Sermon, 1/26/03 am

Jim Huskey, Walking Through Acts # 26

Last time we stopped, we left the apostle Paul in Athens. He was

forced to depart Berea and he left Timothy and Silas there; the

brethren carried Paul to Athens and while there, he had sent a

message back for Timothy and Silas to come. However, before they

arrived, he left Athens and went to Corinth. Perhaps we are going to

know more about the Corinthian situations than a number of the other

situations because of the two letters the apostle Paul would address

to the church at Corinth, and possibly a third letter. Some suggest

there is a third letter to Corinth that we do not have. Paul makes

reference to another letter. We learn from those letters that, when

Paul left Athens and went to Corinth he was pretty well going from

"the frying pan into the fire". If things were a "mess" in Athens

where the people were idolaters, the situation in Corinth could

certainly be considered a much larger "mess", where the idolatry had

an immoral characteristic. Diana of the Ephesians, among others, was

worshipped. Remember, even in Corinth a man had his fathers' wife.

They had a little of everything there in the church at Corinth. So

we can imagine the situation Paul was confronted with when he left the

center of learning in Athens and went to the city of Corinth.

Now at Corinth, Paul meets a couple that is going to be instrumental in

some other areas. "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.

And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought;

for by their occupation they were tentmakers. And he reasoned in the

synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. And

when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in

the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ."

Acts 18:2-5.

There are two or three things of note in the above verses. Paul had

sent for Timotheus and Silas, and they have now finally caught up with

him. He had met a couple who would leave with him when he left Corinth,

Aquila and Priscilla. These are people with whom he shared more than

one thing in common. They shared a common faith and also a common

occupation. By profession they were tentmakers; therefore, for more

than one reason he would join himself with them. But when Paul began

to press too heavily that Jesus indeed was the Christ, the Messiah

spoken of in the Old Testament scriptures, the Jews began to oppose

themselves. "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." verse 6.

Now this is not the only time he would shake his raiment, saying,

'your blood be upon your own heads, we're clean, we'll go to the

Gentiles.' You remember eariler, they said 'you've judged yourselves

unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.' Acts 13:46.

So they did.

So all that seemingly coming to an end, Paul still is not finished.

"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." Verse 7. So he left the area, but he didn't leave the

area. He was just not working the synagogue as much as he did at the

beginning. He was next door!!! The next verse is interesting for a

number of reasons. Remember, we're in an idolatrous city. We're in

a city that's immoral, that is steeped in Greek culture. "And

Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with

all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were

baptized." Verse 8. Now why is THAT important???? Why is that so

significant? It is because there is a certain group of people, many

of our brethren among them, who have decided that there was one

doctrine for the Jew, that demanded he be baptized, and another

doctrine for the Greek or Gentile which did not include baptism. What

did you say, Luke? "...many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and

were baptized." Now where in the world do you suppose they got an

idea like that???? Well, isn't that what Jesus said when he sent the

apostles out on the great commission - "...go into all the world and

preach the gospel to every creature; he that believeth and is baptized

shall be saved." Mk. 16:15,16. What did you say, Luke? "....many of

the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized." Why did they

have to hear - so they could believed!!!! What did they do when the

believed - they were baptized!!!! "...many of the Corinthians hearing

believed, and were baptized."

But that shouldn't surprise us. We found that was the case first of

all with the Jews, Acts 2; then with the Samaritans, Acts 8; then with

the eunuch, Acts 8; then with Saul, Acts 9, who would be the apostle

to the Gentile world; then with Cornelius, Acts 10. So the fact that

the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized shouldn't surprise

us as we read it.

Now concerning the chief ruler, Crispus, there is an interesting note

for consideration. When Paul wrote to the Corinthian brethren, he

made a statement that a lot of folks have taken completely away from

its context. Let's pick up in I Corinthians 1:10. "Now I beseech

you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak

the same thing, and there there be no divisions among you; but that ye

be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same

judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by

them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions

among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of

Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ

divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were ye baptized in the

name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus

and Gaius; lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.

And I baptized also the household of Stephanas, besides, I know not

whether I baptized any other." I Cor. 1:10-16. Somebody says, "See,

Paul didn't baptize all these people." No, that's not what this

passage says. All this says is Paul didn't do the baptizing with his

own hands. "...many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were

baptized." Remember, there is a statement over there in the gospel

of John, "Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples."

John 4:1,2. So you see, the baptizing GOT DONE. But a lot of folks

have really made a big deal about Paul saying he didn't baptized

with his own hands, therefore Paul didn't teach baptism. OH YES HE

DID!!!! That's why "...many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and

were baptized." Paul just didn't do it with his own hands. He

baptized Crispus and Gaius and Stephanas with his own hands. But

remember, Paul had some other folks with him. There was Aquila,

Priscilla, Silas, Timothy. Remember the day of Pentecost. About

three thousand were baptized. We're not told which of the apostles,

whether all of them, part of them, did the baptizing. It didn't make

any difference who did it, THE POINT IS, IT WAS TAUGHT AND IT WAS

DONE!!!!!! So we wanted to get that point out of the way.

Now Paul had a vision, the Lord spoke to him. "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 you, and no man shall set on thee to

hurt thee; for I have much people in this city. and he continued

there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. And

when Galio 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."

Verses 9-12. Now, contrary to WHAT law!!!! Just which every one to

which they thought they could appeal!!!!!! Remember, Paul has already

been charged. Every time they bring him before the Roman authorities

they say he's teaching things that are contrary to the Roman law.

If he's brought before the Jewish authorities, he's teaching things

that are contrary to the Jewish law, neither of which were true. Paul

himself was a Roman citizen, free born, which many of them could not

claim. He was also a Jew and knew the law perhaps better than most of

his counterparts. So the charges were false, but they'd just use

which ever was handy. The Jews did have any use for the Romans in

the first place. It grated on them to have to appeal to the Romans

for help. It must have REALLY grated on them when they went to Galio

and brought their charge, and when Paul started to defend himself,

Galilo said, "..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." Verses 14,15. He wasn't about to

let them USE HIM. You know, sometimes we think those ole' boys

weren't too smart; but some of them were smarter than we give them

credit. Galio said, 'I'm not going to be your dupe to do what you want

me to do.' So they stir up trouble. He still doesn't pay any attention

to the mess.

"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........and he came to Ephesus, and left them

there; but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with

the Jews. When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he

consented not; 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." Verses 18-21. We've set

the stage for ANOTHER interesting little development.

Paul has been by Ephesus and he says he won't stay. He leave Aquila

and Priscilla there. That's very important. There a dude about to

show up that's part right and part wrong. But Paul says 'I'll be

back if the Lord wills.' Evidently the Lord willed, because Paul would

come back later and stay a long time. We mentioned Paul having carried

Aquula and Priscilla with him, leaving them in Ephesus, and that's

going to be important. Let's pick up in verse 24.

"And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent

man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man was

instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit,

he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only

the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue,

whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them,

and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. And when he

was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the

disciples to receive him; who, when he was come, helped them much

which had believed through grace; for he mightily convinced the Jews,

and that publickly, showing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ."

Acts 18:24-28.

You know, Luke, as he records these events, makes an interesting

comment here, that, just to be quite honest, a lot of brethren don't

know what do with it. Well what is that statement he makes???????

He says, when Apollos began to speak boldly in the synagogue "whom

when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, THEY TOOK HIM UNTO THEM, and

expounded (what is the subject to expounded?) unto him the way of God

more perfectly." Verse 26. We have a few brethren with short hair

and shorter brains who would have you believe that the subject of

expounded is Aquila!!!! But the last time I checked, nouns and verbs

have to agree in number. THEY TOOK and THEY EXPOUNDED. I didn't say

that - Luke did!!!!! But,but,but,but,but,but, you've got a WOMAN

teaching somebody. Well, bless Pat. That IS what it said, isn't it!!!

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand that. THEY

took him, THEY expounded. But, it says a woman is to keep silence in

the church!!!! Did they take him to the church to do it!!!!! It says

they took him unto THEM!!!!!!!! But you see, there are those who have

gotten the idea, going from one extreme to the other, from the left to

the far right. There are those who would let a woman get up and

preach, be an elder and everything else. Then there are those that

don't want a woman to do ANYTHING. But this says, THEY TOOK HIM and

THEY EXPOUNDED. It says they took him unto THEM, which evidently

implies they took him aside privately; and THEY taught him. You see,

I don't know if it's a macho problem some brethren have, or if it

just doesn't get past the brain up there. I wonder where some of the

things in the New Testament would be if we take out the role and

influence of some of those women in the first century church. All

you have to do is look. But it says THEY expounded. I would assume

that since Aquila and Priscilla had been with Paul, they would know

enough to not violate scriptural principle in teaching this person.

I would assume, maybe I'm assuming too much - I don't know, but I

would assume that if the Holy Spirit meant to say Aquila taught him

by himself, that's what it would say. Holy Spirit never had a lack

for being able to say what he intended to say before; don't think he

did here, either. Maybe he just hadn't been able to consult with some

of our more learned brethren, I don't know what the problem was.......

I just know what it says. That, within itself, was to have an

impact. Apollos is going to provide much help to the brethren. That's

what it says. How was he able to do that??? Partly because of what

Aquila and Priscilla had been able to help him learn. "...he mightily

convinced the Jews, and that publickly, showing by the scriptures

that Jesus was Christ." verse 18.

See, if Aquila and Priscilla hadn't "hooked up" with Paul when he

came to Ephesus, they wouldn't have been in the right place to

intercept this fellow. But they're in the right place, at the right

time and the end result is that a powerful new force has been turned

loose in the form of the man Apollos, partly because of Aquila and

Priscilla.

When we begin our study next time, we'll find Paul in Ephesus. You

know, he said he would be back. He's going back next time for some

lengthy stay. The trouble he'll stir up just by preaching the truth -

you can't imagine!!!!