rived in the wicked city of Corinth, he met a Christian couple, Aquila and Pris cilla. Because he and they were tent- makers, Paul lived with them. Perhaps some in the home church were disturbed because Paul worked at what they called a “ secular” occupation during the week when they had sent him to be a mission ary. Paul knew that every minute of a Christian’s life is “ full-time service” if he is in his Lord’s will. Each Sabbath Paul taught in the synagogue. When Paul told the Jews that Jesus was the Christ, they swore and refused to believe him. Paul told them that from hence forth he would preach to the Gentiles. Paul commenced preaching to the Corin thians in a home next to the synagogue. The synagogue ruler and many of the Corinthians believed and were baptized. At this time Paul heard God’s voice in a vision saying, “ Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: for I am with thee.” For one year and six months Paul stayed in Corinth to teach the Word of God. Some of the Jews became angry because of Paul’s teaching. They brought him to their ruler and asked that he be punished. Since it was a question of re ligious beliefs, the ruler refused to do anything to God’s servant. The Greeks took the chief ruler of the synagogue and beat him to show their hatred for the Christians. Some time after this ex perience, Paul, with Aquila and Priscilla, sailed to another land to continue their work for their Lord. Sometimes the life of a Christian is difficult and discouraging, but, like Paul, he may always hear his Lord’s voice say ing, “ Be not afraid . . . For I am with thee.” ■ THE POWER OF PRAYER J. Edgar Hoover, director of the F.B.I. says: “ The spectacle of a nation pray ing is more awe-inspiring than the ex plosion of*an atomic bomb. The force of prayer is greater than any possible com bination of man-made or man-controlled powers, because prayer is man’s greatest means of tapping the infinite resources of God. Invoking by prayer the mercy and might of God is our most efficacious means of guaranteeing peace and securi ty for the harassed and helpless peoples of the earth.” Read PROPHECY MONTHLY Editor: Dr. Keith L. Brooks Associate Editor: Dr. V. C. Oltrogge Subscribe for America’s Original Prophetic Digest 10 mo., $1 ; Foreign, $1.35 yr. Be a part of the League's world-wide prayer and mis sionary fellowship. Biblical books being supplied free to missionaries, needy workers and prisons as God's people provide. Write for details of this faith and non-profit work. AMERICAN PROPHETIC LEAGUE, INC. BOX BB, EAGLE ROCK STATION * LOS ANGELES 41, CALIF. h r SCRIPTURAL ILLUMINATION 48 pages monthly, prophetic truths, signs of the times, guidance, Bible nuggets. Don't miss its important articles and news features.
God. Corinth was a very wicked city. When Paul entered it there was not a Christian in it. When he left there were literally hundreds of earnest believers in the place. The reputation of Corinth from the moral standpoint at the time of Paul was so bad that if a man was unusually vile at that time they said “ he corinthian- izes.” Thus Paul and the Gospel faced a great challenge. If the Gospel could win converts in such a place it could win them anywhere. Persistence in Planting Acts 18:8-11 At first Paul pressed the claims of Christ in the Jewish synagogue (4). Op position soon arose (6) at which time he departed thence (7) and established him self in the house of one Justus, a be liever, who lived near by the synagogue. Success soon attended the work of Paul and his companions. The chief ruler of the synagogue and his family believed (8). Many others joined the believing group (8). Note the order here in con nection with the addition of new mem bers to the infant group: they first heard, then they believed, finally they were baptized (8). Some folks seek to reverse the order and think that if they do something like getting baptized, join ing a church or attending communion they will be all right. This is a plain “ wresting” of the Scriptures. In addition to the encouragement of these new converts, Paul was also given a vision from Heaven and was assured that his ministry in Corinth would re sult in real success (9, 10). This Corin thian ministry went on for the space of eighteen months during which the church there was firmly established. One needs to study carefully Paul’s two epistles to the Corinthians to get the full signifi cance of the work done there in connec tion with this second missionary journey. A Plea for Separation •2 Cor. 6:14-7:1 Not only is it important to plant a garden. It must also be kept clean if it is to produce as it ought to. So it is not only necessary to preach the saving gos pel and win converts. It is essential that new converts be taught to keep them selves unspotted! by the world. Believers cannot be linked together with unbeliev ers in marriage, business, pleasure, in- r terests, etc., and expect to prosper. The I Corinthians to whom Paul first wrote these words had been associated with all | sorts of evil things. But now they were to be different. Christians are to be a separate people, distinct from the world.
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Helps for the Children A Church in a Wicked City A cts 18:1-18
Memory Verse: “ Be not afraid, but speak . . . For I am with thee” (A cts 18:9, 10). Paul was constantly going to new cities to preach the gospel. When he ar- J A N U A R Y , 1 9 5 0
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