The ministry of the Apostle Paul in Corinth, as detailed in Acts 18, highlights his reliance on the power of God rather than eloquent speech. Despite initial opposition from the Jews in the synagogue, Paul found success when he shifted his focus to Gentiles and those who worshipped God, leading to the salvation of many, including the chief ruler of the synagogue. Paul's ministry was characterized by a clear message of Jesus Christ and His crucifixion, demonstrating the Spirit's power rather than human wisdom. After facing opposition and a legal challenge before the Roman deputy Gallio, Paul continued his missionary journeys, strengthening disciples and leaving a legacy of both evangelism and spiritual growth for believers.
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shall we turn in the word of God in the book of the Acts chapter eighteen tonight the eighteen chapter of the book of the Acts I'm sure that many of us are well acquainted with the fact that in the opening of this epistle or this book it is called the Acts of the Apostles well I think we must always remember the title of every book was not given by divine inspiration that has been added by those who have translated the scriptures for us. But I'm sure that we have learned already, one of the great titles in the book of the Acts we could say, it could be called the Acts of the Holy Spirit to be properly what it really is.
And then also when you divide the whole book, as we have been doing, you can divide into two great sections onto two particular apostles. We've had the great joy of opening in the beginning of the book and going down through the chapters ahead to see the ministry of the great apostle Peter. His ministry was greatly emphasized in the opening part and the first half of the first section of this great book until we get to the ministry and the conversion and the ministry of the Apostle Paul. So we could say that they could be called the Acts of the Apostle Peter and the Acts of the Apostle Paul.
In chapter eighteen tonight we are following Paul's missionary journeys. This is the second missionary journey that he's upon. I'd like to read the opening part of the chapter. After these things Paul departed from Athens. and came to Corinth, found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife, Priscilla, because that Claudius, that is the Emperor of Rome, had commanded all Jews to depart out of Rome. And he came under them, and because he was of the same craft, he abode with them and wrought, for by their occupation they were tent-makers.
and he read them in the synagogue every Sabbath, persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. And when Silas and Demontius were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit and testifying to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. And when they opposed themselves and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, said, Under them your blood be upon your own heads. I am clean. From henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. And he departed then, and entered into a certain man's house named Justice, one that worshipped God whose house joined on to the synagogue.
And Christ the chief ruler of the synagogue believed on the Lord with all his house, and many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed. and were baptized. I would like to stop right there from the reading of this chapter. I recognize with you that as dear Apostle Paul comes as he was his custom to any city, he first of all entered into the synagogue and preached Christ to the Jews as well as to the Gentiles gathered there. But in the opening of our chapter we have also that he found two believers in the Lord Jesus.
Aquila and Priscilla, two Jewish believers in the Lord Jesus. And as he came into common, he found them there and under the occupation of the intent makers. Aquila and Priscilla were named in the scriptures three or four times. They were very devoted to the Apostle Paul in his ministry when they became acquainted with him. You will know that you have it in verse three. Because Paul was of the same craft, he abode with them and wrought or worked with them, for by their occupation they were test-makers. May I insert a fact may not be commonly known, but every Jewish boy, in the tender years of his age, he was encouraged to learn some occupation, some trade.
that he could be occupied with practically in his life when needful. Well, evidently, Coquilla and Priscilla had taken up the occupation of tent-making. Likewise, the beloved Apostle Paul, and they were of the same occupation, and thus Paul joined himself with these two believers together. I'm sure we may and we can from the Scriptures may read later. whether it be in the Book of the Romans, whether it be later in the Book of the Corinthians, they are mentioned. Aquila and Priscilla, they were very devoted to the Lord, whether in Rome, whether out of Rome, and later on in their years when they were back in Rome, and even later still when they came back to Ephesus near the end of their life.
But with the Apostle Paul in fellowship with them in their techniques, I'm sure they talked very much about the Lord while they were making tents. But then we find, if I may, what the Apostle did, as he sought to minister, first of all, as we know, when Silas and Timothy came back from Macedonia, he went to testify to the Jews that Jesus was Christ in verse five. Then you find in verse six their opposition. to his teaching and to his ministry. Christ was despised by the Jewish men in the synagogue. And so the Apostle Paul, as we read in verse seven, he left then, and he went into another man's house by the name of justice, and the one that worshipped God, whose house was very near to the synagogue.
But we note from verse eight there was salvation. manifested and brought to reality. She's the chief ruler of the synagogue. Christmas believed on the Lord and with all of his house. And then note the last phrase. Many of the Corinthians, hearing, believe and were that time. Now here is the result of his early ministry in the city of Corinth. He hadn't been there very long. He had only shortly arrived, not many days before. But there was some result, even from, that ministry period given.
But I would like you to go with me to the second chapter of the first epistles of the Corinthians. For in the second chapter of the first epistles of the Corinthians, we have the story of his ministry when he first came to Corinth. And let me read with you the first five verses. For it tells us very faithfully and very clearly what the Apostle did and how he did it when he came to Corinth. Let me begin reading in chapter two and verse one. I read only through verse five.
And it is the recitation of the early days when he first came to Corinth, saying, And I remember when I came to you. And please note as we read on, it's one of the most beautiful examples and most precious examples of preaching. I came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom. declaring unto you the testimony of God. First of all, may I remind you that in the preceding chapter in the book of the Acts, chapter seventeen, Paul was in the great city of Athens, a great city of knowledge, an intellect, philosophy, as well as idolatry.
But he had very little result. Reminding of the words that he wrote later, the world by its wisdom knew not God. But when he comes into the city of calmness, it was also a city of great intellect, but also a city of great immorality. But please note what he declares here. I came not with the excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. My beloved, you'll find, you'll find later in the epistles of the Corinthians that he accused him of not being very good in his speech or in his activity and his manner and personality.
When he made his declaration here, I'm not going to go to the city of Carmen preaching with excellency of speech. Now, beloved, let me say lovingly, Many times we can be very much impressed by a man or a person that speaks with excellence of speech. But the apostles said, I determined, I know it. I came not. For in verse two, he said, I determined not to know anything among you. I know especially the theme of its subject, the theme of his message when he first came to call him. Only Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Please may I re-emphasize what Paul has said. My only purpose when I came to Calvary was to tell you of the person of Christ. And second, his death, his crucifixion. My beloved, that's the secret of the gospel. Well, let's read on. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. I read these words to remind us when he first went to college.
He didn't feel very strong about it. I'm very sure about it. But one thing he determined I'm only going to tell them of Christ and his death. But now known in verse four as we read, my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words. Please may I take it to my own heart. It is not by the expression of beautiful words. The power of the gospel may be known. Oh, I was reading just today. of a man, a preacher back in the days of the Welsh Revival way back in the eighteen hundreds.
He only had one sermon. And he preached that one sermon everywhere he went. I don't know how many souls you might have, or I may have a lot too. Maybe he had only one. And souls were saved everywhere he went. A fellow preacher went to visitment. He heard of the blessings that none was having. Asked him the secret. They took him into his own abode, the old home that he lived in, the little shack that it was, and he led him to a place by the window.
And there upon the carpet that was worn is shown where one night he prayed all night that God would give him power to preach the gospel, even though he was only in one message. And he prayed all night till daylight came and had peace of mind and heart about. But that was the secret. His power was with God. Three of the apostles said here. Three. My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and of power.
Oh, my beloved, please let me say faithfully. Never mind the intellect. It's what the heart knows of Christ. It's what the heart believes in, the person and the work of Christ. And may I be faithful to say, what is the gospel? But the message of the person of Christ and the power of Christ is saved. I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. For it is the power of God unto salvation, said Paul, unto everyone that believe it in Romans one sixteen. Now know what he adds here. My speech and my preaching was now with enticing words and man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power.
Now note the result, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. I'm often convicted when I'm trained for so. The importance to this only God who can save them. Not the preacher. No matter what his wisdom may be, and his eloquence may be, but his message, the person of Christ and the death of Christ. And Paul preached, and let me close this verse again, but as he goes on to say, in chapter, the first Corinthians chapter two, that his message might stand and their faith might stand.
Not in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. If you'll ever let me please re-emphasize again, it's a necessary emphasis. It's the power of God that saves us all. And it depends on the clear message. And he was tall. Weak as himself. Doubtful as he may or some. As he entered the great city of Calvary. Who was the capital of Achaia? One great province in the Roman Empire that day? But in that weakness he had the power of God in his message.
And God blessed him. Now back to our chapter in eighteen of that book of the Acts. I want you to notice, very significant as we come to verse nine, how do we have the record that some of them believe? And with that time, then state the Lord to fall in the night by your vision. Be not afraid. And may I tell you very frankly, as we read from first Corinthians two, he says, I was with you in fear. I was strangling. Far better to tremble than to be self-confident. But here you find the Lord giving him encouragement now.
In a vision of the night, be not afraid, but speak. Hold not thy peace, for I am with thee. No man shall stand on thee to hurt thee, for I have much people in this city. What an encouragement. And beloved, may I again repeat, oh, it's a joy to read as we've been in verse Corinthians two, and those first five verses. The entrance of Paul into the city of Calvary, and the weakness of his mind and heart and body, if God was in it when he gave the right message, Christ I remember a salesman one time, a Christian brother telling me, he was on a business trip in one certain city of our country.
He said, I didn't know where to go to church, but I went to one to see if I could hear the word of God and said, Brother Bramall, I never heard the word of name of Christ mentioned. You can imagine his disappointment as a believer, but it's a possibility. And unfortunately, it's too much soul. How often it can be. But here's the temple of the message. In the clear simplicity of the gospel. The person of Christ. And particularly his death. At the very cross of the gospel message. Christ died for our sin.
And that he was crucified. Now we read on, if we may, down in chapter eighteen of the book of Acts, and note how long he continued there in verse eleven. He continued there a year and a half teaching the word of God among them. And we know from the epistles of the Corinthians, both one and two. He had much fruit. But for a year and a half, He continued the ministry of preaching and teaching the word of God among the Corinthians. The next section is one that tells of a deputy that is one of the Roman governments by the name of Galileo.
It's incidentally inserted here, who came in authority to that same place to be the deputy of the care of which Corinth was the capital. And when Galileo was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul and brought into the judgment scheme. Now, I'm sure we're all acquainted with the fact, though Paul himself was a Jew, the greatest enemies that he had were his fellow Jews, but as he loved them, He was preaching a message that they would not believe.
He was preaching a message that they would not accept. They'd already rejected the Lord Jesus of the nation. And everyone that believed in Christ was considered to be damned and cursed because of their faith in Christ. And here you find, straight to say, When this Roman governor comes to take its place of authority, with one accord the Jews accused Paul and bring him to the judgment seat, where Galileo was as the judge, saying, This fellow persuaded men to worship God contrary to the law.
Whose law? I'll tell you, in fact, they weren't referring to the law of Moses. Oh, no. They were referring to the Roman law, the law of the Roman government. You find in an earlier chapter in the Seventy chapter that you secuse him of preaching another king besides Caesar. Have you ever wondered? when Christ was crucified they said we have no king but Jesus and nailed into the tree and here when Paul and his companions were preaching Christ they accused him of preaching against the Roman law in fact the Roman law said no religion had to be put down but a religion they followed It was to be kept.
I tell you frankly, Paul didn't believe that. Not when he found Christ. For when he found Christ, he said, Lord, what will thou have me to do? And we know what happened. That became the theme of his message. And the only message, he gave up all Judaism to preach Christ and improve upon him. But here the Jews were accusing him to go in contrary to the Roman law. But unfortunately for them, Galeo, when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Galeo said under the Jews, Listen, if it was a matter of wrong or wicked lose it, immorality, oh ye Jews, reason would that I should dare listen to you.
But if it be a question of words and names and also of your law, Look, he threw it. I'll be no judge of such matters. And he drove them from the judgment seat. Of course he was not a Christian. Neither was he sympathetic with the Jews. And neither was he sympathetic with Paul. But he said, I have nothing to do with it. I'm not going to answer into it. Get away from him. And he drove them away. Well, when you know what happened? What did the Jews do? They took one of the believers. Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, or Gentiles took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and seated before the judgment seat.
And Galileo cared for none of these things. One thing about Galileo, he wasn't interfering with anybody's religion. For one certain fact is sure the devil was interfering with the message of the gospel. And Sosthenes, one who also was the chief ruler in the synagogue, They be, they're billions, they're billions, they're billions. I was one who believes on the Lord. May I remind you, if you read First Corinthians chapter one, Paul writing from Corinth wrote in fellowship with his brother in Christ, Socrates. Whether it was the same Socrates, we have no proof.
But undoubtedly it could have been. But one sure thing. Sophonies must have appreciated the beating those unbelievers gave him. As he suffered with Christ's face, he did him good. And that was then the infirmity regarding Galileo and his authority. Now we come to verse eighteen. And we have Paul saying, after this he carried there yet a good while, Then he took his leave of the brethren, sailed then under Syria, with him Priscilla and Aquila, having shone his head in St. Croix, who he had a vow, and he came to Ephesus and left them there.
But he himself headed into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. Here we have Paul coming to Ephesus. He does not stay there long. It's near the close of his second missionary journey. And Aquila and Priscilla go with him. And he leads them in Ephesus, but he, as he left them, there he goes, as is his custom. One thing about the dear apostle, you have to confess, he had a terrific longing and love for the salvation of his fellow Jews. All you'll need to read is Romans chapter nine, and the opening chapter, then chapter ten and eleven, too.
And you'll find he has a longing for his fellow brethren, the Jews, to be saved. He had a passionate longing for them to be brought to the Lord Jesus. And so again he goes into the synagogue and reasons with the Jews. When they decide him to tarry longer time with any consent, it not. But he begged them, farewell, saying, I must by all means keep these feasts that cometh in Jerusalem. But I will return again unto you. I'm sure as we may read on later in the book, we'll find that the dearly beloved apostle had a burden upon his heart.
And he was a very fellow Jew. And he knew there was coming a great annual feast called the Feast of Pentateuch, to be held in Jerusalem a little later on. And he declared, as you have it here, by all means I want to keep that feast in Jerusalem. And after it, he says to them, I will return unto you. And he sailed from Ephesus. And when he had landed at Caesarea and gone up and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch. And that was the end of the second missionary journey of the beloved Apostle Paul.
Now we come to verse twenty-three. After he had spent some time there in Antioch, He departed and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order. Where he had already been ministering and bringing folks to Christ, but note the purpose of it in verse twenty-three at the end. Strengthening all the disciples. Strengthening all the disciples. Who are the beloved apostles? Peter as well as Paul. We're both concerned not only for the salvation of souls, but for their development and their growth.
We think of the dear Apostle Peter when he wrote First Peter chapter two, as newborn days desire the same still no, of the word that you may grow thereby. We also think of his ministry at the end of the second epistle, exalting us but growing in grace. and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I hear you find you trusted and saved. And may I re-emphasize it? Every soul that is saved needs to be strengthened, needs to be encouraged, needs to be exhorted to grow, and help.
And beloved, under the work of the ministry that Paul and the Apostles and others had in that day, and should be ours today, is not only the saving of souls, but the strengthening of those who have found the Lord. Now let me say faithfully, take the two young people who have confessed Christ to the daily and daily vacation Bible school. I don't know who they are, but if anyone knows them personally as a Christian, Or if anyone in amongst the saints that led them to Christ did it, they should follow them up and seek to help them grow and come to a better knowledge of the Lord whom they found.
And then I give personally a testimony. I thank God for a brother in my early days of Christian, not only one brother, but more than one, who took the time. to talk to me about the Lord and encourage me to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord. I think of a dear old saint. He took me under his wing, as they were. He was a man about me. I know he's about fifty-five. I was only about fifteen. But he and I brought it together. He took me to different places to try to preach. Rescue missions.
as well as nursing homes and county homes. And all the time he was talking to me to encourage me in my quick ship growth. And I appreciated it. And others who have done the same. And so Paul strengthened the disciples as he went over the countries of Galatia and Phrygia in order wherever he had been before. Now at the end of our chapter before coming to the Nantig where Paul comes to Ephesus, in verse twenty-four to the end, we have the revelation of another child of God, a man named Apollos, and a certain Jew named Apollos born in Alexandria.
An eloquent man, mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man was instructed.