Paul returns to Macedonia
1 ① After the uproar died down, Paul called his disciples together to encourage them. Then he said goodbye and set out on his journey to Macedonia. 2He traveled through out those regions and spent himself in speaking and encouraging them. He finally arrived in Greece.
3When he had been there for three months, he wanted to set sail for Syria, but as the Jews were plotting against him, he decided to return by way of Macedonia. 4When he was about to leave for the Asian province, some companions went with him, Sopater, son of Pyrrhus, from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia. 5 ② So they went ahead and waited for us in Troas, 6while we set sail from Philippi as soon as the festival of Unleavened Bread was over. Five days later we joined them in Troas where we spent a week.
The Eucharist at Troas
7 ③ On the first day of the week we were together for the breaking of the bread, and Paul, who intended to leave the following day, spoke at length. The discourse went on until midnight, 8with many lamps burning in the upstairs room where we were gathered. A young man named Eutychius was sitting on the window ledge, 9and as Paul kept on talking, Eutychius grew more and more sleepy, until he finally went sound asleep and fell from the third floor to the ground. There they found him dead.
10Paul went down, bent over him and took him in his arms. “Do not be alarmed,” he said, “there is life in him.” 11Then he went back upstairs, broke the bread and ate. After that he kept on talking with them for a long time until daybreak and then he left. 12As for the young man, they lifted him up alive and were greatly comforted.
13We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were to pick up Paul. This was the arrangement since Paul intended to travel by foot. 14In fact, we met him at Assos and taking him aboard, we went on to Mitylene. 15We sailed from there and arrived off Chios the next day. A day later we came to Samos and the following day we reached Miletus. 16Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so as not to lose time in Asia, for he was eager to reach Jerusalem by the day of Pentecost, if at all possible.
Paul’s farewell to the Ephesian elders
17 ④ From Miletus Paul sent word to Ephesus, summoning the elders of the Church. 18When they came to him, he addressed them, “You know how I lived among you from the first day I set foot in the province of Asia, 19how I served the Lord in humility through the sorrows and trials that the Jews caused me. 20You know that I never held back from doing anything that could be useful for you; I spoke publicly and in your homes 21and I urged Jews and non-Jews alike to turn to God and believe in our Lord Jesus.
22But now I am going to Jerusalem, chained by the Spirit, without knowing what will happen to me there. 23Yet in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that imprisonment and troubles await me. 24Indeed I put no value on my life, if only I can finish my race and complete the service to which I have been assigned by the Lord Jesus, to announce the good news of God’s grace.
25I now feel sure that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom of God will ever see me again. 26Therefore I declare to you this day that my conscience is clear with regard to all of you. 27 ⑤ For I have spared no effort in fully declaring to you God’s will.
28Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock the Holy Spirit has placed into your care. Shepherd the Church of the Lord that he has won at the price of his own blood. 29I know that after I leave, ruthless wolves will come among you and not spare the flock. 30And from among you, some will arise corrupting the truth and inducing the disciples to follow them.
31Be on the watch, therefore, remembering that for three years, night and day, I did not cease to warn every one even with tears. 32Now I commend you to God and to his grace-filled word, which is able to make you grow and gain the inheritance that you shall share with all the saints.
33I have not looked for anyone’s silver, gold or clothing. 34You yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided for both my needs and the needs of those who were with me. 35In every way I have shown you that by so working hard one must help the weak, remembering the words that the Lord Jesus himself said, ‘Happiness lies more in giving than in receiving.’”
36After this discourse, Paul knelt down with them and prayed. 37Then they all began to weep and threw their arms around him and kissed him. 38They were deeply distressed because he had said that they would never see him again. And they went with him even to the ship.
- Acts 20,1 Paul remained two and a half years in Ephesus, and some details in his letters let us see that Luke's account is very incomplete. The greater part of Paul's activity is not mentioned, in particular the evangelization of the neighboring towns of Ephesus by a team of his assistants: see the Introduction to Ephesians. Paul had much to suffer, and was perhaps imprisoned (Introduction to the Philippians). It was at this time that he wrote his letter to the Galatians and the First Letter to the Corinthians. Paul goes to Macedonia (where Thessalonica is located) and to Greece (where he spends some time in Corinth). There in Corinth, as he perseveres with his plan to go to Rome, he writes to the Romans. Acts 20,5 Paul goes up to Jerusalem, and manifestations of the Spirit follow. Paul is warned that he should not go, and this happens when he himself leaves chained by the Spirit (20:22) which means without the possibility of making any other decision. It is the right moment to see how the Spirit of God is one with the spirit of the person he inspires: those who warn Paul know and declare that he will meet with trouble and they would not want it. Paul knows and he wants it. Today, such manifestations are not part of the ordinary experience of Christians, with the exception of certain charismatic groups. Yet on looking into the subject it would seem that many people do receive such warnings but attach little importance to them. The Spirit passes through our spirit as does light through thick colored glass and takes its color. Many manifestations that certain people seek are current mainly in primitive religions, even the non-Christian: must we take it that they are the most desirable religious experiences? However, if the Spirit of God wills to use our parapsychological senses to let us feel his presence in this firmly closed fortress that we call our own self and where we pretend to be the only rulers, Praise the Lord! Alleluia. Let him have us speak in tongues, laugh and cry, if such breaks the ice and opens the doors of our reason that has already seemingly known everything. A good number of Christians make fun of such happenings. They are free to believe or not: there are so many illusions and much charlatanism. All they have to do is to ask themselves whether or not they are systematically denying any divine manifestation in a world we believe we know well, through human experience. If God no longer has the right to intervene in a world given up to reason and the laws of science, how can there be a true and trustful communion with him? That is important. Whoever renounces and gives self to God sees the Spirit becoming more and more active in her life, not through visions and marvels, but through silent inspiration. This becomes so habitual that a person cannot live without it and knows through experience that the inner inspiration is right even though reason suggests another way of acting. Such a person mistrusts her own projects and follows this spiritual instinct. The primitive Church had its prophets, but always wanted community discernment to judge whether it was truly God's Spirit (1 Cor 14:29; 1 Thes 5:21; 1 Jn 4:1-3). The Bible already spoke of prophets who spoke without being sent, or dreamed what they wanted to dream (Jer 29:16). The account of the journey helps us to get an idea of how these first communities welcomed brothers and sisters from other parts at a time when communication was limited. Besides, would there have been a eucharistic celebration with these foreigners without at least asking about themselves and their Church? It was quite different when apostles or prophets were passing by for then they were granted manifestations of the Spirit, with a more developed knowledge of the Word, as well as news of the universal Church. Acts 20,7 Luke tells us that the eucharist took place on the day after the sabbath - already our Sunday: the Christians had separated from the Jews, replacing the sabbath with the following day, the first day of the week, the day of Jesus' resurrection. Doing so they were putting on their calendar the major event of their faith. Naturally they meet in a home and this is the beginning of the Christian gathering. They share instruction and reflection, concluding with thanksgiving (or eucharist) and communion with the body of the Lord. Each one could speak, and Paul as prophet and apostle had a good deal to say, prepared or inspired. What might have been Paul's long discourse? He read and interpreted texts from the Scripture which were referring to Jesus; he gave witness of his own commitment to Christ; he related the many happenings in his mission when the Spirit of Christ was at work. This part of the celebration could be prolonged: the prophets, even Paul, tend at times to overdo it, but they could not separate without ending with the breaking of bread, the Eucharist. With the unlucky fall of one of the youth and the intervention of Paul, the participants witness God's power over death (see 10:36). Acts 20,17 The Christians of Jewish origin praise Paul when he gets to Jerusalem but, at the same time, they humiliate him. There is a rumor among them that Paul, besides not imposing the Judaic Law on Christian converts from paganism, also suggests that the Jews abandon the Law. They asked him to prove his fidelity to the past by becoming godfather to a few believers who had made a fairly costly vow - because if Paul had come from the Greeks, he would have money and could pay well! Those who insist are the elders working with James the brother of the Lord: all are Jews from Palestine who, in spite of their faith, are still attached to the customs of the Old Testament. They point out the importance of the Jerusalem community: thousands of Jews in order to make their demands respected. They may still have been more numerous than the Christians in the pagan world: this was the inheritance of the past. Paul accepts for the sake of peace, but it will be his downfall. Acts 20,27 There are several similarities between Paul's arrest and Stephen's a few years before (see 6:9). The Jews from Asia draw up several accusations: the most serious one being that Paul brought an uncircumcised man into the Temple; this profanation was punishable by death. This is the man who is spreading his teaching everywhere against our people, our law and this Sanctuary. There were similar accusations against Christ and Stephen. This is a false accusation. Nevertheless, the Jews are not totally wrong: through his teachings, Paul forms Christians who replace the Temple worship with faith in Christ; they replace the Law with a life of obedience to the Spirit and Jewish nationalism with universal Christian community. The Roman troops occupying Jerusalem and seeking order were stationed in a fortress adjacent to the Temple and overlooking it. Thanks to this, the soldiers were able to intervene before Paul met the same fate as Stephen.
- Acts 20,1 Paul remained two and a half years in Ephesus, and some details in his letters let us see that Luke's account is very incomplete. The greater part of Paul's activity is not mentioned, in particular the evangelization of the neighboring towns of Ephesus by a team of his assistants: see the Introduction to Ephesians. Paul had much to suffer, and was perhaps imprisoned (Introduction to the Philippians). It was at this time that he wrote his letter to the Galatians and the First Letter to the Corinthians. Paul goes to Macedonia (where Thessalonica is located) and to Greece (where he spends some time in Corinth). There in Corinth, as he perseveres with his plan to go to Rome, he writes to the Romans. Acts 20,5 Paul goes up to Jerusalem, and manifestations of the Spirit follow. Paul is warned that he should not go, and this happens when he himself leaves chained by the Spirit (20:22) which means without the possibility of making any other decision. It is the right moment to see how the Spirit of God is one with the spirit of the person he inspires: those who warn Paul know and declare that he will meet with trouble and they would not want it. Paul knows and he wants it. Today, such manifestations are not part of the ordinary experience of Christians, with the exception of certain charismatic groups. Yet on looking into the subject it would seem that many people do receive such warnings but attach little importance to them. The Spirit passes through our spirit as does light through thick colored glass and takes its color. Many manifestations that certain people seek are current mainly in primitive religions, even the non-Christian: must we take it that they are the most desirable religious experiences? However, if the Spirit of God wills to use our parapsychological senses to let us feel his presence in this firmly closed fortress that we call our own self and where we pretend to be the only rulers, Praise the Lord! Alleluia. Let him have us speak in tongues, laugh and cry, if such breaks the ice and opens the doors of our reason that has already seemingly known everything. A good number of Christians make fun of such happenings. They are free to believe or not: there are so many illusions and much charlatanism. All they have to do is to ask themselves whether or not they are systematically denying any divine manifestation in a world we believe we know well, through human experience. If God no longer has the right to intervene in a world given up to reason and the laws of science, how can there be a true and trustful communion with him? That is important. Whoever renounces and gives self to God sees the Spirit becoming more and more active in her life, not through visions and marvels, but through silent inspiration. This becomes so habitual that a person cannot live without it and knows through experience that the inner inspiration is right even though reason suggests another way of acting. Such a person mistrusts her own projects and follows this spiritual instinct. The primitive Church had its prophets, but always wanted community discernment to judge whether it was truly God's Spirit (1 Cor 14:29; 1 Thes 5:21; 1 Jn 4:1-3). The Bible already spoke of prophets who spoke without being sent, or dreamed what they wanted to dream (Jer 29:16). The account of the journey helps us to get an idea of how these first communities welcomed brothers and sisters from other parts at a time when communication was limited. Besides, would there have been a eucharistic celebration with these foreigners without at least asking about themselves and their Church? It was quite different when apostles or prophets were passing by for then they were granted manifestations of the Spirit, with a more developed knowledge of the Word, as well as news of the universal Church. Acts 20,7 Luke tells us that the eucharist took place on the day after the sabbath - already our Sunday: the Christians had separated from the Jews, replacing the sabbath with the following day, the first day of the week, the day of Jesus' resurrection. Doing so they were putting on their calendar the major event of their faith. Naturally they meet in a home and this is the beginning of the Christian gathering. They share instruction and reflection, concluding with thanksgiving (or eucharist) and communion with the body of the Lord. Each one could speak, and Paul as prophet and apostle had a good deal to say, prepared or inspired. What might have been Paul's long discourse? He read and interpreted texts from the Scripture which were referring to Jesus; he gave witness of his own commitment to Christ; he related the many happenings in his mission when the Spirit of Christ was at work. This part of the celebration could be prolonged: the prophets, even Paul, tend at times to overdo it, but they could not separate without ending with the breaking of bread, the Eucharist. With the unlucky fall of one of the youth and the intervention of Paul, the participants witness God's power over death (see 10:36). Acts 20,17 The Christians of Jewish origin praise Paul when he gets to Jerusalem but, at the same time, they humiliate him. There is a rumor among them that Paul, besides not imposing the Judaic Law on Christian converts from paganism, also suggests that the Jews abandon the Law. They asked him to prove his fidelity to the past by becoming godfather to a few believers who had made a fairly costly vow - because if Paul had come from the Greeks, he would have money and could pay well! Those who insist are the elders working with James the brother of the Lord: all are Jews from Palestine who, in spite of their faith, are still attached to the customs of the Old Testament. They point out the importance of the Jerusalem community: thousands of Jews in order to make their demands respected. They may still have been more numerous than the Christians in the pagan world: this was the inheritance of the past. Paul accepts for the sake of peace, but it will be his downfall. Acts 20,27 There are several similarities between Paul's arrest and Stephen's a few years before (see 6:9). The Jews from Asia draw up several accusations: the most serious one being that Paul brought an uncircumcised man into the Temple; this profanation was punishable by death. This is the man who is spreading his teaching everywhere against our people, our law and this Sanctuary. There were similar accusations against Christ and Stephen. This is a false accusation. Nevertheless, the Jews are not totally wrong: through his teachings, Paul forms Christians who replace the Temple worship with faith in Christ; they replace the Law with a life of obedience to the Spirit and Jewish nationalism with universal Christian community. The Roman troops occupying Jerusalem and seeking order were stationed in a fortress adjacent to the Temple and overlooking it. Thanks to this, the soldiers were able to intervene before Paul met the same fate as Stephen.
- Acts 20,1 Paul remained two and a half years in Ephesus, and some details in his letters let us see that Luke's account is very incomplete. The greater part of Paul's activity is not mentioned, in particular the evangelization of the neighboring towns of Ephesus by a team of his assistants: see the Introduction to Ephesians. Paul had much to suffer, and was perhaps imprisoned (Introduction to the Philippians). It was at this time that he wrote his letter to the Galatians and the First Letter to the Corinthians. Paul goes to Macedonia (where Thessalonica is located) and to Greece (where he spends some time in Corinth). There in Corinth, as he perseveres with his plan to go to Rome, he writes to the Romans. Acts 20,5 Paul goes up to Jerusalem, and manifestations of the Spirit follow. Paul is warned that he should not go, and this happens when he himself leaves chained by the Spirit (20:22) which means without the possibility of making any other decision. It is the right moment to see how the Spirit of God is one with the spirit of the person he inspires: those who warn Paul know and declare that he will meet with trouble and they would not want it. Paul knows and he wants it. Today, such manifestations are not part of the ordinary experience of Christians, with the exception of certain charismatic groups. Yet on looking into the subject it would seem that many people do receive such warnings but attach little importance to them. The Spirit passes through our spirit as does light through thick colored glass and takes its color. Many manifestations that certain people seek are current mainly in primitive religions, even the non-Christian: must we take it that they are the most desirable religious experiences? However, if the Spirit of God wills to use our parapsychological senses to let us feel his presence in this firmly closed fortress that we call our own self and where we pretend to be the only rulers, Praise the Lord! Alleluia. Let him have us speak in tongues, laugh and cry, if such breaks the ice and opens the doors of our reason that has already seemingly known everything. A good number of Christians make fun of such happenings. They are free to believe or not: there are so many illusions and much charlatanism. All they have to do is to ask themselves whether or not they are systematically denying any divine manifestation in a world we believe we know well, through human experience. If God no longer has the right to intervene in a world given up to reason and the laws of science, how can there be a true and trustful communion with him? That is important. Whoever renounces and gives self to God sees the Spirit becoming more and more active in her life, not through visions and marvels, but through silent inspiration. This becomes so habitual that a person cannot live without it and knows through experience that the inner inspiration is right even though reason suggests another way of acting. Such a person mistrusts her own projects and follows this spiritual instinct. The primitive Church had its prophets, but always wanted community discernment to judge whether it was truly God's Spirit (1 Cor 14:29; 1 Thes 5:21; 1 Jn 4:1-3). The Bible already spoke of prophets who spoke without being sent, or dreamed what they wanted to dream (Jer 29:16). The account of the journey helps us to get an idea of how these first communities welcomed brothers and sisters from other parts at a time when communication was limited. Besides, would there have been a eucharistic celebration with these foreigners without at least asking about themselves and their Church? It was quite different when apostles or prophets were passing by for then they were granted manifestations of the Spirit, with a more developed knowledge of the Word, as well as news of the universal Church. Acts 20,7 Luke tells us that the eucharist took place on the day after the sabbath - already our Sunday: the Christians had separated from the Jews, replacing the sabbath with the following day, the first day of the week, the day of Jesus' resurrection. Doing so they were putting on their calendar the major event of their faith. Naturally they meet in a home and this is the beginning of the Christian gathering. They share instruction and reflection, concluding with thanksgiving (or eucharist) and communion with the body of the Lord. Each one could speak, and Paul as prophet and apostle had a good deal to say, prepared or inspired. What might have been Paul's long discourse? He read and interpreted texts from the Scripture which were referring to Jesus; he gave witness of his own commitment to Christ; he related the many happenings in his mission when the Spirit of Christ was at work. This part of the celebration could be prolonged: the prophets, even Paul, tend at times to overdo it, but they could not separate without ending with the breaking of bread, the Eucharist. With the unlucky fall of one of the youth and the intervention of Paul, the participants witness God's power over death (see 10:36). Acts 20,17 The Christians of Jewish origin praise Paul when he gets to Jerusalem but, at the same time, they humiliate him. There is a rumor among them that Paul, besides not imposing the Judaic Law on Christian converts from paganism, also suggests that the Jews abandon the Law. They asked him to prove his fidelity to the past by becoming godfather to a few believers who had made a fairly costly vow - because if Paul had come from the Greeks, he would have money and could pay well! Those who insist are the elders working with James the brother of the Lord: all are Jews from Palestine who, in spite of their faith, are still attached to the customs of the Old Testament. They point out the importance of the Jerusalem community: thousands of Jews in order to make their demands respected. They may still have been more numerous than the Christians in the pagan world: this was the inheritance of the past. Paul accepts for the sake of peace, but it will be his downfall. Acts 20,27 There are several similarities between Paul's arrest and Stephen's a few years before (see 6:9). The Jews from Asia draw up several accusations: the most serious one being that Paul brought an uncircumcised man into the Temple; this profanation was punishable by death. This is the man who is spreading his teaching everywhere against our people, our law and this Sanctuary. There were similar accusations against Christ and Stephen. This is a false accusation. Nevertheless, the Jews are not totally wrong: through his teachings, Paul forms Christians who replace the Temple worship with faith in Christ; they replace the Law with a life of obedience to the Spirit and Jewish nationalism with universal Christian community. The Roman troops occupying Jerusalem and seeking order were stationed in a fortress adjacent to the Temple and overlooking it. Thanks to this, the soldiers were able to intervene before Paul met the same fate as Stephen.
- Acts 20,1 Paul remained two and a half years in Ephesus, and some details in his letters let us see that Luke's account is very incomplete. The greater part of Paul's activity is not mentioned, in particular the evangelization of the neighboring towns of Ephesus by a team of his assistants: see the Introduction to Ephesians. Paul had much to suffer, and was perhaps imprisoned (Introduction to the Philippians). It was at this time that he wrote his letter to the Galatians and the First Letter to the Corinthians. Paul goes to Macedonia (where Thessalonica is located) and to Greece (where he spends some time in Corinth). There in Corinth, as he perseveres with his plan to go to Rome, he writes to the Romans. Acts 20,5 Paul goes up to Jerusalem, and manifestations of the Spirit follow. Paul is warned that he should not go, and this happens when he himself leaves chained by the Spirit (20:22) which means without the possibility of making any other decision. It is the right moment to see how the Spirit of God is one with the spirit of the person he inspires: those who warn Paul know and declare that he will meet with trouble and they would not want it. Paul knows and he wants it. Today, such manifestations are not part of the ordinary experience of Christians, with the exception of certain charismatic groups. Yet on looking into the subject it would seem that many people do receive such warnings but attach little importance to them. The Spirit passes through our spirit as does light through thick colored glass and takes its color. Many manifestations that certain people seek are current mainly in primitive religions, even the non-Christian: must we take it that they are the most desirable religious experiences? However, if the Spirit of God wills to use our parapsychological senses to let us feel his presence in this firmly closed fortress that we call our own self and where we pretend to be the only rulers, Praise the Lord! Alleluia. Let him have us speak in tongues, laugh and cry, if such breaks the ice and opens the doors of our reason that has already seemingly known everything. A good number of Christians make fun of such happenings. They are free to believe or not: there are so many illusions and much charlatanism. All they have to do is to ask themselves whether or not they are systematically denying any divine manifestation in a world we believe we know well, through human experience. If God no longer has the right to intervene in a world given up to reason and the laws of science, how can there be a true and trustful communion with him? That is important. Whoever renounces and gives self to God sees the Spirit becoming more and more active in her life, not through visions and marvels, but through silent inspiration. This becomes so habitual that a person cannot live without it and knows through experience that the inner inspiration is right even though reason suggests another way of acting. Such a person mistrusts her own projects and follows this spiritual instinct. The primitive Church had its prophets, but always wanted community discernment to judge whether it was truly God's Spirit (1 Cor 14:29; 1 Thes 5:21; 1 Jn 4:1-3). The Bible already spoke of prophets who spoke without being sent, or dreamed what they wanted to dream (Jer 29:16). The account of the journey helps us to get an idea of how these first communities welcomed brothers and sisters from other parts at a time when communication was limited. Besides, would there have been a eucharistic celebration with these foreigners without at least asking about themselves and their Church? It was quite different when apostles or prophets were passing by for then they were granted manifestations of the Spirit, with a more developed knowledge of the Word, as well as news of the universal Church. Acts 20,7 Luke tells us that the eucharist took place on the day after the sabbath - already our Sunday: the Christians had separated from the Jews, replacing the sabbath with the following day, the first day of the week, the day of Jesus' resurrection. Doing so they were putting on their calendar the major event of their faith. Naturally they meet in a home and this is the beginning of the Christian gathering. They share instruction and reflection, concluding with thanksgiving (or eucharist) and communion with the body of the Lord. Each one could speak, and Paul as prophet and apostle had a good deal to say, prepared or inspired. What might have been Paul's long discourse? He read and interpreted texts from the Scripture which were referring to Jesus; he gave witness of his own commitment to Christ; he related the many happenings in his mission when the Spirit of Christ was at work. This part of the celebration could be prolonged: the prophets, even Paul, tend at times to overdo it, but they could not separate without ending with the breaking of bread, the Eucharist. With the unlucky fall of one of the youth and the intervention of Paul, the participants witness God's power over death (see 10:36). Acts 20,17 The Christians of Jewish origin praise Paul when he gets to Jerusalem but, at the same time, they humiliate him. There is a rumor among them that Paul, besides not imposing the Judaic Law on Christian converts from paganism, also suggests that the Jews abandon the Law. They asked him to prove his fidelity to the past by becoming godfather to a few believers who had made a fairly costly vow - because if Paul had come from the Greeks, he would have money and could pay well! Those who insist are the elders working with James the brother of the Lord: all are Jews from Palestine who, in spite of their faith, are still attached to the customs of the Old Testament. They point out the importance of the Jerusalem community: thousands of Jews in order to make their demands respected. They may still have been more numerous than the Christians in the pagan world: this was the inheritance of the past. Paul accepts for the sake of peace, but it will be his downfall. Acts 20,27 There are several similarities between Paul's arrest and Stephen's a few years before (see 6:9). The Jews from Asia draw up several accusations: the most serious one being that Paul brought an uncircumcised man into the Temple; this profanation was punishable by death. This is the man who is spreading his teaching everywhere against our people, our law and this Sanctuary. There were similar accusations against Christ and Stephen. This is a false accusation. Nevertheless, the Jews are not totally wrong: through his teachings, Paul forms Christians who replace the Temple worship with faith in Christ; they replace the Law with a life of obedience to the Spirit and Jewish nationalism with universal Christian community. The Roman troops occupying Jerusalem and seeking order were stationed in a fortress adjacent to the Temple and overlooking it. Thanks to this, the soldiers were able to intervene before Paul met the same fate as Stephen.
- Acts 20,1 Paul remained two and a half years in Ephesus, and some details in his letters let us see that Luke's account is very incomplete. The greater part of Paul's activity is not mentioned, in particular the evangelization of the neighboring towns of Ephesus by a team of his assistants: see the Introduction to Ephesians. Paul had much to suffer, and was perhaps imprisoned (Introduction to the Philippians). It was at this time that he wrote his letter to the Galatians and the First Letter to the Corinthians. Paul goes to Macedonia (where Thessalonica is located) and to Greece (where he spends some time in Corinth). There in Corinth, as he perseveres with his plan to go to Rome, he writes to the Romans. Acts 20,5 Paul goes up to Jerusalem, and manifestations of the Spirit follow. Paul is warned that he should not go, and this happens when he himself leaves chained by the Spirit (20:22) which means without the possibility of making any other decision. It is the right moment to see how the Spirit of God is one with the spirit of the person he inspires: those who warn Paul know and declare that he will meet with trouble and they would not want it. Paul knows and he wants it. Today, such manifestations are not part of the ordinary experience of Christians, with the exception of certain charismatic groups. Yet on looking into the subject it would seem that many people do receive such warnings but attach little importance to them. The Spirit passes through our spirit as does light through thick colored glass and takes its color. Many manifestations that certain people seek are current mainly in primitive religions, even the non-Christian: must we take it that they are the most desirable religious experiences? However, if the Spirit of God wills to use our parapsychological senses to let us feel his presence in this firmly closed fortress that we call our own self and where we pretend to be the only rulers, Praise the Lord! Alleluia. Let him have us speak in tongues, laugh and cry, if such breaks the ice and opens the doors of our reason that has already seemingly known everything. A good number of Christians make fun of such happenings. They are free to believe or not: there are so many illusions and much charlatanism. All they have to do is to ask themselves whether or not they are systematically denying any divine manifestation in a world we believe we know well, through human experience. If God no longer has the right to intervene in a world given up to reason and the laws of science, how can there be a true and trustful communion with him? That is important. Whoever renounces and gives self to God sees the Spirit becoming more and more active in her life, not through visions and marvels, but through silent inspiration. This becomes so habitual that a person cannot live without it and knows through experience that the inner inspiration is right even though reason suggests another way of acting. Such a person mistrusts her own projects and follows this spiritual instinct. The primitive Church had its prophets, but always wanted community discernment to judge whether it was truly God's Spirit (1 Cor 14:29; 1 Thes 5:21; 1 Jn 4:1-3). The Bible already spoke of prophets who spoke without being sent, or dreamed what they wanted to dream (Jer 29:16). The account of the journey helps us to get an idea of how these first communities welcomed brothers and sisters from other parts at a time when communication was limited. Besides, would there have been a eucharistic celebration with these foreigners without at least asking about themselves and their Church? It was quite different when apostles or prophets were passing by for then they were granted manifestations of the Spirit, with a more developed knowledge of the Word, as well as news of the universal Church. Acts 20,7 Luke tells us that the eucharist took place on the day after the sabbath - already our Sunday: the Christians had separated from the Jews, replacing the sabbath with the following day, the first day of the week, the day of Jesus' resurrection. Doing so they were putting on their calendar the major event of their faith. Naturally they meet in a home and this is the beginning of the Christian gathering. They share instruction and reflection, concluding with thanksgiving (or eucharist) and communion with the body of the Lord. Each one could speak, and Paul as prophet and apostle had a good deal to say, prepared or inspired. What might have been Paul's long discourse? He read and interpreted texts from the Scripture which were referring to Jesus; he gave witness of his own commitment to Christ; he related the many happenings in his mission when the Spirit of Christ was at work. This part of the celebration could be prolonged: the prophets, even Paul, tend at times to overdo it, but they could not separate without ending with the breaking of bread, the Eucharist. With the unlucky fall of one of the youth and the intervention of Paul, the participants witness God's power over death (see 10:36). Acts 20,17 The Christians of Jewish origin praise Paul when he gets to Jerusalem but, at the same time, they humiliate him. There is a rumor among them that Paul, besides not imposing the Judaic Law on Christian converts from paganism, also suggests that the Jews abandon the Law. They asked him to prove his fidelity to the past by becoming godfather to a few believers who had made a fairly costly vow - because if Paul had come from the Greeks, he would have money and could pay well! Those who insist are the elders working with James the brother of the Lord: all are Jews from Palestine who, in spite of their faith, are still attached to the customs of the Old Testament. They point out the importance of the Jerusalem community: thousands of Jews in order to make their demands respected. They may still have been more numerous than the Christians in the pagan world: this was the inheritance of the past. Paul accepts for the sake of peace, but it will be his downfall. Acts 20,27 There are several similarities between Paul's arrest and Stephen's a few years before (see 6:9). The Jews from Asia draw up several accusations: the most serious one being that Paul brought an uncircumcised man into the Temple; this profanation was punishable by death. This is the man who is spreading his teaching everywhere against our people, our law and this Sanctuary. There were similar accusations against Christ and Stephen. This is a false accusation. Nevertheless, the Jews are not totally wrong: through his teachings, Paul forms Christians who replace the Temple worship with faith in Christ; they replace the Law with a life of obedience to the Spirit and Jewish nationalism with universal Christian community. The Roman troops occupying Jerusalem and seeking order were stationed in a fortress adjacent to the Temple and overlooking it. Thanks to this, the soldiers were able to intervene before Paul met the same fate as Stephen.
