These last 8 chapters in Acts focus on Paul’s travels and travails, and continue to build the theme of the oppression and perseverance of the disciples.
I always leave Acts with this vague feeling that I missed the point - it seems so abstract. Paul is (at least) twice removed from Jesus, and his story here is being told by yet another person. There’s no hard-hitting “this is the way it should be” passages. Instead, it’s a long, subtle drip-drip-drip that appears intended to influence you in subconscious ways. I have no idea what those ways are, except to prepare you for the oppression and perseverance cycle.
Having said that, I don’t feel compelled to detail individual chapters or specific passages here - nothing ever jumps out at me. Paul travels and preaches and ends up in Rome. You can read about the Homeric parallels from better sources than I.
One thing worth mentioning is the appearance of Festus and Bernice in Chapter 25, during Paul’s captivity and trial at the hands of Agrippa. Festus and Bernice. Sounds like “Deliverance”! Yes, I’m making fun of it. Just searching for some enjoyment.
I’ll set these chapters aside and skim them again when I get into Paul’s Epistles, because, now that I know that Acts is a theological spin job, it will be interesting to see whether and how Paul’s view of the events differ - and why.
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