Lesson 13 • November 29 • Page 89

Teaching God’s Word A Present-Day Illustration

H

ey, brothers, let’s go to lunch,” Andre said to his two friends, Sedaris and Lucius. “We’re headed to the prison meeting with Elder Mike,” Sedaris said. “Come with us. We can go to lunch afterward.” “What prison meeting?” Andre said. “Didn’t you hear it in the announcements?” Lucius asked. “I must have stepped out,” Andre said. “I’ll go with you.” Elder Mike opened the meeting in prayer. In part, he asked the Lord to encourage hearts to be willing to take the Gospel everywhere, especially to those places where it’s needed most. Seven men had come to hear about starting a prison ministry. One brother said he knew the pain of prison personally. Another said he had been involved in prison work at his previous church. Then Elder Mike gave some statistics on incarceration according to the NAACP’s Criminal Justice Fact Sheet: • African Americans now constitute nearly 1 million of the total 2.3 million incarcerated population. • African Americans are incarcerated at nearly six times the rate of whites. But Elder Mike focused on the power of the Gospel, and how it had saved his life. “We know that God’s Word is the only thing that will set men and women free,” Elder Mike said. “So, who’s with me? Who’s willing to take the Good News to the prison?” All seven of the men stood up and applauded. 1. When have you seen effective teamwork? 2. With our diversity of gifts and personalities, how do we team with others to share the Gospel? 3. What does it mean to team with God to share the Gospel?

Week of November 29 • Page 90

Paul Meets Aquila and Priscilla Acts 18:1-11, KJV 1 After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth: 2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them. 3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers. 4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. 5 And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. 6 And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. 7 And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man’s house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue. 8 And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing

Acts 18:1-11, NIV 1 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2There 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 the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, 3and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. 4Every 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 Christ. 6But when the Jews 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 clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” 7 Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. 8Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized.

Week of November 29 • Page 91

KJV believed, and were baptized. 9 Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: 10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city. 11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

NIV 9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” 11So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

After Paul’s visit to Athens, he journeyed about 50 miles southwest to Corinth. The bustling city of Corinth—the leading city in all of Greece—had harbors at both Cenchrea, six miles to the east on the Saronic Gulf, and Lechaion, less than two miles to the north on the Corinthian Gulf. Corinth served as a major crossroads between Asia Minor and Egypt to the east and Italy and Spain to the west. Corinth likely had a population of more than 200,000, including a significant number of Jews. The city was the site of numerous temples, such as the notorious temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, where prostitution was an integral part of her worship. The immorality of Corinth was so infamous that, going back to the fifth century b.c., the Greek verb “to corinthianize” meant to be sexually immoral. Upon arriving in Corinth, Paul looked for connections with people for ministry, at a synagogue or in the marketplace. Paul met a Jewish man named Aquila—originally from Pontus, in modern northeastern Turkey—who had recently come to Corinth from Rome. Aquila and his wife Priscilla shared the tentmaker trade that Paul knew and often practiced. Whether the couple were already Christians when they met Paul is not said, but they would soon become a part of Paul’s ministry team. As usual, Paul tried to make connections at the Jewish synagogue every Sabbath with the Jews and “God-fearing” Greeks. When the Corinthian Jews began opposing and insulting Paul, he shook out his clothes in symbolic protest

Week of November 29 • Page 92

and turned to Titius Justus, a “God-fearing” Gentile living next door to the synagogue. One believing Jew was Crispus, the leader of the synagogue; his conversion surely made a major impact and led to other conversions. Paul had seen a pattern develop—his ministry in a new city had a promising start but then encountered such strong opposition that he was forced to flee. Paul couldn’t be faulted for wondering if this pattern would be repeated in Corinth. One night the risen Christ spoke encouraging words to Paul in a vision. The Lord assured the apostle of His presence and of the fact that many people in Corinth were to be Christ’s own, so Paul continued to minister at Corinth for a total of 18 months. 4. Why did Paul have an instant connection with Aquila and Priscilla? 5. How did Paul’s strategy change when opposition started? 6. How helpful was the vision that the Lord gave Paul?

Paul Delegates to Priscilla and Aquila Acts 18:18-21, KJV 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. 19 And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not;

Acts 18:18-21, NIV 18 Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchrea because of a vow he had taken. 19 They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. 21But

Week of November 29 • Page 93

KJV 21 But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.

NIV as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.

Though the risen Christ had promised Paul in a vision that “no one is going to attack and harm you” (vs. 10), once again Paul fell into disfavor with the local Jews. They brought him before Gallio, the proconsul of Achaia—the Roman province of southern Greece. Stating that their charges had to do with Jewish religious debates rather than any sort of crime, Gallio threw both Paul’s Jewish antagonists and their case out of court (vss. 12-17). For several months after this, Paul’s ministry at Corinth continued without any mentioned interference. Then, probably in the spring of a.d. 52, Paul began a journey to Jerusalem to fulfill a vow he had made earlier to be a Nazirite (see Num. 6:1-21). Taking Priscilla and Aquila with him, Paul sailed from Cenchrea to Ephesus. He made connections in the synagogue there, but he didn’t stay because of his desire to proceed to Jerusalem. However, he left Priscilla and Aquila to minister in the city. Their instruction would be vital for a Jew named Apollos who came to Ephesus. Though well-versed in the Old Testament, Apollos needed instruction in “the way of God” (18:26). Priscilla and Aquila invited Apollos to their home and explained God’s revelation and plan more fully to him. 7. Why did Paul leave Corinth?

The ruins of the temple of Apollo in ancient Corinth. Photo: © Michael F. Mehnert

8. How do we see teamwork among the missionaries in this passage?

Week of November 29 • Page 94

Team Church In every believer is a God-given purpose, calling, and gifting. God wants us to use these with His leading to share the Gospel with the world. While we can share individually, through teamwork we increase our coverage and influence. That’s why God brings us together in “Team Church.” Each person has a role on the team, but each person also needs to understand how the team works most effectively. First, we can’t teach what we don’t know. If the team members don’t know the Word, they can’t share the Gospel. Paul’s reasoning in the synagogues could not have happened without his study of Scripture. His persuasion of leaders of the synagogue such as Crispus would not have been possible if he did not know what the Scriptures say about Jesus being the Messiah. Second, a good team cooperates and delegates. Paul was happy to have Priscilla and Aquila join with him, Timothy, and Silas on the ministry team. He was not intimidated or threatened by others—he saw what Priscilla and Aquila could do and gave them appropriate responsibilities, including leading the Ephesian church. We don’t know what all people can do unless we give them opportunities to share their gifts. We all have the Holy Spirit, and we all have His gifts that are crucial to the success of spreading the Gospel. Finally, no ministry team is effective without the leading of the Holy Spirit, because His leading comes from the head of the team—Jesus. We don’t set our own goals and ask God to bless them. We join Him in what He is doing. He is already at work preparing people to receive the Gospel message. It’s our job to go where He leads us. 9. How does reliance on the Lord for both gifting and guidance reassure us? 10. How is your entire church ministering as a team? 11. What “special teams” are needed for particular ministries?

Week of November 29 • Page 95

Teaming Up When we come together to work with the Lord’s direction, there is no limit to what we can do for Him. Paul and his companions had an international impact for the Gospel even in the first century. We too can have a global outreach, but sometimes He leads us just around the corner to ministry opportunities we can team up to do right in our own backyards. Pray about what ministries your church could do in teams as the Lord leads you. Doing street evangelism, visiting nursing homes, leading neighborhood Bible studies, and participating in community events are all ways we can work with each other to impact our community, our workplaces, and beyond. KEY VERSE

Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city. —Acts 18:9-10, KJV One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” —Acts 18:9-10, NIV

DAILY BIBLE READINGS FOR NEXT WEEK’S LESSON

November 30 through December 6 (See The Quiet Hour and Cross devotionals on these passages.) Mon. Genesis 1:28—2:3—God Says It Is Good. Tues. Leviticus 16:29-34—The Day of Atonement. Wed. Psalm 62:1-8—God Is My Refuge. Thurs. Hebrews 4:1-11—His Promised Rest. Fri. Revelation 14:12-13; 21:1-5—Eternal Rest. Sat. Exodus 16:22-26—Work, Then Rest. Sun. Exodus 20:8-11; 31:12-16—The Lord’s Day.