Tag: Acts

Today’s Reading is Acts 9:26-43.
After Paul’s conversion he went to Jerusalem and tried to join the disciples. Well that didn’t work out too well. This little scene is a wonderful reminder of what the early church had to go through: Growing pains!

The Apostles were used to being good Jews, following rabbi Joshua.
Now that the second temple is destroyed Judaism as a whole undergoes a major crisis and this little sect of Jesus people has to find its own identity. The Apostles under Peter’s leadership minister in Jerusalem basically sticking within their comfort zone. Paul pushes the boundaries towards opening the early church to the Roman culture. In this first encounter after his conversion he is flat out rejected. This whole conflict is not resolved until the Council of Jerusalem.

Yesterday’s Reading was Acts 9:1-25. It is one account of Paul’s conversion.
Paul himself writes about it on three occasions in his letters:

1 Corinthians 9:1
Intention: My ministry is legit!

1 Corinthians 15:3-8
Intention: My ministry is legit!

Galatians 1:11-16
Intention: My ministry is legit!

Now the book of Acts has three accounts of it as well:

Acts 9:1-25
Intention: People, come and see the light!

Acts 22:6-21
Intention: People, come and see the light!

Acts 26:12-18
Intention: People, come and see the light!

Paul’s own accounts a very brief. They don’t have a story line to them, they are merely arguments for the legitimacy of his position. The book of Acts on the other hand uses the idea of Paul’s conversion as an example of how faith can turn a person around. The dramatic images of light have inspired many to see the light.

Monday’s Reading was Acts 8:26-40.
It nicely ties together what was going on during the weekend:
Saturday was about kicking out the gnostic tradition.
Sunday was about unity in the body of Christ.
Now the story of the Ethiopian treasurer is a tribute to the rich contributions the Coptic tradition has made to Christianity.

Today’s passage is Acts 8:4-25. We are introduced to Simon Magus (Greek Σίμων ὁ μάγος), also known as Simon the Sorcerer and Simon of Gitta. The book of Acts is about the early church shaping in structure and theology. Simon represents a gnostic sect that is discredited in this story. Also it is the myth of origin for the crime of Simony. Whenever a movement forms it has to set certain boundaries. Here are two of them.