Acts 15
Acts 15:1-35: In Luke’s book, the apostles, filled with God’s Spirit, share the good news of God’s loving action in Jesus with others, first with fellow Jews, then with Jews of other ethnic backgrounds, then with Samaritans, and finally with Gentiles. Both Peter and Paul offered a relationship with God through Jesus to
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Acts 14:1-7: The outreach mission of Paul and Barnabas continues, now in Iconium. They preach in the synagogue. Some Jews and some Gentiles become a part of the Jesus movement, the Jesus community, the Christian church – while others, Jew and Gentile choose not to become a part of that movement/community. Sometimes the
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Acts 12:1-5: King Herod here is Herod Agrippa I, briefly ruled Samaria and Judea, along with the northeast section of the Transjordan (41-44). He did so at the pleasure of the Romans. This is the first report of a persecution of Christians by civil authorities rather than by religious leaders. Luke gives
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Acts 10:1-33: In chapter eight we begin to see the gospel – the good news about Jesus Christ expanding beyond the Jewish community. Philip preaches in Samaria and then reaches out to an Ethiopian eunuch. But in both these instances, these people have some relationship to Judaism. The eunuch may have been a
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Acts 9:1-19a: A character previously introduced only briefly now takes center stage. He will be the main character for most of the remainder of Luke’s story in Acts – Saul/Paul. In these verses we have the story of a fundamental change in his life. The Peoples New Testament Commentary notes that nowhere do
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