Have you ever heard a sermon on Paul’s Corinthian vision? I haven’t, though can’t imagine why – it’s such an encouraging passage. Found in Acts 18:9-10, certain words are even printed in red in some Bibles. It is the tale of a discouraged church worker who is spurred on by our Lord himself.
Highs and Lows
The adrenaline had worn off, it seems. Paul had pushed through isolation and danger and come to a place of companionship and care … after which he crashed.
Isn’t it so often the way that we push through when the pressure is on, only to fall apart when the pressure is off?
The vision comes partway through Paul’s second missionary journey. It had been a rough trip so far and yet exhilarating at times. In just over twelve months, his life was like a little boat on choppy seas, bouncing from highs to lows, peaks to troughs, in danger of being overwhelmed by it all.
LOW: It started badly because of a blow-up with his mentor and friend, Barnabas, before they’d even left Antioch (Acts 15:36-16:5).
HIGH: Once Paul got moving with new travel companions, divine direction was SO clear. The Holy Spirit kept them from entering a province called Asia (Acts 16:6). The Spirit of Jesus kept them from entering an area called Mysia (Acts 16:7). Then there was the vision of Macedonian man which led Paul and his men to conclude that God was calling them to take the gospel to Europe. (If only discerning God’s direction were so obvious for many of us today…..)
HIGH: They arrived in Philippi, were warmly welcomed by a wealthy woman and accommodated very comfortably indeed.
LOW: What a shock to the system, then, to go from Lydia’s luxury to a Philippian prison. Thankfully, that ordeal ended well (Acts 16).
LOW: In Thessalonica, jealous Jews rounded up a mob, forcing Paul and his pals to flee. So on to Berea they went, where the same thing happened. This time, Paul left for Greece, where he waited. Alone.
HIGH: Paul had the privilege of explaining who God is to the aristocratic council of ancient Athens. That was no small privilege! This invitation springboarded from his claim to know the identity of their ‘unknown God’.
HIGH: After moving to Corinth and before his travel companions joined him, Paul developed a close friendship with Priscilla and Aquila. I wonder if he valued their hospitality as much as I have appreciated several families, at different points over the years, who have included me, the single aunty, in their family rhythms?
LOW: Paul had no patience for abusive members of the synagogue in Corinth. Formally and deliberately, he gave up on trying to share the gospel with them. “Your blood be on your own heads,” he protested as he shook out his clothes as a visible sign that he was done with them. What garments did he actually shake out? My mind boggled as I considered the options. After going to Biblehub.com, I understand it to have been a long, flowing outer garment that he shook out, and not quite everything.
He demonstrated his change in focus by shifting his teaching base from the synagogue to the home of a man with a good Latin name, Titius Justus.
CRASH!
Perhaps Paul had been heading for a crash for some time. Much later, he would write to the church in Corinth, saying, “I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling” (1 Corinthians 2:3). Without thinking it through, I always assumed that Paul was just being humble about his abilities. But now I realise that this great missionary was actually struggling at that time.
Was Paul teetering on the edge of burnout by the time he got to Corinth? Or even in the thick of it? I don’t know anyone who has had as many intense highs and lows as Paul experienced in just a year or so. Could Paul sleep at night? Was he constantly wound up, fists clenched, shoulders hunched, forehead furrowed?
Then came the vision (Acts 18:9-10).
The Vision
At this point, I am rather frustrated with Dr Luke, who recorded the tale, because I want details! Was Paul awake or asleep? Or in some state in-between? What did he see? It was a ‘vision’ after all … there must have been something visual. Was it a brilliant light, similar to his Damascus Road experience? Or was there more? Dr Luke says that ‘the Lord spoke to Paul’ (Acts 19:9). What did the voice sound like? Was ‘the Lord’ God or Jesus or does that question show my limited thinking? Did the Lord speak in classical Hebrew or Aramaic or Greek or in some other language?
Despite the lack of details, one thing is clear. The Lord’s words gave Paul the encouragement he needed to keep going. “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent,” said the Lord (Acts 18:9).
“For I am with you and no one is going to attack and harm you,” he continued (Acts 18:10). Was Paul expecting to be harmed? He had already fled for his life several times over. Indeed, it could well have happened again.
Dr Luke goes on to relate the details of an attack by jealous Jews on Paul. Just as the Lord had promised in the vision, though, it came to nothing as far as Paul was concerned, thanks to a disinterested Roman ruler. (Acts 18:12-17). Mind you, the ruler of the synagogue, Sosthenes, copped a beating (Acts 18:17). Presumably, Sosthenes had chosen to follow Jesus, for he would later co-author 1 Corinthians with Paul (see 1 Corinthians 1:1).
Why was God determined to keep Paul there for a season? The Lord explained to Paul that it was “… because I have many people in this city” (Acts 18:10). I wonder whether he was referring to all those who would turn to him in the years ahead?
Encouraged
‘Do not be afraid for I am with you.’ This was essentially what the Lord said to Paul, and it is something that we can all take heed of, regardless of where and when we serve God. The other details – the promises of safety and the purpose of ushering God’s people in Corinth into his kingdom – were specific to Paul right there and then.
Why can I claim the admonition not to be afraid and the promise of God’s presence as being for us? The Bible is full of instances where God or his messengers told people, “Do not be afraid…” The command, ‘Do not be afraid’ was given to different characters in various settings in Scripture 365 times apparently (though I have not counted them myself). Yes, we are to fear God, but when God is with us, we need fear nothing and no-one else. Jesus himself promised to be with his followers and those who come after them until the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20).
God with us
The Trine God is with us just as he was with Paul. I sometimes wish he would guide us as clearly as he guided Paul, with the Holy Spirit stopping one plan, the Spirit of Jesus another and then a dream pointing in a third direction. But then, as I look back at life, certain courses of action have been very clear. I just didn’t feel confident at the time to attribute the direction to God himself. Only in hindsight is it obvious.
Some of us have been and continue to go through rather stressful times just now – highs and lows – something like Paul experienced in the year prior to his Corinthian vision. (Personally, life is fairly smooth for me just now – something I am enjoying while it lasts.) None of what Paul endured took God by surprise, and in the same way, he knows what is ahead for us. He doesn’t promise immunity to suffering, but he does promise to always be with us.
Although I am a little jealous of Paul and his visions, it isn’t like God is silent around me. Far from it. God has frequently communicated with me through nature, ‘divine coincidences’, hunches, timely words from other people, Scripture verses that seem ‘to jump off the page’ and music. Sometimes I have been prevented doing what I thought was best and other times the way ahead has been smooth. In hindsight, I can see that God was in it all and can be confident that he won’t leave me … ever!
Settled
Paul’s second missionary journey had been full of tumult, turmoil and constant movement … until the point that he received this vision. We sense his physical and mental exhaustion. But then something changed.
After the vision, Paul stayed put. For the next year and a half, he taught the word of God to new believers in Corinth (Acts 18:11). Yes, those jealous Jews continued to harass him, but rather than unsettle him, their shenanigans seemed to be like water off a duck’s back as far as Paul was concerned.
At the end of the 18 months, he returned to his home base of Antioch, visiting a few other places on the way. Calm. Quiet. Settled.
God was with Paul. God is with us. God already knows all is going on with life. When I remember that, my heart is settled too. I am able to get on with the job at hand – the tasks God has given me – in a quiet focused fashion.
And that includes this blog post.
So I finish with this reminder to myself: God is with us. God is doing his work. He chooses to use us in that. I can settle down and get on with the tasks he has for me, my heart calm and quiet, relishing the relationships he has given me.