David Bahn – Reflections

Acts 18:1-15

After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.² There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, ³ and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. ⁴ Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

⁵ When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia,Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.⁶ But when they opposed Paul and became abusive,he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

⁷ Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God.⁸ Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.

⁹ One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. ¹⁰ For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” ¹¹ So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

¹² While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. ¹³ “This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”

¹⁴ Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. ¹⁵ But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.”

I hope to publish some devotional reflections later this week. But here’s a brief thought that comes to mind, triggered from this portion of Acts.

When it comes to the need for action we are too often actors of convenience or circumstance rather than of conviction. In other words, I’ll help my neighbor if I don’t have anything more pressing or important to me. I’ll get involved if it supersedes an emotional threshold. Otherwise, I’ll pass. That’s how Gallio dealt with the concerns brought before him.

I was once described as a kid riding in a wagon with Diane. She would hand me things. I would look them over, then throw them aside with a shrug. In other words, if I wasn’t inclined, I wouldn’t be bothered with her concerns.

But that’s no way to live as a husband. That’s no way to live as a Christian. Just because I don’t want to get involved doesn’t mean I shouldn’t act.

Where justice is concerned we should act. When we can speak up we should. Sometimes we can intervene. Other times we speak up. Always we can follow God’s call to, “Seek justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 7:8)

Thank God Jesus did not act under convenience or circumstance, but under the conviction of God’s grace and truth, mercy and love.