by Tim Green
patiently. But since it involves questions about words and names revolving around your own Jewish law, then you must deal with it yourselves. I decline to be a judge of such matters and I have no intention of trying such matters." Then the Greeks all grabbed Sosthenes, the president of the synagogue, and gave him a beating in full view of the bench. But Gallio showed no concern and paid no attention to any of this, instead he had us ejected from the court.
After this incident, I remained in Corinth for a short time, then said good-bye to the brothers and sailed off to the Province of Syria. I had my hair cut short and shaved my face in Cenchrea, a port town in Corinth as I had taken a vow. Priscilla and Aquila met up with me there. I was hoping that the hair cut would make me un-recognizable to the unbelieving Jews. They had become a real thorn in my side by following me and stirring up trouble everywhere I went. However, I was given this thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan to pound away at me, so that I wouldn't become exalted above measure and be overly proud. I begged the Lord three times to take this hindering thing away from me. But He told me, "My grace is enough for you. For My strength and My power are made perfect in your weakness."
Therefore I'm very glad to boast about my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ, the Messiah may rest and dwell upon me. I am well pleased and take pleasure in infirmities, insults, hardships, persecutions and distresses. For when I am weak in human strength, then I am truly strong in divine strength. The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we don't know what we ought to pray for, but the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings and sighings that cannot be expressed in words.
When we arrived in Ephesus, I left the others there. Ephesus was a huge city as it was the leading port of Asia, on the major trade routes. The Ephesians were Roman citizens who worshipped the goddess Diana. Like in the city of Corinth her priestesses were cult prostitutes. I went into the synagogue by myself and held dialogue with the Jews, reasoning with them. When they asked me to stay with them longer, I declined. However in my farewell I said to them, "I will come back to you, if God is willing." Then I set sail from the port in Ephesus, leaving Priscilla and Aquila there. I couldn't thank them enough as they had risked their necks to save my life. They were loyal fellow workers for the Messiah with me. They were so sacrificial that they hosted a church in their own home.
After landing at the port in Caesarea, I went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church there. Then I went down to my home base church at Antioch of Syria. After staying there and spending some time there, I left and went from place to place, systematically travelling through the regions of Galatia and Phrygia, establishing the "Disciples of the Way" and imparting new strength to them. For I'm always yearning and longing to see the saints, that I may impart to them some spiritual gift, that they may become strengthened and fully established. I am not ashamed of the Gospel, the Good News about Jesus Christ, since it is God's power bringing salvation to everyone who believes. To the Jew first and also to the Greek.
I received news from Ephesus, about a Jewish man named Apollos, a native of Alexandria. He was named after the Greek god Apollo, who was the sun-god and shepherd-god, associated with music, prophesy, poetry and hunting. Apollos was an eloquent speaker, well versed and with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been informed about the "Way of the Lord" and with great spiritual fervour he spoke and taught accurately about the Messiah. However, he was only acquainted with the baptism of John. He began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him speak, they took him aside and explained to him the "Way of God" in fuller detail. We were known as "The Way" or the "Disciples of the Way" and the "Church of the Way." Jesus was referred to as the "Way of the Lord" or the "Way of God." Converts were referred to as believers, disciples, brothers or saints. We never used the term, Christians.
Apollos wished to cross over to the Province of Achaia, mostly Greece. So the brothers wrote a letter to the disciples there, urging and encouraging them to accept and welcome him heartily. When he arrived, he proved to be a great help to all those who through grace had come to believe. He powerfully and conclusively refuted the unbelieving Jews in public, showing and proving by their Jewish Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah.
I am Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, by the will of God. Grace be to you and Shalom - peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Anointed One. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, sympathy and pity. He is the God of all comfort and encouragement. Who comforts us in every trouble, tribulation and affliction. So that we may also be able to comfort those who are in any kind of trouble and distress, with the same comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God Himself. For just as Christ's own sufferings fell upon me. Just as they overflowed upon me and I experience them. So through Christ, comfort is also shared to others by me.
For I do not want you to be ignorant and uninformed, brothers, about the affliction and oppressing distress which befell us in the Province of Asia. How we were so utterly and unbearably crushed, that we despaired even of life. I was so pressed with hardships that I no longer wanted to live. I wanted to die. We felt within ourselves that we had received the very sentence of death, but that was to keep us from trusting in and depending on ourselves instead of trusting in God, Who raises the dead. That our faith may rest in the power of God and not in the wisdom of men. God did not want us to put our faith in ourselves but rather in Him, and in Him alone. For cursed in the man who puts his faith and trust in man.
Therefore we do not become discouraged. For our light, momentary affliction is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we look not at the things which are seen, but we look at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. If then you have been raised with Christ to a new life, thus sharing in His resurrection from the dead. Seek the rich treasures that are above, where Christ Jesus, the Messiah is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds and keep them set on the higher things that are above and not on the things of the earth.
Amen - so be it.
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Unusual Miracles. #10
While Apollos was in the city of Corinth, I went through the upper inland districts and came down to Ephesus. I found some disciples there in the city of Ephesus, so I asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed on Jesus as the Messiah?" They answered me saying, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." I was shocked to discover that they had never heard of the Holy Spirit. "In that case," I said, "into what baptism were you baptized?" They replied, "The baptism of John."
So I began explaining to them, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, from turning from sin towards God. He continually told the people that they should believe in the One Who was to come after him. That is, in Jesus Christ the Messiah, and be obedient to Him." On hearing this, they were baptized in the waters, in the name of the Lord Jesus. When I laid my hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, that they began speaking in tongues and prophesied. In all, there were about twelve of these men.
I went into the synagogue and for three months, I spoke out boldly, engaging in dialogue and trying to persuade people about the kingdom of God. The kingdom of heaven is not eating and drinking but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. When some became more and more stubborn, not believing. When they hardened their hearts by discrediting and speaking evil of the "Way of the Lord" before the congregation, I separated myself from them. I took the disciples with me and went on holding daily discussions with them in the lecture room of Tyrannus. We started
daily at ten o'clock in the morning and finished at three in the afternoon. I continued to teach like this daily for the space of two years, so that all the inhabitants of the Province of Asia, Jews as well as Greeks, heard the message of the Lord Jesus.
God did unusual and extraordinary miracles through my hands. Towels, aprons and handkerchiefs were brought to me and laid upon my body. When these garments that I had touched were laid upon the sick, their diseases left them. Even evil spirits came out and left those whom the aprons and handkerchiefs touched. Virtue was imparted from my body onto these towels, aprons and handkerchiefs giving them healing powers. I had heard stories of how Peters shadow had healed the sick. Insomuch that they brought the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them, bringing divine healing.
Some of the Jewish exorcists who travelled from place to place tried to make use of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ over those who had evil spirits. They would say, "I exorcise you by the Jesus Whom
