Daily Inspirations

  Good morning. Notice Paul’s approach as he talks to these philosophers. He does not scold them like some Christians would. He uses the very things that agitated himself – their idols. Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, “to an unknown God“ (they wanted to make sure they did not leave out any god and make him angry). Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. He uses this to segue into a proclamation of the gospel. He even uses a parallel to what one of their poets had written. Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. So he is condemning the idols without condemning the people. He is appealing to their logic. Having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people ...

Good morning. Many of the people of Berea believed; but when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul there, they came also, agitating and stirring up the crowds. They weren’t content keeping their city “safe“ from what they considered to be heresy, they went to a town nearby to also “protect” it. The brethren sent Paul to the sea while Silas and Timothy remained there. We haven’t heard anything about Timothy since he joined Paul and Silas a number of verses ago. Those who were with Paul took him to Athens, where he gave them a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible. While Paul was waiting for them, he was agitated within as he observed all of the idols. He was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be present. Paul did not let all of the conflict he had endured in the other cities deter him from proclaiming the gospel wherever he was. While Athens was no l...

   Good morning. Paul was explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, saying, this Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ. The Jews were looking for, and still are looking for, the arrival of the Messiah. Remember in the movie “fiddler on the roof” that the tailor said, wouldn’t this be a great day for the Messiah to come? Some were persuaded to join Paul and Silas; but the Jews became jealous and took along some wicked men and formed a mob and set the city in an uproar. Attacking the house of Jason (they probably thought that Paul and Silas were staying with him), they were seeking to bring them out to the people. When they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some others before the city authorities, shouting, “these men who have upset the world have come here also”. They all act contrary to the decrees of Cesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus. Sounds like the fake news of today, taking a true stat...

  Good morning. When day came, the chief magistrates sent to the jail in order to release Paul and Silas. But Paul said, they have beaten us in public without trial, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now they are sending us away secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out. Why didn’t Paul say this before they were beaten? My guess is that he did not think of it until he was in prison. The next time he’s about to be scourged, he brings it up very quickly. What was the effect of him saying this – the chief magistrates were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. As per Paul’s demand, the chief magistrates came and appealed to them, and kept begging them to leave the city. They went to the house of Lydia, and when they saw the brethren, they encouraged them and departed. After they depart, it no longer says “we“, so we may assume that Luke was no longer with them. The “we“ picks up again three chapters later when Paul is again in the ...

  Good morning. So what did Paul tell the jailer that he must do to be saved? Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household. That seems simple enough. Because the word believe can be used in more than one way, sometimes there is a mistaken idea of what it means. You can believe that something is so in your head without it affecting your actions. This “believe” comes from a change in heart, and hence, a change in actions. When you believe something in your head, that belief can change overnight; when you believe with your heart, that does not change very easily. Notice that Paul said not only would the jailer be saved but also his household. That is not necessarily a guarantee that that will happen in all instances. It did happen with Lydia in Philippi which we just read about. Paul and Silas spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. After he had taken care of their wounds, the jailer and his household were baptized. In the...

  Good morning. And so what happened when Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns instead of complaining? Suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains where unfastened. Pretty cool, right? When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. Remember that there were no lights like we have, and he could not see clearly that the prisoners were still in their cells; he assumed that they had escaped. He knew that the penalty for letting them escape was death. Paul said, do not harm yourself, we are all here! There was probably a lamp where the jailer was; and so the prisoners could see him, but he could not see them. He called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before them. He brought them out, and said, sirs, what must I do to be saved? Since he called fo...