God Has Set Apart Many People in Your City! - Acts 18

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. 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.”

Next stop for Paul is Corinth, an important port city on a major commercial trade route. It was a very hedonistic city, which was well known for its sexual immorality.  We see that Paul's trade was that of a "tentmaker", working with leather.  This is likely how he met Priscilla and Aquila.  Though Paul supported the right of a church leader to be supported financially from people they ministered to, Paul gave up this right for himself. He used the money he earned as a tentmaker to fund his mission and ministry.  In fact the term "tentmaker", which refers to missionaries who fund themselves, comes from this passage.  

As usual Paul spends his time in the local synagogue preaching and teaching that Jesus was the Messiah.  Eventually though they like many others became abusive and opposed him. So, Paul shook off his clothes as a sign that he no longer would be responsible for these people's rejection of the gospel. This was a major turning point in Paul's life and ministry, as he went from trying to reach the Jews in synagogue to the Gentiles in the marketplace.  

As Paul got to the end of his rope, he was encouraged by two things.  One, Crispus the synagogue ruler and his entire household came to faith, and many others as well.  This was a faithful remnant God had saved for himself.  Though the gospel Paul preached was rejected by many, some heard the gospel and believed, thus proving that God's word does not return void. (Isaiah 55:11) Finally, the Lord himself spoke to Paul in a vision and told him to keep on preaching and that he had reserved many for himself.  Paul's only job was to preach the gospel, but God would draw the people he had set part for himself.

What does this teach us?  There are people around us who God has reserved for himself that have not been reached with the gospel of Jesus.  Though there will always be those who reject the gospel, God's Word will not return void. There are people in your life that you have shared the gospel with and still reject it. Maybe they are even close family members.  Do not be discouraged. God is with you, and you never know when God will open their hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Our part is to spread the seed, which is the Word about Jesus, but God is the one who makes it grow so that it will bear fruit that has everlasting value.   

This passage reminds us that we don't have to force the gospel on anyone.  Like Paul we can move on when we have been clearly rejected to others God has set apart for himself!  Friends let's be faithful to share the greatest treasure we own, the gospel. For we know God will be faithful to lead the people He loves to himself.