Day 1212: Worship contrary to the law - Acts 18 vs 12 - 23

12-13 But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal, saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law.” 14-16 But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint. But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things.” And he drove them from the tribunal. 17 And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this.

18 After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow. 19-21 And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined. But on taking leave of them he said, “I will return to you if God wills”, and he set sail from Ephesus. 22-23 When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. Acts 18:12-23 English Standard Version

Ecclesiastes 1:9 says “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” How true this is of today's reading! Some Jewish people complained to the proconsul that Paul was persuading people to worship God “contrary to the law.” People who are 'offended' by the speech of others is not new, Paul faced the same charge. But oh that more in authority would respond to such foolishness as Gallio did! He said: “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, I would have reason to accept your complaint.” He refused to be a judge on personal issues of faith. They had a private grievance about what constituted true worship - Christians have ever faced such opposition from Islam and other religions.

Sadly, the opponents of honest speech often resort to radical action. In this case, they seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. He became one of countless Christians who has suffered the wrath of a mob. How touching that years later when Paul wrote to the Church at Corinth he starts by saying: “Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes.” Sosthenes didn't only survive the beating he received; his faith in Jesus Christ remained strong as well. Here is a challenge for believers today who are accused of saying things that society rejects, and of worshipping God in ways that are regarded as ‘against the law of the land’.

Despite the opposition and danger, Paul stayed for some time longer at Corinth before setting off on the journey back to the Church that sent him out as an evangelist. On the way he came to Ephesus and, once more, reasoned with the Jews. There was an interest in what he said and he was asked to stay longer, but his heart was set on reporting back to the Church at Antioch. Instead, he left Priscilla and Aquila with them to carry on with the work he'd started, and promised that, if it was in God's plan, he would visit them again.

He truly believed that when God began a good work in people's lives, He would carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6) What an encouragement that is for all who serve the Lord. The work is not all our own. Paul could safely entrust these young Christians to the care of others. And we see that after reaching Antioch, he set off again to strengthen the disciples in Galatia and Phrygia. God does His work of keeping believers safe to the end through the loving ministry of men and women such as Paul, Sosthenes, Priscilla and Aquila. And the true and proper worship of God is when brothers and sisters offer their bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. (Romans 12:1) Such love does no harm to a neighbour, and this sort of love is the fulfilment of the law.