A Present Helper
(No. 3447)
A SERMON PUBLISHED ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1915.
DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.
"I aim with you." Acts 18:10.
THE Apostle Paul was about to be placed in imminent peril. He was to be
brought before the Roman governor, Gal-lio. The Jews, rank and rabble,
were hopeful that they would get him condemned to death. In this
threatening crisis the Lord Jesus would give him a word of comfort to
strengthen him, that his courage might not fail. The best, the most
assuring word that the Savior could speak to His servant was this, "I
am with you." Nothing in Heaven or earth could be more fitted to cheer
his tried spirit! To know that Jesus was with him, approving,
supporting, defending him, was a safeguard against fear. Years
afterwards, when Paul had to stand before the Roman emperor whose will
was absolute, whose fiat could have put him to instant death, he had no
man who dared stand by him. A poor despised servant of a despised
Master, he was not, then, cast down or disheartened, for he said,
"Nevertheless, the Lord stood by me." Under the worst circumstances,
true Christians find the richest comfort if they do but know that Jesus
is with them! When our Lord went away to Heaven and left His disciples
on earth, they were like a flock of sheep surrounded with wolves. Just
then He would surely give them, as a parting word, the most tender and
the most encouraging sentence that could fall from His lips. What do
you think He said? Why, one of His farewell words was this, "Lo, I am
with you always"–a dear and blessed legacy to His children who are
still in banishment below! And when John, in Patmos, had a vision of
Jesus in His Glory, where, do you think, did he see Him? Did he see Him
as standing before the Throne of God, or in any position of Glory? Yes,
he did, but first of all he said, "I saw Him walking among the golden
candlesticks." Now, he tells us, these golden candelabra represented
the Churches–and Jesus Christ was pictured even as a glorified Savior,
holding the seven stars in His right hand and walking among the seven
golden candlesticks! Hence I gather that the truest comfort of the
Church is for Christ to be with us–and that one of the highest joys of
Jesus is to be with His people!
I shall ask you, now, to consider the grateful fact that Jesus is with
Believers. The words, "I am with you," may be taken in three ways–and
the three must be combined to get the whole of their sense.
"I am with you." This implies His Presence. That would not be enough–a
person is not with us if he is merely in the same place as a spectator.
"I am with you" expresses His sympathy. He is not here as a stranger,
but He is here feeling for us, compassionating with us. "I am with you"
has a yet deeper significance. It involves succor. He is working with
you– on the same side–exerting His power in connection with yours.
Put the three together, and you get presence, sympathy, co-operation,
to interpret the meaning. We will take the three words, and oh, as we
take them, may we realize them as our own! The words, "I am with you"
leave no doubt of–
I. THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST.
Believer, Jesus Christ's spiritual and most real Presence is with you!
This should greatly comfort you because it is the Presence of One whom
you dearly love and who reciprocates that affection with an accord so
intimate that every hope or fear you feel is reflected in His breast.
His heart beats true to you. I might almost say His nerves vibrate in
sympathy with you! Oh, how it calms the mind in the midst of difficulty
or danger, if we have near us, by our side, One toward whom our heart
goes forth and from whom a kindred yearning comes back! The child
sleeps sweetly when it is with its mother, watched and tended by her
quick eyes and ready hands. The loneliest part of the pilgrim's road is
relieved of its tedious-ness and its terror when some dear companion is
with him, in whose fellowship he can agree, upon whose arm he may lean
and whose constancy he can trust to share any danger. A sprightly word,
a kindly look, a brotherly act seem like timely aid to us all when we
are tired, footsore, out of our course, and out of spirits. Ah, then
you could not have a sweeter
Friend with you than you have in Jesus! The society of brother or
sister, husband or wife, parent or guardian, can never equal the
hallowed peace of communion with Jesus, who loved you, lived for you,
died for you, still lives for you, gives His whole heart to you–and
only asks that you give your heart to Him in return.
Still more precious does this Presence of Jesus become when we think
how ennobling it is. Some people talk all their life of having been
once in the society of some great person. That is, indeed, a foolish
pride! Very empty! But to have been in the society of Jesus is worthy
to be remembered, deserving to be recorded and most desirable to be
repeated! I reckon that the angels would look more respectfully towards
a man who has had communion with Jesus than they would at a council of
kings and emperors, or a parliament of princes and peers! We are made
priests and kings who enter into fellowship with our great High Priest
and King. His Glory overshadows us. Though He is transfigured in a way
we are not, yet we participate somewhat in His honors, now, and we
shall be altogether partakers of His Glory, by-and-by. "I am with you,"
then, is the voice of a tender Friend, and one of a superior Nature who
confers dignity by His companionship!
This–"I am with you"–is an enlivening cry. It inspirits a man,
quickens his pulse and enables him to bid defiance to danger. We
remember when Paul was in the ship tossed with tempest–what fear
seized all persons on board! So much were they discouraged that they
would probably have been unable to do anything for their own rescue had
not Paul, with the coolness of faith, chided their panic, gave them
counsel and bid them to eat, for, as he said, "this is for your
health." After long fasting, he saw the necessity of taking
refreshment. And he led the way. He took bread, gave thanks to God in
the presence of them all, then broke the bread and began to eat. This
manly fortitude, this moral courage of the Apostle, repressed the
general agitation and nerved them all with fresh hope, insomuch that
they were all of good cheer and they also took some food. This was the
turning point in their fortune and, in the end, they, everyone, came
safe to land. Thus full often has it been in the time of battle. When
the troops have been ready to flee, one able man has stood like a rock,
has made caution look like cowardice by his own defiance of danger, has
given a word which has made every soldier feel himself a hero,
lion-hearted, not milk-livered! And so the battle has been turned. "I
am with you," there, O Christian, is the voice of One whose Presence
fills your soul with dauntless courage! No fear when Jesus is near!
None can be defeated who have Him to bring them succor. The Presence of
Christ with us puts an end to morbid apprehension and ghastly
cowardice!
When we are told that Jesus is with us, we remember that His is a
Presence which causes intense delight. We have seen men with money, who
were not happy. We have seen men with honor, who were not happy. We
have seen persons in power, with the command of empires, yet they were
not happy. But we never saw, and never will see the individual who has
Jesus with him, who is not happy! To be near Him, to have Him with us
is to have our fears relieved, our griefs soothed, our wounds healed
and all our sorrows turned into joy! One drop of Jesus' love would turn
the whole ocean sweet! Yes, though the bitterness within you seems to
have penetrated your whole being, let but Jesus whisper, "You are Mine
and I am yours," and the bitterness would turn to honey at that one
single phrase! Only a glimpse from Jesus' eyes and the darkness is
turned to noonday. Only one word from Jesus' lips, and the tempest that
raged becomes calm and the ruffled sea is still! "I am with you"
bespeaks the Presence, then, of One who brings you delight.
And this Presence, as I have already hinted, transforms the soul. When
Jesus is with us, He makes us like Himself. He that lives near to Jesus
becomes so like Jesus that others, "take knowledge of him that he has
been with Jesus." Put these thoughts together and you will see how
infinitely desirable and how exquisitely satisfactory the company of
Christ is. But, ah, my words cannot tell you, though I had the tongue
of the orator or the sweeter strains of the poet. Yes, the inspiration
of the muse would fail to acquaint you with it! You must know it for
yourself, or else you can never realize how transporting these words
are–"I am with you"–Jesus present with His own people!
Now some of you know, by a happy experience, times and seasons when
Jesus is specially present with His people. I trust we have often found
Him so at the hour of prayer. Rising in the morning, it is sweet to
find in those few minutes we give to God before we see the face of man,
that, like the Psalmist, we can say, "When I am awake I am still with
You." Then at nightfall, when the day's work is over, and we are about
to lie down and rest, it is good to find, as we kneel before Him once
again, that Jesus is there! And, Oh, some of us have proved what it is
in the watches of the night to have His sweetest company! When darkness
compasses us, silence awes us and sleep has deserted us, our soul has
said, "Now will I speak with my Beloved," and we have always found Him
awake! A sigh has reached His ears–the fluttering of an unfledged
prayer! A desire after Him has brought Him near to our side, close to
our bed, present to our heart. We have
thanked God for sleeplessness when we have had our beloved Master
talking with us and indulging us with a blessed sense of communion!
And, oh, how near Jesus is to His people when they are passing through
the stage of penitential love. I hope you often get there, when
sensitive to your own imperfection and unworthiness before God, you are
abased and humbled, yet looking up at the same moment to that dear
Cross on which He bled because we sinned! You see your pardon and
acceptance written in crimson lines on the fair body of the dying
Savior! I do not know that I have ever more tenderly felt the Presence
of Jesus than when, while my heart has been broken with a sense of my
own worthlessness and insignificance, I have confidently fled for
refuge to the hope that is set before me in the finished Sacrifice and
the perfect Redemption that Christ has accomplished!
But, Beloved, Jesus is present to us not only in our acts of penitence
and devotion, He is present with His people in the battle of life! Yes,
He will go with you to the workshop. The street is not too common for
Him to tread side by side with you. Jesus can stand with you in the
market. You can as truly maintain fellowship with Christ in your buying
and your selling, if your commerce with the world is conducted in the
fear of the Lord, as in your praying and your reading, which are of
small account, unless "you have an unction from the Holy One." No kind
of labor will ever make Christ take an aversion to you, however humble
your toil, however poor the chamber in which that toil is carried on,
or however rough may be the garb in which you have to earn your daily
bread. Jesus cares not for these. 'Tis your soul He looks for and if
you hunger and thirst for Him, He will go with you into the lowliest
places and you shall find it true, "I am with you."
More especially, beloved Friends, in the ordinances of God's House, may
we look for the refreshment of the Lord's Presence. Oh, what a beloved
place this Tabernacle is when Jesus is here, manifestly in our midst,
and witnessed by many hearts! It would be a poor meeting house if only
the minister and the congregation, however large, were congregated
together within its walls. Poor would it be, notwithstanding all the
accessories of worship, yes, even with the bread and the wine, the
elements of the Communion Supper, spread in rich abundance, without the
Lord, Himself, here to bless the feast and feed the communicants! But,
ah, when the King sits at His Table, then our spikenard gives forth a
sweet smell and our heart is merry within us, even as the angels that
are before the Throne of God! Does He not come to you as you sit in the
pews, Beloved, and say to you, "I am with you"? And when you gather
yourselves together to partake of the Communion Supper, is He not with
you there? Do you join in the solemn hymn, or do you unite in earnest
prayer? What is it that makes the service enlivening, elevating,
instructive and fruitful but the consciousness of His Presence–this
same "I am with you."
Yes, and when the time shall come for you to have done with
ordinances–when the preacher's voice shall no more reach your ears,
when the melody of sacred song shall cease to enter your senses–when
you have joined here below for the last time in the fellowship of the
Supper of the Lord, for you must bear the clammy sweat upon your brow,
and wear the mortal paleness on your cheeks as you are about to pass
through what they call the "gate of tears"–even then you shall find it
a gate of endless joy because this shall be true to your experience in
the highest sense, "I am with you." Fear not the darkness! Dread not
the loose pains, shrink not from the weakness, tremble not at the
advent of the grim King of Terrors. "I am with you" will change the hue
of that affliction and when you are very ill, make you say that all is
well!
Oh, if my Lord would come and meet me, my soul would stretch her wings
in haste, fly swiftly through death's iron gate, nor feel frightened as
she passed! So it shall be with you. I have but skimmed the surface of
this first point–the Presence of Christ–"I am with you." Do not any
of you skim it. Go into the depths and enjoy it, Beloved! The words
still further express–
II. SYMPATHY.
Remember that Christ in very deed feels in His heart the sorrows of His
people. Are they in the furnace? He walks the fire with them. Are they
in the rivers? He says, "When you pass through the rivers, I will be
with you." And this is grounded upon the precious Doctrine of Vital
Union. Every Believer is livingly one with Jesus. Jesus is the Head,
and the Believer is a member of the one mystical body. Now you see,
whenever a member suffers, the Head must suffer, not only because the
Head wills to suffer, but because of necessity–if there is a vital
union, there must be a real sympathy. Let this be, then, a matter of
faith with us. If I have believed in Jesus unto everlasting life, Jesus
is one with me as my Head, and He must–whether I apprehend it or not
at the time–He must be in sympathy with me. This He shows by the
tender pity He has for His people. Do not think He is ever hard or
unfeeling towards His poor, His afflicted, His depressed disciples! No,
Brothers and Sisters, the heart of Jesus is full of tenderness! His
heart melts with love, as He often proves by the sweet converse He has
with them. Though He may leave the strong sometimes to bear, for
awhile, the hardships, and grapple, as it were, alone with the troubles
of life, He will not leave His tried and tempted ones, or suffer them
to faint by the way. Like a mother that lets her full-grown boy alone
to shift for himself, but will scarcely go out of doors while the baby
is ill, so will He watch over them. And has not Jesus been very, very
watchful over us in times of pain, weakness, and serious apprehension?
You know He has! He has kept His best succor till we had got into our
worst plight. When we had spent all and exhausted every resource, then
He has come and brought Himself to our aid–and we found Him our
All-in-All. Oh, what true sympathy this is! "A friend in need is a
friend indeed." He treats us better as we grow worse. This is just the
Friend we need. One with us by vital union, He proves His oneness by
His tenderness.
Now, Beloved, if this is so, the very first sympathy you ought to seek
in any time of trouble is that of Jesus. You have not always gone
promptly to Him. You have been far more ready to run off to some
kinsman or neighbor and ask counsel or succor of an earthly helper.
What would you think of a wife–would you think she had much genuine
confidence, much good understanding, much true love to her husband, if,
on any sudden trouble or anxiety, she left him, fled from her home,
crossed the road, entered another person's house and poured into
another man's ears the story of her plaint or her peril? You would feel
convinced that there was a lack of mutual love and reciprocal
fellowship! And should it ever be that your soul goes after some poor
mortal for consolation–when the Beloved Bridegroom of your spirit can
afford you all you need–to ask advice? It is often a helpful means,
but go first to Jesus. Tell Him all! Pour out your heart before Him. He
is with you. Oh, will you neglect One who is with you, and play Him so
ill a part as to seek another's help when He is ready to give you all
His help–His sympathizing help in time of need? The sympathy of Jesus
will, in all probability, be most clearly manifested and most richly
enjoyed by you at such times as you are most in need of it. Thus, when
you are persecuted for His sake, He will not hide His face from you!
We are not likely to be burnt at the stake, or even cast into prison
for the profession of His name in these days of civil and religious
liberty, but there are divers tortures from which our fine sensibility
shrinks, such as household persecutions. Little petty spites are often
vented upon Believers for Jesus Christ's sake. Now do not think a
strange thing has happened to you! Take it as a natural consequence of
not being of the world–and then hear the Savior say, "I am with you. I
am reproached in your reproach. I am scorned in the scorn that is cast
on you." Paul persecuted Jesus when he thought he had only persecuted
some poor Jews. And the enemy persecutes Jesus when he persecutes a
Believer. "I am with you," then. Will you not say, "Lord, I will bear
it for Your sake, and in Your company. Yes, if it were a thousand times
worse, I would feel honored to endure it, if You are with me"? You will
find Him with you sympathetically in your common sorrows. Remember,
Jesus does not look for extraordinary occasions in which to sympathize
with His people, though He will do it peculiarly then. But at all other
times He is a faithful, feeling Friend. "Jesus wept." It was at the
death of Lazarus. Lazarus was only an ordinary saint–an ordinary
Believer. There was nothing so remarkable about his death as to make it
exceptional. Think not for a moment that in the loss you have
sustained, Jesus will keep aloof. With the grief that now weighs down
your spirit, He fully sympathizes. In the griefs which are common to
mankind, He bears you company. But if you should ever come into deeper
waters–if you should have to cry, "My God, my God, why have You
forsaken me?" then you shall still hear Jesus say, "I am with you," for
He knows what strong temptations mean, and deep depressions and
despondence that borders on despair. He has passed through all, that as
the Captain of our salvation He might be made "perfect through
suffering." "Tempted in all points like as we are," there is no grief
in which Jesus is not near to us–we have but to open the eyes of faith
and we shall see Him with us, even in the worst extremities of grief
and pain!
"I am with you in sympathy." This shall be found true anywhere and
everywhere by the Believer–yes, even in death, itself, for Jesus died!
He knows the death sweat, for He sweat, as it were, great drops of
blood. He knows the fever, for He said, "I thirst." He knows the
fainting, the languishing, for He said, "I am poured out like water; I
am brought into the dust of death." He knows death in its severest
form. He died as you will not die. Under the Divine displeasure He
passed away, but you shall have the light of the Divine Countenance
amidst the shades of death. Fear not, therefore, that Jesus will
forsake you! You have Jesus' sympathy. I want you to feel that. Well do
I know what a precious thing sympathy is. A little child's sympathy
will do you good. "Mother," said a little girl, "I do not know why Mrs.
So-and-So wants me to go into her house so often, but she told me, when
I came home tonight, to be sure and go tomorrow, for I comforted her
so, now her husband was dead. And do you know, Mother, all I do is,
when she cries, I put my face against hers and I cry, too–and she says
that comforts her." And so it does. It is just that. We are not alone.
Somebody–somebody cares for me! We shall never despair while we feel
that is true.
Now there may be somebody here tonight who is alone in London–and you
had better be alone in the deserts of Sahara. To be alone in London is
to be alone, indeed! And you are thinking, "Nobody cares for me." But
if you will take Christ to be your Friend–if you trust in Him–Jesus
will care for you and He will surely help you, for He is not one of
those who will put you off by saying, "Be you warmed and be you
filled." He will practically show His love to you, and you shall yet
rejoice that Jesus is with you! You are not alone, though you seem
alone." There I leave that second point, praying that you may all know
the sympathy of Jesus. Once more–
III. CO-OPERATION is implied in the words, "I am with you." This was
just what Paul needed. He had come down to the city to preach, and God
said to Him, "I have much people in this city. I am with you." So Paul
went to his preaching with a cheerful heart, for he felt that if the
Lord was with him, it was good to preach. With good sowing, there would
be good reaping. Now listen, Worker–worker for God–and see if there
is not music for your ears in this thought. Jesus co-operates with you!
How so? Why, He commands Providence! All things are ordered according
to His will! The Father has given all power into the hands of Jesus. He
regulates the fields of Providence, that they may produce the best
results for you. Go on, confidently, then. All things are favorable to
you. As Mohammed said, in his way, to his followers, "Swiftly on to the
battle, and win! I can hear the tramping of the angel Gabriel's horse
as he rides into the thick of the battle to help you." They believed it
and were comforted. What he said in lies, Jesus says in truth–"I am
with you." You can hear the footsteps of the Prince Emmanuel! His power
is ruling all creation to produce the grand result of His Glory in the
salvation of souls. "I am with you"–that is, "I will prepare human
hearts for your message." You that talk to others will often find
others ready to be talked to! It is a cheering thought to the preacher
that he has always a picked congregation, selected by Divine
Providence, that out of them Divine Grace may make a further selection!
They are prepared. As the rain and the wind and the frost will prepare
the clods for the plow and the seed, so do God's Providence and the
work of Grace prepare men's hearts for the Gospel! "I am with you."
Moreover, Worker, Jesus is with you, helping you. He will suggest
suitable thoughts. He will give you right arguments. He will often
guide you to fitting words. Only trust Him and when you go about His
business, the Holy Spirit shall be your strength! He will be with you
to back up the Word of God you utter, by the power of the Holy Spirit
going with it to convince men that what you say is God's Word to them.
Fear not, therefore–if the converting of souls depended upon you, it
would never be done! If a nation had to be reformed and the whole of
another nation had to do it, it would never be achieved! But the Spirit
of the Lord is not straitened, and what He wills to do He can
accomplish, and none can say no to Him!
Lastly, O earnest Worker, Christ is with you to accept your service.
Nobody has taken any notice of you lately. You have gone plodding on at
your work with not a creature to help, and none to praise. Even your
friend who used to, sometimes, give you a nod of approbation, appears
not to have observed you lately. Never mind! Never mind! No servant
that is deeply absorbed in his work cares much about what other
servants may say about him by way of commendation. But if his master
comes along and says, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" that is
what he needs to cheer him! Some people will be overhauling your
character–I know they do mine–and they are extremely welcome, for I
care not as much for their opinion as for the barking of dogs in the
streets! If my Master were angry with me, I would mind it, but they are
no masters of mine, and they may say what they like. If my Master
smiles, all the world may frown, it does not matter! But if my Master
frowned, then if all said, "Well done!" it were but a poor, poor
recompense to me. Servant of God, be this, then, your joy! "I am with
you," says Jesus, "to see what you are doing–to accept and take your
will for the deed full often–to read your real motives where men
misconstrue them. I am with you. Therefore, go on your way." Sunday
school teachers, tract distributors, or whatever you may happen to
be–in one word, beloved child of God seeking to serve Jesus–take,
then, this fresh from Jesus' lips, "I am with you," and go your way in
the power of this, your might, to serve your Lord without weariness,
till He shall say, "Come up higher." "I am with you"
Oh, you that have not any Savior to be with you, I pity you! But I
would say this to you–He is still to be had. There is still–
"Life in a look at the Crucified One."
Jesus still has blood in which to wash the guilty–still has room in
His heart for needy sinners–and the way to have Jesus for your Savior
is simply to trust Him and to rely on Him implicitly. May God grant you
Grace to do this, for His mercy's sake! Amen.
EXPOSITION BY C. H. SPURGEON: ACTS 18.
Paul had been preaching the Gospel at Athens to the most famous men of
that city gathered at Areopagus.
Verse 1. After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to
Corinth Another most important city of Greece, where he struck at the
very center of the country by preaching the Gospel, since these were
the centers of commerce and also of literature.
2. And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come
into Italy, with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all
Jews to depart from Rome) and came unto them. Lodged with them.
3, 4. And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and
worked: for by their occupation they were tent makers. And he reasoned
in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greek.
He stepped into the synagogue and when the time came for strangers to
address the audience, he began to argue that Jesus was the true
Messiah. Nor did he argue in vain, for there were some who were
persuaded. He endeavored to persuade them all, both the Jews and the
Gentiles, who came together to listen to him.
5. And when Silas and Timothy were come from Macedonia, Paul was
compelled by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was
Christ He may not have brought out the whole Truth of God at first, but
argued little by little to bring them, as it were, up the steps till
they should be prepared to receive the grand Doctrine that Jesus is the
Anointed One. His spirit was compelled at last to come to that point
more fully
6. And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he 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. Oh, what a blessed,
"from henceforth," that was for you and for me! He no longer confines
his ministry to Jews, but goes out seeking the Gentiles–takes up his
true commission–becomes the Apostle of the Gentiles. But let all of us
take heed of opposing the Gospel, because it is not to be trifled with
impunity! A time comes at last when God's Gospel seems to have done
with us. Its ministers say, "We are clean." They shake off the dust of
their feet and they go elsewhere to proclaim the Gospel to others who
may be less opposed to it. What a thing to be able to say, "I am
clean." I wonder how many in this house of prayer could say that of
everybody round about them, "I am clean. The blood be on your own
heads. I am clean. I have spoken to you about Christ. I have warned
you. I have invited you." "Night and day with tears," as Paul says
elsewhere, "I have pleaded with you, and now I am clean. I am clean."
You know there is many a man that is clean in the blood of Christ in
that sense who has not yet discharged his obligations to his fellow
men, and cannot say, "I am clean." I thought it a grand thing of George
Fox, the Quaker, when he was dying, when he said, "I am clean. I am
clean of the blood of all men." To the best of his knowledge he had
fearlessly proclaimed all the Truth of God that he knew, wherever he
had opportunity. O ministers of Christ, teachers of the young and all
you who know Christ, the Holy Spirit be upon you, so that you may speak
the Gospel till you can say, "I am clean."
7. And he departed from there and entered into a certain man's house,
named Justus, one who worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the
synagogue."The nearer the church, the farther from God," they say–but
it was not so in this case. He was one that worshipped God and his
house joined hard to the synagogue.
8. And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord
with all his house. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and
were baptize. That is the old-fashioned way, you know–"hearing,
believed, and were baptized." The new-fashioned way is baptized,
perhaps hear, and very likely do not believe at all! That is not
according to Scripture.
9-11. Then spoke the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not
afraid, but speak, and hold not your peace: For I am with you, and no
man shall set on you to hurt you: for I have much people in this city.
And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the Word of God
among them. Farmers like to plow good soil, where they expect large
harvests. So Paul, who was accustomed to make flying visits to places,
on this occasion settled down for a long time–even for a year and a
half! It would pay to do it, for God had much people in that city!
12- 13. And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made
insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the
judgment seat. Saying, This fellow "This fellow," says our Bible but
they did not say that. They had not any word bad enough, so they said
"this"–
13- 15. Persuades men to worship God contrary to the Law. And when Paul
was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were
a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O you Jews, reason would that I
should bear with you. But ifit is a question ofwords andnames, and
ofyour law, lookyou to it, for I will be nojudge ofsuch matters. I dare
say you have heard Gallio condemned. They used to say in prayer,
"Such-and-such a person went on, Gallio-like, caring for none of these
things"–but in truth, Gallio does not deserve to be so condemned. It
is no business of the civil magistrate to inquire into the religions of
the people brought before him. It is out of his province. He was quite
right when he said, "If it is a question of words, and names, and of
your law, look you to it. I will be no judge of such matters." If the
kings and queens of this world had been half as sensible as Gallio,
there had been no stakes in Smithfield, there had been no prisons to
lock up the Puritans! Religion would be left alone, which is the one
thing it needs–free Church and free State! We want neither the
governor's help, nor the governor's hindrance. If he will kindly leave
us alone, it is all we ask from him–and so far Gallio is to be
commended! But I do not think he acted thus out of any intelligent
scruples on that point. He is to be condemned because of the motive. No
doubt he was indifferent and here may none of us imitate him! That he
was indifferent and careless is certain, for he did not do his duty. It
was his duty to leave this good man alone, but it was not his duty to
allow the Gentiles, on the other hand, to begin beating the Jews. If
there is six of one, there should be half a dozen of the other, and so
we do not admire him when we read,
16-17. And he drove them from the judgment seat. Then all the Greeks
took Sosthenes. the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before
the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of these things. Perhaps
liked it. "You came here," he said, "to accuse Paul, to get him beaten.
Now the mob is beating you, and it serves you right. I shall not
interfere. Why did you come here at all to plague me with your
questions? Why did you interfere with Paul?" But I should think that
this ruler of the synagogue must have opened his eyes when he found
himself being beaten, instead of the persons whom he desired to have
beaten! It is singular that this name, Sosthenes, should be used, when
further up we find another ruler of the synagogue, Crispus, who was a
believer in Christ. This was no doubt, one they had set up, instead of
Crispus, having rejected Crispus for accepting Christ. And yet this
man, Sosthenes, bears the same name as one that is spoken of as a
Brother in Christ afterwards. I wonder whether that beating did him
good–whether, in the Providence of God, he was led to see the hand of
Providence in this beating falling upon him, instead of Paul–and
whether this ruler of the synagogue, who ousted a better man, did,
himself, become a Christian! Let us hope it was so.
18. And Paul, after this, tarried there yet a good while and then took
his leave of the brethren, and sailed from there into Syria, and with
him Priscilla and Aquila; havingshorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had
taken a vow. Most probably not Paul, but Aquila had shorn his head,
because usually Luke puts the man first. "Aquila, and his wife
Priscilla." But here, in order to state that Aquila had made a vow, he
put it, "Priscilla and Aquila." I think it very questionable that Paul
ever shaved his head in that way. I think it was Aquila. If Paul did
it, I think he must have been under a sort of mental aberration, as he
once or twice before may have been thought to have been. Even he who,
above all men, had cast out Jewish rites and ceremonies, yet, you
remember, took Timothy and circumcised him–a most extraordinary action
to do, as in this case, if, indeed, it was he who had shorn his head.
19. And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered
into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.Though he had turned
away from them, yet still his heart is after his own country.
20- 21. When they desired him to tarry a longer time with them, he
consented not, but bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep
this feast that comes in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you,
if God wills. Oh, how wise it is to say that when we are making plans
and promises, "If God wills." The short way is to put a little "D.V.,"
which means that you are ashamed to say, "If God wills."
21- 23. And he sailed from Ephesus. And when he had landed at Caesarea,
and gone up, and saluted the Church, he went down to Antioch. And after
he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the
country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the
disciples. For you not only need planting, but strengthening! Young
saints, like young plants, need much watering, and Paul took care of
them. Evangelists have not half done their duty when they stir
up a community unless they go and seek after those who are converted,
to strengthen them. Hence the essential need of a permanent pastorate
over churches.
24-25. And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent
man, and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man was
instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he
spoke and taught diligently the things of the Lord knowing only the
baptism of John. He had not got farther than that, but it is always
well to tell out what you do know. It is the way to learn more and we
doubt not that many a half-instructed Christian is doing good in his
way, and it is not for us to stop him, or to find fault with him, but
rather quietly to endeavor to tell him more of the Truths of God. Paul
did not say, "Now, Apollos, you must stop this, you know. You had
better study. You do not know enough yet," but he let him tell out what
he did know.
26-28. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and
Priscilla heard him, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him
the way of God more perfectly. And when he was disposed to pass into
Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him:
who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through
Grace: For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, allowing
by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ Now let us sing ourselves an
encouraging hymn that as Christ, the Lord, said to Paul, "Fear not," so
His Spirit may say to us tonight–
"Give to the winds your fears."