Bible Study: Acts 17-18

These chapters continue and conclude Paul’s second missionary journey, and begin his third. To list the places he travels in just these two chapters is impressive: Amphipolis, Apollonia, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth, Syria, Cenchreae, Ephesus, Caesarea, Galatia, Phrygia (another apostle, Apollos, goes to Achaia). We have stories here from some of these locations, and epistles in the New Testament addressed to the churches which are started there (Thessalonians, Corinthians, Ephesians, and Galatians).

Now traveling with Silas rather than with Barnabas, Paul still begins his foray into a new city at the synagogue, proclaiming Jesus among the Jews. He emphasizes that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and die and be raised again (17:3, 31). However, Jewish scholars note that this necessity of suffering and resurrection of the Messiah is not present in Jewish scripture or tradition.¹ Paul seems to be shaping his message away from traditional understandings of Hebrew scripture to align it more closely with his own contemporary experience of the resurrected Christ. He continues to shape the message contextually as he travels, not talking about scripture at all when he comes to a pagan center in Athens, but citing their own philosophers to make his point about what God is doing in Christ (17:28). Paul appeals to their understanding of nature to demonstrate how the one God of Israel has power over all of nature. Is this an appropriate use of natural science? Of religion? Is Paul being manipulative, and is that acceptable? Do you think his argument makes sense, and does he go far enough into religion?

Acts reports varying success for Paul: sometimes people believe, sometimes they do not; sometimes they actively resist him, sometimes they ignore, sometimes they follow. But God encourages Paul in a vision: there are many of my people here, keep speaking, do not be silent! (18:9-10) Do you think “many of my people here” means there are many whom God has chosen to receive the preaching of Paul, so he must keep going and find them; or that, because many of God’s people are in the city, no harm will come to Paul? Various translations make both options possible. What does this say for us as church? Are you encouraged to keep telling the story, not knowing who might be interested? Why do we sometimes assume that everyone already knows about Jesus and has decided whether or not to follow him? And why do we equate that with being a member of a congregation? Must they go together?

Acts is persistent about women being converted and in leadership as these pre-church groups begin to gather (16:14-15, 17:4, 17:12, 17:34, 18:18, 18:26). How can we reconcile that with 1 Timothy 2:11-12, in which women are expressly forbidden to teach or preach? Does it matter whether or not 1 Timothy was actually written by Paul? How can two opposing views be found in scripture, which are relatively close together in terms of timing?

The center of operations in Corinth is relocated when Paul has enough of Jewish opposition. (Again, some Jews believe, some oppose.) Paul will continue to interact with Jews, preaching in synagogues, but in this case he relocates to a Gentile home (18:6). The story of Jesus only makes sense “within the context of the hopes of Israel”², so the connection between Jewish and Christian must not, and cannot, be severed, even if the focus is on a Gentile audience. Given the importance of Hebrew scripture for understanding Jesus, how do you think the bias against the Old Testament, held by some Christians, began? How do we reinforce that? When Paul or we are speaking to someone who knows nothing about Hebrew scriptures, how do we begin?

Our guiding questions:

1.     What is God doing?

2.     What are the people doing?

3.     What do we learn as church?

1. Levine, Amy Jill and Mark Zvi Brettler, eds. The Jewish Annotated New Testament. NY: Oxford, 2011. 232

2. Willimon, William H. Acts. Atlanta, John Knox Press, 1988. 146