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.
Dead idols
Seneca, a Stoic philosopher of Paul’s day, wrote that death is just ‘non-existence’ and hence not something to be concerned about. The apostle, however, thought very differently and tackles such views head-on as he speaks, in our verses, in the
Nobility
Rest is a lovely gift from God and, at times, a very necessary one for our well-being. The city of Berea (modern Veria) becomes a place where Paul, though still working as a travelling missionary, briefly has a more restful
Upside down world
Every person has their own traits and personality. But when people come together – such as in a town or a team – the combined group can have traits and personality too. Luke uses that in Acts as he describes
Invasion
Landing on a heavily defended beach is the stuff of nightmares, as soldiers wonder if they’ll ever get off the sand alive. In a similar way, Paul & his team must have wondered how far they’d get when the Lord
Marked disagreement
Discussion and disagreement have been important means of development in the Christian church’s life. Acts 15 is a good example of that, with its tense argument about how to handle non-Jewish Christians that results in a peace-making solution. However, big
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
Grace abounding
Christians have received grace from God. This means we have been given a gift by God which is the very opposite of what we deserve. We deserve death; He has given us life. And this gift is hugely expensive: His