Biblical Literacy Podcast

Mark continued with “Paul, a Legal Case Study” as though he were representing the Apostle Paul. Mark focused on the historical context of Paul's case. During this time, Roman law stated that a defendant must be informed of the crimes he or she is being tried. In Acts 24:9, we read Tertullus charged Paul before the governor Felix of: stirring up riots around the world, being a ringleader of the Nazarenes, and trying to profane the temple. Listen as Mark references Josephus’ writings and explains the history and political climate surrounding how Felix became governor and how Tertullus used that knowledge in an attempt to persuade Felix that his claims about Paul were accurate.

Mark took a break from his series "Paul, a Legal Case Study," to discuss devotions from the Jewish Bible. TaNaKh is the Hebrew word for Old Testament. Each letter stand for a section of Scripture: Torah (the Law), Nevi’im (the Prophets), and Ketuvi (the Writings) Listen to Mark share a few devotionals planned for an upcoming book of devotions that will correspond to the yearly reading of the Torah.

Today Mark taught about the charges brought against the Apostle Paul. At the time of Paul, a Roman trial had a stage of clarifying and documenting the charges to be proven or disproven called - “the formula". In Acts 24, we see Paul was charged with three crimes: 1) stirring up riots, 2) being a ringleader of the Nazarene sect, and 3) trying to profane the temple. Listen to Mark focus and disprove the first of the three charges which allegedly happened on his third missionary trip where he spent considerable time in Ephesus ministering to the Jews and Greeks.

Learn what Paul’s message, as noted in Acts 17, meant to the Athenians, especially the Stoics and Epicureans. Although technologies may have changed over the years, ideas haven’t so much. Paul made three main points…1. God created the world, 2. God created man and man needs God, & 3. Man’s attempts to represent God with idols is foolishness. Paul goes on to quote from their own poets, being a master of communicating within the current context of his audience. Listen to Scott Riling share how God has given the ministry of reconciliation to all believers and be encouraged and confident in what you believe so you can share the truth with others person to person, as Paul did.