Acts 18:1-17 "I HAVE MUCH PEOPLE" Paul's quiet departure from Athens has a certain finality to it that reveals the seriousness of rejecting the Gospel. To reject God's message of salvation through Jesus Christ, means they rejected the time of their visitation. When the door is closed to the faithful servant of the Lord another door is opened before him. Athens was a city noted for idolatry and philosophy. These two still go together to create a stifling indifference to the blessings of the Gospel. Corinth, a large nearby commercial center, was noted for smart business people who were worldly-wise and at the same time notably immoral in their pursuit for material gain and pleasure. These two also go together today to create a wealthy society in which the mad pursuit of satisfaction seems just beyond the last ungodly licentious experience. Corinthian conditions are now found in the large cities of this country, and affects those in other places who hear of the unrestrained activities that have been given legislative approval.
Where should a Christian go when they are led by God to go into such an immoral and unrestricted society? The believer who God has sent to such a place is wise to immediately seek out other believers for the purpose of personal fellowship and spiritual safety. In God's sovereign plan, Aquila and Priscilla were already in Corinth having been driven from Rome because of the Jewish unrest there. Pontus, the area of their original home, was in an area Paul had wanted to go to but was kept back from by the Holy Spirit. Now people from that place had come to him. God has His own way of working His will and it is up to us to follow divine guidance in spite of what we would do if left to ourselves. This couple, who were probably already Christians, and Paul, were able to labor together in this commercial city to support themselves and the work of the Lord they were doing. A friendship based on Christian fellowship was formed that remained and gave an increased ability to evangelize. Paul would preach and Aquila and Priscilla provided the lodging and a place for the new believers to meet together as an assembly. This couple was also able to teach the word in a way that supported the on-going work of the Gospel being preached by Paul and later, by Apollos.
In the city of Corinth there were many people who in spite of their active business life and pursuit of pleasure, were discontented and disillusioned by their lives, and they were probably disgusted with themselves because of the vain life-style they had lived. Into this city, and to those people, came the light of the Gospel shining brightly in the darkness. We know from the Corinthian letters the first impression of the Gospel came from the preacher himself. They saw a man who was not a huckster of the word of God for financial gain. Those brethren conducted themselves in a godly and respectful way. They worked hard and preached with power. To support one's self and family, and to finance the work we do by laboring at some daily job is not wrong for people today. It is true "the laborer is worthy of his hire," but there are times when it is more beneficial to the work we are called to do, to be in the workplace daily. There we come in contact with people at a different level of association. They know what kind of people we are by the quality of our work and commitment to our employer. Increasingly in the foreign countries of the world, those who are able to go there and work in the Gospel, need to have qualifications in some field of work to be able to enter and remain there.
Paul's message would have been the same in Corinth as he preached in the synagogues of other cities, and again the Jews rejected the Lord Jesus as the Christ. Paul finally made a definitive act by shaking off his clothes before them and clearly stating he was going to the Gentiles. Silas and Timothy had brought financial support from the believers of Philippi, so Paul was then devotedly engaged entirely to preaching message of the Gospel daily. The word of God was pressing on him as he preached in the house of Justus and God blessed that word to the salvation of many Corinthians who heard, believed and were baptized. In preaching the Gospel, listeners are moved to the degree the speaker is convicted and convinced of the importance of his message. A listless, casual approach to the dynamite of the Gospel usually leaves people with little interest. If one is preaching with urgency from a warm, compassionate soul, people can sense that.
There are times in the work of the Lord when the battle against the darkness of this world and the evil around us is so great we feel ourselves being affected by it, and we know we need some special dealings with God. God knows when that time comes better than we do, and by His grace provides for us the assurance we need. We may become overanxious to press on to other places because we have done that before. But every place is unique. It is impossible for us to see all that is ahead. Like what happened to Paul, we find the Holy Spirit guides us to appropriate texts or illustrations in the scripture and we begin to realize our ways are not God's ways when we allow our will to dictate to us. How gracious it was of the Lord to speak to Paul one night. His teaching and preaching were heard by God and was being used by God. His way of life and attitude was such that God could use him effectively. Now the Lord came to affirm to His servant the Master's will.
"Be not afraid," indicates that Paul, like every servant, had a certain anxiety when he knows there is serious opposition in a community. Not knowing what is coming does create stress in one's soul, but when the assurance of well-being comes from the Lord, then we can sleep at night without fear and do what the Lord told Paul, "Keep on speaking." Don't stop doing what you are doing when the peace of God is ruling in your heart. Even more assuring to Paul would have been the words, "I am with thee." To have the Lord of the harvest, the Master, with us in our endeavor to reach others with the Gospel and in teaching the new believers, is the highest possible encouragement one could ever have. How blessed is the consciousness of the presence of the Lord! How reassuring. And yet the promises of the Lord kept on coming. "No man will hurt you." For one who was already bearing in his body the scars received from religious men when he was engaged in faithful service, this would have given him a sense of relief. Then the Lord let him in on the plans He had for Corinth - "I have much people in this city." Oh, what a wonderful incentive to daily go about the work of the Lord in an ungodly place! God has worked, is working, and is going to continue to save souls. This kind of assurance doesn't come in Gospel work the first or second week we are involved in an effort. Not only does the seed have to be planted, but it needs time to germinate and bring forth life. We also have to water the seed planted by others before us. Every servant of the Lord will experience the temptation to quit too soon. Paul was a year and a half laboring in one place before he had clearance from his Master to move on.
Probably around a year after Paul went to Corinth there was a time when Achaia became a separate province again, governed by Gallio the brother of Seneca. The word of the Lord had spread all the way from Thessalonica throughout those various provinces, so the Jews tried again to stop the spread of the Gospel. Gallio understood his role as the pro-counsel and refused to get involved with the obvious envy and spite of those Jews. He was known to be a warm-hearted man but he also had a keen understanding of what was obvious a religious ploy to stop the word of God from being preached. Often, we have encountered those who try to maintain their hold over people and keep their finances coming from laboring people by using the name of God or their religion as authority. Paul had taken nothing from the Corinthians. He had the record of lives changed for the better as a result of those months of laboring for the Lord. His reputation, his work and his message spoke for themselves. In response, the Greeks went after the Jews. There is very little accomplished for good or bad when there are skirmishes between citizens in a local area. But the result often is the work of God gets sidetracked and people turn to the conflict rather than to the need of their souls.
Paul wisely remained in Corinth and taught the saints many important doctrines. The Gospel including the resurrection was taught there. The Lord's Supper and how it is to be done was taught in Corinth. Building on the foundation of the apostle Paul, the work grew and gifts were developed. The work began with a great move of God among the people. By being among the saints, Paul knew who they were and what kind of people they were. That opened the way for his inspired writing of epistles that gives to us today some much- needed teaching for "those in every place who call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours."