{"id":883852,"date":"2023-03-05T21:22:25","date_gmt":"2023-03-06T02:22:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/?post_type=bible_study&#038;p=283852"},"modified":"2026-06-23T13:48:18","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T17:48:18","slug":"bible-study-easter-6-a-may-14-2023","status":"publish","type":"bible_study","link":"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/bible_study\/bible-study-easter-6-a-may-14-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Bible Study: Easter 6 (A) \u2013 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/lectionary\/easter-6a\/\"><strong>[RCL]<\/strong> <strong>Acts 17:22-31; Psalm 66:7-18; 1 Peter 3:13-22; John 14:15-21<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/E6-2023-Bible-Study-Graphic-1024x536.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-283865\" style=\"width:512px;height:268px\" width=\"512\" height=\"268\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Acts 17:22-31<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In our first lesson this week, we are placed in the midst of the story as Paul, traveling from northern Greece (Thessalonica and Beroea) south to Corinth, stops for a few days in Athens. The city is depicted as a hotbed of intellectual and religious activity with Epicurean and Stoic philosophy thriving alongside the ancient deities of the Mediterranean. Notably, the local populace does not reject Paul out of hand but rather invites him to share this new teaching in a prominent location, the Areopagus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And here we jump in, listening as Paul preaches the gospel to this group of skeptical, worldly Athenians. I find his approach to be fascinating\u2014he begins with flattery, attesting to the city\u2019s thoughtfulness and piety, before refuting the local gods\/idols made of \u201cgold or silver or stone.\u201d It is only at the very end that Paul refers to Jesus and the urgency of the moment, calling for repentance because the Messiah will return again. With this image of Paul as a preacher in mind:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Why might Paul emphasize God\u2019s mystery\u2014God \u201cdoes not live in shrines made by human hands\u201d\u2014to such an extent while reaching out to the Athenians?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Thinking about Paul\u2019s description of Christ crucified as \u201cfoolishness to the gentiles,\u201d what might this approach say about how Paul understood his audience?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Psalm 66:7-18<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This section of the 66<sup>th<\/sup> psalm emphasizes God\u2019s continuous presence in spite of the hardships that we might face. In fact, the psalmist seems to be confident that whatever has happened in his life, it has all, ultimately, led to God. The \u201csnares\u201d and \u201cheavy burdens\u201d and \u201cfire and water\u201d were all part of God\u2019s plan to \u201c[try] us just as silver is tried.\u201d The psalm does not invalidate or ignore the hardships but reframes them as expressions of endurance, challenges that were ultimately overcome due to divine favor. However, I do find it notable that the psalm seems to be composed with the benefit of hindsight\u2014the challenges have been borne and now we can enter the presence of God confident, ready to offer sacrifices in thanks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Does this understanding of constructive (even redemptive) suffering speak to you? Where might your life feel like it is following some sort of divine plan and where might that vision be harder to see?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1 Peter 3:13-22<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is a lot packed into this passage, but I find myself lingering on the first section and what it says about suffering. Peter does not seem to glorify suffering as an end unto itself\u2014pain is not a reward. But Peter is also not naive about the reality of the world\u2014good people with good intentions will still come to harm; suffering is not avoidable. Instead, his message is deeply practical, a tidbit of well-earned pastoral wisdom: \u201cBut even if you suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed.\u201d Peter recognizes that the world is vast and complex, and most things are outside of our control. Sometimes we can do everything right and things still blow up in our faces. This does not mean that doing right is foolish, that those who act with \u201cgentleness and reverence\u201d are suckers. Ultimately, doing right is its own reward, \u201cFor it is better to suffer for doing good\u2026 than to suffer for doing evil.\u201d All we can do is follow Jesus\u2019 example and hope for the best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How might we embrace our suffering without becoming dour masochists or mopey martyrs?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>John 14:15-21<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This passage from John is a part of the extended final bit of teaching that Jesus shares with his disciples during the Last Supper. The extended sermon covers three full chapters of the Gospel of John and is chock full of iconic passages and imagery, none more important than Jesus\u2019 final admonition to <em>love<\/em>. It is in this passage that we first hear about the coming of the Holy Spirit and how it will support the disciples and their ministry, but we cannot ignore the way in which love undergirds all of this\u2014Jesus\u2019 love for us and our love for Jesus. Jesus is the way through which we have come to see and know God and it is through our relationship with Jesus that we have the assurance of a relationship with God. It is by doing the work of Jesus that we show our love for Jesus and make ourselves fertile soil for the loving Spirit of God. It is a virtuous cycle, human love directed through word and action up to the divine, which in turn rebounds down as divine love, strengthening our commitments to the work of Christ. Love never diminishes or runs out but is an abundant, unlimited resource.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How have you seen this cycle of love enacted in your life? How does love guide you to God and how does God\u2019s love make itself known to you?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What might it mean that the Spirit is referred to as an \u201cAdvocate\u201d?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-file\"><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-2957cbd5-ba76-4c10-a753-5681da437189\" href=\"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Bible-Study-Easter-6-English.docx\">Word \u2013 Easter 6 (A) Bible Study<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Bible-Study-Easter-6-English.docx\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-2957cbd5-ba76-4c10-a753-5681da437189\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-file\"><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-207821c1-7348-4c5e-9f14-03e5cc8d06cf\" href=\"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Bible-Study-Easter-6-English.pdf\">PDF \u2013 Easter 6 (A) Bible Study<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Bible-Study-Easter-6-English.pdf\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-207821c1-7348-4c5e-9f14-03e5cc8d06cf\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[RCL] Acts 17:22-31; Psalm 66:7-18; 1 Peter 3:13-22; John 14:15-21 Acts 17:22-31 In our first lesson this week, we are placed in the midst of the story as Paul, traveling from northern Greece (Thessalonica and Beroea) south to Corinth, stops for a few days in Athens. The city is depicted as a hotbed of intellectual&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":201221,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_tec_requires_first_save":true,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_tribe_blocks_recurrence_rules":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_description":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_exclusions":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[23,22,52,3],"tags":[124],"class_list":["post-883852","bible_study","type-bible_study","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bible-studies","category-easter","category-sermons-that-work","category-worship-and-prayer-menu","tag-easter-6a"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":23,"label":"Bible Studies"},{"value":22,"label":"Easter"},{"value":52,"label":"Sermons That Work"},{"value":3,"label":"worship_and_prayer_menu"}],"post_tag":[{"value":124,"label":"Easter 6A"}]},"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":[],"comment_info":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bible_study\/883852","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bible_study"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bible_study"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bible_study\/883852\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":951787,"href":"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bible_study\/883852\/revisions\/951787"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=883852"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=883852"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=883852"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}