THE DETAILS 

IN THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 7^th Friday after Easter is, “The Details In The Acts of the Apostles.”

After I read today’s first reading from The Acts of the Apostles - which we use every year for these readings after Easter - it struck me that there are some very specific details in this document.

This is a document dated from somewhere between 80 and 90 AD.

I would think discovering specific historical details about our Early Church from that time is very valuable.

READING THE BIBLE

Sometimes someone says to me, “I want to start reading the Bible, but where do I begin?”

I find that a great question.

I pause…..

I say it’s a great question because so many people begin with Genesis and don’t get that far. If they make it through Genesis and even start Exodus, many get bogged down once they get to Chapter 20: 23 of Exodus - with all the rules and regulations of the Covenant that follow. Even if they get through Exodus, there is Leviticus and Numbers - which is like trudging through a desert - seeing only sand, rocks, and sometimes pieces of dried out wood. If you’ve never been to the desert, well it can be like being in an Algebra class and you're the type who never, never understood Algebra in any shape or form.

So if someone asks, “Where do I begin reading - if I want to read the Bible?” I always say, “James. Read the Letter of James. It’s only 5 chapters. Then I add, “If you don’t get James, you’re not going to get the Bible.”

If someone asks: “Okay, I read James and liked it - or I get - what next?”

I would then say, “Read The Gospel of Mark” or “Read Genesis - but read it with the idea of the families you'll find there.”

Now I have a new thought: “Read The Acts of the Apostles with details in mind.”

THE DETAILS

The Acts of the Apostles give us lots of names of people - lots and lots of different people - who's in charge - who is doing what and this and that. It also gives us places - especially where Paul went.

Today’s first reading for example gives us the names, King Agrippa and Bernice - arriving tin Caesarea on a visit to Festus.

Then we hear about a man name Felix. Interesting. Was that his given name or nickname? Was he happy - as the name indicates?

The detail in today’s first reading that gave me the thought for this homily was the information about Roman Law. It states it was not the Roman practice to hand over an accused person before he has faced his accusers - and he had the opportunity to defend himself against their charges. [Cf. Acts 25: 13b-21]

I don’t know about you, but that triggered for me a whole string and stream of questions.

·        Was this for women as well?

·        Did the Romans establish this in all the places they took over?

·        Did they come up with this principle?

·        If not, whom did they take it from?

·        Was this the Greek practice?

·        What about English law on this?

·        What about United States law on this?

·        Does anyone at CNBC or Fox News bring this up on a breaking story?

·        What about U.S. law compared to U.S Military Law?

·        What about protection laws in other countries?

·        What about those of us who gossip? Do we ever pause and think about the other person and their rights to a good name?

·        Why did Luke or whoever put this detail in this document, put this detail into this document? I have to study this question - to see if they put it in here to get Paul to Rome.

That’s detail about the accused having the right by Roman Law to face their accusers is just one short detail in The Acts of the Apostles.

What would it be like to read the whole document keeping in mind the historical details sprinkled throughout the document?

CONCLUSION

So if you are looking to reading the Bible, my first recommendation is to read James - and then a possible next suggestion would be: “Read The Acts of the Apostles with the idea of spotting interesting specific details and see what questions erupt - historical or otherwise."