Reading for September 8th

 Hosea 5.8-6.3. In 5.8-15: God summons the guilty to announce the sentence. In verse 8: Why Hosea sounds the alarm in Gibeah, Ramah, and Beth-aven, all cities in the southern part of Israel occupied by the tribe of Benjamin, is not entirely clear. In verse 13: Hosea criticizes Israel for trying to save itself by an alliance with Assyria, the imperial power threatening Israel in Hosea's time. Two of Israel's kings, Menahem (2 Kings 15.19-20), and Hoseha (2 Kings 17.3), paid tribute to Assyria to remain in power. In 6.1-3: Hosea anticipates Israel's response to judgment: Only after it is punished will it try to change its ways. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 7th

 Read Hosea 5.1-7. In 5.1-6.3: God sentences Israel. An extended judgment speech describing God's punishment of Israel follows the indictment of chs 4. In 5.1-7: God reviews Israel's sins. In verse 1: Hosea does not explain the crimes of Mizpah, a town in southern Israel, or of Tabor, a mountain in the Jezreel Valley in northern Israel. In verse 7: The new moon marked the beginning of the month and of religious observances in Israel (Isa 1.13,. Am 8.5). Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 6th

 Read Hosea 4.11-19. God prosecutes Israel for heretical worship, employing the image of prostitution introduced in chs. 1-3. In verse 13: Since mountains (Mt Sinai and Mt Zion) and trees (Josh 24.26) are associated with authentic Israelite worship, Hosea appears to be criticizing the worship of other gods at these sites (as in Deut 12.2) rather than these natural features themselves. In verse 14: The term temple prostitute translates the Hebrew word "qedeshot," literally "holy women." Partly because of the images of prostitution in the context, scholars have suggested that these women may have been practicing ritual sex in sacred fertility rites. But the Hebrew term does not suggest this in itself, and there is very little concrete evidence of such practices in the biblical world. In verse 15: Gilgal likely refers to a religious sanctuary marking this site near Jericho where Israel entered Canaan (Josh 4.19-20). Beth-aven, literally "house of worthlessness "appears to be a scornful name for Bethel (house of God"), one of the key northern religious shrines (1 Kings 12.26-30). Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 5th

 Read Hosea 4.1-11a. In 4.1-19: God puts Israel on trial. The language of this section puts God's accusations against Israel into the context of a legal proceeding initiated by an indictment (v. 1) describing the allegations against Israel. The judicial sentence that will follow (5.1-6.3) is already anticipated here (vv. 3, 6, 9-10). In verse 2: This list of crimes  is similar to those outlawed in the ten commandments (Ex 20.7, 13-16). In verse 4-10: God prosecutes Israel's priests. In verse 6: The law (Heb., "torah") is the basis for Israel's life and worship. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 4th

 Read Hosea 3.1-5. In 3.1-5: Hosea marries an adultness. The details of this account are so sketchy that it is difficult to decide whether it describes (1) Hosea's first marriage to Gomer in ch. 1, but from the first-person  rather than third -person perspective; (2) Hosea's marriage in a second woman; or (3) Hosea's remarriage to Gomer. In any case, the point of his symbolic act is clear: Israel has been an unfaithful wife but God desires her return. In verse 1: While Hosea connects raisin cakes with worship of other gods (as does Isa 16.7), they are also associated with legitimate Israelite worship (2 Sam 6.19). In verse 2: The nature of Hosea's transaction is unclear. Payment was made in ancient Israel for women slaves (Ex 21.7-11) and for wives (Ex 22.16-17), but this amount is not mentioned elsewhere, and the narrative does not identify the recipient of the payment. In verse 4: Hosea predicts a coming judgment in which Israel will lose both political and religious leadership. the ephod (Ex 28.4) and the teraphim (Judg 17.5; Zech 10.2) are both associated with priestly activity. In verse 5: the reference to David their king may indicate that Hosea looked forward to the reunification of Israel and Judah under a single king (1.11), since David had once ruled over a united kingdom (2 Sam 5; alternatively, it may represent the perspective of a later editor from the southern kingdom of Judah, over which David's descendants ruled for its entire history). Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 3rd

 Read Hosea 2.14-23. In verses 14-15: References to the wilderness, the Valley of Achor, and the land of Egypt recall Israel's deliverance from slavery in Egypt (Ex 1-15), its journey through the wilderness (Ex 16-Num 36), and its entrance in Canaan (Josh 7.24-26). In verse 16: Hosea plays on the multiple meanings of the Hebrew word "ba'al": it can be used as a common noun meaning "husband" or "master" or as a the name of the Canaanite god Baal. Comments or  Questions..

Reading for September 2nd

 Read Hosea 2.2-13. In 2.2-23: God pleads with faithless Israel. The scene moves from Hosea's actions to God's speech in which God assumes the role of the husband and pictures Israel as his wife. In verse 3: Stripping a woman naked is regarded as punishment for her unlawful sexual activity, an image used by other prophets who employ the marriage metaphor (Ezek 16.30-43). The following phrase, make her like a wilderness, shows that the images of Israel as wife and as land are blended in God's speech. In verse 5: Israel's lovers are other gods; the Canaanite god Baal is mentioned directly (vv. 8, 13). In verse 8: God accuses Israel of failing to recognize that its own God, not Baal, makes the land fertile and ensures agricultural productivity (vv. 21, 22). Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 1st

 Read Hosea 1.2-2.1. In 2.1-2.1: Hosea marries the prostitute Gomer. In chs. 1 and 3 Hosea acts out the message he wishes to convey to Israel: just as the wife he marries has been promiscuous, seeking out other lovers, so Israel has been unfaithful to its Lord, seeking out other gods to worship. In 1.2; Whoredom translates the common Hebrew word for prostitution. In verse 4: Hosea's first son Jezreel is named after the broad valley in northern Israel where Jehu led a bloody coup (2 Kings 9.14-10.11), establishing a dynasty in which Jeroboam, Hosea's contemporary, was the fourth king. The name symbolizes the imminent end of that dynasty, which occurred during Hosea's career when Jeroboam's son Zechariah was assassinated in 745 BCE. In verses 6-9: The names of Hosea's daughter, Lo-ruhamah ("Not pitied"), and second son, Lo-ammi ("Not my people"), symbolize God's rejection of Israel for its faithlessness. In verse 7: Scholars disagree whether references to the southern kingdom of Judah and elsewhere in Hosea are from Hosea himself or from later Judean editors who wished to relate Hosea's message to their own time and place. In 1.10-2.1: The marked shift to future salvation here, in which the meanings of Hosea's children's names are reversed to their positive counterparts, may either reflect tension between despair and hope in Hosea's own thought, or represent a later editor's positive resolution to Hosea 's words of judgement. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 31st

 Read Hosea 1.1. In 1.1: Title. The reigns of these Judea kings spans almost a hundred years (783-687 BCE), while the reign of the single Israelite king mentioned, Jeroboam, lasts for only 41 or these years (786-746). Since Hosea's speeches are directed to Israel in particular and reflect events leading up to its fall to Assyria in 721 BCE, it is peculiar that the six kings who follow Jeroboam to the throne of Israel during this time are not mentioned here. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 30th

 Read Acts 28.16-31. In 28.16-31: Paul in Rome. In verse 16: Chained (v.20) to a soldier, Paul lives in Rome under house arrest for two years (v. 30). In verse 17: Paul takes the imitative to consult with local leaders of the Jews (vv. 17-22), identifying with them as brothers (2.37; 15.13; 22.2; 23.6; 28.2) of our people and our ancestors (22.3; 24.14; 26.6). In verse 18: On the Roman desire to release Paul, see comment on 26.32. In verse 19: The objection of the Jews have been recounted in detail (20.27-29; 22.21-22; 23.1-10; 24.2-9; 25.2, 7, 15, 18-19, 24; 26.2-3). Paul's appeal to the emperor (25.11-12) is as a defendant, not bringing a charge or case against Israel. In verse 20: Paul's is notably defending himself but the hope of Israel for God's promised restoration (see 1.6; 3.21), in augurated through the resurrection of the messiah, Jesus ( 24.15, 21; 26.6-7, 16-18, 21-23). In verse 21: Letters often accompanied visits as official means of communications (9.2; 15.22-23). In verse 22: On the way as a Jewish sect or "party" see 5.17; 15.5; 24.5, 14; 26.5. In verse 23: Paul's explanation is another extended interpretation of Israel's scriptures (17.1-4; 18.4, 28; 19.8-9), that is, Moses and the prophets (see Lk 24.27, 44;  Acts 3.22-24; 26.22). In verse 24: the divided response is characteristic of both gentile and Jewish audiences (2.12-13; 14.1-2, 4; 17.32-34; 18.6-8;21.20, 25), but to say they refused to believe is to make a prophetic judgment (compare 18.27). In verse 25: Isa 6.9-10 is cited as a reproof of the Holy Spirit, where God's promises as cited against Israel or a portion of Israel to call for repentance, never as a final verdict (see also Jesus in Lk 8.10; Acts 13.40-41; Rom 11.8). In verse 28: For a third time (13.46-47: 18.6), the Gentile mission is a warning to those in Israel who do not believe (Rom 9-11). Paul's mission does not display undivided listening among gentiles either. In verse 29: This verse is not recorded in the best manuscripts but echoes the divided response of verse 24. In verse 30: To live at his own expense may suggest enough freedom (v. 16) to practice his trade (18.3). all who came to him probably means both Jews and gentiles (vv. 24, 28). In verse 31: The boldness of apostolic witness (2.29; 4.13, 29, 31; 9.27-28; 13.46; 14.3; 18.26; 19.8) continues without hinderance in accord with God's promise (23.11), even in the midst of opposition and chains. Comments or Questions.. 

Reading for August 29th

 Read Acts 28.7--15. In verse 8-9: Paul's healing of the fever of Publius' father followed by the healing of the people recalls Jesus' healing of Peter's mother (Lk 4.38-40). In verse 12-15: The last phases of the voyage lead from Syracuse on Sicily to Rhegium on the toe of Italy,, to dock at Puteoli, the great port of Naples. Then the group travels overland through places called the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns with Christian believers coming south from Rome to meet us. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 28th

 Read Acts 27.27-28.6. In 27.33: Paul intervenes for the fourth time (vv. 10, 21, 31). In verse 34: On the assurance that they will not lose a hair from your heads, see Lk 21.18; 12.7. In verses 43-44: so Paul was saved, and so all were saved (27.24). In 28.3: A viper (Lk 3.7) could refer to many varieties of snakes, which traditional lore regarded as representing spiritual forces. In verse 4: Justice is viewed by the locals as a  personified power executing vengeance on one who almost escaped (Am 5.19). In verse 6: His power over snakes (Lk 10.18-19; Mk 18.18) makes them think he is a god (14.11-12). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 27th

 Read Acts 27.1-26. In 27.1-28.31: Paul's journey to Rome. In 27.1-28.15: This journey account is filled with nautical details, but less theological content than the rest of Acts narrative. In 27.9-11: The Fast, or "Day of Atonement," appears to be only a calendar reference for the late season (contrast 20.16). In verse 17: The sea anchor provided drag but did not arrest the ship's movement. In Verses 21-25: I have faith in God echoes 24.25. Paul testifies that the safety of the journey depends on God's promise to him (23.11) rather than the ineptitude of their sailing. In verse 26: Paul predicts the shipwreck on Malta (28.1). Comments or Questions.. 

Reading for August 26th

 Read Acts 26.24- 32. In verse 24: Paul's learning is Jewish scriptural interpretation (Mt 9.13). In verses 26-27: Like Cornelius (10.28), King Agrippa could be expected to know this much about the prophetic tradition. In verse 28: The question is whether he can be so quickly persuaded by Christian scriptural interpretation. In verse 31: Like Jesus, who was declared innocent three times by Pilate with counsel (albeit absurd) from Herod Antipas I (Lk 23.4, 14, 22), Paul is exonerated by Lysias (23.29). Festus (23.25), and now by Felix with counsel from Herod Agrippa II. But neither is released. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 25th

 Read Acts 26.12-23. In verses 13-14: Several details heighten the earlier accounts: brighter that the sun; we had all fallen to the ground; a voice in the Hebrew language. Kicking against the goads in the action of a stubborn resistance to divine prodding. In verse 16: To serve and testify corresponds to the calling of ministers and witnesses (Lk 1.2; Acts 1.22; 2.32; 10.39, 41). In verses 17-18: Paul's mission is again focused on the Gentiles (see 22.22 in contrasts to 9.15) to bring them into the promises of Israel. The text echoes with the promises of light and forgiveness of Isa 42.7, 16, and Acts 2.38-39. Satan is directly mentioned in Lk 10.18; 11.18; 13.16; 22.3, 31; Acts 5.3. In verse 20: Paul's account focuses on Palestine 91.8) with no mention of this mission in Asia Minor or Greece. In verse 22: Like  Jesus in Luke 24.27, 44 (see also Lk 16.31), Paul claims the fulfillment of the prophets and Moses. In verse 23: The necessity of the suffering of the Messiah is a central affirmation in the scriptural interpretation of Luke and Acts (see comments on Lk 24.25-27; Acts 3.18). The promise of light both to our people and to the Gentiles is a thematic allusion to Isa 49.6 (see also 1.8; 13.47). Comments and Questions..

Reading for August 24th

Read Acts 26.1-11. In contrast to Jesus' silence before Agrippa I  (Lk 23.7-12), Paul stretched out his hand in the presence of Agrippa II to silence the crowd like an orator (13.16; 19.33; 21.40). In verse 3: The customs and controversies of the Jews either do not interest or confuse the Romans (18.14-17; 22.30; 23.10,29; 25.19-20, 26). In verse 5: Even as a follower of the Way, Paul continues to claim to be a true Pharisee (15.5). In verse 6: To be on trial on account of my hope in the promise is also to be on trial for the resurrection (24.14-15). In verse 7: The promise that our twelve tribes hope to attain is restoration (1.6; 3.21), which includes worship day and night as the goal (Lk 1.74-75) as well as a way to attain restoration. In verse 8: That God raise the dead may or may not be incredible (17.32), but Paul presents Jesus' resurrection as God's way of keeping the promise "made to our ancestors" (26.6, 23). In verses 9-18: This the the third account of Paul's transforming vision (9.1-22: 22.3-21). In verses 10-11: Paul casting his vote against them may refer to his approval of Stephen's death (8.1). to call them the saints whom he was trying to force to blaspheme is to adopt the point of view of the believers. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 23rd

 Read Acts 25.13-27. In verse 13: Herod Agrippa II, son of Agrippa I (Lk 3.1; 13.31; 23.6-12; Acts 12.1, 6, 20-21), and  his sister Bernice pay the respects that client kings give to imperial representatives. In verse 19: Festus partially understands that the dispute is about the resurrection (23.6; 24.20). In verse 21: His Imperial Majesty is the emperor Nero . In verse 24: The whole Jewish community is a clear overstatement. In verses 26-27: Festus' quest for something to write is comparable to Pilate's problem when he declared Jesus had done "nothing to deserve death" (Lk 23.15; but see 23.38). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 22nd

 Read Acts 25.1-12. In verse 1: Caesarea was the Roman city Herod the Great built on the Mediterranean and Jerusalem was high in the Judeans hills. In verse 5: Those who have the authority are the "leading men," probably linked closely with the Temple. In verse 10: Paul's innocence of the charges has been his defense to which the tribune (23.29) and narrator have agreed (25.7), but Festus' opinion (as you very well know) is so far (25.18-20, 26-27; 26.31-32) only indicated through Paul (contrast Pilate in Lk 23.13, 20, 22). In verses 11-12: Only roman citizens could appeal to the emperor (16.37-38; 22.25-29). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 21st

 Read Acts 24.22-27. In verse 22: Lysias has already been quite clear in his judgment (23.29). In verse 24: Drusilla, the daughter of Herod Agrippa I, was criticized for "transgressing the ancestral law" by leaving her husband to marry Felix (Josephus, Antiquities 20.141-143). Faith in Christ Jesus again means the belief that Jesus is the messiah (see comments on 2.31, 36; 10.38). In verse 25-26: Standard Hellenistic ethical discourse on Justice and self-control becomes urgent when linked with Jewish and messianic convictions about the coming judgment (24.25). In verse 27: Porcius Festus became procurator around 59-60 CE. The idea of granting the Jews a favor (also 25.9) reflects the relationship of the Roman occupation force with Judean leadership. Comments or Questions.. 

Reading for August 20th

Read Acts 24.1-21. In 24.1-26.32: Paul's testimony before governors and kings. In verse 24.1: Tertullus presents a Roman legal argument (contrast Lk 10.25) on behalf of the high priest but may not have been a Jew himself (24.9). In verse 2: Even cruel Roman rulers like Pilate (Lk 13.1; 23.1-4) were held responsible for keeping the peace ("pax Romana"). In verses 3-4: Excessive gratitude did not disguise the unrest and insurrections surrounding Felix's administration or his reputation for abuse of office. In verse 5: The charge that Paul is an agitator echoes what was said against Jesus before Pilate (Lk 23.2, 5, 14), but now throughout the Roman world (Gk., "oikourmene"). This is the only instance in which the "Christians" Nazarenes, probably referring to followers of the messiah from Nazareth (Lk 18.32). In verse 6: Profaning temples, a serious charge in any part of the Roman realm (19.35-37), was the specific cause of Paul's arrest (23.28). In verse 10: Paul's cheerful defense signifies his appreciation for Felix's knowledge (24.22) and more critically expresses his "hope in God" because he is on trial for the resurrection (22.15; 26.6-7). In verse 12: Jesus did dispute publicly in the temple (Lk 19.47-21.38; 22.53). In verses 14-15: Paul defends the Way (see comment on 9.2) as a Jewish sect or party (23.6-9; 24.5) teaching of the resurrection from the law and the prophets (Lk 24.27, 44-48). In verse 16: A clear conscience is needed for the judgment (17.31; 24.5). In verses 18-21: See 21.17-22.10. Comments of Questions..

Readiing for August 19th

Read Acts 23.11-35. In 23.11-35: Paul in protective custody. In verse 11: This night vision introduces the last phase of the apostle's journey toward Rome. In verses 16-22: The son of Paul's sister is known only from this story. In verses 23-24: The large numbers indicate a full military contingent.  Felix was the governor in Palestine from 52 to 60 CE. In verse 27: Paul's status as a Roman citizen is again the source of his protection (16.37-38; 22.25-27). In verse 29: On questions of their law, see also 18.15; 25.8; 26.3. In verse 31: Antipatris was founded  by Herod the Great on the road Jerusalem to Caesarea. In verse 34: As with Pilate and Jesus (Lk 23.6-7), the governor involves Herod in a dispute about someone from his territory. In verse 35: Herod's headquarters (praetorium) was a secure bastion. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 18th

 Read Acts 22.22-23.10. In 22.22: Compare the reaction of the crowd to this inclusive mission in Luke's account of Jesus in the synagogue in Nazareth (Lk 4.16-30). In verse 23: Shouting (7.57; 14.14), throwing ... cloaks (14.14; 18.6), and tossing dust (13.51) are ritual acts to prevent evil of Paul's words. In verse 24: Flogging was a standard Roman method of interrogation. In verse 25-27: This passage and 16.37-39 give a glimpse into Luke's understanding of the rights of roman citizenship. In verse 28: Since he bears the name of Claudius (23-26 CE), the tribune probably purchased his citizenship during the reign of Claudius (41-54 CE). In verse 30: The tribune's ability to order the chief priests and the entire council to meet discloses the thorough control of the Roman order. In 23.1: Living with a clear conscience before God means fidelity to the law (23.3; 24.14-16). In verse 2: In Jn 18.22, Jesus was also struck on the face for his answers to the high priest. In verse 3: Paul invokes a biblical judgment (Deut 28.22) against the high priest for not obeying the law he was defending (7.53). In verse 5: Paul's quotation of Ex 22.27 is a critique of any "leader of your people" who does not evidently obey the law. In verses 6-9: The hope of the resurrection is a central issue (24.20-21), not merely a device to divide the crowd. Jesus also challenged the Sadducees on the resurrection with a scriptural argument the Pharisees and their scribes accepted (Lk 22.27-40). In verse 7: On the dissension within Israel, see also 14.4. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 17th

 Read Acts 21.37-22.21. In 21.38: The Egyptian was a famous Jewish "prophet" who led a rebellion in the era of Felix, around 54 CE (Josephus, War 2.261-263: Antiquities 20.168-172). The assassins were cloak-and-danger killers fighting Rome (Josephus, War 2.254-257; Antiquities 20.186-188). In verse 40: On the Hebrew language, see 22.2. In 22.1-22: Luke 26.2-23, this defense (Gk., "apologia") speech (see also 24.1-21) retells the story of Acts 9.1-31. In verse 3: Gamaliel has already appeared in 5.33-39, advocating that the council be restrained in its response to the apostles. Being zealous for God is closely tied to strict observance of out ancestral law (see also "zealous for the law" in 21.20; Gal 1.14; Rom 10.2-4). In verse 4: This Way means the followers of Jesus as messiah (9.2; 19.9, 23). In verse 12-14: Ananias is now credited with being devout according to the law (9.10), and he speaks for God of our ancestors (9.17). For Jesus' identity as the Righteous One, (see Lk 23.47; Acts 3.14; 7.52). In verse 17-18: The story of Paul's trance in the temple, only told here, recalls Peter's trance (10.10; 11.5) and echoes the call of Isaiah in the Temple (Isa 6.1-13). In verse 21: Paul's commission is now even more like Isaiah's "light to the gentiles" (see Acts 1.8)), and the people of Israel are not mentioned (v. .14). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 16th

 Read Acts 21.27-36. In 21.26-23.10: Conflicts in the Temple. In verses 26-28: In Luke-Acts, the temple  was a place where Jesus and Stephen also testified in the face of the extended provocation of adversaries (Lk 20.1-21.4: Acts 6.8-7.60; Acts 3.1-4.31), including charges of teaching ... against a mob dragging Paul outside the sacred precincts to kill him as a temple defiler (see also Jesus in Lk 4.16-30 and Stephen in Acts 6-7), prompting the Roman army tribute (Claudius Lysias, 32.2)  to call out his cohort of a thousand soldiers (see also Gallio in 18.12-17; 19.28-41). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 15th

 Read Acts 21.17-26. In 21.17-28.31: On trial for the promise. In 21.17-25: The leaders of the church in Jerusalem receive Paul. In verses 17-20: The brothers (15.1, 13) represent the broad assembly of believers who now receive Paul warmly, and James and the elders join them in hearing about the mission among the Gentiles (15.12). But their concern is focused only on how many thousands of believers (2.41; 4.4; 6.7) there are among the Jews, all zealous for the law (15.21). In verse 21: The false charge is literally that Paul is teaching Jews apostasy from Moses. In verses 23-24: On the vow, see Num 6.1-21 and Acts 18.18. In verse 25: The agreement about the Gentiles (15.19-29) remains in force. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 14th

 Read Acts 21.1-16. In verse 2: The earlier mission in Phoenicia was briefly mentioned in 11.19. In verse 4: Taking their words literally would prevent Paul from going to Jerusalem (16.6-7), but the context makes clear this is a prophetic warning (20.23; 21.12-14). In verse 8: Philip the evangelist (6.3-6) arrived in Caesarea in 8.40 (see also 8.4-13, 26-39). In verse 9: On women prophets, see 2.18. In verse 10: On Agabus the prophet see 11.27. In verse 11; The use of Paul's belt as a symbol of his being bound by the Holy Spirit (20.22) has prophetic precedents (Jer 19.1-13; Ezek 4.1-17; Peter's belt in John 19.18-19). In verse 13: "I am ready ... to die" is a mature conviction in this passage (20.24; contrast Lk 22.33). Jerusalem is the place in prophetic tradition where God's prophets and apostles meet the most intense opposition. In verse 14: Luke's entire narrative is alive to the question of how the Lord's will is accomplished in the midst of rejection. (see Acts 18.21). In verse 15: The arrival in Jerusalem (v. 17) conclude this section of Paul's travel narrative, as also for Jesus in Lk 19.28. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 13th

 Read Acts 20.13-38. In verse 16: Pentecost was a time for Jewish pilgrimage to Jerusalem (see comments on 2.9-11; 20.6-7). in verses 17-18: In Acts, the elders of the church are appointed locally with divine authority comparable to the apostles (11.30; 14.23; 15.2, 4, 6, 22, 23; 16.4), and Paul's account of his ministry and farewell commendation in vv. 18-35 is addressed to them. In verse 19: The apostle's trials (Gk., "peirosmos"; see Lk 4.2; 1 Thess 3.5; Gal 4.14) are spiritual tests as well as human conflicts. Humility and tears are signs of a ministry like Jesus' (Lk 19.41-44; 22.24-27). In verse 20: "I did not shrink" is another way of claiming apostolic boldness (4.13; 9.27-28; 13.46; 19.8). In verse 21: On both Jews and Greeks, see 13.44-48; 14.27; 17.4, 11, 17; 18.5-6, 19; 19.8-10, 17). The content of the repentance toward God or "conversion" (Gk., "metanoia") proclaimed in Acts is specifically faith toward our Lord Jesus (2.38; 3.19; 5.31; 11.18; 17.30; 26.20). In verses 22-23: To be captive to the Spirit who testifies to me in every city is to be bound by God's determined purpose in sufferings rather than power (see 19.21; 21.11). Paul's directed journey comes to a climax in the temple in Jerusalem (Lk 9.51; 13.22, 33-34; 19.11, 28.41-44). In verse 24: The journey or mission is an athletic course to finish (13.25; 1 Cor 9.24; Phil 3.14; 2 Tim 4.7). The ministry  ... I received from the Lord Jesus stands in contrast to Paul's earlier self-appointed mission (9.1, 15; 22.3-10; 26.9-18). In verse 26: To be not responsible for the blood of any of you means Paul has fulfilled his calling with regard to them and their lives (18.6). In verse 28: The elders of the congregation are entrusted with the office of overseer (Gk., :episkopos"), and the church of God is both local and a larger spiritual reality (1Cor 1.2, "the church of God that is in Corinth"). In verses 29-31: Paul's warning against wolves (Ezek 22.27; Lk 10.3) sounds an alert (Lk 12.37-39) against false teachers who distort the truth (Lk 9.41; Acts 13.10). In verse 35: This traditional saying is not otherwise attributed tot he Lord Jesus (but see Lk 6.35-36, 38; 1 Clement 2.1). In verse 36: Paul knelt down and prayed as Jesus did following his farewell to his disciples (Lk 22.41; Acts 21.5-6). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 12th

 Read Acts 20.1-12. In 20.1-22.16: Going to Jerusalem. In 20.1: The journey to Macedonia announce in 19.22 now resumes. In verse 3: A plot ... against him by the Jews again prompts movement (9.24; 20.19; 23.30). In verse 4: Paul's companions gather from a variety of places, perhaps to bring an offering together to Jerusalem (20.16; 24.17; Rom 15.16; 2 Cor 9.1). In verses 6-7: The entourage observes the Jewish practice of the days of Unleavened Bread, which Luke identifies with Passover (Lk 22.1), timing its travel by the Liturgical calendar (20.18), but now breaking bread in Christian worship on the first day of the week (Lk 24.1; Acts 2.42, 46; 1 Cor 16.2; Rev 1.10). In verses 9-10: Eutychus whose name means "good fortune," is unknown outside this story. Paul's discernment of whether the boy was dead or sleeping recalls Jesus' miraculous action with Jairus' daughter in Lk 8.52 and actions of Elijah (1 Kings 17.17-24) and Elisha (2 Kings 4.32-37)). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 11th

 Read Acts 19.21--41. In verse 21: the themes of resolve in the Spirit and necessity for the journey ( "I must also see Rome") disclose divine direction (Lk 9.51-62; 13.31-35). In verse 22: On Timothy, see 16.1. Erastus is mentioned in Rom 16.23 and 2 Tim 4.20. In verse 24: Artemis was the famed hunter goddess, called Diana in Latin. In verse 26: Paul's prophetic speech against idols made with hands (17.24) endangered whole guilds of workers. In verse 28: Artemis of the Ephesians was a title that reflected special patronage for the city. In verse 29: A theater in Ephesus seating 25, 000 has been excavated. In verses 31-33: The officials of the province of Asia and the Jewish spokesman Alexander cannot protect Paul from the mob. In verse 35: The town clerk restores order with a recitation of the public piety of the Artemis cult. The statue that fell from heaven may have been a meteorite that was thought to be an image of the goddess. Even its coinage marked Ephesus as the temple keeper. In verse 37: Temple robbers were especially hated in antiquity because the temples marked the cultural integrity of the cities and often served as banks. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 10th

 Read Acts 19.1-20. In verses 1-7: The distinctive messianic baptism of the Way is again (see comment on 18.24-25) contrasted to other Jewish washings or baptisms of repentance, including John's. Baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus is accompanied by the laying on of hands and confirmed by the Holy Spirit as "the repentance that leads to life" ( 10.45-48; 11.15-18). In verses 8-10: This brief summary reports two years and three months in Ephesus. The stubborn refusal in the synagogue is another prophetic diagnosis of hardening (7.51; 14.2; 28.26-28), explaining the move to the non-Jewish lecture hall of Tyrannus without recounting the argument there. In verse 11; Miracles are powerful acts displaying divine presence (2.22; 4.33; 6.8; 8.13; 10.38). In verse 12: The use of physical means for healing was common Hellenistic practice ( 5.15-16;). In verses 13-14:The itinerant Jewish exorcists were probably not well regarded in the synagogues (13.6); their use of the name of the Lord Jesus was not informed by faith, and there is no record of a legitimate high priest named Seceva. In verse 15: The evil spirits were known for sassy talk (Lk 4.34; 8.28). In verses 18-19: The apostles' powerful acts are again sharply distinguished from magic (8.4-25; 13.4-12). In verse 20: The power that triumphs in the story is not the apostles' own but the word of the Lord. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 9th

 Read Acts 18.18-28. In verse 18: Paul appears to cut his hair at the beginning of taking a special vow, in contrast to shaving his head at the completion of the vow at the Temple (Num 6.1-21; Acts 21.24). In verse 21: Paul's journeys to Jerusalem is seen in terms similar to Jesus' mission (Lk 9.51-53; 13.33; Acts 19.21: 20.22). In verse 22: This brief visit appears significant only as a display of Paul's respect for the church in Jerusalem. In verse 24-25: Apollos introduces the scriptural interpretation associated with the Hellenistic Jewish traditions of Alexandria (1 Cor 1.12; 3.4-6, 22; 4.6; 16.2). The baptism of John is is a preparation for the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Lk 3.16; Acts1.5; 11.16; 19.3-5). In verse 26: Priscilla and Aquila are both teachers (18.2) of the Way (9.2; 16.17; 19.19; 22.4; 24.22), In verse 27: 1 Cor 1-4 attests the impact of Apollos' mission in Achaia. Comments or Questions..