Expert: Elder Greg Madden - 3/5/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hello Sir, I was wondering if you had any suggestions regarding controversial topics in Acts. I am working on a small piece for a religious studies course at university and am unfortunately not very acquainted with the gospel. Any assistance or lead to a topic you could provide would be greatly appreciated! All the best to you and your family. Thanks

ANSWER: Thiago,

Though I do not usually answer "homework" type of questions, your intrigues me. However, I'm not sure what you mean by "controversial topics in Acts". Perhaps you could be more specific?

Thanks,

Elder Greg Madden

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello again! Thank you kindly for even considering my question! We've read Acts and Mark thus far and I was searching for some events in the scriptures that I could use as a basis for my paper. Perhaps controversial wasn't the best way to explain what I meant. For example, in Mark 8:27-30 where Jesus tells the apostles not to speak of him as the messiah. I was thinking about writing on his reasoning for saying this and also why he travel to a dominantly Gentile region to tell his apostles who he truly is. My hope was that your far superior knowledge of the scripture might suggest any other such curiosities that I might use to research and write about. Thank you again so much for your time. Please have a wonderful day regardless of whether or not you choose to respond. Take care.

Answer
Thiago,

Sorry for the delay in my reply. It has been rather busy in my life lately.

Perhaps you could look at Acts 10. Here we see Peter preaching to gentiles (which was against Jewish law and tradition), and those gentiles receiving the Holy Spirit baptism. This was so controversial that Peter in Acts 11 rehearsed his reasoning for doing such a thing before he went back and explained himself to the other Apostles.

Hope this helps.

Elder Greg Madden