The New Testament book traditionally called The Acts of the Apostles actually has very little to say about the apostles as a group. After the opening two chapters they drop into the background. A large part of the book is dedicated to telling the story of Paul, who was not even present with Jesus during his earthly ministry and opposed the early Christian movement vehemently only later to take the title of “Apostle” himself.
In this class we will read the book of Acts focussing on the role of the Holy Spirit in the story and the way Luke has chosen to portray Paul. We will look for ways this text can be relevant to the ongoing struggles of today’s church.
Check out the following blog post regarding the class for Sunday, February 16: http://bibleatbinkley.wordpress.com/2014/02/14/sunday-february-16-2014-acts-243-511/
In Acts 4:12 the author uses the word “save” to label what Peter and John did for a lame man in the Jerusalem temple. What did he mean by this word? Read the following blog post for some reflections on this topic: http://bibleatbinkley.wordpress.com/2014/02/14/41-12/
Thank you to all who joined us this morning. Allen Davidson led us in a great reflection on what the ideal church would look like and challenged us to think about how we fit into that picture.
We also contrasted our modern notion of the individual with ancient understandings of personhood. What defines us? How does faith look when approached from a communal perspective?
Next Sunday we will discuss Acts 5:12—8:25. As you read these chapters, check the blog to see if any new comments have appeared, and feel free to add your own!