Who Is Guilty?

After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth, where he found a Jewish man named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Cladius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome, Paul came to them, and being of the same occupation, stayed with them and worked, for they were tent makers by trade. He reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and tried to,persuade both Jews and Greeks.

When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with preaching the message and solomonly testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah. But when they resisted and blasphemed,  he shook his robe, and told them, "Your blood is on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." So he left there and went to the house of a man named Titus Justus, a worshipper of God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed the Lord, along with his whole household. Many of the Corinthinians, when they heard, believed and were baptised. Acts 18:1-8

We now meet people who will become a part of the early church: Acquila and Prisillia, We see them again in Romans, 1Corinthians, 2 Timothy. We know they are tent makers and faithful people, but they still rate a mention. Faithfulness carries a great reward.

When Paul shakes his robe and tells the Jews the blood in on their hands, he is referring to an Old Testament scripture that says: if the watchman sees the sword (of judgement) coming and rebukes him, yet he fails to listen, then the blood is on his hands, if you, however, fail to rebuke him, the blood is on your hands. Ezekiel 33.

I have always been mindful of their scripture and Paul's behaviour. If I see my brother or sister sin and say nothing, am I guilty? Does God require me to speak up? I believe so. This does not mean I go around being judge and jury but Paul here is specifically using it in the context of eternal salvation.

Food for thought!