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 […]
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 […]
Legacy
Acts 21:10-14 (HCSB) 10 While we were staying there many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.11 He came to us, took Paul’s belt, tied his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this […]
Finish Strong
Acts 20:22-24 (NIV) 22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may […]
After the Uproar
1 When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said good-by and set out for Macedonia.2 He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece,3 where he stayed three months. Because the Jews made a plot against him just as he was about […]
Kicking the Dog
Acts 18:12-17 (NLT) 12 But when Gallio became governor of Achaia, some Jews rose up together against Paul and brought him before the governor for judgment.13 They accused Paul of “persuading people to worship God in ways that are contrary to our law.”14 But just as Paul started to make his defense, Gallio turned to […]
God’s Word for You
Acts 18:7-11 (HCSB) 7 So he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed the Lord, along with his whole household; and many of the Corinthians, when they heard, believed […]
When Good News and Hubris Meet
Acts 18:5-6 (HCSB) 5 When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with preaching the message and solemnly testified to the Jews that the Messiah is Jesus.6 But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his clothes and told them, “Your blood is on your own heads! I am clean. From […]
Mobs, riots, and the Truth
Acts 17:5-9 (NIV) 5 But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. 6 But when they did not […]
