Archive for February 2023

Leviticus 26-27, Psalm 47, Matthew 21:12-22, Acts 28:17-31 Acts 28:17-31: I just love how Acts finishes! There is Paul, in Rome, under house arrest. And what does he spend his time doing? First of all, preaching to his fellow compatriots, the Jewish leaders. And then to all who would listen. Luke carefully finishes his story by declaring that…

Leviticus 24-25, Psalm 46, Matthew 21:1-11, Acts 28:1-16 Acts 28:1-16: We are almost at the final moment of this extraordinary story told by Luke. It began, in his second volume (that book we call “Acts”; the first volume being what we call the Gospel of Luke), with the architecture of the book being announced that it would describe…

Leviticus 21-23, Psalm 45, Matthew 20:17-34, Acts 27:27-44 Acts 27:27-44: In this way everyone reached land safely. But what a way! Wet, swimming, clinging to pieces of wood of the wrecked ship. All were saved, as God had told Paul, without loss of life—but still with considerable difficulty, alarm, apparent danger, presumable fear, and trauma. What can we…

Leviticus 18-20, Psalm 44, Matthew 20:1-16, Acts 27:1-26 Acts 27:1-26: The measure of a man or woman is often revealed in a storm. Here is Paul in a literal storm, and while everyone around is panicking and rushing around scared, despondent and frightened—Paul stands firm. How does he do it? First of all, he has something extraordinary that…

Leviticus 16-17, Psalm 43, Matthew 19:16-30, Acts 26:19-32 Acts 26:19-32: We come to another moment of strange providence. This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar. What does this part of the story show us? Several things: First, that Paul was a man of unparalleled intellect. He had “great learning.” People might…

Leviticus 14-15, Psalm 42, Matthew 19:1-15, Acts 26:1-18 Acts 26:1-18:   Paul now (finally, in a sense) has a full-orbed opportunity to defend himself. How will he do it? As is characteristic of the man, he uses this opportunity to preach the gospel. He does it by means of telling the story of how he personally encountered Christ, was…

Leviticus 11-13, Psalm 41, Matthew 18:15-35, Acts 25:13-27  Acts 25:13-27:   Once again, the powers that be are taking an inordinately long time to exercise any kind of justice with regard to Paul. Once again, we sense that Paul is a pawn in a chess game—at the beck and call of governors and kings. What must it have felt…

Leviticus 8-10, Psalm 40, Matthew 18:1-14, Acts 25:1-12 Acts 25:1-12: We come to the next stage in the process of Paul’s defense, and the attacks against him by the religious leaders at the time. First of all, we are told that they want to get him to go back to Jerusalem because they are planning an ambush against…

Leviticus 5-7, Psalm 39, Matthew 17:14-27, Acts 24 Acts 24: When you read this story, you are struck by two parallel truths all at the same time. First, you are struck by the sheer randomness and vulnerability of Paul, and thereby all of us, in the face of the “powers that be.” Here is one man, accused falsely…

Leviticus 1-4, Psalm 38, Matthew 17:1-13, Acts 23:12-35 Acts 23:12-35: More maneuvering to get Paul—and it is stymied by God’s sovereignty, and some sharp thinking on the part of Paul and the others involved. What do we learn? Even when we feel as if everything is out of our control, that does not mean it is out of…