No Fear Hereनमूना

No Fear Here, Pt. 3

"Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, 'Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent.'" Acts 18:9

In Acts 18:1, God led Paul to the city of Corinth. Corinth was 50 miles west of Paul's last stop on his journey, the city of Athens. For trade purposes, Corinth was a strategic city located on a main north-south route by land and a key east-west route by sea. Most of the traffic from northern to southern Greece passed through Corinth. It was a 200-mile sail around the peninsula, so sailors would put their ships on rollers and pull them across the 4-mile bridge of land.

Corinth was known primarily for its depraved sexual climate. Each night, numerous temple prostitutes of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, would practice their trade. Rome destroyed Corinth for its revolt in 144 B.C. but rebuilt in 44 B.C. by Julius Caesar and given the status of a Roman colony. As Athens was a prodigious philosophical challenge for Paul, Corinth was a moral challenge to him as he proclaimed the gospel. Athens took its toll on Paul, and he again found himself in another hard city but, this time, without his traveling companions: Luke, Silas, and Timothy. He desperately needed a reprieve, a blessing, and a word of encouragement.

Paul was a weary warrior, and you too may be weary, fearful, and need the Lord's blessing and encouragement. Let us look at the ways God intervened in the life of His child, Paul, and gave him the courage and hope He needed. First, God sent Paul some great friends.

Luke introduces us to some people who will be Paul's lifelong friends: Aquila and Priscilla. They fled from Rome because of Emperor Claudius's decree for all the Jews to leave Rome. This husband and wife were followers of Christ, and there is good evidence part of the reason for the expulsion of Jews from Rome was because of this new group called Christians formed out of Judaism. The three became fast friends, and Paul later wrote that Aquila and Priscilla were his fellow workers in Christ, and they had risked their lives for him (Romans 16:3-4). They proved to be a wonderful source of strength and help for this weary Apostle.

Acts 18:5 reveals that more reinforcements were on the way; this time, God sent not new friends but cherished old ones in Silas, Timothy, and most likely, Luke. (In Acts 18:7, we read about another companion, Justus, also known as Gaius.) These men do two things: 1. bring a great report about the church at Thessalonica, and 2. bring Paul a financial gift from the church at Philippi that will enable him to focus more on preaching the Word of God. Interestingly after they return to Paul, Paul is compelled by the Spirit - he is an energized man. It is also interesting to note the word translated "compelled" is synecho, which means to hold together. We all need friends like this who help keep us together when we feel we are falling apart.

When you encourage someone, you give them courage, but you take courage from them when you discourage them. May God give you friends who help you overcome fear and doubt and soar in your walk with God.