From Fear to Faith: Paul's Mission in Corinth
May 9, 2024 - Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Acts 18:1-8; Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4; John 16:16-20
After what seemed like an unsuccessful proclamation of the Gospel in Athens, Paul moves to Corinth, where he stayed for one and a half years. Corinth was the capital of the Roman province of Achaia and a bustling commercial center. A move from Athens to Corinth could be compared to a move from Oxford to Las Vegas. In Athens, Paul dealt with professors of philosophy, while in Corinth, he engaged with the working class. In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul discloses that when he came to Corinth, he was fearful (see 1 Cor 2:1-3). The apostle did not specify what contributed to his uneasiness. It could have something to do with the reputation of the city, as it was infamous for its immorality, or with the fact that he arrived there without his companions, Silas and Timothy. To continue his work there, Paul needed personal encouragement from the Lord: "Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent because I am with you, and no one will assault you to harm you because I have many people in this city" (Acts 18:9-10).
In today's Gospel, Jesus speaks about his impending death and resurrection, but he veils it in language that confuses his disciples: "A little while and you will no longer see me, and again a little while later and you will see me" (John 16:16). Between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, there is "a little while" - Holy Saturday. It is a day of grief, a day when nothing is recorded in the Gospels, and a day when the Church does not celebrate its liturgy. The first disciples could easily imagine that it would last forever. But Holy Saturday lasted only one day, and then came Easter Sunday.
Paul began his mission in Corinth with fear and trembling and had to work for a living. But his situation slowly improved. He met a Jewish couple, Aquila and Priscilla, who also believed in Christ and offered him a place to stay and work. After some time, Silas and Timothy arrived, and then the Lord himself spoke to him in a vision. What began with fear and trembling turned out to be a very successful mission: "many of the Corinthians . . . believed and were baptized" (Acts 18:8).
Psalm 98 celebrates the reign of God evident in his wondrous deeds. For the people of Israel, the greatest deed of God was God’s victory over the Pharaoh of Egypt and his powerful military forces. For us Christians, the greatest deed of God has been God’s victory over death in Christ’s resurrection. With Saint Paul, we can ask: “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” And the answer is: “Death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Cor 15:54-55). God's wondrous deeds continue in the history of the Church, and the conversion of the citizens of the immoral city of Corinth was one among them.
Jesus' encouraging words, "you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy" (John 16:20), remind me of the words of the psalmist: “weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Ps 30:5). Our trials, setbacks, and sufferings bring tears to our eyes, but through those painful experiences, we participate in Christ’s death. On the other hand, when they are gone, when we recover and overcome them, we participate in Christ's resurrection. In that very moment, our joy breaks into song, and we "sing joyfully to the LORD" (Ps. 98:4).