After his conversion and period of introduction into the fledgling Christian community, Paul embarks on a series of journeys through the cultural heartland of the Classical World to share the Gospel of Christ. This effort led to the radical reshaping of European and Western Asian civilization. Today, we stand on the brink of a new frontier, and we also seek to build systems and institutions which glorify God. Communications are faster, new cultures have risen and fallen and risen again, and the world has shrunk since Paul’s missionary journeys. Yet the Gospel remains the same, as does our mission. We look to Paul for an example not because we want to replicate his work, nor do we want to compare our impact to his. Instead we study his missionary story to learn how a believer can direct their occupation towards their true calling, how to avoid the traps of worldly trappings, and how we can display “humble hustle” as we pull from the depth and breadth of our God-given talents to building up Christ’s Kingdom.

Adapt your talents, great and humble, to building for the Kingdom

After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks… and he stayed one year and six months (Acts 18:1-4, 11)

Paul had been introduced to us as an up and coming star of the Jewish council and court system, with powerful connections and impeccable credentials. In this chapter we learn a surprising aspect of Paul’s life in that he has experience as a tentmaker. We can only speculate as to the specifics of this background, but given our knowledge of the Roman economy and Jewish culture we can assume that setting up shop in a major economic center like Corinth would require connections and possibly heavy bribes. Instead, this implies that the apostle signed himself up for a year and a half of occupation as a wage-laborer to support his true work- teaching and reasoning in the synagogues.

Do what needs to be done to support your family and earn a living. Devote yourself to that mission both within your occupation and outside. As we look to evangelize in the world of web3 and crypto, we will have the opportunity to be creative both in how we earn a living and how we engage with our communities. Allow space for that creativity, and always remember our core mission in life is to love God and love our neighbors.

Beware of your talents being co-opted

And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God (Acts 14:11-15)

Paul and his companion Barnabas displayed talent when speaking to crowds, and in the city of Lystra they performed miracles in Christ’s name. The crowds saw this as proof that these men were living personifications of their dead idols instead of regular men sent from the living and all-powerful God. When you are successful, and when you are recognized for an accomplishment, the world will try first to glorify you, then they will funnel your talents for their own glory. Resist this. Respond with humility, and remember that your moments in the spotlight exist to reflect the grace of the living God.

Devote yourself to your true mission

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. (Colossians 1:24-29)

Today we live in a world where we are increasingly told to “bring our whole selves to work”, with the unspoken caveat that we are absolutely not supposed to bring any part of ourselves which engages in traditional Christian religious practices and beliefs, or acknowledges any universal Truth, or which goes against the narrative endorsed by the powers-that-be. In the tech industry, in academia, in politics, and in society at large we are being conditioned to separate our “true selves” from the Truth, and then commit our unhinged remains totally and completely to the idols called “common good” and “progress.” But there is a movement striking back against this- a revolution in the truest sense of the word. Web3 can be viewed as a set of improved tools and technologies, but it can also be seen as a restructuring in how creators and builders engage with society and with their products. This is why we should look to a faithful example like the Apostle Paul to emulate as we engage in our mission field of life, whether that is in a Discord community, with our neighbors, or at our workplace.

We are not called to pursue our passion at work. We are called to pursue our work in a way that demonstrates Christ’s Passion.

When Paul is in front of a synagogue he lectures on the Scriptures, when in the educational heart of Athens he debates philosophers in the Areopagus, when in the commercial center Corinth he joins a trade and labors with fellow believers. When he can visit friends to break bread and shepherd his flock, he does. When the Spirit forbids him from visiting Asia Minor on his second journey, he instead writes his friends letters which remain a canonical foundation of our Scriptures. He demonstrates his full faculties in logic and rhetoric, and he does so in multiple languages for his audiences who speak Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew. The common thread we see through these multi-faceted journeys is a humble posture of self-denial in favor of the core mission and core message- God was made man, He willingly suffered and died, and he rose in ultimate defiance of sin and death.

How might we take these lessons into our communities as we seek to build the world of web3 for God’s glory?

(cover image courtesy of explorecorinth.gr)