March 27th, 2014
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

Emotional Intelligence

Please see the links to our EXTRA Bible Study notes at the bottom of the page.

Opening Prayer

Merciful God, thank You for the faith, courage, and calm You give me as I follow You each day.

Read ACTS 18:1-17

[1] After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. [2] 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, [3] and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. [4] Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. [5] When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. [6] But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” [7] Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. [8] Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized. [9] One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. [10] For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” [11] So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God. [12] While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. [13] “This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.” [14] Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. [15] But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law-settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.” [16] So he drove them off. [17] Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes the synagogue leader and beat him in front of the proconsul; and Gallio showed no concern whatever.

Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright &copy 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.&reg Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Meditate

“We cannot escape fear; but we can allow it to move us to a deeper comprehension of what it means to exist before God” (D.B. Allender and Trevor Longman III).

Think Further

Paul began his work in Corinth “in weakness and fear and much trembling” (1 Cor. 2:3). He was shaken by the ferocity of the opposition. Initially this consisted of verbal abuse in the synagogue, but as the Spirit demonstrated the Gospel’s power (1 Cor. 2:4) and the number of Paul’s converts mounted (8), the antagonism became ominous, culminating in Paul being charged with heretical teaching before the Roman proconsul. Paul must have been tempted to cut short his stay. However, a very special message from the Lord overcame his fears (9,10). As a result, he stayed longer in Corinth than he had previously done in any city during his missionary travels.

The notion of emotional intelligence was developed in the second half of the twentieth century. It attempts to recognize the role that non-cognitive elements play in intelligent behavior. It is defined as integrating emotion to facilitate thought and promote personal development. Read Paul’s letter to the Romans and you will quickly conclude that he possessed both a massive intellect and high emotional intelligence. He could blend the cognitive and emotional elements of his personality because he constantly pressed on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus had taken hold of him (Phil. 3:12). Paul’s vision of Jesus in Corinth was special, but not a one-time thing. He was constantly captivated by the surpassing worth of knowing Christ as his Lord (Phil. 3:8). We also are called to combine strong biblical theology and deep Christian spirituality. Both are vital if we are to grow in Christ and become effective witnesses. Reread today’s passage. Then ask the Lord to enlarge your understanding of the Gospel and to transform your personality, making you ever more Christ-like. As you articulate the Gospel with your lips, such transformative encounters will enable you to authenticate it with your life.

Apply

How can you combine strong biblical theology and deep Christian spirituality to an even greater degree? What must you do?

Closing prayer

Gracious Lord, continue to help me along the pathway of spiritual wholeness. I want my words and life to be a positive witness for You.

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