Acts 18:1-23 | Whatever It TakesНамуна

When reading Acts, people are often struck by just how far these early disciples were willing to go for the sake of Jesus and his gospel.

In Acts 18 alone, Paul travels from Athens to Corinth to Ephesus to Caesarea to Jerusalem to Antioch, and from there he goes back up into Galatia and Phrygia. You can look at the map below to get a sense of just how much ground he covered. We added it up. That’s 2078 miles (3345 km), not including, however, far he traveled from Antioch into Galatia and Phrygia. And that’s only one chapter!

Think of how far he literally goes. All for the sake of Jesus and his gospel.

But it’s more than that. In Acts 18, Paul meets two Jewish believers named Aquila and Priscilla who were exiled from their home for the sake of Jesus and the gospel. We find out Paul wasn’t paid to do this missionary work; instead, he supported himself as a tentmaker, all so he could devote his weekends to sharing Jesus and his gospel. We’ve seen how Paul endured abuse – Acts 18 is no exception – all for the sake of Jesus and his gospel. We find Paul facing rejection, threats, and even legal intimidation all for the sake of Jesus and his gospel. Other disciples are beaten in front of the authorities with no police intervention. Near the end of the chapter, we even find Paul taking the Nazirite vow, all for the sake of Jesus and his gospel. (We’ll get into the significance of all these things later in the week.)

When you read Acts, you get the sense that Paul and these early disciples were willing to do whatever it takes for the sake of Jesus and the gospel.

What motivates people like this?

In short, Jesus.

Paul came face-to-face with Jesus, and Jesus changed his life. Paul was slammed by how misguided he was and how every act he thought he was doing in service to God was sinful through and through. He came face-to-face with the power and glory of the risen Jesus, and how gracious this awesome King and Judge happens to be. Paul made Jesus his enemy, but Jesus came to him, giving him the chance to change his allegiance. Paul wasn’t alone. So many of these early disciples came to realize the same, and it changed them, too.

It’s fair to assume that not every disciple was sold out on Jesus like this. Jesus tells a parable comparing people to four different types of soil, and how each type responds to the gospel in a different way (we’ll read it in today’s Bible readings). Only one represents this Acts-style of devotion. But the thrust of the parable can’t be missed. What kind of dirt are you?

Today, read Acts 18. It’s driving us towards a commitment to do whatever it takes to honor Christ. How far will you go?