April 29, 2022Dear friends,
On Tuesday, we looked at Acts 17 and 18 in our weekly Bible study group on Zoom. What a blessing it is to be able to pray and talk with friends over the Internet!
For those of you who have been reading my blog for a while, you know that one of my favourite authors is the late Dr. Warren Wiersbe. You can learn more about him at: https://www.moodybible.org/news/global/2019/warren-wiersbe/ His Bible Commentary is a great resource that I have been using in preparation for our weekly studies. Dr. Wiersbe notes four key words that describe Paul’s approach to the synagogue congregation in Thessalonica in Acts 17:
- He reasoned, which means he dialogued with them through questions and answers;
- He explained (“opening”) the Scriptures to them;
- He proved (“alleging”) that Jesus is indeed the Messiah; and
- He was careful to announce (“preach”) the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is the message of the gospel (1 Cor. 15).
In Acts 17:4, we read: “And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas.” The next verse reveals that those who were not persuaded became envious and gathered a mob to “set all the city in an uproar.” Then Luke (the author of Acts) notes what the unbelieving Jews cried out: “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.” We may feel that we are not making much difference in the lives of people we know, but as we seek to glorify God in all that we say and do, we may be influencing others more than we realize.
After preaching the Word of God at Berea, Paul travelled to Athens. In his Study Bible, Dr. David Jeremiah notes: “There were approximately 10,000 people living in Athens when Paul was there, but it is said that there were some 30,000 statues of gods in the city – more gods than people! It was the proliferation of idols that provoked Paul the most. His heart was no doubt broken as he saw people bowing down before idols made of stone and making offerings to them.” Today, we are surrounded by people who have different idols than when Paul was alive, but who desperately need to hear that the Lord Jesus Christ came to set us free from bondage to sin. By God’s grace, let’s boldly share this Good News with our family, friends, and others.
Scripture for the weekend: “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” Acts 17:30-31 (NKJV)
Thought for the weekend: “Henry Drummond, who was an associate of D. L. Moody, used the illustration of a magnet and a piece of steel to illustrate Jesus’ command that we love one another as He has loved us. He noted the well-known scientific fact that if you take a piece of steel and attach it to a magnet, in time the magnetic properties of the magnet will be acquired by the piece of steel – and it, too, will be a magnet. In the same way, if we dwell on His love for us – a love beyond our deserving, a love extended to us even while we were rebellious and lost in the ugliness of our sin – then we will gradually acquire that kind of love. The magnetic love of Jesus will become our nature, just as it is His nature – and people will feel the magnetic attraction of our own Christlike love.” – Ray C. Stedman (from his book “God’s Loving Word”)