The Acts of the Apostles
Chapter
18
ⁱ After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. ² There he found 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, ³ and, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them, and they worked together-by trade they were tentmakers.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verses 1 to 3)
Oh God my Father, how tough it is to have to be forced to leave Your country of origin and seek asylum in a foreign land. Now that I am working with Asylum Seekers, my sensitivity has completely increased. In order to make such crossings by escaping from one place to another, such people pay a harsh price which at times means the massacre of their loved ones and placing their own selves in a position of risk and danger. I pray that this unfair treatment will proceed no longer and that peace will be the rule of the day Amen.
⁴ Every sabbath he would argue in the synagogue and would try to convince Jews and Greeks.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verse 4)
Oh God my Father, I would also like to be a person who gives testimony to Your Name. There is nothing in the world that gives me such a feeling of internal joy and happiness than to proclaim You to others, however, I believe that both actions and words are of value and that You can instal the flame of faith at any time and under different circumstances Amen. However having said that I would appreciate if You would give me that same burning spirit and faith as Paul had so that I will feel more equipped to spread Your Name Amen.
⁵ When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with proclaiming the word, testifying to the Jews that the Messiah was Jesus.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verse 5)
Oh God my Father Paul was occupied in investing time in proclaiming Your Word to others, if we all had to ask ourselves in how much time we spend in prayer or in sharing the Word of God, with others we would do an audit on ourselves about the time we are investing in the kingdom of God Amen. May we all score high and be among the leaders of the scoreboard Amen.
⁶ When they opposed and reviled him, in protest he shook the dust from his clothes and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verse 6)
Oh God, when we are opposed because of our faith it is best to react not according to our emotions, but according to the instruction that You have given us. You told us to shake off the dust from our feet in protest, however, the apostle Paul shook off the dust from even his clothes thus going beyond what You asked of, us to do. On the other hand, You asked us to be as gentle as the dove and as wise as the snake and rebuking gently with love so that we would not lose our inner peace and self-control. The apostle Paul made the people aware of the wrong decision that they were making and that one day they would be accountable for not accepting You as their God. I pray that we never make the same mistake. Amen.
⁷ Then he left the synagogue and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God; his house was next door to the synagogue.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verse 7)
Oh Catholics and Roman Catholics and people of all nations, as in the case of St. Paul who turned away from those who merited to receive the message of the 'Good News' being Hebrews and direct descendants and went to those who were considered as being Gentiles. Oh God may You never leave the Roman Catholic Church for even though we are sinners we still love You and cannot live without You amen.
⁸ Crispus, the official of the synagogue, became a believer in the Lord, together with all his household; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul became believers and were baptized.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verse 8)
Oh God my Father throughout or lives You send us people who act as signposts in our lives, by which we are lead to You to lead a life in fellowship with You. I thank You for the many people that You sent to me and I pray for their spiritual well-being Amen.
⁹ One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; ¹⁰ for I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people. "
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verses 9 to 10)
Oh God my Father even though I do not see You with human eyes, I believe that You are in full control of what happens on earth.
¹¹ He stayed there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verse 11)
Oh God my Father, my life on earth has also been like that of an Apostle. I spent months in one job and years in another, however during this time I never stopped giving testimony of Your Name in different work settings. I pray that You continue to use me so that the living message of the Good News will continue to spread by means of words and deeds Amen.
¹² But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verse 12)
Oh God You were also brought before the tribunal and sentenced for standing up for the truth, for all the good that You had done and how it was used against You by the forces of evil. I pray that You defend me against the forces of evil because I sense that they are going to lauch another attack on me at my place of work in order to try and hurt me, even though I have done nothing wrong. I pray oh God my beloved Father that You intervene by giving me the right attitude and words if necessary Amen.
¹³ They said, "This man is persuading people to worship God in ways that are contrary to the law."
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verse 13)
Oh God my Father may I also be accused of spreading Your name and actions that are contrary to the ways of the world. May I be known to be different than others whose values are different and contrary, not to feel proud but to be a signpost to others so that they may also renounce the ways of the world and open their hearts to You Amen.
¹⁴ Just as Paul was about to speak, Galileo said to the Jews, "If it were a matter of crime or serious villainy, I would be justified in accepting the complaint of you Jews; ¹⁵ but since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law see to it yourselves; I do not wish to be a judge of these matters." ¹⁶ And he dismissed them from the tribunal
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verses 14 to 16)
Oh God my beloved Father, as humans we have a pattern of thinking in boxes, in the sense that everyone has his own department, and will do the utmost to protect it. What is of a priority is the department or particular area and not the whole system of which that department is a part of. We all speak of parameters and remits that we are not ready to violate. However Your remits and boundaries are totally different. As in the case of the good samaritan, who violated the boundary that existed between Hebrews and Samaritans in order to help a person in need, if necessary we are also to do likewise in a situation of a person who is in need Amen. I pray oh God that You continue to help me in doing what is really necessary and possible in order to help others Amen.
¹⁷ Then all of them seized Sosthenes, the official of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of these things.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verse 17)
Oh God many people in order to impress others resort to violence or torture of others, however not eveybody is impressed by such negative actions. I pray that humility wins over violence and that we follow Your example when put to the test Amen.
¹⁸ After staying there for a considerable time. Paul said farewell to the believers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had his hair cut, for he was under a vow.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verse 18)
Oh God my beloved Father, how many times I made vows to You and end up breaking them. I am sorry for having done so, but I am not strong enough to keep them. I am sorry to say that soon I will even be separated from my wife, to whom in Your presence I made a vow to be faithful and united in marriage forever, but as You know I cannot keep this commitment as long as the relationship is as it is Amen.
¹⁹ When they reached Ephesus, he left them there, but first he himself went into the synagogue and had a discussion with the Jews.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verse 19)
Oh God my beloved Father, there are times for welcoming and greeting others on their arrival and there are times when we have to say goodbye. On Friday I will need to say goodbye to my old life of marriage and start living a new life as a separated person after 16 years of marriage. Thank You Jesus.
²⁰ When they asked him to stay longer, he declined; ²¹ but on taking leave of them, he said, "I will return to you, if God wills." Then he set sail from Ephesus.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verses 20 to 21)
Oh God my Father, how I wish that You teach me to befriend my self from doing my will to that of accomplishing only Your will, for to say that I trust in You is one thing but to actually do it is another. I pray that during these moments of prayer in Your school, You teach me how to let go of all my issues and accept all that happens to be according to Your will Amen.
²² When he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verse 22)
Oh God my Father, St. Paul seemed to be in a hurry to move on, for he did not stay long in Jerusalem but just greeted the Church and was on his way. At times it is good not to get entangled in the relations with the world and move on in life, however it is very important to have strong support networks. I pray oh God my Father that You help me in having strong networks but without too much familiarity Amen.
²³ After spending some time there he departed and went from place to place through the region of Galatia and Phrygia strengthening all the disciples.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verse 23)
⁴ Every sabbath he would argue in the synagogue and would try to convince Jews and Greeks.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verse 4)
Oh God my Father, I would also like to be a person who gives testimony to Your Name. There is nothing in the world that gives me such a feeling of internal joy and happiness than to proclaim You to others, however, I believe that both actions and words are of value and that You can instal the flame of faith at any time and under different circumstances Amen. However having said that I would appreciate if You would give me that same burning spirit and faith as Paul had so that I will feel more equipped to spread Your Name Amen.
⁵ When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with proclaiming the word, testifying to the Jews that the Messiah was Jesus.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verse 5)
Oh God my Father Paul was occupied in investing time in proclaiming Your Word to others, if we all had to ask ourselves in how much time we spend in prayer or in sharing the Word of God, with others we would do an audit on ourselves about the time we are investing in the kingdom of God Amen. May we all score high and be among the leaders of the scoreboard Amen.
⁶ When they opposed and reviled him, in protest he shook the dust from his clothes and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verse 6)
Oh God, when we are opposed because of our faith it is best to react not according to our emotions, but according to the instruction that You have given us. You told us to shake off the dust from our feet in protest, however, the apostle Paul shook off the dust from even his clothes thus going beyond what You asked of, us to do. On the other hand, You asked us to be as gentle as the dove and as wise as the snake and rebuking gently with love so that we would not lose our inner peace and self-control. The apostle Paul made the people aware of the wrong decision that they were making and that one day they would be accountable for not accepting You as their God. I pray that we never make the same mistake. Amen.
⁷ Then he left the synagogue and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God; his house was next door to the synagogue.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verse 7)
Oh Catholics and Roman Catholics and people of all nations, as in the case of St. Paul who turned away from those who merited to receive the message of the 'Good News' being Hebrews and direct descendants and went to those who were considered as being Gentiles. Oh God may You never leave the Roman Catholic Church for even though we are sinners we still love You and cannot live without You amen.
⁸ Crispus, the official of the synagogue, became a believer in the Lord, together with all his household; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul became believers and were baptized.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verse 8)
Oh God my Father throughout or lives You send us people who act as signposts in our lives, by which we are lead to You to lead a life in fellowship with You. I thank You for the many people that You sent to me and I pray for their spiritual well-being Amen.
⁹ One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; ¹⁰ for I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people. "
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verses 9 to 10)
Oh God my Father even though I do not see You with human eyes, I believe that You are in full control of what happens on earth.
¹¹ He stayed there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verse 11)
Oh God my Father, my life on earth has also been like that of an Apostle. I spent months in one job and years in another, however during this time I never stopped giving testimony of Your Name in different work settings. I pray that You continue to use me so that the living message of the Good News will continue to spread by means of words and deeds Amen.
¹² But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verse 12)
Oh God You were also brought before the tribunal and sentenced for standing up for the truth, for all the good that You had done and how it was used against You by the forces of evil. I pray that You defend me against the forces of evil because I sense that they are going to lauch another attack on me at my place of work in order to try and hurt me, even though I have done nothing wrong. I pray oh God my beloved Father that You intervene by giving me the right attitude and words if necessary Amen.
¹³ They said, "This man is persuading people to worship God in ways that are contrary to the law."
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verse 13)
Oh God my Father may I also be accused of spreading Your name and actions that are contrary to the ways of the world. May I be known to be different than others whose values are different and contrary, not to feel proud but to be a signpost to others so that they may also renounce the ways of the world and open their hearts to You Amen.
¹⁴ Just as Paul was about to speak, Galileo said to the Jews, "If it were a matter of crime or serious villainy, I would be justified in accepting the complaint of you Jews; ¹⁵ but since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law see to it yourselves; I do not wish to be a judge of these matters." ¹⁶ And he dismissed them from the tribunal
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verses 14 to 16)
Oh God my beloved Father, as humans we have a pattern of thinking in boxes, in the sense that everyone has his own department, and will do the utmost to protect it. What is of a priority is the department or particular area and not the whole system of which that department is a part of. We all speak of parameters and remits that we are not ready to violate. However Your remits and boundaries are totally different. As in the case of the good samaritan, who violated the boundary that existed between Hebrews and Samaritans in order to help a person in need, if necessary we are also to do likewise in a situation of a person who is in need Amen. I pray oh God that You continue to help me in doing what is really necessary and possible in order to help others Amen.
¹⁷ Then all of them seized Sosthenes, the official of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of these things.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verse 17)
Oh God many people in order to impress others resort to violence or torture of others, however not eveybody is impressed by such negative actions. I pray that humility wins over violence and that we follow Your example when put to the test Amen.
¹⁸ After staying there for a considerable time. Paul said farewell to the believers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had his hair cut, for he was under a vow.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verse 18)
Oh God my beloved Father, how many times I made vows to You and end up breaking them. I am sorry for having done so, but I am not strong enough to keep them. I am sorry to say that soon I will even be separated from my wife, to whom in Your presence I made a vow to be faithful and united in marriage forever, but as You know I cannot keep this commitment as long as the relationship is as it is Amen.
¹⁹ When they reached Ephesus, he left them there, but first he himself went into the synagogue and had a discussion with the Jews.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verse 19)
Oh God my beloved Father, there are times for welcoming and greeting others on their arrival and there are times when we have to say goodbye. On Friday I will need to say goodbye to my old life of marriage and start living a new life as a separated person after 16 years of marriage. Thank You Jesus.
²⁰ When they asked him to stay longer, he declined; ²¹ but on taking leave of them, he said, "I will return to you, if God wills." Then he set sail from Ephesus.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verses 20 to 21)
Oh God my Father, how I wish that You teach me to befriend my self from doing my will to that of accomplishing only Your will, for to say that I trust in You is one thing but to actually do it is another. I pray that during these moments of prayer in Your school, You teach me how to let go of all my issues and accept all that happens to be according to Your will Amen.
²² When he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verse 22)
Oh God my Father, St. Paul seemed to be in a hurry to move on, for he did not stay long in Jerusalem but just greeted the Church and was on his way. At times it is good not to get entangled in the relations with the world and move on in life, however it is very important to have strong support networks. I pray oh God my Father that You help me in having strong networks but without too much familiarity Amen.
²³ After spending some time there he departed and went from place to place through the region of Galatia and Phrygia strengthening all the disciples.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verse 23)
Oh God my beloved Father, at times it is necessary for us to take a break and retreat and reflect on our relationship with You and even with others. This period of reflection served as a positive boost for St.Paul that enabled him ready to continue strengthening others. I pray that after I have spent time in reflection I will also be empowered to do more in the work of Your Kingdom Amen.
²⁴ Now there came to Ephesus a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria. He was an eloquent man, well-versed in the scriptures. ²⁵ He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord, and he spoke with burning enthusiasm and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. ²⁶ He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the Way of God to him more accurately. ²⁷ And when he wished to cross over to Achaia, the believers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. On his arrival he greatly helped those who through grace had become believers, ²⁸ for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the scriptures that the Messiah is Jesus.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verse 24 to 28)
Oh Jesus Christ Son of God my Father and God in Yourself, I thank You for the community that has accepted me to be an active member in its midst. I thank You for the Catechists who proclaimed to me Your Ways as they are and not as I had thought them to be. I thank You for this opportunity where I can proclaim the message of the Good News among a community of believers Amen.
I would like to end the eighteenth chapter of the book of the Acts of the Apostles with the following prayer:
Oh God my holy and blessed Father, I praise Your Name. I thank You for the Mixja Neokatekumenali, and other groups such as the Charismatic groups, for we are all united by the same Goal that is living a life according to Your Way Amen. I pray that many more people are enlightened to join such and other groups so that they can continue their relationship with You my God and Father Amen.
²⁴ Now there came to Ephesus a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria. He was an eloquent man, well-versed in the scriptures. ²⁵ He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord, and he spoke with burning enthusiasm and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. ²⁶ He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the Way of God to him more accurately. ²⁷ And when he wished to cross over to Achaia, the believers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. On his arrival he greatly helped those who through grace had become believers, ²⁸ for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the scriptures that the Messiah is Jesus.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18 verse 24 to 28)
Oh Jesus Christ Son of God my Father and God in Yourself, I thank You for the community that has accepted me to be an active member in its midst. I thank You for the Catechists who proclaimed to me Your Ways as they are and not as I had thought them to be. I thank You for this opportunity where I can proclaim the message of the Good News among a community of believers Amen.
I would like to end the eighteenth chapter of the book of the Acts of the Apostles with the following prayer:
Oh God my holy and blessed Father, I praise Your Name. I thank You for the Mixja Neokatekumenali, and other groups such as the Charismatic groups, for we are all united by the same Goal that is living a life according to Your Way Amen. I pray that many more people are enlightened to join such and other groups so that they can continue their relationship with You my God and Father Amen.
