Latest / Journey Elgin / Journey Through Scripture- Acts 18-19 & 1 Cor 1-4
Transcript
- Phillip Thomas: It's good to see you today. My name is Philip Thomas, Pastor of Journey here in Elgin, Texas. And ⁓ we are continuing our journey through scripture in a chronological order. So today we're gonna be in two different places. We're gonna start off in Acts, ⁓ chapter eighteen, starting in verse twelve, and then through the rest of the chapter ⁓ eighteen, and then also Acts chapter nineteen, and then we're gonna get a switch over to first Corinthians. And we'll go through the first four chapters of First Corinthians. So Acts 18, 19, and 1 Corinthians 1 through 4. All right. So what we have here in ⁓ Acts chapter ⁓ 18, ⁓ verse 12 starts off. ⁓ Paul is again having some some issues, ⁓ and the the the Jews are trying to get him in trouble and he goes before Galile Galileo. ⁓ who is a proconsul ⁓ of the ⁓ Ephesus area. ⁓ he he was a Roman and basically he said, Y'all are talking about theology and spiritual things. I'm not getting in involved in this. So so s ⁓ Paul remained there in Antioch and was able to to be there for for a while. ⁓ and he gets reconnected with Priscilla and Aquila. If you remember Priscilla and Aquila They had been in Rome, but they had been forced out of Rome. ⁓ and so they ⁓ accompany Paul to Ephesus. ⁓ you you'll see that as you ⁓ read ⁓ there for a for a while. And then Paul leaves ⁓ as we ⁓ get into Acts chapter 23, and we are introduced to a guy named Apollos. ⁓ Apollos is someone who is ⁓ teaching people about. ⁓ this Christian faith. He has been exposed to it through John. He was baptized by by John. ⁓ but he begins ⁓ teaching. He meets Priscilla and Aquila, and they kind of refine and and make sure that he ⁓ understands fully the true gospel message. ⁓ and then he ends up going to Corinth ⁓ and teaching in Corinth as Paul has taught it taught in Corinth. So so These groups, Priscilla and Aquila, were there with Paul in Corinth, then they went to Ephesus. In Ephesus, they meet Apollos, and then Apollos goes to Corinth. ⁓ and and Paul by this time is beginning his ⁓ third missionary journey and he's going to spend ⁓ close to three years in Ephesus. and and so ⁓ while while you see in chapter nineteen, Apollos is in Corinth, Paul ⁓ is now in Ephesus. And ⁓ he begins ⁓ to teach. Again, there starts this kind of shows that there's this division a little bit between ⁓ those who had been baptized by John and those who had been baptized ⁓ by Paul. And Paul is like, I don't care about that stuff. ⁓ it is all about Jesus ⁓ and him alone. In first Corinthians, we're gonna see a lot of that. ⁓ as you continue to read there in chapter 19, you see. ⁓ Paul is doing many, many miracles. Again, we are dealing with a pagan culture that they actively worshipped ⁓ demonically influenced ⁓ pagan religions, ⁓ which is why you see a lot more exorcists ⁓ exorcisms, ⁓ things like that, because the the practice and the worship ⁓ of evil spiritual things was much ⁓ was widely practiced. I would make the case that is we are moving back towards the this kind of a pagan setting. unfortunately, ⁓ that's a s a sad state. We shouldn't be happy about that. But I wouldn't be surprised if you start seeing more ⁓ miraculous things happen because ⁓ the spirit of God is not going to to stop moving because we're choosing to be stupid and go back to to more pagan ⁓ beliefs. ⁓ the spirit of God will continue. ⁓ it just may make it a little more uncomfortable ⁓ to stand up for your faith. ⁓ but as you see, all kinds of amazing things are happening around Paul. I love the little the encounter there in nineteen, starting verse thirteen. There were some Jewish exorcists who they kind of went around and and this would have been normal. People representing different religions trying to make some extra money. ⁓ sometimes it would be false. They would ⁓ they would kind of ⁓ do sleight of hand kind of like magicians to convince people ⁓ that they that their God was more powerful. Sometimes it's real. ⁓ you know, there there are spiritual powers out there that are hard for us to fully comprehend. ⁓ so these were some Jewish exorcists. They probably had d driven out some demons at some some point, ⁓ but they get to know Paul and ⁓ and his he is driving demons out in the name of Christ. So They kind of start trying to do the same thing. They're like, wow, that's really effective. That's better than we've ever been able to do. So we're gonna try that. And so they they try that and the evil spirit, ⁓ verse 15 ⁓ answered and said, ⁓ Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you? I I love that. And then the the evil spirit ⁓ overpowers them ⁓ and ⁓ you know basically just destroys it. Probably doesn't say killed them, but humiliates ⁓ them completely. ⁓ and what that did is it reinforced ⁓ the true power that Paul was speaking about, the power that comes from Christ and Christ alone. And so people began ⁓ to accept. And it's interesting their ⁓ reaction, verse 18, and many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. Also many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. ⁓ and they counted up the value of them and it totaled ⁓ fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord grew mighty and prevailed. ⁓ so I mean we're talking major act of repentance here, ⁓ of turning from these magical ways. ⁓ and it it hurt them financially to do that. ⁓ and that's always it's always an aspect of the gospel message, right? That there is repentance, there is a change in direction. ⁓ there is a different understanding and that you throw off, you cast off those sinful behaviors ⁓ that you had been clinging to, ⁓ that you desire to live a new life, a righteous life in Christ. ⁓ then you ⁓ we get into First Corinthians, ⁓ look at the first ⁓ four chapters. Basically, this is one long introduction, and Paul is ⁓ the church in Corinth is is just it's a mess, which it's understandable. Corinth ⁓ was a ⁓ probably an extremely immoral city. ⁓ it would probably be like, you know the phrase, the saying that we have, ⁓ what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. What is that talking about? Well, there's all kinds of immorality in Vegas and if you participate in it, you really don't want people to know about it. So you say, ⁓ what happens in Vegas stays in V Vegas and we all laugh about it. When we think about it, no, there's a lot of immorality that is there. ⁓ and it it can ⁓ definitely destroys people. ⁓ and at the same time, ⁓ even in Vegas today, there are some thriving churches that are trying to deliver people out of ⁓ the bondage of sin that is is pushed in that ⁓ city. ⁓ well, in Corinth, what you had is you had the first church in Corinth. And it is trying to push back against all these pagan practices. Well that's that's not easy to do. And so they have lots of issues going on. And there's the the excuse me, the first one that Paul addresses is the issue that's gonna be causing division or has the potential c to cause division. It's the argument of ⁓ who who were you baptized by, ⁓ whose voice is more important? Is Paul's voice more important? Is Apollos' voice more important? Is Peter's voice more important? All of these human arguments. And and Paul just kind of goes off on that about how unimportant that is. That do not divide yourself based on who your loyalty is geared to. And so you look in chapter one, ⁓ starting in verse 10, it says, Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus, that you ⁓ all speak the same thing, that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it has been been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Ploy's household, that there are contentions among you. Now I say this, that to each of you says, I am of Paul, or I am of Apollos, or I am of Cephas, or I am of Christ. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified, or baptized ⁓ in the name of Paul? ⁓ right, he says, I thank God that I baptize none of you, ⁓ except Crispus and Gaius, lest anyone should say that I baptized in my own name. Yes, I also baptized the house I also baptized the household of Stephanus. ⁓ besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other, for Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not the wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. So they are getting caught up. in these human standards. Right. And and ⁓ in that culture, it was all about who you know. The way that you thrived in that ⁓ in in the economy and everything there, it was about ⁓ who you know, it was about your connections. And you did everything that you could to develop good connections because the more that you could d develop, the higher up the food chain you could get. And so that is creeping into this church in Corinth. ⁓ that they are arguing about, hey, who whose connection's gonna get us further? ⁓ being following and being baptized by Paul or being baptized by Apollos, ⁓ which one of these guys is most important? And Paul is like that, you're missing the whole point. And if you do that, you're actually ⁓ t ⁓ making the cross of Christ have no effect. ⁓ verse eighteen, for the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. But to those who are being saved, it is the power of God. So ⁓ the cross of Christ is what is most important, but it sounds foolish ⁓ to those ⁓ who who have not received, who who do not ⁓ have Christ within them, and it and by by having Christ in them are now being saved. ⁓ verse twenty two it says, For Jews request a sign, Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified. To the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greek foolishness. Isn't that interesting? See that Christ wasn't the sign the Jews were seeking. He's not the wisdom that the Greeks are seeking, or the Gentiles are seeking. And we preach Christ Jews stumbling block to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. Amen. Then ⁓ verse thirty says, But of him you are in Christ Jesus who became for us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. That it is written, He who glories, let him glory in the Lord. Again, elevating Christ above all else. Quit this who are you gonna follow? And you know, we follow it fall into that same trap here. We idolize people, we put people up. ⁓ a as idols. You see this in the church world all the time with celebrity pastors. ⁓ but it's not even just celebrity pastors. It's this happens in every congregation. There are those ⁓ of us and and probably all of us have been guilty at some point where you put your pastor ⁓ up on a pedestal and you say, ⁓ I I am better because I follow him. Right? That that that is not what it's about. And any pastor who tries to push that. ⁓ it sh you should look at very skeptically. ⁓ it is all about Christ and ⁓ about the glory that is found in him and him alone. And chapter two says and I, brethren, when I came to you did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom, declaring to your to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Christ Jesus and him crucified. I was with you in weakness and fear and much trembling. My speech, my preaching were not with persuasive words or human wisdom, but in demonstrations of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men, but the but in the power of God. Again, so he's saying, Listen, duh, just because someone is a great preacher and is very persuasive, do not be persuaded by their words. Listen to the power of God. Are their words true? Are their words coming ⁓ from God? ⁓ chapter three. ⁓ it talks about again just kind of the ⁓ the the sinful nature of of this ⁓ of ⁓ following humans, not God, and and you know, kind of ranking Paul is above Apollos, Apollos is above Cephas or Cephas is above all you know, all of this stuff about how that is sinful. He says chapter three, I could not speak to you as spiritual people but as carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk. and not with solid food, for now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able. So he's saying you were mature, which is why you're kind of reverting to worldly ways of doing things, that you look to to to human leaders to attach yourself to, to kind of ⁓ develop those connections to better yourselves. That is a ⁓ immature view and it is still carnal, it is still human, it is still sinful. For w For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, you are not carnal and behaving like are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says I am of Paul and another I am of Apollos, are you not carnal? So again, saying how that is sinful. Says ⁓ verse five, Who then is Paul? Who is Apollos? But ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one. I p planted Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, ne nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. ⁓ verse twenty one says, Therefore, let no one boast in men, for all things are yours, whether Paul, Apollos, or Cephas, or the world of life or death, or things present or things to come, all are yours, and you are Christ, and Christ is God's. So again, just th this is the the the main division that is happening right now in Corinth. chapter four verse six says now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sake, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one another against ⁓ the other. For who makes you differ from one another? And do what and and what do you have that you did not receive? Now, if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? Right. So he's just saying, Do not be proud, do not boast in just who you heard the gospel from. ⁓ verse ten, we are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are we you are distinguished, but we are dishonored. To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed and beaten and homeless, and we labor working with our own hands, being reviled, we bless. being persecuted, we endure, being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offsc scourging ⁓ of all things until now. So he's talking about, you know, as apostles, we still ⁓ are going through all of these difficulties and hardships. We are not spared that. ⁓ you know, so so don't don't don't brag and puff yourself up like like you are special just because you follow one person or the other. Again, it's all about elevating God rather than elevating Man. ⁓ he ⁓ ends ⁓ chapter four, verse twenty says, For the kingdom of God is not in the in the world, but is in power. What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod or in love and in a spirit of gentleness? All right. So he's he's pretty irritated here about what's going on, and he is reminding them: don't get caught up in earthly things, but keep focused on the things of God. All right. So ⁓ We'll continue in First Corinthians. ⁓ let's go first Corinthians chapters probably five five through ten. we'll try to do that. Five through ten, first Corinthians. All right, we'll see y'all.