Acts 15
1. What stuck out to you from this chapter?
As my blog title shares today, I noticed that both during the council meeting in Jerusalem and in the conversation between Paul and Barnabas, there was disagreement. Some people thought one thing and some thought others. I find this disagreement incredibly refreshing. Sometimes it's hard to see the similarities between the church in Acts and our Church today, but one thing we have in common is disagreement. What you don't see in this chapter is name-calling, curses, rejection, or any crazy thing like that. Yes, Paul and Barnabas split up, but neither one left the other by calling down curses from heaven or excommunicating them.
2. How does this passage relate to any other Scripture I know?
In Peter's address to those gathered, he concludes his thoughts with these words: "we believe that it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are." This makes me think of two specific verses. One is, of course, in Ephesians 2:8-9 which says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." The other passage is in Romans 3:22-24 which says, "This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Salvation is offered through God's grace, given to all who believe and put their faith in Jesus. The wording from the Romans passage especially (written by Paul) seems to echo Peter's exact words from Acts 15.
3. What does this mean for my life?
Humility. I need Jesus. I am not saved by going to church. I am not saved by working in ministry. I am not saved by reading so many verses in the Bible or blogging about them. :) I am not saved by how many mouths I feed or how much money I give. I am saved because Jesus died in my place, rose from the dead, and offers me the gift of eternal life through faith in him. Psalm 40:1-3 is also a great passage that helped me remember that I am helpless on my own.
4. What questions do I have about this passage?
The apostles didn't have the "New Testament" to resolve their doctrinal disagreement (they wrote it later). So they were basing their decisions both on the Old Testament (which really does compliment the New) the teachings of Jesus and the unity of the Holy Spirit. Today, we have the New Testament, but there are still a lot of disagreements about doctrinal issues. My biggest question from this chapter is about living life today. When are disagreements something that should be resolved by separation? Are there certain "issues" that are non-negotiable? What constitutes modern-day "heresy" that should be rebuked rather than accepted? I'm sure everyone who reads this would have different answers, so it's not necessarily something I expect to be resolved here. But it's a question I have. Just being real.
God's blessings!
In Christ,
Dan
Friday, October 31, 2014
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Acts 13-14 - Receiving and Rejecting
So today I am playing catch-up from yesterday, so I am reading two chapters. Both chapters are descriptions of Paul and Barnabas in their early journeys. They went from city to city, explaining the Scriptures and pointing to Jesus as the Messiah. I am still amazed, but shouldn't really be, that everywhere they went they were met with a large number of people who were receptive to the gospel and believed in Jesus. Yet there were also a few who rejected the teaching. In each city there were those who received and those who rejected.
Acts 13 - Acts 14
1. What stuck out to you from this passage?
Things have not changed much in 2000 years. The gospel message is the same, the proofs of Jesus as Messiah are the same, and people are still receiving and rejecting Jesus. What stood out to me is that even though there were these two groups emerging in each city, the group that received Jesus as Messiah was not out to dispose the Jewish leadership. Paul and Barnabas were not teaching the people to hate the Jewish leaders or stone them or persecute them. In fact Paul and Barnabas were speaking this message of sin, grace, and salvation to them as well as everyone else. On the flip side, in every city, the group of Jewish leaders who rejected the gospel ALWAYS began to "plot", to "win the crowd over", to "mistreat them and stone them", to be motivated by "jealousy", to "stir up persecution against them." I really hope that this is the way it is today as well.
2. How does this relate to any other Scripture I know?
This is an interesting correlation, but as I read these two chapters I noticed this repeated act of preaching and teaching, followed by persecution and rejection. It reminded me of reading the book of Judges, where the people would turn away from God and worship other "gods", then God would allow the nations to rule over them and mistreat them, then the people would return to God and cry out, then God would rescue them, and they would repeat the whole cycle.
3. What does this mean for my life?
As we teach and preach the gospel, I pray that we are more like Paul and Barnabas (and Jesus) offering life and salvation, and receiving both acceptance and persecution. I pray, like the early apostles, that we would teach and preach the Bible with boldness in a way that is winsome and inviting to all people. I also pray that we would be willing to accept both the fruit of the gospel and the persecution that might come with it.
4. What questions do I have about this passage?
In Acts 13:48, there is an interesting concept of those who responded to the gospel favorably, and it states also that "all who were appointed for eternal life believed." I know there are some who strongly believe in predestination and others who believe in the freedom of all to reject or receive. This is one of the incongruences of Calvinism and Arminianism. But the more I read the Bible I tend to see both appearing all over the place. Each "side" can find verses to support their point of view and sound convincing, but I'm leaning more and more toward realizing that somehow both are true and a part of the mystery of how God works. Maybe that's a cop-out answer, but it's how I feel. (That was more of an observation/wondering than a direct question.)
Anyone is welcome to post any comment about the reading or about my response. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
In Christ,
Dan
Acts 13 - Acts 14
1. What stuck out to you from this passage?
Things have not changed much in 2000 years. The gospel message is the same, the proofs of Jesus as Messiah are the same, and people are still receiving and rejecting Jesus. What stood out to me is that even though there were these two groups emerging in each city, the group that received Jesus as Messiah was not out to dispose the Jewish leadership. Paul and Barnabas were not teaching the people to hate the Jewish leaders or stone them or persecute them. In fact Paul and Barnabas were speaking this message of sin, grace, and salvation to them as well as everyone else. On the flip side, in every city, the group of Jewish leaders who rejected the gospel ALWAYS began to "plot", to "win the crowd over", to "mistreat them and stone them", to be motivated by "jealousy", to "stir up persecution against them." I really hope that this is the way it is today as well.
2. How does this relate to any other Scripture I know?
This is an interesting correlation, but as I read these two chapters I noticed this repeated act of preaching and teaching, followed by persecution and rejection. It reminded me of reading the book of Judges, where the people would turn away from God and worship other "gods", then God would allow the nations to rule over them and mistreat them, then the people would return to God and cry out, then God would rescue them, and they would repeat the whole cycle.
3. What does this mean for my life?
As we teach and preach the gospel, I pray that we are more like Paul and Barnabas (and Jesus) offering life and salvation, and receiving both acceptance and persecution. I pray, like the early apostles, that we would teach and preach the Bible with boldness in a way that is winsome and inviting to all people. I also pray that we would be willing to accept both the fruit of the gospel and the persecution that might come with it.
4. What questions do I have about this passage?
In Acts 13:48, there is an interesting concept of those who responded to the gospel favorably, and it states also that "all who were appointed for eternal life believed." I know there are some who strongly believe in predestination and others who believe in the freedom of all to reject or receive. This is one of the incongruences of Calvinism and Arminianism. But the more I read the Bible I tend to see both appearing all over the place. Each "side" can find verses to support their point of view and sound convincing, but I'm leaning more and more toward realizing that somehow both are true and a part of the mystery of how God works. Maybe that's a cop-out answer, but it's how I feel. (That was more of an observation/wondering than a direct question.)
Anyone is welcome to post any comment about the reading or about my response. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
In Christ,
Dan
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Acts 12 - Miraculous Escape
Everybody loves a sensational story, a miracle that's almost too good to be true. And as soon as the story gets past the eyewitnesses to become second and third-hand hearing, people like me tend to be extra skeptical. I usually ask questions like, "Well how do you know?" If the answer is something like, "He said that she heard that he saw it," I'm pretty well checked out of the conversation. Acts 12 is one of those stories. But here's what convinces me that it is true. The author of the book of Acts is Luke. Luke was a physician, a Gentile believer, a record keeper. He investigated the facts by spending time with Paul, with Peter, and with the other apostles. In his stories, they don't sound like exaggerated "fish tales." They sound more like police reports. If you've already read the chapter, go back and read it again and look at all the details Luke includes about which night this happened, what the circumstances were, what the other people said, and all of the other unimportant details that only solidify the reality and truth of the whole story.
Acts 12
1. What stood out to me from this passage?
I know the story is mainly about Peter, but I was drawn to the character of Herod. Herod was presumably the same Herod that was ruler when Jesus was crucified (not the same Herod from the Christmas story). So at that point Herod was amused by Jesus, but at this point in the story Herod seems annoyed by Jesus' followers. Now this thing was shaping into a cultural and political force and that threatened his leadership. So he "tested the waters" so to speak by killing one of the disciples. When that was met with cheers by the Jewish religious leaders, he ramped up his game. It seemed all along like he was a coward, trying to maintain political leadership. I am even more disgusted with him than I was before, and I found myself happy when he was struck dead. Almost as immediately as I felt happy, I repented and found myself saddened that he never turned from his rebellious ways to embrace Jesus as Lord.
2. How does this relate to any other scripture you know?
I thought of two things, the first is Paul and Silas escaping from prison later in Acts 16. The second is actually the order to place 16 guards over Peter, a fisherman turned preacher who never committed a crime in his life. A little overkill right? It reminded me of the guard posted to Jesus' tomb. The leaders convinced Pilate in Matthew 27:62-65 to post a guard and seal the tomb "just in case." Peter's arrest seems to have that same flavor of "just in case something happens" (which it did).
3. What does this mean for my life?
This passage is more story than theology or doctrine. It's not so much about shaping my beliefs as helping to reveal how God works, namely, however He wants. Looking at Herod's death, though, was a great reminder to make my life about God's glory. It was Herod's failure to give glory to God that caused God to judge Him at that moment. Herod liked being thought of like a god, but God didn't. :) Are my words giving God glory? When I receive compliments and encouragement, do I humbly say thank you and give God glory, or do I soak it in and put myself on a pedestal? That was convicting for me.
4. What questions do I have about this passage?
Well, not much that really matters. I do wonder where Peter went after visiting the gathered disciples? I suppose I also have questions about how the prayers of the people made an impact on Peter's escape. Would God have rescued Peter if the people had not prayed? Were their prayers the difference maker? The fact that it was noted more than once that people were praying makes me think there's more of a connection than not.
This is a fun story, especially for us skeptics to just say, "PRAISE THE LORD!" I would love to hear your comments.
In Christ,
Dan
Acts 12
1. What stood out to me from this passage?
I know the story is mainly about Peter, but I was drawn to the character of Herod. Herod was presumably the same Herod that was ruler when Jesus was crucified (not the same Herod from the Christmas story). So at that point Herod was amused by Jesus, but at this point in the story Herod seems annoyed by Jesus' followers. Now this thing was shaping into a cultural and political force and that threatened his leadership. So he "tested the waters" so to speak by killing one of the disciples. When that was met with cheers by the Jewish religious leaders, he ramped up his game. It seemed all along like he was a coward, trying to maintain political leadership. I am even more disgusted with him than I was before, and I found myself happy when he was struck dead. Almost as immediately as I felt happy, I repented and found myself saddened that he never turned from his rebellious ways to embrace Jesus as Lord.
2. How does this relate to any other scripture you know?
I thought of two things, the first is Paul and Silas escaping from prison later in Acts 16. The second is actually the order to place 16 guards over Peter, a fisherman turned preacher who never committed a crime in his life. A little overkill right? It reminded me of the guard posted to Jesus' tomb. The leaders convinced Pilate in Matthew 27:62-65 to post a guard and seal the tomb "just in case." Peter's arrest seems to have that same flavor of "just in case something happens" (which it did).
3. What does this mean for my life?
This passage is more story than theology or doctrine. It's not so much about shaping my beliefs as helping to reveal how God works, namely, however He wants. Looking at Herod's death, though, was a great reminder to make my life about God's glory. It was Herod's failure to give glory to God that caused God to judge Him at that moment. Herod liked being thought of like a god, but God didn't. :) Are my words giving God glory? When I receive compliments and encouragement, do I humbly say thank you and give God glory, or do I soak it in and put myself on a pedestal? That was convicting for me.
4. What questions do I have about this passage?
Well, not much that really matters. I do wonder where Peter went after visiting the gathered disciples? I suppose I also have questions about how the prayers of the people made an impact on Peter's escape. Would God have rescued Peter if the people had not prayed? Were their prayers the difference maker? The fact that it was noted more than once that people were praying makes me think there's more of a connection than not.
This is a fun story, especially for us skeptics to just say, "PRAISE THE LORD!" I would love to hear your comments.
In Christ,
Dan
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