BibleWorm

This week we’re reading Acts 16:16-40, where we encounter both the best and worst of the apostle Paul. On the one hand we find the feisty and faithful Paul, who, when arrested by the authorities, does not succumb to fear or anger but instead, there in the darkest part of the prison, turns to prayer and song, which radiates out to the other prisoners, strengthening their souls to resist the oppression of the Empire. When God intervenes to release his shackles, Paul does not flee for his life but instead stays and ministers to his jailer, liberating him from the system of violence and intimidation that binds him. But, on the other hand, we encounter the impatient Paul, who in his annoyance casts a spirit out of a young enslaved girl, thoughtlessly depriving her of the spiritual gift that protects her from an even more unthinkable fate. Which Paul do we resemble, we wonder. The one so caught up in ourselves that we harm others without thinking? Or the one whose spiritual depth prepares the way for liberation? Thanks for joining us.