sails. Paul was most likely taught the trade of tent-making by his father as every Jewish boy was required to learn a trade as the adage was if a father failed to teach his son a trade he would become a thief not knowing how to feed himself. During this time, the artisan guilds would have been quite popular so it would have been easy for Paul to go into the city and find other tent-makers.

Aquila and Priscilla would become dear friends and co-laborers with the Apostle Paul. They will be mentioned in three of his letters, Romans, 1 Corinthians and 2 Timothy. They most likely helped to support Paul in his ministry financially as well as leaders in the life of the church. They would eventually host a church in their host. They were a family of considerable means, especially Priscilla, which is why her name is probably mentioned first later in this chapter.

When Paul entered Corinth, he said he came in weakness, fear and trembling, and what did he do? He went and looked for friends. There is no doubt God orchestrated this meeting. They shared a common trade, they were forced to leave Rome because of the edict and they were generous, godly believers. Paul needed Aquila and Priscilla and Aquila and Priscilla needed Paul; just as we need one another. We need friends who are going to labor with us in the Word of God. Friendship is a gift. It is a precious, precious gift. And friendship with those who are willing to labor with you in the Word for the advance of the gospel are the most rare jewels in the crown of friendship. Do you have friends in the Word? If you do, rejoice and thank God. If not, let me offer some practical tips.

Find them - Verse two says, “And he found…” Aquila and Priscilla. He found them because he was looking. We do not want to miss the most obvious points. If you want friends in the Word, you have to look for them. You have to know your need for them and have to have your eyes open to see them.

Trust God’s providence - Look in the most obvious places first. Your neighborhood, your church family, and your job. Look for others who share something in common first. God orchestrated the common trade for Paul, Aquila and Priscilla. It was not the foundation of their friendship but it was the seed that helped it take root.

Serve the Lord on Mission - We find gospel friends when we are on mission for the Lord. I have heard this several times this summer with the new and deeper friendships that have started from the Boston and Miami mission trips. They served on mission together and realized they have more in common than their realized and now more shared experiences. I see this every summer with Summerlink. Our interns come in barely knowing each other at the beginning of the summer and they have this deep family relationship after it.

Gospel Friendship is a gift. And we must first for a depth of friendship in our body. Loneliness is a very real thing. Many in our body are lonely, but you don’t have to be. We are a family. And since we are family, we do not have to be lonely. This takes several things from all of us. We have to be willing to share with one another when we need each other. We have to be willing to make the time in our lives for people who need us. And we have to keep the local church central in our life for it is God’s plan to fulfill the Great Commission.

And with some of the encouragement from his friends, Paul went to the synagogue every Sabbath and he reasoned and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks that Jesus was the Christ. Friends, if you are not a follower of Christ, please notice those two words Luke uses to describe Paul’s teaching: reasoned and persuade. Christianity is not faith without reason but faith with reason. Christianity makes the most logical sense to answer life’s deepest questions. It also helps us deal with our troubled consciences with the sins and mistakes we have made in life. The Bible says we are all sinners and deserve judgment for our sins. We deserve to be punished for the wrongs we have done. We may not like that reality, but if we are honest with ourselves, it is hard to deny. We have done wrong and deserve to pay for it. Isaiah 1:18,

[18] “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD:

though your sins are like scarlet,

they shall be as white as snow;

though they are red like crimson,

they shall become like wool.”

How can our sins that are like scarlet be made white as snow? The answer is found in Jesus Christ. He became our substitute on the cross. Jesus died in our place to pay for our sins. He was perfect. He committed no sin. Therefore when he died, he paid the debt for sin. And we know God accepted his sacrifice on our behalf, because on the third day he raised Jesus from the dead. Friend, let us reason together. You are a sinner and need a Savior. God has provided a Savior in his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He died for you. He was raised for you. He offers to take your sin and give you his righteousness. He tags your rags and gives you his riches. We do not deserve it but it is offered to us by faith. If you want to reason more with me or one of our elders, we would be delighted to talk to you more.

Are you busy in the Word?

There are many things that take our time. We have many responsibilities in this life, but how much of our time is wasted. Are we busy in the Word? Acts 18:5,

[5] When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.

There are several possibilities with this verse. Luke either means when Silas and Timothy arrived, they found Paul occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the christ. Or Luke means when Silas and Timothy arrived, they brought a gift which enabled Paul to no longer focus on making tents but to be fully occupied with the word. We do know that Paul chose not to take money from the Corinthians so he would not be a burden to them. We see in 2 Corinthians 11:9, Paul writes,

[9] And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way.

We can assume that with a potential gift from Silas and Timothy from the churches in Macedonia and the help given from Silas and Timothy, Paul was able to further focus his ministry in the Word of God. Remember he had one message, “Christ and him crucified.” Paul’s message was narrowly focused on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus and how he was the Messiah.

Paul was occupied with Word. Are we? There are so many pressing things in life, but beloved, there is nothing more important and more pressing than busying ourselves in the reading, studying, memorizing and sharing of the Word of God. Maybe some of you need to fast social media for a season or set limits on the amount of screen time you watch or limit how many extracurricular activities your kids have or how much you are working. Are you occupied with the Word? If not, get after it. If you are, invite others to join you. We will not regret any time we spend in the Word.

Are you weary in the Word?

We can be busy in the Word, but we also can be weary in the Word. We can be fainthearted and tired. For if we occupy ourselves in the Word, we will face opposition. Acts 18:6–8,

[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.

Many of the Jews opposed and reviled him. They not only chose not to believe but to openly attack Paul for his message. If true for Paul, so it will be for us. When we speak of Christ in our day, many will revile us. And in an Ezekiel-like fashion, Paul says, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles”

Several observations, first, the opposition did not stop the proclamation of the gospel but shifted it. It went from Jews to Gentiles. From the public forum at the synagogue to the private home of Gentiles. Second, people still believed. Even the ruler of the synagogue believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And Luke even notes, many Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. Finally, Paul still needed encouragement. Sometimes in the ministry we are blind to all the amazing things the Lord is doing because we are focused on only those things that are discouraged and frustrating. We do not see the hundreds of ways the Lord is moving in people’s lives but choose to instead focus on those negative things. And sometimes that is not only true for the ministry but in everyday life. It is easy to be discouraged and weary.

Beloved, we must take heart for the Lord has entrusted us as stewards of the gospel. We do not know all Paul was feeling, but we can imagine his fears? He has already been chased out of more than one town and he was beaten and imprisoned in Philippi. As Paul sat around the fire at night with his friends, his mind may have drifted off thinking, “When will the Jews turn on me here?” The Lord knows our frame and remembers that we are but dust. And He came to encourage Paul, Acts 18:9–1,

[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.

Three commands and three promises from the Lord. Commands: Do not be afraid, go on speaking, and do not be silent. God gave Paul clear marching orders, but he also gave three wonderful promises. Promises: I am with you, no one will attack you to harm you, I have many in this city who are my people.

When we are weary and discouraged and frustrated we must remember the great and precious promises of God and none better than those four words, “I am with you.” Beloved, if the Lord is for us, who could be against us? If the Lord is with us, it doesn’t matter who is against us? And beloved, if Paul needed that reminder, we do as well. The Lord is with you. The Lord is with you. Therefore we can face any opposition in this world. We can stand against any so-called threat to the gospel, because the Lord is on our side. Psalm 118:6–9,

[6] The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.

What can man do to me?

[7] The LORD is on my side as my helper;

I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

[8] It is better to take refuge in the LORD

than to trust in man.

[9] It is better to take refuge in the LORD

than to trust in princes.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord than trust in princes yet sometimes God will use princes and government leaders to give us refuge for his namesake.

God gave Paul a promise that he would not be harmed in Corinth, but he didn’t promise that people weren’t going to try to harm him. Acts 18:12–14,

I love Luke’s comments here as he describes this persecution. He says, “the Jews made a united attack on Paul.” There was a unified, organized, strategic attack on Paul. And you know what Paul is thinking, “Here we go again.” But God. Verse 14, “But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews.” Paul did not have to defend himself because God moved the proconsul to step up and speak to Paul’s freedom to share the gospel. Paul was going to defend himself, but the Lord is our defender. He made a promise and he was going to keep it. Acts 18:12–17,

[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.

Gallio viewed Paul’s teaching on Jesus outside of his concern. It was a matter of religion and therefore he stayed out of it. Paul was not attacked or harmed but had freedom to go on speaking the gospel. The proconsul was a tool in the hand of God to bring about his purposes. He was not concerned with true justice for he allowed Sosthenes, a new believer in Christ and co-author/carrier of 1 Corinthians, to be beaten in front of the tribunal. But Paul, as a Roman citizen, was free to preach the gospel and the church of Corinth was able to flourish.

There are many times the Scriptures do not give all of God’s reasons why he allows one thing to happen and not another. Why was Paul spared a beating and Sosthenes not? We ultimately don’t know. My guess is that Paul was not an emotional place to handle one. And Sosthenes, a ruler of the synagogue and a Christian convert, needed to testify before his friends and colleagues that his conversion was genuine as he was willing to be beaten for his faith. Sosthenes would become a key leader in the church at Corinth and everyone in the city would have heard of his willingness to stand with Christ against persecution. But it is still a guess, the Scriptures don’t explain why one is beaten and one is not. The Scriptures don’t explain why one is healed of cancer and one dies of it, or one marriage is spared and another ruined, or one gets a promotion and another loses a job. We are not given all the answers, but we know that in whatever we face, the Lord is with us and working for our good. Romans 8:28,

[28] And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

It is a great verse to memorize and a great place to plant your flag on God’s sovereign control of the world and how he is working all of history for the good of his people and for the glory of his name. God is with you. Trust him.

Do you see the working of the Word?

Beloved do see how the Word of God is at work? It is one of the most glorious things in my life to see how the Word of God is working in the life of our church family. Paul was able to see the Word work in a number of churches throughout his second missionary journey. Paul had a strong desire to return to Antioch and probably a desire to attend the passover in Jerusalem causing him to speed his travel and only spend a short time in a number of cities. Acts 18:18–21,

[18] After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow. [19] And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. [20] When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined. [21] But on taking leave of them he said, “I will return to you if God wills,” and he set sail from Ephesus.

Paul took a vow. We do not know the reason for the vow or the purpose of it, but we can be confident it was a Nazarite vow. As one scholar notes,

The reference to his hair makes it almost certain that it was a Nazirite vow, which involved abstinence from drinking wine and from cutting one’s hair for a period, at the end of which the hair was first cut and then burned, along with other sacrifices, as a symbol of self-offering to God.

Again, scholars are perplexed for this vow, but if I was going to venture a guess based on the events in Corinth. I would think Paul was vowing to be willing to face any persecution and suffering that will come his way for the cause of the gospel. After seeing Sosthenes beaten in front of him, I could imagine him vowing to give his life for the cause of the gospel. But again, that’s only a guess.

On his way home to Antioch he stops in Ephesus for a brief visit. They want him to stay and he promises to return if it was the Lord’s will. He did not want to presume God's plan. He decided to leave Aquila and Priscilla there to nurture and care for those who heard the gospel. We will learn more of their ministry in Ephesus in the next chapter. Paul was ready to return home and rest and get ready for his last missionary journey. Acts 18:22-23,

[22] When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. [23] After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

Luke provides this summary statement as a bookend of Paul’s second missionary journey. Paul would share with the church how the Word of God increased and spread in all the cities he visited. Paul saw the Word work in Philippi, in Athens, Thessalonica, Corinth and a number of other cities. He had a front row seat in sowing and planting of a number of churches of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As I looked at his passage, I thought often of just how weary and tired Paul would have been from his ministry. He came to Corinth in weakness, fear and trembling. The Lord had to give him a specific vision not to lose heart. He believed he needed to take a vow to the Lord. He refused to stay in Ephesus even though he was asked to stay. Friends, can you relate with Paul? Have you ever been weary and tired in your labors for the Lord? I have spoken with three different pastors in the last two weeks who are weary and need rest and refreshment in the Lord. I sense that was a little of what Paul needed. I have needed that rest and refreshment at times. And when I stop and rest from my weariness, what gives me strength to persevere is seeing the Word of God work in and through his people. God is at work and what a glorious work to be a part of.

When Paul began his second missionary journey could he foresee meeting Timothy? Or Luke? Or Lydia? Or Aquila and Priscilla? Or Sosthenes? Could he see the churches birthed in Philippi, Athens, or Corinth? But he did.

Friends, there will be things that seem too big for you. Whether it is moving to college for the first time, taking a new job, or starting a ministry. There are opportunities that may cause you fear and trembling and worry and anxiety. And yet friend, you must resolve yourself to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified. This world wants your fear, but it needs your faith. Do not lose heart, live to know God and make him known. We may be weary, but let's watch the gospel work. He has many of his people in our city. God is with us. He is for us. Let’s watch him work!

Dave KiehnJuly 26, 2022Comment