Acts 15:1-5 First, a couple of brief geographical items… Paul and Barnabas (and a large contingent of Christians) are based in “Antioch”. This “Antioch” is Syrian Antioch, about 300 miles north of Jerusalem, on the northeast coast of the Mediterranean, as opposed to Pisidian Antioch, which Paul and Barnabas had visited in chapters 13 and …
Author Archives: Fred
February 26 / Acts 14:19-28
Acts 14:19-28 It’s so strange that Jews from Antioch would come all the way to Lystra (130 miles) just to harass Paul and Barnabas. Iconium was only 20 miles from Lystra, so some Jews from Antioch had probably followed Paul and Barnabas to Iconium and been part of the rabble that drove them out of …
February 25 / Acts 14:8-18
Acts 14:8-18 It’s so strange that Jews from Antioch would come all the way to Lystra (130 miles) just to harass Paul and Barnabas. Iconium was only 20 miles from Lystra, so some Jews from Antioch had probably followed Paul and Barnabas to Iconium and been part of the rabble that drove them out of …
February 24 / Acts 14:1-7
Acts 14:1-7 Therefore they spent a long time there speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace, granting that signs and wonders be done by their hands. (v. 3) Luke makes a powerful statement here, that the Lord was personally intervening – that He “was testifying” (or …
February 23 / Acts 13:42-52
Acts 13:42-52 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him. (v. 45) Again, Jewish leaders’ jealousy, even though in the previous verse we see “almost the whole city” gathering to hear Paul and Barnabas. But rather than listen themselves, jealousy …
February 22 / Acts 13:26-41
Acts 13:26-41 There’s a lot of information in these sixteen verses; I can’t touch on them all, but I’ll hit a few. Here’s the one that hit me the most: …and for many days He appeared to those who had come up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem… (v. 31). Paul is saying here that …
February 21 / Acts 13:13-25
Acts 13:13-25 And John left them and returned to Jerusalem… (v. 13b) Some of you may not know it, but this is a key item in Acts. It will show up later when Paul and Barnabas are ready to go off on their second missionary journey (vv. 15:36, ff.). This “John” is John Mark, also …
February 20 / Acts 13:4-12
Acts 13:4-12 You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy… (v. 10) I chuckle every time I read Paul’s description of Elymas. I’m sure Paul was referring to his deeds, not his actual person, but he has harsh words, nonetheless! Recall that Peter had met up with …
February 19 / Acts 13:1-3
Acts 13:1-3 That’s quite a diversity of prophets in Antioch – hailing from Cyprus, Crete, Tarsus, Lybia?, and Judea?! We have not heard much about Saul since his visit to Jerusalem and his going back home to Tarsus (9:26-30). It’s now been about ten years since his conversion. We saw that Barnabas went to Tarsus …
February 18 / Acts 12:20-25
Acts 12:20-25 Luke is fond of his “summary verses” (v. 24 today). We’ve already seen them in Acts 2:43-47, 4:32-35, 5:42, and we’ll see more in Acts 16:5, 19:20, 28:31. (From yesterday: “He’ll get his.”) Today, Herod got his! An awful, excruciatingly painful five days (Josephus), then death. I know that Jesus loved him to …