First observation: Bible translations tend to be pretty conservative when it comes to figurative language so when it reads "After we had torn ourselves away from them" at the beginning of verse 1, that tells me there's a pretty serious bond that's formed between the Ephesian leaders and Paul and his assistants. Pretty serious indeed.
Next: we've mentioned this before, but the inclusion of extraneous details like, "he had four unmarried daughters who prophesied" (v. 9) is pretty compelling evidence for the accuracy of the historical account. That detail doesn't seem to add much to the story -- certainly not the kind of item that someone would have included if the story was a fabrication made up many years later.
Finally: as Paul makes his way to Jerusalem, the trouble that he encounters there is eerily reminscent of the scene as Jesus is arrested and taken into custody. Mobs of people, mass confusion, accusations of blasphemy or false teaching, etc. And the chapter ending with Paul about the address the people has me on the edge of my seat. This book of Acts really does read like a great adventure story.
No comments:
Post a Comment