I have to admit that I like reading The Bible; mostly for its wisdom and inspiration but also because I find that the wording and terminology are interesting and resonate, for some unknown reason, with me.
Phrases from today’s reading that stand out to me include the following: ‘I was praying and while in ecstasy’; ‘the Holy Spirit fell upon them’; ‘God has given repentance unto life’; ‘dispersed by the persecution’; ‘and the hand of the Lord was with them’; ‘believed and turned to the Lord’; ‘the king set hands on certain members of the Church’; and ‘but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’
The phrases resonate in my mind like a pin ball and hit a bumper that activates a light and a memory and invariably a question triggered by the expanse of time and what was then and what is now.
My memory is no longer crystal clear especially from the early days on my childhood. When I was a baby was I baptized in both water and The Holy Spirit? Or did The Holy Spirit come to me at my Confirmation? Should I be re-baptized via full immersion as an adult?
I do have a vision of walking out of the water complete and radiated with The Holy Spirit and continuing on completely as my Splendid Spiritual Self for the rest of my life and beyond to eternity.
I am aware that the various bibles translate and interpret the original Scriptures using different words. No interpretation or translation is perfect and absolutely correct with respect to original intention. I have and use the family Bible from my childhood.
Copyrighted by the Catholic Press, Inc. in 1950 and 1952, there is a handwritten ‘1952’ on the page where ‘presented to’ and ‘presented by’ were left blank. I think it was a gift to themselves and to our family by Mom and Dad. Most of the ‘Life of Our Family’ pages in the latter part have been filled out in my Mom’s handwriting.
I use this Bible because I like to think, actually I know that, it will reveal my whole spiritual life going back to my birth. I do utilize other Bible for translations along the way from time to time.
Spirituality and our Splendid Spiritual Selves are a growing entity.
I love reading the Acts of the Apostles mainly because I identify with their trials and tribulations in a secular world. Obviously to a much small degree in terms of intensity and life and death matters.
Though likely not in terms of the inward spiritual battles we all have and the quest for eternal life. After all the Apostles were human like us whereas Jesus was human too but of the divinity we all long for.
“And for a whole year they took part in meetings of the Church and taught a great multitude. And it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called “Christians.””
The disciples earned their stripes so to speak (another phrase that intrigues me in life that my father used), earned the right to be called “Christians.” It didn’t happen by being associated with Jesus but being disassociated from Jesus, on their own, sharing the Jesus legacy with the intent and objective to have others ‘believe and turn to the Lord’ as they had.
“Now at this time Herod the king set hands on certain members of the Church to persecute them. He killed James the brother of John with the sword, and seeing that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter…”
Death and imprisonment were the rewards for questioning the ways of those days. The persecution did not end with the death of Jesus rather it only had just begun.
But God, Jesus, and The Holy Spirit were more powerful and still are today even though it does not seem like it when you see the conflict there is among the nations and peoples of the world. Downright depressing.
The Good Guys (or Good Gals if you like) freed Peter from prison by miraculous means.
“When Herod had searched for him (Peter) and had not found him, he examined the guards and ordered them to be put to death…”
For some reason I remember a portion of the story that is not included here or maybe it was another imprisonment whereby Peter stayed imprisoned even though he was freed by an earthquake because he knew the fate of the guards were he to escape?
Yet it would not be the demise of Peter, it would be King Herod that would fall to the hands of The Almighty.
“…they (Tyrians and Sidonians) asked for peace, because their country depended on him (King Herod) for its food supply… And the people shouted, “It is the voice of a god, and not of man.” But immediately an angel of the Lord struck him (King Herod) down, because he had not given the honor to God; and he was eaten by worms, and died.”
Aren’t we all kings (and queens) in our own mind?
Better give the honor to God for all our blessings and fortune in life.
“But the word of the Lord continued to grow and spread…”
The Disciples of Christ carry The Word onward while King Herod perishes…
Day 118: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective; The Disciples of Christ Carry The Word Onward; King Herod Perishes…
Read and inspired by the New Testament, The Acts of The Apostles Chapters 11-12.
Bible Notes:
Saint Luke, the author of the third Gospel, wrote also this history of the primitive Church. Opening with the story of the Ascension and Pentecost, this book records the important events of the early Church: the mass conversions after Pentecost; the persecution by Herod; the conversion of Saint Paul; his three missionary journeys; his arrest and final trip to Rome
Acts Chapter 11: Many wonder about baptizing Gentiles; Peter’s explanation; Greek converts to Antioch; Alms sent to Christians in Judea.
…heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.
Then Peter began to explain… “I was praying… and while in ecstasy… And I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Arise, Peter, kill and eat.’ ‘What God has cleansed, do not thou call common.’ …and the Spirit bade me not to hesitate to go with them… But when I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, just as it did upon us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ Therefore, if God gave to them the same grace as he gave to us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that should be able to interfere with God? …Therefore to the Gentiles also God has given repentance unto life.”
Now those who had been dispersed by the persecution that had broken out over Stephen, went all the way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to none except to Jews only. But some of them were Cyprians and Cyreneans, who on reaching Antioch began to speak to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number, believed and turned to the Lord… Now when he (Barnabas) came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and exhorted them all to continue in the Lord with steadfast heart; for he was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith… And for a whole year they took part in meetings of the Church and taught a great multitude. And it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called “Christians.”
Some prophets from Jerusalem came down to Antioch, and one of them named Agabus got up and revealed through the Spirit that there would be a great famine all over the world. The famine occurred in the reign of Claudius. So the disciples, each according to his means, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. And this they did, sending it to the presbyters by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
Acts Chapter 12: Peter in prison; His liberation by an angel; The angel leaves him; Peter announces his deliverance; Herod orders the guards killed; Herod’s death; The growth of the Church.
Now at this time Herod the king set hands on certain members of the Church to persecute them. He killed James the brother of John with the sword, and seeing that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also, during the days of the Unleavened Bread (Passover)… So Peter was being kept in prison; but prayer was being made to God for him by the Church without ceasing.
And behold, an angel of the Lord stood beside him… saying, “Get up quickly.” The chains dropped from his hands. And the angel said to him, “Gird thyself and put on thy sandals.” And he did so; and he (the angel) said to him, “Wrap thy cloak about thee and follow me.”
And he followed him out, without knowing that what was being done by the angel was real, for he thought he was having a vision… and came to the iron gate that leads into the city; and this opened to them of its own accord… and straightaway the angel left him. The Peter came to himself, and he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent an angel and rescued me from the power of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”
When he realized his situation, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was surnamed Mark where many had gathered together and were praying…When he knocked on the outer door, a maid named Rhoda came to answer it… in her joy she did not unlock the gate… “Thou art mad”…. “It is his angel.”… But Peter kept knocking; and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. But he motioned to them with his hand to be quiet, and related how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell this to James ad to the brethren.” And he departed, and went to another place.
When Herod had searched for him (Peter) and had not found him, he examined the guards and ordered them to be put to death…
…they (Tyrians and Sidonians) asked for peace, because their country depended on him (King Herod) for its food supply… And the people shouted, “It is the voice of a god, and not of man.” But immediately an angel of the Lord struck him (King Herod) down, because he had not given the honor to God; and he was eaten by worms, and died.
But the word of the Lord continued to grow and spread. Now Barnabas and Saul, when they had fulfilled their mission, returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, who was surnamed Mark.
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