The American Bible Society: Encounter with God EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE Merciful God, thank You for the faith, courage, and calm You give me as I follow You each day. ACTS 18:1-17 - New Life Version Vs. 1-3: After that Paul went from the city of Athens and came to the city of Corinth. He met a Jew there named Aquila who was born in the country of Pontus. He had lived in the country of Italy a short time. His wife Priscilla was with him. Claudius, who was the leader of the country, had told all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see Aquila and Priscilla. They made tents for a living. Paul did the same kind of work so he stayed with them and they worked together. Vs. 4-6: Every Day of Rest he would go to the Jewish place of worship and teach both Jews and Greeks. Silas and Timothy came down from the country of Macedonia. Then Paul used all his time preaching to the Jews. He taught that Jesus was the Christ. But they worked against Paul and said bad things about him. He shook his clothes and said, Whatever happens to you in your own doing. I am free from your guilt. From now on I will go to the people who are not Jews. Vs. 7-8: Paul went from there and came to the house of a man named Titus Justus who worshiped God. His house was next to the Jewish place of worship. Crispus was the leader of the Jewish place of worship. He and his family believed in the Lord. Many of the people of Corinth who heard Paul became Christians and were baptized. Vs. 9-11: Paul saw the Lord in a dream one night. He said to Paul, Do not be afraid. Keep speaking. Do not close your mouth. I am with you. No one will hurt you. I have many people in this city who belong to Me. For a year and a half Paul stayed there and taught them the Word of God. Vs. 12-16: Gallio was leader of the country of Greece. All the Jews worked against Paul and brought him in front of the court. They said, This man is trying to get people to worship God against the Law. Paul was ready to speak, but Gallio said to the Jews, If this were something bad or a wrong doing, I would listen to you. But because it is about words and names and your own Law, you will have to take care of it yourselves. I do not want to judge who is right or wrong in things like this. And he sent them out of his court. Vs. 17: Then all the Greek people took Sosthenes, the leader of the Jewish place of worship, and beat him in front of the court. But Gallio did not let this trouble him. CONSIDER: We cannot escape fear; but we can allow it to move us to a deeper comprehension of what if means to exist before God (D.B. Allender and Trevor Longman III). THINK FURTHER: Paul began his work in Corinth in weakness and fear and much trembling (1 Corinthians 2:3). He was shaken be the ferocity of the opposition. Initially this consisted of verbal abuse in the synagogue, but as the Spirit demonstrated the Gospels power (1 Corinthians 2:4) and the number of Pauls converts mounted, the antagonism became ominous, culminating in Paul being charged with heretical teaching before the Roman proconsul. Paul must have been tempted to cut short his stay. However, a very special message from the Lord overcame his fear. As a result, he stayed longer in Corinth than he had previously done in any city during his missionary travels. The notion of emotional intelligence was developed in the second half of the twentieth century. It attempts to recognize the role that non-cognitive elements play in intelligent behavior. It is defined as integrating emotion to facilitate thought and promote personal development. Read Pauls letter to the Romans and you will quickly conclude that he possessed both a massive intellect and high emotional intelligence. He could blend the cognitive and emotional elements of his personality because he constantly pressed on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus had taken hold of him (Philippians 3:12). Pauls vision of Jesus in Corinth was special, but not a one-time thing. He was constantly captivated by the surpassing worth of knowing Christ as his Lord (Philippians 3:8). We also are called to combine strong biblical theology and deep Christian spirituality. Both are vital if we are to grow in Christ and become effective witnesses. Reread todays passage. Then ask the Lord to enlarge your understanding of the Gospel and to transform your personality, making you ever more Christ-like. As you articulate the Gospel with your lips, such transformative encounters will enable you to authenticate it with your life. APPLY: How can you combine strong biblical theology and deep Christian spirituality to an even greater degree? What must you do? Gracious Lord, continue to help me along the pathway of spiritual wholeness. I want my words and life to be a positive witness for You. Amen.
Posted on: Mon, 31 Mar 2014 04:25:24 +0000
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