The Gospel in Dark Places

5/27/25 Bible Thought (Acts 18)

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Discouragement can plague many Christians and churches.

If you look at cultural norms today and the degradation of many Christian values, it can be discouraging. Many churches have to shut their doors because attendance, giving, and outreach efforts just weren’t working out. When you focus on the wrong things, you can certainly find justifiable reasons to be disheartened.

In the midst of these negative things, we must remember that the security of the church is held in the hands of our Lord. Not only this but the world itself, in fact the entire universe is upheld, “by the word of his power” (Heb. 1:3).

These things are critical for a proper understanding not only of our world today, but also of the book of Acts where we find ourselves.

As we look at Paul’s second missionary journey, it wasn’t all butterflies and rainbows. He was beaten and imprisoned in Philippi. He was chased out of Thessalonica and Berea. Then, he went to Athens and had meager results as far as we can tell.

So, he goes to Corinth, a strategic city for trade and therefore also a strategic city for gospel ministry. However, it was also a city renowned for its great wickedness.^[1] In fact, it was well known that “to act the Corinthian” meant fornication.^[2]

It was an incredibly dark place with a dark reputation.

Yet, when the light of the gospel shone through, many of the Corinthians believed and were baptized, including the ruler of the synagogue (Acts 18:8).

As if this wasn’t great enough already, the Lord Jesus spoke to Paul in a vision saying,

“Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, ¹⁰ for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people” (Acts 18:9-10).

After much opposition and limited success in many places, the gospel gets a foothold in an incredibly dark place. As a result, Paul stayed there for a year and a half to establish the church that he would later write two canonical letters to.

I want us to find great encouragement in the words of Jesus from this text today. He called Paul not to fear. Why? Jesus said, “for I am with you” and even Paul’s opposition was held in the sovereign hands of God.

In Corinth, no one would harm him. Now, this isn’t some heaven-sent prosperity gospel, for Paul had been stoned and left for dead only a few chapters ago and would face numerous hardships in life (see 2 Cor. 11:23-33)

Instead we ought to see that Paul’s success, Paul’s health, Paul’s safety, all things were held in the hands of God. Later, Paul would conclude concerning His ministry in Ephesus, “I will return to you if God wills” (Acts 18:21, emphasis added).

Can these things not reframe our thinking concerning the state of the church, the world, and missions whether here or abroad?

All success we have in sharing the gospel is held in the Lord’s hands. Likewise, all harm that comes our way must come via our King’s permission and whether we experience good or harm He is with us and His will will be done.

Day by day the church is growing. Day by day there are many taken out of the domain of darkness who are being transferred to the Kingdom of God’s Beloved Son (Col. 1:13). Even in the darkest and most sinful of places like Corinth, God has those who are His, whom He will call saints (1 Cor. 1:2).

As such, let us take heart.

It’s all in His hands.

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^[1] Clinton E. Arnold, Acts, ed. Clinton E. Arnold, vol. 2B of Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002), 178.

^[2] Ibid., 180.