Moving on… Paul's Evangelistic Journey
By Dean Collins
Paul had a pattern of going to the synagogue first when he traveled to a new city. When Paul came to Corinth, things were no different. There were likely many reasons why Paul and his companions went to the synagogues first when entering a new city. Paul was indeed called to carry the gospel to the gentiles, but that did not exclude his calling to share the good news to everyone. When Ananias was questioning the instructions of Jesus when the Lord appeared to him telling him to go see Saul, this is what the Lord said:
“But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.’” (Acts 9:15-16 )
Paul was called to preach to the gentiles but also kings and to the children of Israel. Paul’s visits to synagogues were both consistent with his orthodoxy as well as strategic. Synagogues were places where both Jewish citizens and gentiles who were seeking God gathered. They were places where scripture was read and taught and where people gathered in community and for prayer. To share the gospel in such a place gave Paul an entrance to the nations and not just to the children of Israel.
At the end of the first half of Acts 18, the Roman proconsul Gallio became dismissive of the Jews’ attack on Paul. He basically told the Jewish leaders that their dispute had nothing to do with Rome and was a matter they could judge on their own. The frustrated Jewish rulers grabbed Sosthenes, who was the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal, but Gallio simply ignored them.
Just ahead of this incident, Paul, also frustrated with the Jewish leaders, indicated he was done with them and was going to simply focus on the gentile audience. Paul did move on with a focus on preaching the good news to non-Jews, but a thorough reading of his epistles and the last few verses of Acts 28 suggests Paul always knew that he was to preach and teach the good news of Jesus to everyone.
When Paul wrote his letter to the Corinthians, his opening line tells us that Sosthenes had become a follower of Jesus. Paul may have been moving on with a greater focus on gentiles, but it seems that Paul had probably discipled yet another Jewish leader, even after he said he was moving on.
So, when do we move on? I suspect we must rely on the Holy Spirit to guide our decisions. There will indeed be individuals and communities where we are called to work and serve who may reject us because of our beliefs in Jesus. Like Paul, we may experience frustration and simply walk away from those intent on giving us difficulty. But like Paul, we should be careful to consider that while there may be groups who reject us, there will often be individuals within groups who will respond to the message of Christ.
God’s love is for all people. He sent his son Jesus to redeem all people and bring restoration to all creation. There will be times when it is hard to love, serve, and share the good news with some who are intent on rejecting God. We may not be called to focus our efforts on them, but we can pray for them and trust that if God wants to use us again with some who have resisted or rejected us, then God will open the door for us to do so. That seems to be what God did with Sosthenes and Paul.
Father, we ask that your Holy Spirit guide us to understand when we need to walk away from difficult people, and when we are called to stay and continue in the relationship. We want your will in our lives. Help us to remember that your Spirit will guide us, protect us, and lead us as we stay surrendered to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your Time with God’s Word
Acts 18:12-28, Acts 9:15-16; 1 Corinthians 1:1-2 ESV
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash
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