2/26/2008

The Duck-billed Platypus

The female duck-billed platypus does not nurse its young with nipples.

Think about it.

Priscilla and Aquila in Rome?

Romans 16:3-5 - Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. Greet also the church that meets at their house.

When we last heard of Priscilla and Aquila, they had traveled with Paul from Corinth to Ephesus and had apparently taken up residence there. Now it sounds like they might be living in Rome. If so, they were quite the travelers like Paul.

I wonder how big their house was. How big was the church (i.e. the congregation) that met there? How often did they meet?

2/18/2008

Who finds the money?

Acts 28:30-31 - For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

I wonder who paid the rent. For that matter, how did Paul get anything he needed to live? Did the Roman government handle it all, since Paul was under arrest? If so, then why does it say he was renting? Did Paul have to take up tent-making again to earn wages to pay the rent? Did the Christians support him in return for his preaching to them?

2/16/2008

Felix

Acts 24:24-25 - Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, "That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you."

I wonder what Felix was afraid of. I could guess that he was afraid of what Paul either already had discussed or was about to speak about -- something that made Felix realize his sin and the consequences of that sin, if he did not repent of it and change his ways.

I wonder if Paul knew something in particular about Felix that Felix didn't want others to hear, and so Felix stopped Paul's sermon just before he got to that part.

2/14/2008

Paul, the Egyptian?

Acts 21:37-38 - As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, "May I say something to you?"

"Do you speak Greek?" he replied. "Aren't you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the desert some time ago?"

Well, no, Paul wasn't that Egyptian. I wonder what made the commander think he was. Did he look Egyptian, as opposed to Jewish?

I wonder if we know from history who that Egyptian really was.

So terrorism is nothing new. I wonder what that Egyptian was planning to do with 4000 terrorists in the desert. I'm guessing that, whatever they had in mind, they didn't succeed, or we probably would have heard more about it even in the Bible -- assuming it would have had some effect on Jesus or his followers.

2/12/2008

A place to stay

Acts 21:1-8 - After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Cos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. Finding the disciples there, we stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. But when our time was up, we left and continued on our way. All the disciples and their wives and children accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. After saying good-by to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.

We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for a day. Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven.

I wonder how the travelers knew where the other Christians in each city lived. How easy was it to find them? Could you just ask anyone in the street? Did you get any information at the synagogue? (Assuming there was one and that you could find it.)
Did you check with the visitor's bureau? Even if these were smallish cities, it doesn't seem like that easy of a task.

2/11/2008

The plot

Acts 20:1-3 - When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said good-by and set out for Macedonia. He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, where he stayed three months. Because the Jews made a plot against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia.

What was the plot against Paul? Was it to kill him? Was it to imprison him? Was it to deport him? Was it supposed to be an ambush?

How many Jews were in on the plot? How did Paul, or his associates, find out about it? This has the feeling of a Tom Clancy novel about it. How did Paul's change of plans and direction foil the plot?

Obviously God had more work for Paul in Macedonia that was of a higher priority at the time than any work that might have been found in Syria just then.

2/10/2008

Artemis

Acts 19:23-41 - About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in no little business for the craftsmen. He called them together, along with the workmen in related trades, and said: "Men, you know we receive a good income from this business. And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all. There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited, and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty."

When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia, and rushed as one man into the theater. Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.

The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there. The Jews pushed Alexander to the front, and some of the crowd shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people. But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"

The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: "Men of Ephesus, doesn't all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to be quiet and not do anything rash. You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess. If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges. If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of today's events. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it." After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.

The whole city was in an uproar.
A large number of people (How many?) shouted for about 2 hours.
They were in danger of being charged with rioting.

So where were the police?

2/07/2008

50,000 drachmas

Acts 19:17-19 - When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.

First, an addendum to yesterday's post. Priscilla and Aquilla are still living in Ephesus when Apollos visits them at their home. It would seem that they settled down there for a while.

I wonder why they (other Ephesians) calculated the value of the stuff they were throwing into a fire. Was it for a tax write-off? Was it just because, as the scrolls kept coming in, someone realized that this was going to be a lot of valuable stuff (money-wise) and decided to see just how much it was worth out of curiosity?

Note that a drachma was about a day's wages. That means that the given value of the trash was about the same as 1 man's wages for 137 years. Or 10 men's wages for almost 14 years.

The point is that the things they once considered valuable now meant nothing and could be tossed into the flames.

I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.

2/06/2008

Paul, Priscilla, and Aquila

Acts 18:18-19 - Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchrea because of a vow he had taken. They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.

I wonder what Paul's vow was. What kind of solemn promise would you make that ends, "...I will cut off my hair."? I could speculate, but it's probably best not to.

I wonder if Priscilla and Aquila had a family. It seems that they didn't, since no children are mentioned and since they can apparently pick up shop and leave home quite easily. I wonder how long they stayed in Ephesus. Did they settle there permanently? Did they go back home to Corinth? Was Corinth even their original home?

They were tent makers. Was it easy to set up shop in a new town and start earning a living right away? Or did they have to find employment elsewhere for a time? Or was this just a vacation?

2/04/2008

Shall we gather at the river?

Acts 16:13 - On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there.

Perhaps my history education is just lacking, but I wonder why they expected to find a place of prayer down by the riverside. Was that a common place in many locales to pray? Or had they just heard something in town (Philippi) that led them to believe they'd find prayerful folk on the waterfront?

Why would people choose the river's edge as a place for prayer? If it was the only water source in the area, nearly everyone would need to go there daily. If not, then why?

2/02/2008

Shaking off the dust

Acts 13:49-51 - The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. But the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium.

I wonder what kinds of things the unbelieving Jews told the prominent people of the city that caused the expulsion of Paul and Barnabas. I wonder if it's the same types of complaints, slanders, lies, and other arguments that are used today when and wherever the Gospel is opposed. There's nothing new under the sun, you know.