Paul in Corinth (II)

One of Paul's partners in Corinth was Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue (Acts 18:8). His name is also mentioned in the first epistle to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 1:14).
Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with all his household; and many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized (Acts 18:8).
I am thankful that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius;
lest any one should say that you were baptized in my name (1 Corinthians 1:14-15).
In this part of the epistle, Paul was reprimanding the Corinthians for their factionalism. They should be one mind and one heart. Yet, they took sides in their disputes. Paul's heart ached because of this stupidity.
In Corinth, Paul had a vision of the Lord.
And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent;
for I am with you, and no man shall attack you to harm you; for I have many people in this city." (Acts 18:9-10)
Paul was blessed with visions of the Lord. How I envy St. Paul! Yet, this blessing carries a price which I am not yet ready to pay. We are already very blessed because we are able to partake the Holy Communion. I am sure when the day comes, I will be able to meet Him face to face and behold His glory. I pray that I may continue to walk with Him in His companion, receiving His consolation and instructions. Amen.
Paul made friends as well as enemies in Corinth. His success brewed jealousy among the Jews. Therefore, we see that we cannot please everybody all the time. As Christians, we have only one master to please. Therefore, many people will find us annoying. We can only hope to do the right thing, i.e. to please the Lord.
The main function of a government is to maintain law and order. In this chapter, we see how Gallio, the proconsul of Achaia, failed to maintain order. He had no interest in settling religious disputes. Therefore, when the Jews accused Paul of perverting their worship of God, Gallio threw them out of his tribunal.
But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, I should have reason to bear with you, O Jews;
but since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves; I refuse to be a judge of these things."
And he drove them from the tribunal (Acts 18:14-16).
Gallio sounded impartial and did not want to get his hands dirty in the Jewish religious matters. Yet, what follows shows that he did not perform his duties properly.
And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to this (Acts 18:17).
How a proconsul could choose to ignore such violence in front of his tribunal! Christians, we need to fend for ourselves in the political arena. We cannot expect the state to protect us. Sometimes, she may even victimize us. The Lord is our only hope and refuge.
As for this Sosthenes, he appears in the first epistle to the Corinthians as well.
Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes (1 Corinthians 1:1).
What an honour to be counted as a brother of St. Paul! What an honour to be persecuted for the sake of the Lord!
I met the Vicar General tonight. We had a preliminary interview. He asked me if I had the support of Erminia and encouraged me to continue my prayer and exploration together with her. He assured me that this vocation is going to be a beautiful one. He also revealed to me that within the last three months, eight applications landed on his desk. The Holy Spirit is stirring our hearts. Hong Kong Diocese is blessed. I am grateful for his encouragement and kind words.
Dear Jesus, guide me and prepare me for taking this path of sanctification. May I be able to reveal Your image to the people I encounter. Amen.