Paul
Escapes Prosecution Again
[Acts
chapter 18, verses 14-28]
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Last
week as we left off at verse 13, the apostle Paul had once again
found himself dragged before a judge by Jewish temple authorities,
this time in Corinth. He was accused of, to quote verse 13,
“persuading the people
to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”
This was followed, as I wrote last week, by the Jewish ruling
council's presentation of their case for prosecution against Paul. As
we start part 2 of our analysis of Acts 18 today, it is Paul's turn
to speak in his own defense as was customary. Our own court system
here in the US is modeled after that of the Roman Empire, which is
why it is so riddled with problems. But before Paul gets a chance to
defend himself, the Proconsul Gallio has a few words of his own, and
that's where we'll begin part 2 of Acts chapter 18, starting at verse
14.
“14)
Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, 'If you Jews
were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it
would be reasonable for me to listen to you. 15) But since it
involves questions about words and names and your own law – settle
the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.' 16) So
he drove them off. 17) Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes the
synagogue leader and beat him in front of the proconsul; and Gallio
showed no concern whatever.”
(Acts 18, verses 14-17)
Do
you see here how the Lord took a man who could have sentenced Paul to
whatever, and turned him into an ally who viewed Paul as a hapless
victim of the Jews? Gallio could have had Paul flogged, but he
ordered him released instead. Chalk up another victory for the Spirit
of the risen Lord! But there is much more here in between the lines
of Luke's account of Paul at Corinth. Gallio, the proconsul and head
authority of that region, was fully aware of Christianity's
existence, and he knew who Jesus was and how he had been killed. He
was also well aware of who had been responsible for his 'demise', and
likely was not a believer. Gallio was, however, clearly a man who
made it his business to know as much as he could learn about current
events, as well as the people he worked with and dealt with on a
daily basis. To sum it up, Gallio was a shrewd politician and
ruthless governor who had no time for religious people and their
beliefs.
That,
based on what I'm reading in my Bible from which I'm taking this
text, is why Gallio acted as he did. It's also why he said to the
Jews who were Paul's accusers, “'....since
it involves questions about words and names and your own law –
settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.'
So he drove them off.”
Gallio was aware of the circumstances surrounding the Sanhedrin in
Jerusalem, and how they had handed Christ over to the Romans to be
crucified. Gallio had made up his mind that he was going to refuse to
do for the Jews at Corinth what Pontius Pilate had done for the
Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. Once the Jews saw that their plan to have
Paul killed had failed – let's face it, that's what they really
wanted – they turned on their leader, as verse 17 recounts: “Then
the crowd there turned on Sosthenes the synagogue leader and beat him
in front of the proconsul....”
Imagine a group of people beating up an elderly man, and you get an
idea of the depravity of the Jews there at Corinth, as well as in
Jerusalem. Now let's move on to part 2 of this week's study.
“18)
Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers
and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and
Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae
because of a vow he had taken. 19) They arrived at Ephesus, where
Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue
and reasoned with the Jews. 20) When they asked him to spend more
time with them, he declined. 21) But as he left, he promised, 'I will
come back if it is God’s will.' Then he set sail from Ephesus.”
Paul's specific reason for deciding to leave Corinth when he did is
not shared in Luke's account, but evidently he felt like he had spent
enough time there. So he left that church he had planted to go and
plant others, and he started at Ephesus, together with the couple who
helped him found that church. By this time they were old friends and
long-time co-workers, and I'm sure they relished the opportunity to
plant another church, and that's exactly what they did.
Once
the church was on firm footing there, Paul left Priscilla and Aquila
behind to be elders and overseers there, and so he went back to
Antioch and Caesaria to visit the churches he had planted there as we
see in verses 22-23. “When
he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church
and then went down to Antioch.
After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and
traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and
Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.”
If you have a map of Paul's missionary journeys, or if you can
display it on your screen, you will see that Paul sailed across the
Aegean Sea from Corinth in Greece to Antioch in Syria, a combined
distance of 390 miles, if we include Paul's stop-over in Cenchreae.
This could have taken up to several weeks back in those days. It was
out of this 2nd
missionary journey of Paul's that the Book of Galatians and several
others were ultimately written.
“24) Meanwhile a Jew named
Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned
man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25) He had been
instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and
taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of
John. 26) He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla
and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to
him the way of God more adequately. 27) When Apollos wanted to go to
Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the
disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help
to those who by grace had believed. 28) For he vigorously refuted his
Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that
Jesus was the Messiah.”
(Acts 18, verses 24-28)
Into
the picture comes Apollos, an Jewish Egyptian who had embraced Christ
as Messiah and Lord. That, in and of itself, bears testimony to the
power of the risen Savior. The Jews had been slaves in Egypt for 400
years, and yet nearly 2,000 years afterwards they were not only back
in Egypt and prospering, they were converting to Christianity.
Apollos was evidently a man who sought the heart of God, and he had
found it in the risen Lord Christ Jesus. And, he was a very astute
individual, as it is written in verse 24: “He
was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25)
He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with
great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only
the baptism of John.”
Apollos only had part of the picture when it came to his faith, but
he made up for it with his zeal.
But
it is evident that the meeting of Apollos, Aquila and Priscilla was
not a coincidence. God meant for it to occur, as Luke recounted,
“When Priscilla and
Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him
the way of God more adequately. When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia,
the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples
there to welcome him.”
Two things are noteworthy here. First, Apollos received the
correction of Aquila and Priscilla with the greatest of enthusiasm.
This is the hallmark of every good Christian – that first and
foremost we need to be teachable individuals, willing to listen to
sound instruction. But, that instruction also needs to be delivered
in a loving and inspirational way so that people are drawn in rather
than driven away. This is exactly what Aquila and Priscilla did.
Otherwise, why did Apollos respond to their correction so readily?
The
best part of all this from the standpoint of the greater Church is
that Apollos put his newly expanded and enriched knowledge about his
faith right to work, as it says in verse 28: “For
he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving
from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.”
Time after time Apollos proved that Jesus was the risen Lord, to the
complete consternation of the Jewish 'religious leaders' of that time
period. Every time he and Paul, together with the other 12 apostles,
preached the message of the risen Savior, the Jews, together with
their Roman benefactors, were reminded once again of the horrible
mistake they had made by putting Jesus to death. Yet it was still
necessary to do so, so that he could rise from the dead on the
morning of the third day. So that concludes our lesson for this week.
Next week we'll move on to part 1 of Acts chapter 19. See you then!
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