Encouragement in Adversity, Part 2
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· 3 viewsHow God comes alongside Paul to encourage him.
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30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Those who wait for God discover that he is a God of encouragement! (Isa 40:30-31)
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
those who wait for God discover that he is a God of encouragement
Jesus to his disciples in knowing they were discouraged
When the Apostle Paul came to Corinth he was in great need of God’s comfort.
Jesus cried with Mary as she grieved her brother Lazarus’ death
summary of Paul’s 2nd missionary journey
began with the breaking of his partnership with Barnabas over John Mark
while Barnabas and Mark travelled west by ship to Cyprus Paul and Silas travelled north by land to what is now western Turkey to strengthen the churches established on his first missionary journey
travelled north from his base in Antioch and west to strengthen the churches established on his first missionary journey
added Timothy to the team at Lystra
as they continued north and west the HS kept them from preaching the Gospel
came to Troas where the Lord directed them to go to Macedonia
at Philippi, Paul and Silas were beaten and forced to leave
at Thessalonica they were chased out by angry Jews
at Berea they were chased out again
Paul travelled to Athens where there was little response to the Gospel
arrived in the wicked city of Corinth as was down hearted and discouraged
Paul says of his discouragement,
3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling,
writing to the Thessalonians from Corinth he said of himself,
7 for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith.
- when Paul came to Corinth he was discouraged
so when Paul came to Corinth he was weak, fearful, trembling, in distress and afflicted
many of us can identify with one or more of those feelings this morning!
God drew near to encourage him
Knowing his faithful servant was in trouble, God comforted Paul with friends.
new friends: Aquila and Priscilla
Paul met Aquila, another tent maker
Paul went to see both Aquila and Priscilla in their home and because they shared a trade Paul stayed with them and worked with them
they became life long friends and co-workers
they travelled with him from Corinth to Ephesus ()
Paul left them at Ephesus where they met and discipled Apollos () who became a great help to believers (18:27) and publicly refuted the Jews with great power (18:28)
they risked their lives for Paul ()
Paul and all the Gentile churches gave thanks for them ()
the church in Rome met in their home ()
writing to the Corinthians Paul mentions that the church in Ephesus met in their home ()
Paul gave a greeting to them in Ephesus in his last letter to Timothy, shortly before his death () - their relationship lasted the rest of their lives
old friends: Silas and Timothy
Timothy returned from serving the church in Thessalonica with amazing news of their growth and maturity
Silas returned from serving the church in Philippi with a financial gift which enabled him to minister full-time
Principle:
when we are discouraged God often sends a friend to comfort us
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.
1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you?
2 You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all.
3 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God.
5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God,
have you embraced that role?
remember that this characteristic so marked a man named Joseph that his name was changed to Barnabas which means, son of encouragement
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
we have this amazing device (smartphone) which enables us, in an instant, to send a message to anyone who comes to mind
are we using this wonderful tool to comfort and encourage one another??
last week:
God encouraged Paul with new friends
shared trade, shared home, shared ministry
God encouraged Paul with old friends
shared the good news of Christ building his church in spite of great opposition
this week and possibly next:
God encourages Paul with converts
God encourages Paul with his Word
God encourages Paul through opposition
Encouragement Through Converts (vv.6-8)
Encouragement Through Converts (vv.6-8)
Having received the funds from the church at Philippi, Paul was freed up to devote all of his time to the preaching of the word and prayer. ()
when the time was right God freed Paul from his manual labours so that he could minister the word full-time
having proved himself faithful in little God entrusted him with greater responsibility (), but not before equipping him by encouraging him
so what did he do? look at v.5,
5 When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.
Acts 18:
“occupied” - continuous action
freed up from his tent making, Paul devoted himself preaching and teaching full-time
as was his custom, Paul began with his own people and testified to them that Jesus was their Messiah
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
their response,
6 And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
as happened in Philippi, Thessalonica and Berea, they opposed Paul and the gospel
“him” is supplied
opposed Paul: organized opposition
they opposed = organized opposition
they met together and organized a campaign to stop Paul’s ministry
“him” is supplied
they reviled = they blasphemed
reviled Christ: they blasphemed against Jesus (a forgivable sin - )
“him” is supplied
they blasphemed against Jesus (a forgivable sin - )
they either blasphemed Paul or Jesus or both
blasphemy against Jesus is a forgivable sin -
blasphemy against the HS is unforgivable -
Paul testified to the sinful attitude of the Jewish people toward Jesus in the letter he wrote to Thessalonians while he was in Corinth,
15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind
16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last!
14 For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews,
15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind
16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last!
1 Thess 2:15-
it is likely this was the kind of opposition that Paul faced in Corinth
Paul’s response to the Jewish opposition: “he shook out his garments”
to understand what this means we have to turn back in our bibles to Neh 5:13,
13 I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said “Amen” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.
13 I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said “Amen” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.
3 There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.”
shaking out his garment was Nehemiah’s warning of judgment on those who did not stop oppressing the poor
an act of judgment on those who refuse to obey, having been told the truth
for Paul, an act of judgment on those who refuse to obey, having been told the truth
they were shaking the Gentile dust of their feet so as not to contaminate Israelite land
“Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent.”
Paul had been faithful to his Jewish brothers and sisters in giving them the gospel and when they rejected it, he was no longer responsible for them.
example of this at Jesus’ trial when Pilate did not want to take responsibility for condemning Jesus,
25 And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”
Pilate did not want to convict Jesus so the Jews in effect were saying, “we take responsibility for his death”
fulfilled when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70AD
in this declaration he was saying, “I’ve been faithful to give you the Gospel, and now that you’ve rejected it, you must answer to God. I am innocent if you die in your sins!”
Principle:
this incident points us to the doctrine of human responsibility
those who rejected the Gospel would have no excuse at the judgment
they would be held responsible for rejecting the Good News that Jesus was their Messiah
and so it will be for anyone who refuses to receive Christ as their Lord and Saviour
Anyone who dies without believing in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour will be held responsible for rejecting the gospel or not calling on God. (Rom 1)
anyone who dies without believing in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour will be held responsible
those who knew much will experience greater judgment than those who knew little
whether people oppose and blaspheme like the Jews who were given the gospel or whether they simply turn a blind eye to the myriad of ways that God reveals himself in creation it comes down to the same thing, being an enemy of God
if you are an attender here you have heard the gospel many times and if you refuse the offer of the Gospel the responsibility is your own
“From now on I will go the Gentiles.”
he stopped bringing the word directly to the Jews of Corinth
he stopped bringing the word to the Jews
Having the gospel message taken away was a terrible judgment in light of the fact that God’s normal way of saving people is through preaching. (Rom 10:14-17)
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?”
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Rom 10:14-17
there is a line that once crossed where a person is given over to their rebellion and there is no turning back
God doesn’t tell us where that line is so it is wise to listen and obey
7 And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue.
8 Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized.
ESV3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling,
what we know about Titius Justus:
what we know about Titius Justus:
he was a worshipper of God, that is, a Gentile who had joined himself to the Jewish synagogue but had not taken the final step of become a Jew through circumcision
possibly Gaius
14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,
1 Cor 1:
that Crispus and Gaius are mentioned together, both here and in , indicates that Titius Justus may have been Gaius
Romans written by Paul while he was in Corinth
in Paul says he lived with Gaius and that Gaius hosted the church meetings in his home
it is likely then that when Paul first came to Corinth he lived with Aquila and Priscilla and then when he was able to devote himself full-time to preaching, he moved to the home of Titius Justus Gaius
he went next door and taught
Although Paul was righteously angry over the Jew’s rejection of Jesus he could not bring himself to abandon them completely so he went next door and preached!
next door - although Paul was angry over the Jew’s rejection of Jesus he could not bring himself to abandon them completely so he went next door and preached!
when the time was right God freed Paul from his manual labours so that he could minister the word full-time
he did so knowing that many of the Jews would pass by on the Sabbath and hear him preaching and teaching and perhaps come in and hear again the gospel
and sure enough the ruler of the synagogue got saved!
and not only Crispus but his household as well!
3 other examples of whole households believing: Lydia, Philippian jailor and Stephanus
many believed and were baptized (v.8)
hearing, believed, baptized = continuous action
there was a constant stream of people coming to Christ!
the basic way that people come to a saving knowledge of Christ
The way that people come to a saving knowledge of Christ is by hearing, believing and being baptized or obeying.
remember who they were!
remember who they were!
1 cor 6:9
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,
10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
when you are discouraged, seeing people saved out of their wicked lifestyles and coming to Christ will get you encouraged faster than anything!
Paul was opposed and reviled for this message
reviled: they blasphemed against Jesus (a forgivable sin)
an act of judgment
Jews would do this when re-entering Israel after a trip into Gentile lands
God encouraged Paul with new and old friends
they were shaking the Gentile dust of their feet so as not to contaminate Israelite land
God encouraged Paul with converts
he went to the Gentiles
next we will see God himself speaking encouraging words to Paul
he stopped bringing the word to the Jews
a terrible judgment in light of the fact that God’s normal way of saving people is through preaching - see
how uncharacteristic of the great Apostle Paul!!when he came to Corinth he was weak, fearful and shakingPaul writing to the Thessalonians from Corinth,
Encouragement From God Himself (vv.9-10)
Encouragement From God Himself (vv.9-10)
ESV7 for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith.
God ministered to Paul personally
the comfort of friends is encouraging
seeing sinners come to Christ is uplifiting
There are times when God speaks his words of comfort to his servants. (Acts 18:9)
look what it says in v.9
9 And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent,
The vision of is one of 6 which were given to Paul.
those servants who are most faithful to God and the most diligent in serving him are the most likely to face opposition and discouragement
they are most in need of God’s comfort and he does not fail them
Jesus appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus ()
shortly after this God came to Paul when he was in Jerusalem preaching the gospel and warned him to get out and go to the Gentiles (, )
God gave Paul a vision at Troas when he was at the end of the road and didn’t know where to turn (Acts 16:9)
God gave Paul a vision at Troas when he was at the end of the road and didn’t know where to turn ()
God encouraged Paul in Corinth when he was full of fear and weakness and trembling (Acts 18:9-10)
God came to Paul when the Jews attacked him in Jerusalem ()
God came to Paul in and gave him the encouraging news that though the ship he was in was going to be wrecked, all on board would be saved
all 6x there was a crisis, things looked terrible, and God came and intervened
if you are like me you are thinking to yourself, “I wish God would come to me like he came to Paul”
the reality is that God no longer does so because he had given us everything we need in his word
[read and comment on 2 Pet 1:3-11]
“don’t be afraid, but go on preaching”
the challenges Paul faced in Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea and Athen plus the daunting task of preaching in wicked Corinth, where the Jews were actively opposing his ministry, was tempting Paul to become tentative in his preaching!
his immediate challenge was the opposition he faced from the Corinthian Jews who rejected him and his message and were actively fighting against him
God commanded Paul not to be afraid but to keep on preaching
Principle:
Fear is a powerful hinderance to faithful preaching so God gave Paul 3 assurances. ()
fear of the faces of men is a great challenge for pastors who commit to preaching the whole counsel of God vs. pumping sunshine
Acts 18:
10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.”
Assurance #1: Don’t stop preaching for I am with you.
Don’t stop preaching for I am with you
emphasis on “I” = “I myself am with you”
the God who created all things in an instant and has been keeping them going for almost 10,000 years!
Rom 8:
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
parallel example of Joshua ()
some of you may be saying to yourself, “I wish I had that promise”
:5-
you do in !
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
“I am with you”
what God said to Jacob when fleeing from Esau (; )
what God said to his people (; ; ; ; ; ;
what God said to Jeremiah (, ; ;
what God said to the remnant who were afraid to remain in Judah ()
what God says to all who love and obey him: “I will never leave you” ()
remember the meaning of Jesus’ name, Immanuel: God with us!
Paul was known for his boldness but in his weakness at Corinth, faced with the fierce opposition of the Jews and the overt wickedness of city, he was tempted to be quiet
God reminded him of the power behind, beside and before him, God himself!
Assurance #2: Don’t stop preaching because no one will attack you to harm you.
Don’t stop preaching because no one will attack you to harm you
God to his people as he reaffirmed his covenant commitment to them
17 no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.”
if you are committed to serving the Lord no one and nothing can stand against you!
nothing can happen to us apart from God’s good and holy purposes
God to Jeremiah
18 And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land.
18 And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land.
19 They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you.”
Paul’s confession at the end of his life:
17 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.
18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
2 Tim 4:17-
When we understand the presence and power of God on our behalf, no Christian needs to be afraid! (1 Jn 4:4)
4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
Assurance #3: Don’t stop preaching because I have many in this city.
Don’t stop preaching because I have many in this city
in effect God was promising Paul fruit for his labours
he was saying,
“keep preaching because your labours will not be in vain!”
“some of my elect are here, I have loved them from before the foundation of the world, and I have predestinated them to be saved! So keep on preaching!”
they were as yet unbelievers who still had to hear the gospel and be saved
this is the doctrine of election and predestination
promise no one would attack and harm him
“I have many in this city who are my people” (v.10)
they were as yet unbelievers who still had to hear the gospel and be saved
this is the doctrine of election and predestination
note that God didn’t tell Paul whom he had chosen
4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
note that God didn’t tell Paul whom he had chosen
8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.
Paul’s responsibility was to preach the gospel and leave the work of drawing and saving to God
without knowing who those persons in Corinth were, Paul’s responsibility was to keep preaching the word
Paul needed to trust God to bring those whom he had chosen to hear or to guide him to preach to them
this is God’s work in salvation
God set his saving love on those he chose before creation and gave them to the Lord Jesus (placed them into the hand of the Lord Jesus)
Jesus died for them and not one of them will be lost
in v. 6 we considered the human side of salvation, “your blood be upon your own heads”
this is the doctrine of election found throughout the NT
we find that in verse 6!
but some will say, “the 2 don’t go together!”, and they are right!
there is a paradox in scripture between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility
paradoxes exist in every major doctrine
who wrote the book of Acts? Luke or the HS?
who lives the Christian life? you or the HS?
who was Jesus Christ? God or man?
because of our sin nature we are completely unable to obey God = enmity (; 8:7)
if God doesn’t do something about our natural enmity we will never put our faith in him
God does this in those he has chosen and for this reason they are called the elect
when God changes a person, that person’s sinful opposition is broken so that they choose to believe
if a person goes to heaven it is because God enabled that person to choose
I know that some of you are thinking to yourselves, “I don’t understand how God’s sovereignty and human responsibility go together!”
There is a real paradox in scripture between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility.
there is a paradox in scripture between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility
remember that paradoxes exist in every major doctrine
who wrote the book of Acts? Luke or the HS?
who lives the Christian life? you or the HS?
who was Jesus Christ? God or man?
so the bible teaches that if a person goes to hell it is because they refused to accept Christ and if a person goes to heaven it because they were chosen before the foundation of the world
God is sovereign and people must choose
if you have never chosen Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour let me encourage you to do so with of the very last verses of the bible:
and so the very last verses of the bible contain these words:
17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
Rev 22:
if you want to come to Jesus, come, and how God is sovereign in your choosing is his problem
We see that in the vision that God encouraged Paul with power, preservation and promise.
God comforts us with friends, with converts and with his own presence
needed to trust God to bring them to hear or to guide him to preach to them
needed converts to share their testimony as well
Paul stayed 18 months teaching the word
Paul’s goal to strengthen and equip the church so that it could withstand false teaching, so that it could walk uprightly, and so that it could spread the gospel
this is what every church needs: to be strengthened in its knowledge and understanding and application of the Word so that they will be able to fulfill the Great Commission
spread the gospel
resist the effort of the world to make it conform
bring every thought captive to Christ
pillar and ground of the truth
Encouragement Through Opposition (vv.12-17)
Encouragement Through Opposition (vv.12-17)
5 discouraging emotions: weakness, fear, much trembling, distress and afflictionPaul a hurting man!in light of this remember his counsel in ,
God told Paul that no one would “attack to harm him” (v.10)
ESV13 As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.
he still faced opposition as we see from these verses
Gallio refused to hear the suit because it had to do with Jewish beliefs rather than Roman law
the question is, how does God encourage us through opposition?
he drove the Jews out of the tribunal
God encourages through opposition in 3 ways:
beating Sosthenes appears to be against Roman law but Gallio did not respond
1. If you are opposed by wicked people that is good, you are doing something right!
you are doing something right!
2. You can be encouraged by how ineffective they are!
though they oppose they cannot stop the gospel
this is what we find in vv.12-17
Paul’s enemies bring him before the Proconsul in the hope that he will decide against Paul and stop the forward movement of the church
came to nothing, they were ineffective, they could not stop him
3. You can be encouraged by what God does to them.
some of them get saved!
example of Crispus () & Sosthenes (1 Cor 1:1)
Lessons
Lessons
The order of salvation in 18:8
as he wrote this from Corinth he was writing out of his own experiencewhen he came to Corinth he was weary
Principle:this is something we can all relate to whether in our Christian ministry, in our work, in our family lifeas we seek to live for Christ and experience some of the struggles and challenges which come with such a purpose we can become wearyGod is an encourager and in our passage today we are going to see how God helped his weary servant Paul so that he was enabled to keep on preaching the Gospel amidst trying and difficult circumstancesand it is my hope and prayer that as we do so we too will be encouraged in our endeavours to walk with God and do his will in every area of our lives
Paul’s Arrival in Corinth (v.1)
Paul’s Arrival in Corinth (v.1)
Applications:
we see in our passage that after addressing the Areopagus, Paul travelled from Athens to Corinthwhere Athens was a city of learning, of culture, of art, Corinth was a city for commerce and pleasure seekingit was so well known for its vice and debauchery that the name Corinthian came to mean someone who was given to sexual immoralityto Corinthianise was to go a whoringcharacterized the whole city, from the slaves to the upper crustthe reason for this: a centre of trade and travelpeople from all over the Roman world travelled to it or through it on their trading journeys and it became a place to satisfy their lusts and sinful desires[map of Corinth showing it to be critical trade route between Europe and Asia]the isthmus is only about 5 miles wideany north/south traffic had to go through Corinthbecause of the length of time and the treacherous waters to the south those transporting cargo east/west by ship would take the shortcut through Corinthcargo would be unloaded and carried to a ship on the other sidein some cases smaller ships would be pulled up on rollers and rolled to the other side!why didn’t they build a canal - they did but it wasn’t finished until 1893Corinth in a very strategic location, a tremendous amount of traffic, became a place to entertain all the people travelling throughother reasons the city was a centre of vice and corruptiongames second only to the Olympics in Rome were held famous temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, was located on a peak of rock overseeing the city1000 priestesses who were glorified prostitutes would descend on the city at night to ply their trade“Korinthos, there, on account of the multitude of courtesans, who were sacred to Aphrodite, outsiders resorted in great numbers and kept holiday. And the merchants and soldiers who went there squandered all their money so that the following proverb arose in reference to them: 'Not for every man is the voyage to Korinthos."a renowned hub of commerce and viceit is to this city, marked by gross immorality and evil behaviour that God sends the Apostle Paul to preach the gospelin contrast to Athens a church was planted in Corinththere is often more hope for those overcome by vice than those devoted to learning and artJesus’ ministry to tax collectors and sinners vs. the self-righteous religious leaders!God may not do much with the self-righteous intellectuals but he does much with rotten sinnersthe church established there enjoyed more spiritual gifts than many others
so having been chased and hassled and attacked everywhere he went, Paul lands in the cess pool of Corinth and it is no wonder that he is weary and discouragedbut God is a God of encouragement and we are going to see how he comforted Paul in his distressGod is concerned with the emotional wellbeing of his people!do you believe that?
ESV19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
opposed: organized opposition
1. the importance of disciple making/mentoring
reviled: they blasphemed against Jesus (a forgivable sin)
Paul’s time spent with Aquila &Priscilla
if you need encouragement what will God do?we often experience discouragement in our livesit’s the result of living in a sin cursed worldhopes and dreams for our lives or the lives of those we love don’t come to passyou pour yourself into someone and instead of thanks you get unjust criticismyou look at your lot in life and see that it hasn’t worked out the way you thought it wouldwe all experience these things but God is a God of encouragementPaul comes to Corinth and he is discouraged and weary
it’s hard not to imagine Paul using his time with them to teach and be an example
Encouragement Through Friends (vv.2-5)
Encouragement Through Friends (vv.2-5)
resulted in their becoming effective leaders and trainers, witnessed in their ministry to Apollos and their ongoing partnership with Paul
he shook out his garments
Paul is weary, he is discouraged, he is downhearted and he comes to Corinth and he is all alonefirst, God encourages him through others
2. Paul’s concern for the fledgling churches in Philippi and Thessalonica
an act of judgment
Jesus’ promise to build his church vs. our concern for it’s health and wellbeing
Jews would do this when re-entering Israel after a trip into Gentile lands
New Friends With New Opportunities
New Friends With New Opportunities
God brings 2 new people into Paul’s life who became such a blessing to him that he mentions them again and again throughout his lettersnotice what Luke says in v.2
they were shaking the Gentile dust of their feet so as not to contaminate Israelite land
3. Marks of healthy churches
he went to the Gentiles
ESV2 And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them,
Aquila was of the same race and they were believersAquila and Priscilla became some of Paul’s most beloved friends
we’re told that Aquila and Priscilla were in Corinth because they were kicked out of Rome with all of the other Jewsthe reason for Claudius’ expulsion is unclearprevious expulsions in occurred in 139BC and 19BC for aggressive Jewish missionary effortsa historian named Seutonius wrote of this expulsion by Claudius, 70 yrs later, saying that the reason was the Jews rioting over a person named Chrestusthe problem is that there is no record of such a personin the Greek language common at the time, Chrestus is only 1 letter removed from Christos!it is not unlikely the Jews were expelled from Rome over their rioting over the influx of Christianitywe saw this Thessalonica
not only did Paul gain Christian friends but co-workersnotice verse 3:
the example of Thessalonica
he stopped bringing the word to the Jews
the giving of Philippi
a terrible judgment in light of the fact that God’s normal way of saving people is through preaching - see
ESV3 and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.
Paul and Aquila shared the same trade of tentmakingPaul used this trade to support his ministry rather than demanding financial support from those he taughtPaul did so in order to remove any impediment to the gospelAquila’s home and tentmaking shop were most likely one and the same and Paul stayed with them and worked with them
Principle:Aquila and Priscilla encouraged Paul by showing him hospitalitywhat a blessing it is to be invited to someone’s home to share a meal, to speak of Christ, to share of how the Lord saved you, to talk of how Christ is working your lifean area of Christian life where some of us need to grow!it is a great blessing to those who host and a great blessing to those hosted!it is interesting that in Jesus knew his disciples were downhearted and discouraged and sought to encourage them with an open invitationdescribes heaven in terms of a household!
God’s normal way of saving people is through preaching - see
4. Supporting elders devoted to preaching
ESV1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
if you are discouraged invite someone over and you will likely be encouragedif you are encouraged invite someone over and you will likely encourage them
as Paul worked to support himself with his new found friends and co-workers, he continued to preach the gospel
Paul worked when he had to but stopped when funds were voluntarily provided, in this case by Philippi ()
5. The heavy burden that true shepherds have for the church
ESV4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.
because Paul was self-employed he could only go to the local synagogue every Sabbathhe did so because he did not want to be a burden on themwriting to the Thessalonians from Corinth:
Paul had it in spades!
ESV9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
6. The order of salvation in 18:8
ESV8 nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you.
they heard, believed and were baptized
he didn’t want anything to hinder them from hearing and accepting the gospel, so he worked until God providedhe proved to them and to the Corinthians that we wasn’t there for himself, he was there for themhe was also demonstrating the principle that when we prove ourselves faithful in ministry God richly providesand what was his goal his ministry? to convince his own Jewish people that Jesus was their Messiah
so we see God encouraging Paul with his new friends, Aquila and Priscilla, a brother and sister in the Lord, working with them in making tents, and living with them in their homeif new friends are great, old friends are even better!
Old Friends With Wonderful News (v.5)
Old Friends With Wonderful News (v.5)
preaching, faith, obedience
ESV5 When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.
God is glorified in our weakness
Paul’s dear friends and co-workers, Silas and Timothy, arrived!Paul was preaching and teaching in a synagogue when Silas and Timothy arrived on a Sabbath daynot only was Paul encouraged by the arrival of his old friends but he was encouraged by their newstimeline: Paul chased out of Thessalonica and Berea (; )Paul sent instructions to Silas and Timothy to come to him in Athens as soon as possible ()when Silas and Timothy arrived in Athens Paul sent them backTimothy was sent back to Thessalonica () Silas was sent to Philippi (; )
Timothy’s news from Thessalonicabecame imitators of Paul and his team in spite of great affliction ()they became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia ()their faith in God became known everywhere ()having been chased out so quickly what amazing news of their growth, maturity and perseverancePaul’s response
ESV6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— 7 for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. 8 For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. 9 For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 10 as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?
Paul had to learn that when he was weak he was actually strong ()
Silas’ gift from Philippinot only was the Philippian church thriving but they had taken up an offering for Paul’s ongoing work
ESV9 And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way. 10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. 11 And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
8. & - we don’t like to wait, we want things now. God has told us we will have trouble but that if we wait for him he will strengthen us.
so we see how God encouraged Paul with the arrival of his dear friends and their wonderful newswhat joy! what comfort! what relief!
Principle:the work of the ministry is often hard and difficult and thankless and we can become discouraged and down heartedone of the ways God encourages us is through othersGod often uses people to remind us that our labours for him are never in vain!sometimes it’s an encouraging wordsometimes it’s an affirmation of effective ministrysometimes it’s a reaffirmation of lovesometimes it’s a simple invitation to a meal and fellowship
we must be willing to be still in the time of trouble, not taking matters into our own hands knowing that God has a good purpose and will deliver us at the right time ()
if we learn to wait we will be encouraged
We are not to fear the reactions of people
: ; ,
;
Consequences of fearing man:
Denying Christ: ;
Sin:
People pleasing: ;
Favouritism: ;
When we are discouraged and downhearted we are often impatient and do not want to wait for the Lord to get us out of whatever it which is giving us trouble. All we want is out!
the trouble we face is often more important to our growth and maturity than immediate deliverance
it is my experience that going through the discouragement of trouble and trial a number of times has taught me to have confidence when such times return that God is in control, that he is working it out for my good and those around me and that at the right time he will bring me out of it
14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
need to learn to wait for the Lord
remember that waiting is a euphemism for prayer