1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:12 (AD 50-51) (Most likely written during Paul’s 18 month stay in Corinth, referenced in Acts 18:18) Paul ministered in Thessalonica for the grand total of three Sabbaths – less than three weeks (Acts 17:2). And he was hounded out of town by Jewish opponents who (ironically) raised a mob and accused him … More Day 203: Pastoring by a Non-Pastor
Acts 18:1-18 (AD 50-51) What would you do if you were sharing the gospel of Jesus, in a place where the primary response was that people verbally abused you and threatened to harm you? What would you do if God then said you needn’t be afraid, that he would save some people in that town? … More Day 202: Success & Suffering
Acts 17:16-33 (AD 49) Five more lessons from Paul’s evangelistic exploits in Athens: Paul witnessed to as many people as possible, spending time in both the synagogue and the marketplace (v.17) He debated the Old Testament prophesies, he presented the gospel message, he had individual conversations, and he was grilled by a council. Seek out … More Day 201: Worshipping the Unknown God, Part 2
Acts 17:16-33 (AD 49) This is the sermon and the place (Mars Hill) that has spawned church names, evangelistic strategies and fierce debate. How much was Paul ‘contextualising’ his mission? To what extent did he immerse himself in the culture he tried to reach? We won’t go a long way into that, except to note … More Day 200: Worshipping the Unknown God, Part 1
Acts 17:1-15 (AD 49) Few three-week trips have been as impactful as Paul’s to Thessalonica. Then again, most trips don’t end in a riot. Think what sin was doing in the minds of the Jesus-hating people in the city. Paul spoke to Jews, gave them the news that the Jewish Messiah had come in response … More Day 199: No reasoning with the unreasonable
Acts 16:25-40 (AD 48-49) The Romans were firm believers in…extreme motivation. For those in the prison service, this meant if prisoners escaped, it was the jailer got executed. It’s why, in verse 27, the jailer was about to kill himself rather than face the wrath of his employers. It never surprised me, then, that Paul … More Day 198: The Philippian jailer and his family
Acts 16:16-24 (AD 48-49) This passage has always confused me, for several reasons. If it doesn’t confuse you yet, read it again and it probably will. In any case, I’d like to offer a little help to those of us scratching our heads… Why does the Bible say that the slave girl’s spirit enabled her … More Day 197: Run that one by me again?
Paul T Reynolds 