People of the Word

MEMORY SELECTION: “Give me understanding, and I shall keep Thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.” —Psalm 119:34

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Acts 18:1-4; I Thessalonians 2:1,2,13-20

THE Apostle Paul’s efforts in Athens had met with little success—the majority of its citizens were given to idolatry and philosophy and were unwilling to accept the message of Jesus and the resurrection of the dead. His ministry was not a total loss, however. “Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.” (Acts 17:34) Paul’s heart no doubt was exceedingly glad for those who responded to his message.

Then we note (18:1) that Paul left Athens and went on to Corinth, another prominent city in Greece, about 40 miles away. He found the attitude there quite different from that of the intellectual climate that existed in Athens—being less refined and much less concerned with the pursuit of religious and philosophical thought. Corinth was a commercial center, and its spirit was largely dominated by business interests.

Corinth, being more or less free from the entanglement of philosophy and religion that prevailed in Athens, proved to be a better place to preach the truth. The minds of its citizens were more receptive—not having been immersed in the mixture of philosophy and religious formalism. They did not first have to unlearn a particular kind of religious form or ceremony. They were, therefore, better prepared to compare the glorious things about the kingdom—as well as the standards of truth and righteousness—with the sinful, immoral, and irreligious element that dominated Corinth.

Next we learn (vs. 2) that Claudius Caesar was reigning at the time, which establishes the date for our lesson as occurring about A.D. 52—and we understand that Paul stayed in Corinth about a year and a half. Claudius had driven the Jews from Rome because of certain rumblings in connection with the teachings of Christianity. Aquila and his wife Priscilla were among those who had been exiled from Rome, no doubt having received the message of the kingdom in that city.

The Apostle Paul knew the trade of tent making. During his ministry he was therefore able to maintain himself without being a burden upon those who accepted the message. He believed that the truth would have greater force if he were free to expound that truth without fear of being misunderstood among some of those who heard him. He did not want to appear to be preaching Christ for earthly gain. When he came to Corinth he found himself in company with Aquila and Priscilla, “and because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.”—vs. 3

The dedicated apostle quickly engaged himself in the work at hand. “And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.” (vs. 4) He called upon all of his great resources of mind and body to present the truth in the most logical manner possible. He realized the evil and corruption that surrounded him, and he also knew that those who responded to the glad tidings were those who hungered and thirsted for righteousness and were not in harmony with the conditions that prevailed in Corinth.

After having established the church in Corinth, Paul later reflected upon his earlier experiences with them. “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”—I Cor. 2:1-5

Paul sought to remind the Corinthian brethren that the message of truth was not his, but God’s. The “weakness,” “fear,” and “trembling” of which he spoke only emphasize the depth of responsibility which he felt.

| Home Page | Table of Contents |