Bezalel was gifted by the Holy Spirit to create a temporary temple for God, during the time of Moses (Ex 31:1-11). Over 1500 years later, Paul saw himself as a temple builder except of a grander kind: an eternal temple
Social impact
There are points in history when a society is affected deeply by the Christians within it. That can be seen in this story of Paul’s gospel work in the city of Ephesus. Paul has spent a long time building up
Non-conformity
There’s a human trait which leads us to conform to what others expect of us. This social pressure can affect us individually and it can also affect whole groups: a herd-mentality can be created in a mob. A whole society,
Discipleship
Ephesus was a large city on the coast of Asia Minor (Turkey today). Paul previously visited it when heading home from Greece (Ac 18:19-21). Now he returns and stays for a long period, in order to establish a work which
John the Baptist, RIP
Jesus’ kingdom has been expanding, with people from across the Mediterranean world entering into it. Yet suddenly we meet a group who seem anachronistic – part of a much earlier stage in the story of Jesus. So why are they
Ticking clock
We live with ticking clocks in our minds, aware of time passing and of key life-events arriving. In his work, Paul was very conscious of a huge event the Lord had planned and which time was counting down towards. In
Take a vow!
Sometimes a Bible verse strikes us as odd. In our passage, v18 can seem that way. Why does Luke interrupt the flow of Paul’s journey to write about a haircut? But in fact the verse captures powerfully Paul’s determination to
Counterculture
Due to our sin, especially pride and idolatry, human beings always create societies which fall short of what God’s desires (Ro 3:12). Jesus, therefore, puts his people into a new kingdom which has a different lifestyle that does honour God
Back from the dead?
Life is full of disappointments – they are to be expected. Paul seems to have faced one of his in Athens. But these dark patches on our journey through life are not a sign that we’re on the wrong road.
Soul nagging
Irritation can rise when another person goes on at us about some part of our life. Yet such nagging can be needed if we are unwilling or unable to see an issue which needs addressing. That’s certainly the case in