Daily Liturgy and Scripture

Not worshipping other gods is a basic command for followers of the true God, but sometimes those gods do not go quietly. Not the gods themselves, of course. But the people who profit from the established powers that work against the way of Jesus are often the loudest of all, when their power is threatened.

The instance of the possessed man beating the Sons of Sceva comes across as comical, but there is a hard truth here that rests in the middle of the story: the power of the Holy Spirit is not for personal glory, but for the glory of God.

Apollos came to prominence at much the same level as Paul: he was a scholar, he had defended Jesus as Messiah publicly. This stage of the early Church was about bringing together teachers like him to get everyone on the same page, and especially to help the theologians understand the importance of the Holy Spirit.

Paul's decision to preach only to the Gentiles is born out of a bit of frustration, but the outcome is important. The effort to include the Gentiles in the gospel is no longer a portion of his effort, it is his focus. This would define the early Church in a new way.

What if Paul had turned his back on the Athenians because their view of God was so wrong? Thank God he didn't, because the gospel was shared because of Paul's work there. It didn't result in a mass revival, but it did result in work the way that God works well: by planting seeds that grow among his people.

You have to wonder which of Paul's qualities made him one of the primary growers of the early Church. He was highly adept at harmonizing Christianity and Judaism, he was also skilled in academic circles. But he also had enough influence with his enemies that he was described as "causing trouble all over the world," which he probably took as a compliment!

Where Peter walked out of prison, Paul chose to stay. The ways God uses to grow his people are not always the same, not even in the same circumstance. It's important to stay engaged in prayer and listen to the Spirit to know where that is.

It is not always perfect harmony that carries along the growth of God's Kingdom, sometimes it is a parting of ways. Paul and Barnabas has been partners, but their breakup actually grew the early Church in new areas.

The growing church isn't about star preachers, it's about spreading the word. The choice of Judas (not Iscariaot, Judas was a very common name) and Silas was to teach and grow the believers. Of course, Paul couldn't be the only one working in the field, but training new trainers had certainly been part of his call.

The Church in the first century worked hard to find unity and and identity, and this was an important moment. Known as the Council of Jerusalem, it was the first time that the Church met to establish an agreed-upon theological point, and many more were to follow.