Acts
Peter Proclaims Jesus’s Resurrection Power
Peter proclaimed to the crowd that Jesus is Messiah (vv. 22). He insisted that the Cross was no accident, as it belonged to God’s eternal plan (v. 23), a fact that is stated multiple times in Acts (3:18; 4:28; 13:29). However, those who crucified Him were still guilty of murder (v. 23). The …
Paul’s Faith Validates God’s Work
The island of Malta is located 60 miles south of Sicily. The ship was lost but all 276 of the men were saved by the hand of God. The inhabitants of the island showed great kindness to the shipwrecked men (vv. 1-2). As Paul was throwing wood on the fire a poisonous snake fastened …
Peter takes the Lead in Prayer
Following Christ’s instruction (v. 4), the disciples returned to Jerusalem to wait and pray (v. 12). When faced with an important task or decision, we should not rush in and hope for the best. Instead, prayer for the Holy Spirit’s power and guidance should be our first step. They assembled in the …
Comfort In Times of Trial
Paul had been assaulted by the mob, threatened with scourging by the Romans, and bullied by the high priest. It was evident to him there was no chance that he would receive a fair trial in a court headed by such a man as Ananias. If he said, “I am a Christian,†and ma …
Paul’s Warning to the Ephesian Elders
This was Paul’s last farewell to the Ephesian elders. As far as Ephesus was concerned, he had done all he could to evangelize and warn the city (vv. 25-27). Paul then shifted to warning these elders that they could expect danger from two sources. False teachers (wolves) would come to them from …
Moses Identifies with God’s Chosen People
Stephen summed up the characteristics of Joseph in two words — grace and wisdom. 1. Grace in its simplest form means beauty. Its nearest English equivalent is charm. It would have been extremely easy for Joseph to become embittered. But he dealt faithfully with each duty as it …
Opposition Enhances Ministry Results
The arrival of his colleagues (Silas and Timothy) from Macedonia (v. 5) did a number of things for Paul. (1) It relieved him of anxiety he had been feeling for his Thessalonian converts. (2) He received a gift of money at this time from his friends at Philippi (2 Cor. 11:8) …
Moses’ Mandate From God
In these verses we can see what Moses gave up. He gave up a kingdom, to lead his people out into the desert on a great adventure for God. This great man is not the man who, like the Jews, is thrilled about the past and jealous of his privileges; he is the man who is ready to answer God’s summons …
Tactfulness?“Words That Work Mightily
In this passage we are introduced to Apollos, who was an eloquent Bible teacher (v. 24). He was born in Alexandria, Egypt, and somewhere along the way heard John the Baptist and became a believer, but he knew nothing beyond that point. Armed with these limited facts, he traveled …
Paul’s Ministry in Corinth
Paul traveled from Athens to Corinth (v. 1) where he quickly found friends, Aquila and his wife Priscilla, a Jewish couple (v. 2). They were fellow tentmakers who invited Paul to come and stay with them (v. 3). They became steadfast ministry partners for Paul, serving faithfully and even …