Blinkers for a cause- Thursday, 6th Week in Easter- Acts 18:1-8
Paul arrives in the Greek city of Corinth after a rather lukewarm response in Athens. It is here (verse eleven) that he will spend the next one and half year ministering to the Corinthians. Sometimes the ministry of a year and a half spans just seventeen verses as it does in this chapter and hence we look at 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 to understand the challenges that this mission field faced.
Paul is joined by his companions Silas and Timothy who have joined him after the persecutions broke out in Beroea. His mission is also greatly strengthened by his acquaintance with a couple who have had to flee Rome due to the expulsion of Jews by the Emperor Claudius.
Aquila and his wife Priscilla will then go on, not only become Paul’s business partners, for they shared the same trade of making tents ( verse 3) but will also become his lifelong friends. We see that Paul sends his regards to this couple in two different letters that he will later write.
Paul’s trade is not to be trivialised as some childish pastime. Tent s were important to those who lived in this part of the world and one can safely say that Paul was in the ‘real estate business’. In another letter he will use the analogy of trading in a tent for a permanent structure in reference to the reality of death.
However, Paul’s trade does not distract him from his principal mission and that is to proclaim the word of God (verse5) a task that mostly met with stiff opposition or indifference. The Corinthian community was a challenge for Paul both internally and externally. As we will read, the external challenges were predictable; persecution, accusations, beatings and false trials. But from 1 Corinthians we also know that on departing Corinth, the community began to greatly disagree with one another on practically every issue from Baptism to leadership.
True. Being a Christian means you have to be ready to face persecution. But I like what you said, fix your eyes on Jesus and not the persecutors. Wow!! This is wonderful. I will always remember as this is very important when I wants to serve our Lord.
Thank you Father. Meaningful reflection. 🙏
Wowwwww. Wonderful St. Paul and Fr. Warner. I often think how to become like these heavy weight lifters like St. Paul and St. Peter… When I close my eyes to feel them. I can feel like their soul is heavy with good muscles, like Ambuja Cement.. Majbood… N I look my inner self… Like a wafer I am…. I mean in the spiritual context… I have this mental conversation with the saints…how I can be strong like ull … U two both have witnessed Christ.. God literally picked up from the ground as if u were some tiny creature liliputs , blew the breath of life in them and made them Spiritual Giant…. I too want to be like you all…. I sound greedy and avrice, may be I am. But this is what I desire to be Bold, and a heavy weight champion to Spread the Word.
Try praying in tongues for an hour or two daily. It works.
Thank you father for this fruitful words. At times or rather every time we want to take control over our lives and that’s we’re we loose our focus on Jesus and when things are out of control we run to Him. I want to thank you father for reminding me this no matter what ever is
the situation don’t lose your focus on God now I am going to write this on a piece of paper and stick it where I can read it everyday and remind myself that I need to keep my focus on God
Thanks for the thought provoking reflection and personal experience, Fr. It reminded me of my own struggles while involved in the SCC and particularly at the parish level. In the face of challenges, I didn’t quit but kept my focus on God’s purpose. And though those problems don’t exist anymore, I have new ones to face. I continue to trust in God’s help.
I love all your sermons. They are exciting and literally speak to my problems every day.