Religion and State in Corinth | Disruptive Presence 96

In which John and David picture Paul teaching with seemingly unwavering confidence, even as factions of Corinth unite against him. They delve into the dramatic trial before Gallio, the proconsul, whose disinterest and swift dismissal align with God's earlier promise to Paul.

The conversation notes a biblical critique of the state, noting parallels to Isaiah's warnings. The episode also explores how the Book of Acts offers both an apologetic for Christianity and a cautionary tale about the state’s self-serving nature in contrast with how the early church is seen advocating for the world's flourishing while trusting God with the church’s well-being.

Episode 151 of the Two Texts Podcast | Disruptive Presence 96

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Transcript

David: 0:05

Hi and welcome to the Two Texts podcast. I'm here with my co-host, john Andrews, and my name is David Harvey. This is a podcast of two friends from two different countries meeting every two weeks to talk about the Bible. Each week, we pick one text to talk about, which invariably leads us to talking about two texts and often many more. This season we're taking a long, slow journey through the book of Acts to explore how the first Christians encountered the disruptive presence of the Holy Spirit.

John: 0:39

Hi David, it's great to be back with another podcast and last time we left a glorious image of Paul sitting down and teaching in Corinth. That was a great insight and for anyone just jumping into this podcast and hasn't listened to the previous one, where we covered verses 9 through to 11 of chapter 18, my goodness, some gorgeous reflections that totally touched and moved by many of the things we reflected on and I just love that image of Paul sitting down in the confidence of the word of the Lord, confidence to proclaim that word and stay for 18 months and teaching Corinth. It's a beautiful podcast together.

David: 1:24

I did enjoy it paul the teacher, it was. And and the the god encouraged teacher you know that he is. He is sat there teaching these people the word of god, because that's what god has has shaped him to do, and he's lovely. He has some, so many, so many interesting insights into how God works with Paul and then how Paul works in the silence from God sometimes. So I enjoyed that a lot as well. But the temperature is about to turn back up again in Corinth.

John: 1:59

Indeed indeed. And maybe then we realize why this profound and powerful word from the Lord was given. You know it is an outstanding, and we talked, reflected on the the job. Unless the Lord intervenes and the Lord we felt had intervened here at Corinth and spoken, and of course there was a little rumbling from the Jewish synagogue before the word came Then we have this word coming and then this kicks off. So it might show us why this powerful word is given to Paul, because of what is about to happen. And you're going to read those verses, from about verse 12 to verse 17.

John: 2:52

And that sort of brings this little mini episode in Corinth to a conclusion, but yeah.

David: 2:58

So here we have it Acts 18, verse 12. While Galileo was pro-consul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. This man, they charged, is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law. Just as Paul was about to speak, Galileo said to them if you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you, but since it involves questions about words and names and your own law, settle the matter yourself. I will not be a judge of such things. So he drove them off. Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes, the synagogue leader, and beat him in front of the proconsul, and Gallio showed no concern whatever.

John: 3:55

Yeah, gallio just glad to get that off his hands.

David: 3:58

Man, I think, okay, get this out of my court, I need to move on, you also get the slight impression that Luke is not a fan of Gallio.

John: 4:05

No, no, it's, yeah, very, very interesting sort of dynamic and, of course, in terms of what's interesting about Galio, that he did rulers pro-consul around about 51, 52 AD in that area. So it does help us again. We've already referenced some little dating issues around Athens and Corinth, so it does help us again. We've already referenced some little dating issues around Athens and Corinth, so it does place it. It places it fairly consistently around this dynamic.

David: 4:32

Because he had quite a short time as proconsul so we can date it quite precisely that Paul's probably mid, you know, somewhere around mid-50s to mid-51 that this is happening, so it's hugely helpful for New Testament historians.

John: 4:48

It's very helpful and of course I'm not quite sure why his reign was so short, but if this is an example of how he dealt with people, then maybe that's part of the reason, but it does play in favor of Paul and the church here. So it's really so. Keeping this in context of the word that's just been spoken, so to remind our listeners of the words God speaks to Paul. He says this I'm with you, no one is going to attack you or harm you. Because I have many people in the city Now it looks like initially oh, hold on a minute, this word's about to go pear-shaped.

John: 5:31

God has just told Paul no one's going to attack you and harm you. And the next thing we have certainly in the NIV, the languages the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul, but actually by the end, the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul, but actually by the end of the story it has played out to affirm and confirm the word of the Lord in many ways, in that there was no actual attack on Paul. There's accusations made, but not an attack or harming in an aggressive manner. So it's quite interesting that we'll have to keep reminding ourselves of the word from the Lord while we're negotiating our way through this sort of episode with the proconsul.

David: 6:16

Although Sosthenes may have hoped that the word for Paul also stretched as far as him. Indeed, he did not get the same. I actually think the whole I was reflecting on this, john that the whole previous section that we've taken the last couple of podcasts about is important to bear in mind. As you read the gallio, I was going to say trial scene, but it doesn't really even seem to get off the ground as a trial does it. But it struck me that you know this debate is happening I mean, I'm being a little facetious, but not from within the text, but this debate is happening at two houses next door to each other.

David: 7:02

Yeah yeah, houses next door to each other, yeah, so, so I mean and this is actually a fascinating thing in early Christian studies where, like I used to ask my students when I was teaching at new Testament, I used to ask them when did Christians decide that they weren't Jews? When did Jews decide that Christians weren't Jews? When did Jews decide that Christians weren't Jews, and when did the rest of the world decide that Christians weren't Jews? And now the first two questions require a lot of thinking about and wondering about, or rather, I think a better way to word that would have been when did Jewish Christians think that about themselves? But one of the things we can see from history is the outside world struggled to tell the difference between Jews and Christians until the second century. So as far as they were concerned, they all look the same and notice here in Corinth, you have a synagogue and then a church next door. We learned that in the last few episodes, didn't we? And now you've got Gallio saying this appears to be an internal Jewish theological debate.

David: 8:13

I cannot understand why you're bringing this to the court to sort out, but his perception is not. Two different religions are fighting His perception is there's a theological debate within the one religion, and I think that what's fascinating about that is two religions fighting would be of concern to Galileo.

David: 8:35

Because that's the sort of thing that descends into rioting. That's the sort of thing that descends into chaos in the city. So the proconsul is going to weigh in on that in the city. So the proconsul is going to weigh in on that, but he can't see. Even though there's a suggestion that the accusation is suggesting division, he can't see the division as a member of the state. Does that make sense?

John: 8:56

It does. It's a brilliant observation actually. It's a really helpful way of seeing that and actually, as you were saying that, my mind went to the sort of similar. There's a moment where Paul eventually appears before Agrippa, so he's engaged with Festus. Later on, I mean, we'll get to that in about 2028, probably.

John: 9:16

But in Acts, chapter 25, I think it is, and I think Festus says something like this I just looked it up there but had certain questions against him on their own superstition and of one, jesus, which was dead.

John: 9:30

So even Festus and we're now in the chapter 25 of Acts Festus as a Roman representative, is still he's struggling to see the difference between this Jewish worldview and this sect within Judaism worldview and he's certainly not seen it as a distinctly Christian ecclesia in the way that we see today. So your observation and questions that you posit really, really provocative. I love those questions. You know, when did sort of people stop seeing followers of Jesus as Jews and see them as Christians? That's a really, really, really fascinating moment. But of course, in the likes of Corinth, where you have diverse community and we've got now even layered into that this literalism of moving from one place to another, almost extorting each other, it does feel like. Oh, separations are starting to take place in a way that certainly internally, if not externally, real differences are being seen, but the Roman state definitely struggles to differentiate between Judaism and this apparent sect splinter group within Judaism, the people of the way.

David: 10:53

And I find that there's also. I mean, I may be. I found I'm a little overwhelmed by this text because there's so many things that it's kind of triggering in my thinking. So I'm going to try and start somewhere and you can help keep me on the side of being clear before.

David: 11:15

I get too lost. I couldn't help but think about the vision that Paul has. I am with you, do not be afraid but thinking about that not just within Paul's world, but within the world of scripture. Okay, and this might seem hugely tenuous, but here we go anyway.

David: 11:38

I couldn't help but think about the problem that Israel faces during the time of Isaiah, right, where Israel's contemplating going to Egypt to have help and backup. And Isaiah says to Israel like Egypt, do you not remember them? Like they caused us some huge problems? Why are you going back to a people who are oppressing you to get help with your latest problem? And I couldn't help but think that's exactly what's happening here as well. Right, that the Roman empire has been no friend of the people of Israel, right, you know this is happening while there's Roman soldiers stationed in Jerusalem, right? So there's an irony that they are going to the state for help.

David: 12:26

And then, of course, there's then further irony. And again, to echo something we said in our podcast just a couple of episodes ago, this is about the situation in Corinth. It's not a comment on Jewish political situation right now in any sense of the word, but there's an irony, then, that when they go to the state, the synagogue leader, sosthenes, who I can only assume is the one who has led the decision to go to the state, ends up getting beat up by the crowd right, which is exactly what Isaiah makes the point to Israel that, like Egypt, is not a good friend to make. These are the people that enslaved us once. What do you think will happen again Now?

David: 13:04

I'm not trying to say that Luke directly has that in mind, but this seems to be a constant theme throughout Scripture that when you try to turn to the state for help when you should be relying on God, it won't go well for you. And I couldn't help but read the text and wonder if Luke's pondering this, because we know Luke knows scripture very, very well and we know he knows Isaiah very well. I find it hard, john, to suggest that Luke doesn't see the irony of this. Do you know what I'm saying?

John: 13:38

Yeah, absolutely Absolutely. And of course, if you think of the big backdrop and it's a fascinating observation, I'd never seen that connection before that you've drawn out with the Isaiah situation and the similarities, that's really profound. I'll have to really think about that and meditate on that. But of course, if you look at the big story as well, behind the book of Acts he is writing to Theophilus, real person or representation of Gentile world, roman world, a sponsor of the Book of Acts, and at one level, of course, the Book of Acts is an apologetic for Christianity, it's an apologetic for the followers of the way, but yet within that, luke's not afraid to show I mean, he's trying to show that Christianity as a movement, rome has nothing to fear at a political level from Christianity. But you know, because of the type of movement it is, that actually the system that we are living under, the system that we are operating under, is not our friend. There are things that we can take advantage of, there are things that we can benefit from, but there is a cautious, continuous reminder that the state, its primary agenda of the state, is the state, its primary agenda of the state, is the state right and ultimately will operate with a pragmatism that ensures its citizens comply to whatever it wants ultimately, especially a totalitarian state like Rome. So we've seen this repeated a few times and we'll see it again later on with Paul when he's going through that whole I appeal to Caesar conversation and where all of that goes. So it's a fascinating insight and one that even we need to remind ourselves of today, in a modern, 21st century world that actually, you know to quote a magnificent psalm, hopefully not out of context, but I look to the hills from where does my help come? The psalmist asks, you know, like, where is my help coming from? Is my help come from to use your isaiah reference egypt? Does my help come from rome? Does my help come from? And fill in the blanks yeah, no, he he says.

John: 16:05

The writer says my help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth, which is ultimately Isaiah's appeal. It's at the heart of the vision that the Lord has given to Paul. I'm with you, don't be afraid, I'll take care of you, I'll watch over you, don't play the system, but let me take care of you in the system. And I think it's a beautiful reminder that as humans, even as following Jesus humans, we are prone to rush to the obvious places, the horses and the chariots, the state, the experts, the superpowers who will protect us. And actually, you know, the bible, even in this narrative, reminds us that their agenda in protecting us may not always be a healthy or good one, in that context, and and and that we should be looking to someone beyond that. So I I think there's nuances in there worthy of consideration, without me saying things I shouldn't be saying.

David: 17:06

And that's really what I was scratching at. It's hard to you know, you can't cross-reference your way back to Isaiah from this text, but thematically that's what struck me exactly as you. It struck me that, oh, we are seeing this from Luke, luke, definitely, if he has sort of sub points when he's writing, you would tend to think that he wants you to pick that up. Actually, while you were saying that, I went looking for there's a line in Jennings' commentary which he says this, which I think is really helpful in this conversation he says the problem is not that the church should be oblivious to the well-being of the state, right, the problem is that churches have felt and continue to feel compelled to make the case to the state that what is important for our well-being should be important for the state. And then he says this we should never imagine such a hoped-for synergy of concern.

John: 18:09

Yes, very good, just say that again, that last bit, just say that last bit again.

David: 18:13

We should never imagine such a hoped-for synergy of concern. So we may occasionally find that the state is helpful to us, but what Jennings seems to be saying, let's not assume that the state are helping us for the same reason as we want to be helped. But then he pushes it. And I think this is this is he says. He said nor should we ever equate our churchy struggles with the struggles of the world, which I think is really fascinating. And he goes on to explain how the role of the state is to care for the well-being of its citizens and of its creation. So he then says that we, the church, press the state for the flourishing of the world and not for the flourishing of the church, because God will see to the latter.

David: 19:02

Right, I mean, I think it's profound theology at that point. So the church, when the church sees the state failing its citizens, when the church sees the state doing what is not causing the world to flourish, he seems to be suggesting the church, based on what you see in Acts, can say, hey, wait, this is wrong. Right, and we think this is wrong and we're aligning with it's wrong. But the church must be careful to never assume that the state is going to protect it. That's God's job, which goes back to the vision. No one is going to attack you and harm you, not because the state's looking after you, paul, but because I am with you, and so I don't know if that helps at this particular moment, but I thought Jennings was really precise there for us.

John: 19:42

Superb, I mean, I'm loathe to even try to add anything.

John: 19:47

I think that's really superb in terms of even today, in our modern world, and the interactions between church and state. I think those sorts of conversations are deeply, deeply helpful and, you know, know again, treading carefully. If, if the state becomes our protector, then then we generally find ourselves beholden in the wrong way to the state and then the church finds itself in a world it was never designed to be, and negotiating conversations and brokering solutions. In a way, it was never meant to broker and bring solutions, and I see that so much in our world, in my own world, in my own wonderful country, and across places where the church has the freedom to express itself in maybe more democratic settings. We, we look to the state for things that are gods and I just, you know, I, I'm, I'm really like, challenged in a way. I didn't expect to be in this podcast. I, I, I'm found myself, wow, that's profound, that is absolutely profound. And, of course, in many ways, paul's situation with Rome looks a bit more stark because Rome was this superpower, totalitarian state.

John: 21:21

So you know, you'd have to be very, very careful how and what you do and say in the context of that, but of course, the principles apply across every relationship between any church community and the governing powers under which it finds itself that we're there to encourage our state to think about the flourishing of all people. I thought that was a beautiful, a beautiful thought. Not to get the state to leverage our particular agenda. My goodness, my goodness, that's yeah. Hopefully that makes our listeners think in the way that's made me think in a very, very specific way. That's very powerful.

David: 22:11

Find that very and this is where I do. I don't think we're stretching Luke warning of us as of this, because because of verse 17, well, 16 and 17,. He drove them off right, which is it's very strong, you know it's very strong, expelled them from the judgment seat, and I mean that's, I mean the Greeks a little, a little harsher than than you know, the NIV has. He drove them off, but, but the Greek gives us, you know, but he expelled them from the judgment seat. Then the crowd we don't know who this crowd are. Are the crowd the people that came from the synagogue with Sosthenes? I mean, I'm tempted to think it's just the mob that are there because of Luke's use of the crowd. You know it's not. He doesn't reference, oh, the, you know, the Jewish people turned on Sosthenes.

David: 23:05

It almost, and partly why I'm drawn to the translation that it's just the mob, is that this is what happens, right, yeah, is, and I want to, and perhaps I'm being too pointed when I say this, but you've got an inter-Jewish debate as far as the state is concerned and, to be fair, as far as Paul is concerned, at this point he's still, until this point, turning up at synagogue saying Jesus is our Messiah. It's two theological positions that are quite literally next door to each other. Yeah, yeah that we have spilled that debate out into the public sphere and think now the state should be interested in our debate, all the while the state is not being introduced to the God who's revealed to us in Christ. Right, and I think about how often we, as Christians, have these nuanced arguments on social media or draw the world into our, you know, inter-christian theological debate, as if you know, as if anyone in the world can tell the difference between one group of Anglicans or Baptists or Pentecostals from another group of Anglicans or Baptists or Pentecostals. And then Luke seems to offer us this warning that ultimately, then, that will turn on you, and Galileo shows no concern whatsoever that, when the chips are actually down, the one group of people are being beat up by in the presence of the other group of people from next door and the state is going to do nothing to stop it.

David: 24:40

You know, I don't know, I mean. It's poignant, isn't it? There's a warning to us in this. I love that, david, I mean it's poignant, isn't it?

John: 24:46

There's a warning to us in this, isn't it there is? I love that, david, and you know, I thought the way you just positioned that, that if we take things into the bema, into the courtroom, into the judgment hall that actually should be the remit of the Lord, or trusting the state to do what actually the Lord has promised to do, then we end up almost abdicating, we hand something over, potentially to both state and mob, that allows a leverage into the world of the church that actually is deeply, deeply unhelpful. That actually is deeply, deeply unhelpful. And I do think you see that profoundly in certain areas where I mean be careful what I say here where the mob is invited into things that actually you know that voice or that influence shouldn't be heard and we should have the wisdom to be able to contend as we should. So profound, profound insights. I've been really challenged deeply by that. But if I can just change gears slightly, Can I hold you from changing gears?

David: 25:56

just to make one point really quickly, yeah, go for it, just as you were saying that there in all of my reflections on this story and in Isaiah. It was only when you were saying it, just there, that this is embarrassing. I went a different direction, but I think it's important. It just struck me. And why has this not come to me? Here's my admission, listeners why has this not come to me quicker? I'm supposed to be a Pauline scholar.

David: 26:18

It's 1 Corinthians 6, chapter 6, that Paul says this when any of you has a grievance against another, do you dare take it to the court before the unrighteous, instead of taking it to the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? Which always makes me laugh because I feel like no, I didn't know that. Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? To say nothing of ordinary matters? If you have ordinary cases, then do you appoint as judges those who have no standing in the church?

David: 26:56

And then he says this verse 7. In fact, to have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not, rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud and bereavers at that. And I just I mean it's poignant and it's sharp and I want to be careful of not saying what I'm not trying to say, but you can't help but wonder if this scene that we've just read in Acts 18 is shaping Paul's advice later to the Corinthian church, when he's sort of saying to him listen, I know what happens when you try and get Galileo to sort out your inter-church debates. I'm sorry to just squeeze that in, john, when you wanted to move the conversation. No, I think that's brilliant.

John: 27:40

I wonder if that helps. I think that's brilliant and of course, the irony is that some of the people now in the church at Corinth that Paul is writing to may well have been there Testament letters, especially to do with Paul. If there is a story or narrative about how those communities formed in the book of Acts, it's always worthwhile connecting the two together. Formed in the book of Acts, it's always worthwhile connecting the two together. So you know, when he writes to Ephesus, then read about the establishment of the church at Ephesus in the book of Acts. When he writes to Thessalonica, think about what's going on there when he writes to. So I think you've made a beautiful connection between an actual event and a piece of profound and very helpful and, I would say again, nuanced, practical advice. There's, there's a sense in which paul, at a very simple level, is saying right, don't be going to court for stuff you shouldn't be going to court for. There could be another level at which paul is saying actually, there are certain things the state can't help you with. This is not a state issue, this is a jesus issue. This is a issue and you've got to settle that somewhere else. He's not just discouraging people from having proper, good legal practice but maybe taking issues to the bema of Galileo that actually should be kept for somewhere else. So I think it's a brilliant point. Great observation, david. My only, as maybe we're drawn to close on this little podcast. My only little observation was the whole fulfilled one just at the end. Then the crowd that are turned on, sthosthenes, the synagogue ruler. Two little observations that I could be off beam on, but I'll throw them in.

John: 29:41

We've got the second mention of a synagogue leader here. We've already met Crispus, who seems to be the leader but follows Paul next door, and we know from 1 Corinthians, paul baptizes Crispus, and that's a beautiful thought. And then we get this gorgeous, almost repeat idea. So we get Thessalonians, who's now the synagogue leader idea. So we get Sosthenes, who's now the synagogue leader, and yet when we again flip to 1 Corinthians and chapter, paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes, our brother, come on, come on now. So you get this lovely.

John: 30:23

We've now got even though and I love this from a broad missional point of view, but also from Paul's own passion. We talked a couple of podcasts ago about Paul's passion in the book of Romans for his own people. And yet, in the midst of feeling that he's been driven next door, in the midst of his frustration that his own people have rejected the Messiah or are rejecting the Messiah, we get two gorgeous bits of information within the text of Crispus and Thessalonians, both ironically influential within their synagogue and both who become followers of Jesus. Some even suggest that Sustanese may have helped Paul actually pen and write 1 Corinthians. But you get this gorgeous Sustanese, our brother, and later on Crispus, who I baptised, and you go wow, just right there, who I baptised, and you go wow, just right there. If we put the two pieces of text together, you're seeing something hope-filled in the midst of some controversy and difficulty.

David: 31:33

I love it. It's interesting actually how I mean I was hoping we would get to mention that Sustenance piece, because it's a beautiful connection. That's there. I was actually. I was at a seminar just yesterday, john, with Steve Walton. Steve is currently writing the Word Biblical Commentary on Acts, and so he was passing through Calgary because he's teaching over at Regent College in Vancouver this summer, and so I jumped in to listen to his seminar and one of the things that he said in this. There was many things that he said which I'll probably sneak out over coming episodes of Two Texts, but one of the things he said which I think intuitively you kind of know, but it was really fascinating to see somebody throw up on one slide is that there's about 50, depending on how you count, there's about 50 different people that Paul mentions across his letters and journeys, many of whom we only know their names right and we don't know the sub story.

David: 32:37

But occasionally we get these beautiful moments where we see their names in a couple of places Sosthenes is, you know, being one that this person appears and we're definitely. Luke wants us to know their name right and I think this is important for our readers, to our listeners sorry, our listeners. To just hold with is that. You know, this is not the same as bumping in to somebody called, you know, jim in one letter and another Jim in another letter. Notice how Luke has gone out of his way to name Sosthenes. He wants you to know that there was a Sosthenes there and I think that's because he thinks that's important to you. And my suggestion would be that the reason is because the people who are reading this from Corinth know Sosthenes, that Sosthenes has some, you know, some awareness amongst people, and then by the time we get this letter, sosthenes is well. I mean, think about it like this Sosthenes is traveling with Paul now because he's not in Corinth, he's wherever Paul is writing back to Corinth, and we see this.

David: 33:48

I mean it's also interesting that, given that we're having the conversation about Corinth in Romans, we encounter this reference to Erastus, the city treasurer or the steward of the city or something like that, often. And what's really interesting is back in the, I think, late 1920s. So it was. The excavations were slightly interrupted by the second world war, but they found an excavation in corinth from the first century that references erastus, right. So. So now scholars are divided over whether it's the same erastus, but it's. It's the erastus. It says that there's an inscription and it says erastus. It seems to be he paid for whatever is being paid, paved at this particular point, these stones. But he says he did it at his own expense. And so the scholars think that this is because the scholars that think it's the same Erastus is because he was the city treasurer and he makes a donation to the city to get something done. He wants it to be known. I didn't steal the money from the city in order to build this thing. I paid for this myself. So you've now got this potential.

David: 34:57

Where it's really exciting is that Paul's time in Corinth. By the end of his time in Corinth, the synagogue, two of the synagogue leaders are now believers. The city treasurer is now a believer. There's a, there's a quartus that seems to have some sort of Roman significance. That's going on. So this year and a half in Corinth there's several significant like city changing people have become, which is interesting, and I wonder if that's why in Corinthians Paul makes the point not many of you were rich, not many that actually some of them were significant players and maybe that had made the problem that some people thought there was a hierarchy within the church or something like that, so that Sosthenes things draws us to pay attention to certain things in Corinth that are really interesting.

John: 35:48

Yeah brilliant, and it goes back again to that word from the Lord, doesn't it that we spent so much time on in our first podcast with this little connection, these two we've been sitting together, that actually I have many people in this city that actually I have many people in this city and I would have thought that those many were people who were wealthy and influential.

John: 36:11

Those many were Jew as well as Gentile. Those many were also those who would be regarded as sort of lower sections of society. But God has these many people and even in these lovely connections between the Acts narrative and letters, like those written to the Church of Corinth, we're seeing even how the Lord is at work in difficult moments. Paul has to leave the synagogue and goes next door and then, when he settles next door, he's dragged to the Bema and there's the threatening attack. And yet, in the midst of it all, the Lord orchestrates all of this in his providential love, his providential care, so that the many people in the city come to this wonderful place of freedom and faith and hope. And, my goodness, what an encouragement that is to us all to keep going, because the Lord has many people in our cities.

David: 37:14

So that's it for this episode. We know that there's always more to explore and we encourage you to dive into the text and do that If you liked this episode. We encourage you to dive into the text and do that. If you liked this episode, we'd really appreciate it if you rated, reviewed or shared it. We also appreciate all of our listeners who financially support the show, sharing the weight of producing this podcast. If you'd like to support the show, visit twotextscom. But that is all for now. So until next time from John and I, goodbye.