Pretext
17 Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.”18 So he took him to the commander. The centurion said, “Paul, the prisoner, sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell […]
Conspiracy Theory
12 When it was day, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under a curse: neither to eat nor to drink until they had killed Paul.13 There were more than 40 who had formed this plot. (Acts 23:12-13, HCSB) The internet has really changed things. Before the web, hearing a conspiracy theory was somewhat […]
Standing with Jesus
As you may recall, in Acts 23 Paul is giving an account of his ministry before the Sanhedrin (Jewish religious leaders) in Jerusalem: 10 When the dispute became violent, the commander feared that Paul might be torn apart by them and ordered the troops to go down, rescue him from them, and bring him into […]
Pirates and Prayer
Acts 22:29 (NIV) 29 Those who were about to question him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains. It is one thing to read about Paul’s imprisonment and study 1 Peter’s discussion of persecution…something else to see it at work in the […]
Mask-wearing
Acts 23:1-3 (HCSB) 1 Paul looked intently at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience until this day.”2 But the high priest Ananias ordered those who were standing next to him to strike him on the mouth.3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to […]
Resident Aliens
Acts 22:22-26 (HCSB) 22 They listened to him up to this word. Then they raised their voices, shouting, “Wipe this person off the earth—it’s a disgrace for him to live!” 23 As they were yelling and flinging aside their robes and throwing dust into the air, 24 the commander ordered him to be brought into […]
We have a Testimony to Give
In our last Catalyst we left Paul before an unruly mob: 40 Having received the commander’s permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic:1 “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense.” (Acts 21:40-22:1, NIV) Paul then proceeds though the next […]
Mistaken Identity
37 As he was about to be brought into the barracks, Paul said to the commander, “Am I allowed to say something to you?” He replied, “Do you know Greek?38 Aren’t you the Egyptian who raised a rebellion some time ago and led 4,000 Assassins into the desert?”39 Paul said, “I am a Jewish man […]
I Am Third
Acts 21:21-26 (NLT) 21 But the Jewish believers here in Jerusalem have been told that you are teaching all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn their backs on the laws of Moses. They’ve heard that you teach them not to circumcise their children or follow other Jewish customs.22 What should we do? […]
Confident
Acts 21:17-21 (HCSB) 17 When we reached Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly.18 The following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.19 After greeting them, he related one by one what God did among the Gentiles through his ministry.20 When they heard it, they glorified God and said, […]
The Gift of the Magi
16 “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.(John 3:16, HCSB) For this week’s installment of Catalyst, I wanted to share with you one of my (and my wife’s) favorite Christmas short stories. So […]
Thankfulness
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude […]
