Paul in Corinth

Good morning sisters and brothers,
This passage may be familiar from our time with First Corninthians, since this is the account of Paul's ministry in Corinth. It seems like one of the reasons Paul settled in Corinth at first was because he met up with a Christian couple in his trade. Pricilla and Aquila were important leaders in the church and we hear their names several times in Paul's letters. It's a good reminder how much the early church was a personal network in a lot of ways. We also see how Paul's trade was an important part of our ministry, which may help us think about how our work and our ministry fit together.

God tells Paul to work bravely in Corinth because there are many people who will be part of God's family there. It must have been hard to face as much opposition as Paul and his companions did, but at the same time all the new people coming to faith would have been very encouraging. Since Acts moves along at such a quick pace it's hard to have a sense for how much time is passing. We don't know how long Paul spent in most places. Still, Corinth seems to have been the exception with Paul spending a year and a half there teaching. I wonder if Paul found it refreshing to spend more time somewhere of if he preferred the frequent travel.

God bless your work this Friday,
Sam

Acts 18:1-11
After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, 3and, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them, and they worked together—by trade they were tentmakers. 4Every sabbath he would argue in the synagogue and would try to convince Jews and Greeks. 5When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with proclaiming the word, testifying to the Jews that the Messiah was Jesus. 6When they opposed and reviled him, in protest he shook the dust from his clothes and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

7Then he left the synagogue and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God; his house was next door to the synagogue. 8Crispus, the official of the synagogue, became a believer in the Lord, together with all his household; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul became believers and were baptized. 9One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; 10for I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people.” 11He stayed there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.