Author Archives: Steve Hankins, Th.D.

“Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.”Continue reading “The Audience (Acts 17:22-23)”

“For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. (Acts 17:20, AV) In the military while in the Army Ranger School, I learned how to build rope bridges. One evening on a training exercise in the swamps of Florida, we had to get across a river andContinue reading “Bridging (Acts 17:20-21)”

“Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.” (Acts 17:16, AV) I do not want to get too political in these devotions, so I will not present to you a political view on issues. I will only present the biblicalContinue reading “Provocations (Acts 17:16-21)”

“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11, AV) When you meet someone of noble character, you meet someone who stands above the crowd in some way. Yet, it is not inContinue reading “Mark of Nobility (Acts 17:10-15)”

“But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.” (Acts 17:5, AV) The phrase “Green Eyed Monster” seemsContinue reading “Green Eyed Monster (Acts 17:5-9)”

“And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.”” (Acts 17:2-3, ESV) When IContinue reading “Authority of Truth (Acts 17:1-4)”

“And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.” (Acts 16:40, AV) There was a time when I managed a plant that printed shipping containers. The third shift operator had printed a lot of material that was offContinue reading “Wrong & Right (Acts 16:35-40)”

“And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” (Acts 16:30–31, AV) While I was attending a church in Savannah Georgia, something unusual happened. it was during a Wednesday evening prayer meeting. asContinue reading “What Must I Do (Acts 16:26—34)”

“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.” (Acts 16:25, AV) I once heard a report of a boy who was part of an evangelism team at his church. He faithfully went every week with the team. Now, this does not seem too exceptional when mostContinue reading “Light in Darkness (Acts 16:19-25)”

“And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way ofContinue reading “Distractions (Acts 16:16-18)”