I’m sure some of you have heard me say that Luke is my favorite gospel. But I doubt that many of you have heard me say that Acts is my favorite book in the Bible – not surprising in that Luke also authored Acts! But I can recall my first time reading through the book of Acts, especially my “being” on ship with Paul much later in the book. It was probably only in my second year “in Christ” (born again) that I led a younger college group from the campus Catholic church in a study of the book of Acts. Back then we were clearly learning together – I was more a facilitator than a leader. But this recall is not about me – even back then I was so attracted to Acts that I thought other young Catholics might also be “taken” by the book. I was just giving them a chance!
So, going back 46 years still… I spent that first year of my born-again life studying the first-century church. I already knew the Gospels reasonably well, having heard about Jesus weekly for 27 years. So Acts was the first Bible book that I read when I started to read the Bible regularly. And upon starting the book of Acts, Chapter 1 (the Ascension) was fairly well known to me, as was Chapter 2, Pentecost. But Chapters 3 and 4 were brand new to me, Peter and John and the lame man healed at the temple gate. A miracle accomplished through the Apostles’ ministry! Back then, my first time reading this story – it was awesome!! So when I read this chapter I’m taken back to when I read it for the first time, when I was amazed at what was being done at the Apostles’ hands – it’s still awesome!! I hope you find it the same!!
See also: January 10 / Acts 3:1-10; January 11 / Acts 3:11-26