Looking for Context 

By Steve Leininger

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/052122.cfm
Acts 16:1-10
John 15:18-21

In our everything-is-linked online universe, we can chase from one idea to another. If the website you’re on doesn’t have a clickable link to the information you desire, you can always “Google it.” Your context is always “right now.” If there is a need for what used to be on the web, you can even go to archive.org and use the Internet Archive Wayback Machine to view most websites the way they were on any given date. 

Even a pile of newspapers has reference points to give you context for the information that may only be as relevant until the next day. The dateline describes where and when the story was written or filed. The byline gives the name of the writer of the article.
Now, I realize the Bible isn’t of the same literary nature as the previously referenced pile of newspapers, but I have found that in my journey through the books of the Old and New Testaments, certain details that provide context to the events and readings are not always made known. 

During most of the year, our Sunday Mass is a predictable presentations of readings from the Old Testament, one of the letters (often written by St. Paul) and a Gospel reading from Matthew, Mark, Luke, and occasionally John. This gives a foundation, instruction, and good news flow to the service. We know the Old Testament Foundation happened “a long time ago,” the second reading will be showing us the beginnings of the church, and the Gospel will be either the story of Jesus or his instructions to us. 

During the Easter season, the readings change a bit. Weekday readings, like the ones we are currently reflecting on, usually have only a first reading, often from the Acts of the Apostles, and a gospel reading, usually from the Gospel of John. That is the case for the readings I’m reflecting on today. 

Biblical scholars generally agree that Luke is the author of the Acts of the Apostles. Acts tells of the founding of the Christian Church and the spread of its message throughout the Roman Empire. Events that occurred can often be verified historically, both in time and place.
From my passive and relatively comfortable place in the congregation, just hearing today’s readings would have been an experience of mild curiosity about the places mentioned in the first reading and a bit of assurance that if I am persecuted for my belief in Jesus, it’s OK, because he’s got my back. 

The two readings don’t seem to be as strongly connected as on some days, so I look for additional clues for meaning within Acts 16, our first reading for today. No dateline, but at least we know where he’s at. We also know a bit about Paul. But what do we know about him at this moment in time? 

I believe that connecting the dots makes the story more interesting. 

The story of Paul is recorded in Acts of the Apostles starts after the death and resurrection of Jesus in 30 A.D. Up to today’s reading, Paul: 

• Stood by guarding the cloaks of those stoning Stephen to death (30 A.D.) [Acts 7:58] 
  
• Persecutes followers of Jesus of Nazareth in Jerusalem and Judea (30-33 A.D.) 
  
• Is blinded on the way to Damascus. Is baptized and converts 3 days later (33 A.D.) [Acts 9:1-19] 
  
• Begins preaching in Damascus (33 A.D.) [Acts 9:20-22] 
  
• Escapes Damascus and meets with the apostles in Jerusalem (36 A.D.) [Acts 9:23-30] 
  
• Preaches in Tarsus and surrounding region (36-44 A.D.) 
  
• Accepts invitation from Barnabas to teach in Antioch (44-46 A.D.) 
  
• Takes first missionary journey with Barnabas, to Cyprus and Galatia (47-48 A.D.) [Acts 13:4] 
  
• Argues successfully that Gentile Christians need not follow all Jewish laws at the Council of Jerusalem (49 A.D.) 
  

Paul had unintentionally helped spread Christianity when Stephen was stoned: 

On that day [the day Stephen was stoned to death], there broke out a severe persecution of the church in Jerusalem, and all were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. . . . Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. [Acts 8:1, 4] 

At the time of his blinding and conversion, a disciple in Damascus named Ananias was chosen by the Lord to go to Saul (Paul’s earlier name) and lay hands on him to cure his blindness. When Ananias expressed concern regarding Saul’s actions and reputation, the Lord said, “Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and Israelites, and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name.” [Acts 9:15-16] 

Paul begins preaching and does so for the next 14 years. He takes his first of 3 missionary journeys. 

When we catch up with Paul in today’s reading, it is 19 years give or take after the resurrection of Jesus and 16 years after Paul’s conversion in Damascus. Sneaking a peak back one chapter into Acts 15, we find that Paul is at the beginning of “The Mission of Paul to the Ends of the Earth”. It sounds like a bit like a rock tour. Today’s reading starts out: 

Paul reached also Derbe and Lystra
where there was a disciple named Timothy,
the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer,
but his father was a Greek.
The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him,
and Paul wanted him to come along with him.
On account of the Jews of that region, Paul had him circumcised,
for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
As they traveled from city to city,
they handed on to the people for observance the decisions
reached by the Apostles and presbyters in Jerusalem.
Day after day the churches grew stronger in faith
and increased in number. [Acts 16:1-5]

Paul has started his second trip by revisit places he successfully evangelized in his first trip. He has picked up a young disciple named Timothy, whose mother was Jewish, but his father was Greek (and not Jewish). Oh, yeah, maybe you should be circumcised so you don’t offend anyone. 

Paul and others in Jerusalem spread out with the letter of the apostles in hand, to clarify the extent of the Jewish law that needed to be observed. The letter said, “It is the decision of the holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities, namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meats of strangled animals, and from unlawful marriage. If you keep free of these, you will be doing what is right. Farewell.” [excerpted from Acts 15:22-29] The bigger clarification was the elimination of the need for circumcision. Sorry, Timothy!! 

The second half of the reading describe a forced change of plans for the missionary journey: 

They traveled through the Phrygian and Galatian territory
because they had been prevented by the Holy Spirit
from preaching the message in the province of Asia.
When they came to Mysia, they tried to go on into Bithynia,
but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them,
so they crossed through Mysia and came down to Troas.
During the night Paul had a vision.
A Macedonian stood before him and implored him with these words,
“Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
When he had seen the vision,
we sought passage to Macedonia at once,
concluding that God had called us to proclaim the Good News to them. [Acts 16:6-10]

The Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to preach in Asia and Bithynia, both part of current day Turkey. Instead, they were redirected to Macedonia in present-day Greece. This set the direction for what will become Paul’s hugely successful spreading of the Good Word to Europe (the ends of the earth at the time). 

One notable clue that explains the extensive coverage of St. Paul in Acts of the Apostles can be found in the last verse of today’s first reading. The writer, Luke, says “we sought passage to Macedonia at once.” Because of the “inclusive we,” it seems that Luke accompanied Paul on this journey.   

So, there you have it. Dates and places and one of the key players. Paul went on to have a third missionary journey and travel extensively. He also is considered the author of 14 of the 27 books of the New Testament. Thank you for joining me on my Biblical journey!