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Paul in Corinth - The Book of Acts · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. comes my way, I will no longer
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  Speaker 1: take their ignorance as a personal attack against my character,
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  Speaker 1: but will chalk it up to their ignorant and clouded hearts.
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  Speaker 1: When the fear of alienation arises in me, I will
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  Speaker 1: rest my mind and think back on the words you
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  Speaker 1: spoke to Paul in Acts 18. For in your word
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  Speaker 1: to him, you reassured him that you have many people
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  Speaker 1: in the city of Corinth that are yours. and who
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  Speaker 1: will rally around Paul when his time of need would come.
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  Speaker 1: Right now, I receive that word for myself. I gladly
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  Speaker 1: welcome the kingdom connections that are appointed to me at
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  Speaker 1: just the right time. Thank you, Jesus, that you are
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  Speaker 1: always looking out for me as I walk out your
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  Speaker 1: purpose for my life. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you
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  Speaker 1: for praying with me today. Continue listening for an incredible
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  Speaker 1: Bible story. Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: Paul in Corinth. In our last story, we were able
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  Speaker 2: to read the letters written by Paul to the church
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  Speaker 2: in Thessalonica. Paul encouraged them to continue in their pursuit
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  Speaker 2: of a quiet and peaceful life that honors God. Now
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  Speaker 2: we see a new church emerge in one of the
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  Speaker 2: darkest cities in the known world, Corinth. The church in
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  Speaker 2: Corinth would be birthed through struggle, so much so that
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  Speaker 2: Paul would need to remain a year and a half
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  Speaker 2: to train them.
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  Speaker 3: Inspired by the book of Acts. Hello, this is Jack
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  Speaker 3: Graham once again with today's episode of the Bible in
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  Speaker 3: a Year podcast. At our last time together, we heard
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  Speaker 3: how Paul and Silas planted a church in Thessalonica and
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  Speaker 3: discipled new believers in order to lead the church forward.
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  Speaker 3: They faced opposition and were forced to flee undercover for
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  Speaker 3: a night in Berea, where they found Jewish believers who
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  Speaker 3: were more open to reasoning through the scriptures to determine
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  Speaker 3: what was truly God's Word. We then heard how Paul
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  Speaker 3: went to Athens and shared the gospel with Greeks in
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  Speaker 3: the public square, using relatable, relevant language to introduce them
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  Speaker 3: to the God they'd never met. Today we'll hear how
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  Speaker 3: Paul brought light into the dark city of Corinth. He
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  Speaker 3: will meet fellow tent makers who would become not only
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  Speaker 3: partners in the marketplace, but in mission as well. Despite
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  Speaker 3: the sin that abounded in this place, the gospel took
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  Speaker 3: hold Jesus came alive in the hearts of those who
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  Speaker 3: received him, and Paul remained many months in order to
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  Speaker 3: disciple these brand new Christians. Let's listen now to this
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  Speaker 3: reading from the book of Acts.
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  Speaker 2: Paul felt the ocean breeze caress his face as he
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  Speaker 2: descended into the city of Corinth. This ancient port city
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  Speaker 2: was bustling with culture and trade. It was Julius Caesar
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  Speaker 2: who had restored the city to its former glory. Its
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  Speaker 2: buildings were large and bright, gazing over the oceans. Its
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  Speaker 2: streets were busy with trade and business, yet the city
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  Speaker 2: was not for the weak-hearted. Many dangers lurked in the
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  Speaker 2: city of Corinth. Its port made it a hub for
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  Speaker 2: many dangerous people, and its temple to Aphrodite made it
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  Speaker 2: a city fueled by carnal pleasures. Paul knew that Corinth's
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  Speaker 2: outward beauty was not to be trusted. It was often
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  Speaker 2: said that in order to survive Corinth, one must be
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  Speaker 2: brave and unwavering. So Paul walked the city streets, looking
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  Speaker 2: for any sign of familiar faces or buildings. He knew
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  Speaker 2: the first step was to find like-minded people and seek
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  Speaker 2: their protection. Paul walked past the temple of Aphrodite. Male
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  Speaker 2: and female prostitutes lay on the temple steps, beckoning for
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  Speaker 2: Paul to draw near. Paul looked away and fixed his
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  Speaker 2: gaze towards the docks. There he saw a man thrown
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  Speaker 2: overboard with a weight around his neck. The city would
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  Speaker 2: take Paul's soul if he was not careful. After a
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  Speaker 2: day of searching, Paul met a Jewish couple named Aquila
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  Speaker 2: and Priscilla. Claudius had commanded that all Jews residing in
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  Speaker 2: Rome be banished, so the two of them found themselves
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  Speaker 2: living in Corinth with the other exiles. Paul and Aquila
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  Speaker 2: became good friends, since both of them were tent makers
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  Speaker 2: by trade. The two of them mended tents together and
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  Speaker 2: preached in the nearby synagogues. Soon Silas and Timothy journeyed
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  Speaker 2: to meet Paul. A few weeks had passed and Paul
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  Speaker 2: was becoming well acquainted with some of the Corinthian Jews.
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  Speaker 2: Daily he would speak of Jesus and preach the good
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  Speaker 2: news of forgiveness. Yet they would deny him daily. Each
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  Speaker 2: day they would mock him and mock Christ. They would
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  Speaker 2: blaspheme against Jesus and curse him. However, the Gentiles were
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  Speaker 2: receiving Christ with gladness. So Paul wiped the dust off
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  Speaker 2: his robe and lifted his hands, saying, Your blood be
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  Speaker 2: on your own heads. From now on I will turn
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  Speaker 2: my attention to the Gentiles. As Paul continued in ministry,
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  Speaker 2: many Corinthians came to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Prostitutes, sailors, thieves, craftsmen,
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  Speaker 2: and Roman guards came together at the feet of Jesus
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  Speaker 2: to worship. One night Paul was tossing and turning in
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  Speaker 2: his bed. Sweat beat down his neck. Even the ocean
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  Speaker 2: breeze could not cool him down. He was riddled with
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  Speaker 2: anxious fear. Fear of the Jews. Fear of sinning with
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  Speaker 2: the prostitutes. Fear of being stabbed or beaten. All of
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  Speaker 2: these things rushed upon Paul with great force. So he
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  Speaker 2: cried out to God, and whispered sweet hymns to comfort
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  Speaker 2: him in the night. As Paul drifted off to sleep,
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  Speaker 2: the Lord came to him in a dream, saying, Be
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  Speaker 2: of good courage, Paul. Keep speaking and do not be silent.
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  Speaker 2: I have gone before you, and I am with you.
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  Speaker 2: No one will attack you, for there are many in
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  Speaker 2: this city who belong to me. Calmed by the presence
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  Speaker 2: of God, Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and
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  Speaker 2: a half. He would teach the word of God and
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  Speaker 2: build up leaders in the Corinthian church. However, there was
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  Speaker 2: a dark force arising in the Jews of Corinth. They
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  Speaker 2: made a united attack against Paul. As he was mending
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  Speaker 2: tents near the marketplace, they ambushed him. Paul was once
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  Speaker 2: again met with a fury of fists and feet to
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  Speaker 2: his face and ribs. He was tackled to the floor
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  Speaker 2: and bound. The Jews sacrificed the shalom peace of God
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  Speaker 2: for the sake of violence against their brother. So they
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  Speaker 2: brought him to the court, hoping to get him sentenced
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  Speaker 2: to prison or banished. The Jews brought Paul before Galio,
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  Speaker 2: the proconsul of Achaia. They spat at Paul and pointed, saying,
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  Speaker 2: This man is telling people to worship God apart from
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  Speaker 2: our traditions. He ought to be punished. Galio looked down
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  Speaker 2: from his high platform. He leaned back from his desk
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  Speaker 2: and laughed. Are you joking? he scoffed. I thought this
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  Speaker 2: was a matter of crime. But it is just your
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  Speaker 2: petty Jewish law. Get out of my sight and settle
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  Speaker 2: this among yourselves. Livid, the Jews brought a man named
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  Speaker 2: Sustin before Gallio and beat him nearly to death. Sustin
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  Speaker 2: was also a believer, so they wanted to show Gallio
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  Speaker 2: the severity of their crimes. But Gallio was a Roman
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  Speaker 2: and couldn't care less about the affairs of the Jews.
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  Speaker 2: So the Corinthian church emerged from a dark and wicked city.
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  Speaker 2: The church would have to be on guard and alert
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  Speaker 2: if it was to survive. Paul knew this and stayed
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  Speaker 2: a long time to ensure they were taken care of. However,
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  Speaker 2: the Corinthian church would prove to be difficult for Paul.
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  Speaker 2: When he left, they would fall prey to different schemes
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  Speaker 2: of false teachers and corrupt practices. It would only be
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  Speaker 2: through a stiff rebuke from Paul that they would return
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  Speaker 2: to their relationship with Jesus.
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  Speaker 3: As we begin today's reading, we find Paul in the
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  Speaker 3: busy port town of Corinth. It was a place where
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  Speaker 3: commerce abounded and so did sin, especially immorality, sexual sin.
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  Speaker 3: This was where the temple of Aphrodite was located and
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  Speaker 3: worshipers of this false god indulged in all manner of
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  Speaker 3: sexual immorality. It pervaded and perversed the culture and would
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  Speaker 3: be a battle the Christians in Corinth would have to
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  Speaker 3: fight and be prepared against these temptations. Paul met two Jews,
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  Speaker 3: a husband and wife named Aquila and Priscilla. They were
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  Speaker 3: tent makers like him, and he soon joined them in
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  Speaker 3: the marketplace to support his missionary efforts. As he did
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  Speaker 3: in every city, Paul devoted time to sharing the good
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  Speaker 3: news of Jesus with both Jews and Gentiles. He went
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  Speaker 3: to the synagogue every Sabbath and reasoned through the scriptures
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  Speaker 3: to show people who Jesus is and why his claims
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  Speaker 3: could be believed. This was a common theme in Paul's ministry,
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  Speaker 3: and it reminds us that our faith is not blind acceptance.
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  Speaker 3: but reasonable based upon genuine, legitimate truth. God has given
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  Speaker 3: us minds with which to reason, and He has revealed
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  Speaker 3: Himself through His Word, the Bible, and we can have
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  Speaker 3: confidence and trust the Bible and therefore believe and have
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  Speaker 3: faith in God and the things that God says in
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  Speaker 3: His Word. Soon Paul was joined by Silas and Timothy,
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  Speaker 3: and together they continued to share the gospel. But it
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  Speaker 3: was tiring work, and day after day Paul felt the
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  Speaker 3: rejection and ridicule that came from religious people, until finally
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  Speaker 3: he had had enough. He wrote them off in his mind,
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  Speaker 3: resolving to speak only to Gentiles who were open to
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  Speaker 3: the gospel. It's a relatable experience. Many times people who
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  Speaker 3: are religious, even members of our own family, and closest
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  Speaker 3: circles can frustrate us because they reject the truth of
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  Speaker 3: Jesus Christ. But don't miss what happened to Paul as
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  Speaker 3: we read in Acts 18 verse 9. One night, the
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  Speaker 3: Lord spoke to Paul in a vision, Do not be afraid.
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  Speaker 3: Keep on speaking. Do not be silent. This is great
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  Speaker 3: encouragement for us today. We must not be silent, even
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  Speaker 3: in the face of rejection. We can expect rejection and
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  Speaker 3: move forward through it. It can be disheartening and disappointing,
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  Speaker 3: but we must not be silent in our mission to
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  Speaker 3: take the message of Jesus Christ to the world, beginning
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  Speaker 3: with those nearby, closest to us, our neighbors, our family
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  Speaker 3: and friends, and to the nations. So we heard then
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  Speaker 3: that Paul listened to God's words to him and persevered.
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  Speaker 3: He stayed in Corinth, teaching and preaching God's word. And
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  Speaker 3: the church was growing there, but so was opposition. Finally,
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  Speaker 3: the angry religious crowd in opposition to Paul, took him
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  Speaker 3: before the Roman governor. They accused him of teaching about
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  Speaker 3: a God that wasn't part of their religious traditions. This
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  Speaker 3: Roman ruler wasn't interested, really. This wasn't a legal or
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  Speaker 3: criminal matter. He sent them away, no doubt frustrated that
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  Speaker 3: Paul was free to continue teaching about Jesus. It was
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  Speaker 3: a victory, albeit a small one, and one that allowed
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  Speaker 3: Paul to remain there, discipling believers and growing the church.
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  Speaker 3: And this was such an important task. The darkness in
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  Speaker 3: Corinth was strong, seeping into the society and threatening to
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  Speaker 3: poison the burgeoning, growing church. Later, Paul would write two
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  Speaker 3: letters to the church in Corinth, urging the believers to
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  Speaker 3: turn back to Jesus and root out false teaching and
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  Speaker 3: evil practices that had found their way into the church.
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  Speaker 3: His words would serve as a reminder to us today
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  Speaker 3: to always be vigilant in truth, rejecting the sin and
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  Speaker 3: the culture that surrounds us and holding true to our
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  Speaker 3: identity and our commitment to Christ. Let's pray. Dear God,
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  Speaker 3: we thank you for today's reading and the reminder that
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  Speaker 3: we must never be silent in the face of opposition
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  Speaker 3: or rejection, but always speak the truth of your word.
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  Speaker 3: May we boldly share the gospel of Jesus Christ to
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  Speaker 3: our neighbors and to the nations. As long as we
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  Speaker 3: have breath in our lungs, may we keep speaking the
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  Speaker 3: name of Jesus and delivering his truth.
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  Speaker 2: Amen.