Acts 18:1-22 Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean.
Paul at Corinth
1After these things he left Athens and went to Corinth. 2And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them, 3and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers. 4And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.
5But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. 6But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” 7Then he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next to the synagogue. 8Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized. 9And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; 10for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” 11And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
12But while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat, 13saying, “This man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.” 14But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrong or of vicious crime, O Jews, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you; 15but if there are questions about words and names and your own law, look after it yourselves; I am unwilling to be a judge of these matters.” 16And he drove them away from the judgment seat. 17And they all took hold of Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and began beating him in front of the judgment seat. But Gallio was not concerned about any of these things.
18Paul, having remained many days longer, took leave of the brethren and put out to sea for Syria, and with him were Priscilla and Aquila. In Cenchrea he had his hair cut, for he was keeping a vow. 19They came to Ephesus, and he left them there. Now he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he did not consent, 21but taking leave of them and saying, “I will return to you again if God wills,” he set sail from Ephesus.
22When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and went down to Antioch.
We see in these verses Paul maturing as a Christian devoting much time trying to persuade the Jews that the Messiah had come and the Law was fulfilled, that Jesus was the Christ. But they resisted and blasphemed, so Paul shook the dust off his clothes and told them “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean.
Paul was aching for his fellow Jews. He was once where they were at. He tried everything thing in his power to persuade them but their hearts were hard. There came a time when he realized that all hope for them was lost. So he exclaimed; your blood is on your own heads, I am clean! There will come a time when this will happen to you too. Your love for your family or friends will be tearing at your heart trying to persuade them of salvation through Jesus Christ but then they mock or blaspheme Jesus. You too will have to exclaim, your blood is on your own head, I am clean! But there is one more thing you can keep doing with persistence, pray for them!
God hears your prayers and in due time, if it is His will, He will act on your prayers if they are just and true.
You see, I too was like the Jews in the synagogue. I mocked Christians and blasphemed God, but through my wife's diligent prayers God answered and softened my hard heart bringing me to repentance. How long does this conversion take? Only God knows but I am proof He answers prayers!
So I encourage you, don't give up. Continue spreading the Gospel to your loved ones, and if they mock and blaspheme Jesus then their own blood is on their heads and you are clean. But with persistence keep praying for them and one day God may soften their heart.
Dear Heavenly Father I lift up those who are reading this today and ask for a blessing upon them. Encourage them when they are down, give them hope when there is none, bless their loved ones and soften their hearts towards salvation that only Your Son can give.
In Jesus name I pray.
Blessings, David
Scripture blog; http://stanfordsancutaryscripturestudies.blogspot.com
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