When Paul stood before the high priest and the Jewish council, he said: “It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial” (Acts 23:6). Over and over, Paul makes this same assertion in his defense speeches in Acts. But why did...
All of Scripture testifies to the fact that behind every circumstance—behind every action and even the smallest of our daily activities—our God is working to unite all things in Jesus Christ, all for the good of his people and the glory of his holy name. This is the doctrine of...
In the last major section of the book of Acts, from chapters 21-28, Luke devotes a significant amount of space to the imprisonment, court appearances, and defense speeches of the Apostle Paul. Why? Because Scripture is not only concerned with showing us Paul as missionary, church planter, and encourager of...
One of the greatest difficulties that the early church faced was the sharp division that existed between Jews and non-Jews (Gentiles). When we read our Bibles, it’s often hard for us to grasp just how serious this separation was. We certainly know what division looks like and estrangement feels like,...
It’s safe to say that most of us are drawn to the more exciting and extraordinary parts of the Bible. If we’re honest, there are some parts of Scripture that seem rather ordinary, that don’t grab our attention. The final major section of Acts, from chapters 21-28, is often neglected...
The church is described throughout Scripture with several images, such as the family of God, the body of Christ, and the temple of the Spirit. As Paul bids farewell to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20, he uses another familiar picture of the people of the triune God: we are...
Luke’s account of the Acts of the risen Lord Jesus reveals much about the nature of church. Here, we discover how the church is to be joyfully devoted to doctrine, fellowship, and prayer; that it is a miraculous community confirming the truth of the gospel; and how it is built...
The book of Acts is not just the story of how the risen Lord Jesus built and established his church, but also how he continued to build up and strengthen his church through his Word of grace. We see this especially in Paul’s ministry of encouragement as be would revisit...
In America today, the temptation is to think that if we can just get the right candidate elected, the right justices appointed, and prayer back in school, then we would be “one nation under God.” But how is the church to make a difference in the world for God’s glory?...