This is John at the Bible Project. Today, on the show, we're going to continue our conversation

on the Book of Acts. These conversations are going to turn into a four-part animated

series covering the story of the Book of Acts. Reading Acts kind of reminds you of a

movie script. Their shipwrecks inspired speeches, heartwarming reunions, and bitter arguments.

And one of the main themes of these arguments? The inclusion of Gentiles into the Jesus movement,

and on what terms is hands down the most controversial issue rocking the whole New Testament.

For most of us today, we think of Christianity as a global movement, but it wasn't always that way.

It started as a small, Jewish, Messianic sect. Really just a handful of Jewish people sitting

around in a tiny room in Jerusalem, trying to figure out how they were going to restore the kingdom

of God to Israel. This was a Jewish faith based on the Jewish scriptures built around a Jewish man,

but they were about to experience a twist. The story of Israel wasn't just about Israel. The way of

Jesus wasn't just for them, but as the story develops, Luke really wants to show actually the Jewish

Jesus movement is in continuity with the deepest roots of Israel's story and Israel's scriptures.

This movement is still alive, and it started with stories like the one found in the Book of Acts,

because Luke's trying to show that the Christian movement is inherently a destabilizing movement

into whatever culture it enters, not by proposing a new system of beliefs,

but by a group of people creating an alternative culture. So today, Jesus in the start of global

Christianity. Thanks for joining us. Here we go.

We're talking about the Book of Acts. We're talking about Acts. Acts of the Apostles. Yep.

Or Acts of Jesus. Ah, the Acts of Jesus and the Spirit. Better so-called.

That's right. Ah, I have a frog residing in my throat today. Yeah. So don't mind that.

You usually don't. Your little horse. Happens to me like once in winter. Really?

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