New Glasgow Christian ChurchIn our passage this week, Paul and Barnabas are called by the Holy Spirit to go on a mission together to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. The concept of “calling” raises so many questions…Does every Christian have a calling? How specific is a “call”? Is “calling” only related to full-time ministry?
This week, we address these questions by using the scriptural witness as our guide
Our text in Acts 12 is a bit of a diversion from the main narrative but has a powerful message about the character of God. Herod found out the hard way that our God is a jealous God who always seeks to protect His honour.
Peter’s supernatural escape from prison recorded in Acts 12 can be an inspiration to those of us who deal with the less tangible but very real imprisonments of chronic oppression. God wants His children to know freedom. What we learn about God from Peter’s jail break should give us hope.
One of the early tests of the diversity of the early church was the need to respond to a period famine in Judea that was impoverishing the church in Jerusalem. The response in Antioch was similar to many of the fledgling churches springing up around the Mediterranean. The original church in Jerusalem would have largely been ethnically Jewish and the new churches largely Gentile. The strength of their commonality in Christ would prove to overcome ethnic differences, result in a generous response, and leave important lessons for the church today.
