How Did God Reassure Paul?

Tom:

This is our Understanding the Scriptures segment, we are in the Book of Acts Chapter 18.Dave, we are going to pick up with Verse 9, although we went a little farther than that last week, but it’s a good place to come back to.Acts:18:9Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:
See All..., “Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak and hold not thy peace:”Now Dave, that’s an interesting verse, based on what we were talking about earlier in our News Alert section.It doesn’t say anything about, Let your life be first and foremost, before these things.It doesn’t say that we are to avoid certain things, but we are to be not afraid but speak and hold not thy peace.

Dave:

Well, Tom, obviously, he said nothing about, But be careful not to offend the idolaters, or the culture, that was not any concern of Paul’s at all, he was preaching the truth, okay.

Tom:

And the issue here as we will see in the next verse, Dave, is physical harm coming to Paul.It wasn’t just, Oh, well, I just don’t want to offend those people and have them think ill of me.No, Verse 10—

Dave:

Tom, let me interrupt quickly.Let me quote what Paul had to say about the life.Of course, to Titus he said, In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works.Okay, we’re going to be an example to everybody.But then he says, In doctrine showing incorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.And I pray that to the Lord, Help me, Lord, to be like that.We have to be able to speak the truth, not just live it, although both are important.

Tom:

And in Verse 10, again, this is the Lord speaking, it says:“For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee:for I have much people in this city.”

Dave:

It must have been great news to Paul because they have been beating him up everywhere he went.The Lord says, Well, Paul, we’re going to give you a little vacation from that now and I’m going to let you really preach here.

Tom:

Right, and because the Lord had many people in the city, had an opportunity to encourage them, to equip them, to really teach them what the Lord would have them know and do.

Dave:

And the next verse seems to contradict Francis of Assisi.

Tom:

Which we mentioned earlier.Verse 11:“And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the Word of God among them.”

Dave:

It doesn’t say anything about, first of all, living a good life.Well, that goes without saying Christians should do that, but what is the main emphasis?Teaching the Word of God!

Tom:

Verse 12-13:“And when Galllio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat, Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law.”

Dave:

So, I guess that time of peace that the Lord promised Paul has come to an end now, and it took them a long time because God allowed Paul to not be disturbed, not run out of town for all this time, but persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law.So, these are Jews of course, and they’re saying, Look, we have our scriptures, and we have a law that was given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai, it has certain rules, and this man is breaking these rules, and basically, he’s offending us.

Tom:

Well, going on, Verse 14:“And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you:But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters.And he drove them from the judgment seat.”

Dave:

Well, he’s a pretty wise man.What does he know about Jewish law, and how is he going to be the arbiter of whether Paul is teaching people to worship God contrary to the law or not, he’s not an expert on that.Hey, guys, get out of here, this has nothing to do with the government.They went to the wrong place.

Tom:

Well, I think this was the Lord’s man there.Dave, we know when you go into a court of law, you don’t know what you’re going to get.I don’t care if you think you’ve got this thing locked, you know, in a lock, you just do not know.But the Lord was gracious to Paul.He said He was going to give him time among the people and when this thing did come up, I believe the Lord dealt with it by having the right man there to adjudicate.

Dave:

Right.

Tom:

Verse 17:“Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat.And Gallio cared for none of those things.”Had to take it out on somebody, Dave.

Dave:

Well, I guess they’re complaining that he has Sosthennes, the chief ruler of the synagogue believed on the Lord, and now he has a replacement.I guess they are afraid that he’s leaning in that direction, too, or at least he didn’t back them, maybe he didn’t go to court with them.He’s not stirring this thing up enough so they take it out on him.And Sosthennes, they beat him before the judgment seat.Wow!The Greeks now, they are going after the Jews because the Jews are complaining and they took it out on him and Gallio cared for none of these things.

Tom:

Verse 18:“And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea for he had a vow.”Dave, it’s interesting that he brought Priscilla and Aquila with him, what’s your take on that?

Dave:

Well, it goes on and it tells you how they had instructed Apollos.

Tom:

Well Dave, it’s interesting he traveled with Priscilla and Aquila, it seemed like they worked together, I think they had a little business.So Paul was working for his keep, he had something going on, and we’re going to see how, later Priscilla and Aquila are used.

Dave:

Well, they were tent makers, and I don’t think he had a partnership with them but anyway it was a means of earning a living.Paul was not well supported by the churches and he talks to them sometimes about that.And he also says, With my own hands I earned a living to support those who are with me, to support myself with those who were with me.So, he was a very hard working man, earning a living making tents.He’s writing letters to the churches, he is in prayer and Bible study and he is preaching and teaching, and he didn’t have any time for anything else.

Tom:

Dave, we have about a minute and a half, but the last part of the Verse 18, “Having shorn his head—for he had a vow.”Paul wasn’t falling back on the law here, was he?

Dave:

Well, there is controversy surrounding that, Tom.You see, Paul was still a Jew, and there were certain things that Jews were to do. He kept the Passover, for example.The Savior has become very popular in Christian churches, and they have persuaded non Jewish Christians, Gentile Christians to keep the Passover, or at least to take the Passover meal.I do not believe that is proper because the Passover is proof that those who keep it are descended from the original ones who were delivered out of Egypt, and the land belongs to them.This is one of the proofs that the land belonged to these people.So, there are things that Paul could do as a Jew that we should not do.