Pray for honest civil leaders

And when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it were a matter of wrongdoing or wicked crimes, O Jews, there would be reason why I should bear with you. But if it is a question of words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves; for I do not want to be a judge of such matters." And he drove them from the judgment seat. Acts 18:14-16

What did Gallio, the wise and compassionate Roman proconsul, do when he was being played by the Jewish religionists? (Read yesterday’s blog if you missed it, in order to understand the question.)

Gallio called the religionists’ bluff. Unlike Pilate when Jesus stood before him, Gallio refused to be played. He was there to administer Roman law (which was not being broken), rather than to be played by special interest groups who sought to use the law to further their own agenda.

Thank God for Gallio! I’ll bet Paul did!

And let us pray that our civil leaders would have the integrity to uphold the law instead of bowing to the wishes of special interest groups who think nothing of twisting the law to support their own narratives.

Which law was being violated? Roman, or Jewish Law?

When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat, saying, "This fellow persuades men to worship God contrary to the law." Acts 18:12-13

Gallio probably had no negative opinion regarding Christianity. He was stirred, however, by the Jewish religious leaders who in a thinly veiled threat, warned the proconsul that the Christians (and Paul in particular) were a threat to Roman peace. They accused Paul of persuading people to worship God “contrary to the law,” Which law? Roman or Jewish Law? Answer: neither actually.

First, like Jesus, Paul taught Christians to be law abiding citizens, civilly.

Second, like Jesus, Paul taught that Christ was the fulfillment of the Jewish Law (Matthew 5:17). He argued that the Law remains holy and good even for Christians (Romans 7:12).

But like the Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem when Jesus was crucified, the attack was because the religionists believed that Christianity threatened the Jewish Law. Knowing that the Roman authorities didn’t care about that, they twisted the truth to push the Romans to make it appear that Roman law was being broken—which it was not.

What would Gallio do? Stay tuned.

Satan uses foolish people to attack the kingdom of God

When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat, saying, "This fellow persuades men to worship God contrary to the law." Acts 18:12-13

Remember that Paul was in Corinth at this time. Corinth was in the Roman province of Greece. Some background from commentator Albert Barnes is helpful. (Barnes, 1798-1870, was an American Presbyterian known for his commentaries on both the Old and New Testaments.)

After the Romans had conquered Greece, they reduced it to two provinces, Macedonia and Achaia, which were each governed by a proconsul. Gallio was the brother of the celebrated philosopher Seneca, and was made proconsul of Achaia in 53 AD… He is mentioned by ancient writers as having been of a remarkably mild and amiable disposition. His brother Seneca described him as being of the most lovely temper: “No mortal,” says he, “was ever so mild to anyone as he was to all…”

Gallio was not a hot-headed or blood thirsty bureaucrat, but a fair and temperate public administrator. This is worthy of note so that we do not think that he had any ax to grind with Paul or with Christians. Why then was he even involved with charges against Paul and Co.?

Roman civil authorities were not the source of persecution. They didn’t much care what people believed. They only cared that there was no civil unrest, and of course that tax revenues were consistently rolling in. The source of persecution (v.12) was Jewish religious hatred against Christ and His followers. But as it was when they wanted to do away with Jesus, they insisted that Christians posed a threat to Roman peace and tranquility.

Of course, the Christians posed no such threat. The threat was from the Jewish religious leaders. They threatened the Roman authorities that if they didn’t get their way, they would cause trouble. Sound familiar in our day?

Back of it all is Satan, who hates Christ and and uses foolish people to attack the kingdom of God.

Advantages of pastoring in the same place for prolonged periods of time

And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
Acts 18:11

Last time we considered how long Paul stayed in various places. Most times he stayed only weeks or at most a few months. But in Corinth he remained a year and a half; and in Ephesus as much as three years. Why did he stay when he stayed and move when he moved? The only sure answer is that he was supernaturally tuned to the guiding voice of the Holy Spirit.

What did he do in Corinth for an entire year and a half? The Bible tells us: he was “teaching the Word of God among them.” To be sure, Paul preached the Word of God wherever he went, but in most places, because he did not remain very long, Paul mostly preached the gospel, having no time to engage in deeper, more concentrated teaching.

The role of every preacher, whether church-planting missionary or long-term pastor, is to preach the gospel. The disadvantage experienced by those who are not in the same place for very long is the inability to really train people in the faith via more detailed teaching of the Word of God. Conversely, those who have the privilege to pastor in one place for extended periods of time do enjoy the added bonus of being able to preach more of the whole counsel of God, beyond the initial proclamation of the gospel.

Paul summed it up when writing to his young pastoral protégé, Timothy:

2 Timothy 4:1-2  I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:  2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

Learning from Paul's longer stays

And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
Acts 18:11

Paul remained in Corinth for a year and a half. Why is this detail about the length of Paul’s sojourn in Corinth recorded in the biblical text? Because it was unusual for Paul to stay in one place for very long. The lengths of most of his stays in the cities in which he planted churches isn’t recorded, but it is clear while reading Acts, most were weeks, or at the most, a couple of months. Corinth was an exception, so it is noted.

Another exception that was much longer than Corinth, was Paul’s stay in Ephesus, where it appears he remained from two and a half to three years.

Why longer in those two places, and why so short in the others? We can only speculate, except that as we read Acts, we are reminded that the Holy Spirit was supernaturally guiding Paul when and where to serve God. Interestingly, sometimes, the Holy Spirit’s leading was contrary to Paul’s personal plans. What can we learn from all this?

Apostles were unique ministers of the gospel. They were divinely guided more supernaturally than we should expect to receive such guidance. Church planters today usually spend many years in a particular locale. We ought not to think church-planting missionaries can operate as effectively or as quickly as Paul did.

In the other hand, from the fact that Paul spend a great deal longer in Corinth and in Ephesus, it instructs us as to the level of pastoral care Paul gave in these two places. This example is much more a normative example for the majority of church-planting pastors (and pastors in general).

What did Paul do in these lengthy stays in Corinth and in Ephesus? We’ll consider that next time…

The OT Law is valuable in that it...

Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.
Romans 7:12

Today’s post is the conclusion of what I posted yesterday.

No one has ever been saved by keeping the law because no one ever has or can do so perfectly (Romans 3:20, Galatians 3:11). But the Law is still valuable in that:

1. The Law condemns the guilty so that we will cry out to God for mercy, which is available exclusively in Christ Jesus (John 14:6)

2. The moral law (and the moral principles found in the ceremonial and civil aspects of the law) inform us about how to live lives that are pleasing to God.

3. All laws restrain evil in that most people want to avoid punishment, and obeying the law is a primary way to do that.

Let us never think that salvation is obtained by keeping God's Law. We do not because we cannot (even if we wanted to, though we do not naturally want to!). But Christ kept the entire law—every aspect—perfectly for those He came to save.

The Law not only points us to Christ, the moral law (and the moral principles in the ceremonial and civil aspects of the law) inform us about how to live lives that are pleasing to God, and the Law does restrict evil, at least in a limited way.

How are Christians to understand the Old Testament law?

Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.
Romans 7:12

I was asked how Christians are to understand the Old Testament law. The following is my response.

There are three aspects of the OT Law. Ceremonial (religious), Civil (government), and Moral (right and wrong).

1. The Ceremonial Law is not binding on Christians. All those religious laws point to Christ, He fulfilled them, they are over. (Examples: The temple, priests, sacrifices, dietary laws, etc.)

2. The Civil Law is not binding on Christians. Those were the laws for ancient Israel. Ancient Israel no longer exists. Even modern Israel is not ancient Israel. (Examples: boundaries for the tribes, capital punishment by stoning, etc.)

3. The Moral Law IS binding for all people throughout all of time. These laws about right and wrong are always good, right, and binding. (Examples: The 10 Commandments [all 10!], laws about sexual morality, etc.)

IN ADDITION: Though the details of the ceremonial and civil laws are not binding for the reasons listed above, we need to look for the moral principles found in the ceremonial and civil laws that are morally binding. Examples (and these are only examples as there are hundreds if not thousands more):

• Moral Principles in the Ceremonial Law: While we do not worship God in a temple, through priests offering sacrifices, the details about those instructions about worship inform us how holy God is and how particular God is about how He is to be worshiped.

• Moral Principles in the Civil Law: While we are not ancient Israel, the laws about not moving property boundaries (Deuteronomy 19:14) command us not to steal other people's property. And while we do not stone rebellious children, we are instructed how seriously God views such rebellion.

Continued tomorrow…

Speaking about Christ at work, and wherever else

And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city."
Acts 18:9-10

I received a great question regarding speaking about Christ in the workplace. Here is my reply.

I am a firm advocate of employees not "stealing time" from their employers, by not giving full attention to the job in favor of other personal interests, whether spiritual, or political, or anything else for that matter. I believe speaking up about the Lord while on the job should only be done with a few provisos:

First, speak about the Lord in everyday conversation. In the same way we are free to speak about our spouses and children at work, why not just mention the Lord as a part of one's life?

Second, speak more "evangelistically" only when we are not "on the clock." When we are being paid to do a job, detailed conversations are seldom, if ever, appropriate. But before and after work or during lunch breaks, just as other people are free to talk about "news, weather, and sports," why shouldn't Christians be free to speak about Christ and the gospel?

Third, when we work for a truly Christian employer, employees may have more liberty, but we are still being paid to do a job and we owe our employers our undistracted attention to the work.

Fourth, we must be sensitive and winsome when speaking about Christ, whether at work or anywhere else. If a person is clearly not interested, and especially if a person tells us he or she is not interested, I believe we should honor that. Pushing when a person says "stop," only pushes the person away instead of toward Christ. When I have been told, "I'm not interested," I like to say something along these lines: "I understand. There was a time when I was not interested either. God graciously changed my heart. I pray that the Lord will change your heart as He changed mine. Forgive me if I have offended you. I will not pester you, but if you ever have questions, feel free to ask." And then don't pester the person unless they ask.

Fifth, as essentially important as speaking about Christ and the gospel is, let us pray, pray, pray. Let us speak to God, asking Him to change people’s hearts and to use us as He pleases. If they have been clear that they do not want to hear it from us, ask the Lord to send someone else to whom they will listen. After all, only the Holy Spirit can convert people’s hearts. We cannot.

How are we to understand these words?

And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city."
Acts 18:9-10

“And no man will attack you in order to harm you…” How are we to understand these words? Are they an across the board promise of exemption for all believers in all times that we shall not experience persecution—and harm? Obviously not! God’s people have suffered harm at the hands of those who are not God’s people since Cain slew his brother, Abel. In both the Old and New Testaments (including the record of the Apostle Paul’s life) we read a tidal wave of examples of persecutions of the faithful. And what is Church history but a story of persecution. What then?

Let us remember and understand that even our Lord was persecuted. Let us remember His words that “a student is not above his teacher.” Let us remember that persecution, in varying degrees, is part of what it means to live for God and follow the Lord Jesus.

What these words in Acts 18:10 (along with Psalm 91:9-11*) mean is that even in the midst of persecution, including martyrdom, the persecutors cannot ultimately prevail. Even if our lives are taken, the Lord and His people shall prevail because “the gates of Hades cannot prevail” against Christ’s Church, because He is building it, and He cannot fail.

So let us be confident that even though persecution can be horrific, the Lord is still in control. Let us remember to pray for the persecuted Church around the world, and may we not falter if persecution comes to us—knowing that ultimately, we are safe and secure in His hands.

* Psalm 91:9-11 9 For you have made the LORD, my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place. 10 No evil will befall you, Nor will any plague come near your tent. 11 For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways.

An often forgotten reason we are filled with the Holy Spirit

And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city."
Acts 18:9-10

“For I am with you.” Most believers are timid to speak up about our faith in Christ, and so we tend to remain silent. Here is some good news for believers regarding telling others about the “Good News.” The Lord is with us! The Comforter (the Holy Spirit) is indeed IN us for our comfort. That is why Jesus referred to Him as the Comforter in John 14:16, 26; 15:26, & 16:27 (KJV). But He is not merely the Comforter for us as we deal with life’s difficulties. He is in us to empower us to declare the gospel.

Acts 1:8  But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Acts 4:31  And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

Do you struggle with timidity? Trust in the Lord to empower you to overcome timidity and to speak boldly. He is with us for that expressed purpose.

Let us “not be silent”

And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city."
Acts 18:9-10

“Go on speaking and do not be silent…:” In Paul’s case, he was to “go on speaking,” meaning he already was speaking. For some, the second phrase is more in order. To the many believers who are generally silent, “do not be silent” is more appropriate.

“Go on speaking” what? “Do not be silent” about what? Christ and the gospel, of course. Christianity is innately evangelistic. We are commissioned by Jesus Himself in Matthew 28:18-20 to “make disciples,” which begins with making converts. But even if we weren’t so commissioned, why would we not tell others about Christ and the gospel? It is only the greatest news of all time! It is also the greatest news for all people, everywhere, at anytime!

Let us be reminded that, as Paul reasoned in Romans 10:14, if we do not speak about Christ, no one will believe. So especially during this Christmas season when people are more open to hear about Jesus, but also on into 2022, let us resolve to “not be silent.”

Four words of comfort from God

And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city."
Acts 18:9-10

The conversion of the important Jewish leader, Crispus (v.8), caused no small stir. Doubtless, the believers were excited and encouraged. But the unconverted Jewish community was most certainly not happy. This may have caused Paul to think that due to increased persecution he needed either to back off, or maybe even move on, as he did when persecuted at Thessalonica (ch.17). But the Lord wanted him to remain in Corinth and to keep preaching Christ and the gospel.

The Lord’s first words were “Do not be afraid.” These four words are among the most common uttered by the Lord to His people. Why? Because we are easily frightened, whether by life’s common trials, or as in this case, of persecution. Persecution is scary, whether it is physical (including martyrdom) or merely being ridiculed. Of course none of us wants to suffer physical persecution, but nearly all of us are also quite afraid of being poorly thought of or spoken of.

Regardless of the reasons for our fears, God’s most common words of comfort and encouragement are, “Do not be afraid.” Jesus weighed in on this matter most directly in Matthew 10:28.

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

In other words: Do not fear people, but do fear God. Fearing God biblically, which includes trusting and loving Him, is the single most effective antidote for fearing people. After all, since the Lord loved us enough to give His life to save our souls, we can trust Him when we are tempted to fear people. (See Romans 8:31-39)

How God communicates with us

And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city." Acts 18:9-10

“And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision…” Can the Lord speak to us today through dreams and visions? Yes, He can. But does He? Not regularly, not chiefly. The Lord’s primary way to speak to His people in our day is through His Word, the Bible. Here are some reasons.

He spoke through prophets in the Old Testament, and the Apostles in their day because they were His special messengers. He gave them special revelation, not about which car to buy, or which job to take, but about doctrine, which they were to communicate to His Church. That inspired communication was written down and preserved in the pages of the Bible. We hear from God through His Word when we read and study it, and when we hear it preached and taught by those He has gifted to help us understand. They were special messengers, we are not.

Another reason God speaks through His Word, rather than through dreams and visions, is that the written Word is communicated objectively, and by God’s grace it has been preserved without change for our edification. Dreams and visions are subjective (rather than objective). This means they are easily misunderstood by us. And because dreams and visions are subjective, we may remember them one way today and differently (if at all) next week.

I charge you, brethren, do not seek special revelation from God through dreams, visions, or impressions. Seek God’s voice where we can trust it: from His unchanging Word, the Bible.

A Footnote: Beware of anyone who tells you, “God told me…” Listen only to those who point you to scripture!

The importance of believer's baptism

Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized.
Acts 18:8

One brief last thought on this encouraging verse: Those who heard and believed were baptized. Friends, baptism is important.

Baptism is important because it is commanded (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 2:38).

Baptism is important because it is an outward physical symbol of an inward spiritual reality, namely that the person is saved! That is why we believe only believers are to be baptized. The symbol without the reality lacks meaning.

Baptism is important because it is a public testimony of a believer’s faith in Christ. That is why it is so wonderful when non-believing family and friends attend a person’s baptism.

Of you are a believer and have not been baptized as a believer, let’s talk.

For this we give You thanks

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
Psalms 136:1

The following is a prayer for Thanksgiving that I read at the Thanksgiving Sunday Evening service, We all repeated the refrain: “For this we give You thanks.”

A Thanksgiving Prayer 

Father, we bow before You and give You thanks for Your grace.

It is by Your grace that we were created.  You didn’t owe us life.  But You graciously gave us life.  For this we give You thanks.

It is by Your grace that human life was not extinguished when we—in Adam—rebelled and sinned against You.  In that dark hour justice cried out for the death of man.  But You graciously allowed us to live.  For this we give You thanks.

It is by Your grace that even though dead in our trespasses and sins, we know of Your existence.  While scoffers seek to explain Your existence away on “Scientific” grounds, calling You Mother Nature, by Your grace we see You, the Invisible, and know You, the unknowable.  You didn’t owe us a revelation of Yourself, but You graciously revealed Yourself to us anyway.  For this we give You thanks.

It is by Your grace that when we were presented with the facts concerning Your immeasurable holiness and our hopelessness as sinners, that we received Christ as Lord and Savior.  If left to ourselves we would have continued to reject You.  But You graciously changed our hearts and gave us both the desire and the ability to believe on Jesus Christ and to repent of our sin.  For this we give You thanks.

It is by Your grace that we enjoy the blessings of health, family, friends, food to eat, clothing to wear, and roofs over our heads.  It is by Your grace that we have such abundance of material wealth that we forget about You.  You do not owe us such blessings, but You graciously bless us anyway.  For this we give You thanks.

It is by Your grace that we suffer, whether with poor health, financial woes, loneliness, depression, or a host of other things.  It truly is Your grace that allows such trials to touch the objects of Your affection in order to keep us from straying from You, and to draw us back when we do wander.  You do not owe us that kind of love, but You graciously love us anyway.  For this we give You thanks.

It is by Your grace that we are forgiven when, even as Your redeemed children, we continue to sin against You.  By rights we would forfeit our salvation by our sin, but You graciously forgive us over and over and over again, keeping us for Yourself and for Your eternal glory.  For this we give You thanks.

Father, You are a debtor to no one.  You owe mankind nothing.  You are not obligated to sinful and rebellious people.  Yet You graciously love, and forgive.  For this we give You thanks.

May we learn to say, “Thank You” with more than our lips.  May we say, “Thank You” with our lives.  May we understand our obligation to You for all You are and for all You do, and may we live our lives in a manner that says, “We give You thanks.” 

Amen.

God WILL save His people!

Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized.
Acts 18:8

Once Crispus was saved, others followed suit. First, were the members of Crispus’ own family. How wonderful when God saves numerous people from the same family! When Frances and I were saved, it didn’t happen immediately, but in due course of time, many of her siblings came to faith in Christ alone. Their father believed, and after some time, so did their mother. What a delight!

If you are the only one in your family, do not stop praying for God’s saving grace to be poured out on other family members. We cannot say for sure who He might save, if any. But let us pray in faith, believing that God will save everyone of His people according to His will and in His time.

Second, because Crispus was a man of influence, being a leader of the synagogue, “many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized.” His faith did not save them, but his faith was, no doubt, used by God to encourage people to be willing to hear. And since “faith comes by hearing” (Romans 10:17), of those who heard, many were saved.

From antagonist to believer

Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized.
Acts 18:8

While the salvation of any person is significant, it is especially encouraging to read of Crispus’ conversion. Why? Because he was “the leader of the synagogue” in Corinth. Since the persecution of believers was still coming chiefly from the Jews, that a prominent Jewish leader was converted must have been a great encouragement to Paul and those who had already believed.

As we pray for the persecuted Church, let us remember that God saves His people from among the persecutors. That was especially true of Saul of Tarsus who, once converted, became the Apostle Paul. Keep praying both for the persecuted and for their persecutors.

A footnote: At this point in Church history, the Romans were not terribly concerned about Christians. They saw the conflict between Jews and Christians as an intermural rift among the Jews, since they regarded Christians as a Jewish sect. The Roman authorities only got involved to try to keep the peace, even as Pilate did in Jerusalem when, against his better judgment, he ordered the crucifixion of the Rabbi from Nazareth. Persecution of Christians directly from the Romans was coming, but it wasn’t full-fledged just yet.

Till He returns in glory!

Then he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next to the synagogue.
Acts 18:7

Paul said he was going to go to the Gentiles, and to the Gentiles he went! Titius was a Gentile who was “a worshiper of God.” Even though he had not yet be evangelized with the gospel of Jesus, this Gentile worshiped God.

To be sure, his worship was incomplete (not knowing Christ). But God has His people, even among the Gentiles. It is interesting to me that Titius was not identified as merely “a believer in God,” but as “a worshiper of God.” Even though he did not know Christ when Paul initially went to him—and therefore his worship was incomplete—Titius knew enough to worship God. Truly God makes Himself known. It may only be in general at first, but as it was in the case of Titius, God reveals Christ through the declaration of the gospel.

This is why missions must continue until Christ comes again. We must continue to preach Christ and the gospel so that God’s people from every tribe, tongue, and nation can be saved through faith in Christ. While some go to the ends of the earth to preach Christ, we who are not called to go, can and must support those who do go, with our prayers and with financial assistance…

Till He returns in glory!

While not giving up too quickly…

But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." Acts 18:6

Christianity is an evangelistic religion. We are commanded by our Lord to “make disciples” (Matthew 28:18-20), which begins by evangelizing non-believers with the hope of seeing the Holy Spirit transform them into believers.

We do this by persuasion, not coercion. Other religions make and keep converts by threatening, rather than by inviting. We do not threaten or coerce because the Bible does not tell us to do so. Our mission is to declare the good news, knowing we cannot change people’s hearts. We pray that the Holy Spirit will do the converting since only He can do it.

When people do believe, we give thanks and glory to the Lord for saving His people. We take no credit since it all belongs to Him.

But what about when people do not believe? First, continue praying and trying. We ought not give up too quickly. But sometimes the person’s resistance is strong, and we are asked not to talk about it any more. In such cases, we are wise to talk to God more about that person than to that person about God. Pray that the Lord would send someone the person will listen to, if he/she will not listen to us. If we still have a relationship with the person, we should watch for an opportunity to speak of Christ again, if it seems the person has become more open.

If and when the person closes the door completely, just pray and leave him/her in the Lord’s hands.

Bi-vocational or "fulltime" ministry?

But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. Acts 18:5 NASB (emphasis added)

I decided to use the New American Standard Bible (NASB) translation for this verse rather than the usual New King James Version (NKJV), As I have said in the past, I believe the NASB is the most accurate English translation, but since so few use it anymore, I default to the NKJV. My reasons for using the NKJV are not so theological as practical. It is a reliable translation and I have been using since the early 1980s.

Now to the point of the verse, especially in the NASB. Verse five, most clearly in the NASB, points out that Paul made a shift from being bi-vocational, making tents to support himself while preaching, to preaching full time. Why was it a wise choice and why was he able to do this?

Pastors and missionaries who are bi-vocational, cannot give as much time to their ministries as those who are financially supported to do ministry full-time. It is a wise choice to minister full-time if there is support to do so. When it is possible, it is a wise choice simply because one can accomplish more ministry.

Why was Paul able to make this choice? Because when Silas and Timothy arrived, they brought financial support from the churches in Macedonia, making the shift possible.

All believers are to serve in the ministry to varying degrees. Most serve voluntarily, very part time, without financial remuneration. Those God calls to serve vocationally in fulltime ministry are to give themselves “completely” to the ministry. And believe me, fulltime ministry is more fulltime than most other occupations, in that we never leave our work at work. It is what we think about all the time.

I am so grateful to the Lord and to His church for allowing me to be in fulltime ministry!