Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Acts 21:15-25. As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below. Let’s go!
Acts 21:15-25 (NIV)
15 After this, we got ready and went up to Jerusalem.
16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples.
17 When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers received us warmly.
On verses 15-20: Paul and his team finally reach Jerusalem. The Jerusalem church elders, including James, praise God after hearing Paul’s reports about what God did among the Gentiles through Paul’s ministry. However, while Paul was away from Jerusalem, a new concern had arisen for the Jerusalem church. According to the ancient historian Josephus, the mid 50s were a time of intense nationalism and anti-Roman sentiment among the Jewish people in Jerusalem, as evidenced by numerous revolts that the Jews launched against the Roman empire. Thus many Jews in Jerusalem did not like the idea that Paul was reaching non-Jewish people throughout the Roman empire.