Making Missional Decisions | Acts 18:1-23
Luke highlights four practical decisions that we must all make as we seek to fulfill Christ’s mission: (1) provision; (2) progress; (3) protection; and (4) priorities. This sermon is part 13 of “Spreading the Faith,” Bryan Craddock’s verse-by-verse sermon series on Acts 8-20.
Greek tales tell of heroic voyages across the Aegean Sea. Of course, the Apostle Paul sailed those waters too. So, as my daughter and I set out to tour biblical sites in Greece last fall, we were excited to embark on our own nautical odyssey. But I will admit that our experience was far safer and much more comfortable than what ancient travelers experienced.
Our ship was a floating city with staterooms to accommodate over two thousand passengers. It had twelve decks, luxurious dining rooms, and a massive theater. The crew used high-tech radar and navigation equipment to chart our course with precision. They even switched around some stops on our itinerary to avoid a passing rainstorm.
The merchant ships of the first century were minuscule by comparison. We found a model of one on display in a maritime museum on the island of Mykonos. Even with the most experienced captain, every trip was risky. Stormy skies in open water would leave you sailing blind, and one bad decision could lead you far off course. That may explain why Paul traveled by land when he could.
We learned in Acts 16 that after receiving his Macedonian call in a vision, he sailed from Troas in the Roman province of Asia across to Philippi in Macedonia. Chapter 17 records that he traveled by road to Thessalonica and then to Berea. But since Jews from Thessalonica were pursuing him, he was taken south by boat to the city of Athens in the Roman province of Achaia. As we begin chapter 18, we find that he makes the 50-mile trek to Corinth, the provincial capital.
With its location on the narrow isthmus of land between the Ionian Sea to the west and the Aegean to the east, Corinth was a major commercial center. To avoid the danger of open waters farther south, ships could be towed on a roughly 4-mile-long pathway of rolling logs. As you can imagine, with all that traffic the city developed a reputation for immorality.
One ancient Greek geographer named Strabo says that the Temple of Aphrodite on the hill above the city had a thousand prostitutes. Modern scholars doubt the accuracy of that claim, but Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians suggests that the believers there struggled with questions of sexual morality. The church was also beset by division, conflicts, and false teaching. Paul writes more to them than any other church--two letters with a total of 29 chapters, over 8 percent of the New Testament. It is debated, but there might have even been another letter between the other two that is not included in the New Testament (2 Cor 2:3-4).
So, you would think that Luke would have a lot to say in Acts about Paul’s first visit to Corinth that lasted at least eighteen months. But he sums up Paul’s stay in just eighteen verses, and they do not tell us much about the church. I think that Luke's purpose in Acts 8-20 is to equip believers to spread the faith. So, in Acts 18:1-23 he highlights four practical decisions that we must all make as we seek to fulfill Christ’s mission.
We make a lot of practical choices with no explicit biblical commands to guide us. There may not be a clear right or wrong option. But those decisions still have a bearing on the direction of your life and ministry. So, we need to make them with our mission in mind, particularly in those hectic moments when we are beset by the storms of life. Thinking through these examples ahead of time will keep us from navigating blindly. We start with a familiar one.
Provision
Economists say that there’s no free lunch. Whenever you eat, some kind of transaction has made it possible. So, every ancient city had a marketplace. In fact, archaeologists identify some of the buildings that are still standing in the ruins of ancient Corinth as shops. Tradesmen and merchants rented them as a place to live and do business.
So, when Paul arrives in town, he must make a decision about his provision. Acts 18:1-4 tells us,
After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 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, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.
Claudius was the Roman Emperor, and he expelled all Jews from Rome in AD 49. The Roman historian Suetonius, writing around 70 years later, says that this happened because there were continuous disturbances among the Jews instigated by someone named “Chrestus.” Many scholars regard this as a reference to Jesus Christ. If so, it shows that less than 20 years after his death and resurrection, the gospel had already reached Rome and was provoking angry responses from Jews similar to what Paul encountered elsewhere. This statement from Suetonius, along with others from the ancient historians Josephus and Tacitus, serves as evidence that Jesus was a real historical person, not a myth as some critics would claim.
So, as Jews, Aquila and Priscilla were forced to leave Rome. They were probably already believers in Jesus, and they chose to set up shop in Corinth. They worked with leather and other materials to make tents, and demand was probably strong in Corinth. Any sailors who chose to stick around for a while might want one. Corinth was also the site of the Isthmian games which were like the ancient Olympics and were held every two years. Those who came might need to buy or repair a tent. Aside from the city’s business potential, Aquila and Priscilla also might have chosen to come to Corinth to spread the gospel. As we continue in Acts, we will see that they were committed to serving Christ’s mission.
Now the Lord is our provider in the ultimate sense, but he works through various means including our efforts. So, Paul decides to provide for himself by working with Aquila and Priscilla. Acts 18:3 is the only passage that tells us that tentmaking was his trade. He spends most of his week working and then takes the opportunity on the Sabbath to reason through the gospel with people in the local synagogue.
This is not a haphazard choice for Paul. In 1 Corinthians 9:11-12, he says,
If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.
It was common for traveling philosophers and religious teachers to receive financial support from their audiences. In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul argues that Christian teachers also have that right. But for some reason, he thought that doing so in Corinth would become an obstacle to his ministry. Perhaps people there would assume that he was only in it for the money. They might have seen many hypocritical teachers like that come through. So, Paul chose to earn his living through his trade instead.
I sometimes hear Christians speak of secular jobs as a waste of time, but Paul would disagree with that. In Colossians 3:23-24, he wrote,
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
Any legitimate job can be done for the Lord. Diligent work honors our Creator who worked six days and rested on the seventh (Gen 2:2-3; Ex 20:8-11). It also bolsters our witness for Christ. In Titus 2:9-10, Paul says that even slaves who show good faith toward their masters are adorning the doctrine of Christ our Savior. Plus, the work you do to earn a living makes it possible for you to support others in ministry. Aquila and Priscilla are great examples of this.
Now having said all of that, Paul does seem to shift his focus in Corinth back to full-time ministry. Acts 18:5 says,
When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.
The New American Standard Bible translates the word “occupied” by saying that Paul began devoting himself completely to the word. He was probably able to do so because Silas and Timothy brought financial support from the believers in Philippi (Phil 4:15). We are not told how long he worked with Priscilla and Aquila before they came, but it was a significant enough decision that Luke thought that we should know about it.
How do you think about provision and work? Do you see it as part of our mission of spreading the faith? No matter what your job may be, if you are a student or even if you are retired, are you serving the Lord? If so, then there is another practical decision to consider.
Progress
The Greek town of Fira is perched on the rim of a volcano. A major eruption in 1,600 B.C. blew out one side of the island, and the ocean filled in the caldera. Today cruise ships anchor in that spot. So, when you come ashore, you must climb 588 steps to reach the city. Now you can ride a donkey up or take a gondola, but where’s the fun in that? To keep you from giving up along the way, they number the stairs, so that you can track your progress.
A lot of people try to quantify ministry that way. They count nickels and noses. Numbers like that cannot really measure what the Lord is doing. But as we serve him, we should still consider what kind of spiritual progress is happening in people’s lives.
As Paul is able to devote himself completely to ministry in Corinth, he faces a decision about his lack of progress reasoning with the Jews in the synagogue. Acts 18:6 tells us,
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."
This expression about blood probably comes from the Old Testament Prophet Ezekiel. In Ezekiel 3:18, the Lord told the prophet,
If I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.
As an ambassador for Christ, Paul felt the same responsibility. But he decides that he has done everything that he can to reason with these obstinate people. There is no progress, but his conscience is clear. He warns them that they will bear the guilt for their rejection.
His pronouncement may seem harsh, but the Lord uses it. Verses 7-8 say,
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. 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.
In Romans 16:23, Paul mentions someone named Gaius who is host to the whole church in Corinth. So, he must have been a wealthy individual with a large home, and he is probably the same man mentioned here. Perhaps his full name was Gaius Titius Justus. Though he was not Jewish, he was already worshiping God at the synagogue next door to his home. But at some point, he came to believe in Jesus. As a Gentile, he would have had minimal influence in the synagogue, but Paul’s departure from the synagogue allowed him to start serving the Lord in a new significant way as host to the church.
The Lord also used this shift in Paul’s ministry in the life of Crispus. As ruler of the synagogue, he probably felt caught in the middle between Paul and the Jews who opposed him. But Paul’s break from the synagogue forced Crispus to choose sides. He and his household began to follow Jesus along with others from town.
This progress in ministry must have been encouraging to Paul. But it probably led him to think about moving on. He describes his personal goal in Romans 15:20, by saying,
and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation.
So, the Lord intervenes. Acts 18:9-11 tells us,
And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, "Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, 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." And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
This revelation reminds us that God knows those who are his. He chose them before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4), and he will open their eyes through the preaching of the gospel when the time is right. But specific direction like this seems to be rare in the Scriptures. We must often make decisions about progress through prayer and the application of the word.
What are your criteria for determining progress? A lot of Christians seem to judge their church and ministry involvement by what they are personally getting out of it. Paul’s example here challenges us to ask, “What more can I give? Where am I most needed?” Paul’s vision also addresses a third decision.
Protection
At the center of the marketplace in Corinth, there is a raised platform called a bema. They are found in cities throughout the Greco-Roman world. It was a place for rulers to address the people, particularly in legal matters. So, some translations say tribunal, but many call it the judgment seat.
In Paul’s vision, the Lord promised him protection. According to Acts 18:10, he said that he would be with Paul and that no one would attack him to harm him. But Paul’s faith in that promise is put to the test. Acts 18:12-13 tells us,
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."
It seems as if God promised no attack, and then one happens anyway. But that is not accurate. Some translations contribute to this misperception. The word in verse 10 often refers to a physical assault, while the term in verse 12 simply speaks of a group rising up. So, even though a charge is brought against Paul, he is not necessarily in danger. But I’m sure that he is still praying and wondering how the Lord will protect him through this situation.
The charge against him requires some explanation. His accusers believe that worshiping Jesus violates the Mosaic Law. But a Roman official would not care about that in and of itself. The rationale for their accusation is that Judaism was officially tolerated by the Romans. So, if they can prove that Christianity is not a Jewish sect but an entirely different religion, then it will be seen as a violation of Roman law.
As proconsul, Gallio’s authority stretched far beyond the city of Corinth. He ruled over the entire province of Achaia. In fact, his prominence allows us to identify the time of his rule. His name appears on an inscription in the city of Delphi that places his proconsulship from AD 51 to 52.
So, we know that Paul’s trial happened during that time period and that Gallio’s judgment would set a precedent for other provinces throughout the empire. How did he respond? Acts 18:14-17 tells us,
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.
Paul never says a word, yet the Lord protects him. Furthermore, this decision probably gives Christians in the Roman empire some degree of legal protection moving forward, at least for the next decade. But verse 17 reminds us that we cannot place our faith in government or in people. Some say that Sosthenes was beaten by Greeks or Romans, but the grammar of the text suggests that his fellow Jews turned against him when their case failed. Gallio, however, couldn’t care less.
Our Sovereign Lord is our true protector. That does not mean that we should be reckless. But Matthew 10:29-31 tells us that Jesus told his followers,
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Do you believe that? Does it factor into your decisions? Or do you pay more attention to those who stoke your fears? You might assume that Paul would never be tempted to worry. But he was human, and Acts 18:18 suggests that he did something to remind himself of the Lord’s promise. Luke tells us,
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.
When Jews wanted to be particularly devoted to the Lord for a period of time, they would make a Nazirite vow. Numbers 6 explains that they would not drink wine or cut their hair. Luke does not tell us when or why Paul made his vow, but I suspect that he did so in response to the promise he received in his vision. Whenever he was tempted to worry, his growing hair reminded him that the Lord was protecting him. So, when he decided to leave Corinth, he went down to the port at nearby Cenchreae and cut his hair in celebration of the Lord’s faithfulness. We should all celebrate the Lord’s protection! As Paul moves on, we see one more decision.
Priorities
The widespread influence of Greek language and culture in the ancient world was due in large part to the conquests of Alexander the Great over three centuries before the time of Christ. He was from Macedonia, but his father, Philip, managed to gain control over southern Greece. Alexander then extended the empire at breakneck speed through Asia south to Egypt and east through Babylon and Persia all the way to India.
He kept charging forward conquering new territory without bothering to establish a good system to govern it all. It was foolishly shortsighted. He burnt himself out, falling ill and dying at only 32 years of age. His empire was then parceled out to four of his generals who quickly began fighting with each other.
Paul might have been tempted to do something similar in spreading the faith. As we saw earlier, he aspired to preach the gospel to people who had never heard. Now he is presented with another opportunity in a major city that he has not yet visited. But he chooses to say no, or at least not yet. His decision is guided by his priorities. Acts 18:19-21 tells us,
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.
So, Paul leaves Corinth with Aquila and Priscilla and sets sail from Cenchreae with his fresh haircut. They then make their way east across the Aegean to Ephesus on the coast of Asia. When they arrive, he follows his normal strategy, reasoning in the synagogue, and they want him to stay.
Why does Paul turn down this opportunity? What could possibly be more important? Verses 22 and 23 say,
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.
Going up from Caesarea takes you to Jerusalem. Some of the apostles were probably still leading the church there along with James, the brother of Jesus. The church in Antioch was Paul’s home base, the body of believers who sent him out on both of his missionary journeys. Luke does not specify his reason for going to these places, but we can surmise that he went to report on his ministry, so that they would all know how to pray for him.
His immediate goal was to go back and visit the churches in Galatia and Phrygia that he started during his first missionary journey. His priority was to strengthen them before beginning a new endeavor in Ephesus. But his time in Corinth may have taken a toll on him. So, he probably sought encouragement, advice, fellowship, and rest in Jerusalem and Antioch. How else could he strengthen others?
We see a similar pattern in the ministry of Jesus. He would often rise early in the morning and withdraw to a desolate place to pray (Mk 1:35; Lu 5:16). After he sent the apostles out on a ministry trip, Mark 6:30-32 says,
The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves.
In that case, the crowd still tracked them down. It’s not easy to set aside time like that, but it is still important. Is that one of your priorities? Does it factor into your decisions? You can also go to the other extreme, living in isolation without ever seeking to strengthen other believers or to spread the faith to those who have never heard. Is there something that you need to say “no” to?
___________
For us to live out Christ’s mission, it must influence the practical decisions that we make about things like provision, progress, protection, and priorities. But that raises the simple question, “Are you really serving the Lord?” To be a Christian is to follow Jesus as your Master. If you claim to believe in him, but all your decisions are only about what you want, then something is wrong. I challenge you to start serving the Lord. If you want to learn more about that commitment, you might want to start with the first chapter of 1 Corinthians and then keep reading.
Perhaps you are a believer, but you’ve drifted away from serving the Lord. I encourage you to renew your focus on his mission. You might need to rethink some of the decisions that you’re making. It could be one of the ones that we’ve considered or something else.
May we honor the Lord in our choices!
Reflect
What hinders us from approaching these decisions with a mission-mindset?
Which decision do you most need to rethink? Why?
How can we best support others who are working through these decisions?