Today’s Readings – Wednesday of Week 5 of Easter - First Reading

Commentary on Acts 15:1-6

We begin today an account of the very first Church council. Scripture scholars find many conflicting difficulties in the structure of the narrative in chapter 15 of Acts. All these difficulties may be explained by supposing that Luke has combined two distinct controversies in one text, along with their varying solutions. Paul distinguishes them more clearly in chapter 2 of his letter to the Galatians. For our purposes here, we need not go into these textual problems.

As often is the case, the matter did not concern a central doctrine of faith, but a tradition. Two issues are going to come up:


Should gentile converts be obliged to observe the Jewish Law?
What should be done to assuage the mutual cultural sensitivities between gentile and Jewish members … Continue

Yesterday’s Readings – Tuesday of Week 5 of Easter - First Reading

Commentary on Acts 14:19-28

We come today to the final description of Paul’s and Barnabas’ first missionary journey. In the previous passage, they were in Lystra, and in the embarrassing situation of being taken for gods because of the cure of a paralysed man. But their glo … Continue