Title: Haircut to keep Paul's vows
Contents
Title: Haircut to keep Paul's vows. Bible: Acts 18:12-28
Jesus left all the glory of the heavenly throne and came to this earth in search of the people to be saved. Philippians 2:6-9 - "He was in the form of God, but did not consider equality with God to be robbery; but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human form, and being found in human form, humbled himself, and humbled himself until death. He became obedient, that is, death on the cross. For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name.” If you believe in Jesus, you will be saved.
In Luke 15, Jesus taught three parables of finding and saving the lost. 1) A lost sheep (Luke 15:3-7) 2) A woman looking for the lost coin (Luke 15:8-10) 3) The lost second son (Luke 15:11-32) The three parables have in common that they are lost. After mobilizing all efforts to find it, he finally found it and was delighted to invite his neighbors to a feast. A feast may cost more than a lost one, but the joy of finding one is greater and greater joy. Who is the lost one? It was us, the chosen people around us. The apostle Paul preached to believe in Jesus and be saved for 1 year and 6 months in the city of adultery in Corinth, where there are many drunkards and various crimes (Acts 18:11). God has a great passion for finding and saving His chosen people. However, even the evil enemy the devil has a great passion to destroy even one soul.
1 Peter 5:8-9 - “Be sober and watchful, your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour; be strong in the faith and resist him, for you know that your brothers in the world suffer the same. Knowing.” Everywhere the Apostle Paul went on his first and second missionary journeys, there were tools of the devil to hinder, persecute, and persecute. They are the same people, Jews.
Acts 18:12-13 - "When Gallio was governor of Achaia, the Jews arose all together against Paul and brought him to the courtroom, saying, "This man (Paul) is breaking the law and admonishing people to fear God." I did.
1. God protects Paul through the governor of Gallio (Acts 18:12-17)
Gallio, the adopted son of the famous Roman elder Seneca, was governor of Aden and Corinth in Achaia from 52-53 AD. Because the content of the Jewish accusation is a religious matter, Galio himself is not in the right to judge. He said, “You must deal with it (Acts 18:15),” and drove out the Jews and protected Paul. The ruling of Governor Gallio has a very important meaning in the history of the early church. If the Jewish accusations were accepted and Paul was convicted, the governors of each region under the influence of the governor would also condemn Paul, and in the end Paul would have suffered great difficulties in his missionary work. The ruling was made by the Roman governor that there would be no legal problem even if Paul preached the death and resurrection of Jesus on the cross. Freedom of evangelism was guaranteed by Roman law. God has opened the way for evangelism even through unbelievers. Acts 18:9-10 - "I am with you, and no one will be against you to harm you, for my people are many in this city."
Let's evangelize diligently, realizing that there are many people of God in Jochiwon-eup and Sejong-si. If you work hard in evangelism, there will always be someone who helps you. If you do God's work, God will surely assign you a helper. 1) Rahab the prostitute who helped the two spies in Jericho (Joshua 2:1-24) 2) Bezalel and Oholiab who helped Moses build the tabernacle (Ex 31:1-6) 3) The raven helping the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 17:4) ) Widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:8-24) Please believe that God creates a supernatural work by mobilizing crows, stones on the roadside, sun and moon, mountains, seas, and even the weather if no one helps.
2. Paul shaved his head to fulfill his vow (Acts 18:18).
Promise (誓願): A solemn and voluntary promise to God for good deeds is called a vow.
1) I make a vow to receive special grace or help from God. A) Jacob's vow (Genesis 28:20-22) B) Jephthah Judge's vow (Judges 11:30) C) Hannah's vow (1 Samuel 1:11)
2) A vow is made to express gratitude for the grace received from God or to express special devotion. A) Samson's vow (Judges 13:5) B) David's vow (Ps. 132:2-5) C) The vow of the Recabites who said they would not drink wine (Jeremiah 35:6-10)
If you make a vow, you must keep it. Deuteronomy 23:21-23 - "When you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to pay it; for the LORD your God will surely demand it from you, and it will be a sin to you if you delay it; and if you do not make a vow you will be innocent. Be careful to do it. With every voluntary gift you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall do as you promised with your mouth.” (Psalm 15:4; Proverbs 20:25) Why did you cut your hair? The meaning of determination to walk the path of a meditator. Numbers 6:1-7 This is an action of the vow of the Nazarite to set aside his body and dedicate himself to the Lord.
Paul shaved his head as a sign of his determination to evangelize. in Cegnria. Cenchria Church had a deacon Phoebe (Romans 16:1).