Thursday, November 20, 2014

I was recently drawn again to a portion in the Bible I’ve often reflected on, Acts 20:17-21:1. Before I set out to study these verses I was reminded of something to always keep in mind when studying the Bible – context, context, context. Let me explain. To understand any portion you need to remember it is part of a bigger context. Understanding the bigger context will help you understand the immediate context of the portion you want to study. Then you need to remember, you bring to the study your own context or perspective. Acts 20:17 and following is about Paul meeting with the elders of the church of Ephesus, which was in the province then known as Asia in the larger territory now known as Turkey. Paul wanted to reach this province early in his second missionary journey but the Holy Spirit kept him from doing this and led him and his team further west. Toward the end of this journey he visited Ephesus, accompanied by Aquilla and Priscilla. They had met in Corinth and Paul possibly led them to trust in Jesus. At any rate, together they became founders of the church in Corinth as recorded in Acts 18. Paul only spent one or two weeks in Ephesus at this time. He found some in the synagogue who seemed interested in his message. They wanted him to stay, but he was led to move on. He promised them he would return if God willed it. Aquilla and Priscilla remained and became a presence for those interested in Christ to associate with. It was a small beginning of what would become a prominent church in the first century.