Acts 18:1-17 (NIV)
Read by: Javelin Lewis
Sometimes God calls us to leave a place, sometimes he calls us to stay, the key is learning to discern the difference.
Today’s passage in Acts brings us to Paul’s time in Corinth. Now, Corinth was the capital of a Roman province and was extremely steeped in it’s Roman identity if you will. Some said it was more Roman than Rome itself. As notorious as port cities were and are today, ancient Corinth had 2 ports which today are a canal connecting two important bodies of water. And unlike other cities that Paul preaches in, he’s called to stay in Corinth for about 18 months.
Like Paul received a vision to go from Troas to Macedonia, he receives a vision to stay because the LORD has many of his people in this place. A couple of key people are Pricilla and Aquila, two jews who were expelled from Rome by the emperor Claudius. Ancient historians say that Claudius ordered this expulsion because there were riots among the Jews about a man named Christus.  Pricilla and Aquila are mentioned fondly in both Paul’s letter to the Corinthians and the Romans. Paul begins to work as a tentmaker along with them as a way of supporting himself, which he likely did before now, but without as much consistency because of how often he was moving from place to place.
Today’s passage also highlights a concession made by the proconsul Gallio who basically decided to not make a decision for the Jews who were angered by Paul. This ends up extending the same rights that the Jews enjoyed from Rome to the followers of Jesus.

One overarching takeaway from today’s passage is that sometimes God says go, and sometimes he says stay. And that often that guidance only comes just in time and is sometimes not super clear.
----------REFLECT----------
1. What struck you about today’s passage?
2. The LORD obviously cares about Paul, about Corinth, about the Jews who were expelled, the Jews in Corinth, along with the gentile in Corinth all the way to Gallio. What strikes you about God’s character towards each party in this passage?
3. Have you ever been in need of the LORD’s guidance in terms of when to leave or when to stay in a situation? For Paul to hear that the LORD’s people were in this place would have come as a huge encouragement to him. Perhaps you can take a moment to ask the LORD for encouragement in regards to the decision you have to make or perhaps the decisions you’re walking out.
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