“They listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, ‘Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!’” (Acts 22:22)
When Paul started talking about how God loved the Gentiles, the Jewish mob stopped listening. It wasn’t that Paul said something illogical. It was that he said something that challenged their preconceived ideas and their prejudices.
Christianity has a way of doing that. It searches for honest hearts by presenting facts which often make us uncomfortable or tempt us to stop listening. I don’t like having my worldview questioned or my feelings confronted. Yet, this is exactly what the Word of God does – it pierces the division between soul and spirit and judges the thoughts and intentions of our hearts (see Hebrews 4:12).
The Scriptures are checking to see whether you will stop listening when you get uncomfortable.
Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites
Today’s Reading: Acts 22:22-29
Questions to ask:
- How does this show the continuation of Jesus’ work now going on in the church?
- How is the gospel, Paul’s preaching, and/or Paul’s defense received?
- What is the Holy Spirit doing in this text?
- What in our reading shows how Paul handled adversity and difficulty?
This year, #Biblebites are following the life and writings of Paul. If you would like a copy of the reading schedule, you can view it here: https://eastlandchristians.org/news-events/2023-vision