I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Acts 17-18.

    “While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city.” Are we troubled by the idols that are all around us in our society today? When Paul was in Athens he engaged the philosophers there in debate. He was not afraid of their ridicule. He presented his beliefs so that they invited him to speak to them at the equivalent to our modern Sunday morning news talk shows(Meet the Press, Face the Nation, This Week), except that more of the audience could respond to the speaker than with those shows. In response to Paul’s speaking there, some laughed at him for believing in the resurrection of the dead, some wanted to hear more, and some became believers. If we seek to preach the Good News of Jesus to those who do not yet believe, we will need to be willing to face ridicule from those who will refuse to believe.

    When Paul first arrived in Corinth he worked with Priscilla and Aquila as a tent-maker (or perhaps as a leatherworker). He went to the synagogues on the Sabbath and tried to convince those there that Jesus was the Messiah. After Silas and Timothy joined him in Corinth Paul spent all of his time preaching the Gospel. This is interesting because it suggests that Silas and/or Timothy did what was needed to support all of them once they arrived. While before that Paul worked to support himself. It is also interesting that it was after the arrival of Silas and Timothy that Paul had his falling out with the Jews of Corinth.