Sermon 32

Corinth: Don't Quit Yet

Acts 18:1-17

A man shoveling snow from his driveway when two boys carrying snow shovels approached him. "Shovel your snow, mister?" one of them asked. "Only $2." Puzzled, the man replied, "Can't you see that I'm doing it myself?" "That's why we asked," the boys said. "We get most of our business from people who are half through and feel like quitting."

Do you ever feel like quitting? We all do. But, I want to remind you tonight, as the professor use to say to his students- It's always too soon to quit. Charles Spurgeon said, "By perseverance, the snail reached the ark."

When Paul arrived in Corinth, he was discouraged and probably ready to quit. In fact, when he later wrote to the Corinthians he reminded them of his state of mind at his arrival. I Corinthians 2:3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. The Greek word of weakness, according to Strong's Concordance, means disease, illness and infirmity. Paul was physically sick and mentally depressed. The beating that he gotten at Philippi, had, no doubt, had some lingering effects. Physical weakness often makes discouragement even worse.

Think about his situation. Beaten and put in stocks at Philippi, he was eventually forced to leave the city. From there he went to Thessalonica where a riot occurred because of his presence (Acts 17:5) and so he slipped out of town at night and went to Berea but the persecution followed from Thessalonica and again, Paul left the city, this time alone, Acts 17:14. From there he traveled to Athens, where he was, for the most part, ignored. In every one of those places, there was a measure of success - people converted, churches born- but in everyone of those places there was also conflict, trouble and rejection. I don't know how you are but for me, 25 good things could happen and 1 bad thing, and I have trouble enjoying all those good things, because all I can think about is the one bad thing.

And so tonight, we have arrived in Acts 18 where we learn about Paul's arrival in Corinth, a 53 mile walk from Athens - sick and depressed and alone. Luke doesn't tell us about Paul's state of mind but the events that he records about Corinth tell us how the Lord encouraged a discouraged servant.

Corinth had, in Paul's day, replaced Athens as the leading political and commercial center in Greece. It had a strategic location for both east/west and north/south travel. It was a very transient city (sailors; merchants; government officials) which one commentary says meant that it lead to lower inhibitions typical of more settled societies. As a result, Corinth was one of the most debauched cities of antiquity. Even in the ancient world, to "Corinthianize" meant to practice whoredom. In Corinth, was the Temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Every night, 1000 temple prostitutes descended from the temple to the city to ply their trade. "Corinth was a rip-roaring town, where none but the tough could survive."

Corinth doesn't sound like a place where any Christian could be encouraged. But God is not bound by geographical locations nor cultural and moral factors. In the midst of the ancient Roman empire's most wicked place, Paul received from the Lord, the resources to encourage him not to quit. What were they?

Companionship, vs. 1-5.

Two New Friends, vs. 1-4. By the providence of God, Paul met a Jewish couple. Aquila and Priscilla, who had much in common with Paul. They were Jewish . They had recently arrived in Corinth from Rome. v. 2. They had the same trade - tentmaking. Leather tents were made from the skins of goats. Every Jewish rabbi was expected to learn a trade. This one, apparently, served Paul well through his itinerant preaching ministry. He could set up shop quickly and earn the money to support himself and those who were with him. More importantly, Aquila and Priscilla were Christians. The church in Rome met in their house, Romans 16:3-5 and they had recently come from Rome. They become important helpers to Paul and his ministry. Later, they assisted him in Ephesus, Acts 18:18-28; I Corinthians 16:19. So Paul moved in with them, engaged in tentmaking and on each sabbath they went to the synagogue where they dialogued and sought to persuade the Jews and the Greek proselytes about Jesus the Messiah, vs. 3-4.

Two Old Friends, v. 5. In time, Silas and Timothy came to Corinth from Macedonia where they joined Paul. Commentators say that Paul had sent Timothy for follow-up visit to Thessalonica (I Thessalonians 3:1,6) and he returned with encouraging news about the church. Also, they tell us that Silas brought an offering from the Macedonian churches (II Corinthians 11:9) which enabled Paul to put all of his energy into ministry instead of tentmaking.

Everyone agrees that Paul was a great Christian and a great missionary evangelist. But how much would Paul have accomplished alone? Friends, companions in the ministry, like Aquila and Priscilla, like Timothy and Silas, like the believers in Macedonia, made it possible for him to serve the Lord effectively. His Christian friends, new and old, encouraged him at a time when he needed it most.

Of course, this reminds us that we should encourage our friends in the work of the Lord. "God did not intend for all of us to be rich or powerful, but He did intend for us all to be friends" (Ralph Waldo Emerson). Galatians 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. Humanly speaking, there would have been no church in Corinth were it not for the devotion and service of many different people.

Conversions, vs. 5b-8

As so often happened, Paul began his ministry to the Jews and the Jewish people, for the most part, rejected him and openly opposed him. Jewish opposition had forced him to leave other cities, but not Corinth. To the Jews, Paul used two Jewish images. He "shook his raiment" which strict Jews did when they left a Gentile city. It was like washing his hands over a situation. And he said, "Your blood is on your heads." (Ezekiel 3:17-21; 33:1-9) You are to blame for your own judgment.

Paul went next door to the house of Justus (v. 7). Bible scholars believe that Justus is the same person as Gaius (Romans 16:23) whom Paul had baptized (I Corinthians 1:14). All of this indicates that this man was converted as was Crispus, the ruler of the Jewish synagogue, v. 8. These were not the only ones, v. 8b. There were "many."

There is nothing like people being saved to encourage discouraged Christians. Everybody isn't going to respond the way we would wish, but some will. But not unless they hear the gospel. We've got to make it our business, our mission, our passion to evangelize the lost. The opposite is also true. An absence of conversions, will eventually discourage the encouraged and eventually send a church into decline.

Dearborn Baptist is way to comfortable when it comes to evangelism. Evangelism around here is more accidental than it is intentional. Will you intentionally attempt to win people to Christ?

Confirmation, vs. 9-11.

Verses 9-10 are the record of a supernatural vision which Paul had from the Lord. In all, the New Testament records at least 6 visions which Paul had. I have to tell you that's 6 more than I have had. We do not live in a era of supernatural visions. That was part of the apostolic era (when there were apostles) and prior to the completion of the New Testament. I Corinthians 13 tells us that those supernatural signs were temporary and ended when "that which is perfect is come", that is, the Word of God.

Even though we will not vision from the Lord, we still have the presence of the Lord in the person of the Holy Spirit to confirm in our hearts that we are doing the will of God and to encourage us.

The Lord spoke to Paul of His presence. "I am with thee." That's encouraging, isn't it? And the Lord gave to Paul a His protection - "no man shall set on thee to hurt thee". That's encouraging. God is a sentinel over our lives and nothing happens to us without God's permission. The Lord also gave to Paul His promise - "I have much people in this city." This statement explicitly reveals the foreknowledge of God. It is a mystery that God, in His sovereignty, knows everything that will happen and tells us that humans have the responsibility to preach the gospel and to believe in Christ. We cannot reconcile it all. "This problem has baffled the best brains of Christianity for centuries" (John Stott). We are not going to be able to discover the solution to this paradox. The fact is, God may know who is going to be saved but we don't, so we need to get busy and try to win souls to Christ. Foreknowledge is God's business. Soul winning is our business!

And so, the Lord told Paul to not be afraid. God often had to remind His servants of that (Abraham; Isaac; Jacob; Jehoshaphat; Daniel; Peter; Paul and Mary). Pretty good company. Don't be afraid. Don't be silent. Speak up for me.

It is encouraging to hear the voice of God, through the Holy Spirit's presence in us reminding us that He is with us ("He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee) , that He is in control and that we need not be afraid. Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

As the result, Paul stayed in Corinth for another 18 months.

Courage, vs. 12-17.

The promises of God did not prevent opposition from happening. Whenever you determine to do something for God, you are going to face Satanic opposition.

One such instance is recorded in verses 12-17. The arrival of a new "deputy" (proconsul) gave the Jews a reason to believe that they could get a legal decision declaring Christianity to be an illegal religion in the Roman empire. Rome tolerated Judaism and, in its early days, regarded Christianity, not as a new religion but as a sect of the Jews. These Jews said otherwise, vs. 12-13. But before Paul could even speak in his own defense, Gallio gave a summary judgment and threw the case out, vs. 14-16. Sostenes was, apparently, the one who represented the Jewish interest in this case (the new chief ruler of the synagogue) and when he lost the case for them, the Jewish wrath exploded directly in his face. They beat him but Gallio paid no attention, v. 17.

Paul, who had arrived in Corinth discouraged showed himself in this instance to be full of courage. Courage is an antidote to discouragement. Just don't be afraid. Just keep on doing the right thing and leave the consequences up to God. Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. It's always too soon to quit! Don't quit yet!