Acts 18-20

[wolfpurplemoon]

Paul continues to be opposed by Jewish people, and a group bring him in front of a Roman official who dismisses their complaint because it is effectively a disagreement about their own law.

Some people who used to practice magic decide to burn all their books and follow Jesus instead. Traditions have to start somewhere.

A man who makes a lot of money from the making of idols stirs all the craftspeople up against the Jesus-followers because they have been turning people away from worshipping hand made gods and losing them business.

Paul speaks for a long time and a young man falls asleep and out the third storey window and is killed, but Paul rushes out and heals him.

Paul decides to go to Jerusalem even though the Holy Spirit has warned him that imprisonment and persecution awaits him, he tells all the other followers that he'll never see them again.

Comments

The focus

[(Anonymous)]

I like the blog. The only thing that you left out of every chapter was why they did what they did. Why did the Jews oppose Paul? Why did Simon and that group of people even get mentioned? Why would Paul persist?
Salvation is the answer. Paul and the other disciples preached the salvation mode as taught to them by Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 6:1-2, John 3:3,5, Mark 16:16, Acts 1:3-8) These men consistently preach this mode and carried it out throughout the new testament.
If you have any questions about it, let me know. Acts and the gospels are a great place to start reading about how were should come to God.

Re: The focus

[liedownlovely.livejournal.com]

"The only thing that you left out of every chapter was why they did what they did."

Didn't know she had to be a scholar to read the Bible. Do you know why they did what they did? I'd like to hear it.

the 'why'

[(Anonymous)]

I think the person who suggested including the 'why' to these posts was suggesting you begin investigating the motivations of the people. One need not be a scholar to ask who-what-when-why-where-how.

Along the same line, I ask you, Wolf, why you began reading the Bible? Was it to prove or disprove? In my own life I began reading the Bible as a piece of historic literature. It was in the process of reading that the Holy Spirit made me realize what I was reading was true. Perhaps it was my un-adgenda that was one less thing hindering my personal revelation. But even Paul, who was trying to disprove Jesus still encountered Jesus in a personal way. I hope, and pray, that whatever your "why" you would come away from this year of reading the Bible a new person, transformed in the way you think.

Re: the 'why'

[wolfpurplemoon]

I'm reading as a piece of historic literature, I can't see how anything will be able to make me see it as true, but I don't really have an agenda.