And Paul did just
that. (When you stop and think about it, even with devotion as deep as
Paul’s, having been stoned close to death, probably makes one just a tiny
bit hesitant at times to go out and convince people such as the Jewish
people who were so set in their ways and pride prevented them from hearing)
Paul stayed in Corinth for 1 ½ years, teaching the Word of God to them. Then
when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jewish people there, united and
rebelled against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat, saying, this
fellow persuades men to worship God contrary to the law. When Paul was about
to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked
lewdness, O you Jews, it would make sense for me to bear with you: But if
it’s an argument of words and names, and of your law, you take care of it;
I’ll be no judge of such matters. And he drove them out of the court.
Then all the
Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before
the judgment seat, and Gallio paid no attention. (There’s that protection
that Jesus told Paul of in the vision.) After that, Paul stayed there for a
good while still, and then left the brethren and sailed from there into
Syria, and he took Aquila and Priscilla with him. He shaved his head in
Cenchrea, because he made a vow (see Daily Bread, Numbers,
The Vow of the
Nazarite).
When he came to
Ephesus, he went alone into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jewish
people. Here’s an emotion of Paul’s that we can all identify with. You know
when there’s something that you know for a fact, and even though you prove
it, people still won’t believe you? That’s what Paul was probably feeling
with the Jewish people. And even though in Corinth he shook his clothes and
said he’d go to the Gentiles from now on, he just couldn’t just give up on
all the Jewish people. That’s because his love for the Lord was bigger than
his pride. How very admirable.
They wanted Paul
to stay there longer, but he wouldn’t agree to it, but bid them farewell,
saying, I must go to Jerusalem for Pentecost, but I’ll come back to visit
you again, if God will.
He sailed from
Ephesus, and when he landed at Cæsarea,
and had gone up and greeted the church, then he went to Antioch. That
completes Paul’s second journey, which was from the years 49-52 A.D. After
he had spent some time there (about a year), Paul began his third journey
and went all over the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening
all the disciples in the Churches that he had started.
Now, back in
Ephesus there was a certain Jewish man who came there, named Apollos, born
at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and educated in the scriptures. This man was
instructed in the way of the Lord; and being zealous in the spirit, he spoke
and taught diligently the things of the Lord, but understanding only the
baptism of John. He started to speak enthusiastically in the synagogue: and
when Aquila and Priscilla heard, they took him and explained to him the way
of God more perfectly.
And when he was
prepared to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, urging the disciples there
to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed
through Grace. And he strongly refuted the Jewish people publicly, showing
by the scriptures (Old Testament) that Jesus was Christ. (Tell
me the story of Jesus)
As you study
through the book of Acts, you kinda get a feeling for what kind of people
live in each place that Luke talks about. Later in the New Testament, Paul
writes letters to different places that he visited, to further encourage,
strengthen and admonish the people. Remember, the times were ancient and
people didn’t readily have copies of the Gospels to study with and
strengthen them as we do today, and you can sense their appreciation of
Paul’s presence because he had such spirit and vitality in bringing the Word
of the Lord to the people.
Come on back
again, and join as we continue along with Paul on his third journey to gain
the Gentiles for Christ, right here at Daily Bread.
