1. OK…so Paul and Silas encounter this slave girl who is basically like a circus monkey, predicting the future and making money. Interestingly, she was right in what she was saying about Paul and Silas. I guess Paul got sick of the circus act, though, because he commanded a demon to come out of her! (Maybe the demon was running distraction, trying to make it harder for people to accept the message.)
2. Isn’t it funny that the save owners were basically trying to “sue” Paul and Silas for making it so their fortune-teller couldn’t tell fortunes anymore?
3. It doesn’t appear that they took that angle with the magistrates, though. They did like the religious leaders did with Jesus– telling them that they were advocating customs that good Romans wouldn’t allow. Oh…so they are insurrectionists, now? I guess they didn’t have a such thing as “motive” in these courts, back in the day.
4. Wow…so everyone was against them, and they were “severely flogged,” stripped, and beaten. No one can say that Paul (or Silas) didn’t suffer for his faith.
5. We’ve seen what happens when Christians are thrown in jail in the Book of Acts…
6. I love the fact that Paul and Silas sang in prison. The other inmates heard them too. And God sends an earthquake. Sweet.
7. Isn’t it crazy that Paul values the life of the prison guard? He doesn’t want him to commit suicide. He throws the lights on, and falls to his knees, realizing that these guys hold the key to salvation, believing in Jesus.
8. Talk about radical. The jailer cleaned their wounds and took him home so that his whole family could be baptized! Wow. And, then, by morning, I guess they were placed back in their cells. Isn’t it crazy that they didn’t leave when the earthquake hit? I would have interpreted that as God’s way of saying, “Get out!” They still took the time to notice and care for the jailer.
9. Their decision paid off in more ways than one. They were set free the very next morning. Shoot, they even wished them well…
10. Paul says that he won’t be punked. They had no kind of due process, so he wasn’t going to let them just leave quietly. He wanted the magistrates to admit that they were wrong. This ought to be interesting…
11. Apparently, they didn’t realize that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens (with RIGHTS). Then they sucked up to them and asked them to leave.
12. They went to Lydia’s house one more time and encouraged everyone, and then they peaced out.
1. I bet the Gentiles receiving God’s word was going to raise some eyebrows. Until this point, I think most people though that this was going to be purely a Jewish thing…
2. The circumcised believers criticized Peter for cavorting with the uncircumcised. Geez…sounds like modern-day church in a lot of ways… Why do you think people want to keep Jesus for themselves?
3. OK, so Peter relays the dream sequence. Peter’s logic is interesting. We see that he truly believed that God “baptized” the Gentiles first, with the Holy Spirit. So, it only stands to reason that Peter should be able to baptize them with water. God had already made them clean!
4. Apparently, they were all cool with that explanation. They were excited! I wonder what you would be surprised by if you said, “God has granted even the ____________ repentance unto life.” God’s grace extends to all people if they choose to follow Him. Where would that be surprising for you?
1. OK, so Peter sets off with his entourage to Cornelius’ home after having a dream about eating all kinds of meat… Keep in mind that both men were in prayer before all these weird events…
2. Cornelius got all his people together for Peter’s arrival. Cornelius bows down to Peter, but Peter doesn’t accept that. Kind of makes you wonder why some priests do allow that sort of behavior…
3. Peter is interpreting his dream about unclean animals to be about the Gentiles. Back in the day, the only “clean” people would be the Jews; so that would make the non-Jews unclean. Peter says knows that God has made these “unclean” clean. (He didn’t have any objections to Cornelius’ people…but he sure seemed to object to God!)
4. Both of these guys were simply obeying God’s orders. And it was a good thing that they did because now all of Cornelius’ people can hear the message…
5. Can I get an amen about God not showing favoritism? I mean, if just a Gentile who’s half-Roman and half-Germanian; so I would have been in Cornelius’ boat too!
6. God accepts those who fear Him and do what is right. There you go…
7. Peter reminds them all of what Jesus did. Apparently, most of this gospel would have been common knowledge unless you lived under a rock; but Peter was putting all the pieces together, especially the part about His resurrection and Jesus’ power of life and death (through the forgiveness of sins).
8. The Holy Spirit come upon all the listeners, enabling them to “get it.” Isn’t amazing that even understanding the message of God is a gift from God?
9. I bet that would have been a trip for the Jews. I don’t think they realized how far this grace of God was going to go!
10. Peter baptized all of them in the name of Jesus. I bet that was wild. I wonder if it was awkward for the Jews. I mean, they never really associated with Gentiles in the past. And I bet they never thought that they were going to be baptizing people who weren’t circumcised. I guess you shouldn’t place your expectations on what God can do…
1. This had to be the weirdest thing ever. This guy was going to arrest them. Now he’s just “hanging out” with them. Weird. Oh, and to top that, he was going to the synagogues to tell everyone that Jesus is the Son of God (this is the very thing for which he was arresting people).
2. I’d be asking the same thing that they were asking. W-wait a minute…isn’t this THAT Saul?
3. Saul kept doing his thing, though. His thing was telling people that Jesus was the Christ.
4. The Jews conspired to kill Saul. Well, that would adequately cover things up, I guess. Either Saul was a little dude, or that basket was honkin’ big…
5. OK, so all of this is a bit of a curiosity in Damascus. But now Saul goes to Jerusalem. This is Grand Central Station for this “Way.” And, being the urban smarties that they were, they were skeptical about allowing Saul access to the apostles. What if this all was some plot to eliminate the leadership?
6. But then we then Barnabas brings him in. He advocates for him. He tells Saul’s story. They must have accepted that because it says that Saul “stayed with them.” And we also see that Saul kept doing his thing, boldly.
7. Saul preached to the Grecian Jews, and they tried to kill him; so I guess they decided that it would be in Saul’s best interests to go to Tarsus.
8. We don’t know why the church enjoyed a time of peace. Maybe the leaders were so flummoxed when Saul converted that they decided to call of the dogs until they could get their bearings. Regardless, the church grew (and it wasn’t some kind of watered-down growth because it says that they were living “in the fear of the Lord.”) Authentic faith.
1. And now we are back to the story of Saul…
2. That just sounds crazy: “breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples.” But, this kind of stuff happens today. It’s just crazy to think how committed Saul was to taking the Christians down. I mean, he was chomping at the bit to imprison the Damascus followers of “the Way.” I like that name for Christianity. I am a follower of the Way.
3. He was even going to throw women in prison. What a jerk!
4. And then he “saw the light.” The “voice” asked why Saul persecuted Him. By calling the voice “Lord,” you know that Saul knew that this was the God he worshipped. What he didn’t know, though, was this God was actually Jesus! That’ll throw a wrench in his plans!
5. You’d have to think that the guys with Saul were also committed “Way arrestors.” So…I bet this was weird for them too. Oh, and by the way, their leader, Saul, was blind. He was blind for three days. Apparently, that put a damper on his appetite.
6. And then we see Ananias. This guy was a follower of the Way. Imagine what it would have been like to have God speak to you and tell you to go straight towards Saul. This guy was notorious! I’m not surprised that Ananias seeked further clarification. Oh, and by the way, Ananias is going to restore his sight! Wow.
7. I like how Ananias is trying to “explain” to God what’s going on…as if He doesn’t know…
8. I think that “Go” has an exclamation point for a reason. I don’t think God is really keen to the idea of Ananias telling Him who He can and can not use. Interesting that God gives us a little prophecy of what’s Saul’s life is going to look like: “suffer[ing] for [God's] name.”
9. How freaky do you think this would have been for Saul? Do you think Saul already knew of Ananias as a follower of the Way? Do you think he would have arrested Ananias under different circumstances?
10. Ananias came so that Saul might receive the Holy Spirit. When he touched him, scales fell of Saul’s eyes; and he could see. Do you think Saul’s physical blindness is a hint at something else?
11. Saul was baptized. This seemed to a big thing for early believers. And then he ate for the first time in three days. I bet that was a good meal.
1. Wow…if only it was always that easy; you know, for an angel to just tell us where and how to go. Sometimes I envy guys like Philip…
2. OK, so we get this important eunuch from Ethiopia (that’s in modern-day Africa, by the way). He is in charge of the queen’s money, so you know he’s got to be an impressive guy. It’s interesting that he went to Jerusalem to worship. One, I am impressed that a queen lets this guy worship something besides her. Two, I am surprised that this Ethiopian would go to Jerusalem to worship. Was he Jewish?
3. He got a souvenir to take home with him (a book of Isaiah), and he was reading it on the ride home. OK…got it…
4. The Holy Spirit is so clear to Philip here: run up to that chariot. So…Philip does, and he asks the man if he understands the passage. Now, the first thing I’m thinking is, “Is it normal for people to run up along chariots and ask questions?”
5. I love the response of the eunuch, “How can I [understand] unless someone explains it to me?” I think that response is one of the great motivations of my life. I think people are dying to know the truth, and I guess we need to be as open as Philip is to listening to God and taking advantage of those opportunities…
6. So the Isaiah passage is prophecy about Jesus’ eventual death on the cross. The eunuch justifiably asks if the passage is about Isaiah or someone else. What an awesome question for Philip to go straight into talking about Jesus!
7. And then, just like that, the eunuch wanted to be baptized. Philip did it, and it almost sounds like (after they came up from the water) Philip was swept by the Holy Spirit to another place. Imagine what an adventure Philip’s life was like if this was normal…
8. The eunuch didn’t seem to mind Philip’s early departure. He was rejoicing.
1. We start off with the end of the scene of Stephen being stoned to death…
2. The first sentence of this passage is so key. Saul will be important later on, and it’s important now to realize that he was there. He approved of this stoning.
3. The persecution began on that day. Maybe it was because the anti-Christian zealots were fired up about killing Stephen. We don’t know. All we know is that, at this point, it is very dangerous to be a follower of Jesus. This dynamic still exists all across the world, but not in America. But, there are countries where the church is being persecuted. Why don’t we talk about that more?
4. In the midst of the emotional burial of Stephen, we see Saul wreaking havoc on the church. He was just dragging people out of their homes. This still goes on today…
5. Philip ended up preaching in Samaria. People bought into his words because of the miracles. And, as crazy as it sounds, evil spirits were leaving people with shrieking sounds! People were being healed. And this was simply Philip, one of the twelve apostles. Do we still want to talk about this whole exorcism thing? Any thoughts?
6. This Simon was what I would consider all current “magicians” to be– fake. People with “the gift.” I love the fact that this guy heard Philip’s message too, and he also converted. You don’t need “magic” when you’ve got miracles…
7. I guess Peter and John were the leaders of the group at this point. It seems that Philip laid down the groundwork, and those two came in to seal the deal. This meant praying for the Holy Spirit to come to all these people. It’s interesting to see the early leaders working together like this.
8. Interesting that Simon wanted to pay the apostles to have the ability to help people receive the Holy Spirit. Why do you think he wanted it? Do you think he was sincerely trying to help?
9. Peter’s response was pretty harsh (I guess Simon wasn’t sincere). Peter tells this guy to get his heart right. He’s got issues that he hasn’t dealt with. At that point, Simon seems to be a little more humble, asking for Peter’s prayers.
Filed under: aaron, acts, david, god, isaiah, jesus, joshua, moses, saul, solomon, stephen
1. Stephen’s history lesson continues (we pick up in the story of Moses, right before he encounters God in a burning bush)…
2. Notice Stephen takes a little time to editorialize and explain that Moses, too, had been rejected…”Who made [Moses] ruler and judge?” How would that be similar to Jesus?
3. He reminds them that Moses promised a prophet from amongst the people. But the people (maybe like the people of Stephen’s time) couldn’t handle this. They would rather go back to Egypt. They would rather dance before a golden calf. Uh oh…I can see where this is going…
4. God let them do what they wanted. Then he quotes the prophet Amos, concerning the fact that they just wouldn’t be faithful to the true God. Their punishment is well known. They were exiled to Babylon.
5. Then we get into the whole idea of the “tabernacle” (their place of worship). Moses built it. Joshua transported it into the promised land. It was taken away, but David brought it back. And Solomon finally built the temple. Maybe this is all to answer the accusations that Stephen talked about destroying the “temple.” Either way, Stephen makes it clear that God does not live in “houses made by men.” He quotes Isaiah, talking about how God definitely does not live in a box.
6. Then Stephen rips into them. He calls them “stiff-necked” with “uncircumcised hearts and ears.” In other words, they won’t bow down; and nothing about the feelings in their hearts or the way that they received Jesus’ teachings reveals that they are in fact in a covenant with God. Uh oh…
7. Uh oh…he tells them that they “resist the Holy Spirit.” God is speaking to their hearts, but they are not listening. That is clear. Then he attacks the track record of their ancestors who killed every prophet that God ever sent (some of whom predicted that Jesus was coming). Talk about missing the point!
8. This all culminated in their killing of Jesus. It wasn’t enough that they ignored the prophets– they killed the One who gave them words.
9. This is when the religious leaders lost it. In the midst of all this chaos, Stephen sees the glory of God in heaven (and Jesus is right there!). He tells them all what he sees, but they all cover their ears and scream to not hear the very truth coming out of Stephen’s mouth. Like a kid who says, “Blah, blah, blah, I’m not listening…”
10. They took him out of the city and began to stone Stephen. Oh, and by the way, a young man named Saul was there for the whole thing…
11. Stephen prayed while the rocks were flying. He gave his life to Jesus. And, to baffle my mind, he actually asks God to forgive them for stoning him. Then he died. Wow. What do you think about Stephen after all of this?
Filed under: acts, god, jesus, nicanor, nicolas, parmenas, philip, procorus, stephen, timon
1. Hmm…sounds like church today. So…the Greek Jews’ widows weren’t getting the same attention as the “old school” Hebrew Jews. I guess the older Jews thought that there was a pecking order in “church.” Thank God there isn’t…
2. I love this verse. It seems presumptuous; but, at the same time, why on earth would you want to have the Twelve waiting tables? They had more serious things to do. I think a lot of pastors (and maybe youth pastors) get bogged down by the details when they could really be giving people an opportunity to serve. Those guys had to preach and teach, not wait on tables. Was it a valid job? Yeah. But was it theirs? No.
3. So they decided to choose seven guys to be in charge of the food distribution. It must have been a semi-big deal because they wanted the men to be “full of the Spirit and wisdom.”
4. Delegating allowed the twelve to be able to pray and teach.
5. And there is the group: Stephen (and it mentions how cool he is), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas. Stephen gets his first shot here, but we’re going to hear more from him in a second…
6. These guys were presented to the church leadership, and they prayed for them and laid their hands on them. The “laying on of hands” is kind of weird nowadays, but it’s also a cool way to show unity and focus during prayer.
7. Look at the results: the Word spread. More and more disciples were being made daily, and even priests joined the revolution!
8. I wonder what wonders and signs Stephen did. It’s crazy to think that a food distributor had this kind of power; but, then again, why wouldn’t God use underdogs?
9. So these people from “the Synagogue of the Freedmen” were debating with Stephen all the time. Problem was, the “waiter” always won.
10. They had to make up a lie about Stephen blaspheming. Those guys sounded like real winners.
11. And so the religious leaders did all they ever seemed to do during those time– they arrested Stephen. And they made up charges (kind of like with Jesus) of how he said he was going to destroy the temple and wreck God’s law. Um…I’m sure Stephen didn’t put it exactly like that…
12. What do you think it meant that his face was like the face of an angel?
1. “The high priest and all his associates.” He he he…sounds like the mafia. And, like a mafia boss, you didn’t want to make the religious leaders angry. They tossed the apostles in jail! Talk about having a temper.
2. So…the angel springs them from jail and tells them to go and tell everybody the “full message” of this new life. Oh yeah… And when the sun came up, it was on…
3. So the Jewish court assembles and they tell the bailiff to go and get these prisoners. They weren’t there. Everything was locked and guarded. They just weren’t there.
4. I bet the captain of the officers was pretty ticked off and confused when he saw his “prisoners” out there having a church service. They grab the disciples and bring them before the Sanhedrin. Here we go again…
5. It appears that what they don’t like is the fact that the apostles are saying that the religious leaders are guilty of killing Jesus. They probably didn’t like other parts too, but this is what they seem to be concerned about at this particular time. Why would they be so upset about that?
6. “We must obey God rather than men!” This is a bold statement. Could Christians abuse this statement, though?
7. Again, they remind the leaders that it’s more about the fact that God rose Jesus from the dead than anything else. They talk about repentance and the forgiveness of sins. These are all awesome things. How are they missing the point?
8. It could have been lights out for Peter at that moment, but Gamaliel stepped up and asked to confer with the Sanhedrin (maybe cooler heads will prevail?)…
9. Gamaliel compares Jesus to some dudes named Theudas and Judas (not the one that we know). Apparently, they had followings too; but, once they were killed, it all fizzled out. Then Gamaliel says an interesting thing– let them go. If it’s not from God, it will fail. If it’s from God, it will be unstoppable. Guess what, it was (and still is) unstoppable… Who would want to fight against God (especially a religious leader)?
10. They didn’t let the apostles off scot free. They did whip them. Oh, and they also ordered them to shut up about Jesus (yeah, like that’s going to happen).
11. Check out what it says in verse 41. It says that the apostles were “rejoicing” because they had “been counted worthy of suffering disgrace” for the Name of Jesus! Wow. How many of us would consider that to be a gift?
12. Oh…and they kept preaching…
