Verses 7-9

I am telling all of you the truth. I have heard the Eternal’s decree.
He said clearly to me, “You are My son.
Today I have become your Father.
The nations shall be yours for the asking,
and the entire earth will belong to you.
They are yours to crush with an iron scepter,
yours to shatter like fragile, clay pots.” (The Voice)

“You are My son. Today I have become your Father” is quoted in Acts 13:33, Hebrews 1:5, and Hebrews 5:5 to describe Jesus’ ministry.

Acts 8:20

Peter answered [Simon the Sorcerer], “May you and your money go to hell, for thinking that you can buy God’s gift with money!”

Sad Will of God

In Acts 20:25-27, Paul explains that he is willing to teach the will of God whether or not people want to hear it.

He makes his friends sad that they’ll never see him again.

But it’s God’s will.

Acts 2

The description of Pentecost in Acts 2 illustrates God’s desire to reach people from all over the world.

This is why everyone heard the good news in their native languages.

30 Weeks of Acts

I find it amazing that I’ve read from Acts almost every day for the past 30 weeks. It’s such an encouraging history of the earliest days of the Church.

What I take from this book is that God works through ordinary people to accomplish incredible good.

Peter and Paul

The argument over which person is the greater Christian is unnecessary.

Both were devoted followers of Christ.

See Paul’s own words on this matter in 1 Corinthians 1:10-13.

Sail Away!

There is a significant focus on sailing in this book.  To travel around the Mediterranean in New Testament times involved lots of time on the water.

Review of Acts

The book summarizes the earliest days of the church.

People ate together, shared their possessions, and risked their lives to get out the good news.

I find it interesting that although American Christians can only imagine what this would have been like, there are Christians in countries around the world that are experiencing all three of these realities today.

Paul’s Presence

In verses 29-31, we see Paul’s sharing the good news of Christ with many people despite his house arrest.

Words of Warning

In verses 23-28, Paul warns the unbelieving Jews in Rome that he’s been sent to the Gentiles, too.