I joke about the Baptist Mafia periodically; sometimes I wish we had one, most of the time I am relieved that we don’t!  If you have been following our study in Acts, you know that Paul is regularly in trouble with someone; pagans, believers and most often, Jews. In our passage this week, we meet what I refer to as “Jewish Hitmen.”  Paul’s message had created such a hullaballoo that one scholar wrote, “The Jews would not be reached. They were not only unwilling to hear the claims; they were unwilling to let those making them continue to live.”  They wanted Paul dead! Forty men took a vow to neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. They even involved the religious leadership in their plot. Should the gospel really create that much antagonism? Yes and no. Yes, because if the gospel is really believed it runs counter to much of what our culture holds near and dear. I am surprised we have survived! If people only knew what we believe and proclaim!!! No, because the gospel is good news to be received! Eternal life is available to all who believe.  Why don’t people want good news? We’re not being run out of town yet and I’m not aware of any plots against our lives but I do know this, the gospel is lovely and dangerous. People have died in the defense of it, are we willing to live in light of it?