In this chapter, we learn that Paul is clever (wise?). 6 Then when Paul noticed that part of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, he shouted out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead!” 7 When he said this, an argument began between the Pharisees and the … Continue reading Acts 23. →

My thoughts this morning are centered on the conflict in the Middle East which we see demonstrated in this chapter of Acts. The crowd listened quietly to Paul's defense of his actions to the Jews until the end: 21 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’” 22 The crowd … Continue reading Acts 22. →

I know I'm a quirky reader of the text sometimes. All of this activity takes place in Acts 21, and I'm struck by this phrase: "... and there on the beach we knelt to pray."

These are the words of Paul that I want to capture as my own: "... my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace."

Ruins of the temple of Artemis near Ephesus Paul spends a lot of time in Ephesus. Not without conflict. I find it interesting how Demetrius the silversmith manages to blend concern for money with seemingly pure worship motives. From the NIV: 23 About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. 24 A silversmith named Demetrius, … Continue reading Acts 19. →

Sometimes when I think about Paul, I think about my Grandpa Lenti. He was a short, feisty Greek-Italian who emigrated to America from the island of Korfu at the age of 14 or 15. He had a hawk-like nose (Pam called it a Roman nose) that he would thrust forward if he was arguing with … Continue reading Acts 18. →

The manner in which the Bereans received Paul's message is held up as a shining example of how we, as Christians, should also receive teachings from the text: for they eagerly received the message, examining the scriptures carefully every day to see if these things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed, My hope is that during our reading the … Continue reading Acts 17. →

When the narrator enters the story: 10 After Paul saw the vision, we attempted immediately to go over to Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them. (v.10) The details surrounding Lydia's conversion including the baptism of her household and her insistent hospitality are intriguing. I draw these conclusions from the inclusion of her … Continue reading Acts 16. →

Even from close to the beginning of the church, there have been differences in understanding the message of Jesus. In this chapter we do see how the church worked out those differences. Letting go of their past and their traditions was hard, but they did it. I see the holy spirit at work even though … Continue reading Acts 15. →