The Battle is the Lord’s

If God’s people would take their
Bibles and turn back once again to Acts chapter 18, Acts chapter
18. We are tracking Paul as he concludes
his second missionary journey, Paul. has his new friends around
him, Aquila and Priscilla. He also has his old friends,
his co-workers, Silas and Timothy. Even these new friends, Aquila
and Priscilla, will one day become co-workers in the gospel. And
for now, we know also that the Lord is also attending to their
work. And so Paul is no longer alone,
whereas he had been when he first came into Corinth. This is the
end of Paul’s second missionary journey, but it is a drawn out
conclusion lasting over a year and a half spent there in this
morally bankrupt and gospel needy city of Corinth. Vanity Fair,
as we have agreed with its label, These believers, armed only with
the good news of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, could
see right through the hustle and bustle and even the outright
physical beauty of Corinth. This city, they saw, desperately
needed the gospel. They knew that if the gospel
were to take root and begin to flourish here in
Corinth, Given the steady flow of traffic from across the world,
the gospel would soon spread to every corner. And so as was
his practice, Paul began by preaching in the synagogue to the Jews.
But as we noted last week, there was a blessed earthquake, an event that occurred that changed
everything. There were drastic changes brought
about by the response to the gospel. First of all, there was
opposition to the gospel where Paul observed that they resisted
and blasphemed the Jews did. And so Paul took that as an affirmation
by God to turn to the Gentiles. It just so happened that God
provided a place right next door. And the first convert, amazingly
enough, was the now former leader of the synagogue. Truly God’s
providence. But in addition to opposition
to the gospel, just like there was with this leader of the synagogue,
there was also reception of the gospel, not only by Crispus,
the leader of the synagogue, but his entire family. His entire
household, his wife and children, his servants, his butler, and
many other of the Corinthians also came to faith. But in addition
to opposition and reception of the gospel, there was also a
perpetuation of the gospel. And that was provided by the
Lord himself. The Lord himself affirmed Paul’s
efforts. and commanded him, do not be
afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent,
for I am with you. Well, that affirmation opens
up into an amazing episode, which we find in verses 12 through
17 of chapter 18. There surely was drama and excitement
and on the part of the Jews, even jealousy, likely, as the
Lord had arranged a place for Paul to continue to preach right
next door to the synagogue. It was to be expected that there
would be hard feelings, even bitterness by the Jews toward
these Christian missionaries. There was great excitement and
enthusiasm and momentum attending the preaching of the gospel.
This could not go on forever. Something would have to give.
Something very dramatic would have to happen. Desperate measures
would need to be employed, but what? The answer to that is found
in the conclusion of this chapter, where the Lord upholds his word
to Paul in a powerful way. The Lord had promised to Paul
that if he would only cease his fear and continue to boldly proclaim
the gospel that he would be used by God to harvest a great many
souls that God had already marked out in this city. He assures
Paul that whereas he had suffered physical mistreatment in the
past, he would not receive that here in Corinth. After all, God
declared, I am with you. Paul is not alone. and the battle
belongs to the Lord. Would you read along with me,
beginning in verse 12 of chapter 17? But while Galileo was proconsul
of Achaia, the Jews, with one accord, rose up against Paul
and brought him before the judgment seat, saying, This man persuades
men to worship God contrary to the law. But when Paul was about
to open his mouth, Galileo said to the Jews, if it were a matter
of wrong or of vicious crime, O Jews, it would be reasonable
for me to put up with you. But if there are questions about
words and names and your own law, look after it yourselves. I am unwilling to be a judge
of these matters. And he drove them away from the
judgment seat. And they all took hold of Sosthenes,
the leader of the synagogue, and began beating him in front
of the judgment seat. But Galileo was not concerned
about any of these things. Now, perhaps Paul himself was
even a little bewildered at the turn of events we just read.
Paul may have understood God to mean that it would be easy
sailing in Corinth, no challenges at all as he conducted his ministry. So now to have the Jews again
ratcheting up their attack as they up the stakes as well, now
dragging Paul before, of all places, a Roman court. Paul may
not have known what was transpiring among the entire rest of the
Roman Empire, that no other gospel worker had yet been brought before
a Roman court. But he knew that this was a first
for him, and he knew that without a doubt this was a very serious
turn of events. But just as Paul is about to
be so practically reassured, God himself is preparing to enter
the battle on his behalf. If you would look at verse one,
the battle is the Lord’s. And what I have observed here
in this text is that God gives us the picture of fruit. of an invigorating confidence
of God. It’s not just confidence. It’s
not just faith, but it’s a burgeoning faith. It’s a growing faith. It is an invigorating faith that
Paul had. And that faith bears fruit. That kind of confidence in God
bears great fruit. Well, the first thing that we
see of Paul is a steadfastness in the face of slander. Steadfastness
in the face of slander. Look at verse 12. But while Galileo
was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews, with one accord, rose up
against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat. This
Galileo just by way of introduction, was the younger brother of a
very famous philosopher and statesman named Seneca. Many of you have
probably even heard his name. Seneca was one of the wisest
men of his day whose influence has trickled down even to our
own day. You have likely uttered quotes
from Seneca without even knowing it. Here are some things, quote
worthy things that he said. Luck is what happens when preparation
meets opportunity. Now I don’t know of a coach of
any sport that hasn’t quoted that saying on one occasion or
another. Seneca said, throw me to the wolves
And I will return leading the pack. Wealth is the slave of the wise,
the master of the fool. Again, Seneca said, it is not
the man who has too little, but the man who craves more that
is poor. This was a wise man, a leader,
a ruler. He was eventually exiled to an
island under the same emperor, Claudius, that had evicted all
the Jews from Rome. But he returned under Emperor
Nero and became one of his closest advisors. For a time, Seneca
dedicated two of his books to this younger brother, Gallio,
for whom he had the highest regard. Now, in one of his writings,
he even mentions Gallio in connection with Achaia, just as Luke mentions
here. As I already noted, Seneca had
this great high esteem for his little brother, who was also
a renowned scholar. But more than anything, he was
a beloved friend to almost everyone he knew. One historian described
his general character as that of a most bright, popular, and
affectionate man. Seneca himself described him
as winsomely amiable. He was just a very nice man.
On one occasion, Seneca said of him, no mortal could be so
dear even to a single friend than he was to all. Did you get
that? Nobody was a friend like Gallio was. Everybody loved him. But Seneca especially saw this
as such a well-deserving sentiment that on another occasion he said,
my brother Gallio, whom everyone loves too little, even him who
loves him most. Sadly, both Seneca and Gallio
would eventually die under the reign of Nero. But it says here
that Gallio was pro-consul of Achaia. And that really should
instill a trustworthiness for you of Luke’s account because
Luke is spot on even to the particular title that was used. A man in such an office, depending
on the year, depending on the ruler, could bear a number of
different titles. When leadership changed in Rome,
that is when a new emperor came to power, there was often a change
in the territory and the governing structure, even in the terminology
and the titles. Sometimes provinces were governed
by the Senate and sometimes they were governed by the emperor.
Under the Emperor, local rulers would have been called governors
or proprators. Under Senate oversight, they
were called proconsuls. And under Claudius, who had recently
come to power, the province of Achaea was placed under the control
of the Senate, which meant that rulers would be called the proconsul. He was the highest ranking official
in all of Achaea. And so this nice man, this newly
installed pro-consul of Achaia, and suddenly has this religious
group bring a case to him as a judge. And this is not just
a few zealots. Look at verse 12. The Jews with
one accord rose up against Paul. Behind this, Luke says they were
of one accord. They were united in this effort. In this new ruler whose reputation
must have preceded him, everyone knew him as an affable, pleasant
man, and he’s also new on the job. They saw in this an advantage,
an opportunity, and they seized hold of it, what we don’t know
is what led up to this, specifically. But on this occasion, they had
already concocted a case against Paul in their minds, and they
were oh so eager to bring it before the Roman officials. And
so, with indictment in hand, they gathered together as one
and brought the case forward to this very nice judge, Gallio. They must have believed that
they had this one in the bag. This would be a slam dunk verdict
in their favor and against Paul. Not so fast. Look at verse 12. While Galio
was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up
against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat. Here
they are standing before Gallio, and just like in our own courts,
they likely would have had paperwork filled, an indictment, together
with a summons for Paul’s appearance before the judge. In other words,
it isn’t like they came barging into Gallio’s presence, dragging
Paul by the scruff of the neck. This is the most formal charge
ever to which Paul has had to answer. the first ever before
a Roman official. Unlike on other occasions where
Paul had simply slipped through the grasp of the Jews, they wanted
to employ a different approach here. No more Jewish courts,
no more stirring up the local Jewish population into an uprising
that might even stone this individual. No, this time they literally
wanted to make a federal case out of it. And they want to put Paul in
jeopardy with the Roman government itself. Even if the Romans did
not see this as sedition, a crime punishable by death, it would
certainly hinder, if not kill entirely, Paul’s ministry efforts. You see, they knew that if the
Roman government were to side against Paul and his friends,
this would mean an end to Christianity. Not just in the local jurisdiction
of Corinth, but throughout the entire Roman world. A judgment
here would establish a precedent for other governors. When a governor
made a ruling, That ruling would stand over the particular province
where it was rendered, but it did set a precedence. And just
like in modern day, where a lawyer carefully considers rulings made
in other previous cases, Other governors would be likely to
be influenced by such a ruling, even if he didn’t adopt the ruling
altogether. This was a key moment in the
history of the Christian church. A ruling here against Paul would
be the end, the eventual end of Christianity. The Jews knew
this and no doubt, make no mistake, Paul knew it. And yet Paul not
only showed up to court. He showed up with all the confidence,
knowing that the Lord was behind him. The Lord would fight this
battle. It is not that Paul was smug
and sure of himself. He was sure he had all the confidence
in Almighty God. Scripture does not leave us to
fret and worry in the face of trials. The confident apostle
Paul had the Lord’s words echoing in his mind, which he had recently
heard directly from God. Do not be afraid any longer. But go on speaking and do not
be silent, for I am with you and no man will attack you in
order to harm you, for I have many people in this city. Unless God had changed his mind,
Paul could rest on those words. He could trust those words. But Paul also had many other
things in his memory bank as well. Paul knew that the godly
should expect such treatment from unbelievers. He had likely
heard and by now probably even read Christ’s sentiment. Blessed are you when people insult
you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against
you because of me.” Paul knew that he was in the Lord’s employ,
and as such, he knew that such horrible treatment by evil men
was actually a blessing. Years later, When Paul would
write back to this very Corinthian church, he alluded to situations
like this, if not this exact situation. First Corinthians
4.13. When we are slandered, we try
to conciliate. I imagine Paul walking into the
courtroom, nodding to those Jewish friends that he had met and seen
around through town, even though they hated him. Friendly wave,
looking forward to working through this difference with them. This was not a hostile criminal,
but one rather who sees the ill treatment by servants of Christ
as inevitable. How else could Paul later tell
both the Ephesian church and the Colossian church? Let all
bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put
away from you along with all malice. I believe that Paul walked
into that courtroom believing with all his heart that he was
among friends. As far as it was up to him, they were his friends. But Paul sees the big picture.
He knows what’s going on here in this courtroom. He knows what’s
at stake. He knows that just as his friend,
the apostle Peter, would go on to state it, keep a good conscience
in that thing in which you are slandered. Well, that very scenario
is about to play out. And so here stands Paul, confident
in the sovereign plans and purposes of his God. But for the Jews, this is a desperate
move on their part. The Jews have now allowed their
passion to get the best of them in their unjust hatred of Paul
and his doctrine. It’s not as if they had momentum
on their side. Remember that little note appended
to the introduction of Aquila and Priscilla? Just glance back
at verse two for a moment. Luke introduces us to these people,
Aquila and Priscilla, having recently come from Italy because
Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. Did you get
that? The emperor himself had only
recently kicked an entire race of people out of his city, Rome. Not a great time as a Jew or
worse as a group of Jews to file a federal case against anyone. Gallio likely knew all about
Claudius’s official actions there in Rome, especially since these
large numbers of Jewish people are now effectively refugees
living in his city, Corinth. This is a desperate move on the
part of the Jews, and if they don’t win this case outright,
they are only making a bad situation worse for themselves. And yet they bring the charge.
Glance down at verse 13 where we see the essence of the charge. This man persuades men to worship
God contrary to the law. That’s slander. But this is their
charge. This man is breaking the law. He’s promoting a false mode of
worship. And this charge alone would have
mattered very little to the Roman procurator. Now much is made in the commentaries
about this simple question, whose law did Paul break? The Jews here tell Galileo that
what Paul was engaged in was contrary to the law. Whose law? Was it the Mosaic law, the law
of the Jews, or did Paul actually transgress Roman law? And it’s a little bit of a hair
splitting question. because Judaism was recognized and sanctioned
by the Romans as an acceptable religion in their land. And if
it could be proven that Paul was teaching something new, especially
unorthodox religion, this could spell real trouble for Paul.
In essence, to breach Jewish law could also potentially be
a transgression of Roman law. We don’t know what their specific
complaint is here, but if we back away and begin to ponder
some of the criticisms that Paul faced by Jews, the picture begins
to clarify. Remember this. Immediately after
his conversion, there in Acts chapter 9, Paul found deadly
disfavor immediately from the Jews in Damascus because he was
confounding the Jews by proving that this Jesus is the Christ. That was their initial complaint
against Paul. He was promoting that Jesus was
the promised Messiah. No sooner was his ministry underway.
On his first missionary journey in Pisidian Antioch, remember
Acts chapter 13, that sermon that we have pondered these past
few weeks, Paul addressed a number of things that really provoked
the Jews, as we saw. That Jesus Christ was God’s provision
as a Savior, verse 23 of that chapter. that his murder by their
countrymen, verse 28, his resurrection, verse 30, that through him forgiveness
of sins was proclaimed, verse 38. Well, that led not to repentance,
not to a great exercise of faith on the part of the Jews, but
it led to a jealous outburst on their part, remember? And
a riot that essentially drove Paul and his companions out of
the district. That hateful sentiment dogged
their steps to Iconium. With the intensified intent to
stone Paul, even once they set foot on European soil, they fared
no better among their Jewish countrymen. At Thessalonica,
The reason for the Jews hated is summed up in a single statement.
He was explaining and giving evidence that the Christ, the
Messiah, had to suffer and rise again from the dead. And likewise,
in the immediately preceding context, in Acts 18.5, Paul was
solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. So Luke here only gives a general
summary of their charge against Paul, that Paul was promoting
worship contrary to the law. And their conclusion was that
if the Jewish religion was sanctioned by Rome and Paul was teaching
contrary to the Jewish religion, then he actually was transgressing
Roman law. They disavowed Paul as a Jew
and maintained that his message was not that of Judaism. And
therefore, not only should he not be enjoying their protection,
he should be punished even unto death. Well, even as Gallio begins to
address this charge, we see there was evidently much more detail
included in the indictment. But according to their accusation,
the indictment might have read something like this. He’s promoting
worship which is in direct conflict with that which are Jewish law
and in so doing is against Roman law. And observe their arrogance.
Maybe they thought that in Galileo they had a very nice dunce, a
dupe, someone over whose eyes they could easily pull the wool
and get an easy conviction. He was not to be. And Paul stands
there in all confidence in Almighty God, steadfast in the face of
this slander. But there’s something else we
see here in this passage. There is a trust by Paul in God’s
sovereign protection. And we see that beginning in
verse 14. not only steadfastness in the face of slander, but trust
in God’s sovereign protection. God had promised this, remember?
Look at verse 14 and watch how it plays out. But when Paul was
about to open his mouth, Galileo said to the Jews, this is almost
a humorous description. a depiction of this scene, Paul
is standing before a Roman ruler, a very solemn occasion, and he’s
standing there falsely accused, and he’s chomping at the bit
to present his defense. We can perhaps picture him, can’t
we? Gathering up his notes to prepare to go to the podium,
parking his pencil behind his ear as he’s rising to his feet,
and just as he’s about to speak, Gallio cuts in. I think Paul
was eager to answer this charge. I think he would have been eager
to seize the opportunity to preach the gospel now, even before this
Roman ruler, Gallio. Do we remember that he would
go on to do such a bold thing as to preach to King Agrippa? He did. Turn just briefly to
Acts chapter 26. In Acts chapter 26, Paul has a providential
opportunity to stand before King Agrippa and he holds back nothing. He gives, first of all, his testimony,
the whole event on the road to Damascus, the bright light, the
voice. But I want you to pick it up
in verse 16, because this is where he articulates his marching
orders from Almighty God. Get up, stand on your feet for
this purpose, I have appeared to you to appoint you a minister
and a witness, not only for the things which you have seen, but
also to the things which I will appear or reveal to you. rescuing
you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles to whom I am
sending you, to open their eyes that they might turn from darkness
to light, from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive
forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified
by faith in me.” Do you see what’s going on? Here he is brought
up on the same kind of petty criticisms that has him standing
before Gallio. And on this particular occasion, at great risk to himself, he
seizes the opportunity to preach the gospel even to King Agrippa. Remember, King Agrippa quips
at the end, so soon would you persuade me To be a Christian,
Paul was trying. And I believe that Paul was ready
here before Galileo, back to 18, if you would. Paul’s ready. This is out of season. It’s sudden. He’s being thrown to the wolves,
so to speak. He’s ready to preach the gospel
even on this providential occasion, but he’s never afforded the opportunity.
Before Paul can even utter a single syllable, Galileo speaks. Glance
at it if you would in verse 14. When Paul was about to open his
mouth, Galileo said to the Jews, if it were a matter of wrong
or vicious crime, oh Jews, it would be reasonable for me to
put up with you. But if there are questions about
words and names and your own law, look after it yourselves.
I’m unwilling to be a judge of these matters. Gallio was no
fool, and he was not about to allow these religious zealots
to dictate to him what he should and should not allow in his city. He’s new on the job, but he’s
not about to be bullied, especially by non-citizens who had only
recently been marginalized and removed from Rome because of
their extreme views. He doesn’t even allow Paul to
defend himself because there is no legal case against him.
He positions his estimation of their case, noting that it is
not a matter of wrong or vicious crime. In other words, it’s a
petty thing that the Jews are bringing before him, not worthy
of the court’s time and energy. That alone would have been cause
for irritation. to Gallio, even to a man so patient
and kind. And so he rests this entire direction
for his initial statement on a mild rebuke. Oh, Jews. He says, if it were a matter
of wrong or vicious crime, oh, Jews, it would be reasonable
for me to put up with you. That statement alone. would have
brought the reality of the fragile, tenuous ground on which the Jews
stood on in the Roman Empire. They were an irritating, troublesome
group of people who were, at present, being merely tolerated. And Gallio’s statement forecasts
his judgment. There is no crime. If you have
questions, he offers in verse 15 about words and names in your
own law, look after it yourselves. These are the words that indicate
that there was much more detail in this indictment by the Jews
than what was originally suggested. He says here questions about
words and names and the most likely name that the Jews would
have included as part of their indictment would have been that
of David or Moses or both. Galio had sat and listened
to their entire case, probably a whole case built upon the Old
Testament history. These things were matters that
could and should be dealt with within their own religious community,
not in a Roman court. They are Jews. Paul is a Jew. Whether or not this Jesus was
really, in fact, a promised Messiah was a question which Gallio was
unwilling to deliberate, let alone judge. In Gallio’s estimation,
Paul was being accused of promoting some new ritual in how to address
a deity or perhaps some new deity. This was hardly a matter for
him to deliberate. This was a petty dispute between
two religious factions, not a matter for the imperial court. And so
Gallio has just cause to dismiss these deliberations on the spot.
I am unwilling to be a judge of this matter, he tells them.
This is not a matter into which he has any obligation to consider. And instead of wasting time as
Paul refutes the spurious charges, he dismisses the case outright. If this were a modern courtroom,
he would bang down the gavel to indicate a complete closure
of the matter. And with that final judgment,
perhaps the sharp crack of the gavel, the accusers should, if
they knew what was wise and good for them, should have quietly
left the courtroom. But evidently they didn’t. We’re
not told. Perhaps they moaned. Perhaps
they grumbled. Perhaps they lingered just a
bit too long. Perhaps they even refused to
accept Gallio’s verdict. Something happened. Verse 16
tells us that he drove them away from the judgment seat. This
isn’t something that Galileo would have had to do himself,
perhaps with a nod or a glance or even a brief command. He had
the courtroom cleared. He had had enough. The great spiritual principle
that Paul, even the great apostle Paul, needed to be reminded of that which is so clearly articulated
in Proverbs 21.1, the king’s heart is like channels of water
in the hand of the Lord. He turns it wherever he wishes.
Paul was reminded in real time that instead of being a threat
or a hindrance to his ministry efforts, instead, Galileo was
in the providence of God an asset. I’m sure when Paul walked into
that courtroom, he was filled with trepidation, but he was confident. He was
confident in God’s direct promise to him, and he was ready. He
was ready to make a defense, just as his fellow apostle Peter
urged to make a defense for the hope that was within him. Paul
was ready, I believe. He just never got the chance. And it’s not pleasant. It’s not
pleasant to acknowledge here that Galileo, even though God
used him, he squandered the greatest opportunity of his lifetime to
have the gospel preached by one of the greatest to ever preach
it. Sadly, Galileo isn’t even interested in the question about
whether or not Jesus was the Messiah, let alone the answer. Maybe Gallio is even uncharacteristically
hasty here. After all, he would have been
well aware of Claudius’s recent edict regarding the removal of
these same religious people. Gallio certainly would not have
been eager to take a position different than that of Claudius.
But he’s just not going to be pushed into a corner. And God providentially turns
his heart to serve his own sovereign purposes in the preaching and
proliferation of the gospel. What is the fruit of this invigorating
confidence? Not only a steadfastness in the
face of slander, trust in God’s sovereign protection, but thirdly
and finally, hope in the twists and turns of God’s providence.
Look at verse 17. And they all took hold of Sosthenes,
the leader of the synagogue, and began beating him in front
of the judgment seat. But Galileo was not concerned
about any of these things. What has just transpired is stupendous. The Jews have shamefully lost
their case. Paul has been exonerated. But
his victory is not only personal, it benefits the gospel. Most
of all, Paul is free to continue to preach as he has so faithfully
done. And God, I believe here, is about
to give him a divine down payment on the promise that he makes
to him in verse 10. There, the Lord said to him,
I have many people in this city. And God is going to prove that
promise in a remarkable fashion. Look, if you would, at verse
17. The so-called trial has ended, judgment has been rendered, the
courtroom is cleared, suddenly a skirmish breaks out. There isn’t a lot of detail here,
but there surely is enough to paint a remarkable picture. Verse
17 just says, they, very undefined. They take hold of Sosthenes,
the leader of the synagogue. I just want you to notice something.
This is the leader of the synagogue. Actually, the new leader, or
the newly installed leader, because you might remember that a guy
named Crispus, back in verse 8, came to saving faith, and
he was the leader of the synagogue. He had to be replaced. This was
a very embarrassing situation for the Jews, and so obviously
they put forward this man named Sosthenes to be their new leader.
So far, so good. Except for this dreadful situation
now before Galileo, and it gets worse. They, whoever they is,
commenced to beating poor Sosthenes. Some of the older translations
say the Greeks. began beating Sosthenes. But
the best texts don’t say that. They just have this vague they. Even without such a translation,
many identify the they of verse 17 as non-Jews who were in the
courtroom. There’s only one problem with
that, and it’s surprising because while we might assume that there
might have been others present in the courtroom, We’re never
informed of that. In fact, I want you to see something
overwhelming that gives evidence to the contrary. Go back, if
you would, to verse 12. While Galileo was the proconsul
of Achaia, the Jews rose up against Paul. Look at
verse 14. When Paul was about to open his
mouth, Galileo said to the Jews, In fact, he even rebuked them,
oh, Jews, in verse 14 and said it would be reasonable for me
to put up with you. To use that plural pronoun in verse
15, he uses it twice more, your law, look after it yourselves. And in verse 16, it says he drove
them. Away from the judgment seat. So seven times Luke refers to
the Jews in this passage, never once to any group of Romans,
soldiers or citizens. So I believe that the most natural
way to take they of verse 17 is to understand that Luke here
is referring to the Jews. They, the Jews, all took hold
of Sosthenes. But you say, why would the Jews
have done this to their fellow Jew, the leader of their synagogue
at that? Well, they had just been embarrassed
profoundly and publicly. If Sosthenes had any role in
promoting this ill-advised action, they would have cause to turn
on him. Or if it was the crowd’s idea and Sosthenes failed to
stop them from this foolishness, they would have cause to turn
on him. Blame it on the leadership, right? Or if they were simply looking
for a scapegoat, someone to blame, they would have cause for turning
on him. But God is about to use their
evil actions for His good and for the salvation of Sosthenes. With a finger in Acts 18, would
you flip over to 1 Corinthians 1, verse 1. 1 Corinthians 1,
1. One sentence, Paul, called as
an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes,
our brother. There would be no other reasonable
explanation as to why Paul would suddenly introduce a figure,
Sosthenes, about whom he never says another word. unless this
is the same Sosthenes that we meet in Acts 18. The most likely
scenario is that sometime after the beating stopped, the beating
recorded in verse 17, Sosthenes, perhaps now disillusioned with
the position taken by his fellow Jews, really and truly began
to consider the Messiah whom Paul was proclaiming. and God
unlocked his heart. Regardless of what may have prompted
it, I believe that this Sosthenes eventually came to faith in Christ. And while that little synagogue
lost, again, another leader. The church, both the church in
Corinth and the greater Church of Christ has won a great victory. Paul’s faith in God, taking God
at his word, the confidence that exuded from him was blessed and honored again
and again and again. His steadfastness in the face
of slander, his trust in God’s sovereign provision, and his
hope even in the twists and turns of God’s providence. Would you
humble yourself before this God? O merciful King, We bow before you and thank you
that you place trials and challenges into our lives for the very same
purpose that you place them in Paul’s. Paul believed in you. We believe
in you. But even as we see you work in
such mighty and amazing ways, our confidence grows, and so
did Paul’s. Lord God, we thank you and praise
you for this passage and for this example before us. And Father,
we pray that you would not only instill in us a basic faith in
Christ, but that you would cultivate that and grow, grow that into
a great confidence that bears much fruit. It’s in Jesus name
that we pray. Amen.