Friends weep; a prophet ties his own hands with Paul's belt to warn him of an upcoming arrest; and even Luke and others urge the Apostle to not go, and yet Paul still sets his face toward Jerusalem despite the possibility of chains waiting for him there. He was ready to be bound and even to die for the name of Jesus. Was Paul being hardheaded or faithful by ignoring the pleas of his fellow Christians? We discuss both possibilities while acknowledging that, at the end of the day, God used Paul to proclaim the Gospel in any and every circumstance.

The Rev. Dr. John Rickert, pastor emeritus in South Carolina, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 21:1-36.

The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.

Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.