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?

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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?

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?

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.

Peter and the angel

Acts 12:6-10 - The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. "Quick, get up!" he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists.

Then the angel said to him, "Put on your clothes and sandals." And Peter did so. "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me," the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.

I can understand (sort of) how Peter and the angel could have been invisible to the guards as they walked by. I wonder though if those who were watching the gate -- and surely there would have been guards at the gate -- could see the gate open apparently of its own accord.

I wonder too if someone had to quietly pull it shut later (before anyone important noticed), or if it closed by itself too.

Cornelius the centurion

Acts 10:1-2 - At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.

I wonder whether Cornelius became a God-fearing man before or after he became a centurion. Or for that matter, before or after he became a Roman soldier. Either way, it may very well have been very difficult at times to be both God-fearing and a centurion. The point is though that it was possible.

The grapevine?

Acts 9:11-14 - The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight."

"Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name."

I wonder how Ananias knew what Saul had done in preparation for his journey to Damascus. Was there a Christian grapevine running between Jerusalem and Damascus? Someone either in the chief priests' company or in Saul's own camp must have leaked the information to Jesus' disciples, and they must have quickly passed it on to those Christians in Damascus.

I wonder if Nicodemus or Joseph of Arimathea had anything to do with this.

Philip appears

Acts 8:40 - Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

I wonder if anyone saw Philip arrive or materialize, as the case may be.

I wonder what the trip was like. Could Philip remember it? Did he ever try to describe it to anyone? Was it describable?

Philip leaves

Acts 8:39 - When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.

I wonder if the eunuch actually saw Philip being taken away. Did he float off into the distance until he was too small to see? Did he dissolve or vanish on the spot? Or did the eunuch turn around and Philip simply wasn't there anymore? Did anyone else in the caravan see him go?

I wonder if Philip's removal was a surprise to anyone in the party. Perhaps it was more surprising to some than to others. It certainly would have been an interesting addition to the story that would be told when they all got home.

I wonder how many travelers were in the troupe -- and how many times they got to tell the story.

Philip sits

Acts 8:30-31 - Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked.

"How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

I wonder how big this chariot was. There was room for at least two men to sit. The chariot had probably stopped moving. Were they sitting on the back edge of a Ben Hur racing style chariot? Was there still a driver aboard? Was this a fancier chariot? This was, after all, the vehicle used for long journeys by an important queen's treasurer. Was it perhaps even enclosed, looking more like a stagecoach? Was it cushioned? Did it have (real) gold trim with jewels?

Philip listens

Acts 8:30 - Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked.

I wonder why the eunuch was reading aloud. Most people read silently to themselves unless they're reading to someone. Was the eunuch reading to someone else in his company? Was it just his custom to read aloud all the time? Was he trying to teach someone or to learn from them in turn through his own reading?

Peter heals

Acts 3:1-10 - One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

I wonder who brought the crippled man to his begging place every day. Friends? Relatives? Owners?

I wonder if Peter and John were just a little surprised that they could do miracles. Peter seemed very confident, as well he should have been and needed to be. Yet, being human only -- and not the God-man that Jesus is -- I still wonder if later they thought, "Wow! Jesus was right again; we can do miracles!"