“The word of God increased,”—three times in the Book of Acts Luke uses this sentence to sum up a period of the history of the Early Church (6:7; 12:24; 19:20). These words are a telling expression of the biblical conception of the divine Word. Our Lord Himself compared the Word with a seed that is sown and sprouts and grows: “The seed is the word of God” (Lk 8:11; cf Col 1:6; 1Pt 1:23). The Word of the Lord is powerful and active; it “prevails mightily,” as Luke puts it in Ac 19:20. 

Can you remember the last time you purchased a piece of furniture or appliance, understanding that your purchase would require some assembly at home? You likely returned home from the store, opened the box, read and followed the instructions, and then came to one of two sad realizations: (1) you still had pieces left over or (2) you were missing a piece—maybe a screw, nut, or peg. Some of us are blessed with the ability to let good enough be good enough. Others struggle with the lack of completion.

When I am counseling couples before marriage, I encourage them to avoid discussing any important issues before 9:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. Most people are at their best in the 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. twelve-hour period. We think most clearly and are better at controlling our emotions. Too early in the morning or too late at night is when we tend to struggle. Additionally, I urge them to avoid such discussions when one or both are tired, sick, hungry, or stressed. When we are not at our best, we are more tempted to speak irresponsibly, using sarcasm, terse words, and even foul language. Speech is powerful, and it can remain in our consciousness for many years.

With the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, His resurrection, and His ascension in heaven, the early church had its beginning. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, the apostles, and the first evangelists, the Gospel spread and the kingdom grew. Despite this success, there were also obstacles and resistance from some early Jewish Christians, the Roman Empire, and other religious groups. Additionally, Christians practiced their faith in ways which others found quite strange. The nascent Christian congregations celebrated Holy Communion, the receiving of Jesus’ true body and blood in, with, and under the bread and wine. Those outside the Christian communities took offense at the idea of eating flesh and drinking blood—common practices otherwise associated with pagan or even satanic rituals.

Jesus Christ brought the Gospel (from older English, “Good-spel,” “good news”) to the world. He announced that in His person the kingdom of God was coming to mankind and that through faith in Him people might find new and eternal life. He was Himself the Good News, or Gospel.

Many teachings in the Bible are easy to understand and accept. Such teachings include the following:

The plain bows into the Sea of Galilee where families of fishers settled and built their homes. The villagers prospered and, with the help of a centurion, built a synagogue. The settlement became known as Capernaum, “Village of Comfort” or perhaps “Village of Nahum,” though there is no clear association with the Old Testament prophet by that name. Since the settlers built no wall to defend themselves, their lives must have been peaceful until the teacher from Nazareth arrived.

My wife and I are blessed with a large group of nieces and nephews. Our oldest nephew, who is now all grown up, recently celebrated his birthday. As I spoke to him on the phone to wish him a happy birthday, it struck me that this man with whom I spoke was once a child with whom I played many years ago. Tempus fugit! We love him, and we are proud of who he has become.

The Jerusalem temple was overlaid with so much gold that persons who saw it described its blinding effects as it glistened in the sun. Herod the Great refurbished it. He surrounded it with a massive court, turning the Temple Mount into a sacred complex far larger than other temples of the ancient world. The project was ongoing when Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the temple for purification (Luke 2:22–38). It was still going some 30 years later when Jesus cleansed the temple from the money-changers at the beginning of Holy Week. During those days, Jesus would prophesy the temple’s destruction and His own resurrection.

This blog post is adapted from Lutheran Bible Companion, Volume 2: Intertestamental Era, New Testament, and Bible Dictionary.