Acts 18

Sometimes, it’s quite amazing how the events and places recorded in the Bible parallel the things that happen in our lives as well as the world we live in today. It just shows how timeless the word of God is and how blessed we are to have it guide us today.

In the chapter for today, there are two places mentioned which, like I mentioned above, parallels our time. Let’s see what they are and how similar they are to the world we live in today.

Bible Passage:  Acts 18

The first of these two places is the city of Corinth. How is it similar to our world today? Let me share the brief background information my study Bible has on this place.

Corinth was the political capital of Achaia. It was also a centre for the worship of Aphrodite, the goddess of fertility, and it housed the major temple of Apollo. Because of the sensuous nature of the religious cult of Aphrodite, Corinth had a reputation for being a city of immorality. Beginning in the fifth century B.C., the Greeks used a word meaning “to act like a Corinthian” as a synonym for sexual immorality.

Like the world we live in today, Corinth was a place teeming with immorality and loose behaviour. From statistics reported in the news (often more conservative than the actual figures), we see a rising trend in pre-marital sex, divorces, adultery and the like. STDs are also on the rise. Indeed, it is a fearsome place we live in today that threatens our resolve to maintain our purity. However, what did the Lord say to Paul concerning this place?

Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.” (Acts 18:9-10)

What we should focus on is not the ‘no one will attack you to hurt you’ part but rather on the ‘do not be afraid but speak’ and the ‘I have many people in this city’ part. Regardless of whether or not we will be persecuted, Jesus has already instructed us to preach the gospel even amidst (or because of) the ‘crooked and perverse generation’ we are in. Also, we are one of His people and He wants us to bring back the other people that belong to Him.

Therefore, in the ‘Corinth’ that we are in, let us speak (the Word) boldly and shine brightly so that the people around us can be led back to God.

The other place mentioned that is so like our world today is Alexandria. While it was not mentioned because Paul went there, its link to Apollos as well as Aquila and Priscilla can be food for thought for us. Again, here’s some background information.

Alexandria was a seaport on the northern coast of Egypt. Founded by Alexander the Great, the city was very cosmopolitan. Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks all lived there; over a quarter of the population was Jewish. The Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures had been produced in that city about 150 years before the birth of Jesus. The city was famous for its great library and was considered the cultural and educational centre of the world.

Don’t you think the world today, with its emphasis on education, learning and information is very like the city of Alexandria? Although there is nothing wrong at all with wanting to educate ourselves and learning more, our wealth of learning can sometimes hinder us from receiving the truth or seeing our weakness.

May the Lord help us so that we will be like Apollos, humble enough to accept what others teach us. More importantly however, may He give us courage and wisdom so that we can be like Aquila and Priscilla, able to preach the complete truth even to people who may be more learned than us.