Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me

Good morning. Paul leaves Athens and goes to Corinth. He finds a couple there who had come from Italy because the emperor had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul and the husband were both tent makers. Remember that Paul had trained with Gamaliel, who was a very important teacher. His father probably paid a lot of money in order for him to do that. So why would he be a tent maker? My Bible says that it was the Jewish custom to provide manual training for sons, whether rich or poor. He spoke in the synagogue on the Sabbath, but worked during the week. When Silas and Timothy came, he devoted himself to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. As usual, the Jews resisted and blasphemed. From now on I will go to the Gentiles. He stayed with a man whose house was next to the synagogue. How convenient. The leader of the synagogue believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized. One would think that everything was hunky-dory. However, the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city. I don’t think anyone would ever accuse Paul of being reticent about sharing the gospel. With this kind of confirmation, I am sure he spread the word vigorously. He settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. That was a very long time for Paul to stay in any one spot. That’s probably why he wrote two very long letters to the Corinthians. It is very possible to get too comfortable in one ministry when God really wants you to do something different or to go somewhere else. Father thank You that You give us assurances when things look stormy around us. When we follow Your will, You guide and protect us!