Are you afraid?

In my study this morning I came across an interesting comment about Paul in Acts 18:1-17.  Please read the passage before you read my comments below.

We have a picture in our minds of Paul the great missionary crisscrossing Palestine, Asia minor, and southern Europe with his hair on fire for the gospel, ministering without hesitation or encumbrances. That picture keeps us on the sideline of ministry often. We feel we like we lack the bold swagger of Paul and can’t get in the game. The problem is that picture is false.

After arriving in Corinth, Sin City of the first century, Paul begins one of his most prolific and largest churches, which was also the most troubled and dysfunctional. As the church grew opposition begin to develop. This is always the case! Peaceful churches and ministries are almost always stagnant and without evangelistic disciple making effect. We see something important and easy to overlook in verse 9. In the midst of this growing ministry the Lord appears to Paul and says, “…do not be afraid any longer”. (NASB) Literally translated Jesus says in a bit of a rebuked to Paul “Stop being afraid “. The grammar is clear Paul was afraid already, so much so that it was shaping his ministry. The contrast and grammar of the next phrase indicates that Paul had begun to curtail his preaching because he was afraid of what might happen. Paul had good reason to be afraid. Looking back over the last several chapters we see Paul beaten, stoned, abused, and nearly killed. There was a recognizable pattern that had so far ended badly physically for Paul and he was afraid history will repeat itself.

Faced with fear what can we do? We can try to say that we are always going to be protected. But that is not what the Lord said Paul. Ultimately Paul was killed for his faith. There was in Corinthian a season of protection but that was not a life long promise of continued peaceful ministry. Instead we should take the advice of one Christian who said, “I desire to have a faith that causes a fear of God so rich that I will never fear any man or circumstance”. We will have fluctuations of fear and faith but we are to grow in the one that can causes fear of God and not a fear of man so that our moments of earthly fear become more and more rare.

"Lord grant that I may have a fear of You so dramatic and a faith so deeply that I will fear nothing else. AMEN"