After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. (Acts 18:1-3 NIV)
Throughout his ministry, we see Paul meeting people, connecting with people, and working side by side with people. Whether they are mentors, encouragers, or protégés, Paul is constantly working with people, growing in his own walk through the process.
Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. (Acts 18:4-5 NIV)
We even see times when his preaching and teaching is enhanced by the presence of these friends and coworkers. Paul often greets friends at the beginning and/or end of his letters. People helped Paul be the person and minister that God called him to be. People still help us today. We are empowered by God, but equipped and encouraged by people. By the end of Luke’s account, Paul is accompanied by a significant list of people. They are not just walking with God. They are walking together.
He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. (Acts 20:2-4 NIV)
How about you? Is your walk with God also together with others? Which people help your walk? Which people help your ministry? Are you walking together with God?
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