Monday, April 13th

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Monday, April 13

Acts 18:1-4

After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 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. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.

Many great American cities have well known nicknames.

Chicago is the “Windy City,” New York is the “Big Apple,” New Orleans is “The Big Easy,” Philadelphia is “The City of Brotherly Love,” and Las Vegas is called “Sin City.”

I’ve never been to Las Vegas, but my impression from a distance is pretty much what the nickname suggests, “Sin City.”

It’s a city filled with casinos, bars, nightclubs and all kinds of “adult entertainment” options. There’s a reason why people say, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!”

But did you know that there are also something like 500 churches in Las Vegas? Did you know that the 9th largest church in America, Central Christian Church with over 21,000 members, is in Las Vegas?

At first glance, “Sin City” and a church with 21,000 members don’t seem to go together! But when we read Acts 18 we see a precedent for exactly the same thing.

After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.

Where Athens was known as the political and intellectual center of ancient Greece, Corinth was almost the exact opposite. Corinth had the reputation of being a rough place, even by the standards of the ancient world. It was located on a major trade route and so was filled with merchants, sailors, and people from many different cultural and religious backgrounds. The city was known for the Temple of Aphrodite which at one time housed 1000 cult prostitutes who plied their trade freely. The very word “Corinthian” came to be associated with debauchery. So, in many ways, Corinth was “Sin City.”

So why would Paul choose Corinth as his next target? Why choose a city that one would assume had little interest in the gospel?

I think there are likely three reasons.

First, he was led by the Holy Spirit. We know from earlier chapters in Acts that Paul had received God’s guidance in the form of a vision (or dream) that led him to move into the region of Macedonia. We can assume that Paul sensed the Holy Spirit’s direction in some form to leave Athens and go to Corinth.

Second, he saw great need. He would have known the reputation of Corinth as “Sin City” and he would have been drawn to bring the good news of the gospel to those who were captive to idolatry and sin.

Third, he saw great opportunity. Corinth was strategic in terms of both its location and the diversity of its population. Paul undoubtedly saw the potential for Corinth to serve as a kind of launching pad for the gospel to that region of the world and beyond.

So to Paul, “Sin City” is exactly where the gospel should go!

So what is “Sin City” for us? Maybe we don’t have to look as far as Las Vegas to find a place - or people - who need the gospel! Maybe its your neighborhood, your college campus, your place of work; it might even be your friends or family!

What might you be able to do to share the gospel with those who may not be very interested? What conversation might you be able to initiate? What invitation can you make?

Perhaps the best way to start is to pray and ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit!

Pastor Brian Coffey