Acts Chapter Eighteen
Paul continued on his missionary journey leaving Athens for Corinth. There he met some new friends, Aquila and his wife, Priscilla. One of their commonalities was the fact that they were tent makers. Paul joined them in their business enterprise earning money to help support himself. You may have heard of someone in ministry who is called a tent maker. Or, you may have heard of tent-making ministries. The term means someone who has a dual career – ministry as well as another job to help provide financially when the ministry won’t pay all the bills.
Paul was not in any way lazy. While it is scriptural for ministers to be supported by their ministry, some times it doesn’t work out. Paul didn’t sit around bemoaning the fact that he needed support, he did whatever he could to get by.
In the mean time, Paul was also ministering in the synagogue. It was here at Corinth that Paul made the decision to take his ministry to the Gentiles. After many accusations in his travels, he finally decided to minister to Gentiles. One night God did something awesome. He specifically spoke to Paul and told him to keep speaking out for the Lord. Don’t be silent. Don’t be afraid. God specifically told Paul He would be with him.
Think about how amazing that is. Fear was coming on Paul. He was probably doubting many things of the ministry. God knew this was only an attempt to sidetrack him from God’s calling in his life. God came and spoke to Paul to encourage him to keep on going. Wow!!! Do you think you could make it if God came and had a conversation with you?
Paul had quite a ministry in Corinth. He stayed there a year and a half establishing the church there. He eventually left Corinth, Aquila and Priscilla accompanied him. His travels finally brought him back to Antioch, completing the circle of his second journey, returning to where he started.
Luke doesn’t record how long Paul was in Antioch, but after a while he started out on his third journey. V. 23 tells us that Paul "set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples." Here we see his concern for converts he won to the Lord. It was important to him to remain in contact with the churches he started and help them grow in the Lord. It wasn’t enough to only lead them to salvation, but to help them continually mature in their relationship with the Lord. That is a good pattern for the church today, as well.
A note: we are over half way through the book. Keep on reading and letting God speak to you.
