Title: People Who Give Courage
courageous people
(Acts 18:1-8)
"Titus Justus, who honors God... Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians heard it, believed, and were baptized."
People who seem strong but weak are people; people who seem bold but weak and courageous are also people. So when I go to an unfamiliar place, my heart is pounding for nothing, when I meet someone I don't know, I get nervous, and when I try something new, I tend to be anxious.
That's why even a brave man like David says in Psalm 56:3-4, "In the days of my fear, I will trust in You; I trust in God, and I praise His word; I trust in God, and I will not fear. And Paul said to the Corinthians, "I was weak and fearful and terribly trembling while I was dwelling among you" (1 Corinthians 2:3).
How fearful would you have been when the Lord appeared in a vision at night and said, "Do not be afraid, do not be silent, and speak, for I am with you, and no one will be against you to harm you, for my people are many in this city."
Today, we look at the people who gave Paul the courage to preach the gospel there for 1 year and 6 months when Paul, the weak evangelist, was about to start evangelism in Corinth, the most difficult area for ourselves and what we can do for the gospel. Let's think about what a job is.
1. Aquila and Priscilla
They were living in Rome, and when the then emperor Claudius ordered the Jews to be expelled (AD 49), they left Rome and came to Corinth and met Paul. The couple became acquainted with Paul as they engaged in tent making, similar to what Paul was doing, and from then on became Paul's faithful partners. So even after Paul left Corinth, the couple always followed and helped Paul in his ministry (Acts 18:18, 26).
Later, Paul introduced this couple in Romans 16:4 and said, "For they gave their necks for my life, and to them not only me but also all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks." They can be said to be people willing to die for Paul.
While human-to-human encounters are meaningless, there are those who take the meeting as a precious opportunity.
In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say that Claudius's order to expel Jews was for the meeting between the couple and Paul.
In the Bible, comparing the faith of brothers, Abel than Cain, Jacob than Esau, Moses than Aaron, Joseph better than 10 brothers, David better than 7 brothers, and the next better than the first. It's about a better wife.
However, their names appear in four places such as Acts 18:18, 26, Romans 16:3, and 1 Corinthians 16:19, and among these, the name of the wife Priscilla precedes the husband in two places. The husband Aquila was also good, but the role of his wife Priscilla was much superior.
2. Silas and Timothy
They preached the gospel together in Thessalonica, Macedonia, and when the Jews there persisted in opposition and persecution, the brothers of faith hurriedly escaped only Paul to Athens.
Paul came to Corinth via Athens, but he was very worried about the disciples Silas and Timothy he had left behind. But when they arrived safely in Corinth, Paul gained strength and courage. Paul was captivated by the word of God and boldly testified that Jesus was the Christ.
These are the staff who help me. As they cooperate well with me, our church can be revitalized.
Therefore, I hope that all of you will help me with prayers, conversations, and material things so that they can help me do my best in the work of the Lord.
3. Justus and Crispus
Titus Justus is a character that appears only here in the Bible. He was living next to the synagogue. Therefore, when the Jews were about to attack Paul, who was preaching in the synagogue, he was the safest way to escape.
Crispus was also the ruler of the synagogue. When Paul was preaching the word of God in the synagogue, he heard the gospel, received the Lord, and was baptized. Later, when Paul wrote his epistle to the Corinthians, he said that he had not baptized anyone except these Crispus and Gaius (1 Corinthians 1:14). Since the leader of the synagogue came to believe in Jesus, no matter how much people opposed it, there was no difficulty in preaching the gospel in the synagogue.
The head of the unit near the front-line civil control line where the Northwest Presbytery is located was fishing at a nearby reservoir and had a meal at a restaurant run by a white school deacon.
The division commander was very satisfied with this and said that he would grant any request to the outside deacon, so he suggested that the church be built, and he was able to build a great temple with the maximum permission within the scope of the law.
I pray that the members of our church will also give courage to the clergy and give and receive courage to each other.
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