Prof Xavier

Homework #18: Paul’s Second Journey

UBBL230 Luke/Acts

 

For this assignment, we will look at Paul's second journey, which is the focus of Acts 15:36-18:23. Paul and Barnabas go together on the first journey, but this time, they part ways (see 15:36-41), and Paul travels with several other companions through parts of modern day Turkey and Greece before returning to Antioch by way of Jerusalem (We will look at a map of this in class). Essentially, Paul ventures further away from Jerusalem and further away from his "home base" in Antioch on this journey then he did in his first journey.

 

1.      Read through 15:36-18:23. As you go, construct bullet-point lists for each of the following. You do not need to use complete sentences for these lists, but you should make clear what you are talking about in each instance

 

a.      List points where the Holy Spirit explicitly drives the events carried out by Paul and his companions

 

b.      List points where Luke highlights the involvement of women in the Christian movement

 

c.       List the places where we see opposition to the mission of Paul and his companions, on the part of either Jews or Gentiles. Note also WHY they are opposed, if the text makes this explicit

 

2.      Go back to the "data" you collected for 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3, and construct summaries in prose about each theme. You can number these 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3.

 

3.      Reread 17:16-34, which recounts Paul's visit to Athens. Then, answer the following questions:

 

a.      As best you can tell, why does Paul bring up the altar “to an unknown god” in his speech? What point is he trying to convey?

 

b.      How does your answer to 3.1 relate to the rest of the content of Paul’s speech?