Scripture Readings
Much has happened in Acts since last Sunday’s reading: Peter and some apostles have been imprisoned and beaten before being set free again. Some “Hellenists” – apparently Greek-speaking Christians – complained about their treatment by the Hebrew-speaking Christians, and seven Greeks were appointed to look after the Hellenists. Stephen was arrested and his speech to the Jewish leaders suggests that the Hellenists were persecuted by the Jews because they did not join in the Jewish Temple worship.
Today we hear how Paul returns from his conversion near Damascus and is accepted by the Hebrew Christians. But not by the Hellenists, so has to be hustled out of town. The Hellenists were also driven out by the Jews, and so the Gospel spreads – to Phoenicia, Antioch and Cyprus.
John’s First Letter continues with John insisting that we must show our faith by our actions: keeping God’s commandments and living the kind of life God wants. Providing we obey our conscience we can be sure we are doing right. But our conscience must be guided by God’s Spirit dwelling in us.
In John’s gospel Jesus gives his disciples detailed teaching at the last supper, just before his arrest. We must be bound closely to Christ: He is the vine, we are the branches, gaining sustenance and support from him.
Psalm Response: You, Lord, are my praise in the great assembly.
(Acts 9: 26-31 ; Ps 21(22) ; 1 John 3: 18-24 ; John 15: 1-8)
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