Today’s passage: Acts 18:1-23
Helpful thoughts:
- Claudius’ decree to remove all the Jews from Rome was written in A.D. 49.
- Paul wrote 1 Corinthians close to or in A.D. 55.
- When Paul said, “Your blood be on your own heads,” he was making it clear, man is responsible for his rejection of God. (Romans 1:20)
- At the same time, God had “many people in this city.” God elects and then regenerates through the proclamation of the gospel and man is responsible for his rejection.
- Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue believed.
- Sosthenes, who took his place, sought to persecute the church and have Christianity banned. He failed and was beaten…and then, check out 1 Corinthians 1:1. Who’s name is there?
Questions to consider:
- Paul did not want to receive money from the new church in Corinth (2 Corinthians 11:7-9). In addition to receiving gifts from other church, how did Paul provide for his needs? (Verse 3)
- How would God’s instruction to Paul encourage him to speak the gospel boldly? What did he know would result from his ministry? How could a passage like 2 Peter 3:9 give us similar confidence? Will God’s word fail to be effective? (Isaiah 55:11)
- When Sosthenes was attacking Paul, how might Paul have been tempted to think of him? What did Sosthenes eventually become? How can this encourage us in how we think about other people who we don’t presently agree with? How should we treat people, even if they hate us? (Matthew 5:44)