Stephen’s sermon is a tour de force of biblical interpretation. In response to charges raised by the Jewish leaders against him, he explained his claim that Jesus fulfilled the purposes of the law and the temple, thus casting Jewish laws and customs in a different light. First, Stephen reminded them of God’s promise to Abraham and how quickly his...

It is easy to read the story about Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 and be afraid that God might strike you dead if you aren’t generous enough. That’s not what’s going on here; this was a desire for the appearance of sacrificial giving and deceit to accomplish the look. God was not a passive character in this story;...

When a man and woman mutually agree to date for the purpose of getting to know one another, for a season it could appear that the two are inseparable. Their days are probably filled with text messages, phone calls, and many dates in between—some planned, others spontaneous. Whether they like it or not, the two of them occupy one...

Peter addressed his letter to a very specific audience: believers described as chosen people and also exiled people. In a world where those who are chosen, elected, and selected often reap the benefits of preferential treatment and due honor, it may seem odd that Peter associated being chosen with living as exiles. The word exile denotes that someone is an outsider...

With the first portion of John’s prologue speaking about the Word’s eternal divinity (“the Word was with God, and the Word was God”) and cosmic activity (“all things were created through him”; “that life was the light of men”), why is the middle portion concerned with John the Baptist (vv. 6-9)? The Old Testament pointed forward to a messenger...

In Acts 3, the man who was lame was passed by over and over again for years. Perhaps every so often, someone would stop and hand him a few coins. Maybe someone would even pray for him as they passed by while going into the temple. However, his life was riddled with constant helplessness and shame. Peter and John,...