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It’s Jesus that Matters

Eliezer turns away from his magical practices; Paul and Sosthanes begin writing First Corinthians; Ephesus turns away from its magic practices.

Acts 19:17-20; Matthew 10:34-39; James 3:1-5; James 3:13-18

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As morning light emerges, Eliezer footslogs among the numerous alleyways that run between the apartment buildings. On one particular alleyway, he identifies the familiar row of dilapidated doors adjacent to the narrowly paved road. Splintered by both time and the climate, the row of doors are spaced somewhat evenly and stretch for several blocks. “Behind one of those doors…” Eliezer muses, “sits an apartment within whose resident holds the keys to a portal into the demonic world.” 

Finding his door, Eliezer boldly centers himself in front of it and begins to pound. “Wake up!” He yells out. “Wake up and open this door!” He continues to pound. 

Neighboring doors open with the angry faces of those standing to see what might be the problem. “Shut up!” Some yell out. “Stop making all that racquet!” 

Unflinching at the wafting criticisms, Eliezer continues to relentlessly pound… until the door finally creaks open. 

“What!?!” A voice yells out while the door opens only a sliver. “What do you…” The raspy voice stops upon recognition of the man standing in front of it. “Eliezer? What is the meaning…”

Without waiting for an invitation, Eliezer thrusts the door open and marches directly at the resident who begins to back pedal. “You!” He yells out without stopping his stride. “You are directly responsible for my ruin.”

“Me?” The voice replies. “You accuse me? How dare you! It was you who sought me out.” He steps towards Eliezer and comes toe to toe with the man. “It was you who employed me, not the other way around!”

“Big mistake.” Eliezer replies. “A mistake I will not make again.”

“What is the meaning of this?” The raspy voiced man defends. “You hire me to curse the Syrian evangelist. Your Jewish friends turn their backs on you after things don’t work out quite like they wanted. And now you barge through my door without an invitation and accuse me of wrongdoing? I did what I was commissioned to do. The results were up to the spirits, not me. What don’t you understand about this?”

“That’s just it!” Eliezer replies. “I think I understand all too well now.”

“You understand?” The voice escalates. “You understand what?”

“You’re a fraud!” Eliezer bluntly blurts out. “You’re dabbling with evil spirits who promise you everything and deliver nothing.”

“What!?!” The voice replies. “Get out!”

“Oh believe me…” Eliezer shouts as he begins to make his exit. “I will. But know this. I have met the true God who has defeated death and the grave, the one who rules over all, and the one who is unscathed by your pathetic dabbling with the demonic world.” With a look of satisfaction, Eliezer opens the door and then turns around. “You are but a pawn, a worm in the demonic world… and they shutter at the thought of being confronted by the living God. You would do well to do the same.”

…

“No.” Paul says in a ‘matter of fact’ voice. “It really shouldn’t be about parading oneself around as a disciple of yours or Crispus’ or Timothy’s or Apollos’. For that matter, I’m glad I didn’t baptize any of the Corinthians.”

“But you did.” Sosthanes replies.

“What?” Paul asks. “Who?”

“Crispus…” Sosthanes says. “Does that ring a bell?”

“Oh that’s right. How could I be so forgetful?” Paul replies. He then takes a deep breath as the memories begin to reappear in his mind. “And Gaius.”

“Yes.” Sosthanes says. “And…”

Paul scrambles to remember. As if now able to focus, he blurts out. “Stephanas. You’re right! Oh my goodness. I baptized his whole family.”

Sosthanes smiles. “Yes, which brings us back to our problem. Some of Crispus’ disciples seem to be gloating to the disciples of other faith mentors. They are in essence bragging about how they are being taught by the former synagogue leader who was baptized by Paul.

In disgust, Paul exhales and slams a hand down on the table. “What the heck do they think any of that means?”

“Well, that is the conundrum.” Sosthanes ponders. “Here, they are leveraging their connections with your involvement with Crispus’ baptism as a means of superiority. They are making everyone else feel as if they are inferior disciples because of it.”

“Cliques?” Paul asks.

Thinking for a moment longer, Sosthanes then nods his head. “Yes.” He says. “Cliques.”

“Apollos and his friend Zenas.” Paul says. “They’re still around, aren’t they?”

“Oh yes,” Sosthanes replies. “They have quite a following, those two.”

Paul nods. “I see. So, are their disciples doing the same kind of thing–trying to strut their superiority?”

Collecting his thoughts, Sosthanes then lets out. “Yes… now that you ask, I do suppose there is some of that. You know how a disciple takes on the mannerisms of his mentor, right?”

“Sure.” Paul replies. “It happens.”

“Well.” Sosthanes thinks aloud. “Those who follow Apollos have a certain look and feel about them. He attracts men that are similar to himself. They’re all nice guys… but they are definitely the “go-getter, looking-to-debate” types.”

“Okay.” Paul replies.

“I mean… they don’t necessarily parade themselves around, bragging about how wonderful their mentor is…” Sosthanes muses. “But… they do like to challenge people and see themselves as God’s special agents, as if they have been assigned to hold everyone accountable to the standards they have laid out.”

Now laughing, Paul looks over at Sosthanes and buries his head in his hands. “This is absolutely absurd! Do you realize this? We’re breeding a new version of Pharisee. Was I crucified for Timothy? May it never be seen that way! Did Apollos or… or… Crispus die for the sins of the world? What possibly can these disciples brag about? What godliness in their own right can they possibly point to? If they’re to brag, let them brag about the Lord, Sosthanes. We’re all in this boat together, and we are nothing apart from Christ who has made our redemption, our right standing with God possible. Don’t you see it? By not doing anything to stop this, we’re paving the way for a far more destructive version of self-righteous pharisaism.” 

“It’s partly the reason why I have come here.” Sosthanes replies. “Paul, we don’t know what to do with this. Furthermore, we are beginning to implode with all of the concerns that are taking us in several destructive directions. If we’re to continue, we need to hammer this out.”

“Self-righteous pharisaism… That was me! And, I have given all of that up to follow Christ.” Paul sighs. Suddenly remembering, Paul then asks: “My young Timothy, my son in the faith. What is he doing to address all of this?”

“Timothy is doing what he can.” Sosthanes replies. “In fact, I’ve seen him struggle over this probably more than any one of us.”

“Yes.” Paul says. “But… What is he doing to deal with these matters?”

Sosthanes smirks. “Timothy is not you, my friend. He is not a strong personality like you are, so he leads alongside the rest of us as best as he can… But, it’s not uncommon for us to get stuck and not know how to proceed. Which brings us back to you and needing your unique clarity as God’s chosen vessel.”

Paul nods and becomes quiet. Finally, he responds. “Okay… So then let’s work through all of the issues. We can put our responses in writing for you to take back and share with the church in Corinth.” 

…

The door swings wide open, and a number of men walk out into the synagogue’s courtyard. A solitary figure stands boldly in the middle of the courtyard.

A high-pitched and nasally voice cries out, “What are you doing here? You know you are no longer welcome in the house of God.”

Eliezer doesn’t flinch and ignores the annoyance altogether. He looks directly at Elam, the puppetmaster who had turned the other leaders against him.

Staring back at him, Elam gives a slight smile and says. “Hmmmm. You seem to possess an impertinent spirit, my friend. I suggest you heed the counsel that has just been offered to you. Magicians and those who associate with demons are by no means welcome in the house of the Lord. The Law requires us to kill anyone who runs after other gods. Fortunately for you, Ephesus is not governed by the Law of Moses. But I wouldn’t test our patience if I were you.”

Smirking at the men just feet away, Eliezer shakes his head and replies. “Isn’t that rich! You commissioned me and even gave me money to consult with the magician to get rid of the Syrian Jew. And here you are now, disbanding me from fellowship to tidy up your own guilt.”

Elam smiles as he looks around at the others. “I assure you, my friend. Nothing of what you claim is true. Even such allegations of false witness can be worthy of death according to the Law. I recommend you leave, never to return or to bring your witchcraft among the people of God. To show your face here again… well, even the laws of Ephesus may not be enough to keep you safe.”

…

The bonfire pops and crackles behind Paul, producing a vibrant glow behind his silhouetted figure. A larger crowd continues to press in as he teaches. 

“Do you not know,” Paul continues as he looks directly at Immer, “to tamper with sorcery is to invite the presence of evil into your worlds? To work magic is to become a slave to the demons you seek to entreat. You have no idea what you’re up against. You don’t control them. You invite them to control you. They’re playing with you, telling you what you want to know or hear, only to move you to do their bidding, to become their agents.”

Directly in front of Paul sits Immer and Yedaiah, two of Sceva’s seven sons. Immer looks back at Yedaiah. “That’s not what we were trying to do though.” He whispers.

Overhearing, Paul smiles and replies. “No, but you were aiming to confront a demon without the power of God working within you. Yes?”

The brothers look at each other and shrug in concession.

Paul laughs then catches himself. “Sorry. I don’t mean to make light of this, but seven of you were savagely overcome by one demon possessed man. Do I have that right?”

Gasps are heard throughout the crowd, as many try to get a look at the young men seated in the front.

Paul then asks. “Is it okay if I ask you to stand up?”

Immer and Yedaiah both stand and dozens of murmured conversations erupt.

Waving his arms to quiet the crowd, Paul continues. “Gentlemen, I don’t wish to embarrass you here. But, like you, I know that many here in this crowd have consulted with the demonic world and do so on a regular basis. While some have heard your story, there are still many who need to know what happened to you. You and your brothers have sought to become professional exorcists, going from place to place and removing demons from individuals for a fee.”

Embarrassed by the picture Paul just painted, the two nod their heads and say in unison, “Yes.”

“But the tables then turned.” Paul goes on. “When you met up with a possessed man who turned out to be much more than you bargained for.”

They nod, and more conversations flair up.

Paul continues. “You were simply outmatched by a spirit that was much more powerful than you. This demon possessed man shredded all of you and would have killed you had you not gotten out in time. No, you were not consulting magicians necessarily, but you were messing around with something much stronger than the seven of you.”

Paul then looks back to the crowd and asks. “Don’t you get it? When you mess with incantations, with spells, with mind-altering substances, with amulets, with curse tablets, with bones, with any sort of magician or tool that seeks to summon a spirit, you are inviting the world of the demonic into your lives and you are asking them to control your fates. What benefit is there to gain the world and forfeit your own soul in the process?”  

Conversations light up throughout the crowd. “What are we to do?” A voice yells out.

Not wanting to wait, Paul yells over the crowd. “Stop messing around with magic and stop inviting the kingdom of darkness into your lives. Instead, turn to the Most High God who will protect you from the darkness. Turn to God who will guard you with the sacrifice of Jesus, the Son of God who became human and died for your sins. If you want the power of God in your lives… If you wish to rid yourselves of dark torment… give up your demonic practices and let God do a permanent work within you.”

“He’s right!” A voice immediately yells out.

Paul looks back along with the rest of the crowd to see who just said those words. He then smiles when he makes out the face of Eliezer who begins to move towards the front.

Arriving at the front, Eliezer stands next to Paul and yells out to the shadowed crowd. “I’m telling you he’s right.” He says with fatigue in his voice. “Look, I know many of you from synagogue and I may even know some of you who aren’t Jewish. I have a confession I need to make in front of you. Moreover, I need to come clean with God.”

Paul glances over to see Aquila’s eyes fixed on the man standing next to him.

“I have consulted a sorcerer.” Eliezer admits.

A flurry of conversations emerge as Eliezer continues. “I have consulted a magician that I paid to get rid of this man. Together, we summoned spirits to rid us of this problem child. I won’t give you their names, but I can assure you there were others involved. It doesn’t matter though. I was a part of it, and I saw to destroy this man, this good man who has risked his own life to travel here to teach us.” Nearly laughing at himself, Eliezer takes a moment before continuing. “But it backfired and blew up in my face. No matter what we did to confront and remove him, we couldn’t successfully do it. Every scheme we devised… every step we took was countered by something much bigger than us.” 

Eliezer looks over at Paul and shakes his head. “Man, I don’t even think you know what we were up to.”

Paul shrugs and mouths, “No.”

Eliezer then laughs and says, “He was just here continuing to do what God called him to do and trusting that God would take care of him. And you know what? That’s exactly what happened. God met him every step of the way and walked him through every problem we threw at him. God has protected him from the relentless barrage of problems we’ve tried to cause, problems he didn’t even know about. What did he do? He just trusted God and kept on doing what he was supposed to do.” He scoffs at himself. “I tried to break him, but God broke me. Do you know what it’s like to go against the wishes of the living God?”

The fire pops, causing both Paul and Eliezer to turn and see what might have caused it. Two individuals raise their empty hands, and the fire consumes the contents just dumped upon it. 

“We’re done.” says one of the men standing there. 

“No more magic. No more sorcery.” Says the other. 

Paul looks around to see several among the crowd run away. He then looks over at Aquila and says, “Well that didn’t seem to go well. We scared them off.”

Aquila looks behind Paul to see three others approach the fire with their hands filled with an assortment of items. He smiles back at Paul and nods for him to turn around. “Oh, I wouldn’t be too sure of that.”

…

We’re going to stop here for today.

The seeds of Paul’s teaching have germinated into something much more and have now taken root among many here in Ephesus. Jews and non-Jews alike are regularly attending Paul’s sessions and have begun to see how their common interests in dabbling with the occult are being confronted by something far more powerful–namely a trust relationship with God. Magic was a profitable and widespread industry here in Ephesus. Luke even estimates how a large monetary amount, spent on the resources devoted to magic, was dumped into the fire. Fifty thousand drachmas worth of magic resources–a drachma for most was worth a day’s wage–was forfeited into the flames. Talk about putting your money where your mouth is! Those feeding the fire with their spell books, their incantations, their drug interests, their potions, their amulets, etc… were in essence saying, “Enough is enough. I’m tired of living this way and I want the Most High God to come into my life.”

This was true of many in the crowd, and it was especially true of Eliezer who had been scorned from just about everyone he previously thought were his allies. While Eliezer is a fictional character in this narrative, those with Jewish backgrounds were often confronted with having to make a decision to either stay in the synagogue or to move towards the church. Up until this time, many did both, but along with greater evangelism efforts by the early church missionaries came the greater resistance from those who were leading in the synagogues. A decision would have to be made and the division would be felt among a number of Jewish families. Jesus counted on this and said as much in Matthew 10. 

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to turn a man against his father and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter in law against her mother in law; and a person’s enemies will be the members of his own household. 

“The one who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and the one who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And the one who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. The one who has found his life will lose it, and the one who has lost his life on My account will find it.

– Matthew 10:34-39

Meanwhile, Paul is discovering how severe some of the issues are in Corinth, as Sosthanes gradually reveals them to him. One such issue was the self-serving nature of elevating certain mentors over others. Disciples of these mentors were bragging about the superiority of their own education and even their own godliness because they had a “celebrity” mentor. This problem was nothing new in this culture, and celebrity worship still remains a sore spot in our culture today. Even within the church, we boast about how wonderful our own teachers are and we feel better about ourselves when everyone else knows it.

James gives us an apt warning about being teachers. In fact, he discourages it by warning us of stricter judgment to come should our lives not reflect our words. 

Do not become teachers in large numbers, my brothers, since you know that we who are teachers will incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to rein in the whole body as well. Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their whole body as well. Look at the ships too: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are nevertheless directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot determines. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.

– James 3:1-5

It is interesting to me how James relates teaching to exhibiting self-control. The words coming out of my mouth can bring healing or harm. Those teaching others would do well to realize this. In fact, as this chapter continues, James goes on to explain how our words, and our teaching, can be incredibly destructive if used for personal gain. 

Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and goodfruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

– James 3:13-18

As teachers, we would do well to remember our place. It’s Jesus that matters. Not me. Like Paul, Peter, James, and the others, we are simply conduits of God’s work, so to think more highly of ourselves is to diminish God’s work in our lives and in the lives of others. While each individual is responsible for her own faith development, teachers have influence… significant influence. Consequently, our words need to be thoughtfully considered and so should our lives. In doing so, we will avoid all hypocrisy and not incur greater judgment upon ourselves. 

I should also point out that while both good teaching and godliness are highly influential in the lives of others, they are by no means automatic. My faith does not automatically grow just because you’re teaching me, no matter how exceptional you might be. My faith grows when I trust God throughout the day more than I trust myself. 

Of course, there is much more I can share here, but our time is up for this episode. Thank you for listening in, and may God use his teachers to positively influence you to demonstrate more faith in your lives. With that, let’s move forward together.

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The Law Is Good… But It Isn’t Enough

Paul shares a key message with the first believers in Corinth about what the Law of Moses can and cannot do. Sosthanes, the leader in the Corinthian synagogue, feels the pressure intensify from his own people.

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…

Acts 18:7-17; Matthew 22:36-40; Romans 3:19-20

Across the street and some distance away, two men stand to observe the five men seated at a table in front of Titius’ home. One of the men spits. He looks back and forth between the five laughing in the courtyard and the dormant synagogue next door. He shakes his head and spits again. “This isn’t right.” He grumps with disdain, as he looks back at the empty synagogue. “It’s like he’s fishing in a barrel.”

“Can you even hear what he’s saying?” The other man asks. “I’m not able to make anything out.”

“No.” The first man replies. “But look at them. Isn’t it obvious this charlatan is teaching them about his false messiah, right in front of us? He’s mocking us and every family in our synagogue, and he’s doing it from a doorstep away. Don’t you see it?”

The other man nods. “No, you’re right.” He agrees. “I just didn’t want to believe it at first. Then again, they could just be having a pleasant conversation.” He strains to listen in and wonders. “I want to know what he’s teaching them.”

“Okay.” The first man affirms. He starts walking across the street.

“Wait, what are you doing?” The other man asks with surprise.

The first man turns back and coldy replies. “I want to hear what he’s teaching them too.”

…

Laughter ensues, as Aquila cracks a joke at the table.

Paul smiles and quips, “Who let this guy in?”

“Who let this guy in?” Aquila mimics.

The table laughs again.

“Hey,” Paul counters. “You’d better play nice… or I’m telling your wife.”

Aquila cowers in fear, as he pretends to bite his nails.

“Oh, she’ll take you out, tentmaker.” Paul says with a laugh.

As the laughter continues, another at the table becomes distracted. He looks out across the street to see two men slowly moving closer to them. “I think they’re here for us.”

Paul looks around and asks, “Who is?” 

The man points out the men encroaching from a hundred feet away and says, “Them.”

“Hmm.” Paul smirks. “Maybe they’ll join us. Let’s get back to it gentlemen. Where were we?”

“Sacrificial offerings.” Says another.

Some of the men at the table continue to cautiously stare over at the men nearby.

“Right, thank you.” Paul acknowledges. He then becomes focused once more. “Let me ask the looming question here. How does the blood of a goat or a bull bring about expiation?”

The men fall quiet for a moment.

“The Law of Moses clearly communicates that it does.” One of the men finally offers as a matter of fact. “Aaron must take some of the blood of the bull, dip his finger in it, and sprinkle it on the east side of the atonement cover. Seven times, he must sprinkle blood with his finger in front of the cover.” The man recites. 

“Yes… He does.” Paul responds, as he goes on to finish the recitation from the Law. “Then Aaron, or descendant of Aaron, must slaughter the first goat as a sin offering, and do the same as he did with the bull.” Paul then shakes his head as he continues. “Yes, that speaks into the details of how God wanted Israel to worship him. But, it doesn’t address the ‘why’. What is God trying to accomplish here?”

“Appeasement.” Another man offers. “This is an offering for Israel’s atonement.”

“Appeasement… Atonement… for what?” Paul asks.

“For sin.” The man abruptly answers, wondering why his teacher is addressing the obvious. 

“So…” Paul reasons. “God is appeased when an atoning sacrifice accounts for the wrongdoing?”

“Yes.” One of the men simply replies. “This is pretty basic stuff.”

“For how long?” Paul asks.

Puzzled by the relevance of this question, the man waves his hands and says, “Until the following year, and depending on the offering, until the next time sin is committed and another sacrifice is needed.”

“Hmmmm.” Paul wonders aloud. “Don’t you find it odd that God would need to have us schedule out atonement offerings for each year?” 

The man raises his hand and begins to speak but catches himself and says nothing.

Paul smiles at this and continues: “It’s almost like God knew in advance that Israel would repeatedly blunder and fail him. But, I digress. Sacrificial covering… atonement… has been made for sin over and over and over, meaning God has had to be appeased over and over and over. Doesn’t this reveal to us that Israel has a problem with sinning… over and over and over?”

The men nod.

“And…” Letting the moment linger, Paul finally asks. “…this makes God happy? 

The men say nothing.

“Here all along I thought it was obedience that makes God happy. That righteous living makes God happy.” Paul opines. “Now, you’re telling me that sacrificial offerings do the trick?”

After a lull of silence, one of the men shares. “No, no, no. The offerings are a provision that God has made available for times when we fall short in our obedience.” 

“Do you remember when King Saul failed to kill off the Amalekites as God commanded?” Paul asks. “The Amalekites gave Israel a rough go of it when they were coming out from Egypt. God instructed Samuel the Prophet to tell King Saul to settle accounts and take no prisoners. Saul carried out the Lord’s command… to a point. When the attack was on, King Saul noticed the quality of the Amalekite livestock, and he took the best animals back with them from the raid. He even brought the Amalekite king back with them. Kind of like a souvenir… Or maybe Saul had the idea that he would send him back to rule the Amalekites as a puppet king and collect ongoing tribute.”

Paul wonders about this for a moment then continues: “Anyway, when things settled down, he then tried to convince Samuel that he did everything in line with what God commanded. ‘What of the livestock? Why do I hear the bleating of sheep?’ Samuel asked. ‘Why did you bring them back with you?’ ‘Oh, those were for the sacrificial offerings that would satisfy God in worship.’ Or, so Saul claimed. Seeing through his deception, Samuel wasn’t amused, so he asked, ‘What is more pleasing to the Lord… your burnt offerings? Your sacrifices? Or, your obedience to his voice?’ Samuel, then and there, declared that Saul’s Kingship would come to an end and his descendents would never rule again.”

Paul slowly looks around at the men and comments. “‘Rebellion against the Lord is no better than witchcraft, and stubbornness is no different than idol worship.’ Sounds like a conundrum doesn’t it?”

Aquila stares across the table, as he tries to unravel Paul’s puzzling implications. “I’m sorry… what is? I’m not getting the whole picture here.”

Paul shrugs and says, “That in order to make God happy, you need to be completely obedient as the Law requires. Yet, you can’t fully live up to the Law in deed or in motive. Furthermore, God doesn’t seem to appreciate the sacrificial offerings in the way we might think. While a temporary provision for our disobedient behavior, these sacrificial offerings we make are by no means a substitute for the obedience God demands. Like I said… It’s quite the conundrum. It’s like the Law tells us what God expects, but it doesn’t have the power to make us obey. Instead… the Law only shows us how disobedient we really are.

…

“His teachings violate the Law of Moses.” The man says while trying to keep his cool.

Sosthanes looks up from where he and five others are seated and asks, “How so? What is he saying against Moses?”

Carefully choosing his words, the man then says, “That righteousness doesn’t come from the Law. That the Law should not be obeyed.”

“He said that?” Sosthanes asks. 

The man nods as he makes eye contact with the others and replies, “Those were his exact words.”

“What further proof do we need, Sosthanes?” One of the men bursts out with rage. “He’s not only trying to undermine our synagogue, he’s set on destroying our entire way of living.”

Another man seated at the table looks Sosthanes directly in the eyes and asks: “What are we going to do about this?”

Feeling the weight of stares coming from the men seated around him, Sosthanes takes a beat  then wonders aloud. “Gentlemen… this can get resolved quickly enough.” He says. “I’ve recently heard from the other synagogues that this man has visited before coming here to Corinth. We do what they have done in Thessalonica and Alexandria. We take it up with the Romans and have them deal with him.”

Suddenly slapping the table in front of him, another raises his voice in protest. “No! We take things up with the Romans, and it will come back to bite us in the butt, much like it did in Alexandria and Rome. The Jews were removed from Rome altogether, remember? We’ve fed and housed a number of the refugees that have fled here to Corinth because of it. No, we do this without the Romans knowing about it.”

“Do what?” Sosthanes asks with new concern.

The other men look knowingly at one another and wonder who will share the news.

Feeling ever the odd man out, Sosthanes asks with a steady voice. “What are you doing?”

Placing his hands on Sosthanes’ arms, the man sitting next to him speaks endearingly. “Sosthanes, our brother. Chaim is right. We take this up with the Romans, and we invite a whole new level of oppression. Look around you in this city, my friend. Many Jewish refugees have just arrived here in Corinth because Claudius forced them out of Rome. That should tell us enough of what happens when the Romans get involved.”

“He’s right.” Another chimes in. “You take it up with the Romans, and you invite us to become the next target for their capricious discrimination.” He looks around at the others and says, “We have no choice but to do this another way.”

Not liking where this discussion is headed, Sosthanes furrows his brow and asks, “What are you suggesting?”

“It’s better for you not to know.” Chaim responds cooly. 

The others nod.

Sosthanes shoots up from his chair and shakes his head in disgust. “You’re asking me to just go along with you without knowing what you’re doing? Who do you think I am that I would agree to any underhanded dealings here? We have proper channels in place for a reason, and I will not sink to ‘back alley’ tactics to rid us of our problem.”

“Sosthanes.” Another says softly and places his hand on Sosthanes arm to sit him back down. “Do not force our hands here. Let us do what needs to be done.”

Shoving the man’s arm away and refusing to sit, Sosthanes replies: “You’re the ones forcing my hand by asking me to turn a blind eye to whatever shenanigans you’re up to. What… are you hiring mercenaries?”

The men say nothing.

Sosthanes eyes grow wide. “I was kidding… But, that’s exactly what you’re doing, isn’t it. You’re going the way of Rome and contracting out killers? No! No! No!” Sosthanes responds. “This makes us no different than the sovereign thugs who oppress us. We will grab the heretic, and we will drag him in front of the Romans who will do exactly what we need them to do. I will not sit idly by and let you commit outright evil before the Lord. The last thing I need to weigh on my conscience is to turn a blind eye to your conspiring to murder.”

…

We’re going to stop here for today:

Paul has ramped up his teaching efforts and Sosthanes is being pressured to a whole new level to do something about it. 

What do you do when justice doesn’t seem to work in your favor? In the case of the zealous friends of Sosthanes, it means they were willing to put the law into their own hands and would stop at nothing, even if it meant committing a terrible evil before the Lord. Not a fan of that plan, Sosthanes refused to go in that direction. Sosthanes would not agree to the Mafia style hit on this outspoken troublemaker named Paul. Instead, he insisted upon taking up his concern through the proper channel of the Romans who, in his estimation, would deal with this problem child. 

Worlds are colliding: Here we have Paul who is committed to bringing the long-awaited fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan to his own people, the Jews. Yet, for the most part, his own people are fully rejecting this idea of Jesus as Messiah, and they see Paul as nothing more than a destroyer of the Law and their faith. Meanwhile, we have the Romans, who have established their own rule of Law throughout the known world which has been, in some instances, unfriendly to the Jews and Mosaic Law. 

Some of the more zealous Jews have violated their own principles in an effort to kill Paul, yet Sosthanes refuses to budge and go down that road. What does Sosthanes do about this? We’ll have to wait until the next episode to find out.

Even some of the early church leaders, such as James the Just, saw Paul as someone who was fairly cavalier in his attitude towards the Law. It’s easy to make that assumptive leap when your culture insists upon following the Law of God and you see one of your own not upholding it to the “Nth” degree. 

When Paul arrived in Jerusalem after his third mission trip, he shared all of the great things God had done among the Gentiles during his time away. While the elders in the church in Jerusalem were excited to hear this news, they were also quite worried about having Paul in their city. James the Just warned Paul about how he was being perceived around Jerusalem as one who dismisses the importance of the Law (Acts 21:17-26). James told Paul to fall in line with the necessary rituals when he was going about his business in Jerusalem. That way, those who would be carefully observing Paul would give a nod of approval and no longer place him under the microscope.

Why was Paul so unconcerned with carrying out the Law? Why did James and the elders in Jerusalem feel the need to give Paul such a warning when he returned to the mother church? 

Later in his writings, Paul spent much time addressing both the Galatian and Roman believers, many of whom were either Jewish or Jewish converts, about the role and purpose behind the Law of Moses. The majority of believers that made up the Jerusalem church were Jewish families who lived in a culture that highly valued the Law of Moses as the authority for everyday life. They had the Jerusalem temple right in their backyard, and they themselves still routinely followed the Law, as it was the Law of the land. In fact, the closer one traveled to Jerusalem, the more Jewish the church felt. Even some five hundred miles away, many of the church members in Roman Galatia struggled to distinguish between following the Law and living by the Spirit. 

As you may have already guessed, I’m bringing up one of the biggest issues facing the New Testament church in the first century. As followers of Jesus, what do we do with the Law of Moses? Furthermore, what’s the difference between living by the Law and living by the Spirit?

Writing to the regional churches, Paul’s aim was to help believers understand what living a life by faith in a supernatural God is really about. Yes, Paul shares the importance of the Law, but he also is vigilant to share the limitations of the Law. The Law is good… but it isn’t enough. 

Yes, God demands complete obedience. Yes, God understands that humanity prefers to act independently of him in a spirit of rebelliousness–which is likely the main reason why God gave Israel the Law in the first place. Yes, God gave the Law to help humanity see the need to change its rebellious nature. 

Yes, God gave the Law to curb the abusive behavior of humanity and to help us learn of what He expects from us. Yes, God gave provisions for substitutionary sacrificial offerings to help humanity see the need to make amends when acting out in rebellious ways. Instead of us being offered as sacrifices, God made certain animals available to be sacrificed in our place. What a provision! God went to precise lengths to set up proper sacrificial worship practices. 

But… it wasn’t enough to change the hearts of humanity. The Law is good… but it isn’t enough. That said, God gave the Law with all of its intended purposes and sacrificial provisions to show Israel its need for a God-sized solution. With everything God had done to establish Israel and the Law that would govern her, something much greater was still needed.

Israel was incomplete. Even though God’s people were able to see the need for changed hearts, they couldn’t sustain it. The Law is good… but it isn’t enough. Why? Because, Israel, trying as hard as she could, could never fully obey God. For that matter, neither could the rest of humanity. So, God hinted at a solution, a new covenant would be in the works, where a one of a kind sacrificial offering would intervene as a permanent substitute for humanity, despite all of its rebelliousness, all the while fully satisfying God Himself. Whereas, the Law couldn’t empower even God’s own people to fully obey it, God needed to intervene with a supernatural empowerment, a Spirit of God empowerment… Only then, would the human heart undergo the needed change.

The very fact that sacrificial worship was set up in the first place is a helpful indicator that God was up to something. If God wasn’t going to be pleased with the sacrificial offerings of goats and bulls as a means to atone for humanity’s rebelliousness, why even have it in the first place? Why go to all that trouble of providing the Torah and its very specific guidelines for worship? Why redeem Israel out of Egypt in the first place? Why create an entirely new nation of people that God would call his own? If there was nothing more than what was already in place as required by Mosaic Law, then Israel, and the rest of humanity for that matter, would be left as incomplete and without hope. It would be as if God was saying. “Yeah, I did what I could for my people, but they let me down, so I think I’ll go do something else.”

But…

God did not give up on Israel or humanity. In fact, this was a part of God’s promised plan all along. This is why Paul is going to great lengths to share what God is up to and why he is willing to put up just about anything the Romans and Jews alike could throw at him. God is not finished! That’s the message Paul is trying to communicate. In fact, God has done something huge to change humanity in a way that the Law was never capable of doing. The Law is good… but it isn’t enough.

While we won’t be able to work through each and every passage pertaining to the value as well as the insufficiency of the Law, we can at least get a glimpse of how Paul explains the importance of the Law as well as its primary weakness.

The Law is good…

The Law clearly communicates about what is good, and it is a reflection of God’s nature as the source of all things good. The Law upholds the importance of worshiping God alone, the creator of all things, as well as the fair treatment of fellow human beings. Love God, love others. When asked about the most important aspect of the Law, Jesus responds:

“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

— Matthew 22:36-40

Love God, love others. The Law is also good in how it condemns the behaviors of those who rebel against God and treat others unfairly.

Paul builds his case in Romans 2 and 3 against those who say they uphold the Law of Moses. He explains how nobody is truly able to carry it out. Nobody is completely altruistic, where they think nothing of themselves and completely devote themselves to serving God and others. So, he summarizes this in Romans 3:19-20:

Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. 

— Romans 3:19-20

We cannot uphold the Law, so God rightfully condemns us for the rebellious people that we really are. The Law is good but only in the way it shows us how messed up humanity is. 

The Law is good… but it isn’t enough. If God was aiming to be pleased by the behavior of humanity, a huge intervention would be needed–something far greater than what the Law could possibly bring about. Something God-sized. Something supernatural. And this brings us back to the very message Paul is making here to the Corinthians. 

Well, we’ll need to wrap things up for today. May you be inspired to learn more about what God’s bigger role-out plan was–the unfolding of God’s ultimate mystery of what He would do to help a highly rebellious humanity come to love both God and others. With that, let’s move forward… together.

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Sosthanes (Paul in Corinth)

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…

Paul ramps up his dedication to the Lord and takes on the Nazarite Vow. Sosthanes confides in his wife and has an unexpected conversation with Crispus.

Acts 18:6-10, Numbers 6:1-21

As the room begins to brighten, Paul wakes up and forces himself out of his warm bed and into the cold room. Dressing himself, he walks over to one of the splintered window shutters. He shakes his head upon closer evaluation.

“Yeah, I’m not a fan of them either.” A low voice calls out from behind him.

Surprised by the voice, Paul turns around to see Titius examining the shutters of another window. “What are you…” Paul starts. “What happened? Where?”

“All in good time, my friend.” Titius says. “All in good time.”

“You’re alive.” Paul responds. “I was beginning to think the worst.”

“Let’s just say that our friends next door invited me to their little party, but it wasn’t for me.” Titius replies.

Paul laughs and replies. “I don’t see any bruising. You don’t look like you’ve been harmed in any way.”

Titius scratches his head, smiles and says. “Ahhhh, they know better than that.” 

Paul smirks, as he ponders a whole new dimension of the man standing in front of him. “Okay, now you’ve got me wondering about a lot of things.”

“I wouldn’t fret about any of that.” Titius replies. “But I would like to see to fixing these shutters.”

…

As the evening chills and the home grows quiet, Sosthanes stares at the ceiling while lost in his thoughts. 

Seeing that he’s awake, his wife moves an oil lamp closer to see his face. “What is it?” She asks.

Not diverting his eyes away from the ceiling, Sosthanes gives a slight shake of his head and says, “It’s nothing. Go to sleep.”

She smirks. “It’s never nothing when you get that crease in your forehead.” She says while stroking just above his brow. 

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Sosthanes grouches. 

Propping herself up on an elbow, she turns to him and asks, “How long have we known each other?”

Confused by the question, Sosthanes turns his head to look at the woman staring back at him and replies, “I don’t under…”

Cutting him off, she continues. “Do you really think that I don’t recognize your stupid stubbornness when it shows up? I’ve known you these thirty five years, and you think that this is the first time I’ve seen you this way?”

“You couldn’t possibly understand.” Sosthanes dismisses. 

Raising her eyebrows at the insult, she then cooly nods her head. “I see.” She says. “Your situation is so complex, so confounding, that me, a silly, undereducated and simple woman… your wife… couldn’t possibly understand. Do I have that right?”

Sosthanes softens his face, knowing that whatever is said from this point on would only compound the matter.

“Never mind.” She says coldly. “I’ll let you bury yourself.”

“What do you want me to say?” Sosthanes asks helplessly.

She turns back to him and emphasizes: “I want you to share your life with me. But you seem to be so bottled up in that head of yours that you can only relate to yourself.” She pauses before going on. “One of these days, you’re going to need help from others, but if you keep shutting me and others who care about you out, you’ll never get it when you need it the most.”

“Fine.” He throws up his hands in concession. “You wanna know what’s bothering me? People are out of control, and they are trying to force me in different directions. I’m getting pressured from others in a big way. Some are accusing me of taking a hard line, while others are saying that I haven’t done nearly enough.”

“Are you talking about the evangelists?” She asks.

“Yes… well they’re just part of the problem.” He says. “Crispus’ defection stabbed me in the heart. This is the ultimate betrayal from a lifetime friend. So, now that I’ve removed him from the synagogue, some have exploded with their displeasure while others keep pushing me to take it up with the Romans. Even more so, we have a bunch of zealots who have sought to destroy Titius Justus’ home. And today, I just heard that they did something with him.”

She sits up in alarm. “What did they do?”

“I’m not sure.” Sosthanes replies. “They’re keeping me out of the loop, so I have only heard bits and pieces.”

“He is a dear man.” She exclaims. “Wait, keeping you out of the loop? Who’s doing…”

“I know, I know!” Sosthanes replies. “Everything we’ve built is falling apart at the seams, and I don’t know what to do about it.”

Silence creeps in… before she finally asks, “Why did Crispus and his family follow that man?”

Sosthanes shakes his head and confesses. “Honey, I don’t know… I just don’t know.”

…

 In a cleared out part of the larger room, Titius lumbers over to Timothy and Silas with a large window shutter in hand. He leans it against the wall and says, “There. Now we have a model to work with. We can remove what remains of the broken shutters and see what might be salvaged.”

Both nod their heads, as they do their best to estimate how long this project will take.

Silas rubs his face and replies. “I’m not a great woodworker, so if you have any tips along the way, be sure to point them out.”

Titius smiles and replies, “I’m sure we’ll get it right.”

Timothy looks over at Silas and asks. “Will it just be us today, or will others be joining us?” He looks around the room and notices Paul’s absence. “Hey, where is Paul anyway?”

…

Realizing the error of his timing, Paul watches, as a number of women exit the spring with their water jugs. He waits across the street from the spring’s entrance and wonders how women throughout the known world are drawing their water from a similar spring or perhaps a cistern to tend to their daily rituals. The line begins to fade, and fewer women trickle out from the spring. Walking through the entrance, he sees a number of smaller pools and spots that are now empty. He finds a boulder and begins to think through the crazy set of events that have just happened. Being thrown out of the synagogue, baptizing Crispus and his family, the jeering and the violent reaction from some of the zealous Jews, the time of frustration and even despair… and the vision. “What do I do with that… that vision?” He wonders aloud. “Lord, you came to me, to encourage me, and to get me to stick around and not run off to another city. You have your people here, many of whom drive me nuts. But, they’re your people, so they are my people too.”

Others drift in and out of the spring without Paul even realizing it. 

“What is our next move, Lord?” Paul prays. “I know you’ve told me to stay, so I’ll stay.” He pauses to further contemplate. “You have a lot of your people here who long to know you. Lord, I need your help. I need to have an attitude change about being here. You’ve already blessed me through Titius, Crispus and his family, Gaius, and others. You’ve faithfully brought Timothy and Silas by my side. What’s my problem?” He asks. “Am I expecting too much here?”

Another thought creeps in. “I’m not fully committed here, am I. That’s my problem, Lord! I’m not all in. I need to dedicate one hundred percent of myself to these people and this city. And… up until now, Lord… in my heart of hearts, I haven’t done that.”

…

Removing his sandals and robe, Crispus walks into the caldarium to see Sosthanes seated on a bench with his elbows draped over his knees. 

“I thought I might find you here.” Crispus announces.

Recognizing his voice at once, Sosthanes sits upright and fully alert. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s a bath, Sosthanes.” Crispus points out. “It’s what we do.”

Suddenly reeling from the emotional bandage being ripped from his wound and not knowing how to respond, Sosthanes stands and starts to walk towards the exit.

Sensing the agitation, Crispus says. “Hey, stop. Relax… It’s me.”

“I can’t be seen with you.” Sosthanes retorts.

Crispus looks around the empty room and says, “It’s just the two of us in here. We’ll sit on opposite sides of the room, okay?”

Sosthanes does not reply.

“Look.” Crispus says. “I know you feel like I’ve betrayed you.”

Sosthanes bursts out in anger. “Yes, you have betrayed me. You’ve betrayed our friendship. You’ve betrayed our synagogue, my family, and you’ve abandoned everything we’ve built together.”

Crispus shakes his head. “Hey, let us reason for a moment. You feel betrayed, not because I have abandoned you. But because I have chosen to believe in Messiah. I didn’t walk away from everything we built together. You had me and my family removed.”

“You forced my hand.” Sosthanes fires back.

Crispus takes a long breath to simmer down. “Look. There is something far more important to talk about here.”

“Wait…” Sosthanes says. “You’re here because of me then.”

 “Guilty.” Crispus confesses. “I’ve been thinking about this for a while now. I know things haven’t been easy for you, but you must know that things have been quite challenging for me and for my family as well. My son was pelted with rocks the other day. He was badgered by a bunch of boys who took a stoning reenactment a little too seriously. His head and back were pretty bruised up.”

“I can assure you that I didn’t…” Sosthanes says defensively.

Crispus gestures peace. “I’m not accusing you of that.” He says. “Boys will be boys, and they can do things without really understanding the implications of their actions. All I’m saying is that we’ve faced quite a bit of pressure from the community.” He continues. “I’m betting that you are facing similar pressures.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Sosthanes responds. 

“Okay, okay.” Crispus replies. “I get it.” He stretches out his arms for a moment and asks: “So, where is all of this going? More importantly, what do you think God is doing in all of this?”

“What?” Sosthanes asks with surprise. “You’ve abandoned God.”

“Not at all, my friend.” Crispus says. “I’ve simply responded to God’s offer.”

“What are you getting at?” Sosthanes skeptically asks.

“Sosthanes.” Crispus says, as he looks up into the domed ceiling. “What if we have misunderstood the purpose behind the Law.”

Sosthanes doesn’t respond.

Crispus goes on. “What if the Law wasn’t created for the righteous?”

“What?” Sosthanes dismisses.

“Hold on…” Crispus says. “Hear me out. What if the Law was given to stop abusive human behavior towards one another? 

“You know that isn’t what the Law was for.” Sosthanes counters. “The Law speaks towards how God expects to be worshiped.”

Crispus concedes. “You’re right, you’re right. It certainly includes that. ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.’”

“And…” Sosthanes continues: “It will be righteousness for us if we are careful to observe all this commandment before the Lord our God, just as He commanded us.”

“Indeed.” Crispus responds. “And that’s the crux of the matter.”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.” Sosthanes says, as he leans forward. 

“Our righteousness before God only comes when we are completely obedient.” Crispus says with a smirk. “So, when’s the last time you’ve been fully obedient? When’s the last time you haven’t breached a command?”

“That’s why we make sacrificial offerings to the Lord.” Sosthanes says. “We may never be fully obedient, which is why God’s substitutionary sacrifice is so important here.”

“So, you agree then.” Crispus says.

Flustered with Crispus’ tone, Sosthanes responds. “What are you getting at?”

Sensing his tension, Crispus tries to lighten the moment. “All I’m saying is that the Law cannot produce righteousness in us because we can’t possibly live up to it. Do I lie from time to time? Do I act selfishly? Do I desire what others have? Do I cheat, even if only a little, to get my way? God has given us the Law as this huge mirror to show us how poorly we measure up to it.” He says while letting out a long breath. “God has had to do something much more permanent than the sacrificial offering of a goat or a bull.”

…

We’re going to stop here for today.

Acts 18:6-10, Numbers 6:1-21

Crispus and Sosthanes get into a curious dialog that will likely have an effect on Sosthanes down the road. We know this because Paul and Sosthanes later co-write the letter of first Corinthians about Sosthanes being a brother (1 Corinthians 1:1).

Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother…

— 1 Corinthians 1:1

Is this the same Sosthanes in Acts 18? While I can’t fully prove this, I can argue that after Sosthanes gets ‘tarred and feathered’ by his own people and kicked out of leadership in the local synagogue, he would have likely taken a more serious look at the emerging body of Christ followers. 

Sosthanes had become an advocate for the local synagogue to quell the Christ followers in Corinth. Pressured from many sides, Sosthanes escalated the matter before the Romans who wanted no dealings with him or the local Jewish contingency. Those who followed Sosthanes, and likely pressured him to force the matter before the civic authorities, immediately turned on him once the Romans dismissed the case. Right in front of the indifferent Roman authorities, Sosthanes co-supporters beat the snot out of him. Small wonder that Sosthanes would take a second look at the Christ followers who would welcome him, no matter how bruised up he might be, into fellowship.

Meanwhile, Paul takes on a modified Nazarite vow, whereby he dedicates himself to the Lord for a specific period of time. Numbers 6:1-21 describes what’s fully involved with taking the Nazarite vow, but Paul wouldn’t have been able to fully accomplish what was spelled out in the law itself. That would require him shaving his head at the temple in Jerusalem and having the priest offer up his hair as a peace offering (vs. 18).

We know that a vow was taken at some point during his stay at Corinth because we read how Paul shaved his head before moving on to Ephesus and eventually back to Antioch (Acts 18:18). If the vow was to be more in alignment with the exacting nature of the Law, Paul would have had to wait to shave his head until he arrived back in Jerusalem to fulfill the Nazarite vow as spelled out in Numbers 6. 

The larger question at hand, though, is why Paul would have taken the Nazarite vow. While taking the Nazarite vow wasn’t an everyday sort of thing in Jewish culture, it wasn’t uncommon either. In some cases, a Nazarite vow was something that parents would have had invoked on their children for life, but in most cases, to take a Nazarite vow was to set aside a temporary time of dedication to the Lord whereby extra-focused attention would be given towards serving the Lord. 

In the case of Paul, we see that he was struggling somewhat in Corinth. This was shortly after he got fed up with the Jews in the synagogue and declared that their blood was on their own heads for insulting him and rejecting his message. Paul’s struggle was so real that the Lord showed up in a vision and told him not to be afraid but to dedicate himself to the people of this city (Acts 18:6-10). So, my take is that in response to the vision he had, Paul ramped up his commitment level by taking on the Nazarite vow for the remainder of his time spent in Corinth. When he was ready to move on, he finished the vow and went back his normal way of missionary living. 

As you can see, Paul wrestled quite a bit with the Corinthian community, both outside the church and, as we can deduce from his letters later on, inside as well. However, despite his inward struggle, Paul stayed the course and increased his dedication towards accomplishing God’s agenda in that city. What an inspiration! What a great model for us to follow.

We’re going to wrap this episode up. When things go to a dark place with you, as they did with Paul for a time, may you see the connection between your struggle and your need to increase your time of dedication to the Lord. This time of increased dedication may be what is needed to get you through a dark season.