Acts 4:5-12 I’ve long imagined Peter and John before this gathering, standing together in a large room facing the many rulers, elders and scribes – but I’ve never imagined the healed man standing there with them! Verse 3 says “they arrested them” – must have been all three. Verse 7 says they “set them in …
Author Archives: Fred
January 12 / Acts 4:1-4
Acts 4:1-4 And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. (vv. 1-2) I’m intrigued by the phrase …greatly annoyed…, or “greatly disturbed” as I …
January 11 / Acts 3:11-26
Acts 3:11-26 Read another four verses into chapter 4 if you want to see how this incident ends. My Study Bible again enlightened me, this time about Solomon’s Portico. This structure was a porch on the east side of the inner wall that enclosed the outer court. (You might want to find a picture of …
January 10 / Acts 3:1-10
Acts 3:1-10 Peter and John together seems to me a strange pairing. We’ll see them together for the next week or so. We know Peter as the leader of the Apostles, and we always picture John as one of the younger Apostles. Yet here they are going to the temple together. They had run to …
January 9 / Acts 2:40-47
Acts 2:40-47 My Study Bible pointed out the likelihood of two different meanings to “breaking bread”. Verse 42 has And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. The likely meaning here is their regular Eucharistic celebration, possibly in the temple area or in some …
January 8 / Acts 2:29-39
Acts 2:29-39 Sometimes I wonder if there is not a hierarchy within the Trinity. No doubt, greater minds than mine have resolved this issue and have all three members of the Godhead as co-equal with one another. I wish I could give you something from one of our Creeds or from the 39 Articles to …
January 7 / Acts 2:22-28
Acts 2:22-28 A few items from Peter’s speech… First, Peter has a long speech, 23 verses, and I’ve broken it down into three days’ readings. So we lose a bit of continuity, but we can always re-read the previous day’s reading so as to better see the flow. Second, my Study Bible pointed out some …
January 6 / Acts 2:14-21
Acts 2:14-21 Peter quoting the prophet Joel… A couple of things come to mind. First, Joel is writing more than 500 years (maybe even 800-900 years) before Jesus’ birth and is predicting the coming of the Spirit. I wonder what Joel’s contemporaries thought Joel had in mind. Were they wondering, what is this “Spirit” thing? …
January 5 / Acts 2:5-13
Acts 2:5-13 RTB 2020!! And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. (v. 6) I continue to be intrigued as to where the disciples had gathered when the Holy Spirit descended. Verse 1 says “one place” while verse 2 says …
January 4 / Acts 2:1-4
Acts 2:1-4 Pentecost… And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. (v. 2) I’ve always had this picture of Peter and the eleven coming down the front stairs of a house onto a residential street. But my Study Bible suggested …