From
Acts to Revelation
Part
49 – Paul
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
INTRODUCTION
Last week we read of Paul traveling to
Corinth. There, he got a job as a tent maker, and preached in the Synagogue
weekly, trying to convince the Jews and Greeks.
When Silas and Timothy arrived from
Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching. However, the Jews opposed Paul, and became
abusive.
Frustrated with the continual abuses by the
Jews in every city, Paul tells them, “You blood be on your own heads! I am
innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
God then showed Paul a vision, telling him
not to be afraid to speak, because God was with him. So Paul stayed in Corinth
for a year and a half teaching the Word of God.
Today, we will see;
1) Why God told Paul
not to be afraid.
2) How sometimes where
we are in life is an advantage to our ministry.
3) And what we can do
with the Spiritual Gifts God has given us.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE
Acts 18:12-23
While Gallio was
proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul
and brought him to the place of judgment. 13 “This man,” they charged, “is
persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”
14 Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, “If you Jews
were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be
reasonable for me to listen to you. 15 But since it involves questions
about words and names and your own law—settle the matter yourselves. I will not
be a judge of such things.” 16 So he drove them off. 17 Then the crowd there turned on
Sosthenes the synagogue leader and beat him in front of the
proconsul; and Gallio showed no concern whatever.
18 Paul
stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and
sisters and sailed for Syria,accompanied by Priscilla and
Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at
Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken. 19 They arrived at
Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the
synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to spend
more time with them, he declined. 21 But as he left, he promised, “I
will come back if it is God’s will.” Then he set sail from Ephesus. 22 When
he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and
then went down to Antioch.
23 After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and
traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and
Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples
a. The
Jews who opposed Paul, took him before the Proconsul of Achaia
i.
The Jews did this because they had no power
to punish a Roman Citizen
ii.
In front of the Governor, they accused Paul
of teaching people to worship God contrary to the Law.
a.
Not Roman law, but the Law of Moses
b.
Remember, they could not punish a Roman
Citizen (which Paul was).
iii. Before,
we have seen trumped up charges by the Jews against Paul, which did get him
beaten, and thrown in prison more than once.
iv.
This time though, the Jews tried charging a
Roman Citizen with a religious matter, that did not concern the Governor
b. Governor Gallio Answers them
i.
Paul was just about to speak in his
defense, as he had so many times before, when Gallio spoke.
ii.
Saying to the Jews, “If you Jews were
making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be
reasonable for me to listen to you. 15 But
since it involves questions about words and names and your own law—settle the
matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.”
a.
He put everything in the proper
perspective, and left the matter alone.
b.
He told the Jews to settle the matter
themselves, it had nothing to do with the Roman Court.
c.
In essence, he is saying, you will not use
a Roman Court to carry forth your personal schemes.
c. He then
drove them from the judgment seat.
i.
This would have been somewhat humiliating
to the Jews, not getting their case tried or further heard.
d. The
Greeks then took Sosthenes, the Chief ruler of the Synagogue, who took the
place of Crispus after he accepted the Lord and left, and beat him in front of
the judgment seat.
i.
The scriptures do not explain why this took
place.
ii.
Perhaps the Greeks thought it was Sosthenes
who told the Jews to charge Paul, and take him to the Governor?
II.
PAUL CONTINUED TO PREACH IN CORINTH
a. We see
from scripture why God encouraged Paul in the vision
i.
Do not be afraid, I have many men in
Corinth.
ii.
Continue to speak!
iii. I am
with you.
b. The
Jews in Corinth were powerless to do anything against Paul as far as the courts
there were concerned.
c. And I
am sure that, after the beating the Chief ruler received from the Greeks, the
Jews would probably no longer openly oppose Paul there.
d. So Paul
stayed a few more months before continuing his travels.
III.
PAUL CONTINUED TO BUILD AND EDIFY THE
CHURCH
a. According
to the timing of the Lord, Paul left when he was lead to by the Holy Spirit.
b. Paul
sailed to Syria, taking Priscilla and Aquila with him.
i.
They had become close friends after Paul
first came to Corinth nearly two years before, living with them and working
with them making tents.
c. We read
that Paul also shaved his head in Cenchrea to keep a vow he had made.
i.
We are not told what the vow was, just that
he made it, and obviously kept it.
d. Paul
then traveled to Ephesus, where he left Priscilla and Aquila.
e. Paul
reasoned with the Jew in the Synagogue, and when they had left, they desired
him to stay longer.
i.
But he did not.
ii.
However, it was here that Priscilla and Aquila
stayed, and no doubt, continued to teach about Christ.
f. Paul
could not stay because he wanted to keep the feast of the Passover in
Jerusalem.
i.
However, he does tell them, “I will return,
if it is God's will.”
g. Paul
then went up to Caesarea, and saluted the Church there, he went down to
Antioch.
CONCLUSION
Paul spent some time there,
concluding his second missionary tip. When he left, it would begin his third
missionary trip, and he would go all over the country of Galatia, and Phrygia
in order, strengthening all the Disciples.
This probably lasted about six
months. It is believed that Timothy, Erastus, Gaius, and Aristarchus may have
been traveling with Paul at this time. Titus may have been included as well.
So we learned from the
scripture today that;
1. Why God told Paul
not to be afraid.
Because God knew that more tribulation was
going to come at the hands of the Jews in the form of opposition and
accusation, but God also knew that it would not lead to anything.
2. How sometimes where
we are in life is an advantage to our ministry.
Paul was a Roman Citizen...because the
charges brought against him had to do with the Law of Moses, and not Roman Law,
he was actually saved from judgment.
God will use where we are in life, as well
as what positions we may have, or office we may hold, to work towards His will.
Paul had the advantage of being a Roman
Citizen. Some of us may be in positions where we are allowed certain privileges
that others do not have. If so, we can use them for sharing the Gospel and Christ
with others for God's Will.
3.
And what we can do with the Spiritual Gifts
God has given us.
The scriptures tell us that we
are all given different Spiritual Gifts, and these gifts are specifically to be
used for the BUILDING and STRENGTHENING of the church!
Our spiritual gifts, although
they differ from person to person, are for encouraging, building,
strengthening, lifting up, edifying the people in the Churches, BECAUSE...
the PEOPLE ARE THE CHURCH!
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