Have you ever had a Divine Connection?
You’ve had more than you think. Some won’t be known this
side of heaven.
18 After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to
Corinth.
It was around AD 51-52, Paul left Athens and went
west about 48 miles to Corinth.
Corinth was a port city with two harbors. The
commercial trade center of the world. It was the capital of the Roman province
of Macedonia with a population of about 700,000 (200,000 Romans and 500,000
slaves).
Athens was superstitious, known for idolatry, with idols
for everything. Corinth was known for adultery, like Vegas on steroids.
There were a dozen temples to false gods in Corinth,
including the temple to Aphrodite, the goddess of love and sexual pleasure; with
about 1,000 male and female temple prostitutes.
Paul wrote the book of Romans while in Corinth. In
Romans 1:18–32, he refers to the wickedness of the day; which doesn’t sound so
different than today.
A life of revelry, drunkenness, and sexual
lewdness was called, “to play the Corinthian.”
Sounds like the perfect place to start a Church,
right?
2 And he found a certain Jew
named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his
wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from
Rome); and he came to them. 3 So, because he was of the
same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were
tentmakers.
Aquila and Priscilla were kicked out of Rome simply
because they were Jews, especially because they were Christian Jews. In AD 49
Emperor Claudius expelled Jews from Rome because he didn’t want to deal with
the problems the religious Jews kept stirring up against the Christian Jews.
Priscilla, (or Prisca), was a name used by those in
high society. So, it’s likely she was from a wealthy family of upper social
status.
Divine connections.
It appears Paul showed up in sin city without a house
and unless he was interested in hooking up with a hooker, the Inns might not
have been a great place for preachers. We’re not told how, but somehow, he
finds folks he can stay with and work with, since they’re of the same trade; tentmakers.
The Lord provided a means for Paul to earn his keep as
he spread the gospel. We’ll see in a couple verses that as Paul is faithful,
God is too.
4And he reasoned in the synagogue every
Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.
In the last two chapters we’ve heard the word
“reasoned” four times. It’s the Greek word dialegomai,from where we get
our word dialogue.
He didn’t just teach and preach and walk away
untouchable, he kept the dialegomai going. The conversation continued after
Church, in the street, in the marketplace, from house to house.
Do you talk about, and to, Jesus all week? Or, just on
Sunday?
5 When Silas
and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by
the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the
Christ.
That’s from the New King James Version, however to get
a clearer translation of the original text let’s read some other translations:
New
International Version
When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively
to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.
New Living Translation
And after Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul spent all his
time preaching the word. He testified to the Jews that Jesus was the
Messiah.
Berean Standard Bible
And when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself
fully to the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.
New American
Standard Bible
But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting
himself completely to the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the
Christ.
Where God guides God provides
Paul was able to devote himself exclusively, fully,
completely, to preaching the Word. Implying he no longer worked as a tent
maker to support himself.
The best commentary on the Bible is the Bible and
later Paul writes to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 11:9 “And when
I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers
(Silas & Timothy) who came from Macedonia supplied what I
needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will
continue to do so.”
If you’re willing and obedient to let Him
guide you, He’ll provide for you. Sometimes He’ll use
you as the provider, other times the providee.
Either way, give Him glory, give Him thanks for He is
always the Source.
Notice the focus of Paul’s teaching and preaching at
the end of verse five:
Jesus is the
Christ.
Christ in the original text is Christos,
meaning Messiah, The Anointed One. All the Jews would’ve known exactly
what he meant when he used that word.
Paul used their Scriptures (our Old Testament) to
prove Jesus is Christ; The One they’ve been reading about, waiting for,
hoping for, for thousands of years.
Genesis 3:15,
the Seed of the woman shall crush the serpent’s head.
God prophesying to Adam and Eve (and the snake) about Jesus.
Genesis 12:3, “I
will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you and all
peoples of the earth will be blessed through you”. God prophesying to
Abraham about Jesus.
Deuteronomy 18:15, The
LORD your God will raise up a Prophet like me... Moses prophesying about
Jesus.
Isaiah 7:14
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive
and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel”. Isaiah prophesying
about Jesus.
Isaiah 50:6, describes
the beating Jesus endured.
Isaiah 53,
the crucifixion of Jesus.
Daniel 9:25-26
predicted the precise date Jesus would ride into Jerusalem as Messiah, and then
be killed.
Zechariah 9:9
predicted Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey.
Zechariah 12:10 predicted
the “piercing” of the Messiah, after his death on the cross.
Michah 5:2, predicted
the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem: “But you, Bethlehem
Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of
Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler
in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”
From beginning to end it’s all about the Alpha and Omega.
6 But when
they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said
to them, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean.
From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
Shake off the dust.
He showed them with undeniable proof, yet they
rejected. So, he shook off their dust and walked away.
WARNING!!! To shake their dust means you had to get
dusty in the first place. Don’t be quit to walk away, lest you wind up with their
blood on your hands.
Ezekiel
3:18, When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning,
nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his
life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I
will require at your hand.
It’s heartbreaking, but there comes a time when the
best thing you can do is shake off the dust, wash your hands, give them to the
Lord and walk away.
Jesus made it clear in Matthew 10:14-15, Mark 6:11,
Luke 9:5, 10:10-11, and others, that if anyone does not welcome you, does
not receive My Words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that
town, as a testimony against them.
Acts 13:51,
Paul and Barnabas at Antioch of Pisidia shook off the dust and left...
Not to quit. But to recommit. To refocus. From now
on I will go to the gentiles, or the neighbors, or the... whosoever God
sends you to.
None of us have finished the list God’s given us.
Who does God want you to be a Divine Connection to?
7 And he
departed from there and entered the house of a
certain man named Justus, one who worshiped God, whose
house was next door to the synagogue.
Some Divine Connections won’t happen until some divine
disconnections happen.
Paul shakes off the dust, I’m outta here! He walks out
one door and into another right next door, and starts having Church.
8 Then Crispus, the ruler of the
synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians,
hearing, believed and were baptized.
Many times, when you let go, and let God, the one you
couldn’t reach, suddenly turns around. When you stop chasing them, and start
chasing God, they start following you to God.
Imagine you’re Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue.
You watch Paul shake the dust and walk out.
Then, you look at the grim faced, black robed
hypocrites.
Then, you hear the Christians next door singing,
laughing, praising the Lord...
Just a closer walk with Thee, grant is
JESUS is my plea....
Oh how I love JESUS, oh how I love JESUS...
JESUS, JESUS, JESUS, there’s just something about that name. Master, Savior, JESUS...
Something happens, you know that you know that
whatever they have is Real and you want it, and before you know it you’re
ripping off that stuffy robe and running next door.
Just like that, before the dust settles many
are hearing and believing and baptizing.
Hallelujah!
9 Now the
Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; 10for
I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people
in this city.”
Do not keep silent.
As awesome as it is to have folks finally hearing and
believing, great open doors of opportunity lead to great opposition.
Paul knows it stirs up the serpent’s den. He has the
scars to prove it, and he’s scared.
So, the Lord shows up to encourage him. He gives him
courage by giving him things to do, to face the giants.
1. Do
not be afraid. Perfect Love casts out all fear. 1
John 4:18.
2. Speak.
Faith comes by hearing, keep speaking the Word... Romans 10:17.
Out
of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Luke 6:45.
3. Do
not keep silent. “Silence
in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to
speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” ― Dietrich
Bonhoeffer
4. I
AM with you. If God be for you, who can be against you.
Romans 8:31.
5. No
one will attack you to hurt you. No weapon formed
against you shall prosper. Isaiah 54:17. I AM your shield and buckler, Psalm
91.
6. I
have many people in this city. I have reserved a
remnant 1 Kings 19:18.
Greater are those with us, than those
against us. 2 Kings 6:16.
11 And he
continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among
them.
One Word from God can change everything. Turn a
quitter into a winner. A scaredy cat into a courageous lion. Fearful into
faithful.
12 When Gallio
was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and
brought him to the judgment seat, 13 saying,
“This fellow persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.”
Here God glances at the clock for our sake, knowing
eventually history catches up with HIStory.
In 1905 an inscription was discovered revealing that
Gallio was proconsul from AD 51-52.
Another Divine Connection, from God, offering once
again, undeniable proof of the awesome authenticity of God’s Word.
14 And when
Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it
were a matter of wrongdoing or wicked crimes, O Jews, there would be reason why
I should bear with you. 15 But if it is a question of
words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves; for I do not
want to be a judge of such matters.” 16 And he drove
them from the judgment seat.
More than conquerors
Paul opened his mouth to defend himself. But didn’t
have to utter a word.
Many times, God wins our battles for us.
In all these things we are more than
conquerors through Him who loves us. Romans 8:37.
Gallio said like our supreme court says when they
don’t want to try a case. You have no standing. Get out of here.
When
a man’s ways please the Lord he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him,
Proverbs 16:7.
17 Then all
the Greeks took Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and
beat him before the judgment seat. But Gallio took no notice of these
things.
Then they took Sosthenes, the ruler of the
synagogue.
Wait, wasn’t Crispus the leader?
Yes, but after becoming a Christian, would’ve been
replaced.
Sosthenes, is the new synagogue leader, and evidently
they don’t like him either.
Why?
The best commentary on the Bible is the Bible and it says
in 1 Corinthians 1:1, This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to
be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Sosthenes.
Another temple leader converted. Another Divine
Connection.
Our Lord has Divine Connections to connect all the dots to fulfill His Divine Eternal Purpose and calling customized just for you, if you're willing to receive them.
Let’s pray.
Lord Jesus, thank You for the Divine
Connections You have for us, most of all, the Divine Connection to You.
We love You, forever.
Amen.
Prayer Requests:
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Acts 18:1-17
This was feed for you to read. Now it’s Seed for you
to sow.
Thank you for sharing.
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