Much like the parable of the prodigal son, the Jewish community paralleled the older brother, while Paul paralleled the younger brother (who left and returned). What we find in today’s passage is the Jews persecuting Paul because of his proclamation of God’s good news in Christ to the Gentiles. The shared promises, patriarchs, covenants and Messiah were meant for all people.
In 2020 Element is walking through the last 16 chapters of the book of Acts, we are calling this Acts Part 2. We did part one a few years ago where we essentially followed the early church, with a focus on Peter, up through Acts chapter 12. Now we will mostly follow the Apostle Paul as he presents the good news of Jesus to the world with in their cultural contexts.