Planting a Church in a Pagan City

ACTS 18:1, 8-11

THE church at Corinth was established on Paul’s second missionary journey. Corinth was a wicked city, filled with vice and immorality. It was largely a pagan city, although there were many Jews among the population and these maintained their synagogues. It was to these synagogues that Paul first went to preach the Gospel when he arrived in the city. This seems to have been his general plan of procedure in every city he visited.

Apparently not many of the Jews in Corinth accepted the truth, but one did—“Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue.” It would seem, though, that Crispus did not take a firm stand for the truth until Paul had ceased preaching in the synagogue and had taken up residence in the home of Justus, who lived next door to a synagogue. (Verse 7) From the time Paul made his headquarters in the home of Justus, many of the Corinthians accepted Christ “and were baptized.”

As everywhere, Paul encountered much opposition in Corinth from those who were stirred up by the Adversary to persecute the ambassadors of Christ. But, at the same time, and as always, the Lord stood by the apostle. At Corinth he was favored with a special vision in which the Lord said, “I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.” What a blessed assurance!

But it is well to note the principle involved in this promise to Paul. It was not an unqualified promise always to protect Paul from physical harm. No such promises as this have been made to the footstep followers of the Master. Jesus himself was not thus protected, except as it was necessary in order that he might finish the work the Heavenly Father had given him to do.

And this was the point with Paul. The Lord said to him in effect: Paul, I have much people in this city, and I have chosen you to be the one I will use to carry the Gospel to them. There will be those who will try to interfere with your work, even to the extent of inflicting bodily injury upon you, even death, if they have the opportunity. But do not fear, Paul; because of my people and their need to hear the Gospel from your lips and to be strengthened in the most holy faith, I will protect you from all harm.

It is the privilege of every Christian to suffer and die with Jesus, and the promise God made to Paul at Corinth did not set aside this privilege in his case. It was an assurance merely of temporary protection until a certain necessary work had been accomplished in that city. All of the Lord’s people can expect similar protection, for nothing will be permitted to harm any of them until the work the Lord has assigned them is accomplished.

As individuals, the task assigned to us by the Lord may not be so clearly outlined as was Paul’s mission in Corinth. But this means merely that we must exercise implicit confidence in the Lord and in his overruling providences while we zealously endeavor to do with our might what our hands find to do. We are all commissioned to be ambassadors for Christ, and should be willing to go where he wants us to go, and to do what he wants us to do. Because Paul was faithful to his charge, the Lord’s work in Corinth was accomplished through him.

II CORINTHIANS 6:14 – 7:1

The group of Christians at Corinth was not one of the most ideal among the ecclesias in the Early Church. Perhaps the wickedness of the city—it was a Sodom of that day—had its influence to some extent upon the brethren. Every follower of the Master is influenced somewhat by the spirit of the world and needs constantly to be on the alert not to be overcome by its lustful pleasure and selfishness. Obviously the more wicked the surroundings of a Christian, the more difficult it is for him to overcome.

In his letter to the church at Corinth, Paul urged the brethren there to separate themselves fully from their former worldly associations, and to be clean. One reason this was important was that they were the “temple of the living God.” (Verse 16) The Scriptures give us two viewpoints of the temple illustration. In one, each individual Christian is the Lord’s temple, his dwelling place, the place from which he speaks to the people. In the other, the church as a whole—that is, each local group as such—is the temple in which God dwells; and those who would know God and make contact with him must come to his “temple.”

This places all Christians in a highly honored position, and one of great trust, hence the importance of keeping the “temple” clean in order that the Lord may be properly represented therein, Those who are thus faithful are accepted by God as his children, members of his family, his household—those who, together with his beloved Son Christ Jesus, will constitute the glorified “temple” of the future from which the true knowledge of God and the blessings of everlasting life will spread to the world of mankind.

QUESTIONS

Did many Jews in Corinth accept the truth?

Has the Lord promised to protect his people from physical harm?

Explain the meaning of the temple illustration as applied to the Lords people.

| Home Page | Table of Contents |