Well, a paradigm was pushed from my palisade today. In the last several weeks I heard several people (I do not remember who) talking about Luke. I have also read many legends about our Greek doctor and his backstory. So, I followed Paul’s paths in Acts to see (I studied) for myself.
Acts 16 has been labeled Paul’s second missionary trip. At the end of Chapter 15 he has quarreled with Barnabas and picked-up Silas. In 16 he finds Timothy and goes to Troas in the region of Mysia. Luke at this point-in-time does something interesting in his grammar. Before verse 8 (NIV) his word tenses are third person and show previous action; the translations use “they”. (No, I am not that good at Greek, but I used Mounce in Bible Gateway.) In verse 10 Luke changes to first-person words and continues including himself from then on by using “we”.
That is a major change and would indicate that Luke joined Paul’s traveling party at Troas. Okay, now you can start asking all sorts of questions and putting out many possibilities about Luke, but by his own writing it looks like Luke joined Paul in Troas and went with him to Macedonia.
Luke had a true baptism-by-fire in that trip and saw firsthand Paul’s pale. He stayed with him and the Lord as Paul traveled on his mission to preach the Gospel. Luke studied his new faith and talked with firsthand participants and wrote. He proved himself a reliable workman for the Lord and included things Matthew and Mark did not put in their Gospels.
Aah, I love this sort of minutia. Thanks for reading the post.
Luke, Jesus, and the Songs of Ascent is a strange title, but I believe I can tie them together in this post. The Songs of Ascent are Psalms 120 – 134; the links below cover the history and background of these Songs very well and are worth the time comparing and contrasting the information.
As I have read through the Psalms this year, 2026, I have been noting which Psalms are referenced in the New Testament and the life of Jesus. Psalms are usually separated from the prophetic books and that is a shame. They are an integral part of the song Father God has been singing over us and for us since the Garden. David, Asaph, and the others were used by the Spirit to speak about contemporary things and future things. (I am working to upgrade a list I made of when I think they were written.) As a Christian, I can see Jesus in so many Psalms even if they are not quoted in the New Testament. This is why I am doing this post; the words of the ones I will site just blend into God’s song so well. In this post I will not use or reference all of them. The other part of this is Luke 21-24 and Isaiah 33, which I read at the same time as the Songs.
Psalm 120 – Think of it as part of Jesus’ prayer in the Garden. Verse 4 may be a reference to Jerusalem’s destruction from Jesus’ Two Sermons on Two Mounts.
Psalm 121 – My note here was read it with Luke 21 and Isaiah 33.
Psalm 122 – David had two important trips into Jerusalem: when he brought the Ark to himself and when he rode back in after fleeing from Absolom. This also speaks to Jesus’ ride on Palm Sunday.
Psalm 123 – Think about the results of His trial. 2b is why you keep praying.
Psalm 124 – Focus on the Resurrection.
Psalm 125 – The result of His death.
Psalm 126 – Pentecost and the call to go to the nations.
Psalm 130 – This could have been part of the Garden pray, especially verse 8.
I do post like this to challenge myself. If you see something different that is fine, just take the time to be with Jesus and the Father and hear Them.
This is my second Third Day post and the reason for this one is Cleopas and his statement in Luke 24:21. It is Holy Week 2026, and I have been reading the last Chapters in Luke and the Songs of Ascent, more on that in another post. Jesus knew what was going to happen to Him and had been telling His disciples for some time. Cleopas heard and had his doubts so he was leaving Jerusalem and going the wrong direction; not towards Galilee. Jesus went and got him.
Cleopas, in his conversation with Jesus, reveals the perfect mix of knowledge, emotions, and paradigms that all of the disciples were dealing with. If I remove our well-written Bible, 2,000 years of study, and the Holy Spirit I can say I would be in the same position as His disciples were in. I believe Jesus wanted the disciples in Galilee so they would be safe and feel safe. Did the disciples have to stay in Jerusalem for the Feast of Unleavened Bread, no. Yes, Passover was a different story, but even the Children in Egypt were changing location after eating the lamb.
In doing this study I found another group of people who knew about the “Third Day”. The chief priest had gone to Pilate in Matthew 27:64 and had fears for the third day after He was sacrificed. Even with the story from the guards, they did not change.
The links make a good study for Jesus telling His disciples (all of them not just the Twelve) about His death and Resurrection. He also used the story of Jonah, check “three days” for that reference. These are NIV, so change the translation preference at the top, but they seem to share the same verses.
In the time of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation there were earthquakes. In my first Earthquake post I have more listed; this post is more on the “apocalyptic” quakes. However, 1 Kings 19:11 is the quake and story that shook this second look into being written.
These first three quakes have several things in common. The major one is that God came down to meet His people (or person) and things started. Wind, fire, and loud noise also happened when God came down on the mountains.
Exodus 19:18 – Moses on Mount Sinai with the Children watching in awe. The Law was given.
1 Kings 19:11 – Elijah went to Mount Horeb (Sinai) to hide from Jezebel. This was a fresh start for Elijah and the beginning of the end for the Northern Kingdom.
Acts 2:2-3 – Okay, the earthquake here happened when Jesus died and the stone was rolled away. But the Holy Spirit came with fire and a loud noise to start the Church on Mount Zion.
The last one was a little shaky, so I will slide another one in that may challenge your thinking. The quake in Genesis could be when the “fountains of the deep were opened”. Many people might say this was just water, but the fractures that are the tectonic faultlines and volcanoes are also a type of fountain and should fit into your Creation Theory.
These first three quakes have plenty of symbolism and other actions going on at the same time as the earth shakes. The types and shadows of Old Testament quakes form the base for the ones that Jesus talked about in Matthew and will be seen before He comes again.
The seals, trumpets, plagues, and bowls in Revelation are first shown in the plagues God used to get Israel out of Egypt. But there was no quake in the plagues on Egypt. All of the other earthquakes before Jesus are the pre-tremors for the big ones to come. The shaking of the adam we come from is saved for the end.
I believe these apocalyptic pre-quakes served their purpose in their time and spoke to things to come. These quakes do not show up by themselves and have plenty of action to go with them.
Isaiah 29:6 has thunder, an earthquake, great noise, windstorm and tempest, and flames of devouring fire coming against those who attack Jerusalem. In Isaiah 36 Sennacherib does attack Jerusalem. I know this also carries past the attack by Assyria, but you have to wonder if there was more than just a “plague” killing those 185,000 men.
Ezekiel 38:19 has the Lord’s zeal, fiery wrath, a great earthquake, torrents of rain, hailstones, and burning sulfur on Gog and the nations with him.
Matthew 24:7, Mark 13:8, and Luke 21:11 are references to the “birth pains” Jesus talks about on the Mount of Olives, this is the second sermon for the day. Luke has the most things listed, but all have earthquakes and famines.
Matthew 27:51 and 28:2 happened after Jesus proclaimed “it was finished”, but they accomplished several things.
Matthew 27:51 – This caused the Roman guards to believe, set people free from the grave, and tore the Temple curtain, which opened the way for Jesus to carry His Blood offering into the presence of the Father.
Matthew 28:2 – (See Earthquake) This rock-roller got everyone in Jerusalem awake to make unleavened bread for the day and opened the tomb so the women could see a “Mercy Seat” picture on Easter morning.
Revelation 8:5, 11:13 + 19, 16:18 – I am going to list what is in the Bible about these quakes, because the opinions have produced a magnitude 10 quake and a 300-foot-high tsunami.
Revelation 8:5 – This is with the seventh seal and the golden censer is the cause. It comes with the smoke of the incense, peals of thunder, rumblings, and flashes of lightening.
Revelation 11:13 + 19 – The quake in verse 13 is with the sixth trumpet and after the two witnesses are brought back to life; a tenth of Jerusalem collapses and 7,000 people die. The quake in verse 19 is after the seventh trumpet when God’s heaven was opened and the Ark was seen. It came with lightening, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great hailstorm.
Revelation 16:18 – The seventh bowl has been poured out and a loud cry of “It is done” is heard. Lightening, rumblings, and peals of thunder come with this quake. It tears Jerusalem into three sections, cities collapse, Babylon the Great gets wrath, mountains and islands are gone, and huge hailstones start falling.
The Kingdom is about people, and as you look in Luke, he presents individuals and different groups with various labels (some good, some groups needed work). Paul talks about the Body of Christ being made of many people; each using their gift for the good of the Body. In Acts, priest and Pharisees are included in this new Jesus Movement called the Way. Yes, some were firmly planted in their denominational views of the Law.
Pentecost – Acts 2:5-11
Pentecost is one of the three feast that you were to go to Jerusalem for. The Diaspora complicated these annual feasts; distance, time, and travel limited participation making it very special to be there. The Jews are our first labeled group. (“Jew” is used 82 times by Luke (Gospel and Acts) according to Mounce Reverse Interlinear New Testament.) The list of nations is impressive and some people traveled for months to be there: Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians. (KJV) I have been told that some people would come for Passover and stay for seven months. That may have been a once in a lifetime trip.
Not all Jews welcomed this new message, even with the Mighty Wind and Flames of Fire over people’s heads. The times the term, Jew, is used, they may be negative or just neutral.
I am staying with the labels in Acts for this post. So, start in Chapter 1 and go to 5; believers became disciples. This was not a “peace, love, and joy” time period. Jesus died and ascended to Heaven, but the people that killed Him were still in control. They were not happy with this new movement or sect in Judaism. Choosing to be part of it may not have been a “light” decision.
In Acts 6 we start to see the complexity of Jerusalem and maybe some attitudes. The Hellenistic Jews were complaining about Hebraic Jews. We might pass over that today, but Hellenistic Jews may have talked and dressed differently. Some ugly history might have been raising its head also. The Holy Spirit was binding them together and getting them ready to go to the world.
Priest joined! Acts 6:7
Priest became obedient to the faith. Not all priests were Sadducees. I doubt that Zechariah, John’s father, was part of the “political” party. In the “solar system of the Temple” priest confessing Jesus was major. Jesus, miracles, and changed lives; the Holy Spirit touched men that were at the core of Temple life.
Synagogues and Pharisees
When Judea/Jerusalem joined the Diaspora because of Babylon, some did not want to lose their religion and customs. So, the synagogue was created to keep the Jewish way of life alive. Synagogues became the center of a Jewish community life.
The Pharisees were the driving force behind the synagogues. Some people wanted to regain/maintain their religion’s connection with God because there was no Temple worship. In this time period the Law was interrupted and codified. Jesus was not against the Law, just the explanations that added rules to God’s Word. Christians have done something similar in our different denominations by creating specific rules that sets them apart from everyone else.
These sites offer a good look at these groups from two different time periods. (And slightly different groups.)
The busy Chapter 6 continues with freed slaves disagreeing with Deacon Stephen. Take note that the places where they are from were also represented on Pentecost and some are places where Saul/Paul would minister: Cilicia and Asia.
I will start with the land. It is part of what was promised to Abraham and was given to Joseph (Ephraim). This land is important to God and He did not want the unfaithful Israelites of the Northern Kingdom defiling it. King Omri, father of King Ahab, bought, named it, and made Samaria his capital city. Things went downhill from there and God sent many prophets to bring the people back to Him.
2 Kings 17 has the king of Assyria removing the people (the first Diaspora) and bring in Gentiles to live there. Assyria had to bring back an exiled priest to teach the settlers how to worship the Lord. All of this and some bad things with the Greeks, set the stage for the labels and attitudes we read in the Gospels about Jews and Samarians.
Jesus set the stage for Acts 8 with John 4, the woman at the well, and Luke 17, healing a leper. His plan was stated in Matthew 24 in the Great Commission and restated in Acts 1:8 (Look in Luke:) where He included Samaria and the ends of the earth.
The Way – Acts 9:2
The future Paul was going to Damascus to shackle the Way. Well, that did not work. But we see Paul in the Way in Acts 19 with a riot. By the Way, in Acts 22:4 Paul restates his testimony. 2 Corinthians 11:32+33 tells of the Way he escaped. In Acts 24:14, Paul was a leader in the Way, and in vs 22 Felix wanted out of the Way.
Cornelius had labels: devout, God-fearing, generous, and a regular in pray.
Circumcised believers gave labels: uncircumcised, impure, and unclean (11:2 and 8). Everyone had to be like them to be right. This idea stayed around and shows itself again in 15:5 and 21:20. When synagogues in Gentile cities went after Paul, I have no doubt that these concepts were the sparks that started the fires.
Christians – Acts 11:26
Acts 11:26 – We were first called Christians here. Antioch of Syria was a thriving center of the Way. It was in land controlled by Rome.
1 Peter 4:16 – “If you suffer as a Christian.” Peter wrote this to Believers he may have never met, but he certainly was in the area.
Acts 26:28 – King Agrippa “mocked” Paul’s ability to convert him so quickly to be a Christian. This was said in front of a Roman governor.
This list was for affect, not for the order they occurred; I would switch Peter and Agrippa’s statements. The reason for that order was to show the label of Christians in the first century. I know it has changed, or has it? Maybe it has gone full circle. Roman was not a good place for Christians. Christ vs Caesar, guess who felt threatened? To be sure Jews did not like the name Christian, it ran into the idea of Messiah.
This is part of Paul’s first recorded “sermon”; it was given at a synagogue in Pisidian Antioch. The rest of that thought is “and now witness to the Jews”. I bet labels and paradigms have given you a thought. Was Paul talking about the 12, 70, 120, or 500? Even if we include “from Galilee to Jerusalem”; does that really help? Does our statement include Joseph and Justus (Acts 1:23) and all of the women that are mentioned in the Holy Week narratives? I love and honor what the Holy Spirit had written for us, but we were not told everything.
I never thought about all of the synagogues and places of prayer Paul and his teams went to in their travels and letters. From Rome, all across the Levant, to Alexanderia there were Jewish communities. God’s plan for Jews and Gentiles, especially in what we know as Turkey, has been carefully executed. The history and the people groups in this plan include Hittites, Assyria, Greeks and Persians, and Celts/Gauls. There were trade, travel, and communications between these places and Jerusalem, so Jesus, Pentecost, and the Way were not new news in these towns.
Just a thought on Paul’s sermon. It sounds like Stephen’s defense to the Sanhedrin; it had a similar response too.
Areopagus, the Men of Athens – Acts 17:22
Paul changed his sermon format, but Jesus raising from the dead was in both. Labels, stereotypes, or self-applied titles are Athenians, foreigners, Epicurean, Stoic, and philosophers. Rome was infatuated with all things Greek and had renamed Ares Rock to Mars Hill. The message of Jesus Christ and Him crucified found wanting ears even here.
Mark's Bible Study 