Acts 18 - A Powerful Church & Powerful Letters to the Church (notes)

Acts 18 - A Powerful Church & Powerful Letters to the Church

Most People agree that Luke wrote Acts and the Gospel of Luke. In Acts he told how the good news about Jesus Christ spread to the world beyond Jerusalem. The book of Acts is a case study in world missions. It is also a model for Revival. If you study revival you will find that the book of Acts is relived and revisited in that outpouring.

Today we will be introduced to some individuals who became part of the ministry team that spread the Gospel, help plant churches all over the world and worked with Paul.

Since The City of Corinth is introduced in this chapter let’s take a look at this large city. It was a city state and located roughly half way between Athens and Sparta. It was a major commerce center, a port city that connected major trade routes. Corinth was also a very vile city.

The Difference Between Athens and Corinth

1. Athens was a small city of about 10,000 people while Corinth was a city of over 200,000 people. 
2. Athens was an intellectual & cultural center while Corinth was a commerce center that had sea trade to the Ionian Sea on the West and the Aegean Sea on the east.
3. In Athens Paul ministered alone (except for a short visit by Timothy) but in Corinth he had a ministry team.
4. In Athens Paul focused on Gentile philosophers while in Corinth on Gentile God fearers.
5. In Athens Paul displayed brilliance in human wisdom in Corinth he ministered with displays of supernatural power.
6. In Athens the Word overshadowed deeds, but in Corinth deeds supported & confirmed the Word.
7. In Athens he produced little fruit while evangelistic ministry in Corinth produced a great harvest.

Paul Ministered in Corinth for about two years and he saw many people come to Jesus and established a powerful church there. Paul wrote two powerful letters to the believers in Corinth with some powerful revelations.

Strongholds That Existed In Corinth

1. Poseidon (Neptune in Latin)  was also worshiped in Athens but more so in Corinth. This was the god of sea & Corinth had two sea ports located on an Isthmus (a narrow strip of land with sea on either side forming a link between two larger areas of land.) The sea was the source of it great wealth. Poseidon would have promised lucrative commerce in exchange for worship & sacrifice.
2. Aphrodite (Venice in Latin) the god of free love had a temple on top of an 1,800 foot high mountain in Corinth. It had 1,000 slave girls who served as temple prostitutes available to all who would glorify Aphrodite and agree to serve her.

In Corinth

• Society itself promoted sexual immorality. At the time of Paul to Corinthianize meant to fornicate.
• Paul wrote 1st & 2nd Thessalonians in Corinth.
• Paul wrote the letter to the Romans six years later from Corinth.
• God gave the Apostle Paul some of the most powerful revelations to the church.
• God added to the ministry team of Paul and they worked together spreading the Gospel to the Roman Empire and beyond.

Timothy & Silas arrive in Corinth. The last time Paul had seen them together was when he was fleeing for his life from Berea. Athens was not on Paul agenda he just arrived there on ship after fleeing Berea. In Acts 18:5 it says that Silas & Timothy had come from Macedonia.

The Chief Centers

• Of Christian ministry were in Philippi, Thessalonica and Berea. Silas & Timothy brought two things, money from those churches and good news. (2 Cor. 11:9).
• The Lord used the Macedonian churches to be of great encouragement to Paul, with their offerings and how they were progressing in the Lord.

The Reason the Jews would get so upset with the message of Paul was because they were taught the Law, you have to do all these things to be right with God. The message of the Gospel is that you don’t have to do anything but believe in Jesus Christ to be welcomed into God’s presence.

Three Key

• People became followers of Jesus Christ at this time. Crispus, Justus (Gaius) and Sosthenes the one who succeeded Crispus as president of the Synagogue. Paul baptized all of these three men.
• God spoke to Paul, “don’t be afraid, but speak, don’t keep silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you or hurt you; for I have many people in this city.”