Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 2

January 2;   Acts 18:23;   2/260(II);   ‘Strengthening the Disciples’

 

Acts 18:23 After he had spent some time there, he departed and went over the region of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.

 

Paul was now in Corinth, where he spent 18 months teaching the Word of God.  Corinth was a port city, and as such, with all of the various people living and visiting Corinth, there was a great deal of sin and immorality there.  Think of the love of the Lord for that city, that Paul spent 18 months there, teaching.  His ministry had to have a great effect on the people.  When Paul left Corinth, he sailed to Syria and then on to Ephesus, where he did what he always did, he went into the synagogue and taught the people.  When Paul sailed from Ephesus, he went to Caesarea and then on to Antioch.  After leaving Antioch, Paul went to the region of Galatia and Phrygia.  There were several churches in this area of modern day Turkey and Paul was there ‘strengthening the disciples.’  Paul was an apostle and a teacher.  Paul started churches and then turned them over to pastors like Timothy and Titus.  Paul was also very diligent to pray for those churches (2 Corinthians 11) and return to those churches to continue to disciple the believers.  When a person accepts Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, their relationship with Jesus has just begun.  They need to continue in the Word, building their faith and renewing their mind with the truths of God’s Word.  All of us can read the Bible and learn a certain amount on our own.  There are teaching books, CDs and videos to help us learn as well.  The Lord calls teachers like Paul to visit churches and teach the congregation what they have studied, learned and now teach the Body of Christ.  We all need to learn, so that we, in turn, can teach others.