Reasoning and Persuading

 Acts 18:1-17

Ministering at Corinth

1 After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. 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. 4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.

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. 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." 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. 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.

9 Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city." 11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

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."

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. 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.

Paul left pagan Athens and went to morally corrupt Corinth by the sea which became a byword for immorality.  To “live as at Corinth" was a proverb applied to those who so lived and the name “Corinthian” when given to women labeled them as infamous.  He found a Jewish couple named Aquila and Priscilla and stayed with them while they worked together as tent makers to earn a living while teaching and preaching the gospel words of life to Jew and Gentile in the synagogue every Sabbath day.  He was a bivocational servant of God in Christ who set the example for modern day servants of the gospel who also work as the minister the word of God to their congregations or on mission trips near and far as Paul did.  After his colaboreres (συνεργός synergos; where we derive the word synergy as in greater multiplication of efforts when in combination) Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia to join him in the work.  God’s Spirit compelled Paul to tell the Jews who Jesus really was, their long-awaited Messiah, and they turned violently in response with rejection and opposition.  These who denied Jesus as the Christ in the spirit of antichrist (1 John 4:3) blasphemed Paul and the gospel message of hope he brought to them, and Paul had enough of their hard hearts and left them to speak no more to the Jews of rejection and focus on bringing the good news to the receptive non-Jewish people of the nations as promised to Abraham and promised by the Lord God to all He would call from the far corners of the earth (Luke 2:30-32, Acts 1:8, Romans 3:29-30, 4:16-17) to be saved from wrath and judgment on sin.  He preached at a house right next to the synagogue as he preached Christ to those non-Jews who would be receptive until even the ruler of that synagogue and his family heard and was convicted to repentance and saved by faith himself!  As we read here, “many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized” as a result of his faithful preaching in the midst of opposition to all that some might believe.  God honors a faithful heart and opens the ears and eyes of those He chooses as we see especially among the non-Jews as most Jewish people rejected their Messiah.  He grafts in the nations into His people to make us one in Christ (Romans 11:11-12) until their blindness is also lifted in the end (Romans 11:25).  Paul was encouraged and emboldened by God’s Spirit to continue the work with reassurance that many other of His followers were in that place, unlike in some other cities where he met with opposition and violence.  This is shown later when the Jews in their jealousy tried to have Paul tried in court and had the case thrown out when they claimed he taught the people to worship differently than their law prescribed.  Since this was not a crime against the law of the land, they lost the case, Paul was freed, and the accuser was beaten by the people of the city in response and solidarity.  The law looked the other way after these things and Paul continued to teach them the words of life.  God works in ways we do not understand or expect at times and the very gates of hell with the accuser of the brethren cannot prevail against the invisible church or her message of forgiveness in recon through Christ who brings hope and eternal life to all who hear, believe, and receive Him!  We continue to reason and persuade men therefore with these words of life, no matter the opposition or hardship.