Personal angel

When Peter comes to the door of the house where the disciples are praying for him, they think it’s Peter’s “angel” (Acts 12:15). The thing at the door is recognizably Peter, but they don’t think it’s Peter in the flesh. It’s still the person, but not the . . . . Continue Reading »

Church is mission

At the conclusion of an intriguing overview of the haphazard form of the church’s mission in Acts, John Howard Yoder concludes ( Theology of Mission: A Believers Church Perspective ) that “the church is not simply a vehicle” of mission. Rather, in Acts, “the events of the . . . . Continue Reading »

Witness to deliverance

The story of Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus is recounted several times in Acts: First when the event happens (ch. 9), and then twice retold by Paul, once before Jews and once before Agrippa and Festus (chs. 22, 26). In the final retelling, Paul quotes Jesus’ words: . . . . Continue Reading »

Preaching Chronology

As Stephen recounts the history of Israel to his persecutors, he refers in passing to several chronological details. Abraham’s descendants were slaves for 400 years (Acts 7:6), God appeared to Moses after 40 years of sojourn in Midian (7:30), and another 40 years passed with Israel in the . . . . Continue Reading »