The CommunionFire Commentary On The Book Of ACTS Chapter Eighteen

The Lord continues to lead Paul and Paul continues to March 4th... I mean March Forth*!
*see comment below

SALVATION HISTORY TURNING POINT
Paul says, when the Jews opposed themselves and blasphemed when Paul said in the synogogue Jesus is The Christ, that "Your blood be upon your own heads, I am clean, from now on I will go to the Gentiles!"

NEW DYNAMIC of the GOSPEL
COMMUNION with JESUS leads to Communion with the SAINTS; Jesus begets Christians who share the overflow from a growing COMMUNION-CENTRIC lifestyle

In Communion under the Surfside Pier on Sunday Sharon shared after Mary Cantwell shared about her Communion moment with Jesus - that she just realized March 4th was an important day in the life of a homeless man she led to Jesus who became an upstanding believer and from that moment kept Marching Forth in His walk with the Lord, led by the Spirit! The Holy Spirit also reminded her that at Rob's first CommunionFire gathering, He saw Jesus coming with great white horses from the clouds. Now Rob is with Jesus and Sharon was there to witness that Rob had moved in with Jesus at the funeral the day before. She witnessed with joy that Rob could now pray for us and with us with all of heaven's hosts! "He is part of that great heavenly prayer meeting being led by Jesus!"

In the same way we continue to see St. Paul being constantly led by the Lord from one city to another and then somethin happens that would forever change the course of the Church. Jesus showed Paul there was a whole quarry apart from the Jewish believers who still went to Temple or the Synogogue or who had not yet believed. They were actually fighting against themselves as some blasphemed when Paul spoke of Jesus being The Promised Messiah (Yehoshua Mashiach). Their commentary on his preaching became so rash Paul shook his clothes before them as a sign of their blasphemy! He did not go as far as to tear His clothes, because he was no longer a Pharisee, but a Jesus follower.  At that moment the course of the Gospel to the Jew first and also to the Gentile changed to a map of heaven that would lead Paul to the Gentiles from now on. This did not exclude the Jews or in any way exclude them, they were by choice of unbelief choosing to not beleive the Good News so that the Gentiles might be the ones whose eyes were open to the revelation of Jesus Christ. 

Imagin that! Paul would speak to those who had no knowlege of Jesus, no Jewish point of reference outside the preaching and teaching of those harnessed to the Gospel plough. The personalitites became the Gospel. The gentiles or the "rest of the world outside Jusdaism) would read the lives of those who were Jesus followers and the Holy Spirit would confirm to them that it was Jesus Himself who was tranforming their lives. he secret weapon, the secret universe, the secret reality they lived in was the love, joy and peace Jesus gave to each one every day when they sat down and fed on The Bread of Jesus flesh and the wine of Jesus blood! "#BeBoldBelieve" heaen conveyed to Paul in a vision at this moment! Tell the world to #BeBoldBelieve!"  9 Then the Lord spoke to Paul in the night through a vision, saying, “Be not afraid, but speak and hold not thy peace!
10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set upon thee to hurt thee, for I have many people in this city.”

Who is speaking here? It is Jesus. It is the King speaking to Paul about His realm and the need He has for these living stones to continue to build His eternal Kingdom!

EIGHTEEN  21st Century King James Version

​Jesus is turning the heart of Paul to the Gentiles after the Jews cursed His Polemic
KEY VERSES 4-5
KEY VERSES 9-10
KEY VERSE 26
 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Color Code 
The Ongoing Ministry of Jesus in around and through the Church
Yellow/gold = Seeing Jesus continued ministry
Teal/blue = Seeing the action of the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus
Burgundy/red = Seeing the ongoing and evolving mission/witness of the Church to the Testimony of Jesus

1 After these things, Paul departed from Athens and came to Corinth.
2 There he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus and lately come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome. Paul went unto them,
3 and because he was of the same craft, he lodged with them and worked; for by their occupation they were tentmakers.
4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
5 And when Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.
6 But when they opposed themselves and blasphemed,

Paul shook his raiment and said unto them, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.” 

7 And he departed thence and entered into a certain man’s house named Justus, one who worshiped God and whose house was adjoining the synagogue.

8 And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, with all his house. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.

The Lord Appears to Paul

9 Then the Lord spoke to Paul in the night through a vision, saying, “Be not afraid, but speak and hold not thy peace.
10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set upon thee to hurt thee, for I have many people in this city.”

11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the Word of God among them.
​
12 And when Gallio was deputy of Achaia, the Jews with one accord began an insurrection against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat,
13 saying, “This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law.”

14 And when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would have it that I should bear with you.
15 But if it be a question of words and names and your own law, look ye to it; for I will not be judge of such matters.”
16 And he drove them from the judgment seat.

17 Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the judgment seat. But Gallio was concerned about none of those things.

18 And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren and sailed then into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila, having shorn his head at Cenchrea, for he had made a vow.

19 And he came to Ephesus and left them there, but he himself entered into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.
20 When they desired him to tarry a longer time with them, he consented not,
21 but bade them farewell, saying, “I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem, but I will return again unto you, if God wills.” And he sailed from Ephesus.

22 And when he had landed at Caesarea and had gone up and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch.

23 And after he had spent some time there, he departed and went through all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.

24 And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. 25 This man was instructed in the Way of the Lord; and being fervent in the Spirit, he spoke and taught diligently the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John.

26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla had heard him,

they took him in and expounded to him the Way of God more perfectly.

27 And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him. And when he had come, he helped them much who had believed through grace; 28 for he mightily refuted the Jews (and that publicly), showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ.

21st Century King James Version (KJ21)Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.

#BeBoldBelieve
"March Forth"
Sharing Communion
House to House

Paul continues His 2nd Gospel Marching Forth in Mission from one city to another as led by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit brings him to Corinth to meet Roman Jewish Believers, Aquila and Priscilla woho would then continue with Paul to meet Apollos, and Egyptian believer who only knew salvation history up to the Baptism of John. In Syria Aquilla and priscilla would be used by the Lord to bring Apollos up to speed.

What happened in Corinth was a turning point in salvation history. The Gospel's focus would begin to move to the non-Jewish population of the world. In Corinth Paul tried very hard by  followingg his pattern to go to the Synogogue first and then to the populace outside.

​4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. 5 And when Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. 

​6 But when they opposed themselves and blasphemed, Paul shook his raiment and said unto them, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.”

HOUSE TO HOUSE
No Longer the Synogogue...

His next stop was a house meeting at the house of Justus which was actually attched to the same synogogue. From now on the Church found its purpose and meaning in commuunion as they broke bread from house to house. 

The Holy Spirit brought Paul to a place where he witnessed the door of the Gospel of grace being closed along with the doors of the Synogogue and the hearts of the Jewish people. But then the Lord spoke to him about facing this development with a new vision.

But - note that Crispus, the Chief Ruler of the Synogue converted to Christianity as did everyone in his house.  

In the houses of Justus and Crispus Paul, Timothy and Silas (probably accompanied by Luke, the journalist and Physician) many heard, believed and were baptized. So the Lord encoureged this new level of the evolution of the Gospel.

The Lord Appears to Paul to Confirm The New Direction

9 Then the Lord spoke to Paul in the night through a vision, saying, “Be not afraid, but speak and hold not thy peace.

10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set upon thee to hurt thee, for I have many people in this city.”

So Paul continued with His evangelism team for 18 months more in Corinth with Aquilla, Priscilla, Silas, Timothy and Luke who got a first hand experience in how to share the Gospel with a world who did not know the way of the the Jews... free and clear of the law of sin and death.

Now He preached the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus! in a whole new way to open the gates of righteousness to the Gentiles and the Lord added crispus, Sosthenes and then Apollos in the next city to the ever increasing army of those who became martyr-level witnesses about their personal relationship with Jesus Christ through the meal of the New and everlasting Covenent, Communion with the fire of Christ's glory!

Sosthenes had been elected chief ruler of the synagogue because Crispus had become a Christian. His persecution came because he was a Jew and associated with the synagogue. Paul’s persecution came from his bold witness for the Lord Jesus Christ. Sosthenes also may have become a believer, and when Paul left Corinth he went with him. We find in the salutation to 1 Corinthians the following greeting,

“Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and SOSTHENES, OUR BROTHER, Unto the church of God which is at Corinth.” - 1 Corinthians 1:1

So revival came to Corinth as well as persecution both of the Christians and the Jews, becase the two rulers of the Synogue became Christians. This is where we would find Paul writing about His encounter with Jesus who personally instructed him in the grace, simplicity and power of CommunionFire.