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You can read Acts 20 here
- Eutychus raised from the dead? More importantly to me, was that he fell asleep when the apostle paul was preaching… I guess it happens to even the best?
- Paul taught ‘publicly’ and ‘from house to house’ – what would that look like today?
- they embraced and wept as Paul left the city – Do you have people in your life worth weeping over? And would you let them go to where they felt God was calling them?
Read Acts 19 here
What’s the relationship between the Holy Spirit, Jesus, and Baptism as this passage states it?
An evil spirit said “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”… are we doing anything relevant enough for evil to be aware of who we are? we can’t be light in the darkness, if we’ve never ventured out into it…
Valuable scrolls were burned as people repented – what have you done that needs burning, and giving up of, in such a way that there is no going back?
Read the passage here
Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome – what’s it like to be evacuated, unwanted, pushed out?
I don’t like how Paul seemed to clear himself of responsibility – but there are limits and lines that must be drawn in life i assume
“For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” – this also doesn’t jive well with me, does it with you?
Priscilla and Aquila further discipled Apollos – but his lack of understanding never stopped him from speaking from his hear ‘with great fervor’ – what’s stopping you? and what do you ‘need’ to get trained up?
Read the passage here
- Paul argued with those in the synagogue – obviously there is a case for debating – interesting that the context was with other religious leaders though
- i wonder who these ‘leading women’ were who joined Paul
- mob formed against Paul and Silas for ‘acting contrary to the decrees of the emperor, saying that there is another king named Jesus – why can’t we say this today? and if we do, why does no one seem to care?
- In Beroea – new believers – ‘examined the scriptures everyday’ – if newbies do it – shouldn’t we all?
- Paul spoke in a way that caused mystery, confusion, yet those who were intrigued and wanted to know more. How can we learn from this?
- Paul took the time to examine the idols and gods in the city – if we took the time to examine our culture, what would we find? in our culture, and within ourselves?
Click the link to read the entire chapter of Acts 16
- the NT always describes Paul on the go, there are several places where he stays for a couple years, and I think there’s depth behind that, but there’s a lot of being on the move.
- Timothy was circumcised anyways – was this an attempt at becoming all things, so some might be saved?
- Who on earth checks for circumcision anyways?
- people actually come to belief through proclamation and listening
- receiving hospitality – not in a place of control
- “these men are disturbing our city” – how often do our churches get nailed for ‘disturbing’ the city by releasing the oppressed?
- did belief lead to ‘you and your household’ being saved because belief had to lead to action? and was never a private solo affair? How often does the beliefs you state lead towards actions?
Read Acts 15 here
This chapter explores how a council was held in Jerusalem to discuss whether the new believers should be circumcised.
It’s amazing how much was still up for discussion. It’s so easy to think of the early church as idyllic untainted times, but there were weight issues that still needed to be dealt with.
This passage still somewhat bothers me. The fact that they can know that it is ‘through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are”, remove the need for circumcision and yet somewhat ‘compromise’ and still have several rules in place (v19-21), doesn’t quite jive with me.
They sound like decent rules, especially in their given context, but still…
v35 – Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord. – the ‘many others’ bit is a good reminder that there can be a community of teachers and guides.
Your thoughts?
You can read the Acts Chapter 14 here.
v9 – Paul looked at the man – crippled from birth intently – this was the first miracle to me. How do we expect to help and heal those around us, without really connecting with them first?
The people thought “the gods have come down to us in human form” – not a bad thing entirely to be mistaken, Paul must be doing something right.
People are quickly swayed so easily they go from worship to stoning, how do we stay focused on Jesus rather than giving into the waves of positive and negative feedback that may come our way?
You can read Acts 13 here.
a few random reflections
- Paul and Barnabas sent out – giving away our rock-stars – was would it look like for a community to always let go and give to the world their very best?
- Paul blinds Elymas – are there times today for curses towards like this?
- v41 – “I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you” – Could it be that somethings are beyond words? They cannot be described or illustrated, they can only be experienced? How might that change the way we communicate the gospel?
- what did “a god-fearing woman of high standing” look like and do in biblical times? What would they look like today?
