Further, money has often had a very detrimental effect on ministry, because it was not handled wisely, or with the best interests of the gospel in mind. He threw the entire case out of court. | Technical Support Aquila and Priscilla were “guided” to Corinth, where they would meet Paul and begin a long-term relationship in ministry, not by the words of a prophet, but by the decree of a heathen ruler, Claudius (18:2). Do not be deceived! 408 . (3) A person may be supported by others than those to whom they are presently ministering, as Paul was supported by the Macedonians, as he ministered in Corinth (Philippians 4; 2 Corinthians 11:8-9). The words which Paul spoke to these Jews were very similar to those spoken to the Jews of Pisidian Antioch: “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46). The Greek tenses used may suggest that Paul is to go on preaching as he has already been doing.” Marshall, p. 296. ; note especially 22:12-35). 12 If others share the right over you, do we not more? We in America seldom fear physical reprisals, but mere social shunning, at worst. 20 And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law, though not being myself under the Law, that I might win those who are under the Law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, that I might win those who are without law. (8) You may wish to seek that employment and skill level which raises the least suspicion. Whether or not one affiliates with a religious tradition that considers Paul an enduring authoritative voice, the complex letters and legacies of Christianity’s “second founder” are critical to engage today. That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some. 5 Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? His insight into the case brought before him is brilliant and crystal clear. Increasingly, women and men are simply refusing to attend churches that hold women back. His second vision (as Luke reports them) was the so-called “Macedonian vision” which Paul received, guiding them to Macedonia. Paul was ready and willing to do so. The crucifixion of our Lord and the harm done to Paul are but two examples of this. Often have evangelist reapers been credited with the fruit of their labors. (7) Strive for a skill or job which contributes positively to the people, not just one that is in demand or which is highly profitable. Further argumentation would not convince and convert them, since this was the task of the Holy Spirit. (I speak as if insane) I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. While there were many means and methods of proclaiming the gospel, Paul set aside those which would hinder the gospel and he used those which would most effectively and efficiently promote it. This vision is Luke’s “literary link” (the introduction to and key) to the final paragraph. . They were forced to leave Rome because of a decree of Claudius, who order all Jews to leave Rome (18:2). Edward Adams is senior lecturer in New Testament Studies at King's College London. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company photolithoprinted}, 1966), p. 147. I Cor. (9) Seek a skill or facility in something at which you are really good, and by the doing of which you may reflect the God-given skills you have. His name was originally Marcus Annaeus Novatus; but after his father brought him to Rome from his native Cordova in the principate of Tiberius, he was adopted by the rhetorician Lucius Junius Gallio, and thereafter bore the same name as his adoptive father. Paul’s fear for his life and safety was no phobia, it was a fear based upon hard facts and upon much previous danger, including numerous attempts on his life. Paul in Corinth. 10 Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? In both cases, at Pisidian Antioch and here, Paul was speaking of a turning to the Gentiles in this city. Note the clear reference or allusion Paul is making to these words from the prophet Ezekiel: 1 And the word of the Lord came to me saying, 2 “Son of man, speak to the sons of your people, and say to them, ‘If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman; 3 and he sees the sword coming upon the land, and he blows on the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then he who hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his {own} head. We can be assured of His presence with us as we go forth with the gospel, for this was a promise given in conjunction with the Great Commission (Matthew 28:20). The Lord fulfilled His promise to Paul, without Paul’s help, but by means of a pagan Roman ruler, who acted (in his mind) contrary to the best interests of the Jews, and enjoyed every moment of it. No doubt Paul’s added intensity and concentration on preaching intensified the reaction to his ministry. The next charges brought against Paul before a Roman judge were personal to himself.” Bruce, p. 354. 16:23. I am clean. For those who would seriously contemplate the possibility of a tentmaking ministry, I recommend that you read a book devoted to this approach, entitled, Today’s Tentmakers by J. Christy Wilson, Jr., subtitled, “Self-support: An Alternative Model for Worldwide Witness.” It is published by Tyndale House. “Paul’s vision came from the Lord, i.e. I would like to suggest that tentmaking is a very noble calling, and one that has great potential for ministry. In 1 Corinthians in particular, the apostle treats a wide range of issues affecting the community of believers, including divisiveness, litigation, food offered to idols, and class divisions at the communal meal. 15 But I have used none of these things. This was not struggle against Rome, nor did it pose a threat to Roman rule. Knowing that there is a very close relationship between the Word of God and the Spirit of God, it is easy to understand how either of these terms could have been viewed as correct. They then went to Berea, where they were able to create such a disturbance Paul had to leave the truth-loving Berean Jews (Acts 17:13). But on the other hand God does give us some sense of conviction and leading, which we dare not ignore. After these things he left Athens and went to Corinth.402 2 And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla,403 because Claudius404 had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome.405 He came to them. 22What! Gallio’s total lack of concern over the beating of Sosthenes is telling. See more. For some period of time, Paul continued to live in this way, living and working with Aquila and Priscilla, and ministering each Sabbath at the synagogue, seeking to convince the Jewish and Gentile seekers of God that Jesus is the promised Messiah, through whom one must be saved. He is also the coeditor, with David G. Horrell, of Christianity at Corinth: The Quest for the Pauline Church (Westminster John Knox, 2004). Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i... More, (1) Prejudice and Providence: A Divine Appointment with Aquila and Priscilla. (3) Paul’s change was motivated by the “pressure” of divine guidance. “The time spent in Corinth probably stretched from the fall of A.D. 50 to the spring of A.D. 52; we are able to date this period of Paul’s career with considerable accuracy from the following mention of Gallio as proconsul of Achaia.” Bruce, p. 351. I find many who wish to be supported in full-time ministry, but few who wish to support themselves, like Paul. 210-16). Greek culture, on the other hand, tended to despise manual labor; an exception is provided by scientific writers, who speak respectfully of craftsmen. And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. They must therefore bear the consequences of their sin and rebellion. Luke, in this paragraph, tells us how this came to be. Do not be concerned about it. It is not very different from Paul’s sense of compulsion while he was in Athens: Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was beholding the city full of idols (Acts 17:16). Christian views (attitudes and beliefs) about women vary considerably today and have varied even more throughout the last two millennia, evolving along with or counter to the societies in which Christians have lived. We must be very careful about giving God the credit for our desires and decisions, when they are really our own. Paul was afraid, because of the past, and an awareness that the Jews who rejected the gospel all wanted to see him dead, at best, and hurt badly, at least. Paul simply refused to use this right. Evaluating its subject carefully, rigorously, and with minimal preconceptions. Paul does not in this passage attempt to curtail such involvement (though see 1Cor 14:34-35, a passage some think was added to the text at a later date) but insists that women should pray and prophesy with their heads covered. Corinth was in Paul’s day both the political and commercial metropolis of Greece and was the residence of the Roman Proconsul.” Charles W. Carter and Ralph Earle, The Acts of the Apostles (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1973), p. 265. Luke does not wish us to be left with the impression that the Jews, as a whole, rejected Paul and his preaching. Our Lord told Paul, in effect, to “stop being afraid,” not to be afraid any longer.417 If Jesus said he was afraid, he was afraid. 417 The Greek tense of this expression indicates this, and so the editors of the NASB supply “any longer” in italics, indicating to us that this in inferred or implied, if not clearly stated. Read Acts 18:1-3. “Following his Mars’ Hill address at Athens, Paul traversed the forty miles westward to Corinth, the political capital of Achaia, which was situated on the isthmus between Hellas and Peloponnesus. It will not be that long (70 A.D.) before Rome is so fed up with the revolutionary Jews in Jerusalem that Titus will be sent to deal with them once and for all, by the sacking of that city and the execution of thousands (or more) of Jews. (5) Consider a job which will allow you to work with, facilitate, or encourage the ministries of other Christians. The strong opposition of the Jews to Paul’s preaching produced a rather predictable result—Paul turned from ministry to the Jews, to ministry to the Gentiles. (3) The “Careless” Decision of Gallio—vv. 6 And when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be upon your own heads! By and large, Israel rejected Jesus, even after His resurrection. (6) Strive for a skill which facilitates and promotes opportunities for presenting the gospel, such as an English teacher. Women are to remain quiet and not teach – because Eve was deceived in the Garden of Eden and the concern is that Satan will use women in like manner to teach false doctrine to the church. Scholarly estimates range from 40 to 150 persons. A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1930), III, p. 295. Cistercian Sisters - The first Cistercian monastery for women was established at Tart in the Diocese of Langres (now Dijon), ... and tried to stop the slave trade. This was too much, at least for many of the Jews. Now, however, he was preaching every day. 9 And the Lord412 said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; 10 for I am with you,413 and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.”414 11 And he settled there a year and six months,415 teaching the word of God among them. However, their role in this area has never been free from controversy. Paul sensed it in Athens, and thus he preached, and he sensed it here in Corinth as well. The Gentiles were fully capable and ready to oppose Paul and to do him harm on their own. In Judaism it was not considered proper for a scribe or rabbi to receive payment for his teaching, so many of them practiced a trade in addition to their study and teaching of the law. 3 and because he was of the same trade,406 he stayed with them and they were working;407 for by trade they were tentmakers.408 4 And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. I think it is high time to begin thinking seriously as to how we can reduce the number of people who need to be supported and to increase the number of saints who are supporting ministry. 402 . “Rabbi Judah says: ‘He that teacheth not his son a trade, doth the same as if he taught him to be a thief.’ So it was easy for Paul to find a home with these ‘tentmakers by trade’. Christianity was for some time, from this point on, protected by Rome rather than persecuted by her, because of the decision of a ruler who did not like Jews, believe in Christ, or care about Paul. 2 And he found a Jew named v Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife v Priscilla, because w Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. In Luke’s brief account of this “Corinthian Campaign” we find three major paragraphs: (1) Prejudice and Providence: A Divine Appointment with Aquila and Priscilla—vv. The times of the Gentiles is near. 1Cor 1-4 reflects the problem of factionalism, where Paul identifies separate parties that claim alternate allegiances to him, Apollos (a Jewish Christian preacher), Peter (one of Jesus’ disciples), or Christ (according to their own understanding, not Paul’s). Suetonius’s statement, in fact, points to dissension and disorder within the Jewish community of Rome resulting from the introduction of Christianity into one or more of the synagogues of the city.” F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, Revised Edition (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), p. 347. In so doing, he gives us an unparalleled, though hardly neutral, picture of the life of an early church. It might be correct to suggest that the support of an evangelist and apostle is somewhat of a different matter than is that of a teacher or pastor. The formula Do not be afraid is regularly used in Old Testament theophanies in order to calm the fears of the recipient of the vision at being addressed by God. Related to a particular religious subgroup, or sect; often used in reference to the variety of Jewish sects in existence in the Roman period in Judea and Samaria. 2. from Jesus. The social division signaled in 1Cor 1:26 may well have been a source of friction in the church. The kind of bodily injury and pain which Paul had often experience before was to be a matter of history. 416 This word is found in the following texts: Matthew 4:24; Luke 4:38; 8:37, 45; 12:50; 19:43; 22:63; Acts 7:57; 18:5; 28:8; 2 Corinthians 5:14; Philippians 1:23. And finally, our Lord assured Paul that there were many more in this city yet to believe and be saved. 23 Are they servants of Christ? Jesus’ words assure Paul of His constant presence with him, the same presence promised the disciples in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). “Marcus Annaeus Novatus was a brother of the famous Stoic philosopher Seneca; he was the son of a Spanish orator, and on coming to Rome he was adopted into the family of Lucius Junius Gallio and took the name of his adoptive father. ; 16:19ff. This was not the only occasion on which the authorities at Rome saw fit to clean up the city by expelling undesirable groups of oriental incomers. The unbelieving Jews refused to accept this. The difference centers on which of two terms was included in the original (Greek) text, the term for “spirit” (or Spirit), or the term for “word.” Was Paul compelled by the Spirit or by the Word? 11:7; 1 Thess. 10 You are witnesses, and {so is} God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; 11 just as you know how we {were} exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father {would} his own children, 12 so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory (1 Thessalonians 2:9-12). Of or relating to a composite picture of a person or group's location within society and class structures. The King James Version interestingly gives this paragraph the heading, “The Careless Gallio.” I think it might better be titled, “The ‘Care Less’ Gallio.” This Roman ruler was not at all careless. I believe that his change is the result of his sense of being compelled by the Word. They are last seen in the Biblical record at Ephesus where they returned following Paul’s trial at Rome. (2) Exchanging One “Tents Situation” for a “Tense Situation”—vv. This matter of principle, I believe, was first and foremost in Paul’s mind, not the availability of funds alone. They wrote a reply to Paul with a number of questions. It is generally understood that Paul’s ministry changed here from what some would call a “part-time” ministry to that which was a more “full-time” ministry. But the Lord had promised Paul that He would be with Paul and that no one would harm him. Senior Lecturer, King's College London. How easy it is to make decisions and then hand the bill to others. (1) Have a skill which is of great value, and in great demand. You may, for example, be able to take medical supplies to needy countries, because of your business-related travel. 28 Apart from {such} external things, there is the daily pressure upon me {of} concern for all the churches. The first change is a change of focus and emphasis in Paul’s work. It is not a mechanical process, but it is something which gives us guidelines for divine guidance. The NASB renders them, “began devoting himself completely to the word …” The Revised Standard Version comes right to the point, I feel, when it tells us that Paul was “… constrained by the Word.” The issue is whether the Word is the cause or the result of Paul’s change, resulting in part from the arrival of Silas and Timothy. Paul’s statement in 1Cor 1:26 makes clear that the majority of church members were socially humble (some were slaves: see 1Cor 7:21-23). The days of Israel (until their restoration at the end of the times of the Gentiles) are numbered. Paul’s example should not be set aside as something entirely novel or unique. 26), are known to us by name--Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, Erastus, the city treasurer (Rom. The self-support of Paul and his companions in the Gospel at Corinth, as well as with Paul at Thessalonica and elsewhere, enabled them to introduce the Gospel among a new people without laying themselves liable to the charge that they were preaching for material gain, as was the custom with the wandering philosopher-teachers of that day and formerly.” Carter and Earle, p. 267. To many, the answer is very simple—money. The meeting place may have been a rented dining hall, a large garden, or some other venue. But the translation of the NASB, unfortunately (and quite untypically, in my opinion), renders the verse in a way that dilutes the force of the words. (9) Seek a skill or facility in something at which you are really good, and by the doing of which you may reflect the God-given skills you have. And even when men reject the gospel which we proclaim, we have the comfort of knowing that we have been a faithful watchman, not guilty of the blood of those who have heard the word of warning and have rejected it. Blaiklock, p. 148. Some believed that they had “liberty” to eat whatever and wherever they wanted, while others considered eating food that had been sacrificed to idols sinful and dangerous. And until then, the gospel would be preached and believed in many more cities around the world of that time. In the providence of God, this message is being delivered on a Labor Day weekend. 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