Acts 18:1-17: Should you leave your church?

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Introduction

1)     One thing that happens from time to time is I get phone calls from people who want to talk about whether or not they should stay at their church or leave. They are discouraged and frustrated, and sometimes they’re hurt; but they also know that we don’t just change church families like we change our shoes.

2)     Paul in Corinth makes me think about these situations, and I think it can be helpful to keep some of these things in mind.

Reasons why Paul might have left Corinth

1)     The Corinthians were a mess.

A)   Classical Corinth was completely burned to the ground by the Romans in 146 BC and sat dormant for 100 years. It was refounded bp Caesar in 44 BC as a Roman Colony.

1)     Populated by freedmen. New money.

B)    It was a major economic hub. Lots of people in and out.

1)     Ports on the east to Turkey

2)     Ports on the west to Rome

3)     3 ½ mile wide Isthmus of Corinth on the north to Athens

(a)   It was dangerous to sail around the south side of Achaia, so ships were dragged across a paved slipway (diolkos).

4)     They care about money A LOT!

(a)   1 Cor. 1:26 – Paul emphasizes humility

(b)    1 Cor. 6 – Lawsuits between Christians

C)    It had a reputation for being a moral dumpster fire.

1)     They were so notorious for sexual immorality that there is a word, “to corinthiainize,” that means to be sexually immoral, or to refers to a girl as a prostitute.

2)     There was a temple to Aphrodite (goddess of love), which employed over 1000 sacred prostitutes.

3)     1 Cor. 5 – There was immorality in the church.

D)   There was a lot of paganism.

1)     Temples to Poseidon, Apollo, Isis, Serapis, and the Imperial Cult.

2)     1 Cor. 8-10 – There was a big conversation about eating meat in an idol’s temple.

E)    POINT: These people were a mess, and it would be very easy to justify getting out there.

2)     Paul was burned out.

A)   It has been about 12 years since Paul’s 1st missionary journey (49-52).

1)     He had problems in Jerusalem over Gentiles.

2)     He had problems with Barnabas over John Mark.

3)     He was stoned and left for dead in Lystra.

4)     He was uncertain about God’s intent through his 2nd missionary trip.

5)     He was beaten and thrown into jail in Philippi.

6)     He ran out of Thessalonica and Berea.

7)     He was alone because he left Silas and Timothy behind in Berea.

B)    vv. 5b-7a – And now he’s having trouble in Corinth.

1)     vv. 9-10 – Paul needed assurance from God.

2)     vv. 12-13, 17 – Mob violence…again.

3)     cf. 1 Cor. 2:3 – “I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling…”

3)     Financial strain.

A)   vv. 2-4 – He worked as a tentmaker and stayed with Aquila and Priscilla.

B)    v. 5 – When Silas and Timothy arrived, they brought money.

1)     2 Cor. 11:9 – “When I was with you and was in need…”

2)     Phil. 4:14-16

4)     Conclusion

A)   If Paul had decided to just leave I don’t know a single person who would have blamed him…

B)    BUT he stayed.

C)    Not only did he stay, he stayed here longer than anywhere else he’d been (v. 11 – 1 ½ years).

Reasons why Paul stayed

1)     He found fellow workers.

A)   vv. 2-3 – Aquila and Priscilla.

1)     I’ll probably do an entire lesson about this couple at some point. They were workers!

B)    v. 5 – He was reunited with Silas and Timothy (cf. 2 Cor. 7:5-6).

C)    Ecc. 4:9-12

2)     There was some success.

A)   vv. 7-8 – Titius Justus, Crispus, his entire household, and “many of the Corinthians.”

B)    If you ever feel tempted to get discouraged by who is NOT here, take a second to look around as who IS here.

3)     He was driven by purpose.

A)   vv. 9-11 – God said that he had work to do.

B)    cf. Acts 23:10-11 – God would assure Paul that there was purpose in his work.

C)    cf. Jer. 20:8-9. Jeremiah didn’t want to do his work, but he felt compelled to.

D)   The Screwtape Letters: Uncle Screwtape is writing to young Wormwood about how to work against Christianity.

1)     Letter 8: “Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Maker's will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.”

Conclusion

1)     I can’t tell you whether or not you should go or stay, but this is a pretty good list of things to consider if you ever need to make a decision.