by[5] “When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. [6] But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” [7] And he departed from there and entered the house of a certain man named Justus, one who worshiped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue.” – Acts 18:5-7 (NKJV)
Paul’s ministry began with the Jews way back in Acts 9 after his miraculous encounter with Jesus on his way to persecute some believers in Damascus. Although he spent some time preaching to the Jews, the specific category of people he was called to reach out to with the gospel came by the command of the Holy Spirit in Acts 13:2. At that time, God wasn’t directly clear to him whether to go to the Gentiles or not. However, later, it was confirmed that his ministry was to the Gentiles (see Acts 13:47). So, before that and even after that, Paul constantly experienced rejection of the gospel by the Jews. That is somehow happening to date. Many Jews still don’t believe in Jesus as the Messiah, and that is tragic.
In Acts 18, Paul went to Corinth to preach the gospel. He met a Jew named Acquila with his wife, Priscilla. The plan was to go and preach the gospel, but Paul ended up working with the couple as a tentmaker in addition to the ministry they did (well, he had to survive). Corinth is still a city in Greece, somehow very far from Israel. Right? But interestingly, there were Jews there. He spent enough time every Sabbath (say, Sunday) trying to persuade both Jews and Greeks with the gospel (see Acts 18:4).
However, later, two of Paul’s associates, Silas and Timothy, joined him there. After that time, he devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. But they opposed him and became abusive. He shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, ‘Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.’
I have some questions concerning Paul’s action. Did he forget that God’s call to reach out to the Gentiles and not Jews was geographically limited to Israel? Maybe he did, and that might have cost him that rejection. But here are a few you should never forget as God’s servant.
- Do not waste time preaching to people God has not sent you to. Always check how people receive the Word you preach. For instance, constantly receiving rejections from people in a certain town or from a tribe or nation means God hasn’t sent you there. If you detect this, leave that place and don’t preach to people from that place, no matter where you meet them on the face of this Earth.
- Don’t be surprised when some people reject the gospel. Many people don’t like to hear the Word of God as a part of their inherent attitude (although some cases are demonically influenced).
You are not called to do everything in the body of Christ. Avoid dedicating time and energy to doing things God hasn’t told you to do. Divine obedience is better than sacrifice, no matter the intelligence behind your ideas.
You are a blessing.
Prayer:
Father, help me to keep reaching out to the people You have called me to, not those whom I want to. May I never lack anything on the journey to purpose fulfilment. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
Devotional Code: KGD – 2026 – 258
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