2 Corinthians 13:5-14 In St. Paul’s final words of the two letters we have of his to the Corinthian church, Paul speaks of power and weakness in the Kingdom of God, especially as it relates to Christian ministry. For those who are familiar with St. Paul’s writings, it will come as no surprise (even if it remains somewhat strange and mysterious) that St. Paul so often speaks of his weakness and yet even 2000 years later manifests himself in his... Read more
Acts 6 Congratulations! You’ve just been promoted. You’ve just been promoted from layman to deacon. Hoorah! Of course, it doesn’t entail a pay raise, and I should tell you that it does mean extra hours and little gratitude. You do get to add an extra title to your name: “Deacon,” or in churches that follow the ordination of deacons found in the early church, you even get the title “The Reverend.” Of course, “deacon” just means “servant,” and this is... Read more
Acts 5:12-42 There are 2 voices in your head. There are 2 guys perched on your shoulder, telling you what to do. We’ve all seen them in the movies and the cartoons – but face it: you’ve got those 2 guys on your shoulders as well. But don’t feel bad, so did the apostles of Jesus Christ. For them, the voices were real and audible, and they gave the apostles a fairly clear choice in life. In verse 20, an... Read more
Acts 5:1-11 If you’re keeping score at home (that is, following the 1928 Prayer Book lectionary), you’ll notice that I’ve pulled a fast one on you. I’m reading and meditating on Acts 5:1-11, instead of 5:12-28. Furthermore, tomorrow, I’ll be doing 5:12-42, and not just verses 29-42. Why? In reality, it’s the compilers of the 1928 Prayer Book lectionary that have pulled a fast one by conveniently skipping over the story of Ananias and Sapphira. But not me. They have... Read more
Acts 4:23-37 Compared to the early church – you’re all a bunch of secularists! (And so am I.) First, a word about secularization. I’ve done a lot of reading about the sociology of religion and have begun to now read church history more earnestly. To my surprise, the Church is always in a mess. But, by the grace of God, it’s always the Body of His Son and the means by which He serves and rules on earth. We normally... Read more
Acts 4:13-22 “We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” This is my favorite verse in the Bible. Yes, yes. I know that I’ve said in the past that it was Psalm 27:4, I mean Ephesians 2:6, er uh Matthew 16:24. No, no – I mean 2 Corinthians 4:7 and 2 Corinthians 12:9. Alright, alright! Would you believe that Acts 4:20 is my favorite verse today? I really do like this verse. I’ve been found to... Read more
Romans 8:12-18 There is a lot of talk today about spirituality. Everyone is seeking it. Everyone wants it. But what is it? One definition that has been offered by a scholar who teaches classes on spirituality is that spirituality is “Striving for self-transcendence by seeking ultimate meaning.” Now who wouldn’t want that? Doesn’t everyone want something more from life? Don’t we all want to transcend or go beyond ourselves and to live by what we think is most important? But... Read more
Acts 4:1-12 “By what power or by what name have you done this?” When it comes to the apostles Peter and John healing a lame man and being asked by the rulers, the elders, and the scribes to give an account of this miracle, we expect them to say, “By the name of Jesus Christ (whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead), this man stands here before you whole.” But if that same question were to be asked... Read more
Acts 3:11-26 “The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach . . . .” In Luke’s Gospel he faithfully recorded all that Jesus began to do and teach, but here in the Acts of the Apostles he faithfully records what Jesus continued to do through His Body here on earth. “The Acts of the Apostles,” a title which is not in the original manuscripts, might better be titled “The Teaching and... Read more
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Monday of Trinity Sunday – Acts 7:1-16
Acts 7:1-16 When Stephen was accused by the Jews of blasphemous words against the Temple and the Law, how did Stephen defend himself? I’ll tell you what he didn’t do. He didn’t try to offer scientific proof that Jesus rose from the dead. He could have done something like that. He could have begun by mentioning all of the eyewitnesses of the resurrection or making neatly argued syllogisms about the resurrection from the Old Testament. Or He could have marshaled... Read more