June 23, 2023 | Be On Mission
Paul Meets Aquila & Priscilla
Scripture: Acts 18:1-6(NIV)
1 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, 3 and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. 4 Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.
5 When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. 6 But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
Devotional
The ancient Greek coastal city of Corinth was just fifty miles west of Athens. Because it was located on an isthmus, merchants often brought their shipload of goods into Corinth and transported them across land to another waiting ship. This made Corinth an important hub of trade in the region. By the time Paul arrived, the Greco-Roman influences were on full display. Temples to Apollo (god of Hellenistic culture), Poseidon (god of the sea), Kore (goddess of fertility), and Asclepius (god of medicine) dotted the landscape.
But the most influential was the Temple to Aphrodite (goddess of sexuality). It is believed that the Temple to Aphrodite employed up to 1000 prostitutes. This only increased Corinth’s popularity as a pass-through for merchants and a destination for eager travelers. Corinth itself became a synonym for sexual immorality and the phrase “Corinthian girl” meant being a prostitute.
For the next six weeks we will be diving into Paul’s ministry in Corinth (this and the next devotion) and Paul’s letters to the believers there (1 & 2 Corinthians). In today’s reading, Paul arrives in Corinth and partners with Aquila and Priscilla. This husband and wife team assist Paul in spreading the Christian faith. Later, all of them are joined by Silas and Timothy. We know that Luke and others were part of the ministry team as well.
Here’s a lesson. While Paul is the most well-known evangelist in the early church, he didn’t go it alone. Witnessing and ministering in a corrupt culture like Corinth took an entire team of people dedicated to the cause. Let’s leave superheroes to the comics. Ministry in any city is a team sport.
Who are some of the people in your own ministry network? Who do you do ministry with? Who is part of your church’s staff and leadership team? Who is serving beyond your local church? Take some time and pray for those who are ministering the gospel together, and ask the Lord to unite them in His name.
Poem
Shake Off
Shake off whatever holds you back
To run the race upon life’s track
Remove the weight
Dense sin forsake
Eyes focused on the goal
Shake out your garments from the dirt
Of criticism, learn to shirk
The proud oppose
The lifted nose
Just walk away in justice
Shake off the dirt of sandals worn
When offered peace by wicked scorned
Another place
There, share God’s grace
New mission field is waiting
