Today’s Reading: Acts 19-20

As in the other cities he visits, Paul begins teaching in the synagogue before moving on to the public forum. As the number of believers increases, some local business leaders become concerned about the economic impact this is having, and instigate a riot.

“About that time there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way. For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen. These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship.”

Demetrius was pretty clever the way he segued from the economic impact the Jesus way was having on his business to whipping up religious and patriotic fervor. The mob chants “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians” for about two hours, and drags some of the disciples into the public arena. It is dangerously close to becoming a lynch mob before the town officials intervene and manage to get the people calmed down. If Demetrius has a complaint, he needs to take it to the courts instead of inciting a riot.

I wonder if Demetrius ever faced any consequences for what he did, or if he just went back to business as usual after Paul moved on.

(2023)

It may seem like an odd connection to make, but when reading the story of the riot in Ephesus in Acts 19 today, I was reminded of the current attacks on public education, including public schools and libraries.

If you recall the story, the riot happens after the silversmith Demetrius accuses Christians of undermining profits because they don’t worship idols. (Never mind that Jews living in the city also didn’t worship idols and weren’t considered a problem at the time) A riot ensues, and the writer of Acts records that “Meanwhile, some were shouting one thing, some another; for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together.”

The connection I make is this: democracy doesn’t work without an educated populace capable of critical thinking. It degenerates into mob rule.

I’m continually dismayed and appalled by the amount of mathematical, scientific, historical, civic, and yes, biblical ignorance I see on Facebook on a daily basis. People like that scare me.
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Today’s Reading: Acts 17-18

It’s interesting to compare and contrast Paul’s approach to proclaiming the good news in synagogues to his approach in the Athenian Aereopagus. With those from a Jewish background, he expounded on Jesus as the fulfillment of the Hebrew scriptures. With those from a Greek background, he quoted from their most well-known philosophers. The common theme was that there is one God and that Jesus was confirmed to be God’s chosen one by his resurrection.

In both cases he had mixed results. Some believed, some wanted more information before making a decision, and some actively opposed him. It’s unfortunate that Luke/Acts and John both frequently single out “the Jews” as the main opposition to the message of Jesus, for this has been used by many as an excuse for antisemitic attitudes and behaviors. Paul met just as much opposition from Gentile sources, and both Jesus and his first followers (including Paul ) were Jewish to the core. The problem as I see it about why some are able to believe and some are not is not a religious or cultural one. It’s close-mindedness, the unwillingness to even consider a different point of view, and the active rejection of any evidence or argument in favor of one. One’s beliefs must be defended fervently by all means possible, including violent ones, lest opposing ideas seep in to contaminate them.

There are people like that in every religion and culture, including secular and nontheistic ones. And I think they, not new ideas, are dangerous.

Today’s Reading: Acts 5-6

Sometimes we idealize the early church and imagine it to be monolithic in its interpretation of what it meant to follow Jesus, but it wasn’t. Luke records a serious dissension among early believers about whether it was necessary for converts to observe the Law of Moses in order to be a part of God’s family. Both sides were adamant that they were correct and the other side was wrong. It created enough controversy that a special council was called in Jerusalem to hash it out, and a compromise of sorts was reached between the more liberal and more conservative factions. As far as Luke tells us, nobody called those on the other side heretical, much less try to kick them out if the church.

It grieves me, and I think grieves God greatly, that modern Christians seem to have forgotten the lessons of the Jerusalem Council. It is possible to have different interpretations of scripture, and the practical application of loving God and neighbor. It is harmful in so many ways to insist that everyone understand and apply it in exactly the same way as you (or choose your own religious authority figure) do. The Jerusalem council didn’t insist that Jewish Christians abandon the Law of Moses, nor did it insist that the Gentile Christians observe it. Their common ground was based on what Paul will later summarize for the Corinthians as “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures”

As Peter expressed it, “God, who knows the heart, bore witness to (the Gentile converts) by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

I often think about Jesus’s unanswered prayer, “that (his followers) would be one, as the Father and I are one” so that the world would come to know and love God, as it is known and loved by God. The concept of “E pluribus unum” (out of many, one) wasn’t pulled out of thin air by the American founding fathers. Unfortunately we haven’t done so well making that ideal a reality, with the resultant butterfly effect causing the exact opposite outcome of the one desired by Jesus.

2David Riall and Pat Thompson

Today’s Reading: Acts 13-14

The multiethnic church in Antioch, where the disciples were first called Christians, thrives under its diverse leadership, so Paul and Barnabas are commissioned to spread the good news about the Kingdom of God to other communities. In each city Paul visits, he begins by first announcing Jesus as God’s chosen one in the synagogues, which results in quite a few converts.

It’s interesting to read Paul’s sermons to these congregations, both for what they contain and what they don’t contain. For example, he generally doesn’t mention heaven and hell. His focus is on the resurrection of Jesus as proof that Jesus is their long awaited and longed-for Messiah who has begun the process of putting everything right that humans have caused to go wrong in this world.

Paul has conflict with both Jewish and Gentile leaders who correctly understand that if Jesus is king, things are going to change. They are fine with the world the way it is, the power and status they hold over others, and the perks that come with it.

Paul continues to assert that there is a better way to live, one where Jesus is Lord rather than any flawed human. And as he does, he continues to make both converts and enemies.

(2023)

“When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they met a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet, named Bar-Jesus. He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God. But the magician Elymas (for that is the translation of his name) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭13‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭NRSV‬‬

Elymas strikes me as a Rasputin figure, cozying up to power for his own enrichment and/or power. But Sergius Paulus didn’t fall for his schemes, unlike Nicholas and Alexandra.

Today’s Reading: Acts 11-12

“At Antioch the disciples were first called Christians”. “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means”

“Christian”, like “evangelical”, is unfortunately one of those words which mean different things to different people. I am both, although I generally try to clarify what I mean to avoid misunderstanding.

For me, “Christian” means I attempt to follow the teachings of Jesus, albeit imperfectly. “Evangelical” originally was coined to describe a middle path between fundamentalist and German liberal theologies. To me, it means I believe the message of Jesus is good news for hurting people, recognizing that it may also be bad news for those who hurt people.

In my mind, neither “Christian” nor “evangelical” should be associated with followers of any political party or person other than Jesus. Today’s passage also includes a stark warning about what God thinks of that kind of thing. “On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.”

Today’s Reading: Acts 9-10

It’s disturbing to see people who think they are demonstrating their faithfulness to God by attacking those whose beliefs about God are not the same. Paul, up until his dramatic experience on the road to Damascus, was a prime example of that type of person, and deeply regretted his behavior in later life. God doesn’t need anybody to defend his cause by violence and abuse of power, then or now. If God wants someone to change, he’s perfectly capable of changing them himself, as demonstrated by the conversion of Paul.

Paul isn’t the only one who changes his whole way of thinking. I love the story of Peter’s dream of the great sheet of animals, which leads him to understand that God invites all kinds of people to his banquet table. Humans have no business monitoring the guest list. The picture of God Luke gives for us in Acts is an inclusionary one, ever broadening the circle of his followers. As Jesus promised, the Holy Spirit is leading God’s people into new territory as they begin to understand that principle.

Today’s Reading: Acts 7-8

I think it’s significant that Stephen, one of the first deacons and presumably of Greek ethnicity, was stoned while Peter and the other Jewish disciples were released. Racial injustice has been going on for a long time, sadly often using religious pretexts for its justification.

Today’s reading also contains the beautiful story of the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch, who wouldn’t have been allowed full participation in the Jewish religion as it was then practiced. He wasn’t limited because of the color of his skin but because of his gender identity. “Here is water; what prevents me from being baptized?” and Phillip, despite his upbringing, knew the only answer was “Nothing. Welcome to the family.” The eunuch didn’t suddenly grow testicles, but he went on his way rejoicing, knowing he was fully accepted by God just the way he was.

God doesn’t put the kind of limits on acceptance into his family that human religions often do. There will always be (pre-Damascus road) Sauls and there will always be Phillips. I know which one I want to be, and if I find rocks aimed in my direction I think I’m in good company.

Today’s Reading” Acts 5-6

Acts 5 relates the disturbing story of Ananias and Sapphira, who pretend to be more generous than they are, and both drop dead as a result. It would seem that God is not a fan of duplicity.

The conflict between the disciples and the ruling factions of the Pharisees and Sadducees intensify. They are not happy with the new sect, which they see as a threat to their power. Cooler heads eventually prevail because of the influence of Gamaliel, Hillel’s grandson.

The practice of “holding everything in common” begins to fray when there are complaints of racial inequality in the sharing of resources, resulting in the selection of the first deacons. It is significant that the names of those deacons are all Greek names, indicating they were all of the same ethnicity as those who were being discriminated against.

Today’s Reading: Acts 3-4

The first thing Jesus’s disciples get in trouble for is- you guessed it, healing somebody in the name of Jesus. The powers-that-be must oppose this upstart movement, even if what they are doing is good. Instead of realizing that this Jesus movement might actually be good for people, they try to snuff it out by putting a gag order on the disciples. Politics hasn’t changed much.

But the word gets out anyway, and a small community forms which tries to live according to Jesus’s teachings. Luke notes that “Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.”

Sounds like what some like to disparage as “socialism” to me.

Today’s Reading: Acts 1-2

After a short recap, Luke continues his story of how Jesus’ final promise to his disciples begins to be fulfilled. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judaea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”

The first thing the power of the Holy Spirit does is to reverse the nationalistic separation that began at the Tower of Babel. People from all over the world are able to understand the message preached by Jesus’s disciples: that Jesus is the true king of the whole world. All are invited to join in following him to grow a better world, one governed by the rule of love rather than the love of power. I’ve always loved the quotation from Joel Peter references in the second chapter of Acts.. “In the last days I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your young people will see visions and your old people will dream dreams. Even on my male and female servants in those days I will pour out my spirit, and they will prophesy.” The power boundaries of age, gender, race, and socioeconomic class are irrelevant in the kingdom of God.

The kingdom of God is here now if we look for it, and start behaving the way Jesus taught us to live. The ”last days” aren’t somewhere in the far or near future; they have already begun. Christians divide the calendar into “BC” and “AD” for good reason, as a symbol of this reality