When Paul and Barnabas heal a crippled man at Lystra while proclaiming the Gospel there, the miracle at first seems to backfire. By preaching in Lystra, they intended to turn the locals away from idolatry to the true worship of … Continue reading
acts of the apostles
Good Deeds
In today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we learn of the aftermath of Peter and John’s healing of the cripple in the Temple. Presumably for years, the cripple had been begging in the Temple, and finally Peter … Continue reading
Filled with the Spirit, Conformed to Christ
After the one who had betrayed Jesus died, the apostles gathered to choose someone to replace him, someone who had “accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism … Continue reading
Indeed You Love Truth in the Heart
The Acts of the Apostles recounts a startling run-in between the apostles and Ananias and Sapphira. Having sold property and presented the proceeds to the early Church community, the couple then failed to present all the proceeds and then lied … Continue reading
The Gamaliel Principle
It’s another swelteringly hot day in Jerusalem and many good Jews, on their way into the Temple for worship, stop for a break in the shade of Solomon’s Portico. There they find a group of men (twelve to be exact) … Continue reading