Daily Devotional

Acts 17

Acts 17 contains the report of Paul’s second missionary journey to Thessalonica (1-9), Berea (10-15) and Athens (16-34). It is easy to get caught up in the travel details but don’t miss the real news.

His Motivation: Paul allowed the Holy Spirit to provoke his spirit and move him to places he had not planned to go (cf. 16:9-12).

His Method: He reasoned from the Scriptures; not his own opinions, speaking to anyone who was present, anywhere they gathered.

His Message: The only true God, our Creator, made us to seek and even “grope” for the Crucified and Risen Lord before He returns to judge all mankind.

The Negative Reactions: They formed mobs, accused them of upsetting the whole world, punished the new  converts, saw Paul as an “idle babbler,” proclaiming strange deities. Many were just professional listeners, not truth-seekers—religious worshipers but still very ignorant.

The Positive Responses: Some were immediately persuaded; others wanted to study further. Some wanted to hear more later; others received the word with eagerness. Some were delivered in all three places. The team heads off to Corinth and beyond (Ch. 18).

God is on the move, as much today as He was then. Is the Holy Spirit provoking us to minister in places we had not planned—or refuse—to go?

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