Acts 17 – 18
Verse 17:3 is something I understand but don’t at the same time:
explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.”
I understand the scriptural significance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, but that doesn’t mean I understand why. Why was it required to have a blood sacrifice to atone for a sin anyway? This has been part of rituals from many different diverse cultures, so God did not just say to Israel you must sacrifice. It’s difficult for me to understand this and why for example the Mayans practiced sacrifices also and often humans.
I guess I don’t understand why someone or something needs to suffer for my wrong doing. Although I don’t understand, I do accept this as reasoning for why Jesus died and they because of this we are redeemed. Again I have to mention weeping at the scene where they crucified Jesus, it was brutal what was done to an innocent man for us!
Verse 17:13 has me questioning why:
But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds.
They were in Berea, where the Jews were “more noble than those in Thessalonica,” teaching the Gospel and these men were making waves. Paul and Silas has just left Thessalonica with not much success, but apparently made enough of an impact to cause them to follow for taunting purposes. Strange that people would do that just to make their point.
Verse 18:6 is strange when you think about it:
And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
They are taking salvation serious, as should we. If you were to enter heaven and answer for each person in hell who we had intimate contact with and never shared the Gospel it would be an ugly sight for most of us. The only way we could have a clear conscious is if we told them and they rejected the offer. Honestly we all tend to play this salvation thing like a game when it is life and death for the salvation of everyone. If we looked at this like Paul where the only way “blood” would not be on our heads was if we professed the Gospel and they rejected, otherwise we would be charged with their eternal existence in hell.