Questions for Reflection:
1. This section of Acts seems to have some significant historical data. How important is it for our understanding of early Christianity to uncover and confirm such data? How important is it to us to classify Acts as a work of history? Does our answer say more about us or about Acts?
2. The persecution of Christians in Ephesus because of the disturbance of the economic order fits into a more encompassing theme in Luke. Can you recall other texts in Luke or Acts that offer a similar perspective? What do you make of that perspective?
3. The account in Acts of the departure speech of Paul to the elders of Ephesus seems to presuppose a certain kind of church order. How does the organization of the church here compare with other accounts in the New Testament? How important or even normative for us is the model of the church implicit here.
4. Paul’s speech to the elders of Ephesus warns against various threats to the Christian community. Are there analogies in the current situation of the Church to the challenges that the speech outlines?