Overview
God builds lifelong relationships by directing our steps: he has set the members, every one of them, in the one body as it pleased him, so the people he puts in our path are never coincidence. In this teaching Rev. Jon Ryan reads 1 Corinthians 12 and then walks through the book of Acts to watch Paul’s relationships form, with Barnabas at Antioch, with Silas out of Jerusalem, with Timothy at Derbe and Lystra, with Luke at Troas, with Aquila and Priscilla at Corinth, and with Onesimus in prison. He shows a falling out that did not last a lifetime, and closes in 2 Timothy 4, where Paul at the end of his life is still naming the people God brought to him.
Transcript
God Has Called You, and He Directed the Steps of the People in the Word
Alright, building lifelong relationships, please turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 12. We get to read the Bible and we see that God has drawn our attention to many different individuals over the course of centuries, from the very beginning, starting with Adam and Eve all the way through the Old Testament into the first century when Jesus Christ was born and his ministry flourished and accomplished for us all that we get to enjoy. And then once he had died and was resurrected and seated at the right hand of God, then we get to learn more about the men and women that were in the first century and how they walked with God and how they made decisions.
And so my goal personally, and I’d like for you guys to have an opportunity to consider this, is consider that God has called you because he has. And that your names may not be written on the pages of the Bible right now, but you are no less important, I am no less important than these men and women we can look at. And they got to build relationships with one another, certainly with God, but also with one another. And God was instrumental in directing their steps. He was at work within them and he knew the relationships that would form. And that’s the same today.
We all here on the phone lines have, many of us, have not even met one another face to face because we’re in different parts of the country. We hear each other’s voices. And some of them, I’ve met most all of you. And so I’ve seen you at different locations in Florida and Colorado and Wyoming and Albuquerque, New Mexico and Terre Haute, Indiana, and certainly throughout New England. And so these relationships, I never just consider, well, that was just, I happened to be there, happened to be here. But God is at work.
One Body, Many Members: God Set Every One of Them in the Body as It Pleased Him
Look at 1st Corinthians chapter 12, and we’re going to pick it up in verse 12. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. So here God in this chapter is relating the way that we function together to the way that our body, our physical bodies can function.
And it goes on, it says in verse 13, For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? You know, let’s relate that to us. If the person in Terre Haute says, well, because I don’t live in New Hampshire, I’m not part of the body, is that true? No, we are part of the body, whether we’re spread out in all these different locations, just like the physical body.
It goes on to say, if the verse 16, And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? No, of course not. These are rhetorical questions. If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
But now, and I love this verse, God has set the members, every one of them in the body, as it has pleased him. So never forget that, that God put you where you are. He knew you would believe His word. And as, and being a believer, you are part of the one body that’s made up. This, this illustration that God’s using that we are part of the body, just like, you know, in our physical bodies, my right index finger is a long way from my left big toe, but it’s still part of the same body. It functions differently, just like my eye functions differently than my big toe or my, you know, my knee or whatever. It’s, we’re all part of the body and God wants us to understand that.
Verse 20 says, well, verse 19, And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more, those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary. See, we’ve got parts of our body that we maybe don’t think are that important, but they’re pretty necessary. The parts of our body that eliminate waste are certainly needed and if they’re not working properly, you don’t feel very well. So never discount how important they are.
That the Members Should Have the Same Care One for Another
Verse 23, And those members of the body which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour. And our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need, but God hath tempered the body together. See, he’s put it all together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care, one for another.
So that’s how God wants us to function, where we care about one another. We pray so many times when we get together in these fellowships and we’re concerned about how an individual’s doing and we pray together for whatever the need is. If somebody’s sister, Sarah in New Jersey, that’s related to Hubert, needs to be prayed for, we pray for Sarah. Or if Marshall, who is the son of Jane and Daryl, who are in Colorado or Wyoming, but Marshall lives out in Virginia, we pray for Marshall. That’s how we function together. We are part of this together. It’s so important.
Phoebe, a Servant of the Church at Cenchrea
So let’s look a little bit at some relationships, because God wants us to understand. Go to Romans chapter 16, Romans 16. Now there’s a lot of relationships in the Word, but here is an example that the close of many of the epistles that the Apostle Paul wrote, which Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, at the end of these epistles, often there’s acknowledgments that Paul’s bringing up for us to pray for these people, for the people in the first century to pray. These folks are all dead now. But he was writing these epistles, these letters, back to, in this case, the people in Rome.
And he brings up here in chapter 16, verse 1, I commend unto you Phoebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea, that ye receive her in the Lord as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you, for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also. So Paul knew this woman, Phoebe, and she was a wonderful woman, apparently, and she had helped Paul, and she had helped many of them. And so Paul says, she’s moving, so if anybody is there to give her a hand, give her a hand, assist her in whatever she needs. See, Paul’s concerned.
Priscilla and Aquila: The Couple Who Laid Down Their Own Necks for Paul
Here, look at the next verse. It says, verse 3, Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus. So we first meet Priscilla and Aquila in Acts chapter 18, when Paul and his travels went to Corinth, and there he had arrived in Corinth around the same time that Priscilla and Aquila had arrived in Corinth. They had been kicked out of Rome. Paul had been pretty much kicked out of Thessalonica and Berea, and had to escape because of the pressure, and he came down to Corinth. But see, God knew they would be together. You can read chapter 18 in the book of Acts. We’re not going to read it right now, but you can read about how Paul meets up with this couple, Aquila and Priscilla.
Sometimes Priscilla’s name is first, sometimes Aquila’s name is first. They were a team. They were a married couple, and at one time or another, one of them maybe had the inside track on what we need to do, and the other one had the inside track at another time. That’s how married couples work. We function together. It’s not just one person makes all the rules, and that’s all the decisions. It’s a team, and we function. As a matter of fact, it even relates it in Ephesians to the one body. The husband and wife are to be together in the same body.
So here it says in verse 3, Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my helpers in Christ, who have for my life laid down their own necks, unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. So there was a time when Priscilla and Aquila had to risk their lives for Paul. And everybody should be so thankful, even us, because Paul wrote some of these epistles. But he was telling them, man, this couple is a wonderful couple. They saved my life one time.
And see, so Paul in his travels would meet up. It seemed like, quote, quote, coincidence in Acts 18 when Paul just happened to be in the same town they were. And they met up with one another. It turns out they had the same craft or occupation. And they chose to live together. And whatever housing establishment they’d come up with, they said, hey, let’s share housing. And so Paul and Aquila and Priscilla all lived in the same place. And they built a business there in Corinth. And they conducted this business for, it says, 18 months.
Until such a time, as Paul says, you know, I’ve got to continue on. I’ve got to go to Ephesus, which is on the other side of the Aegean Sea. They were on the east side of the Aegean Sea. They had to go across to the western side. And Aquila and Priscilla said, well, we’re coming with you. They didn’t say, well, jeez, Paul, we just got this business started. This is our livelihood. No, they had so been blessed by Paul.
You can imagine how much you would have taught them the word, living with them for a year and a half and reaching out to so many people that they had reached in the Corinth area. You know, God said to Paul, I got a lot of people here. And so Paul stuck around. And so they decided to go with Paul when he went over to Ephesus. And so Paul met more people as he traveled. See, it’s incredible how this all happened. And it just maybe seemed to be, well, he just decided. Paul decided, I need to do this. But it was God working.
God Still Directs Our Steps: Moving to New England and Starting the Fellowship
Let’s go to the Book of Acts and look at a little bit of it together. We’re going to start in Acts 13. So this is an exciting thing that, for me anyway, to consider that God had to direct the steps of these individuals. And that’s what he does for us also. He directs our steps. We may not realize it, but we just, you know, we decided six years ago that we needed to move up here to New England to help my mom because she was getting to be, she was 85 years old. And it was a time to really get in and be closer to her. And I also have a sister that lives here, two sisters that live here. And so we moved up here. And ultimately, my brother that was out in Wisconsin, he also moved to the area. So our family, which had been separated for years and years, just because we were doing different things, was now in close proximity to one another. It was pretty, pretty cool.
And so we just made these decisions. But then as a result of that, now, you know, we said, well, let’s continue to have fellowships. Let’s do it on the phone lines. And we started this Zoom fellowship before Zoom became popular because the pandemic hadn’t yet hit. We moved up at the very end of 2019. The pandemic started in the third month of 2020. And as a result, look at all of us that are together on the phone lines now, because we’ve just invited one another and they say, well, can I invite so-and-so? And I say, anybody that wants to can be a part of this. And so now these relationships that have formed and are continuing to form, you’ve got to see that God’s involved in this. We’re together because we love God. We’re part of the one body.
Separate Me Barnabas and Saul: The Team Formed at Antioch
So here in Acts chapter 13, it says in verse 1, Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers, as Barnabas and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. So here it lists the number of men that were up in Antioch that had come together. Saul, we first learned about him back in Acts chapter 6, but we’re on Acts 13 now. A lot of things have transpired over those seven chapters of the book of Acts, but Saul has met up with these people. And he’s met up with Barnabas.
And so look what it says in verse two, As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. So how did this happen? Well, they got together the leadership body and they said, you know, Paul and Barnabas, we think you guys ought to team up. You guys have had such a dynamic time up in Antioch, which we could read about in the two previous chapters, chapter 11 and 12 of Acts, that they said, how about if you guys, you know, they also would have wanted to do this, to continue to reach out and to go and meet people and tell them about Jesus Christ. So they’re assigned. Paul and Barnabas, you guys move together and they start to move together and they move to different places.
Paul Stoned at Lystra and Raised Up the Next Day
Look at Acts, chapter 16, Acts 16. So here, a short time later, it says this is Barnabas and Saul. Actually, no, I’m skipping over a part here, but we can’t look at everything. Barnabas and Paul go to these places listed here, Derbe and Iconium and Lystra, and they’re there for a little while. And then they come back to meet with the leadership because a question has come up about the separation of Jews and Gentiles because of circumcision. And so they call together a meeting where they want everybody to be in attendance. And Paul and Barnabas go down there and they help in chapter 15 of Acts to handle this challenge, this situation that’s come up. And then once it’s handled, then they go back. Paul and Barnabas actually have a challenging time. I told you, 16, go to Acts 15, Acts 15, because these things can happen also.
So it says in Acts 14, if you look down in verse 19, And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead. So Paul is stoned to death here in this record. He’s killed. And then it says, Howbeit, verse 20, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up. They healed him from the dead. And he rose up and he’s healed. And the disciples just came. You can imagine how tragic it would have been. Paul got stoned to death. And then they meet together and they raise him from the dead. How exciting.
It goes on, Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up and came into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. Well, you can imagine how the healing must have been, because try and picture being stoned to death. That’s kind of a hard thing to picture. But it’s got to leave bumps and bruises and broken bones all over your body. You’re pelted with these rocks. And he’s raised from the dead. And the next day he’s like, let’s go back to work.
And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra and Iconium and Antioch, confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith. So this is what they did. They helped people to get to know who Jesus Christ is and what he accomplished and how they could walk in newness of life. That’s what Paul was teaching them. It’s pretty exciting.
The Circumcision Question Settled at Jerusalem in Acts 15
So now we go to Acts 15 and it says in verse 1, And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them should go up to Jerusalem to discuss this thing. So this is when they came together over that circumcision situation and they got it handled. They got it all taken care of as they met together with leadership and realized what Jesus Christ had accomplished. It’s no longer a separation of Jews and Gentiles.
And so it says in verse 22, Acts 15:22, Then pleased it the apostles and elders with the whole church to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren. So now here’s a team that’s formed and they said, Paul and Barnabas, we want to send these other guys with you, Judas and Silas. [A few words are lost to a dropout in the recording here.] Recognize this name Silas because later on his name is included in several of the epistles that Paul writes as they became a very close team.
When Paul and Barnabas Had a Falling Out Over John Mark
And so as the situation continued, Barnabas and Paul actually have a little bit of a falling out. You know, so it’s interesting that kind of thing can happen. So it says verse 34, [the reading of the verses is lost to a dropout in the recording here; Acts 15:34-36 read: Notwithstanding it pleased Silas to abide there still. Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also. And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do.] That’s how you take care of one another. You just continue to check in. They didn’t have cell phones and computers where they could do a call like this. They had to physically go and see people and they were willing to do that to travel the miles on foot or on the back of an animal and go and check on these people that they had at one point introduced to the word, introduced to God.
Verse 37, [the reading of the verses is lost to a dropout in the recording here; Acts 15:37-38 read: And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. But Paul thought not good to take him] with them who departed from them from Pamphylia and went not with them to the work. So they have a disagreement. Barnabas says, well, let’s take this guy, John, whose surname is Mark. And Paul says, no, he left us when we did this other trip. Who’s right in this situation? God doesn’t tell us who’s right in this situation.
But what it does say in verse 39, And the contention was so sharp between them, between Paul and Barnabas, that they departed asunder from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus, and Paul chose Silas and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. So they go their separate ways. They are not now divorced. They’re not now separated forever. They just weren’t able to get this friction resolved. And so they’re just going to go in different directions.
Later on in the word, they’re back together. Paul writes about Barnabas in the book of Colossians. So they didn’t stay separated for a lifetime now. They just had a disagreement. Mark, who Paul said we shouldn’t bring with him, ends up writing the gospel of Mark. So was Paul right that they shouldn’t bring Mark with him? I don’t know. Mark has been a pretty important man, one of the holy men of God that wrote the word of God.
Timothy and Luke Join Paul and Silas in Acts 16
So you see these two relationships build and develop. In the next chapter, chapter 16, verse 1, Then came he to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there named Timotheus. So here Paul and Silas meet up with Timothy. And we’ve seen before where they take Timothy with them. Timothy is a young man and his parents have agreed to let Timothy be trained and mentored by the great apostle Paul. So Timotheus joins with Silas, and they begin to travel.
And they traveled east, and ultimately they meet up in Troas with Luke, who wrote the gospel of Luke. Luke also wrote the book of Acts. And they meet up with Luke, and Paul learns that he’s supposed to be going to Macedonia. And so the next day, once they’ve been with Luke, and they know now that they need to keep going east, Luke says, I’m going with you. And Luke is included in these records that are written in the book of Acts to go with Paul and Silas. And they go over to Macedonia, and the chief city is Philippi, and there they meet other people. They are able to minister to people and teach them the word.
And ultimately from Philippi, they travel south to Thessalonica. And it says Paul and Silas and Timothy go south, but Luke appears to have stayed back in Philippi. And then the focus in the book of Acts is Paul and Silas and Timothy and Thessalonica and then in Berea. And then there’s pressure put on there, and Paul has to escape the pressure, and they ship them down to Athens and ultimately to Corinth. And that brings you to where I was before, where Paul ends up meeting Aquila and Priscilla down in Corinth.
But we look in the book of Acts to see how these relationships formed and how exciting it is to realize that God was involved in all this. God knew Paul would meet with Barnabas, with Silas, with Timothy, with Luke, with Aquila and Priscilla. We learned later that he would meet with this woman Phoebe.
Philemon and Onesimus: Repairing a Damaged Relationship
You can read the book of Philemon. And in that book, Paul’s writing a letter to this man named Philemon who lives in Colossae. And it’s because Paul had run into a servant that used to work for Philemon. And the servant told him all about his relationship with Philemon. And Paul says, you know, you had a situation come up with that relationship, and it got damaged. You ought to go back and repair that relationship.
And so Paul, first he’s met Onesimus in prison, which is incredible. Paul had got put in prison erroneously. He didn’t do anything wrong. And there he runs into this fellow, Onesimus. And Onesimus somehow opens up to Paul that he had this man named Philemon that he used to work for. And he had actually run out on him. And Paul says, well, let’s not leave this relationship in disrepair. And Paul writes the letter that’s called the book of Philemon to us. And he says, go bring this letter to Philemon and tell him that, you know, you’re, you were not part of the same body of Christ that he is. And it’s an incredible letter. Well, look at that sometime in the future. But Paul met all these wonderful people, and God was involved in it.
God Put You in the Right Place at the Right Time
Let’s close in 2 Timothy chapter 4. You know, the point is, is that God has brought us together. God has brought you together with so many people, not just those of us that are on the phone lines today, but I’m sure each of us has a story of individuals that we’ve met over the course of our lifetime.
Well, sometime take note of how God has worked to bring you together, to put you in the right place at the right time, to where you heard the word of God, where somebody could speak the word of God to you. Maybe you were going in a whole different direction until somebody got your attention and told you who God is and who Jesus Christ really is. And then you get to be part of the body of Christ, but God knew that was going to happen.
I Have Fought a Good Fight: Paul at the End of His Life
Here in 2 Timothy chapter 4, we’re at the very end of Paul’s life. And he says in verse 6, Paul writes, For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. That means the end of his life. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day. And not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. So he’s writing this letter to Timothy and he’s saying, I’m at the end. God has showed me this is the end of my journey. I finished my course.
It goes on in verse 9, Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me. He’s writing to Timothy. Timothy, I want you to come and meet with me. And he goes on, he says, verse 11, Only Luke is with me. Well, remember they met Paul and Timothy met with Luke back in Acts chapter 16. That’s years ago in this record. But now Luke has managed to stay with Paul and his travels. And we can read about Luke at different points in time in the book of Acts. And here at the end of Paul’s life, Luke is still by his side. Probably would have been a good thing to have a doctor by your side when you’re at the end of your life. But only Luke is with me.
Take Mark and Bring Him With Thee: The Relationship Restored
Take Mark and bring him with thee. So it goes on, for he is profitable to me for the ministry. Remember, he didn’t want to take Mark with him. But now at the end of his life, he’s realized, you know, Barnabas was right. Mark’s a great guy. Mark wrote, he’s going to write the gospel of Mark. So you look at these remarks that Paul is making as he’s writing to Timothy and he’s saying, Luke’s with me and take Mark and bring him with thee. For he’s profitable unto me for the ministry.
And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus. So Paul’s still directing things. Tychicus, I need you to go take care of these believers in Ephesus. And this is how 2 Timothy closes out with Paul just making these assignments to people and saying, this guy is going to go here. I want you to bring, you know, Mark with me and bring the parchments. Those are the written word that he wrote. And that’s how Paul concludes his life.
He goes on in verse 19. Priscilla and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. Remember, he met Priscilla and Aquila in Acts 18. And this is, again, years and years ago, and he’s telling them, hey, say hi to Aquila and Priscilla for me, because they were wonderful. Remember, he writes in Romans, they saved my life at one point. And it goes on, verse 20, Erastus abode at Corinth, but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick. Trophimus got sick. Do thy diligence to come before winter. Eubulus greeteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren. The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.
What a Life Paul Had, and the Relationships We Can Have Today
Wow. What a life Paul had. And yet he never would have guessed that God would be working so amazingly in his life, but he had that heart for God from the time he was a young man. At first, he was going in the wrong direction, caught up with the whole Judean separation from Gentiles and the ones that were organizing the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the ones that had Stephen stoned. Paul was on their side. He consented to have Stephen stoned, but then he encountered Jesus Christ when he was on his travels and he changed the direction of his life altogether and became this great apostle Paul that we now love and respect because we have all these epistles. He lived his life for God, and he set an example. It says, be followers of me in my ways in Christ. Set an example that we can follow to live like he did. And how rich and rewarding is that life to have relationships like he had and like we can have today.
So Father, I thank you for just your tremendous love for us. Thank you for calling us. We never want to downplay or minimize that you have called us and put us together with men and women that are also part of the one body. We may not all function the same way and do the same things or even live in the same areas, but we all are part of your body that you’ve called together, Father. The body of Christ and that we can love one another as we love you and move together is just a privilege we can’t even express adequately how grateful we are. So Father, I thank you for taking care of us and thank you for continuing to open the eyes of our understanding as we come to your word. Thanks in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Key Takeaways
- God has set the members, every one of them, in the body as it has pleased him, so where you happen to live does not decide whether you are part of the body of Christ.
- The members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary, and the members are to have the same care one for another, which is why a fellowship prays by name for people it has never met face to face.
- Every one of Paul’s working relationships began where God had directed the steps: Barnabas at Antioch, Silas out of Jerusalem, Timothy at Derbe and Lystra, Luke at Troas, and Aquila and Priscilla at Corinth.
- A sharp disagreement is not the end of a relationship. Paul and Barnabas departed asunder over John Mark, but they are not now divorced, they’re not now separated forever, and Paul later writes about Barnabas in the book of Colossians.
- Philemon and Onesimus show the same care in reverse: Paul met a runaway servant in prison and wrote a letter so a damaged relationship would not be left in disrepair.
- At the end of his life Paul is still naming people, only Luke is with me, take Mark and bring him with thee, Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus, greet Priscilla and Aquila, which is what a lifetime of God-built relationships looks like.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does living far away from other believers mean you are not part of the body of Christ?
No. Rev. Jon Ryan applies 1 Corinthians 12 to a fellowship spread across Florida, Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Indiana and New England. If the person in Terre Haute says, well, because I don’t live in New Hampshire, I’m not part of the body, is that true? No, we are part of the body, whether we’re spread out in all these different locations, just like the physical body. God has set the members, every one of them in the body, as it has pleased him.
Did Paul and Barnabas stay separated after their falling out over John Mark?
No. The contention was so sharp that they departed asunder from one another, Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus, and Paul chose Silas. But they are not now divorced, they’re not now separated forever. Later on in the word they’re back together, Paul writes about Barnabas in the book of Colossians, and at the very end of his life Paul tells Timothy, take Mark and bring him with thee, for he is profitable to me for the ministry.
How did Paul meet Aquila and Priscilla?
Paul arrived in Corinth at around the same time Aquila and Priscilla did, after they had been kicked out of Rome and he had been kicked out of Thessalonica and Berea. It seemed like coincidence, but they had the same craft or occupation, they shared housing, and they built a business there in Corinth for 18 months. When Paul went over to Ephesus they went with him, and at one point they laid down their own necks for him.
Scripture References
1 Corinthians 12:12-25; Romans 16:1-4; Acts 18:1-3; Ephesians 5:22-33; Acts 18:10; Acts 18:11; Acts 13:1-2; Acts 6; Acts 11; Acts 12; Acts 14:19-22; Acts 15:1-2; Acts 15:22; Acts 15:34-36; Acts 15:37-40; Colossians 4:10; Acts 16:1; Acts 16:8-10; Philemon; 2 Timothy 4:6-8; 2 Timothy 4:9; 2 Timothy 4:11-13; 2 Timothy 4:19-22; 1 Corinthians 4:16-17
This text was prepared from the teaching audio. Scripture quotations have been set against the King James Version. Please verify scripture references against your own Bible.
