After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.— Acts 18:1-4

So Athens, where Paul had just departed, was the center of education in his time. But Corinth, just 51 miles east, was a major metropolis. Corinth rivaled Athens in wealth, yet it had about four times the population. As you will see on the map in the video today, Corinth was situated to the north along an isthmus or a portage. The city to the south along this isthmus is the city of Cenchreae. The piece of land between them was about 3 miles in length, and ships would deport people and cargo at one end and transport them to the other, which was safer and saved a lot of time. And thus, Corinth was a popular stop for sailors, which meant Corinth was full of debauchery — including Greek temples that boasted of temple prostitution. Think of Corinth like you might think of Las Vegas in the west or Lebanon in the east. And it was an important city to the Roman empire, so important that Nero had plans to build a canal during his time which was only completed in 1893. And the pictures on the video today will give you a feel for how deep and massive this canal is today.

But one item to note here is that Paul worked. He had a job, fellas. It says here that he was a tentmaker, which inferred he worked with leather. Some of us know that Paul could have requested financial support from the church during his stay in Corinth, but he doesn't go this route. And there are a lot of reasons why he might not have done this. Here are two. First, Paul ended up staying in Corinth for about 18-months. This is far longer than he stayed and ministered in any of the other locations to this point. So to some degree, we assume that he did not want to be a financial burden to the new church nor infringe on his rights and thus be misinterpreted. Second, Paul demonstrates his willingness to be part of the culture without becoming like the culture to influence the culture. And over time, this will earn him some street credibility with the church, the community, and even patrons he meets.

And so today, just like Paul, I want you to consider how God has called you to be a minister of the gospel. Yes, at times, ministry happens within the church. But we are also called to be a minister within the culture as we work. We are called to minister in both locations, just as Paul did here, not doing one to the exclusion of the other. We need followers willing to be a minister to the culture through daily work. And fellas how we provide services and products to this world speaks volumes about how we live and what we believe. So today, as you go to work, remember this — do it all for the glory of God, which is exactly what Paul says later to the church in Corinth in 1 Corinthians 10:31.

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. — 1 Corinthians 10:31

ASK THIS: What can you do at work today for the glory of God? (Share it below).

DO THIS: Take action for his glory and be a witness.

PRAY THIS: God, may all my work be a witness for you today.

PLAY THIS: How Great Thou Art — Lauren Daigle

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