Words can greatly encourage and be a strong support to us in our lives. We have experienced being able to go through trials and difficulties by holding onto one such word. The words that Paul received from God in verses 9 and 10 supported Paul throughout his 1 and half year stay in Corinth. Because of the support he received from these words, Paul was able to continue his ministry in Corinth.
In today’s passage there is an event that testifies to the trustworthiness of these words. “While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him into court.” (12) However, Gallio thought that their charges were not legal ones, only religious one so he didn’t take up their issues. Here the word of God was trustworthy. What the Lord says always happens. As the Lord had said, no one was able to hurt him. Anyone who lives by the encouragement of the Lord’s words will have a blessed life. Today let’s look at three things about Paul’s life who lived by the will of God.
I. God who guides by his will (vs.12-17)
In Corinth as a result of Paul’s evangelism, many people believed and were baptized. Some Jews were burning with jealousy over this and “made a united attack on Paul and brought him into court” (12) before Gallio. “’This man,’ they charged, ‘is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.’” This “law” was not the Old Testament law. It was the Roman law. If it was the Old Testament law, then there was no meaning in bringing him before the proconsul. They were saying that the religion that Paul was evangelizing was not accepted by the Roman government so the Roman law should stop it.
Up until now Paul has been accused many times, but this time it had a comparatively much more important meaning to it. He was accused in Philippi and Thessalonica too, but in Philippi Paul was brought before the magistrates and in Thessalonica he was brought before the city officials. However this time is different. This time he is brought before the Roman proconsul. Before when the Jewish priests and teachers accused Jesus before Pilate, it was the same proconsul. It was different than being brought before the magistrates or the city officials. Whatever sentence that Roman proconsul gave it was affective not only in the state that was in his jurisdiction but also became precedent for all other sentences that were given by other proconsuls in other states. Therefore, it was very important. If Paul would have been sentenced to his disadvantage, then it would have influenced Christian history. It was that big of an event.
Verses 14 to 16 tells us how Gallio responded to the Jews accusations. “Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio” responded to their accusations. The reason that they were accusing Paul of was about words and their own Jewish law, and about things of faith. If they were accusing Paul of something that he had done contrary to Roman law, then he could bring up the accusation, but what they were accusing Paul of was not that type of problem, but a problem that had to do with their religion. Therefore, they should solve the problem amongst themselves. This wasn’t the type of case they should be bringing before a notorious court. The proconsul, Gallio distinguished between what kind of cases he should hear and which ones he shouldn’t hear. He was not only a judge, but also a politician. He understood the limitations of his position. Therefore, he avoided politics invading the realm of religion.
Just because Gallio responded to the Jews accusation against Paul saying that Paul had not done anything against the Roman law does not mean that Gallio himself was supportive of Christianity. It just means that he did not want to have anything to do with the problem. Even if he stuck his neck out into something that he didn’t know anything about, he wouldn’t be able to make good judgment. Also he knew that his position was to deal with things pertaining to Roman law. Also in 18:2 the Jews were all expelled from Rome by Claudius. This was the result of the friction and uprising that occurred as a result of Christianity being preached in the Jewish society. Therefore, Gallio thought that the best thing to do was to have nothing to do with this type of problems. However、if you look at it another way, God was leading the decisions that Gallio made. Gallio’s decision put both the Jewish and Christian faith under the safe keeping of the Roman law. Up until the persecution of Christians by Nero 12 years later in A.D.６４ the Christian Gospel was not in conflict with the Roman law. It was the leading of the Lord that kept the Gospel free from conflict with the Roman government.
God sometimes like in this case used unbelievers to fulfill His will. When Jesus was born, the same was true. Micah prophesized that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth in Galillee. Nazareth and Bethlehem are about 50 kilos away. In order for Jesus to be born in Bethlehem God used the decree of Ceasar Augustus for all people to return to their home town for the censure of the population. Therefore, Joseph and Maria went to Jerusalem because Joseph was of the Davidic line. God used Ceasar Augusts’ edict to bring them there
The Lord who follows through and does what he says. Therefore, we need to always keep our eyes focusing on God even when we are facing difficult probleｍｓ． God misses nothing and works for the good of those who believe in Him. When we understand this, then all of our problems seem so small. What we need to look at is not the problems that are in front of us but the God who moves all people and all of history.
II. If it is the will of God. (18-20)
After a long stay of a year and a half in Corinth, Paul went with Aquila and Priscilla to Syria. Syria is where the Antioch church that sent Paul out was. After 2 years Paul was ending his second missionary journey. They left by boat from the Eastern side of Corinth from the port of Cenchrea. Before Paul “sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchrea”. Paul had made a vow and now the vow is over so he cut his hair. This vow is thought to be the Nazarene vow taught about in Deut. 6:2-5. A Nazarene vow is a vow to be the Lord’s and be separated and holy to Him. Therefore, you cannot drink. Also during the duration of the vow, you must not shave. Paul had a strong dedication, a strong longing for something to have made such a vow. That something is not written here, but we can assume that it had something to do with evangelism. Now that the evangelism is over in Corinth, he cut his hair and is leaving for Syria. He had that much of a strong dedication towards the ministry in Corinth.
When they arrived in Ephesus, Paul left Aquila and Priscilla and “went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.” (19) The Jews asked “to spend more time with him” but Paul declined. “But as he left, he promised, ‘I will come back if it is God’s will.” (21)
Ephesus was the capital of Asia. Before when Paul evangelized there, it was open to the Gospel. At that time, the Holy Spirit forbid them to preach the Word of God. All at once they changed their course and went to Macedonia. (16:6) Now finally they came to Ephesus. Not only that but the response from the people was good and they were enthusiastic. They even wanted Paul to stay longer and they wanted to hear the Word of the Lord. Even so Paul announced his departure and set sail. I don’t think it was because he was a rush to get back to Jerusalem and Antioch because Paul soon after that begins his 3rd missionary trip and comes to Ephesus where he evangelizes for 3 years. Therefore, there must have been some reason that Paul needed to go back to Jerusalem and Antioch.
The Bible says, “If it is the Lord’s will I will come back.” (21) These words are words of putting all decision in the hands of the Lord, and following Him no matter where he leads. It is the willingness to do anything that God asks. At this point Paul may have been trying to decide whether to go on to Jerusalem or to stay in Ephesus. Paul based his decision upon what was the Lord’s will. The Lord’s will for him was to go to Caesarea to Jerusalem and report to the churches and then go to Antioch. Paul had wanted to go to Ephesus for a long time. When he finally got there he was welcomed and the people wanted to know more about the Bible. Therefore, it is only natural that Paul would want to stay there. Any one in his shoes would want to stay there. However, Paul wanted to do the Lord’s will and he realized that the Lord’s will was not to stay in Ephesus , but to go to Jerusalem and so he made a decision to do so. He probably felt that he had to go to Jerusalem to bring offerings to the poor Christians there. The Antioch church had already collected money to send to the poor in the Jerusalem church, but Paul did this throughout his life as part of his work. Therefore, even though the ministry in Ephesus had started to bloom, Paul left Ephesus and went to Jerusalem because that was the Lord’s will.
Paul was not moved by his own desires or other people’s kindness. For him what was the will of God was the number one thing. He lived by what God wanted. If returning to Ephesus was the Lord’s will then he would return. Where he went, what he did, everything was according to the will of God.
This is what our Christian life should be like. What are you looking at as you live this life? What is the base upon which you commit your life? Let’s keep our eyes on God and follow the will of God.
III. A person who serves in the church (vs. 22)
Last let’s look at how we can know the will of God. It is by the Word of God that we know the will of God. What the Bible says is the base upon which we know what the will of God is, what God wants. However another thing we must consider is what we should do as a person who serves in the church.
From Acts 15:36 Paul for 4 years has been on the 2nd missionary trip and it is now nearing the end. Paul left on a boat from Ephesus going to Caesarea to Jerusalem and reported to the church and then to the Antioch church that sent him out. He also needed to take the offerings for the poor to Jerusalem which was another reason for leaving Ephesus and going to Jerusalem. However, he was not just going to take the offering, but the Bible says, “he went up and greeted the church”.
Greeting the church is not just saying “Hello”. When it says greet the church it refers to a fellowship of love. It also meant reporting about the 4 year evangelistic trip. Paul gave such greetings not only in the Antioch church, but also the Jerusalem church. Here we can see how Paul served the church. In other words, Paul’s evangelistic trip wasn’t a one man job. The church sent Paul out. Paul was a representative of the church to do the work of the church. When his job was finished then Paul returned to the church and reported all that God had done. Paul always had in his mind that he was a servant of the church. Also this was the principle upon which he determined what the will of God was. In other words, he didn’t go where he wanted to go and avoid going where he didn’t want to go, or just go where people accepted him, and avoid going where he was not accepted, but as a person called by God, as a person who serves in the church, he decided what the will of God was and did it.
Our Christian life isn’t a one man thing. Through the fellowship of God’s family, the church, we need to seek out the Lord’s will. That is why Paul didn’t stay in Ephesus. When Paul thought of the whole of God’s kingdom, he realized that there was something more important. That was the offering and taking it to Jerusalem. By taking the offering, they would benefit from the grace of fellowship. He also wanted to share with those who sent him out, prayed for him, and supported him. This was because Paul’s work wasn’t his own work, but the work of the church.
I Cor. 11:26,27
When one part of the body hurts, then the whole body suffers. If one part rejoices, then all parts rejoice. We are all the body of Christ. When we decide on what the will of God is, we need to think about how we should be as a member of the whole family. A mature man of faith does what God wants him to do.
James 4:13-15
God wants us to live by the will of God, not by what we want to do or by what other people are desiring. We do things because it is the will of God. Let’s keep this as the base of our lives.