Daily Thoughts from Acts: The Global Christian (Acts 18:12-23)

But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal, saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law.” But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint. But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things.” And he drove them from the tribunal. And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this.

After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow. And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined. But on taking leave of them he said, “I will return to you if God wills,” and he set sail from Ephesus.

When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.  (Acts 18:12-23 ESV)

I have been to Corinth and seen the bema (judgment seat) or tribunal, a large slab of stone on which a chair could be placed, open to the air in the market place.  This Roman official basically says Christians are not breaking Roman law by their religion.  Nevertheless he allows the Jews to beat Sosthenes, the new or an additional ruler of the synagogue and now also a believer in Christ.  Why they don’t beat Paul is unknown.  Despite this Paul stays many more days evangelizing this community and ministering to this church.  We see in his letters later to this church that they experienced many problems.

It becomes clear that it is time to leave and Paul books passage for Syria.  He takes with him two new team members, Priscilla and Aquila (She being mentioned first is unusual and may signal her preeminence in ministry).  He has in mind to use them in Ephesus and leaves them there.  Ephesus is a strategic city.  Paul has just come off of a Nazarite vow, it seems, not cutting his hair or drinking alcohol (Numbers 6), an act of personal devotion to God and a clear indication that Paul does not abandon his Jewish roots.  And his strategy is still to begin his preaching in the synagogue.  The Jews in Ephesus are receptive to the gospel and presumably Priscilla and Aquila will continue to minister there.

But Paul feels compelled to return to his home church.  Paul goes on and visits the Jerusalem church before going up to Antioch to make his report.  After he spends some time in Antioch he visits north of there again with the churches he started earlier in the regions of Galatia and Phrygia.  He is always thinking about his brothers and sisters in the Lord who have newly come to Christ.

Paul is a man on mission for the gospel.  His tasks include:

• Preaching to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah
• Preaching the gospel to Gentiles
• Establishing the believers in churches with designated leaders
• Discipling churches in the faith
• Recognizing and developing new team members to join him in his outreaches
• Maintaining relationship with the Jerusalem church and his sending church in Antioch

He is not a rogue evangelist.  There is only one church of Jesus Christ and it has a common mission, the Great Commission, and he is working in conjunction with that one church for that one goal.  That is still our example and should be our mindset.