Jesus has dismissed any thought of an army of men, sending his twelve disciples away in their boat whilst he goes alone to pray privately. In doing so he decides it is time to make known, to his team, more
No picnic
Jesus’ work and the first apostolic mission have made a big impact. If he wants, Jesus could now form an army in the wilderness. But an army “marches on its stomach”, so the disciples tell him to send them off
Run, run, as fast as you can
The apostles bring back a report to Jesus on the state of Israel. Now they need some quiet to rest and talk. But when Jesus takes them away from the populated centres, a huge crowds runs to join them. In
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
Ancient rules
James, the brother of Jesus and a pastor of the Jerusalem church, lays out in Ac 15:13-19 why it is acceptable for Jewish and non-Jewish Christians to worship together, without the latter converting to Judaism. However, one problem remains if
David’s big tent
Some disputes look insoluble to us: the two sides just can’t agree! But then, suddenly, a solution appears and it’s such a relief! In our verses, James, a pastor in the Jerusalem church, comes up with a great answer to
Three troublesome trips
Paul’s perseverance is a notable feature in the stories we have about him (eg 2Co 11:16-33). Our verses demonstrate this as he returns from an exhausting mission trip not simply to enjoy a rest at home, but to handle a
The battle of Iconium
Jesus was a divisive figure. One of the big factors in the negative reactions he provoked was his pointing out of others’ lifestyles and attitudes which had to change. That can really wind people up, especially when they expect the
Peter is no angel
Though a solemn chapter about a murderous king and his downfall, there are also comic elements here which help to expose the foolish arrogance of Herod through mockery (Ps 2:4,5). However, the chapter has other themes too, including an emphasis
A battle of two kings
In Acts Luke has shown us the Lord Jesus taking old Israel and remaking her, through repentance, forgiveness and the gift of the Spirit. He has also shown Jesus expanding his reborn Israel to unite Gentiles with Jews in his