Acts 18 - Paul Works During the Week and Preaches on the Weekends!

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In Corinth

18 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.

The next stop of Paul's missionary tour is in the city of Corinth.  Corinth was a major city of much importance and in a strategic location near Greece. When Paul left Athens, he went there and met a man named Aquila and his wife Priscilla.  They were Jews who were kicked out of Italy.  Paul worked during the week as a tentmaker, and built a relationship with them, and probably shared the gospel with them.

A few verses later we hear that Priscilla and Aquilla accompanied Paul to Syria. They stop first in the key city of Ephesus, later to become a key area for the early church.  After Paul speaks in the synagogue there, he leaves for Syria and leaves Priscilla and Aquilla in Ephesus.  Meanwhile a highly gifted man, Apollos comes to Ephesus from Egypt.  He is a Jew with a tremendous knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures.  He is good at explaining how Jesus is the Messiah from the Old Testament. His eloquency and persuasive speaking ability greatly impress Aquilla and Priscilla, and they invite him to stay in their home. In their home, they more adequately explain the way of the Lord to him. 

What does this mean for us?  In building a relationship with Priscilla and Aquilla in his day job, Paul created a ripple effect. It continues when Priscilla and Aquilla became believers. Then they instruct Apollos, who would become a great teacher in the Way of Jesus.  To me this is a great example of how building relationships in your workplace or your neighborhood can be used by God mightily.

When I worked in real estate and life insurance before I became a pastor, I had the opportunity to build many relationships in my job, which often led to spiritual conversations and/or a dialogue about Christianity.  Guess what? God can use you wherever you are, even at work. I am not saying you have to preach at work, in might be neither effective or smart.  But relationships are what lead people to Christ.  Paul realized this when he was working with Priscilla and  Aquilla who became key workers in the spread of the gospel.

Thought for the Day:  Who might God be prompting you to build a relationship with that might lead to a spiritual conversation?  Take a risk like Paul and see what God can do.