Acts 20:17-38

Happy New Year’s Eve day!

 

    From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. When they arrived, he said to them: "You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews. You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

 

    "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

 

    "Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

 

    "Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: `It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "

 

    When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

 

Paul sets us a sobering example. He doesn’t know what awaits him in Jerusalem, but he’s in such a hurry to get there that he bypasses Ephesus for time’s sake. At the same time, Paul is so certain that he will never again see the Ephesian church that he pauses long enough to call their leaders to him.

 

Paul summarizes his ministry for the Ephesian leaders, along with his intentions to follow God’s leading to Jerusalem (vv. 18-23). He has been faithful. But Paul is not telling them that he has been faithful in some final effort to get them to honor and revere him. Paul sees a very real possibility that his life and ministry are coming to a close, and he trusts God enough to embrace that possibility (v. 24).

 

So Paul’s summary of his ministry was a part of passing the torch of responsibility for God’s church to the Ephesian leadership (vv. 25-31). As Paul describes the difficulties he’s endured and the efforts he’s taken to build up the church in the truth of the Gospel, he reminds the Ephesian leaders that the church they are to protect and build up is amazingly precious! The church is so precious that Paul was willing to give his life to build it and protect it! The church is so precious that the Ephesian leaders must also guard it carefully.

 

Paul sums up the ministry he expects of himself and of the Ephesian leaders with Jesus’ words: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (v. 35). With these words Paul entrusts the Ephesian church leaders to God and to the message of God’s grace. God and the glorious gospel message will build up the church and bring them into heaven, where all are set apart to God (v. 32). Nothing on earth compares to this hope!

 

Paul and the Ephesians cared deeply for one another, and the Ephesians were enormously distressed at the thought that Paul would never see them again (vv. 36-38). For Paul to bypass the city of Ephesus on his way to Jerusalem must have been absolutely necessary; he loved them too much to have bypassed them without good reason. But his love for the Ephesians—and his respect for them—is evident. He entrusted them with caring for the church, certainly in Ephesus and probably throughout the province of Asia (v. 18). And the church is a priceless treasure, worth sacrificing leaders’ lives to build and guard.

 

Father, help me to love the church this profoundly. Help me to build up Your church lovingly, carefully, extravagantly, sacrificially. In everything I do, may Your church benefit. May I depend fully on You and on the message of Your grace, and may I teach others to depend fully on You, too.

 

Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. applied?

 

At the risk of getting my head shot off by someone out there, yes, I have been thinking some about the roles of men and women, and I’m about to express some of my thoughts.

 

I’m reading a book right now that approaches the issue from a cultural angle… sort of. Basically, the book says that cultures tend to oppress women universally. But it also says that women are universally freeing themselves from this oppression and establishing their rightful equality with men.

 

The book is also trying to see this whole issue from a biblical angle, though it has hardly brought the Bible to bear on anything so far. As I look at the Bible, I have to agree that men and women are created equal. But I also have to believe that God has assigned men a role of authority over women, and that women were made to help their men. Many would say this is an oppressive belief. But is it?

 

Confusingly, I think the answer is both yes and no. First, no – God’s assigned authority of a man over a woman is not oppressive. That is, in an ideal world, without sin, a man’s authority over a woman would not be oppressive. The belief itself is not an oppressive belief.

 

But then again, yes. In our world, with sin in each human heart, a man’s authority over a woman tends to lead to oppression. The authority itself is not inherently oppressive, but men and women respond to each other in sinful ways that lead to oppression and frustration in one another.

 

A husband, unsure of how to know the boundary line between when his wife is challenging his authority and when she is merely trying to help him the make the best possible choice (and respects him enough to believe he wants to make that choice), may misinterpret her questions and suggestions, get angry, explode with rage, and verbally or even physically attack the wife he wants to love.

 

A wife, trying to figure out how best to help her husband make good decisions, may keep silent at times and then after things go wrong say, “I thought that might happen;” or she may too forcefully argue to make sure something really minor goes the right way, leaving her husband feeling attacked and disrespected. Either way, a wife may well leave her husband feeling as though she thinks he is incompetent and untrustworthy.

 

And these things assume that husbands and wives are acting with the best of intentions. Unfortunately, sin makes it so that we do not have the best of intentions, let alone make the best decisions or do the most loving actions.

 

In a world where both husband and wife have been created equal, and yet God has given husbands authority over their wives, both need to exercise sacrificial amounts of loving grace toward each other. And we need to try to understand the goodness of God’s design.

 

I see things more clearly when I realize how much responsibility God has given to me – far more than I can handle on my own. In fact, even with Christy’s amazing and abundant help, the responsibilities God has given me overwhelm us more often than we might like to admit. Because God has given me so many responsibilities, He has graciously given me Christy to help me fulfill them. But she does so as Christy, not as Matt. We are equal, but I have both more authority and more responsibility. Because Christy is so gifted and talented, I am sometimes tempted to believe that she is using her gifts in ways that threaten my role… but as I look at what she has done with them, I see that those temptations are foolish. Let me take a moment to praise my dear Christy, and perhaps it will help create a picture of how men and women can be both equal and yet given different levels of authority – and how this was never meant to be oppressive (and may God forgive us men when it is oppressive!).

 

Various things I believe that the Bible says I am responsible for include:

• Cultivating My Family And Those I Know (MFATIK) to know Jesus Christ and to lead others to know Jesus
• Cultivating MFATIK to obey Jesus Christ in whatever we do
• Providing a home for my family
• Providing food and clothes for my family
• Learning from God so that I can teach MFATIK to listen to Him
• Encouraging MFATIK through and into hospitality
• Urging MFATIK to serve others
• Guiding MFATIK to be ambassadors for Jesus beyond our comfort zones

 

Christy has supported me in so many ways.

 

She encourages me to cultivate my own relationship with Jesus Christ and to help others cultivate the relationship, too. She is such a wonderful mother. She spends about half of her week watching our kids and caring for their needs – and I’m not even talking yet about the financial support she provides for them. She helps me keep our children focused enough to benefit from our nightly Bible story times. She prays with our children and sings songs to them that encourage them to know Jesus. Hearing her sing to them has several times reminded me to do the same, and her choice of songs has also helped me remember some wonderfully helpful songs for our children. Even beyond our family, Christy supports my efforts to cultivate people’s relationships with Jesus Christ. She tells people that I am actually worth listening to (which means so much to me and gives me courage to speak, knowing I have her support), and she sometimes surprises me by telling me such things as that I ought to publish what I have learned from God so that I can help even more people cultivate a relationship with Jesus.

 

Christy has also supported me in obeying Jesus. I tend to theorize about the future, but Christy has consistently helped me to live in the present – to see my neighbors and their real needs, obeying Jesus and reaching out to people I might otherwise have overlooked as I daydreamed about future ministry. She has allowed me to open our home to relative strangers – overnight! – graciously and joyfully seeking to obey Jesus our Lord with me. She has even supported my preparation for obedience – my years in seminary could not have happened without her emotional, financial, and devoted support. She has given her time to help me serve more effectively, building websites and designing brochures to help me organize and communicate with others. She has walked side-by-side with me—sometimes through pain—to distribute flyers or serve food to marginalized people. She has definitely helped me obey Jesus.

 

As to providing a home, food and clothes for our family, that responsibility has pretty much been on Christy’s shoulders for the past two and a half years. Yes, I have worked part-time so that the full weight of the responsibility wouldn’t overwhelm her (in conjunction with all the other responsibilities she has carried for me, I’m amazed she hasn’t experienced a complete meltdown). But my part-time work has not been even CLOSE to the primary way that God has provided for our family; He has done that through Christy’s consistent, steady work as a web designer/graphic designer/photographer. She has only worked part-time (on the job, not on life), but God has blessed her with such wonderful talents that her part-time work has been far more financially productive than mine. Christy’s talented work is the only reason that we are not in debt!

 

I have already mentioned that Christy’s support is what allows me to attend seminary so that I can learn from God and prepare to help others learn from Him. But her support also allows me to learn from Jesus in other ways. She frees me up to participate in ELI, a men’s group in our church designed to help us learn to follow God and lead others in every area of life. She gives me time to meet with other men on a regular basis for accountability and encouragement. She helps me make sure our family gets to church on time to hear God’s message in the songs, Scriptures, and sermons. Without Christy, I couldn’t accomplish half these things.

 

Christy has helped me grow in hospitality. She and I open our apartment every week to our Community Group, and she never complains about the cleaning, cooking, or extra shopping she has to do because of it. She encourages me to have guests over to eat, and is extremely flexible with having visiting friends and family stay in our home (she lovingly gave up our bed to a three-year old! – how many people would do that?)!

 

Even though my taking a part-time job at our church took more time away from Christy and her work, she encouraged me – really encouraged me, not begrudgingly – to take the job so that I could spend more time serving God’s church and leading God’s family into service. I have learned so much about service because of her sacrifice. I have benefited both from her example of service to me and from my experiences in serving others. I am learning that I am not all that willing a servant on my own, and it has given me the chance to cry out to God for a heart of love, mercy, and service. God is answering my prayers. Who knows how much longer I might have waited to learn the valuable lessons in service that I am now learning had Christy not encouraged me to accept this role?

 

Finally, there is no one I would rather have at my side as an ambassador for Jesus Christ, in or beyond my comfort zones. Christy has been there since near the beginning of our relationship. She has helped me witness to people all over Toccoa. She has faithfully developed friendships with those we’ve witnessed to, encouraging them to know the Lord more fully. She has dreamed with me about the places the Lord might lead us as missionaries, and has helped me be realistic about how to be an ambassador here and now. She understands people beautifully and adjusts readily to upper- and lower-class situations, neither being overly intimidated by those others might perceive as powerful or standoff-ish toward those others might reject.

 

In every area of life, Christy helps me fulfill my responsibilities. Yes, they are her responsibilities, too. But I feel the weight of them, and she lifts enormous amounts of their weight from my shoulders. As I free her to help me in the ways she is uniquely gifted to help – her artistry, her cultural awareness and sensitivity – she often ends up being more productive than I am. And lovingly, she doesn’t demean me. Instead, she points out my gifts and encourages me in my strengths. Together, we look to Jesus Christ to make us complete, knowing that we are incomplete and imperfect on our own. I thank God for Christy – and I don’t often enough say so publicly.

 

I hope that this helps just a bit to clear the confusion away from a Biblical picture of manhood and womanhood – of non-oppressive authority relationships between equals. I know it won’t clear the air completely. I myself am still confused, and I know that I have oppressed Christy by my use of authority more often than I would like to remember. But I repent of my sinful oppression, and I find forgiveness both from Christy and Jesus Christ. Christy and I are aiming to live the way Jesus intends for us to live, and I can’t thank God enough for putting Christy in my life.

 

Acts 20:7-16

    And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to depart the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight. And there were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together. And there was a certain young man named Eutychus sitting on the window sill, sinking into a deep sleep; and as Paul kept on talking, he was overcome by sleep and fell down from the third floor, and was picked up dead. But Paul went down and fell upon him and after embracing him, he said, "Do not be troubled, for his life is in him." And when he had gone back up, and had broken the bread and eaten, he talked with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. And they took away the boy alive, and were greatly comforted.

 

    But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for Assos, intending from there to take Paul on board; for thus he had arranged it, intending himself to go by land. And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. And sailing from there, we arrived the following day opposite Chios; and the next day we crossed over to Samos; and the day following we came to Miletus. For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus in order that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.

 

Paul intended his ministry to be an encouragement to his hearers. You would think this would be difficult or impossible after a tragic death like the one Eutychus came to. It would have been easy for the people to blame Paul and grumble against him for how long he kept speaking. But Paul served the Lord of life, and our Lord made Paul able to announce not only the good news of future eternal life, but also the good news that Eutychus was alive again that very night. Paul kept talking until daybreak, no one else fell out of a window, and he left. The people went back to their homes, both having a living Eutychus to tease about falling asleep while Paul spoke and a living hope to encourage them.

 

While Paul went to Assos by land, his companions traveled by boat to pick him up. It almost seems as though Paul is trying to avoid people – something that is not characteristic of his ministry – because they skip over Ephesus in their hurry to get back to Jerusalem for Pentecost. We’ll see soon that Paul could not entirely bypass these people he loved. But this passage also shows that there are sometimes other events and goals that are important. When these goals come up, we are not to love people any less, but we may have to spend less time with some of them in order to achieve our goals. We are limited people, and even as we seek to obey our God by loving Him and the people He puts in our lives, we find that we can not do all things perfectly. We simply do not have the strength, time, or resources to do all the good that we think could be or ought to be done. Only our God and Savior is unlimited, and in such situations we must remember to entrust people and desires and unfulfilled tasks and unmet needs into the hands of our Father. We do this not to shirk our responsibilities, but as a reflection of the truth that only God is perfectly able to meet all needs and care for all people. We can trust Him, and His faithfulness in all things frees us to obey Him in the limited things we can do – without fear or guilt.

 

Father, may I plunge into the work You give me with a glad and joyful heart. May I rejoice that You are faithful to care for people and do work that I am unable to do. Even more so, may I rejoice that You are faithfully working even in the midst of the people I spend time with and the tasks I work on. If You were not providing for all things, even the things I feel like I am providing for, they would not be done sufficiently well. They would fall apart. But You are faithful, and You are providing day in and day out for people to know You, for work to be done, for goals to be achieved, for needs to be met. All things are in Your hands, and I can look forward to my work. I can work hard even as I realize that my work accomplishes nothing on its own. Your work and Your provision and Your encouragement and hope are what matter. Thank You for working so thoroughly that I can rejoice in my limited, measly, daily work. Give me and all Your children joy today as we seek to love and obey You.

 

Acts 20:1-6

    When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said good-by and set out for Macedonia. He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, where he stayed three months. Because the Jews made a plot against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. But we sailed from Philippi after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.

 

Other people were very important to Paul, especially other believers. These six verses mention seven men by name as Paul’s companions, and Paul lovingly fellowships with many others, too.

 

In the first verse, although it would have been tempting to get out of town as quickly as possible following a riot aimed at him, Paul took the time to send for and encourage the disciples before leaving Ephesus.

 

On his journey, Paul’s time was spent “speaking many words of encouragement to the people.”

 

When Paul left Greece, he was accompanied by seven other Christian travelers, each one mentioned by name.

 

And in the final verses, we learn that still others (“us/we”) joined Paul and his companions at Troas.

 

Paul was not a one man show. He depended on and loved others. His ministry aimed at serving and encouraging very real people, people Paul grew to care about and invite to join him in ministry.

 

Father, may I, like Paul, depend fully on You. And may I, like Paul, gratefully receive Your provision of friends and brothers – family to walk down the road of life with me. You are good.

 

Acts 19:13-20

    Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

 

    When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.

 

I wouldn’t have wanted to be one of those seven men. But they certainly taught us all a valuable lesson for unbelievers and believers alike: Jesus isn’t an add-on. He’s all or nothing. Either Jesus is entirely Lord, or we have no claim to Him. If we try to overcome Satan and his forces without actually being servants of Jesus Christ, we will be overwhelmed and overcome.

 

Father, thank You for reminding me that I can’t just mix Jesus with something else. I can’t mix Him into another religion, into my strategies, or into my efforts. If I want to benefit from His power, I must first humble myself before Him and live as though He really is the King of the Universe! I cannot manipulate Him. I cannot siphon off some of His strength for my own uses. I cannot put Him in a bottle and put Him on a shelf to be used at my convenience. He is Lord! I either accept His reign and serve Him, or I have no claim to Him at all. Help me. Overcome any foolishness that keeps me from seeing that Jesus is really in charge and in control. Overcome any pride or blindness that keeps me from submitting some aspect of my life to Jesus, or trying to accomplish things by His power but without Him.

 

Acts 19:8-12

    Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.

 

    God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.

 

Father, please help me to minister in such a way that all around me hear Your word. May I invest my energy, my time, my resources, all in discussing Your kingdom with people. Also, please help people to see that You are really at work. I’m not necessarily asking You to do miracles through me – I don’t want people to misunderstand and think that I have some sort of special power, and I don’t want the temptation that would come with people thinking such things – but I am asking that You would do miracles among the people to whom I minister. I am asking that You would make it plain to them that You are God, and that the words they hear from me are really Your words, so that they will trust in You and receive Your blessings.

 

Acts 19:1-7

    While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?"

    They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."

    So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?"

    "John's baptism," they replied.

    Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all.

 

Baptism matters. But not just baptism. The reason for baptism matters. The relationship behind baptism matters.

 

Apollos had been teaching only the baptism of John in Ephesus until Priscilla and Aquila took time to instruct him more fully. And here we find the results. Although Apollos had been teaching about Jesus accurately (Acts 18:25), these disciples in Ephesus had only received a baptism of repentance. They had recognized that they were sinners before a holy King, but they had not been taught to trust in the King to supply them with eternal righteousness.

 

Still, repentance was a good start. Paul was able to bring them from repentance to faith in Jesus. And when they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus, these men received the Holy Spirit in response to their trust in the King. The King supplied what they needed for eternal righteous living.

 

Father, thank You that You not only point out our sinfulness and call us to repent, but that You also have sent us a King who gives us the Holy Spirit and makes us newly righteous. Thank You that the Christian life is not only about recognizing and hating our own sinfulness, but about finding abundant help through the Holy Spirit because Jesus died and rose for us.

 

Pastoral Counseling Across Cultures, David W. Augsburger, chapter 1

This chapter describes a “theology of presence.” Augsburger suggests that to be effective across cultures (and even within his own), a pastoral counselor (PC) needs to be present to the counselee.

 

What this means is that the PC should be able to enter the world of the counselee – even if that means “entering” another religion. It means not rejecting anything we can accept with integrity, trying to make everything an enriching part of my own experience and religion, and then returning to my own life changed. Augsburger quotes Clasper: “To ‘pass over’ is to enter a new world; to ‘come back’ is to return a different person.”

 

The theological basis for this – for Christians, at least – is supposed to be the incarnation. God was willing to associate with us, despite our enmity.

 

This chapter encourages a Christian to be very open, even to other religious viewpoints. It does not clearly define boundaries, and it does not closely examine the Scriptures to discover whether they agree that humans are to exercise this incarnational presence in interfaith dialogue.

 

The value is that I am reminded I am human. I can be wrong. I must listen to others, learn their questions, “feel” their experiences, if I want to understand where the gospel meets their needs. I cannot assume I am the authority; in human relationships, I must remember that others and their thoughts should be respected as highly as I want to be respected.

 

The danger is that this chapter deals very little with a particular aspect of Jesus’ incarnation – although He was human, He still had authority. Some people are right, and some are wrong. God is right, and those who listen to the true God and repeat His thoughts and obey Him are right. At some point, authority must enter the picture. Ultimately, there is really One King, and we answer to Him. Entering someone else’s experiences with integrity as a Christian means that I must seek to sympathetically understand as fully as I can without denying or disobeying my King Jesus. It means being an ambassador in a foreign country, but maintaining allegiance to my own.

 

But perhaps Augsburger will address that later. For now, I need to be reminded that I am human. I am not the only one trying to listen to God. I need to listen to others, to understand their points of view – not because I see them as authorities, but because I see them as brothers and equals. Others are people who may hear from God as well as I do. Their experiences are just as real as mine. We must take all of our experiences to the God who can tell us the truth about our perceptions; to do that as a counselor, I need to understand other people’s experiences and interpretations so that I can ask God for His answers and help others do the same.

 

Acts 18:24-28

Acts 18:24-28

 

    Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.

 

    When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

 

Paul had left Priscilla and Aquila in Ephesus and had continued his travels. An eloquent Alexandrian Jew named Apollos came to Ephesus after Paul had left. What made him noteworthy was that someone had taught him about Jesus, and he taught about Jesus fervently and excellently.

 

But there was a problem. Apollos knew only the baptism of John. What does that mean? John said, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Luke 3:16). So Apollos knew only the baptism of water. Apollos did not know about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. He did not know that the Holy Spirit was promised to all who repented and believed that Jesus was the Christ, the Lord. He was teaching people accurately about Jesus, but was not leading them into Jesus’ gift of Holy Spirit guided and empowered life. He was leading them to repentance, but he may not have been leading them to assurance.

 

This is a big deal, but apparently it was easily corrected. Priscilla (yes, Priscilla) and Aquila invited him to the privacy of their home, where they explained to Apollos what he did not already know. Can you imagine Apollos’ joy at learning more fully how Jesus provides for believers every day? Perhaps he had not himself received the Holy Spirit (like the men we’re about to read about in Acts 19). What great joy for Apollos to realize that Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, would guide him in all his words and ways until he finally arrived home in heaven!

 

Apollos was greatly appreciated in Ephesus, and the Ephesian Christians recommended him to the Achaians when Apollos went there. His ministry, made more fully accurate and complete through Priscilla’s and Aquila’s explanations, helped the Christians prove in public debate with the Jews from the Jews’ own Scriptures that Jesus was the promised Christ.

 

Father, may none of us try to serve apart from receiving your Holy Spirit. We have in Apollos’ story something we don’t understand very well – an apparent believer who had not received the Holy Spirit – whose tie to Jesus Christ was not sealed! May we not be so arrogant as to assume that there are not such people among us today. And may those of us who are uncertain regarding the gift of the Holy Spirit seek the guidance of other Christians to help us receive Your precious gift! Rather than our work, may we be instruments as You work through us by Your Holy Spirit.

 

Acts 18:18-23

Acts 18:18-23

 

    Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchrea because of a vow he had taken. They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. But as he left, he promised, "I will come back if it is God's will." Then he set sail from Ephesus. When he landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch.

 

    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.

 

Even after certain Corinthians tried to stir up problems for Paul, with those problems squelched, he was able to stay there quite a while. God had given Paul peace from his oppressors, and he was able to invest in the Corinthian people.

 

It is interesting that Paul took a vow, but we are never told what kind of vow he took. Still, Christians should not be too quick to look down on those who take vows, because Paul the apostle took one.

 

The most prominent thing about this section is the number of places Paul went. He sailed to Syria, went up to the synagogue in Ephesus, landed and greeted the church at Caesarea, went down to Antioch, and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia. In every place, Paul ministered.

 

Paul was a servant of Jesus Christ, seeking in every place to strengthen His church.

 

Father, may I also seek to strengthen your church in every place. May I serve You well, an ambassador for Your kingdom.

 

Acts 18:12-17

    While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him into court. "This man," they charged, "is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law."

 

    Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said 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. 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." So he had them ejected from the court. Then they all turned on Sosthenes the synagogue ruler and beat him in front of the court. But Gallio showed no concern whatever.

 

God kept His promise to protect Paul from all harm in Corinth. But this story demonstrates that it might not always have looked that way.

 

Achaia was the province within which Corinth sat. And the Jews brought Paul before the proconsul of the whole province of Achaia in court. While Paul wasn’t receiving a physical beating, the Jews were still trying to harm him.

 

But Paul didn’t even get a chance to speak up for himself. He didn’t need to. The proconsul wanted nothing to do with the case. Even when the Jews turned on one of their own and beat him, the proconsul stayed out of their affairs.

 

God protected Paul, in this case, by placing Paul in an area where the government protected him and kept him free to proclaim the gospel. 

 

Father, thank You that I am a citizen of a country like this, a country where the government dismisses cases that have nothing to do with dismeanors or crime. Thank You for protecting Your servants here. In a country like this, we believers should make sure all the more that we are hearing and obeying Your words to Paul, “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.” Lord, protect Your servants’ freedom to tell people about You, to seek and win disciples, to worship You as You tell us to. But even more, strengthen us to be faithful to You, whether we keep these freedoms or not. Thank You for Your grace, Your help, Your provision. And thank You that we enjoy Your protection, too. Protect Your people around the world and make us fruitful.

 

Acts 18:9-11

    One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city." So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

 

I tend to think of Paul as the fearless one. But the Lord’s vision for Paul said, “Do not be afraid.”

 

This was Paul’s second missionary journey. It was not going smoothly. Before Athens and Corinth, where Paul had relatively peaceful experiences, Paul endured Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea. Philippi was going well until Paul cast a demon out of a slave girl; then her masters had Paul and Silas arrested, beaten with rods, and thrown in jail. When they got out of Philippi by God’s grace, they went to Thessalonica, where a mob of angry Jews stirred up trouble looking for Paul and Silas, who had to be sent away. Even in Berea, which was initially receptive, Paul had to be sent away because the angry Thessalonian mobs pursued him with disturbances. Paul had reason to be afraid.

 

But Jesus told Paul to keep on speaking. He commanded Paul not to be silent. Believers may stay silent because of fear. But the Lord wanted none of that for Paul; fear was not supposed to drive Paul’s decisions. Paul was to speak.

 

Paul was to speak mainly because Jesus Christ was with him. It may not have felt that way at times, but those who have Jesus Christ should live like they fear nothing and no one but Jesus. What does such a life look like? “Keep on speaking.”

 

Jesus promised Paul at this time, “No one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” What does this mean? It could be that Jesus is saying that His people will defend Paul, because there are enough of them here in Corinth to protect him. Probably not, though. After Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea, where Paul saw some fruit but quickly had to leave, I think Jesus was telling Paul that here, finally, he would get a chance to see many people come to know Jesus. He wouldn’t have to leave after just seeing a few. What an encouragement for a wounded minister! Paul would have time to rest, heal, minister… and see fruit! “Keep on speaking… because I am with you… and I have many people in this city.” Jesus had allowed the prior cities to beat and abuse Paul, apparently, to keep him moving on, because those cities were not going to bear more fruit.

 

But here in Corinth, Paul was able to stay for a year and a half. Without being beaten. Just working at teaching the church. For a year and a half, Paul spoke the Word of God in peace.

 

Father, may those of us who have the opportunity to speak Your Word in peace rejoice! And may we not fear, but boldly go on proclaiming Your Word. Forgive us who live in relatively peaceful situations and still neglect to speak Your words to people. Help us to obey You – not stop being afraid. Help us to speak. And help us to speak consistently, whether we have peace or pain. May we speak consistently because You are with us. When we have to carry on our work in the face of danger, may we still speak without fear until we are forced to leave. Thank You, though, that there are times when You give Your servants both Your presence and the assurance that they will have times of peace, rest, and fruitfulness. What an encouragement!

 

Acts 18:7-8

    Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized.

 

    One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city." So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

 

As Paul had said, he left the Corinthian Jews who had rejected God’s good news. He did not go far, though. He entered the home of a Gentile, Titius Justus, and began to minister from there. God’s good news was not bound! God’s gospel message is not intended for just one group or class or even nation of people! It goes out freely to all!

 

Although Paul had left the synagogue of the Jews and had turned to the Gentiles, the entire household of Crispus, the synagogue ruler, believed in the Lord. God does not limit His good intentions and works to just one group of people; but it is also important to see that when a group of people rejects God, He still accepts individuals from that group. God “accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right” (Acts 10:35). God is not in the business of accepting people based on their nationality, nor of rejecting people by nationality. From every nation, He calls some. No one needs to fear rejection by God if they will accept Jesus as Christ, even if their whole country rebels against Him. “The Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment” (2 Peter 2:9).

 

So many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.

 

Father, thank You that You do not show favoritism! Thank You for accepting me! Thank You for not rejecting me, or anyone else, just because of the group we live with. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23), but “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). Glorious truths! Beautiful promise! Thank You!