June 30, 2020
Not Now, Lord
Acts 18:1–11
Kali Willis
Central Truth
Anything that God has gifted us with, big or small, can be used to glorify Him.
Key Verse | Acts 18:2-3
And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.
Acts 18:1–11
Paul in Corinth
1 After this Paul 1 18:1 Greek he left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, 3 and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. 4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.
5 When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. 6 And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” 7 And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. 9 And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” 11 And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
Dive Deeper | Acts 18:1–11
In this passage, we are introduced to many of the people that Paul encounters during his time in Corinth, including one of my favorite couples in the Bible: Aquila and Priscilla.
Here's what we're told about them:
- In Acts 18:2, we learn that Priscilla and Aquila have ended up in Corinth after they were kicked out of their home in Rome because they were Jews.
- In Acts 18:3, we learn that Aquila and Priscilla share the same profession as Paul: tentmakers! We also learn that Paul is living with Aquila and Priscilla.
Since Aquila and Priscilla were refugees, we can assume that their new home in Corinth was temporary and nothing fancy, but they nonetheless opened their home and lives completely to Paul.
Now that sounds crazy! I know that I am reluctant to invite people into my home because of excuses like:
- "My house is definitely not the biggest in the neighborhood!"
- "My life is so busy, how could I possibly find the time to bring someone else into my home?"
- "There's always a load of dirty dishes in the sink. What will they think of me?"
As a result of my excuses, I find myself saying, "Not now, Lord. You couldn't possibly be asking me to share my time or space with another person."
Priscilla and Aquila considered the little or much they had in their lives as a blessing from God. So they freely gave it away to others. And because of their generosity and hospitality, it opened the doorway to the salvation of many within their ministries and Paul's.
Discussion Questions
1. What has God blessed you with that you can share with others?
2. Is there a place in your life where God is calling you to be generous, but you keep finding excuses?
3. Who has blessed you by inviting you into their lives? It could be into their home, into their professional life, into their spiritual life, etc. Can you take time to thank that person today?