We've all known of people who were reclusive because in their own eyes they were better than all of society. They condemn and grumble about everything. That's not godly, as John's and David's meditations about God in the wilderness were.
The repair of the Temple was inspired by Joash, who was crowned in the Temple when he was seven. I believe this 'childhood experience' had a big impact on this king. His kingship was granted by the LORD in the Temple. It seemed that it was not only King Joash was reverent, he inspired his people (the carpenters and builders, the masons and stonecutters) were reverent. They did not have accounting records. But they acted with complete honesty. This makes me think of the early church (e.g. Acts 2:43-47) when they sold their properties and shared among them with similar honesty.
These two verses give me a new understanding in the present time when climate changes and food becomes a scarcity. We should know that it is God that provides suitable amount of rain, light etc. that let the food grows.
Mike and everyone,
Psalm 145:1-2 (NIV)
“I will extol you my God and King and bless your name for ever and
ever. Everyday I will bless you, and praise your name for ever and ever.”
i looked up Psalm 145, and found this sermon:
It All Ends in Praise, Psalm 145, A Sermon preached in Duke University Chapel on July 29, 2012 by the Rev. Bruce Puckett. The sermon says:
'Here the Psalmist doesn’t seem to be concerned with the “how to’s” of praise, whether we use an organ or a piano or even a guitar in our music of praise.
The Psalmist is concerned about the “who” of our praise. The Psalmist emphasizes the object of the praise, Whom all of creation proclaim now and will proclaim forever in word and deed.'
May God bless that everyone who follows the One Year Bible Blog will continue to dwell in His Word faithfully every day;
that we will continue to learn more about His characters;
and may He bless that each one of us will praise Him daily for who He is!
Thank you Mike! Thank you everyone!
God bless you!
Sincerely,
Joyce
====
Alan
====
It is interesting to see a 7 year old hid and kept to be pronounced king. That is interesting. It's also sad that a queen mother kills all the living heirs to the throne to gain power. Sad. However Joash did a great job at restoring and fixing what was broken. Kind of wish he could come to my home amd do the same. My hubs and I seem to miss that in life and finances get in the way but we still love and never lack.
Got to meet Priscilla and Aquila today and learn about Corinth. Paul's stay there for a year and half. We have a chance to go to Greece next year and if not, it is on my bucket list. Ephesus and Cyprus is on there. Cool reading history and seeing a reflection of locations to travel that has such culture!
Though a little long I love Psalm 145 and it is great to see attributes of the Lord and that he is slow to anger and gracious and compassionate! Amen!
Recluse..I know a few who could be that ..mixed signals on that and like Ramona said couldn't John the Baptist and David the shepherd be one? Hmmm
Dee
====
Acts 18 (NKJV)
1
After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth.
2
And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them.
NOTE:
Note in particular Acts 18, verse 2: “…he [i.e., Paul] found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus…”
Discovering the location of Pontus revealed to me more of God’s working in history.
According to the IVP NT Commentary on Acts 18, note where Aquila (“eagle”) and Priscilla (“venerated or esteemed woman”) are from:
“Luke introduces Aquila as a native of Pontus, an area of north-central Asia Minor, bordering on the Black Sea, which formed an administrative unit with Bithynia.”
This is very interesting to me, especially in light of the fact that the Spirit of Jesus specifically would not allow Paul earlier to go to Bithynia, as noted below:
Acts 16 (NKJV)
7
After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit [of Jesus] did not permit them.
Paul had such a passion for the Gospel, and to honor the Gospel and Presence of the Lord Jesus.
Paul had such a passion that—even though (for whatever reason) Jesus Himself would not allow Paul to go to Bithynia—God brought Bithynia to him!
Do I have a passion for Jesus and His Gospel? Do you? Do we? These are not meant to be condemning questions, but honest questions that I need to take time to meditate upon.
This reminds me of another verse in Acts 18.
Acts 18 (NKJV)
5
When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.
John Wesley said about verse 5 (John Wesley’s notes on the Bible):
“Every Christian ought diligently to observe any such pressure in his own spirit, and if it agree with Scripture, to follow it: if he does not he will feel great heaviness.”
CONTINUED NOTE:
And how did the people in Bithynia hear about Jesus, the Christ (the Anointed One)?
Acts 18:2 provides part of the answer: “…Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome…”
IVP NT commentary adds another very interesting historical footnote to this part of verse 2:
“Suetonius tells why [i.e., Jews were commanded to depart from Rome]—‘since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus’ (Claudius 25.4).”
“Writing seventy years after the event, Suetonius may have assumed ‘Chrestus’ was simply a local troublemaker; however, the dispute in the Jewish community over Jesus Christus (the names would have been pronounced similarly) was the real issue.”
Who was Suetonius? According to Wikipedia (the free encyclopedia):
“Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (ca 75 AD – after 130 AD ), also known as Suetonius, was a prominent Roman historian and biographer.”
“Suetonius was a close friend to Senator and Historian Pliny the Younger. Pliny describes him as quiet and studious, a man dedicated to writing.”
“Suetonius served on Pliny’s staff when Pliny was Proconsul of Bithynia Pontus (northern Asia Minor) between 110 and 112.”
It is interesting that somehow—even though Paul was not allowed to go to Bithynia to preach the Gospel—the Name of the Lord Jesus was being raised up in Bithynia, albeit by the complaints of Jews against “Jesus Christus” as Roman historian Suetonius writes.
Finally, the IVP NT commentary provides this insight:
“Through the Roman Jews' resistance to the gospel and an emperor's edict, God's sovereign care worked to bring Paul and this couple together.”
Acts 18 (NKJV)
9
Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent;
10
for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.”
11
And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
NOTE:
When we surrender ourselves fully, entirely, and wholly over to the Lord—this allows Jesus to manifest to us the full, entire, and whole surrender on the Cross that He has already provided for our salvation and protection to do God’s will.
This reminds me of a song from the Young Life songbook called “Surrender To Me”– Words and Music: Tony Congi © 1981, Wooden Story Music
Surrender to me with your heart and your soul
Surrender to me
I’ll make you whole
My love for you will outlast the stars
Surrender to Me Like I surrendered for you
Are you frightened…
By a world that won’t accept you
By your mistakes that won’t forget you
By the chance to be someone
Can you believe in…
A love that made this whole universe
A love that came and He walked this earth
A love that died but now is risen for you, then…
Surrender to me with your heart and your soul
Surrender to me
I’ll make you whole
My love for you will outlast the stars
Surrender to Me Like I surrendered for you
Vance
====
Vance!
I love that song from the Young Life songbook. It's one of the ones we sang the weekend I gave my life to Christ. Love it, love it, love it. Thanks for posting the lyrics.
Micah Girl
====
Corinth
Some elaboration:
Corinth was a major city of the Roman Empire, at an important crossroads of trade and travel; it was also a city notorious for its hedonism and immorality.
i. Even in Paul’s day, Corinth was an ancient city. It was a commercial center with two harbors and a long rival to its northern neighbor, Athens. Corinth was a city with a remarkable reputation for loose living and especially sexual immorality. In classical Greek, to act like a Corinthian was to practice fornication, and a Corinthian companion was a prostitute. This sexual immorality was permitted under the extremely prevalent worship of Aphrodite (also known as Venus, the goddess of fertility and sexuality). In 146 BC, Corinth rebelled against Rome and was brutally destroyed by Roman armies. It lay in ruins for a century, until Julius Caesar rebuilt the city, and it quickly re-established its former position as a center for both trade and immorality of every sort.
ii. “It is significant that it was from this city that Paul wrote his Roman letter; and when one reads his description of Gentile corruption in that Roman letter, one has almost certainly a mirror of what he found in Corinth. (Romans 1:22-32)” (Morgan)
iii. One ancient writer described Corinth as a town where “none but the tough could survive.”
http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/4418.htm
Corinth in Paul's day was a large and prosperous commercial city, one of the leading cities in Greece. It owed prosperity not only to the trade that flowed through it, but to several other factors as well. Corinth hosted the biennial Isthmian Games, which drew large crowds to the city. It a had the coveted status of a Roman colony and was the capital of the main province of Achaia (which is why the city's unbelieving Jews were able to bring Paul before the Roman governor, Gallio; Acts 18:12-17). Corinthian brass and pottery wares were famous throughout the Roman world.
But Corinth also had its dark side. A sizeable percentage of its population consisted of slaves, and it was a center of the slave trade. Corinth was such an immoral city that its name became a byword for sexual vice; the verb "to Corinthianize" meant to commit sexual immorality, and 'Corinthian girl" became a slang term for a prostitute.
http://www.biblebb.com/files/MAC/sf-2cor.htm
The Corinth of Paul's day was relatively new. The old Corinth (which
was famous and powerful in the days of the Peloponnesian War) was
burned in 146 B.C. by the Roman proconsul, L. Mummius. Because it was
a city devoted to the gods, a hundred years were required to pass
before the city could be rebuilt. In 46 B.C., Julius Caesar rebuilt
the city, populated it with a colony of veterans and freedmen, and
named it Julia Corinthus. It soon became a very important commercial
center.
With a population of 400,000 and being a prominent center of commerce
in the Mediterranean world, it was a place for all sorts of vice. An
example of its immorality was found in the temple of Venus (Aphrodite),
which hosted 1000 priestesses dedicated to prostitution in the name of
religion. The city's close proximity to the city of Athens probably
added the problem of intellectualism. As noticed in the epistle, such
an environment had its effect upon the church in Corinth. It is
amazing that a church existed at all in such a city.
http://www.ccel.org/contrib/exec_outlines/1co/1co_00.htm
John
====
Acts 18:9-10
"Afraid" and "Speak" are in the "present imperative" – a command. Can be translated as below:
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; -NASB
Now the Lord appears to him at night again, with a threefold command attached to a threefold promise, all expressed in biblical language (Deut 31:6; Josh 1:5; Is 41:10; 43:5; Jer 1:7-9):
Do not be afraid (literally, "Stop being afraid")/I am with you
Keep on speaking/No one is going to attack and harm you
Do not be (literally, "become") silent/Because I have many people in this city
http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/?action=getCommentaryText&cid=5&source=1&seq=i.51.18.1
Apparently Paul was afraid – maybe as Bob said because success in preaching to Gentiles may intensify opposition. Maybe because Corinth was "such a tough town". Regardless the Lord gave Paul assurance that he would not be physically harmed. At this time it must be that Paul needed this to be a fearless and tireless preacher of the "Word".
Neat to know that the field is "white" for harvest, that hearts were softened, and people would be receptive to Paul's message. Whatever one's belief in "election" is, the verb construct is "present indicative" saying, 'I have (ongoing)many people.'
As before time when God knows the very number of the hairs on our head, God knows His people – and provides for them. In Corinth at this time – Paul is that provision.
======================================================
Gallio sets Precedent
In approaching the proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth are trying to stop Paul not only in Corinth, but also in the entire province (Achaia).
i. “If Gallio had accepted the Jewish charge and found Paul guilty of the alleged offense, provincial governors everywhere would have had a precedent, and Paul’s ministry would have been severely restricted. As it was, Gallio’s refusal to act in the matter was tantamount to the recognition of Christianity as a "religio licita” (Longenecker)
religio licita: Latin for "legal religion"
Julius Caser accorded this status (religio licita) to Judaism, and it is more than likely that Gallio – as other Romans (in government) thought – considered Christianity a branch of Judaism.
Around 60 A.D. this staus for Christianity changed as Rome realized it was a distinct religion from Judaism. Chrisitianity became an "illegal religion" and the persecutions started and grew in intensity.
Interesting how God works:
1) as a dispersed nation it was important For Judaism to have this protection – without it, it is doubtful the people or religion would have survived.
2) God took the church's biggest persecutor (Paul) and made him one of the early church's greatest evangelists. Avoiding elimination and ensuring growth.
3) Christianity's early status as a "legal religion" protected it from persecution (elimination) until a time where it had grown past "critical mass" (such a size that it would be impossible to eliminate).
John
====
oops –
The "legal religion" status was a Roman thing. It did not keep the Jews from trying to stop growth or from persecuting Christians.
And if Rome got involved it would be because of alleged "civil unrest", rebellion or something of that ilk.
While incidents of that did occur with Roman officials getting invovled – they were sporadic. It was not until the persecutions of (around) 60 A.D. and on – that persecution became widespread.
John
II Kings 10:32-12:21
Two things really caught my eye in today’s readings.
1) How quick we are to call others out on a perceived sin when we are in sin ourselves. Athaliah, Joash’s grandmother, who had all of his brothers killed when her son Ahaziah died so she could be large-and-in-charge, didn’t recognize her own BIG shortcomings. But then again she was the daughter of King Ahab of Israel so she learned her lessons well. Calling out “Treason! Treason!” when she realized the grandson she didn’t kill was being anointed King of Israel seeing that she was a “serial” killer herself, hmmm! So much for family values.
2) The first two verses of the twelth chapter absolutely floored me,
1Joash began to rule over Judah in the seventh year of King Jehu's reign in Israel. He reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother was Zibiah, from Beersheba. 2 All his life Joash did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight because Jehoiada the priest instructed him.
In other translations, it makes clear that as long as the priest Jehoiada was living and instructing Joash, the King did what was pleasing in the Lords’ sight.
I have had this argument or debate going on inside of me for sometime and it is about self-control and boundaries placed on and in oneself because of self-restraint and not because of external controls and restraints. When external controls are removed and the person has not developed any internal controls, they will go hog wild, something I see all the time in my place of employment, a College. When not too few students are touring the school with their parents they look like little angels, but when the semester begins and they are dropped off on their own, well …! What happened to the spiritual quidence of Jehoiada?
When Josah relied on the strength of a bribe, the handing over the sacred objects three kings before him had amassed to quell the passion of King Hazael, instead of relying on God to being Judiah’s strong tower, was Jehoiada dead? Was his assassination by his trusted advisers triggered by angry reactions from what he had given to the enemy? These are all rhetorical questions.
Acts 18:1-22
12 But when Gallio became governor of Achaia, some Jews rose in concerted action against Paul and brought him before the governor for judgment.
This reminds me of a comment made about the devil waiting for a more opportune time to tempt Jesus after His wilderness experience. It seems the Jews were waiting for the right political climate to pounce on Paul. Goes to show the more things change the more they stay the same. The Devil never sleeps he is just waiting for a door to open.
Luke 4 13 When the Devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came.
Psalm 145:1-21
This is a great Psalm to use in studying God’s attributes and to remind and rehearse within your hearing the character of God.
Proverbs 18:1
1 A recluse is self-indulgent, snarling at every sound principle of conduct.
Couldn’t John the Baptist be considered a recluse? I’m not sure if the recluse that comes to mind in our thinking is the same recluse mentioned in this verse. David, before he became king, while he was still a shepherd boy in his father’s house could be considered isolated ‘cause he was hanging out with the sheep.
This verse from the Amplified Bible,
1HE WHO willfully separates and estranges himself [from God and man] seeks his own desire and pretext to break out against all wise and sound judgment.
Grace and peace,
Ramona
====
joash looks a bit like a hobbit…
but the fellowship of the ring is also about community as the proverbs verse suggests. why is it that we all know deep down that community and preferring others needs is the path to happiness, yet continually do the opposite! it can't be as simple as original sin, can it? i think we must just be bad learners…
rob
====
I certainly do feel thats Gods compassion is being showered at this very moment and into everyones future.
There must be a power (God) that is steering our cars whether it is for a long or short life it is him that we must live our life for.
PS love the paintings and the map:)
Brian
====
One thing that's pretty cool is that Sosthenes (the synagogue ruler that got beat up by the Jews) must have become a Christian because he is named/listed with Paul as one of the writers to the Corinthian church in 1 Cor 1:1. God used Paul to convert not just 1 but 2 synagogue rulers!
Todd
====
2 Kings 10:32-12:21
Random thoughts or things that make me go, “Hmmm.”
Jehu: One can carry out the will of God, operate in obedience to God’s directions and command and still turn their backs on God. Activity and movement without momentum does not that someone is righteous. WE must wait around for the fruit to appear and then inspect it.
Athaliah: Many a time I get this strong unction that, the devil does his best recruiting on the “church bench.” Yet here we see that the best place to hide the future king was in the Temple. Athaliah never thought to look there because no one every whet there to worship anymore or she just had this “thing” about going inside the House of the Lord.
I also see from her that we have the propensity to demand of others what we are unwilling to do ourselves. Athaliah cried, “Treason,” when she saw Josiah being crowned king, yet she had treasonously killed off ever heir to the thrown, except Josiah seven years before. We cannot demand from others what we are unwilling to do ourselves. We become hypocrites.
The clergy of yesteryear had as much trouble keeping their hands out of the cookie jar as they do today. It was the “working class/blue collar” man that dealt honestly with the monies given to them to repair the Temple. The priests in charge of the collection could not be trusted to “take some of the money to repair the temple,” (II Kings 12:5). No matter what we think the preacher is or is not doing with the collection box, we are suppose to do what God tells us to do, give and do the work of the ministry.
Grace and peace,
Ramona
====
Psalm 145:18-19
"The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
"He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them."
I absolutely love this psalm! What a comfort and promise this is. To know that God hears us and is near every time we call Him in truth. He fill give us our desires as long as we fear Him.
It comes to mind the times that people use God's name in vain. That really bothers me. It is offensive to my spirit. There are times that I might be waiting in a line at a store and I hear behind me people cursing and using Gods name with curse words. I would like to say to them: "What does God have to do with this? This is man's doing…not God's"
It is incredible how so many people like to blame God for things that are caused by man. I must say this is one of my pet peeves. It is frustrating to hear and see.
It takes allot of patience not to insult those people.
But God says we must re frame from violence. Even though lately the Bible readings we have been studying are very violent indeed. I thank God that we are in the dispensation of grace.
It seems like in those days everything was "an eye for an eye… and… a tooth for a tooth."
Now there are rules in society that condone violence…. which were based on the 10 commandments.
We can see in scripture that before Jesus came…life had very little value. After Jesus…life is respected and preserved more than before. Jesus gave us a perfect example.
I believe..because of Him now…women have a better place in society. We see how He valued women. After all, they were the first ones to see Him after His resurrection.:-)
To all…have a great day! Let us today make an effort to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!!
Carmen
====
Paul was "afraid". I must have let my eye slide over that word many times before. It makes him more human to me. It is wonderful to know that God can work through us even if we are afraid.
Julie
====
We've all known of people who were reclusive because in their own eyes they were better than all of society. They condemn and grumble about everything. That's not godly, as John's and David's meditations about God in the wilderness were.
John Culp
====
2 Kings 12:13-15
13 The money brought into the temple was not spent for making silver basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, trumpets or any other articles of gold or silver for the temple of the LORD; 14 it was paid to the workers, who used it to repair the temple. 15 They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty.
The repair of the Temple was inspired by Joash, who was crowned in the Temple when he was seven. I believe this 'childhood experience' had a big impact on this king. His kingship was granted by the LORD in the Temple. It seemed that it was not only King Joash was reverent, he inspired his people (the carpenters and builders, the masons and stonecutters) were reverent. They did not have accounting records. But they acted with complete honesty. This makes me think of the early church (e.g. Acts 2:43-47) when they sold their properties and shared among them with similar honesty.
Psalm 145:15-16
15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.
16 You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
These two verses give me a new understanding in the present time when climate changes and food becomes a scarcity. We should know that it is God that provides suitable amount of rain, light etc. that let the food grows.
Frederick
====
God's grace and compassion was pointed out to me again with this scripture. Showed me that God is in total control of this country and this world. I got mad about the Health Care decision today and this was just what I needed to bring me back!! Thank you, Judy
Judy
====
Mike and everyone,
Psalm 145:1-2 (NIV)
“I will extol you my God and King and bless your name for ever and
ever. Everyday I will bless you, and praise your name for ever and ever.”
i looked up Psalm 145, and found this sermon:
It All Ends in Praise, Psalm 145, A Sermon preached in Duke University Chapel on July 29, 2012 by the Rev. Bruce Puckett. The sermon says:
'Here the Psalmist doesn’t seem to be concerned with the “how to’s” of praise, whether we use an organ or a piano or even a guitar in our music of praise.
The Psalmist is concerned about the “who” of our praise. The Psalmist emphasizes the object of the praise, Whom all of creation proclaim now and will proclaim forever in word and deed.'
May God bless that everyone who follows the One Year Bible Blog will continue to dwell in His Word faithfully every day;
that we will continue to learn more about His characters;
and may He bless that each one of us will praise Him daily for who He is!
Thank you Mike! Thank you everyone!
God bless you!
Sincerely,
Joyce
====
I don't believe that John The Baptist was a recluse in the sense that he separated himself from God. Let's keep passages in context. Proverbs wasn't about John The Baptist or David. Love God, Love each other. We need to be thankful for people like David and John the Baptist. There are enough worldly people putting our forefathers down, we don't need to help. Sorry if I ruffled any feathers. I love my Lord and am most thankful for grace and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Alan
Alan
====
It is interesting to see a 7 year old hid and kept to be pronounced king. That is interesting. It's also sad that a queen mother kills all the living heirs to the throne to gain power. Sad. However Joash did a great job at restoring and fixing what was broken. Kind of wish he could come to my home amd do the same. My hubs and I seem to miss that in life and finances get in the way but we still love and never lack.
Got to meet Priscilla and Aquila today and learn about Corinth. Paul's stay there for a year and half. We have a chance to go to Greece next year and if not, it is on my bucket list. Ephesus and Cyprus is on there. Cool reading history and seeing a reflection of locations to travel that has such culture!
Though a little long I love Psalm 145 and it is great to see attributes of the Lord and that he is slow to anger and gracious and compassionate! Amen!
Recluse..I know a few who could be that ..mixed signals on that and like Ramona said couldn't John the Baptist and David the shepherd be one? Hmmm
Dee
====
Acts 18 (NKJV)
1
After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth.
2
And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them.
NOTE:
Note in particular Acts 18, verse 2: “…he [i.e., Paul] found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus…”
Discovering the location of Pontus revealed to me more of God’s working in history.
According to the IVP NT Commentary on Acts 18, note where Aquila (“eagle”) and Priscilla (“venerated or esteemed woman”) are from:
“Luke introduces Aquila as a native of Pontus, an area of north-central Asia Minor, bordering on the Black Sea, which formed an administrative unit with Bithynia.”
This is very interesting to me, especially in light of the fact that the Spirit of Jesus specifically would not allow Paul earlier to go to Bithynia, as noted below:
Acts 16 (NKJV)
7
After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit [of Jesus] did not permit them.
Paul had such a passion for the Gospel, and to honor the Gospel and Presence of the Lord Jesus.
Paul had such a passion that—even though (for whatever reason) Jesus Himself would not allow Paul to go to Bithynia—God brought Bithynia to him!
Do I have a passion for Jesus and His Gospel? Do you? Do we? These are not meant to be condemning questions, but honest questions that I need to take time to meditate upon.
This reminds me of another verse in Acts 18.
Acts 18 (NKJV)
5
When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.
John Wesley said about verse 5 (John Wesley’s notes on the Bible):
“Every Christian ought diligently to observe any such pressure in his own spirit, and if it agree with Scripture, to follow it: if he does not he will feel great heaviness.”
CONTINUED NOTE:
And how did the people in Bithynia hear about Jesus, the Christ (the Anointed One)?
Acts 18:2 provides part of the answer: “…Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome…”
IVP NT commentary adds another very interesting historical footnote to this part of verse 2:
“Suetonius tells why [i.e., Jews were commanded to depart from Rome]—‘since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus’ (Claudius 25.4).”
“Writing seventy years after the event, Suetonius may have assumed ‘Chrestus’ was simply a local troublemaker; however, the dispute in the Jewish community over Jesus Christus (the names would have been pronounced similarly) was the real issue.”
Who was Suetonius? According to Wikipedia (the free encyclopedia):
“Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (ca 75 AD – after 130 AD ), also known as Suetonius, was a prominent Roman historian and biographer.”
“Suetonius was a close friend to Senator and Historian Pliny the Younger. Pliny describes him as quiet and studious, a man dedicated to writing.”
“Suetonius served on Pliny’s staff when Pliny was Proconsul of Bithynia Pontus (northern Asia Minor) between 110 and 112.”
It is interesting that somehow—even though Paul was not allowed to go to Bithynia to preach the Gospel—the Name of the Lord Jesus was being raised up in Bithynia, albeit by the complaints of Jews against “Jesus Christus” as Roman historian Suetonius writes.
Finally, the IVP NT commentary provides this insight:
“Through the Roman Jews' resistance to the gospel and an emperor's edict, God's sovereign care worked to bring Paul and this couple together.”
Acts 18 (NKJV)
9
Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent;
10
for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.”
11
And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
NOTE:
When we surrender ourselves fully, entirely, and wholly over to the Lord—this allows Jesus to manifest to us the full, entire, and whole surrender on the Cross that He has already provided for our salvation and protection to do God’s will.
This reminds me of a song from the Young Life songbook called “Surrender To Me”– Words and Music: Tony Congi © 1981, Wooden Story Music
Surrender to me with your heart and your soul
Surrender to me
I’ll make you whole
My love for you will outlast the stars
Surrender to Me Like I surrendered for you
Are you frightened…
By a world that won’t accept you
By your mistakes that won’t forget you
By the chance to be someone
Can you believe in…
A love that made this whole universe
A love that came and He walked this earth
A love that died but now is risen for you, then…
Surrender to me with your heart and your soul
Surrender to me
I’ll make you whole
My love for you will outlast the stars
Surrender to Me Like I surrendered for you
Vance
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Vance!
I love that song from the Young Life songbook. It's one of the ones we sang the weekend I gave my life to Christ. Love it, love it, love it. Thanks for posting the lyrics.
Micah Girl
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Corinth
Some elaboration:
Corinth was a major city of the Roman Empire, at an important crossroads of trade and travel; it was also a city notorious for its hedonism and immorality.
i. Even in Paul’s day, Corinth was an ancient city. It was a commercial center with two harbors and a long rival to its northern neighbor, Athens. Corinth was a city with a remarkable reputation for loose living and especially sexual immorality. In classical Greek, to act like a Corinthian was to practice fornication, and a Corinthian companion was a prostitute. This sexual immorality was permitted under the extremely prevalent worship of Aphrodite (also known as Venus, the goddess of fertility and sexuality). In 146 BC, Corinth rebelled against Rome and was brutally destroyed by Roman armies. It lay in ruins for a century, until Julius Caesar rebuilt the city, and it quickly re-established its former position as a center for both trade and immorality of every sort.
ii. “It is significant that it was from this city that Paul wrote his Roman letter; and when one reads his description of Gentile corruption in that Roman letter, one has almost certainly a mirror of what he found in Corinth. (Romans 1:22-32)” (Morgan)
iii. One ancient writer described Corinth as a town where “none but the tough could survive.”
http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/4418.htm
Corinth in Paul's day was a large and prosperous commercial city, one of the leading cities in Greece. It owed prosperity not only to the trade that flowed through it, but to several other factors as well. Corinth hosted the biennial Isthmian Games, which drew large crowds to the city. It a had the coveted status of a Roman colony and was the capital of the main province of Achaia (which is why the city's unbelieving Jews were able to bring Paul before the Roman governor, Gallio; Acts 18:12-17). Corinthian brass and pottery wares were famous throughout the Roman world.
But Corinth also had its dark side. A sizeable percentage of its population consisted of slaves, and it was a center of the slave trade. Corinth was such an immoral city that its name became a byword for sexual vice; the verb "to Corinthianize" meant to commit sexual immorality, and 'Corinthian girl" became a slang term for a prostitute.
http://www.biblebb.com/files/MAC/sf-2cor.htm
The Corinth of Paul's day was relatively new. The old Corinth (which
was famous and powerful in the days of the Peloponnesian War) was
burned in 146 B.C. by the Roman proconsul, L. Mummius. Because it was
a city devoted to the gods, a hundred years were required to pass
before the city could be rebuilt. In 46 B.C., Julius Caesar rebuilt
the city, populated it with a colony of veterans and freedmen, and
named it Julia Corinthus. It soon became a very important commercial
center.
With a population of 400,000 and being a prominent center of commerce
in the Mediterranean world, it was a place for all sorts of vice. An
example of its immorality was found in the temple of Venus (Aphrodite),
which hosted 1000 priestesses dedicated to prostitution in the name of
religion. The city's close proximity to the city of Athens probably
added the problem of intellectualism. As noticed in the epistle, such
an environment had its effect upon the church in Corinth. It is
amazing that a church existed at all in such a city.
http://www.ccel.org/contrib/exec_outlines/1co/1co_00.htm
John
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Acts 18:9-10
"Afraid" and "Speak" are in the "present imperative" – a command. Can be translated as below:
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; -NASB
Now the Lord appears to him at night again, with a threefold command attached to a threefold promise, all expressed in biblical language (Deut 31:6; Josh 1:5; Is 41:10; 43:5; Jer 1:7-9):
Do not be afraid (literally, "Stop being afraid")/I am with you
Keep on speaking/No one is going to attack and harm you
Do not be (literally, "become") silent/Because I have many people in this city
http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/?action=getCommentaryText&cid=5&source=1&seq=i.51.18.1
Apparently Paul was afraid – maybe as Bob said because success in preaching to Gentiles may intensify opposition. Maybe because Corinth was "such a tough town". Regardless the Lord gave Paul assurance that he would not be physically harmed. At this time it must be that Paul needed this to be a fearless and tireless preacher of the "Word".
Neat to know that the field is "white" for harvest, that hearts were softened, and people would be receptive to Paul's message. Whatever one's belief in "election" is, the verb construct is "present indicative" saying, 'I have (ongoing)many people.'
As before time when God knows the very number of the hairs on our head, God knows His people – and provides for them. In Corinth at this time – Paul is that provision.
======================================================
Gallio sets Precedent
In approaching the proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth are trying to stop Paul not only in Corinth, but also in the entire province (Achaia).
i. “If Gallio had accepted the Jewish charge and found Paul guilty of the alleged offense, provincial governors everywhere would have had a precedent, and Paul’s ministry would have been severely restricted. As it was, Gallio’s refusal to act in the matter was tantamount to the recognition of Christianity as a "religio licita” (Longenecker)
religio licita: Latin for "legal religion"
Julius Caser accorded this status (religio licita) to Judaism, and it is more than likely that Gallio – as other Romans (in government) thought – considered Christianity a branch of Judaism.
Around 60 A.D. this staus for Christianity changed as Rome realized it was a distinct religion from Judaism. Chrisitianity became an "illegal religion" and the persecutions started and grew in intensity.
Interesting how God works:
1) as a dispersed nation it was important For Judaism to have this protection – without it, it is doubtful the people or religion would have survived.
2) God took the church's biggest persecutor (Paul) and made him one of the early church's greatest evangelists. Avoiding elimination and ensuring growth.
3) Christianity's early status as a "legal religion" protected it from persecution (elimination) until a time where it had grown past "critical mass" (such a size that it would be impossible to eliminate).
John
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oops –
The "legal religion" status was a Roman thing. It did not keep the Jews from trying to stop growth or from persecuting Christians.
And if Rome got involved it would be because of alleged "civil unrest", rebellion or something of that ilk.
While incidents of that did occur with Roman officials getting invovled – they were sporadic. It was not until the persecutions of (around) 60 A.D. and on – that persecution became widespread.
John