Acts 18:12

Acts 18:12 says, And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat,  The Jews were after Paul again.  We are told that they made an insurrection and brought Paul before Gallio, the deputy of Acacia.  They brought Paul before the judgment seat.  They couldn't stop him from preaching with religious threats, so they went to the government's official.  We can be certain that those who oppose Christ will do anything to stop His word from being preached, even if it means allying themselves with people they don't really like.  Verse thirteen adds, Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law.  They charged Paul with teaching people about God contrary to the law.  Verse fourteen continues, And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you:  Verse fifteen concludes, But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters.   As Paul was about to answer, Gallio told them that if it was about words and names of their Law, they should look unto it.  If they had been able to charge Paul with lewdness or riotous behavior, then Gallio would have judged him, but he no longer judged religious matters.  If we are ever brought before government judges, let us make sure that the only thing that they can accuse us of is preaching the gospel. Remember God's promise to Paul, that he no harm would come to him while he was here.  Usually, after failing to get satisfaction from the governmental officials, the Jews would beat and threaten Paul.  Verse sixteen says, And he drave them from the judgment seat.  Since this was a religious and not a civil matter, Gallio drove the Jews and therefore Paul from the judgment seat.  Civil and religious matters are seldom the same and should not be tried in the same court.  Verse seventeen continues, Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things.  We are told the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue and beat him before the judgment seat, and Gallio cared nothing for the matter.  We have God's chosen people dragging Paul before the civil authorities and flailing to have Paul stopped, beating their own religious leader.  We can be sure that the failure of the world to stop the spread of the gospel is going to be frustrating for them, and at times they may even fight amongst themselves.  Verse eighteen concludes, And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow.  Paul continued to preach in peace for some time.  We can rest easy in God's promises, just as Paul did.  He next sailed to Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila went with him.  Paul had also shorn his head because he had taken a vow, but we aren’t told what the vow was.   Matthew Henry says it isn’t clear whether it was Paul or Aquila who had his head shorn, which would release one from the Nazarite vow, but I understand it to be Paul.  Verse nineteen states, And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.  When Paul got to Ephesus, he left Pricilla and Aquilla, but he went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.  If we have a difference of opinion with others about Who Jesus Christ is, we need to attempt to reason with them, and not just argue.   Verse twenty adds, When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not;  Unlike the Jews at Corinth, the people at Ephesus wanted Paul to stay with them a while longer, but he wouldn’t agree too.  He had a destination that he felt God was leading him to, and he did not tarry too long along the way.  Even if we are sharing the gospel effectively where we are, we need to move on if God has called us to.  Verse twenty-one continues, But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.  Paul left them, saying he had to get to Jerusalem to keep the coming feast, but said that God willing he would return to them again.  We need to place everything in God’s hands as we do His work today.  Verse twenty-two says, And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch.  After Paul got to Antioch, he spent some time there.  It does not specifically say that he was preaching the gospel, but I think we can safely say that is what he was doing.  Again, he was on his way to Jerusalem, but he was sharing the gospel as he went.  We are called to share the gospel as we go.  As we move about in the world, we do not need to separate witnessing from regular life. Witnessing should be our regular life. Verse twenty-three adds, And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.  Paul then traveled all over the country of Galatia and Phrygia, in that order, strengthening the disciples.  Again, after we reach someone with the gospel and they become a Christian, we need to strengthen them in their life in Christ.  Even those who have been Christians for years sometimes are in need of strengthening.  We can become complacent or disheartened at times and need a fellow Christian to lift us up. And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace:   

As Paul changes the emphasis of his ministry, I will take this time to review a little.  When I started this blog, I stated the purpose to be an exploration of what it means to be a follower of Christ in today's world.  I really wasn't sure what direction it would take, but pretty soon was led to the Book of Acts.  I believe a good way to learn how to be a follower of Christ is to look at how the first Christians did it.  With Stephen, we see that we should be willing to give everything, even our life, for Christ. That is real commitment.  We see often that the early Christians were of one accord, and we must be also.  We see that they met each others needs, and we can do no less.  We see with Paul (Saul) that a personal encounter with Christ changes a person, and no matter how bad they may have been, when they accept Christ as their Savior they are totally forgiven.  As His followers, we are a new creation.  With Peter, Paul, and many others, we see that following Christ is not always easy in worldly terms.  We are called to take up the cross daily.  We see with Peter that God is not a respecter of persons and now with Paul that we are all one blood.  Christ did not come to save a particular group, but to save all mankind.  We must reach out to everyone with a Christ like love.  There is no room for hatred in a follower of Christ.  We see with Paul's sermon on Mars Hill that God is the Creator of all, He makes Himself known and is always near, and He doesn't live in temples made by hand.  To be His followers, these are not possible truths, but they are the truth.  We see that Paul went first to God's chosen people, the Jews, and they mostly rejected his preaching and attempted to shut him up.  If we are going to follow God, we must accept everything He tells us.  We cannot pick and choose.  Christ was not, and is not today, Who they wanted Him to be.  We must be careful not to attempt to change Christ into what we want Him to be.  He is not our personal avenger, our money in the bank, or our Sunday Savior.  He is our crucified, resurrected Lord and He calls us to follow Him to the cross daily.  It is my prayer that someone out there is getting some good out of this, but I know I am.  If you have been reading and have been getting something worthwhile out of this, I would invite you to share it with others.

Acts18:8

Acts 18:8 states, And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.  After Paul told the Jews in Corinth that he had shared the gospel with them and they wouldn't listen and he was going to the Gentiles, the first place he went was to the house of Justis. He was a believer whose house joined the synagogue.  Paul did not give up on Jews being saved.  He simply changed his focal point to the Gentiles. If a group of people as a whole refuse to hear the gospel, we cannot give up on the whole group.  We may change our focus, but we must still pray that the gospel will take root in them. Although Paul said he was going to the Gentiles, the first we know of to accept the salvation of Christ was the leader of the synagogue, Crispus, and all his house, and many Corinthians, and were baptized. Again, even though some mocked and some waited to hear more, most importantly, some believed.  We are but messengers, and as Paul would say later, God gives the increase.  Verse nine adds, Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:  God spoke to Paul in a night vision, telling him to not be afraid, but to speak and hold not his peace.  I am not sure how God speaks to other people, but for Paul it was often in a night vision.  For me, it is a still, small voice deep within my soul.  I have never heard an audible voice as Paul did on the road to Damascus, and it is not a shout, but there is never a doubt in my mind that it is God.  He does speak to others differently, but the key is to know His voice when He speaks.  One thing we can be sure of, if it is God' talking to us, He will never tell us to do anything that goes against His nature.  So, if we feel we are being told to hate or kill, for example, that is not God speaking. Verse ten continues, For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.  Then, He told Paul that He was with him and would keep him from harm, because He had many people in that city.  Wherever we are as God's followers, we can rest easy because He is always with us.  During the beatings, imprisonment, and now a time of peace, one thing never changed- God was with Paul. When we are following God's will, no matter the circumstances of life, He is with us. Verse eleven concludes, And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. Paul stayed a year and a half, teaching them God's word, and God was with him the whole time. As long as we are where God wants us, He will be with us. 

 

 

Acts 18:1

Acts 18: 1 says, After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth; Paul is in Corinth, having left Athens.  Paul did not just sit back and wait for them.  He continued to preach the gospel, again first in the synagogues.  Verse two adds, And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.  When Paul got to Corinth, he met a Jew named Aquilla, born in Pontus, and recently come from Italy with his wife, Priscilla.  They had left Italy because Claudius had ordered the Jews to leave Rome.  We have little experience in having to be uprooted from our homes and leave the country, but millions today face that way of life.  We need to have a Christ like compassion for them. Paul himself was homeless at this time, but since Aquilla and he were both tentmakers,  Verse three continues, And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.  Paul stayed with Priscilla and him.  Today, we may have an opportunity to have a travelling evangelist need to stay with us, and if so, hopefully we will welcome him.  As he usually did, Verse four states, And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. Paul went to the synagogue every Sabbath and persuaded with the Jews.  Verse five adds, And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.  Silas and Timothy rejoined him there. They were still a team, even though they had been separated for a time.  After Silas and Timothy joined him, Paul was pressed by the Spirit and testified that Jesus was the Christ.  When the Spirit presses us to an action, we must respond, whether what we are led to do will be popular or not.  Verse six continues, And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean; from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. In Paul's case, it wasn't popular.  It says they opposed him and blasphemed.  Paul shook his raiment and told them their blood was on their hands, since he had proclaimed the gospel to them, and they didn't believe.  If we are faithful in witnessing to the lost and they don't believe, their blood is on their own hands.  Paul changed his emphasis from the Jews to the Gentiles. Verse seven concludes, And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man's house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue.  And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man's house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acts 17:30

Acts 17:30 says, And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent.  Paul got to the heart of the matter.  At one time, God had left them in their ignorance.  That is not to say that God ignored the world for a time, but that the time had not been right for the Messiah to come.  People have always known enough to find God, but when Jesus came into the world, God revealed Himself completely.  We today have the written word, the Bible, but more importantly we have the living Word, the Holy Spirit, to witness to us.  Again, even to the worst of sinner, God is not far off.  Verse thirty-one adds, Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.  Then, Paul told them that God had appointed a day when He would judge the world by the righteous of one man, Jesus, and His death, burial, and resurrection.  I am glad that God is not going to judge me by my righteousness, but instead by my relationship with Jesus.  His righteousness covers all people, but only becomes valid when we enter into a personal relationship with Him.  If I am dying of thirst, and someone places a cup of water in front of me, it is real.  Still, it only does me good if I drink it, which is to have a personal relationship with that water.  Those around Paul were dying of a spiritual thirst, and he set the Living Water before them.  Verse thirty-two continues, And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.  Some mocked Paul about the resurrection or the dead and some said they would hear more another day.  The Living Water was there, but they chose not to drink.  Some people today still put salvation off until tomorrow, which may never come for many of them.  Verse thirty-three states, So Paul departed from among them.  Paul had shared the gospel, and if they refused to believe, there was no reason for hm to stay any longer.  If we are witnessing today and realize that those we are witnessing to are never going to believe us, there is no reason to stay and argue.  Verse thirty-four adds, Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.  Still, some stayed with Paul and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.  All those there heard the same message.  Some mocked, some waited, but some believed.  We cannot dwell on those who mock and delay.  We can only celebrate when even one person believes.