Lessons From Acts – Lesson 29
Act 18:1 After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;
Act 18:2 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.
The conflict between Rome and the Jews had been going on for a long time. You can see it in the Bible when Jesus walked the earth and at his Crucifixion. The custom of releasing a prisoner to appease the Jews is an example. Pilate offered to release Jesus but they refused and chose a criminal instead.
Rome was ok with doing a few things to keep things orderly. They would allow some things if it kept the peace and more importantly kept the taxes coming in.
We are now about 20 years after the resurrection of Jesus and the relationship between the Jews and Rome has continued to deteriorate. We are now at about 53 AD. We are only 17 years away from it getting so bad that Rome will march into Jerusalem and wipe it out.
The Temple will be completely destroyed.
The deterioration of the relationship between Rome and the Jews is the reason why Aquila and his wife Priscilla and all Jews were commanded to depart from Rome. It had nothing to do with Christianity.
And while that command was given for wrong reasons and while the command for Jews to leave Rome was not given for good.
God took that wrong that Claudius did and used it for good. He had plans to use Aquila and Priscilla for His glory in places other than Rome. They travel from Rome and set up shop in Corinth.
Act 18:3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.
Unlike the first missionary journey Paul did not have the same level of support. Antioch was not paying all the bills. We don’t know, Paul might have had some support but not near enough. We learn that here.
Paul was a tentmaker. And it says he abode with them, and wrought. That means he worked. He rolled up his sleeves so to speak and worked like everyone else.
You will never find Paul saying anything against it. He never complains, he just does it without comment. I have talked to many a young man either still in Bible College or just gotten out and to most of them working was absolutely something they wanted no part of.
They expected to preach and that’s it. I am not against large congregations having a full time fully paid pastor. When you get that many people, then that is appropriate. They end up having to spend a huge number of hours per week counseling people.
So paid full time is reasonable. What is not reasonable is some guy in a small town with only 20 people to expect to be paid full time. He does not have that much to do. It puts a huge burden upon that small congregation and it takes all their funds.
So much so that they can’t do much at all for the Lord’s work of getting the gospel out or helping the poor and fatherless.
Paul had the right idea. He needed to eat and money for expenses and so he worked to provide for that. But working to provide for his needs never was his main focus. It was just necessary at this time.
His main focus was to preach Jesus.
What a great example for us. Paul did not require conditions to be perfect or easy before serving God. Another great example for us is humility. Paul was not above working for a living.
Another great example for us is even though Paul was working a job, he kept his main purpose in life in focus. He did not, like so many people, put a career, a job, over the lord’s work. He kept the job in its proper perspective.
Act 18:4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
We have seen this before. There were Greeks who were seeking God and going to synagogue every Saturday. So during this time period over and over again we see that there were both Jews and Gentiles at synagogue.
I believe what was going on was that God was working. God was giving a burden and God was guiding Gentiles to seek the truth.
What kinds of foundational truths would the Gentiles learn at synagogue?
That there is only 1 God. That He is the creator God that created everything. That this God wants to have a relationship with man.
They would learn that God called Abraham out and gave Him promises and then to Isaac and Jacob.
They would learn the history of the Jews before the captivity and they would learn about Neh 9:17 And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not
That God is of great kindness and He is ready to pardon and gracious and merciful. And God is faithful to His promises.
They would learn that the O.T. is the Word of God. And a whole lot more.
So when Paul came and opened the scriptures and preached Jesus they had a good foundation to be able to put their faith in Jesus and get saved.
God is working to give some Gentiles a foundation in Bible truth before Paul shows up. And we have also seen this before. And yes some of the Jews get saved, but the larger numbers of people who are going to these synagogues that get saved are Gentiles.
There are more Jews going to synagogues but even though they are fewer in number more Gentiles got saved.
One possible reason is that they had a Bible foundation but they did not have the pride and traditions of being a Jew getting in the way.
All of these Gentiles getting saved would not have happened if God had not worked ahead to get a good number of Gentiles going to synagogue beforehand.
We should always, always, keep in the forefront of our minds that God loves people. And that he wants people to get saved.
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
2Pe_3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
God has a great desire that men hear the word of God and get saved. God loves sinners.
Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
God is all knowing and all powerful and He does use His perfect foreknowledge to move in the circumstances of life in the process of getting people saved.
Paul left Athens and went to Corinth and somehow got word to Silas to catch up with him now in Corinth.
Act 18:5 And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.
Act 18:6 And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed,
Don’t read by that fast. In the final analysis who were they really opposing? They were not opposing Paul. I mean they were, but when you get to the bottom line of it all, they were opposing themselves.
Paul was not blocking them from escaping hell. God was not blocking them from Heaven. The fact is that both God and Paul were trying to get them to Heaven.
God and Paul were laying the path open before them. They wanted what was best for them which is eternal life. The only ones who where in the way were themselves.
The only ones that were sending themselves headlong into hell were themselves.
Paul laid out the truth proven by their own scriptures, and the Holy Spirit would have been testifying that it is true.
Act 18:6 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.
When it became obvious that they refused to be reached, Paul just shook his raiment and left them. And notice Paul told them that he would not bother them anymore with this.
from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.
This is important. We will run into the same attitudes today. You can only try to explain and plead and teach so much. If they are unwilling to learn, then just move on. Someone else will be willing to learn.
Someone else will listen. Do not take it personally. They are opposing themselves. And maybe just maybe after some time, God will work on them and when God sends someone else maybe then they will listen. But not now.
So just leave them to God and move on. And that is what Paul did. This is another example for us.
Act 18:7 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.
Paul just went next door. I really like that. Paul did not run and hide. Paul was not afraid to be seen by those that opposed themselves. He just went and taught those that would listen.
Act 18:8 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.
And God moved. Even the chief ruler of the synagogue got saved. And the gospel went out to many of the Gentile Corinthians and they believed.
Now of course this would have angered the synagogue next door.
But God puts a restraining hand upon them. Their anger will sit and fester and God will not let them strike out at Paul yet.
Act 18:9 Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:
Act 18:10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.
God tells Paul just keep preaching. Many people look at the last part of verse 10 to mean God has much people in this city to save. That God will protect Paul while this work is going on.
Act 18:10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.
That seems to make sense to me. Keep preaching for I have much people in this city that will get saved. Those that are lost are not God’s yet. They don’t get adopted until they get saved.
But if you allow for God speaking out of His perfect foreknowledge then it does make sense that way.
Some will look at it the other way and say it means that God has many people in the city who will stand up and protect Paul. I personally do not think that is what God is saying here.
The protection in verse 10 is clearly stated to come from God. For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee.
They will come after Paul in due time and take him to the deputy who wants nothing to do with religion or God. So while he will throw the case out, the deputy is not one of God’s people.
So I lean toward looking at this as God is speaking out of His perfect foreknowledge and is saying Paul keep preaching because I have many in this city who will become mine. Out of my foreknowledge it is as good as done.
Act 18:11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.