The Spirit of the Sadducees – Acts 23:1-10

Jan 19, 2015 | Acts

As I said on Wednesday, there were at least four sects, or groups, among the Jews in Paul’s day. There were the Zealots, who molded their theology into ideas about national revolution. These people were ready to try to overthrow the Roman government and establish the...

Those Blessed Heavenly Visits – Acts 23:6-11

Jan 19, 2015 | Acts

Festering in the background of all Paul’s troubles there in Jerusalem are a couple of nagging questions. First, should Paul have been in this predicament in the first place? As we have said, some people think that all of the predictions that Paul was heading into...

“Curses; Foiled Again” – Acts 23:11-35

Jan 19, 2015 | Acts

Some of my earliest memories of television, when I was about ten-years-old, involve the old cartoons. Do you remember how so many of them incorporated classical music? For example, one of them had a number of little cartoon men building a sky-scraper to the music of...

Going Postal – Acts 23:12-15

Jan 19, 2015 | Acts

Have you, in anger, ever called someone a fool? If whether or not you have called someone a “fool” determines your true spiritual condition, will you spend eternity in Heaven or Hell? If there were no other factors involved, but your anger or your hatred,...

Paul’s Sister’s Son – Acts 23:12-22

Jan 19, 2015 | Acts

This evening, I would like to try to glean just a few more grapes from this spiritual vine. For the most part they will be merely a handful odds and ends – true gleanings. They revolve around this nameless young man. As Bro. Asmundson mentioned to me yesterday, First...

The Use and Misuse of Duty – Acts:23-22-35

Jan 19, 2015 | Acts

I mentioned last week how one thought leads to another and another in my mind. At that time I was talking about “foiled again” and then to using foils in competitive fencing. Not only does one thought lead to another, but so do sermons. Sunday evening’s...

Propensity for Prevarication – Acts 23:26-30

Jan 19, 2015 | Acts

This letter is an interesting example of basic human nature – basic, self-centered, sinful human nature. I’m forced to smile when I read it, but in fact, I probably shouldn’t. It says what it says, and it doesn’t take a genius or a mind-reader to understand it, but of...

Paul’s Last Departure – Acts 23:23-24; 31-35

Jan 19, 2015 | Acts

The city of Jerusalem is named 141 times in the New Testament. Even though about a quarter of those follow Acts 23, only a handful are direct historical/geographical references. In the next two chapters we hear the word “Jerusalem”, but they references TO...

The Accusation – Acts 24:1-9

Jan 19, 2015 | Acts

The New Testament refers to “lawyers” several times, and if we aren’t careful, we might picture those people the way that we picture lawyers today. We need to remember that the lawyers and scribes were the same people in the New Testament. And they were...

Demons, Deacons and Days – I Peter 5:8

Jan 19, 2015 | Lessons on Bible Trivia

The words “demon” and “demons” are found exactly (twenty-four; thirty-four; forty-four; fifty-four) times in the Bible. Never In the Old Testament words “the devil” are found exactly (four; thirty-four; forty-four; zero) times....