Christ Church


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And Gallio Cared Not (Acts of the Apostles) (Christ Church)


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INTRODUCTION

The next city that Paul came to was Corinth, which came to be the home of one of the more important churches in the New Testament. Corinth is about 48 miles southwest of Athens, and is situated on the Isthmus of Corinth, a narrow strip of land that connected Attica (northern Achaia) from the Peloponnese (southern Achaia). Corinth was an important trading center, with access to the sea in both eastern and western directions.

THE TEXT

“After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth; And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them. And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers. And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man’s house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue. And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized. Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city. And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them . . . ” (Acts 18:1–17).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Paul left Athens and arrived in Corinth (v. 1). He there met Aquila and his wife Priscilla (v. 2). Aquila was a Jew from Pontus, which runs along the southern shore of the Black Sea. This couple was in Corinth because Claudius had recently banished all Jews from Rome (v. 2). They were tentmakers, as Paul was, and so he took up residence with them (v. 3). He took every sabbath as an opportunity to reason with both Jews and Greeks at the synagogue (v. 4). Silas and Timothy finally arrived, and Paul became more importunate, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ (v. 5). They reacted in opposition to the point of blasphemy, and so Paul shook the dust from his clothing saying that they had condemned themselves. He then turned to the Gentiles (v. 6). He moved house, moving in with Justus, a worshiper of God, and who lived right next door to the synagogue (v. 7). But after Paul wrote off the Jews, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed. And he and his house were baptized, and a large number of Corinthians believed (v. 8). The Lord encouraged Paul in a night vision, encouraging him to speak out because He had many people in this city. Paul would not be hurt (vv. 9-10). And so Paul taught there for a year and a half (v. 11). Gallio was the proconsul of Achaia, and this enables us to date the planting of the Corinthian church at 51/52 A.D. During Gallio’s tenure, the Jews made a concerted attack on Paul, dragging him before the judgment seat—recently discovered in the old city (v. 12). Their accusation was that Paul was persuading men to worship God in ways contrary to (Roman) law (v. 13). Paul was about to defend himself when Gallio, who saw through the schemers, and threw the case out of court (vv. 14-15). The bailiff, or someone like him, escorted all of them forcibly to the curb (v. 16). There are clearly some elements to this drama that we don’t have because then it says that certain Greeks beat up Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, but Gallio didn’t care (v. 17).

GALLIO’S INCONSISTENCY

We begin with some sympathy for Gallio. He was the brother of Seneca the philosopher, and we understand why a Roman of his stature would not want to be dragged into arcane Jewish theological disputes. So far so good. But not only had Paul led Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue to the Lord a year and a half before, but now had apparently done it again. This Sosthenes was apparently the next chief ruler of the synagogue, and he was also converted (see 1 Cor. 1:1).

Gallio had begged off settling a theological dispute, but to have the Greeks assaulting an innocent man in front of the judgment seat was his business, and it was the kind of business that he had said he would attend to. As we consider this, our sympathy for Gallio begins to fade. The magistrate is a deacon of God, assigned the task of punishing the wrongdoer and rewarding the righteous (Rom. 13:4).

TUMULTUOUS GRACE

There is no way to introduce efficacious grace into a sinful world without causing turmoil. And the more abundant the grace, the more violent the reactions.

Remember that Paul was encouraged here in that night vision. The Lord told him that He had many people in this city (vv. 9-10). The genuine believers there were most dear to Paul (1 Cor. 4:14-15; 2 Cor. 6:11-13). There had been no riot in Athens, and why? Because that was a place where the elect just trickled in. Here, as in other places, the elect of God began to pour in. And what happened then?

Well, the Jews attacked them. And then the Greeks attacked. Then Gallio refused to help. And then, as we see from the two letters to the Corinthians that we have, not to mention a letter to them that we have from Clement, Paul’s good friend (Phil. 4:3), the church there was afflicted by internal dissensions and disruptions. Satan knows how to attack from without and from within.

And every true reformation according to grace is going to be attacked both ways. The one reaction we should not display is that of being surprised.

Christ, the friend of sinners, has never been the friend of sin.

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The Raging Lions Will Go Hungry (The Living Stone) (Living Stone Reformed Church)


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INTRODUCTION

Flocks tend to bolt and scatter when danger comes. As the church faces danger, fearful lions, alluring temptations, how does God guard His flock? He takes away their fear, and gives them peace.

THE TEXT

The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. […] 1 Peter 5:1ff

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

The saints have just been instructed to prepare for persecution by entrusting themselves entirely to God (4:19). Peter now turns to exhort his fellow elders. Peter is not only a witness of Christ’s sufferings, but is also a partaker of the coming revelation of Christ’s glorious vindication (v1). Peter gives a job description for these elders, which can be summarized as shepherding God’s flock, in imitation of the chief Shepherd (vv2-4). Such elders can expect the reward of an amaranth crown (v4b).

Peter has frequently used the word “likewise”. The duties proper to each office (wife and husband, elders and young men) are all to be undertaken in conformity to the example of Christ. Our duties to each other are done in the light of Christ, and with Christ’s example in mind. Young men, then, are to submit to their elders (v5a). All the saints are to don the apron of servant-like humility, bearing in mind Solomon’s proverb about how God will treat the proud and the humble (v5b, Cf. Pro. 3:34). Peter returns to the Psalter to exhort the New Israel to not fret because of evildoers; rather, in humility cast all their cares upon the God who tenderly cares for them (vv6-7, Cf. Ps. 37:5).

Peter now summarizes his entire letter with a final punchy exhortation (vv8-11). The devil, in the form of a ravening lion, is prowling around looking for saints to devour. This danger demands sobriety and vigilance (v8), along with steadfast resistance (v9). The saints should remember that the afflictions of some saints are shared by all the brethren across the world (v9). We all face tribulations of varying severities. All the sufferings which await these saints are sent from the hand of the God of all grace. This God has called them unto eternal glory by Jesus Christ, and though there be a “little while” of suffering, this God of all grace will use those sufferings to make the saint perfect, established, strong, and immovable (v10). This deserves a fervent doxology: all glory and dominion be unto our God (v11).

Silvanus is the one who will deliver this letter. Silas’ presence here actually closes an interesting NT loop. Paul had written his letter to the saints of Galatia in the run up the Jerusalem council (~AD49). Paul had first visited the Roman province of Galatia (Acts 13:14, 51, 14:6, 20-21), after the ruling of the Jerusalem council (Acts 15); Paul and Silas take the news of that decision to both regions known as Galatia (Acts 16:6; 18:5). Remember that Paul detailed to these Galatian saints his rebuke of Peter for drawing away from the Gentiles due to his fear of the judaizers (Gal. 2:11-13). Now Peter sends Silas with this letter telling these Gentiles––the sort he had once drawn away from––that they, though Gentiles, stand with him in the true grace of God (v12). The church in Babylon (Rome), also numbered as the elect (1:1), sends their greetings; along with Mark, whose Gospel (~AD42-45) was already in circulation amongst the Gentile believers (v13). Mentioning Mark also calls to mind Jesus’ prophecy of great judgement coming, which Peter has been preparing these saints for (Cf. Mk. 13). Lastly, the saints are summoned to be warm and affectionate to each other. The shalom of Israel’s God rests upon all who are in Christ Jesus (v14).

THE ELDER’S JOB DESCRIPTION

When a ship goes through stormy seas, the captain must be found at the helm. When a lion is prowling near the flock, the shepherd must remain alert. We are provided with a snapshot of the elder (who he is), his duties (what he does), and his demeanor (how he does it). The elder has two primary duties: to feed (pastor/shepherd) and oversee (episkopos). He leads the flock to verdant pastures and still waters, he foresees dangers, and keeps his eyes out for wandering sheep. Both duties demand true sacrifice of the shepherd himself.

Thus, Peter explains three ways in which these two overarching duties are to be done. First, an elder should be willing to serve, not forced to serve just to be a warm body to fill a seat. Second, he should be eager in the work, not coaxed with cash. Third, his leadership should not be marked by bossiness, but by modeling Christ-like sacrificial authority. Notice those qualifications: gladness to serve, generosity in that service, and exemplary Christ-likeness. He ought to be the sort of leader that people say, “I want to be like him.” An elder need not be perfect, of course, but he is not lazy, he is not stingy, and he is not a bossy-pants.

There are a few more interesting ecclesiastical tidbit. Peter does not identify his office as a superior one, but as an equal one to these elders’ office. Presbyteros often refers to age, but is not restricted to it as we see in the instance of Timothy. It also hearkens back to Jethro’s advice to Moses as Israel was first constituted in the wilderness (Ex. 18). We find here two identifiable lists which constitute the local congregation: the list of who the elders are that the flock is to follow, and a list of the flock which the elders are tasked to oversee. This text provides us a clear argument for why we ought to elect qualified men to the office of presbyter, as well as why church membership is vital in order for the shepherds to know which sheep they are supposed to give God an accounting of!

The lesson here is that elders must lead by example. Peter himself gives the church a wonderful example of this. Only a year or two after making these exhortations Peter was crucified upside down by Nero. Peter could have fled. He could have, once more, denied the Lord. But the new birth truly made this fisherman from Galilee a rock. This is what elders are to be like.

STARVING LIONS

Nero would dress in animal skins and attack prisoners who were bound to stakes. He would do incredibly vile and obscene things to these prisoners. He was a prowling lion. This is how Peter paints Satan. Nero is a devilish beast. As Nero hunted for victims of his sadistic desires, the devil hunts to devour your soul. How can a saint be devoured? The primary way in which a saint is devoured is when they forsake the faith; when they try to escape the sufferings by renouncing Christ. The saints resist their adversary the devil (and his human henchman like Nero) by remaining steadfast in their faith in Christ (5:9), even if it means torture and death.

Once more Peter shows that the Psalms should be on our tongue as we prepare to suffer. In Psalm 17, as well as elsewhere, the wicked are likened to lions. Although Satan prowls around like a hungry lion (1 Pt. 5:8), the saint knows that the Lord shall take tender care of him. It is Satan, and his young lions, which will go hungry (Ps. 34:10). By steadfast faith in Christ, when faced with temptation and persecution, the lions are starved.

WHAT UNIFORM YOU WEARING

We are a new Israel. With that comes a uniform. We saw this back in chapter 2, and we see it again here. What uniform does the saint wear? Not the fig leaves of self-preserving fear, but the apron of service. The priests of old were identified by their priestly garments, garments which indicated that they were preoccupied with service to Yahweh.

This has not fundamentally changed. When the elder humbly rebukes the straying member, when the mother calmly talks the toddler down from a tantrum, when a husband gently corrects his wife, when a slave cheerfully does his master’s bidding, when the citizen obeys the lawful ordinances of his nation the glory of Christ is displayed. The new Israel is summoned to service, and the uniform is humility. You will be called to go through sufferings and slander, but if you persevere by faith you shall also partake of the glory of a crown which does not fade away. A crown of life. A crown for victors.

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The Confidence of Praise (King’s Cross | Psalms) (King’s Cross)


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INTRODUCTION

This is a psalm of confident praise for the certain justice of God in the earth. The nations rage, the destroyers destroy, but the King is on His throne. He rebukes and destroys the wicked, and those who put their trust in His name will not be forgotten and will rejoice in His salvation. He does this in history, and He has appointed a day in which Jesus Christ will judge the world.

The Text: “To the chief Musician upon Muthlabben, A Psalm of David. I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvelous works…” (Psalm 9:1-20)

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

This psalm is for the chief musician upon “muthlabben,” which is an obscure Hebrew word. It may refer to a historic occasion or tune or instrument or something else. This is a psalm of David, and it begins with exuberant praise for what God has recently done and for all His marvelous works of deliverance in history (Ps. 9:1-2). God has maintained David’s cause and rebuked the wicked and brought their destructions to an end (Ps. 9:3-6). This is because God endures forever, and He ministers justice (Ps. 9:7-8). This justice is a refuge in times of trouble, for everyone who trusts in God (Ps. 9:9-10). This is why David sings praises to the Lord: God searches out the shedding of innocent blood and hears the cries of the humble (Ps. 9:11-12).

It is for all of this that David renews his cry for more mercy and deliverance (Ps. 9:13). One of the chief reasons is so that David can renew his praise (Ps. 9:14). David knows that God rules the world in such a way that the wicked fall into their own pits: a man reaps what he sows. And Christians really should meditate on that – Higgaion Selah (Ps. 9:15-16). The wicked are turned into Sheol, but those who look to the Lord will never be forgotten (Ps. 9:17-18). So David sings that the Lord would arise once more and judge the wicked, so everyone may fear the Lord and know they are mere men (Ps. 9:19-20).

POTENT PRAISE

We know that the “joy of the Lord is our strength,” but frequently this is a vague attempt to conjure up happy feelings instead of a robust joy rooted in the long list of God’s “marvelous works.” This is why Philippians 4 moves from fighting anxiety with grateful prayer right into “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things… and the God of peace shall be with you” (Phil. 4:8-9). The word for “think” means to count or calculate. You fight fear and anxiety by making lists of all of God’s marvelous works and praising Him for them, by meditating on them.

We were made to praise God, to be utterly devoted to Him, with our “whole heart” (Ps. 9:1). And here we see that praise is both the foundation and the end of the courageous Christian life: “That I may show forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion” (Ps. 9:14). You stand on praise in order to stand against evil with the goal of more praise.

A WORD FOR THE WICKED

Psalm 9 is a confident prayer of defiance against the wicked in our land. “When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble” (Ps. 9:12). This certainly includes the blood and cries of the unborn in our land. Like the psalmist, we are grateful for the initial victory of Dobbs overturning Roe (this is certainly one of God’s more recent “marvelous works”), but we still cry out for justice in our land, asking God to arise and let not man prevail (Ps. 9:19).

There is a severe warning here for those continuing in these blood-thirsty ways: you will sink down into the pit you have made; your own feet will be caught in the net you have hid (Ps. 9:15). You who chop up little babies: you will be cut up by the work of your own hands (Ps. 9:16). And we may add to this: those who cause little ones to stumble with their sexual perversions, those who mutilate adolescent bodies, those who cover their families in violence through adultery and divorce (Mal. 2:16), as well as those who steal and plunder through unjust weights and measures, oppressive taxation, and unbiblical government regulations and programs. You are building your own gallows, and the Judge of all the earth will see you on them.

A WORD FOR HUSBANDS & FATHERS

This Psalm is a psalm of King David and it models a kind of leadership that all men must grow into, especially husbands and fathers. The central thing we see here is courageous praise. There’s a kind of empty confidence that is just bluster and doesn’t actually inspire confidence, but there is a kind of faithful confidence that encourages everyone. And the center of it is praise for what God has done, and the eyes of faith see that everything good has come from God’s presence (Ps. 9:1-3).

One kind of husband/father says, “everything will be fine” but points to nothing to reassure his family, and the implicit ground of that confidence is “I’ll figure something out/maybe we’ll get a lucky break.” But that really isn’t reassuring, especially if your attempts have not proven historically helpful. Another kind of husband/father just melts under the pressure and checks out: Netflix, social media doomscrolling, drinking, hunting. And that really destroys confidence. But the godly man praises God with His whole heart for all His marvelous works. The godly man says, “God has always been faithful. He has provided for us. He has heard our prayers. He has watched over us. He is with us. He is our refuge and strength. He will always remember us” (Ps. 9:9-10, 18). All blessed authority thrives under Christ.

A WORD FOR ALL CHRISTIANS

Not only must men lead in this, but all Christians are required to walk in this, even if your leaders falter or stumble. The Lord shall endure forever; His throne of judgment never takes a day off (Ps. 9:7). So, you sing praises to His name; you declare among the people His doings (Ps. 9:11). He brought Israel out of Egypt; He raised Jesus from the dead. And none of our lists of praise are long enough. Praise Him with your whole heart. And when you praise the Lord like this, you will walk in the confidence and joy of the Lord.

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