The Way. Acts 24.

In Acts 24:14, Paul says this: But I confess this to you, that I worship the God of our ancestors according to the Way (which they call a sect), believing everything that is according to the law and that is written in the prophets. (NET)

I've been wrestling with this statement for over an hour. I'm guessing that for many people, maybe most, there's nothing particularly remarkable about it. "Nothing to see here... move along." Of course Paul believes according to the law and prophets -- those writings are his text, his revelation. Jesus did too. Of course he views them with a new understanding, the Way that Jesus laid out. Of course God, the I am, is still the same God. And of course, when I pick up a Bible there's an Old and a New Testament.

So what's the big deal? After considering this for a while, I suppose it's the stark declaration that Paul makes about the law, in contrast to his releasing the Gentiles from many of its requirements. Paul is thoroughly Jewish, and not just in name. He had Timothy circumsized. He made a vow, and shaved his head when it was completed. He argued in the synagogues. He has gone to the temple to worship, offer sacrifices, and undergo a purification ritual. This is the same Paul who would write to the Galatians:

The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? Although you began with the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by human effort? (Galatians 3:2,3 NET)

I realize that my understanding of Paul and what he has written to the Romans and to the Galatians is far from complete. I'm looking forward to the days when we read these books together, with this fresh recognition from the book of Acts.

How do you view the Old Testament when you read it? How does its message affect your reading this year through the New Testament? And what caught your attention in this chapter? How about the fact that Paul was innocent of all charges, but remained imprisoned?