Until this part of the story of the early church, Jerusalem had acted as a kind of hub — a centre — for the early believers, but the very presence of the growing group in Joppa, Caesarea, Jerusalem, and Antioch would change that. Communities, in which the life of Jesus is taking shape in ordinary people, are happening. They are learning to follow Him, to recognize His work in others, and to respond to the needs around them.
What we see in our passage today is how the Holy Spirit was establishing priorities for these people and these groups of people. With Jesus in the centre of their lives and communities, what were the things that Jesus wants them to pay attention to and prioritize? This passage begins to answer some of these questions for us today, as we carry on as followers of Jesus as well.
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