Acts 8:1-11 “From Now On. . .”

Yes, once again Paul is on the move in his European adventures. Last week you will recall that he was in Athens; his ministry to the Athenians was for the most part rejected. No church was established there. He gathered a few hangers-on who then followed him out towards the Peloponnesian Peninsula. As I mentioned last week, the town of Corinth then was really more important than Athens. Corinth had become the center of culture and commerce during this time.

It is again uncertain how they travelled from Athens to Corinth, but because Paul later mentions the Deacon Phoebe in his letter to Rome, and she is from the port city of Cenchreae, it is assumed that from Athens, his group of travelers went to the Athenian port at Piraeus and shuttled across to the port of Cenchreae. Such a journey would take less than a day. The ship most likely would have stopped at the Island of Aegina along the way. But, it is interesting to note that Paul himself very much sticks to the Asian and Greek mainland cities. He is not cruising out to Mykonos or Santorini, for instance. Barnabas likes the island of Cyprus, Titus likes the island of Crete, John ends up on Patmos; but Paul is a bit of a landlubber in this regard. Paul does make a quick stop on Rhodes to get to Ephesus later, and of course he is shipwrecked on Malta while he was to be imprisoned in Rome. You cannot say that was his choice actually.

Last month at the Aha PaeAina, that is the meeting of all of the UCC churches in Hawaii, I could look across from where I was sitting at the Kapaa UCC church to across the street to the Kapaa First Hawaiian Church, also UCC. And, I could look to the back to see the Kapaa Assembly of God that bordered the Kapaa UCC in the back. I thought about how interesting it was that there were three churches right next to each other. I could not help but ask myself what kind of a witness is that to non-Christians? This is not the only place on the island where one can see two churches built right next to each other. In Hanapepe, the Nazarene Church and the UCC Church are right next to each other. In Koloa there are two churches right next to each other. It is not a rare thing at all. Still, I wonder if this sends a wrong witness out to the world–that Christians do not get along.

In those days, we must recall that Paul was for the most part going into the synagogues to talk to fellow Jews about accepting Jesus as the Messiah. In Athens he had started in the synagogue before he was taken up to the Areopagus. In Philippi he had wanted to go to the synagogue, but there was none, so he ended up down at the river side with Lydia’s group.

We see the line in our scripture when Paul says “From now on, I will go to the gentiles.” He makes the comment that “blood is on their heads.” Most bible commentaries agree that Paul had been threatened with physical violence at this point in the story. The beginning of the story in Corinth is that Paul was sharing in “dialogue” in the synagogue. Unfortunately the “dialogue” got a little too heated.

Paul says “from now on, I will go to the Gentiles.” The way this is worded in the Greek, I would translate this better as “To all the nations I will journey unto death.” From now on, this point in time, I will lay down my life for all nations. And, of course, that is what Jesus did. Christ did not come just to die on the Cross for the Jewish nation but for all. Then, we recall that Jesus did not just hang around in the synagogues debating philosophy. He did that when he was twelve only. Jesus went out to all the people. You may recall Jesus getting in the boat to cross Galilee to the Greek side of the sea. He traveled to Tyre and Sidon, outside of Israel.

This is really an incredible turning point for Paul. This reshapes his ministry. He gives up–on his own people! But, in this kind of surrender, he is able to do something that he had not been able to do before. He is now going to stay in Corinth for over a year! He has always been moving from place to place because he has been attacked again and again.

In a dream, the voice of the Lord tells Paul, “Have no fear. I will be with you. I got you!” The way that Paul is going to be able to stay, despite being physically threatened, is that others are going to come to his help. In fact, we can glean from Paul’s letter to the Romans that the city’s treasurer himself, Erastus, becomes a believer. He has got some new friends in high places.

In our scripture for today, we see that Paul and his new followers in the Town of Corinth are setting up the new church in Titius Justus’s home that is right next to the synagogue there. His house became the first church in Corinth, and a great site of witness to the Jews of Corinth. You see, Paul has taken up tent making and is staying with Aquila and Priscilla. This would be on the other side of town from the synagogue. Yet, the choice is rightly made to set up the first church on the side of synagogue. You can go to ruins of ancient Corinth today and see this. I did myself see this as a boy on my first trip to Greece in fact. You can see the Jewish menorah carved in the walls of the ruins that affirm that that was the synagogue, and right next to it was the large house of Titius Justus, the first church! It was a larger layout than the synagogue.

Moreover as we glean from the text in Acts 18, the leader of the synagogue himself, his name is Crispus, becomes a Christian along with his entire household, and starts worshipping next door to the synagogue. The very leadership of the synagogue defects. Once Crispus leaves with his family, a fellow by the name of Sosthenes takes over the synagogue. And what happens to Sosthenes? The Bible tells us that the people of the synagogue who have united against Paul beat up Sosthenes. We assume that this is because Sosthenes also defects to the Christians. We can read that in 1 Corinthians 1:1, where it says that Paul is writing the letter to Corinth along with his brother Sosthenes!

In all of these happenings, we are searching for the Holy Spirit, for Christ’s Word, for the word for us this day. This is God’s message to us in this as well. Stay. Speak. Don’t be afraid! When one hears those words “Don’t be afraid” from the Lord in the Bible, one knows that something truly prophetic, truly godly, is about to take place! Don’t be afraid to speak the Gospel!

I believe that the central message of this passage is that we do not have to be opposed to anyone else because we believe in Jesus. Instead, we are called to love them in the name of Jesus who told us to even love our enemies. We know what we believe; we know Jesus is Lord and Savior of all; we know that God’s love is for all people. We are not afraid to speak the Truth.

Jesus reached out in love to all people. Jesus goes to eat with tax collectors. So what? Jesus hangs out with fishermen and the unclean. Jesus tells us in Matthew 28 to go out to make disciples of all nations. This is what Paul tried to do in Corinth.

In Paul’s own words to the people there in Corinth in his first letter, chapter 10:31-32, “So, whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or Greeks or to the church of God. Just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, so that they may all be saved.”

So, when we see three churches right next to one another, we ought to think this is so that “all may be saved.” All the nations are loved by God! God cherishes all of our differences. Jesus reached out to all the people, even to the lepers that were deemed untouchable.

All of God’s churches working together to save all of God’s children! When I look at the West Kauai Ministers’ Association that this church has been a part of for going close to a century now, our on campus ministries that we started that are open to all churches and church leaders, to our relationship with YWAM and so many other shared ministries, I am enthusiastic that we are going out to all people in the name of Christ.

I invite you to hear those words from the Lord. “Do not be afraid. I got you!”

Amen.