Acts 23:11 That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, “Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well.” Paul was going through an incredibly difficult time. His arrival in Jerusalem had sparked a riot and the Roman authorities struggled to know what to do with him. They didn’t know how to handle religious disputes and so they tried to hand the matter over to the Jewish council. However, when Paul appeared before them the meeting soon descended into chaos. The Roman commander who was watching the proceedings though ..read more

Acts 22:1–2 “Brothers and esteemed fathers,” Paul said, “listen to me as I offer my defence.” When they heard him speaking in their own language, the silence was even greater. Paul faced intense hostility when he reached Jerusalem. People had heard reports of his ministry among the Gentiles, and he was accused of telling people to disobey the Jewish laws. A riot broke out and the crowd cried out for Paul to be killed. The commander of the Roman regiment was informed that the city was in uproar and so he sent his troops to get hold of Paul. The soldiers were clearly unsure what to do with Paul ..read more

Acts 21:13 [Paul] said, “Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus.” There was no stopping Paul. He was absolutely determined to go to Jerusalem and no one was able to stand in his way. That’s not to say that they didn’t try! When he arrived in Tyre in Syria, he spent a week with the believers there and they prophesied through the Holy Spirit that he shouldn’t go to Jerusalem (v4). Some days later he went down the coast to the important city of Caesarea where he met a man named Agabus who had th ..read more

Acts 20:36–38 When [Paul] had finished speaking, he knelt and prayed with them. They all cried as they embraced and kissed him good-bye. They were sad most of all because he had said that they would never see him again. There was clearly a very strong bond between Paul and the Ephesian elders and so this moment of parting was painful. Paul, of all people, had an absolute conviction in the wonderful future that God had for him. He often spoke with great confidence about the afterlife. In Philippians he reflected on the life to come and summarised the situation by saying: “I long to go and be wi ..read more

Acts 20:28 So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders. I suspect that most people would choose not to be compared with sheep! It would hardly be seen as a flattering description! Sheep are rarely viewed as the brightest of animals and are generally understood to be easily led. However, God’s people are frequently described as being like sheep in both the Old and New Testaments. It isn’t surprising therefore that, as Paul addressed the Ephesian elders in his final talk with ..read more

Paul said: “My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” What’s the purpose of your life? We all have to agree that this is an excellent question, but most of the time we may be busy with our work, family, church, hobbies, sport and a thousand other things so put off asking it. The apostle Paul recognised that his life was under threat and he might not have much time left. Paul was clear that his life’s work was to communicate the good news about the wonderful grac ..read more

“You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now I have done the Lord’s work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews. I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes.” My son works for a well-known food retailer. When he leaves for work, I wish him well and he always responds in exactly the same way: “I’ll do my best, Dad.” And I know that he will. That’s exactly what we are reading in this passage today. We are meeting Paul as he addressed the leaders of the church i ..read more

Acts 19:11–12 God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled. Isn’t this wonderful? I have no personal experience of my own handkerchiefs or aprons being a blessing to anyone else, but that’s not the point. God will work in the way that he chooses and in this wonderful period of Paul’s ministry that was exactly what he chose to do. The reference to the handkerchiefs here is probably to the sweat bands that Paul used in his daily tent ..read more

Acts 17:32–34 When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.” That ended Paul’s discussion with them, but some joined him and became believers. Paul received a complete range of reactions to his speech to the Areopagus. Some laughed, others wanted to hear more and yet others became believers. Those who laughed with contempt found the idea of the resurrection absurd. It is never pleasant to be laughed at, but Paul knew that the Christian message will always seem ridiculous to some people. He spoke ..read more

Acts 17:22–23 Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’” Paul must have been delighted to get an opportunity to speak to the council, which was known as the Areopagus. This was a highly respected body, which brought together the leading thinkers of Athenian society. I love the graciousness and sensitivity of Paul’s approach to them. He wanted to build a bridge with these learned people ..read more