List Of Things A Mentor Should Do

A Study of THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

-Acts 1:8

Fellowship of Christian University Students (FOCUS) Wildwood Community Church NOTE: Additional copies of this study may be obtained from “http://faculty-staff.ou.edu/R/ William.R.Reed-1/Bstudies/index.html”

2 INSTRUCTIONS This study is formatted to be a daily study of Acts to be done over a period of 12 weeks. I have tried to design a study that will require, on average, about 20 minutes a day to answer. That being said, please remember that the death of a good Bible study is a legalistic adherence to a “list” or schedule. Godly discipline requires a sensitivity to what the Holy Spirit wants to teach you. If you find yourself being led in a direction different from where my questions would take you, forget my questions, and listen to the “higher authority.” Most of all, enjoy the Word of God. There is no book like it in all of creation.

Note: I would very much appreciate any suggestions you might have to improve this study. Feedback on whether the questions are too vague, take too long to answer, are too academic, etc. is very much appreciated. Feel free to email me any thoughts you might have as they come up. My email address is [email protected]. Thanks!

i BRIEF BACKGROUND NOTES ON ACTS

Who wrote it? It was written by Luke, a Gentile physician who converted to Christianity and traveled with the Apostle Paul on his missionary journeys.

What is the relationship between Acts and the Gospel of Luke? The Book of Acts was originally part of a two-volume “book.” The first volume consisted of the Gospel of Luke. The second volume is the book we now know as “The Acts of the Apostles.” The two volumes were initially circulated together. However, sometime in the late first or early second century, the Gospel of Luke was spun off and circulated with the other Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and John). The second volume became a stand-alone work. It was at this time that it acquired the title it is known by today.

Who were the recipients? Luke-Acts is addressed to someone named Theophilus (cf. Luke 1:1-4, Acts 1:1,2), about whom we know very little. It was likely intended to be read by others, particularly Gentiles.

Why was it written? At the beginning of the Gospel of Luke, Luke states that his goal is that Theophilus “…might know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.” Luke later referred to this first volume as recording the things that “Jesus began to do…” (Acts 1:1). Thus, Acts should be seen as an account of the continuation of Jesus’ works on earth. Above all, Acts roots the Christian faith in history. What Jesus did in real people’s lives back then, He can – and does – do today.

When was it written? The evidence suggests that it was written around 64 A.D.

ii WEEK ONE: Acts 1:1-2:47

Days One and Two: 1. Read Acts 1:1-2:47. Historical Note: Most commentators believe that the events recorded here occurred around 30 A.D.

2. Summarize these verses by making an outline consisting of numerous “sections”, attaching a brief description for each section. For example, one such outline of Acts 1:1-2:47 is given below:

1:1-8. Jesus teaches His disciples after His resurrection. 1:9-14. Jesus ascends to heaven and the disciples wait for the Holy Spirit to come. 1:15-26. The disciples select Matthias to take Judas’ place. 2:1-13. The Holy Spirit descends on the disciples, causing them to speak in foreign languages. 2:14-21. A crowd gathers round, and Peter tells them that this is a sign that they are in the Last Days. 2:22-36. Peter tells the crowd that the purpose of this event is to witness that Jesus is the Messiah, resurrected from the dead. 2:37-41. Three thousand are saved that day. 2:42-47. The new believers sell their possessions and form a new community in which everything is shared.

Write your own outline in the space below. Try not to refer to other outlines that may be presented in your Bible and elsewhere.

(NOTE: Making an outline is a wonderful way to immerse yourself in Scripture. It forces you to think through the content and organization of the text. In addition, it becomes a valuable resource for later review. If you have never done this before, you will probably find this hard to do the first time around. However, it will become easier over time. Persevere! You will be glad you did.) Your answer goes here.

Day Three: 1. Review Acts 1:1-2:47. 2. Think of some questions that might lead to an important spiritual “discovery.”

For example, Acts 1:20-26 describes how the Apostles chose Matthias to be a replacement for Judas. Accordingly, you might ask, “Why was it important to choose an apostolic replacement for Judas?”

Write your questions in the space below, then pray that God would answer your question(s). Your questions go here.

1 Day Four: 1. Read Acts 1:1-8.

2. What instructions/orders did Jesus give His disciples before He ascended to heaven? The only instruction explicitly mentioned in these verses is “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised (Acts 1:4),” where the gift spoken of here means the Holy Spirit. Note that the statement in Acts 1:8 about being witnesses is not a command, but a statement of fact; and that both these statements echo what Jesus says in Luke 24:48,49. Luke 24:48,49: “You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."

3. Why did Jesus tell His disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 1:4,5)? The answer, made clear from Luke 24:49, is so they would be “clothed with power.” This illustrates a crucial principle of “New Covenant” living: the Christian can do nothing worthwhile in his/her own power. The power to do good comes from the Holy Spirit. Apart from the Spirit of God, we can do nothing. John 15:4: “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

4A. The Greek word for witness is “martus”. This word appears 35 times in the New Testament. It appears 13 times in the Book of Acts, more than in any other New Testament book. Thus, it is fair to say that a key theme of the Book of Acts is being a witness. 4B. Would you like to be a better witness of Jesus? How do you think you could become that? I want to be a better witness. The only way that I can become a better witness is to more closely depend on Jesus to show me and enable me how to make Him known.

Day Five: 1. Read Acts 1:15-2:4. Biblical Note: The Old Testament festival “Pentecost” derives its name from Greek, where it means “the 50th day.” The original purpose of the festival was to celebrate the end of the grain harvest by bringing the “firstfruits of the wheat harvest” to the Temple (Exodus 34:22). However, it also became celebrated as the anniversary of the giving of the Law from God to Moses 50 days after the first Passover.

2. There is great spiritual significance to the fact that God chose to distribute the Holy Spirit on the anniversary of the giving of the Old Testament Law to Moses: The Old Testament Pentecost marked the giving of the Law on tablets of stone.

2 The New Testament Pentecost marks the giving of the Holy Spirit, and the writing of the Law on the hearts of believers. As such, this day of Pentecost described in the Book of Acts represents the New Testament analog of the giving of the law. Further, it represents the fulfillment of the promise of a “new covenant” which God promised His people in the Old Testament. Look up the verses below and briefly explain in the space below how they support this connection between the Old and New Testament days of Pentecost:

Jeremiah 31:31-34: "Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a NEW COVENANT with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I WILL PUT MY LAW WITHIN THEM, AND ON THEIR HEART I WILL WRITE IT; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, `Know the LORD,' for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." Ezekiel 36:26,27: “Moreover, I WILL GIVE YOU A NEW HEART AND PUT A NEW SPIRIT WITHIN YOU; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.”

3. Why do you think it was important to choose a replacement for Judas? (HINT: What is significant about the number twelve?) My answer is given below, but note that this is all about symbolism. The only “job description” of being an Apostle was to be a witness, something that one could also do without being an Apostle (Acts 1:22). Note further that there were people who had been with Jesus “the whole time” who were not designated Apostles.

4. One possible explanation for the importance of the number twelve is that the Twelve Apostles represent the New Covenant version of the twelve sons of Jacob (Israel). Recall that the twelve sons of Jacob went on to form the twelve tribes of Israel. Recall also that Jeremiah 31:31 says, “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah.” While the nation of Israel as a whole rejected this “New Covenant”, God was not stymied by the failure of the nation of Israel to respond. Instead, He preserved a remnant and made them into a “new nation” of believers to carry on His kingdom work. The reason for replacing Judas was to emphasize this symbolism. Does this seem like a reasonable explanation to you? Works for me!

3 5A. The Book of Acts is notable for its accounts of miracles and supernatural interventions. These supernatural events are best understood as the New Testament analog to the great miracles associated with the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt and the establishment of the Jewish nation. In the Old Testament, God delivered His people from bondage in Egypt, established a covenant with them at Mt. Sinai, and established them as a nation in the land of Canaan. In the New Testament, God delivered His people from bondage to sin through the sacrifice of Jesus, which took place at the celebration of Passover. He ushered in a New Covenant by placing His Law in the hearts of believers through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which was initiated on Pentecost, the anniversary of the giving of the Law to Moses. And He established His “nation” of believers by building up the church, as described in the subsequent chapters of the Book of Acts. Just as God did great miracles to establish the nation of Israel, so He did great miracles to establish His church. In other words, while God still does miracles today, the Book of Acts is not meant to present a “normal” picture of life within Christianity, just as the books of Exodus through Joshua were not meant to be normative for life in the Old Testament. These miracles should remind us that God is clearly drawing a parallel between what He did to establish the “Old Covenant,” and His acts to establish a “New Covenant” with His people.

5B. Read the attachment at the end of this week’s study entitled “On the Differences Between the ‘Old’ and ‘New’ Covenants.” Write any thoughts or questions you have about these two covenants in the space below. Is this distinction between the “Old” and “New Covenants” new for you? If so, at some point you might want to do a Bible study of Romans and/or Galatians, where these differences are worked out in greater detail. But don’t do that until you finish your Acts study!

Day Six: 1. Read Acts 2:14-39.

2. What is the “great and glorious day of the Lord” (cf. Acts 2:20)? The “great and glorious day of the Lord” is the Second Coming of Jesus, when He will mete out judgment to Israel and the nations of the world. It has a long history in Old Testament prophecy, and would have been immediately recognizable to Peter’s listeners. Here is how the “day of the Lord” is described in The Expository Dictionary in Zondervan’s Bible Reference Library software: “…the day of the Lord is seen as a day of terror, during which Israel would be invaded and purged with an awful destruction. Amos warned those of his day who hoped God would intervene soon: "Woe to you who long for the day of the LORD! Why do you long for the day of the LORD? That day will be darkness and not light" (Amos 5:18). Zephaniah adds, "The great day of the LORD is near--near

4 and coming quickly. Listen! The cry on the day of the LORD will be bitter, the shouting of the warrior will be there. That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness" (Zephaniah 1:14-15). The dark terror of divine judgment was to be poured out on unbelieving Israel (Isaiah 22; Jeremiah 30:1-17; Joel 1-2; Amos 5; Zephaniah 1) and on the unbelieving peoples of the world (Ezekiel 38-39; Zechariah 14). The following verses from the New Testament give a vivid picture of Jesus’ Second Coming: Revelation 19:11-16: “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

3. The twin facts that (i) Jesus the Christ/Messiah has been crucified and is risen from the dead (cf. Acts 2:22-24), and (ii) the “great and glorious day of the Lord” is coming, are sufficient to evoke an immediate response from Peter’s listeners (cf. Acts 2:37). Why do you think Peter’s listeners responded so strongly to these facts? The nation of Israel had for centuries been physically oppressed by more powerful countries; and spiritually oppressed because it had been hundreds of years since God had last spoken to the nation through His prophets. As a result, there was a great longing for the Christ/Messiah to restore Israel both physically and spiritually. The Coming of the Christ/Messiah was viewed as Israel’s great hope. Peter’s listeners immediately understood that (i) they had done a terrible thing by crucifying their Messiah, and (ii) God would exact punishment for this horrible crime. They were scared and wanted to be ‘saved” from the coming judgment that they recognized they deserved. Peter’s listeners illustrate a great spiritual truth: The only way to come to God is to recognize that we have sinned against Him and are deserving of His terrible wrath.

4. Why did Peter tell the people to repent and be baptized in order to be saved? Why didn’t he tell them to simply believe? The Greek word from which we get the word “repent” is “metanoeö”, which has the idea of changing one’s life direction. On the negative side, it means recognizing that one’s old way of life was wrong. It means recognizing that one has sinned before God and deserves judgment. On the positive side, it means a commitment to live righteously. While salvation is by faith and faith

5 alone, a belief in God that does not consist of these two elements is not genuine, biblical faith. James 2:14,17: “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? … faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” The phrase “and be baptized” is not giving another condition for salvation. The grammar of the original language best supports the interpretation that this is a parenthetical statement. In other words, once one has repented, they should be baptized as an expression of their new faith in Christ.

5. What did you find most spiritually impacting in this week’s study? Elaborate. Only you can answer this one!

6 ON THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE “OLD” AND “NEW” COVENANTS

For the distinction between the “Old Covenant” and the “New Covenant,” consider the following verses:

Hebrews 8:7-13a: “For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people and said: "The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord. This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, `Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete…”

Scripture frequently characterizes the differences between the “Old Covenant” and the “New Covenant” by contrasting “law/works/flesh” versus “grace/faith/Spirit”. To see that, consider the following verses:

Romans 3:21-22a: “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”

Galatians 3:19a,24: “What, then, was the purpose of the law? …the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.”

Romans 8:3,4: “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

Galatians 3:6-14: “Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you." So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith." The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them." Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham

7 might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”

Romans 7:6: “But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.”

Galatians 4:21-26: “Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise. These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.”

8 WEEK TWO: Acts 3:1-4:31

Days One and Two: 1. Read Acts 3:1-4:31. Historical Note: Most commentators believe that the events recorded here occurred around 30-32 A.D.

2. Summarize these verses by making an outline consisting of numerous “sections”, attaching a brief description for each section (cf. Days One and Two of Week One). Write your own outline in the space below. Try not to refer to other outlines that may be presented in your Bible and elsewhere.

3:1-10. Peter and John heal a crippled man. 3:11-26. Peter uses this occasion to persuade the crowd to become Christians. 4:1-4. Peter and John are arrested, but many are saved. 4:5-22. Peter and John testify to the religious leaders, are ordered to stop talking about Jesus, and are released. 4:23-31. The new community of believers praises God for what He is doing.

Day Three: 1. Review Acts 3:1-4:31. 2. Think of some questions that might lead to an important spiritual “discovery.” Write them in the space below, then pray that God would answer your question(s). Your questions go here.

Day Four: 1. Read Acts 3:1-10.

2. The stated times for prayer in Judaism were (1) early in the morning, in connection with the morning sacrifice; (2) at the ninth hour of the day (about three o'clock in the afternoon); and (3) at sunset (source: NIV Bible Commentary in the Zondervan Bible Reference Library software). Accordingly, this passage of Scripture finds Peter and John going to the temple -- the central place of worship in Judaism -- to participate in prayers. What is significant about the fact that the early Christians continued to follow the teachings of Judaism? (HINT: Did the early Christians think of themselves as starting a new religion?) The significance is that the early Christians thought of themselves as “true” Jews. They saw Jesus as the Messiah/Christ prophesized in the Old Testament, and they saw their faith in Him as being a straightforward extension of their Old Testament faith in God. Even after they (i) were physically driven out of the Jewish community and (ii) were joined by non-Jewish (Gentile) believers,

9 the so-called “Christian” community considered itself the “true” remnant of Israel (cf. Romans 11:22-32). Further, they saw themselves as beneficiaries of the “New Covenant” which God promised to make with the “House of Israel” (cf. Jeremiah 31:31-34). Thus, a correct view of Christianity sees it as an extension of the fulfillment of Judaism, and not as a separate religion.

3. The cripple begged money from passersby at the temple gate. However, Peter and John did not give him money. Instead, they healed his crippledness and gave him the power to walk. Notice they weren’t intending on going out healing. They were intending to pray in the Temple. Why do you think they decided to heal this man rather than give him money, or walk on by? It is clear from the text that Peter and John intended to go to prayers and then just happened to come across this beggar. They turned this encounter into an opportunity to glorify Jesus through healing this man. The thing to note here is that while Peter and John’s original plan was to go to the temple to pray, they had a mindset of being about God’s business, looking for opportunities for God to use them. The beggar at the gate provided such an opportunity. Question for us: As we go through our day, do WE look for opportunities to glorify God to those around us?

4. In Acts 3:6, Peter says, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." What is significant about Peter’s invocation of “the name of Jesus Christ?” (HINT: See Acts 3:16.) The significance is that it points out that it is Jesus, not Peter or John, who is responsible for the healing. Acts 3:16: “By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and THE FAITH THAT COMES THROUGH HIM that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.” In this sense, the “acts” in the Book of Acts are not just the “Acts of the Apostles,” they can also be viewed as the “Acts of Jesus.” As the Gospel of Luke records the “acts of Jesus” before His ascension to heaven, so the Book of Acts records His acts after His ascension to heaven.

Day Five: 1. Read Acts 3:11-26.

2. Peter begins his address to the “Men of Israel” by pointing out that they (i) handed Jesus over to be killed, (ii) asked for a murderer to be released in Jesus’ place, and (iii) are thus responsible for Jesus’ death. Why do you think Peter begins his address to the people in this way? Peter wants His listeners to realize that they are each responsible, to some degree, for Jesus’ death.

10 3. Peter then goes on to say, "Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer.” After seemingly piling on the guilt, Peter then emphasizes his listeners’ innocence in ignorance. Why do you think he does this? Peter wants them to know that while they were responsible, they didn’t necessarily appreciate the full consequences of their actions. There has a clear application to us today: It is the sin of you and me that was responsible for Jesus having to die on the cross. Were we not sinners, there would have been no need for a Savior. Thus, we have in common with Peter’s listeners that we are each responsible for Jesus’ death. Yet, like them, we have been largely ignorant of the full consequences of our sins.

4. Peter closes his message by calling on his listeners to “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out.” In your own words, without using “Christian lingo,” explain what Peter was asking his listeners to do. Peter was asking his listeners to recognize the sins in their own life, and to turn to God to forgive them their sins.

5. Do you think Peter’s address can serve as a model today for how Christians can share the message of Jesus Christ with non-Christians? Explain why or why not. Non-Christians today do not have the visual images of the horrible crucifixion of Jesus fresh in their memory as did Peter’s listeners. Thus, learning that they are responsible for the death of the Messiah/Christ probably would not connect as well today as then. However, the fundamental truth that man has sinned against God, necessitating the death of God’s Son in order for man to be saved, is a truth that still resonates. In this sense, Peter’s address CAN serve as a model today. Peter’s model applied today would go like this: 1. My sin is an affront to God who is infinitely pure and righteous. 2. Because of my sin, Jesus had to die on the cross to cover the penalty for my sins in order for me to have a chance to escape God’s wrath. 3. As a result, I am responsible for Jesus’ death, though I was “ignorant” of the consequence of my sins. 4. Being aware of this, I need to acknowledge my sins and turn to God for forgiveness for what I have done.

2A. The NIV Bible Dictionary in the Zondervan Bible Reference Library software, gives the following background information about the Sadducees: “SADDUCEES. One of the religious parties that existed among the Jews in the days of Christ and the early church, but exercised comparatively little influence among the people. …The Sadducees were the political party of the Jewish

11 aristocratic priesthood from the time of the Maccabees to the final fall of the Jewish state. They became leaders in the Hellenizing movement that began with Alexander the Great. Because of their sympathy with the policy of Antiochus Epiphanes, they took no part in the Maccabean struggle, which was supported mainly by the Pharisees. The Sadducees under the Romans become the party favorable to the government…. The Sadducees are mentioned by name in the NT only about a dozen times…; but it must be remembered that when mention is made of the chief priests, practically the same persons are referred to…. After the Day of Pentecost the Sadducees were very active against the infant church.” Distinctive characteristics of the Sadducees were (i) they were comfortable in accommodating the world, (ii) they were highly rationalistic and generally opposed to anything that smacked of the supernatural (e.g., the afterlife, angels, demons, etc.) 2B. Based on this description, why do you think the Sadducees were antagonistic to Peter’s preaching? Acts 4:2 says that “they were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.” The Sadducees were upset because the “apostles were teaching;” that is, the apostles were usurping the leadership of the Jewish religious leaders, threatening their position of spiritual authority. If people believed this message, the wealth and influence that the Sadducees had managed to accumulate for themselves would be taken away from them. However, the Sadducees were also opposed because the apostles were preaching the resurrection of the dead, a truth to which they were doctrinally opposed. The Sadducees were committed to a worldview that did not allow supernatural events like the resurrection of the dead. Thus, the apostles were threatening the core beliefs upon which the Sadducees had built their lives.

3. To what extent do you think people today, both Christians and non-Christians, have the same problems with the Christian message as the Sadducees did? Elaborate. The same objections can be found today. Many people are comfortable with the notion of “God,” but uncomfortable with Jesus. Why is that? Maybe because “God” is sufficiently amorphous that we can invoke Him without having to commit to anything specific. Jesus on the other hand, is flesh and blood and historical. We have lots of documentation on what He said and did and what He was like. To believe in Jesus is something very specific. As such, we cannot so easily bend this religion to what we want. Jesus is who He is, and it is we who must bend to Him. Fundamentally, the Christian message is a radical one. If we take it seriously, we will find that our lives cannot stay the same. That can be scary and threatening (but also exciting!!) for Christian and non- Christian alike. Second, the Christian message challenges our rationalistic worldview. Many of us are uncomfortable with the supernatural. We’ve already seen plenty of supernatural happenings in the first few chapters of Acts: physical healing, people speaking in tongues, Jesus resurrected from the dead and

12 ascending to heaven, people being “filled with the Holy Spirit.” No doubt, some of this makes us uncomfortable. Some of our discomfort with the supernatural is appropriate, as lots of bogus religions and philosophies rely on a phony supernaturalism. Yet, God is by definition supernatural, as He both precedes the laws of the universe, and superintends them. A worldview that does not allow for supernaturalism has no room for God.

5. These beginning chapters of Acts detail the formation of the Christian church. Note that the church starts in Jerusalem, the capital of Judaism. Explain why, of all places in the world, Jerusalem after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ would have been the most unlikely place in the world to start the Christian church. (In other words, can you see why the fact that Christianity starts and thrives in Jerusalem, the capital of Judaism, constitutes powerful evidence supporting the truth of Christianity?) If you heard that Muslims by the thousands were coming to faith in Jesus in Mecca, Saudi Arabia—the holy place of Islam—you would know something truly amazing was up. If anything, the start of the Christian church in Jersualem was even more amazing! The apostles were teaching a message that ran counter to orthodox Judaism, and they were teaching it right there in the capital of Judaism, a city filled with hot-blooded, fundamentalist zealots who would die rather than repudiate their faith (as demonstrated by countless insurrections against the Romans). Further, the very person the apostles were asking people to believe in as their Lord had just been crucified in public view. Why would anyone believe that this man whom they had just killed -- this man who was so different from their expectations of what the Messiah/Christ would be like -- was somebody they should believe in? They didn’t believe in Him when He was alive. Why would they possibly believe in Him after He was dead? This cries out for some kind of explanation. The most likely explanation is that something occurred that caused the Jews in Jerusalem to change their minds about Jesus. The likely candidates are: (i) the resurrection of Jesus, and (ii) the powerful and miraculous teaching of the apostles.

6. After being commanded to keep quiet, Peter and John respond, “..we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). Why couldn’t Peter and John just appreciate what God had done for them and keep it to themselves? Why did they feel compelled to spread the truth that had been given to them? Peter and John knew that the gospel message they were spreading meant abundant life for those who had ears to hear it. Just as a medical researcher would feel compelled to rush a cure for cancer to market so that many could be saved, so the apostles knew that they had discovered the “cure for sin” and felt compelled to get it in the hands of the people.

7. What did you find most spiritually impacting in this week’s study? Elaborate.

13 WEEK THREE: Acts 4:32-6:7

4:32-37. Members of the new community share their possessions to help those in need. 5:1,2. Ananias and Sapphira sell their possessions to give to the church, but secretly hold back some for themselves. 5:3-11. Ananias and Sapphira are supernaturally stricken dead once their deed is found out. 5:12-16. The numbers of the community continue to grow, with large crowds coming to be healed. 5:17-28. Peter and the other apostles are arrested for preaching Jesus’ name and appear before the Sanhedrin. 5:29-40. The Sanhedrin orders the apostles flogged, but releases them, again commanding them to cease their preaching of Jesus. 6:1. The apostles continue their teaching, and many more are saved. 6:2-7. A problem arises with the Hellenistic Jews, and the apostles appoint deacons to make sure that needs in the body are being met.

Day Three: 1. Review Acts 4:32-6:7. 2. Think of some questions that might lead to an important spiritual “discovery.” Write them in the space below, then pray that God would answer your question(s). What questions did you come up with this week?

2. What do you think about the practice of the beginning church to sell their goods and to share with everyone who had need? Personally, I’m torn. On the one hand I think it is a great testimony to the truth of Jesus Christ, because people were willing to demonstrate their allegiance to Him in a very real, and costly, way. On the other hand, it scares

14 me, because I don’t know how I would support my family if I followed suit. How about you? 3A. Imagine that you were a part of a Christian community in which people radically shared their income/possessions with others in the community. What would be some positive aspects of this? One positive aspect is that it would cause Christians to spend a lot more time in fellowship. Since people wouldn’t keep all the money they earned, they would probably have less of an incentive to work so hard to earn it. As a result, they would have more free time, and probably there would be greater fellowship in the church. A second positive aspect is that it would attract a lower socioeconomic group to wealthier churches, as poorer people came to wealthier people for help. This would avoid the class stratification that characterizes so many middle-class, suburban churches, and would open up the body of Christ to show the kind of love it was called to demonstrate.

3B. What would be some negative aspects of this? There are so many ways this could turn out bad. The money/possessions that people worked so hard to obtain could be squandered, or given out in an unfair fashion. This could cause a lot of resentment and division in the church. Another negative aspect is that people could get themselves into precarious financial situations because they would not make sufficient provision to take care of themselves, and there might not be sufficient support from the body to have somebody else take care of them.

4. Given your understanding of the Bible, do you think churches today should be more like the beginning church when it comes to possessions? First of all, let me say that I personally think that the beginning church in Jerusalem was not intended to be the model for all churches. The situation in Jerusalem was unique. The church was begun with miraculous signs and healings. Jesus had just resurrected and many witnesses had seen Him. People expected His return to come soon. They were thrilled with discovering this brand-new, life-changing truth, and they responded exuberantly to its message. In the long-haul, this type of fellowship was probably not sustainable. That being said, I do believe that the church today is far removed from where it should be. While I don’t believe the “normal” Christian life calls for selling all one’s possessions to give them to the community, I do believe that Christians are called to an exuberant generosity in meeting the needs in the body.

5. If you answered yes to the preceding question, what could you do as an individual to help your church be more generous with its possessions? How did YOU answer this?

Day Five:

15 1. Read Acts 5:1-11.

2. What exactly was Ananias’ and Sapphira’s “crime?” It appears their crime was lying. They claimed to have given all the proceeds from the sale of their possessions to the church. In fact, they held back some of the proceeds for themselves.

3. Are your surprised at the harshness with which God judged these two? Can you think of any legitimate reason why God would be so hard on them? At first glance, the judgment seems very harsh. Presumably, other believers didn’t sell any of their possessions and were not judged. While Ananias and Sapphira kept something for themselves, at least they were willing to make a gift to the church. They were under no obligation to do so. The only legitimate reason that I can think of is that God hates hypocrisy. In God’s eyes, it is better to not make a pretense of being good, than to pretend you are better than you are.

4. What lesson can we learn from this incident? The lesson I draw from this is that it is REALLY important to be truthful about who we are before God. Better to be honest about our shortcomings and lack of spirituality, than to pretend that we live solely to serve God and that nothing else matters to us. That way, when God changes us, people around us will know that it is real, and the world can see what God is doing. What lesson did YOU come up with?

5A. Read Acts 5:17-40. 5B. Read Acts 4:1-22.

6. Put yourself in the shoes of the members of the Council/Sanhedrin. Try and imagine how you would have behaved towards Peter and the apostles’ testimony. How do the members of the Council/Sanhedrin behave differently than what you would have done had you been in their place? The thing that strikes me is that there is no interest in determining the truth. I can understand why the members of the religious establishment would be skeptical of the claims of Peter and the apostles. However, in short order they have witnessed at least one noteworthy miracle (Acts 4:16), and possibly another (Acts 5:22-24). On top of that, they have had to “marvel” at the confident demeanor of Peter and John (Acts 4:13). At the very least, one would think that they would want to investigate the claims of the apostles about Jesus in greater depth. In contrast, they show no interest in knowing whether these claims are true.

7. Why do you think that people today are often disinterested in knowing whether the claims of Christianity are true?

16 Two possible reasons are (i) people don’t feel a need in their lives for God; and (ii) people are so turned off by the Christians they know that they figure there is no way Christianity can be true. What are some reasons YOU came up with?

2. These verses represent the first signs of “trouble in paradise” in the beginning church. Reading between the lines, it is clear that the complaint of the Hellenistic/Grecian Jews against the native/Hebraic Jews involved more than just the overlooking of widows in the distribution of food. Can you speculate about the source of the problem? (HINT: Hellenistic Jews were probably Jews who had lived a substantial portion of their lives outside of Israel and had relocated to their spiritual homeland. In contrast, Hebraic Jews were Jews who had lived their whole lives in Israel.) It is likely that the problem between these two groups was greater than merely having some people being left out in the serving of food. That problem would have been easily resolved once the omission had been brought to the attention of the people administering the food. Hellenistic/Grecian Jews were probably Jews who had lived a substantial portion of their lives outside of Israel and had relocated to their spiritual homeland. In contrast, native/Hebraic Jews were Jews who had lived their whole lives in Israel. In addition to the obvious cultural and class issues, there may also have been language differences between the two groups. No doubt distrust and discrimination concerns lay behind the complaint of the non-native Jews.

3. The apostles responded to an immediate problem (i.e. making sure that everyone got served food) with a structural change in the administration of the church (i.e., the creation of a “deacon-like” position to assist in the management of the day-today affairs of the church). Why do you think they did this? The apostles recognized that the management of a large community required that lots of details be taken care of. There needed to be people whose primary concern was the oversight of these details and the management of people- conflicts that inevitably spring up whenever “two or more” are gathered. At the same time, the apostles knew that the heart and soul of what they were doing consisted of “devoting themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word.” The creation of a “deacon-like” position allowed the church to thrive while leaving the leaders of the church free to devote themselves to the ministry God had given them.

4. What lesson can we learn from this incident? One lesson is that church requires at least two sets of leaders. One to devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word. The other to devote themselves to managing the day-to-day operations of the church. Each group needs the other to successfully carry out its God-appointed tasks. This is

17 important to remember because it is easy for each group to slight the important work of the other.

5. What did you find most spiritually impacting in this week’s study? Elaborate.

18 WEEK FOUR: Acts 6:8-8:3

6:8-7:1. Opposition arises against Stephen and he is arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin. 7:2-7:50. Stephen testifies before the Sanhedrin of Israel’s history towards God. 7:51-53. Stephen accuses the religious leaders of rejecting God just like their forefathers did. 7:54-59. The members of the Sanhedrin stone Stephen to death. 8:1-3. A general persecution arises against the church, with Saul as an active participant.

Day Three: 1. Review Acts 6:8-8:3. 2. Think of some questions that might lead to an important spiritual “discovery.” Write them in the space below, then pray that God would answer your question(s). What questions did you come up with for this week? Did God give you some answers?

Day Four: 1. Read Acts 6:8-14. Historical Note: Concerning the “Synagogue of the Freedmen”, the NIV Bible Commentary in Zondervan’s Bible Reference Library software says that this was a synagogue composed of Greek-speaking Jews who had been born outside of Israel, having later immigrated to their spiritual homeland. The word "freedmen” can indicate either (i) former slaves who won their freedom, or (ii) free persons as opposed to slaves. Being transplants, no doubt these Hellenistic Jews were viewed suspiciously by the Hebraic Jews. Perhaps because of this, they were particularly sensitive to anyone from their community (such as Stephen) who could harm their reputation as faithful Jews. This would explain their aggressive response to Stephen’s preaching.

2. The charges against Stephen are fourfold: (i) He spoke against “this holy place” (i.e., the Temple) (ii) He spoke against the law

19 (iii) He said Jesus would destroy the Temple (iv) He said Jesus will change the customs Moses handed down to the Jews Explain how each of these charges has a basis of truth in Christianity. For example, with respect to (i): Christianity doesn’t say the Temple is a bad thing. However, it does teach that the Holy Spirit indwells each Christian, so that the Christian, in essence, becomes the temple of God (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:16: “Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?”). Continue in this fashion for charges (ii) through (iv).

Elements of truth in charge (ii): Christianity doesn’t say that the law is bad. However, it does say that man is unable to follow the law. Therefore, God instituted a new system based upon grace, whereby God worshippers would be able to follow the law—not by trying to follow it in the power of the flesh—but by relying on God’s power through faith. In this sense, Christianity teaches that righteousness comes from God by faith, and not by following the law. Romans 3:28: “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.” This could easily be interpreted as speaking against “the law.”

Elements of truth in charge (iii): The charge that Jesus would destroy the Temple is no doubt a twisting of what Stephen said, but it is not clear what Stephen’s original statement might have been. Stephen could have reiterated Jesus’ claim that the Temple was going to be destroyed (cf. Matthew 24:1,2). Or Stephen could have claimed that Jesus was going to return and deal out a horrible punishment to Israel for rejecting Him (cf. “the day of the Lord”). Or Stephen could have said that the sacrificial system by which sins would be covered by the sacrifice of an animal (performed at the Temple), was now abolished by virtue of Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross. Any of these statements could have been twisted into a charge that Jesus was going to “destroy the Temple.”

Elements of truth in charge (iv): The charge that Jesus will “change the customs Moses handed down” comes closest to being a truthful representation of Christianity. Christianity does teach that God has instituted a “New Covenant”, which is not like the “Old Covenant”. As such, “the customs” of the Mosaic Covenant will be changed. However, rather than being an unforeseen innovation, this change was itself prophesized in the Old Testament, hundreds of years before Jesus. Jeremiah 31:31-34: “"Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it;

20 and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. "And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, `Know the LORD,' for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."

Day Five: 1. Read Acts 7:2-7:53.

2. Confirm that Acts 7:2-7:50 can be divided into three parts: (i) Acts 7:2-8: The founding of the nation of Israel through the patriarchs. (ii) Acts 7:9-43: The nation of Israel continually rejects God’s prophets. (iii) Acts 7:44-50: God does not reside in the Temple.

3. With respect to part (i), why do you think Stephen begins his address by emphasizing how God raised up a people for Himself by calling it out of other nations? Stephen cites two instances where God called His people out of the land in which they were living: (i) Abraham out of Mesopotamia, and (ii) the Israelites out of Egypt. One possibility for Stephen’s emphasis of this fact is that it sets up the “calling out” of the church from the nation of Israel. That is, the church was initially drawn as a remnant out of the nation of Israel to form a new “nation,” one that starts small but grows as numerous as the stars in the heavens.

4. With respect to part (ii), identify the specific instances in Acts 7:9-43 where the Israelites rejected God’s prophets. The first instance occurs when the patriarchs reject Joseph and sell him into slavery. Joseph represents a “type” of Jesus in that he becomes the savior of Israel by providing food and safety for the infant nation of Israel during a time of severe famine. Notice that it is the “leaders” of Israel who reject Joseph, the savior-type; just as the current leaders of Israel reject the Savior Jesus. The second instance is the rejection of Moses by the Israelites as he attempted to reconcile a dispute among them. Here we have the nation rejecting their “prince”, forcing Moses into exile. This parallels the present situation where the rejection of Jesus has led Him into “exile” until the day when He will return as a triumphant leader—just as Moses eventually did. The third instance occurs when the Jewish people reject Moses’ instruction as he goes up to receive the law from God on Mt. Sinai. During Moses’ absence, the people turn away from God to worship idols. This is probably the most famous instance of Israel’s spiritual weakness in all of Scripture. It follows shortly after God’s miraculous delivery of the people out of Egypt, and underscores the fickleness of their faith in God. These examples of the patriarchs rejecting Joseph, and the people of Israel rejecting Moses were well-chosen. The patriarchs were the “founding

21 fathers” of Israel. Their spiritual failure revealed that Israel started off by having its leaders screw up. It should have given pause to the current leadership of Israel whom Stephen was addressing, lest they think that their position of leadership protected them from being on the wrong side of God. Moses was the great law-giver, and perhaps the most venerated prophet of the Old Testament. If the people could reject him, then they could reject anybody, for surely no prophet of God had greater evidences to support him. Again, the Israelites’ rejection of Moses should have caused the current leadership of Israel whom Stephen was addressing to act cautiously, lest they also fail to identify God’s prophets, among whom the Christ/Messiah would have been the greatest. Finally, note that despite Israel’s failures, God’s purposes were never thwarted. Stephen emphasizes that God always rose above the failures of His people to accomplish His goals in history.

5. Acts 7:25 could be translated as follows: “And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them salvation through him; but they did not understand.” What does that remind you of? While this verse applies directly to Moses, it clearly suggests Jesus Christ. As the Jews of Moses’ day “did not understand” Moses’ work of salvation, so the Jews of Jesus’ day did not understand Jesus’ work of salvation.

6. With respect to part (iii), why do you think Stephen ends his address by downplaying the Temple, stating that God does not live in houses built by men (cf. Acts 7:48)? One of the reasons that the religious establishment rejected Jesus was because Jesus threatened Israel’s Temple-based sacrificial system, over which the religious leaders presided. The administration of this system was the source of their power and prestige. Stephen closes his address by reminding his listeners that God is not in the things that they control. He does not live in the Temple. He lives above His creation. They only control a building and a system that has become obsolete. They cannot stop the expansion of God’s kingdom through their control of the (now out-dated) religious symbols of God’s rule.

Day Six: 1. Review Acts 7:2-53.

2. Consider the following parallels between (i) the history of the nation of Israel as recounted by Stephen in Acts 7:2-53, and (ii) the (infant) Christian church.

ISRAEL THE CHURCH

Abraham called out of Mesopotamia The church called out of Israel

22 ISRAEL THE CHURCH

God is the main orchestrator of events God is the one who has been initiating (cf. Acts 7:2-8 and note that God is the the events that have caused the church main subject) to grow The leaders of Israel (the 12 patriarchs) The leaders of Israel (the Sanhedrin) persecute Joseph persecute Jesus God protects Joseph and the His God is protecting the church against a people against a hostile environment hostile environment (persecution by (first famine, later persecution by the the Jews and, later, the Romans) new Pharoah) Moses (the Law Giver) rejected by his Jesus (the Law Fulfiller) rejected by people a first time, resulting in his His people a first time, resulting in His exile crucifixion

Acts 7:25 a perfect description of Jesus Acts 7:25 a perfect description of (NOTE: the word translated Moses “deliverance” (NASB)/”rescue” (NIV) could also be translated “salvation”)

Jesus rejected by his people a second Moses rejected by his people a second time after a period of 40 time (cf. Acts 7:37-41) after a period days/Pentecost (via the rejection of the of 40 years gospel delivered by His apostles) God will not be “contained” within the The Old Testament says that the nation of Israel, but will expand to the Temple cannot contain God Gentiles

3. Do you think these parallels are a coincidence? What do YOU think?

4. Read Acts 7:51-59.

5. Are you a little surprised by how harshly Stephen speaks to the religious leaders in Acts 7:51-53? Why or why not? Personally, I was surprised by Stephen’s harsh tone towards the religious leaders.

6. Do you think this is the way that the Holy Spirit wanted Stephen to address the religious leaders? If you answered yes, what does this tell us about the character of God?

23 I believe that this is the way the Holy Spirit wanted Stephen to address the religious leaders, because it says shortly thereafter that Stephen was “full of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 7:55). I think this tells us that God is not meek and mild, apologetic about the fact that He is God. He is God, and demands obedience from man. While He may entreat His people out of love for them, at the end of the day He will not compromise His Godhood. There is no coming to God except on His terms.

7. Respond to the following statement: “We live in an age where many violent acts are committed by religious fundamentalists. Stephen’s strident tone towards the Sanhedrin seems similar to the harsh language that religious fundamentalists use in condemning spiritual enemies today. It shows that Christianity, like many fundamentalist religions, contains seeds of hate, despite its self-proclamation as a religion of love.” One might agree with this statement except for one thing. While he does not blink in condemning the religious leaders for their stubbornness before God, Stephen never calls on his countrymen to rise up and kill the “infidels.” There is no holy jihad to cleanse the religion from these false leaders. The apostles never agitate the people against the leaders for the purpose of exacting revenge for what they did to Jesus. On the contrary, Stephen’s final words were, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60).

8. What did you find spiritually impacting in this week’s study? Elaborate.

24 WEEK FIVE: Acts 8:4-9:30

8:4-8. Philip preaches Jesus and performs miracles in Samaria. 8:9-13. Many receive Christ, including a renowned magician by the name of Simon. 8:14-17. Peter and John come down from Jerusalem and the Holy Spirit falls upon the new believers. 8:18-25. Simon attempts to buy the power of the Holy Spirit and is rebuked by Peter. 8:26-40. Philip is prompted by the Holy Spirit to approach a member of the Ethiopian royal court and leads that man to Christ. 9:1,2. Saul heads to Damascus to persecute Christians. 9:3-9. Jesus appears to Saul in a vision, causing Saul to lose his eyesight. 9:10-16. Jesus appears to a disciple by the name of Ananias and tells him to go to Saul. 9:17-19a. Ananias restores Saul’s eyesight. 9:19b-25. Saul begins to preach Jesus, causing his life to be threatened. 9:26-30. Barnabas arranges for Saul to meet with the apostles in Jerusalem, after which Saul goes to Tarsus.

Day Three: 1. Review Acts 8:4-9:30. 2. Think of some questions that might lead to an important spiritual “discovery.” Write them in the space below, then pray that God would answer your question(s). Did anything that you read this week puzzle or confuse you? Turn that into a question that you can take to God!

Day Four: 1A. Read Acts 8:4-8.

1B. Where is Samaria? (HINT: Check out the map attached to the end of this week’s study.)

25 1C. What is significant about the fact that the first recorded instance of gospel preaching outside of Jerusalem takes place in Samaria? (HINT: Read Acts 1:8.) The significance lies in the fact that Jesus had told the disciples that they would be witnesses first in Jerusalem, then later in Judea and Samaria (cf. Acts 1:8). The preaching of the gospel in Samaria represents a fulfillment of that statement. Note that it came about as a result of the persecution of the Hellenistic Christians by the Jewish leaders. It was not the result of a strategic gospel initiative by the apostles. God will see His plans accomplished, even when His people do not undertake to achieve them on their own. Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

2A. Read Acts 8:9-25.

2B. Did Simon really become a Christian? How do you account for the way that Peter addresses him in Acts 8:20-23--particularly in verse 22? In my opinion, it is hard to know whether Simon was a Christian. He may have earnestly accepted Christ, but then was overcome by sinful longings for fame and power. On the other hand, it may have been that when the Bible says that “Simon himself believed and was baptized,” it may be merely reporting that Simon gave a public profession of belief and was baptized, but didn’t really trust Christ for the forgiveness of his sins and a new life. This possibility is a reminder that saying that one believes, and truly trusting in Jesus, may be two different things.

3B. Consider the following verses:

John 3:5-7: “Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, `You must be born again.'”

Titus 3:5,6: “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior…”

Romans 8:9: “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”

26 1 Corinthians 12:7: “But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”

2 Corinthians 1:21: “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”

3C. The preceding verses make clear that being “born again,” -- that is, becoming a Christian -- is synonymous with receiving the Holy Spirit. How then do you reconcile the fact that the Samaritan converts did not receive the Holy Spirit until substantially after they accepted Christ? A person becomes a Christian at the moment he/she receives the Holy Spirit and becomes a new creature in Christ (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17). Usually this occurs when a person trusts in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins. However, God chose in this instance to withhold the Holy Spirit until the apostles could come and lay hands on these new believers. Samaritans as a group were excluded from Temple worship in Jerusalem. Perhaps God chose to bestow the Holy Spirit in this way so that the apostles could see that God intended the gift of salvation to extend beyond Jews. As we shall see later on in Acts, this was a difficult concept for the apostles to embrace.

Day Five: 1. Read Acts 8:26-40. Note: Acts 8:32,33 is an excerpt from Isaiah 52:13-53:12. This is one of the most amazing prophecies in Scripture, written around 700 B.C.

2. Where is the approximate location of the “desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza?” (HINT: Check out the map attached to the end of this week’s study.)

3. Read Isaiah 52:13-53:12 and identify all the references in these verses that allow us to conclude that the “suffering servant” described in these verses refers to Jesus Christ. 1. Isaiah 52:13: “Just as there were many who were appalled at him--his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness…” NOTE: Prior to being crucified, Jesus was flogged and beaten (cf. Matthew 27:26-31). The Roman practice of flogging was a brutal practice that frequently left its victims bloody, disfigured, and near death. It is described in the NIV Bible Dictionary in the Zondervan Bible Reference Library software as follows: “Among the Romans either rods were used or whips, the thongs of which were weighted with jagged pieces of bone or metal. It was used to force confessions and secrets from its victims. The number of blows was left to the whim of the

27 commanding officer. Its victims generally fainted and some even died. Scourging of Roman citizens was forbidden; that punishment was generally reserved for slaves or those condemned to death.” 2. Isaiah 52:15: “so will he sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him.” NOTE: The “Suffering Servant” will “sprinkle” many nations (cf. below), and will be renowned worldwide. 3. Isaiah 53:2: “He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. NOTE: Jesus came from a very humble background. He was born in an animal shelter, came from a poor family, was a carpenter by occupation, and had no formal training or education. 4. Isaiah 53:3: “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” NOTE: Jesus was condemned and crucified with common criminals. 5. Isaiah 53:4-6: “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” NOTE: Jesus’ substitutionary death on the cross is clearly prophesized here. 6. Isaiah 53:7: “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” NOTE: Jesus did not resist his arrest and condemnation. Indeed, his lack of testimony in his own defense was noted by his accusers (Matthew 27:11-14). 7. Isaiah 53:8: “By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.” NOTE: Jesus was killed (“cut off from the land of the living”) for our sins. 8. Isaiah 53:9: “He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.” NOTE: Jesus was crucified with two criminals (“the wicked”). He was buried in the tomb of “a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph” (cf. Matthew 27:57). 9. Isaiah 53:10: “Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see

28 his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.” NOTE: God the Father sacrificed His Son, Jesus, as a (substitutionary) “guilt offering” for the sins of man. Note that in this verse it says that “he [the Suffering Servant] will see his offspring”, yet in verse 8 it indicated that he would die and implied that there would be no descendants. The resolution? Jesus had no physical descendants, but all those who are “born again” become His “children”, His spiritual descendants. 10. Isaiah 53:11: “After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.” NOTE: This verse prophesizes that the “Suffering Servant” will justify many and bear their sins on himself, as Jesus has done. Note also that Jesus’ resurrection is prophesized here: After the “suffering of his soul”, it says that “he will see the light of life.” 11. Isaiah 53:12,13: “Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” NOTE: This verse again implies that the “Suffering Servant” will be resurrected from the dead: After “pouring out his life unto death,” the “Suffering Servant” will be given “a portion among the great…and divide the spoils with the strong.” This probably refers to Jesus being given the church as “His inheritance.” Further, note that Jesus was “numbered with transgressors” because He took their sin upon Himself, and that He is our intercessor before God today.

4. Acts 8:35 states, “Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.” What specifically do you think Philip would have told the Ethiopian official based upon the Isaiah passage? I think Philip would have told the Ethiopian official that when it says that “he was led like a sheep to slaughter,” the passage is speaking of Jesus. He would then go on to say that Jesus voluntarily gave up His life so that He could be a sin offering for man. Finally, he would say that any person who believed on Jesus could experience forgiveness for their sins.

Day Six: 1A. Read Acts 9:1,2.

1B. Where is Damascus? (HINT: Check out the map attached to the end of this week’s study.)

1C. Where have we seen Saul mentioned previously in the Book of Acts?

29 Saul was an active participant in the persecution that began with the stoning of Stephen (cf. Acts 8:1-3).

1D. Why do you think Saul was so intent on persecuting the disciples? There is a long tradition in Judaism of violently combating heretical tendencies in the population. Examples are: (i) Moses' slaying of the immoral Israelites at Baal Peor (cf. Numbers 25:1-5); (2) Phinehas's slaying of the Israelite man and Midianite woman in the plains of Moab (cf. Numbers 25:6-15); and (3) the actions of the Maccabees and the Hasidim in rooting out apostasy among the people (SOURCE: NIV Bible Commentary in the Zondervan Bible Reference Library software). Saul was following a distinguished line of Jewish religious leaders as he fought to stamp out this new brand of teaching within Judaism.

2B. Saul’s conversion to Christianity came about because God had chosen Saul for a specific mission. What was that mission? Acts 9:15 states that God chose Saul “…to carry my [God’s] name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.”

2C. God went to great lengths to convert Saul. Why do you think God did this? Why didn’t God use one of the other disciples to take the gospel to the Gentiles? (HINT: The Bible does not address this question, so you have to speculate for an answer.) One possibility is that God had prepared Saul’s life so that he was uniquely qualified to take the gospel message to the Gentiles. Among other things, Saul had been raised in an intellectual environment (he was a student of Gamaliel’s, the great rabbinic teacher and scholar), he was born and raised outside Jerusalem (in Tarsus) so he was familiar with Gentile ways, and he was a great thinker, so he could interact with important figures of his time to progress the gospel. Another possibility is that God chose Saul because the conversion of a high profile leader within Judaism would have constituted astonishing testimony to the power and truth of Christianity. And a final possibility is that God chose Saul for the task of taking the gospel to the Gentiles, not because Saul was the only one or the best one to do the job, but because God loved Saul and picked him for this task out of his love for him. Note that there is some biblical evidence to support this last possibility: Jesus says in Acts 9:16 that “I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” In other words, Jesus chose Saul for this task because it would cause suffering in Saul’s life that would end up making Saul the person that Jesus wanted him to become. The bottom line is that God CHOSE Saul for a specific mission. What do you think He has chosen YOU to do? Ephesians 1:3,4: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For HE CHOSE US IN HIM before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight…”

30 Ephesians 2:10: “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

3B. Where have we seen Barnabas mentioned previously in the Book of Acts? Barnabas is mentioned in Acts 4:36: “Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet.” This is the same Barnabas that is shown leading Saul to the apostles. Barnabas had risen from an enthusiastic convert to become a leader in the young community of Christians. We shall see him appear many more times in the book of Acts.

3C. What role did Barnabas play at this point in Saul’s life? Can you think of a way that YOU can be a Barnabas to somebody else? Acts 9:27 states that Barnabas played a key role in bringing Saul into fellowship with other believers.

4. After meeting with the apostles in Jerusalem, Saul is taken to Caesarea and Tarsus (his hometown). Find these places on the map attached to the end of this week’s study.

31 32 WEEK SIX: Acts 9:31-12:25

9:31-35. Peter travels to Lydda and heals a paralytic. 9:36-43. Peter is summoned to Joppa and raises a woman from the dead. 10:1-8. An angel appears to a devout, Roman centurion by the name of Cornelius and tells him to send for Peter. 10:9-16. Peter has a vision telling him to “kill and eat” unclean animals. 10:17-24a. Cornelius’ men find Peter and take him to Cornelius in Caesaria. 10:24b-29. Peter explains to the assembled people how God had showed him that Gentiles are not unclean. 10:30-48. Peter shares the gospel with these Gentiles, the Holy Spirit falls upon them, and Peter has them baptized. 11:1-18. Peter returns to Jerusalem where he silences criticism of his baptizing Gentiles by telling the disciples what the Holy Spirit had done. 11:19-21. The persecuted disciples leave Jerusalem sharing the gospel wherever they go, including Antioch, where a community of believers forms. 11:22-26. The disciples in Jerusalem send Barnabas to Antioch, and Barnabas fetches Saul to help with the fledgling church there. 11:27-30. The prophet Agabus prophesizes a great famine, and the disciples send Barnabas and Saul to carry contributions to Jerusalem. 12:1,2. Herod begins to persecute the church in Jerusalem, killing James the brother of John. 12:3-19a. Herod has Peter arrested, but Peter is released by an angel of the Lord. 12:19b-23. Herod is slain by God because “he did not give God the glory.” 12:24,25. The church continues to grow, and Barnabas and Saul, along with “John, who was also called Mark” return to Antioch.

Day Three: 1. Review Acts 9:31-12:25.

33 2. Think of some questions that might lead to an important spiritual “discovery.” Write them in the space below, then pray that God would answer your question(s). What questions did YOU have?

2. Where is Lydda and Joppa? (HINT: Check out the map attached to the end of this week’s study.)

3. By now, the Book of Acts has recorded a great variety of miracles, so that one is tempted to say, “Ho, hum, more miracles.” How do the events of Acts 9:32-43 progress the story of the advance of God’s church? First of all, while a lot of miracles have already occurred in Acts, this is the first record of someone being brought back from the dead—so hardly “ho hum!” However, these events progress the story because Peter is outside of Jerusalem, serving as an “itinerant evangelist.” Thus, he is being obedient to the call to be a witness “both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria…” (Acts 1:8). The rest of Acts will record the expansion of the church to all Judea and Samaria, and “even to the remotest part of the earth.”

4. Read Acts 10:1-11:18. Background Note #1: Cornelius was a “non-commissioned officer” in command of a Roman cohort, which numbered anywhere from 300-600 soldiers. Most importantly, he was a Gentile, a non-Jew. Background Note #2: To appreciate the significance of Cornelius’ conversion requires an understanding of the relationship between Jews and Gentiles at this point in history. The Jews saw themselves as God’s chosen people (Leviticus 20:23; 26:14-38), called to live holy lives in contrast to the rest of the world (i.e., “the Gentiles”). The Jews were forbidden to associate with Gentiles (Joshua 23:7), marry them (Joshua 23:12; 1 Kings 11:2), or worship their gods. In order to minimize the “spiritual pollution” associated with intermingling with Gentiles, extreme regulations were imposed by the scribes and Pharisees by the time of Acts. Two points were of particular sensitivity: idolatry, and uncleanness. The following example illustrates the severity of regulations designed to prevent idolatry. Not only was an “idol grove” to be shunned; that is, a wooded place in which idolatry was practice, but wood taken from an idol grove was also to be shunned. Further, bread baked using wood from an idol grove was prohibited, as was clothes made from a weaver’s shuttle constructed of wood from an idol grove. Along the same lines, not only was a Gentile considered unclean, but so was the house he lived in, as well as any objects touched by a Gentile (cf. Acts 10:28). Further, food produced by Gentiles was not to be eaten by Jews.

34 In a sense, to a strict Jew, Gentiles represented everything that was wrong with the world: Gentiles were the anti-Jews, the unchosen, the unclean. Nothing good could come from contact with them. Only spiritual defilement could result from interactions with them. (Source: Merrill F. Unger, Unger’s Bible Dictionary, Chicago: Moody Press, 1966, page 462.)

5. Where is Caesaria? (HINT: Check out the map attached to the end of this week’s study.) 6. Was Cornelius the first non-Jewish convert to Christianity? What about the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:26-29? Cornelius is the first non-Jew convert to Christianity recorded in Acts. While the Ethiopian eunuch was not an Israelite, he was probably a Jewish proselyte, and can therefore be considered as a member of the Jewish community. Note that the Ethiopian eunuch had been to Jerusalem to worship, was studying the prophecy of Isaiah, and was open to further instruction from a Jew.

7. The significance of Cornelius’ conversion can be inferred from the large amount of attention (66 verses!) devoted to this one event. What makes this event so significant? After all, there are many instances in the Old Testament of non- Israelites who became converts (e.g., Ruth, Rahab, Naaman, Uriah the Hittite, the Ninevites at the time of Jonah’s preaching, the converts at the time of Esther, etc.). First, the intensity of anti-Gentile feelings amongst Jews had probably grown over the centuries, as the orthodox, religious establishment of Israel attempted to maintain its purity from Gentile encroachment. However, the big difference is that the previous conversions recorded in Scripture were isolated, single events. They had little impact on the practice of Judaism. Converts adopted the full practices of Judaism (for males, this would have involved circumcision), and Jewish worship continued to be centered in Jerusalem and led by the Hebraic Jewish religious establishment. The Jewish community was overwhelmingly dominated by Israelites. What is significant about Cornelius’ conversion is that it signals a fundamental change in the nature of the church. Henceforth, the focus of the Christian community would not be centered inward on Jerusalem. It would be pointed outward towards the rest of the world. The leadership of the church would not be dominated by Hebraic Jews (as seen already by the rise of influence of Philip, Stephen, and Paul--all Hellenistic Jews). It would soon include Gentiles such as Apollos and Luke. And the composition of the church would not consist primarily of Jewish converts to Christianity, but of converts from outside of Judaism. Thus, the primary identity of the new religion changed from who you are (Israelite, Gentile), to whom you believed (Jesus). This required the early leaders of the church (all Hebraic Jews) to overcome their racial prejudices, which was a major stumbling block. It would take awhile, but they would eventually “get it.”

35 The racial strife that exists today should give us an idea of the power of the Holy Spirit in believers’ lives to get people past these prejudices for the glory of God.

Day Five: 1. Read Acts 10:1,2.

2. In your own words, describe the kind of man Cornelius was. It says in Acts 10:2 that Cornelius was “…devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.” Cornelius was a moral man who recognized a need in his life to worship God. In today’s terminology, he was somebody who was attempting to earn righteousness through good works. 3. Do you think Cornelius would have gone to heaven had Peter not come to him and shared the gospel? It is my understanding that Cornelius would not have gone to heaven if Peter had not come and shared the gospel with him. In Acts 10:43, Peter tells Cornelius that “…that everyone who believes in him [Jesus] receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” One must believe in Jesus in order to have their sins forgiven. And unless one’s sins are forgiven, one cannot go to heaven. Jesus Himself said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). In other words, you go to heaven not because of things that you do for God, but on the basis of what God does for you (i.e., forgive your sins).

4. Read Acts 10:34,35.

5. It is often said that Christianity is different from the other religions of the world, because it is not based on doing good works, but on faith. How do you reconcile this statement with Acts 10:35, where it says that God “accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right”? This is another way of saying that God accepts men who place their trust in Him to forgive their sins. What is it that men should fear about God? They should fear that He hates sin. Since man is sinful, he should fear the punishment that waits for him if his sins are not forgiven. It is because Cornelius was convinced of his need to be saved from his sins that he believed in Jesus (cf. Acts 10:42,43). How about the “do what is right” part? This means that God accepts men who fear Him and do what He wants them to do. In the age that we live in, God wants men and women to depend on Jesus for their life. Note that saving faith isn’t just an intellectual assent. It is a faith that is backed by a willingness to want to please God.

36 6. Many modern historians credit the expansion of Christianity to the Gentiles as the result of the apostle Paul. What does the Book of Acts have to say about this claim? The conversion of Cornelius -- and the subsequent acknowledgement by the apostles that God was reaching out to the Gentiles -- began with Peter, not Paul. Paul is nowhere mentioned in the account of Acts 10:1-11:18.

7. Many modern historians credit the expansion of Christianity to the Gentiles as a strategic move by the leadership of the infant church to expand its base. What does the Book of Acts have to say about this claim? The Book of Acts makes it clear that the expansion of Christianity to Gentiles was NOT the result of some strategic plan by the leaders of the infant church. In fact, the leaders resisted this expansion. It went against everything they knew as good Jews.

8. Who was really responsible for the expansion of Christianity to the Gentiles? What application does this have for your life? God was responsible for the expansion of Christianity to the Gentiles. Note that God supernaturally intervened in the lives of Cornelius and Peter to bring them together so that Cornelius could be saved. This speaks to the sovereignty of God, and His desire to intervene in human affairs to expand His kingdom and make His name known. It tells me that God does not depend on men or women to accomplish His goals. He makes it happen Himself, often in spite of the resistance of men. In fact, the whole story of Acts up to this point has largely been an account of how God has overcome the opposition of men -- first the Jewish leadership, then the resistance of the Christian leadership to including Gentiles – to accomplish His plans.

2. Where is Phoenicia, Cyprus, Antioch, and Tarsus? (HINT: Check out the map attached to the end of this week’s study.) Historical Note: Cyrene was a Libyan city in North Africa, separated from Egypt by the Libyan Desert. It is not on this week’s map.1

3. How do the events of Acts 11:19-30 progress the story of the advance of God’s church? Acts 1:8 states the disciples will be God’s witnesses “both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” These

1 Cyrenaica is the name of the country surrounding Cyrene, and it can be located on next week’s map.

37 verses take the expansion of the church beyond Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria and transition to the carrying of the gospel “to the remotest part of the earth.”

4. Read Acts 12:1-19a.

5. God intervenes supernaturally to preserve Peter, but James the brother of John was killed, as were other key believers (e.g. Stephen). Why do you think God chose to preserve Peter but not the others? I honestly have no idea.

6. What can we learn about the character of God from the fact that he saved Peter, but not James? God’s ways are not my ways. Looking back in history, the expansion of the church is a work of beauty. It is amazing and awe-inspiring to see how God orchestrated the many events to grow His church. However, it probably didn’t look that way to those who were directly involved in it. At ground level, it probably looked pretty ugly. Beloved sisters and brothers in Christ were persecuted, killed. Families were left without their fathers and had no means to support themselves. Some believers discredited the faith (cf. Ananias and Sapphira). There was dissension amongst believers (cf. the conflict between the Hellenistic and Hebraic Jews). It was probably all very confusing and didn’t make a lot of sense at the time. That is important for me to remember when things in my life don’t go the way I think they should!

7. Read Acts 12:19b-23.

8. What can we learn about the character of God from the death of Herod? God is jealous about His name. He will not share His glory with another. While He apparently allows many instances to go unpunished, this particular occasion reveals the intensity with which God holds His glory.

38 39 WEEK SEVEN: Acts 13:1-15:35

13:1-3. The Holy Spirit selects Barnabas and Paul to go out with the gospel. 13:4-12. Paul and Barnabas travel to Cyprus, where they convert a high- ranking Roman official over local opposition. 13:13-15. Paul and his companions travel to east Asia Minor, to Pisidian Antioch. 13:16-41. Paul gives a sermon to the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch. 13:42-52. After many Gentiles believe, Paul and Barnabas are expelled by the Jews. 14:1-7. Paul and Barnabas travel to Iconium, where they lead many to Christ before they are forced to flee for their lives. 14:8-18. Paul and Barnabas travel to Lystra, where they heal a lame man and are mistaken for gods. 14:19,20a. Some Jews from Antioch and Iconium incite the people, Paul is stoned and left for dead, but survives. 14:20b-28. Paul and Barnabas travel to Derbe, then retrace their steps back to Antioch to report to the church what God has done. 15:1. Believers from Jerusalem show up in Antioch and tell the Gentiles there they must be circumcised. 15:2-4. Paul and Barnabas travel to Jerusalem to get a judgment from the church’s leaders on the circumcision issue. 15:5-20. The church decides not to enforce circumcision on the Gentiles. 15:21-35. Paul and Barnabas return to Antioch along with a delegation from Jerusalem to communicate the decision on circumcision.

Day Three: 1. Review Acts 13:1-15:35. 2. Think of some questions that might lead to an important spiritual “discovery.” Write them in the space below, then pray that God would answer your question(s). There’s lots of great stuff in this week’s reading. Did any of it cause you to ask some questions?

2. Where is Cyprus? Where is Salamis and Paphos? (HINT: Check out the map attached to the end of this week’s study.)

3. Where is the first place that Saul and Barnabas go when they reach Cyprus? What is significant about that? Paul and Barnabas went first to the Jewish synagogues. The significance of this is that they naturally saw Jews as the most likely candidates to believe in Jesus.

4. What are some noteworthy aspects of the conversion of Sergius Paulus? There are several things that are noteworthy. First and foremost, Sergius Paulus was a Gentile, and to the best of our knowledge, not even a “God- fearing” Gentile (like Cornelius). His interest in “hearing the word of God” was probably motivated more by political than spiritual reasons. As the chief administrator over the island, it was his job to keep tabs on people and events that could cause problems within his jurisdiction. No doubt there was controversy right from the start as Paul and Barnabas took their message to the synagogues. The proconsul wanted to hear first-hand what these “trouble- makers” had to say. The second thing that is significant is that Paul and Barnabas did not seek out Sergius Paulus. Rather, it was he who sought them out. Thus, the outreach to Gentiles that would so dramatically transform Paul’s ministry was not the result of a conscious effort on Paul’s part to recruit Gentiles. It happened by “accident,” like the outreach to Cornelius. Finally, it is significant that Paul and Barnabas minister directly to a Gentile outside the context of the Jewish community. The idea that the church could directly appeal to Gentiles, without having to go through the Jewish community, is something that seems obvious to us today, but was not obvious then. This insight would fundamentally change the Christian church. While Peter and the Jerusalem leadership never quite “got it,” Paul was quick to see the possibilities of this new way of sharing the gospel.

5. The events described in these verses took place approximately 5-10 years after the conversion of Cornelius, another prominent Gentile convert. What is significant about that? While Cornelius’ conversion established the precedent of Gentiles being saved, this precedent did not have much of an impact on how the church presented the gospel. The model remained that the church was an extension of the synagogue, primarily Jewish in character. Gentiles who came to faith in Jesus were expected, for the most part, to adopt a Jewish-like identity. As discussed below, the conversion of Sergius Paulus changed all that.

41 6. The NIV Bible Commentary on Zondervan’s Bible Reference Library says this about the significance of the conversion of Sergius Paulus: “The conversion of Sergius Paulus was, in fact, a turning point in Paul's whole ministry and inaugurated a new policy in the mission to Gentiles--namely, the legitimacy of a direct approach to and full acceptance of Gentiles apart from any distinctive Jewish stance. This is what Luke clearly sets forth as the great innovative development of this first missionary journey (cf. Acts 14:27;15:3). Earlier Cornelius had been converted apart from any prior commitment to Judaism, and the Jerusalem church had accepted his conversion to Christ. But the Jerusalem church never took Cornelius's conversion as a precedent for the Christian mission and apparently preferred not to dwell on its ramifications. Paul, however, whose mandate was to Gentiles, saw in the conversion of Sergius Paulus further aspects of what a mission to Gentiles involved and was prepared to take this conversion as a precedent fraught with far-reaching implications for his ministry.” Do you agree with this assessment of the conversion of Sergius Paulus? Do you have any further thoughts on this? What do YOU think?

7. The opening up of the church to Gentiles was a huge event in the life of Christendom. It required a great effort for Jewish Christians to open their eyes to people beyond their own “people group.” While Paul never lost his heart for Jews (cf. Romans 9:1-5), he realized that this group as a whole was unresponsive to the gospel, while others—the Gentiles—eagerly embraced it. How about you? What is your “people group?” If you are a Christian, have you found that the members of your “people group” are responsive to the gospel? If not, have you considered moving beyond your “people group” to find others who might be more responsive to the good news of salvation? My “people group” is well-educated, middle class, American white people. As a group, I have not found them particularly responsive to the gospel. It is my heart that God would lead me to people who are more responsive. How about you?

Day Five: 1. Read Acts 13:13-41.

2. Where is Perga? Where is Pisidian Antioch? (HINT: Check out the map attached to the end of this week’s study.)

3. Where is the first place that Saul and Barnabas go to preach when they reach Pisidian Antioch? What is significant about that? Paul and Barnabas go to the synagogue. The significance of this is that it shows that their intention is first and foremost to bring the gospel to the Jews.

42 4. Paul begins his address in Acts 13:16 by stating, “"Men of Israel, and you who fear God…” What is significant about that? While Paul’s heart is to present the gospel first to the Jews, he seems to have a newfound awareness that there are others -- Gentiles -- amongst his hearers, who might also be receptive to the gospel.

5. Briefly summarize the flow of Paul’s sermon in Acts 13:16-41. In particular, where does he start his sermon, what is the main point of his sermon, and how does he progress his argument to get to his main point? Paul starts off talking about how God chose the nation of Israel and intervened to establish them as His people. Throughout God’s nurturing of the nation of Israel, he promised the coming of a Messiah, a Savior. This Messiah was to be a direct descendant of King David. Indeed, Jesus is this Messiah, announced in advance by John the Baptist, and confirmed by His resurrection, of which Paul and others are witnesses. Only by believing in Him can one have his/her sins forgiven.

6. According to Paul, what is the main “benefit” of believing in Jesus? The main benefit is forgiveness of sins.

7. The Jews whom Paul addressed believed in the same God that Christians worship today. Was their faith sufficient for them to go to heaven when died? Their faith was NOT sufficient to get them to heaven. They had to believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins, or suffer the consequences and perish (cf. Acts 13:40,41).

8. In your opinion, can a person become a Christian without sensing a need to have their sins forgiven? In the final analysis, a person is saved when they believe in Jesus, and the Jesus that they believe is the one who died on the cross so that they could have their sins forgiven. It is not clear what it would mean to “believe in Jesus” if one didn’t believe that there was a necessity for Jesus to pay a punishment for sins. Therefore, it is my conclusion that one cannot be saved unless one believes that he/she has a “sin problem” that keeps them from God. What do YOU think?

9. What do you think Paul means when he says in Acts 13:39, “and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.” What does it mean to be “freed from all things?” I believe Paul is talking here about freedom from the power of sin. While the Law described a righteous life, it was incapable of empowering a person to live that life. Only Jesus can enable a person to live righteously. Romans 6:5-7: “If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with,

43 that we should no longer be slaves to sin--because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.” Hebrews 7:18,19: “For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.”

Day Six: 1. Read Acts 13:49-14:20.

2. Where is Iconium? Where is Lystra? Where is Derbe? (HINT: Check out the map attached to the end of this week’s study.)

3. Everywhere Paul goes, there is violent resistance to his message. Why do you think that is? Think of it like this: Suppose one went to a group of fundamentalist Muslims and declared that the prophet Mohammad was a fraud. How would you expect the Muslims to respond? What Paul was doing wasn’t very different. He was going to Jews and saying that Jesus was the Messiah promised from the Old Testament, but the Jews killed him. Further, unless they believed that Jesus died for their sins, their sins were not forgiven. Further yet, Paul was saying that the Jewish practice of religion was now obsolete. It was incapable of making them acceptable before God. Quite the opposite: it was designed to make them realize their inadequacy before God, and thus realize their need for a savior. That’s pretty incendiary stuff for a Jew. It would require a Jew to change his/her whole mindset about who God is and how he/she stood before God. It’s not at all surprising that this message met violent resistance.

4. Read Acts 15:1-35.

5. What is circumcision? Circumcision is a surgical procedure where the fold of skin covering the end of a man’s penis is cut off. For a grown man, this is a very painful procedure!

6. The men from Jerusalem were saying, "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1)? Why do you think these “Judaizers” viewed circumcision as such a crucial issue? Circumcision was one of the pillars of the Jewish faith, along with sacrifices and the keeping of the Sabbath. It was a way by which a Hebrew identified himself as a follower of Yahweh God. The importance of circumcision is indicated by the following passage from Genesis: Genesis 17:9-14: “Then God said to Abraham, "As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo

44 circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner--those who are not your offspring. Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant."

7. Passions on the other side of this issue were also high. In the Book of Galatians (which many commentators believe was written shortly before the events described here in Acts), Paul writes, “Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Galatians 5:2-6). Why do you think the Holy Spirit (through Paul) viewed circumcision as such a crucial issue? Circumcision cut at the core of the issue (no pun intended!) of what it meant to be a Christian. Did being a Christian boil down to being a “Gentile Jew”, committed to the system of following a set of rules to become more spiritual in God’s sight? Or did it mean a clean break from that system of “rule- following?” The Holy Spirit (through Paul) makes it clear that Christianity is something new. Jesus did not come to reform the current state of Judaism. He came to take it to a whole new level by making it clear that being a God- worshipper would no longer consist of doing works in the flesh. Instead, it consists of having the Spirit of God perform works of righteousness in the life of the believer, resulting in a changed life and true spirituality. This new life is to be based on dependency upon Jesus, by faith, and not by doing things in one’s own power. In fact, doing things in one’s own power “crowds out” the Spirit of God, keeping Him from working His power in the believer’s life. Thus, the old system isn’t just anachronistic. It is antithetical to the new life that God intends for Christians. This is why it was (and is) such a big issue!

8. Briefly summarize the decision made by the leaders of the church in Jerusalem with respect to the issue of circumcision. Believers did not have to be circumcised.

NOTE: While not requiring circumcision, the leadership in Jerusalem did place certain responsibilities on converts; namely, “You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality” (Acts 15:29a). It is important to note that these latter requirements were NOT requirements for salvation. The leadership decided

45 that there were no salvation requirements other than belief in Jesus (cf. Peter’s speech in Acts 15:6-11). Rather, these additional commands were designed to keep Gentile believers from unduly offending practicing Jews, in order to minimize the tensions between these two groups.

9. As a practical matter, circumcision isn’t very important to us today. In your own words, explain why the principle underlying this issue is of utmost importance in understanding the essence of Christianity. The struggle between faith and the religion of works is very much a real issue in the church today. Sadly, much of religious Christendom is little different from Old Testament Judaism in that the essence of the religion consists of doing a certain set of things. It isn’t circumcision and keeping the Sabbath. Instead, it’s going to church, paying tithes, going on a missions project, doing work around the church, and keeping all the DON”Ts: don’t get drunk, don’t have sex before marriage, don’t use foul language, etc. These are all things that people do thinking that it will make them “more spiritual.” Done in the power of the flesh, these things make one LESS spiritual, not more.

46 47 WEEK EIGHT: Acts 15:36-18:22 Days One and Two: 1. Read Acts 15:36-18:22. Historical Note: Most commentators believe that the events recorded here occurred around 49-53 A.D.

15:36-39. Paul and Barnabas have a disagreement and part ways. 15:40,41. Paul takes Silas and strengthens the churches in Syria and Cilicia. 16:1-5. Paul travels to Derbe and Lystra to encourage the churches, and adds Timothy to his entourage. 16:6-8. Paul is kept by the Holy Spirit from going into Asia and Bithynia, so he travels north and then west to the coast of Turkey, to Troas. 16:9-12. Paul receives a vision directing him to Macedonia, so he leads his party to Philippi. 16:13-15. A Gentile ‘worshipper of God” named Lydia receives the gospel and she and her household are baptized. 16:16-18. Paul heals a slave girl with a demon-inspired gift of prophecy. 16:19-24. The slave girl’s owners inspire a riot against Paul, and he and his companions are arrested. 16:25-34. An earthquake miraculously opens up the jail, leading to the conversion of the jailor and his household. 16:35-40. Paul is released by the city officials and leaves Philippi. 17:1-9. Paul travels to Thessalonica, many come to Christ, but the Jews start a riot that forces him to leave. 17:10-15. Paul travels to Berea, where many respond to the gospel, but opposition again forces him to leave. 17:16-21. While waiting in Athens for his partners to join him, Paul shares the gospel, and is brought to a meeting of the Areopagus to present his ideas. 17:22-34. Paul tells the Athenians that it is time for them to repent and worship the true God, or they will be judged. 18:1-8. Paul goes on to Corinth, where Silas and Timothy rejoin him, and many Gentiles respond to the gospel. 18:9-11. God tells Paul he is safe at Corinth, and Paul stays there for a year and a half. 18:12-17. The Jews instigate a riot against Paul, but are rebuffed by the local authorities. 18:18-21a. Paul travels to Ephesus and leaves two disciples, Priscilla and Aquila, to engage in ministry there.

48 18:21b,22. Paul leaves Ephesus and returns to the church in Antioch. Day Three: 1. Review Acts 15:36-18:22. 2. Think of some questions that might lead to an important spiritual “discovery.” Write them in the space below, then pray that God would answer your question(s). Inquiring minds want to know: What questions did YOU come up with?

Day Four: 1. Consider the following verses: Acts 14:21,22a: “They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith.” Acts 15:36: “Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.’” Can you see a lesson in these verses for Christians who are engaged in ministry? Jesus did not command the church to make converts. He commanded the church to make “disciples.” Paul and Barnabas were committed to see the process through beyond conversion to make sure that new Christians grew in their faith. Matthew 28:19,20: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Colossians 1:28,29: [Paul speaking] “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.”

2A. Read Acts 15:36-41.

2B. These verses record a falling out between Paul and Barnabas. This is a little embarrassing! Here we have two godly men -- pillars of the early church -- having a fight. Further, their conflict is forever recorded in Scripture. Why do you think the Holy Spirit through Luke caused this incident to be written in the Bible? What do you think He wanted us to learn from this? It is as if God wants us to see that His kingdom was not advanced by the efforts of man, but by God alone. All of the leaders of the early church had substantial failings. Peter was famous for deserting Jesus during His arrest and trial. The Jerusalem leadership seemed to have never “got it” when it came to evangelizing the Gentiles. Paul had his issues and behaved inappropriately at times. It is DESPITE their failings that the church grew. God grew the church, not men. That’s important for us today, lest we become too preoccupied, and discouraged, by our own failings and the failings of others.

49 3A. Read Acts 16:1-5.

3B. Where is Derbe? Where is Lystra? (HINT: Check out the map attached to the end of this week’s study.)

4A. Read Acts 16:6-10. Biblical Note: In Acts 16:10, the pronoun “we” occurs. It will frequently reappear throughout the Acts narrative. The “we” refers to the fact that the writer of Acts, the physician Luke, joined Paul at Troas, and hence the narrative now includes him. The NIV Bible Commentary in the Zondervan Bible Reference Library software says this about the use of “we” in Acts: “It is at Troas that the first of the "we" sections of Acts appears (16:10-17). Because (1) this "we" section stops at Philippi, (2) the second "we" section (20:5-15) begins when the missionaries revisit Philippi after the third missionary journey, and (3) the ministry at Philippi receives the greatest attention (thirty verses) in this fifth panel, we may reasonably suppose the narrator implied in "we" was Luke and that he was a resident of Philippi who traveled from Troas to Philippi with Paul and Silas.”

4B. Where is Phrygia? Galatia? Asia? Mysia? Bithynia? Troas? (HINT: Check out the map attached to the end of this week’s study.)

4C. In verse 6 it says that the “Holy Spirit” kept them from going to Asia. In verse 7 it says that the “Spirit of Jesus” would not allow them to enter Bithynia. In verse 10 it says that “God” called them to go to Macedonia. What is significant about this? What is significant is that Paul speaks of the Holy Spirit, Jesus and God interchangeably, as though they were the same. This is another proof in favor of the “Trinity,” the Christian idea that God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit are “three-in-one.” While each has a distinct personality, they are united “in the Godhead,’ sharing a common divine nature, along with common intentions, goals, and plans.

4D. It seems like there is a fair amount of trial and error going on here, with God generally keeping Paul in the dark about where He wants him to go, punctuated with divine interventions that direct him towards or away from a particular place.

4D1. Why do you think God did it this way? One way to answer this question is to ask, What is the consequence of the way that God does it? One consequence is that it makes me more dependent upon Him. If I got my “list” in the morning, the tendency would be to take the list and run, not getting back to God until after I got my list done. God’s way of doing it requires that I “check in” with Him more frequently. This makes me more dependent upon Him. This is not only what God desires from me (dependency, “abiding” in Him), but it also makes me better able to do what He wants me to.

50 John 15:5: [Jesus speaking] “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

4D2. What lesson can we learn from this? Whatever the reason, Christian ministry consists of a lot of stumbling around in the dark, closed doors, lack of observable fruit for one’s efforts, disappointments and frustrations, interrupted by occasional periods of divine intervention where one clearly sees the hand of God. The young man or woman who wants to be used by God to make His name known should have no illusions about what service to God entails. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10: [Paul speaking]“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”

Day Five: 1A. Read Acts 16:11-40. Background Note #1: Among other things, Philippi was famous for its medical school. Its graduates practiced throughout the world. It is probable that Luke had previously spent time in Philippi. He likely received his medical training here. Background Note #2: It is noteworthy that on the Sabbath, Paul and his companions “went outside the city gate to the river, where [they] expected to find a place of prayer’ (Acts 16:13a). This suggests that there were very few Jews in Philippi. In Jewish law, a synagogue congregation could be formed only if there were at least ten male heads of households. Failing this, a place of prayer under the open sky and near a river or the sea was to be arranged. Philippi apparently had very few adult male Jews and so was without a synagogue. Background Note #3: Paul’s ministry began inauspiciously in Philippi. He was probably persuaded to begin his Macedonian ministry in Philippi because his new traveling companion Luke encouraged him to do so. There were few Jews to witness to there, and his converts were undistinguished. A widowed or unmarried immigrant (Lydia), a jailor (probably a retired Roman soldier), and possibly a slave girl. On top of that, he was mistreated and beaten severely by the local authorities despite being a Roman citizen.

1B. Where is Samothrace? Neapolis? Philippi? (HINT: Check out the map attached to the end of this week’s study.)

2A. Read Acts 17:1-15. Background Note: The charge that the Thessalanicans lodged against Paul was that he was promoting an “illegal religion”, a violation of Roman law (religio illicita). This charge was made repeatedly against Paul, and sets up the important hearing before the proconsul Gallio in Corinth, which we will read about later in this week’s study.

51 2B. Where is Amphipolis? Apollonia? Thessalonica? Berea? (HINT: Check out the map attached to the end of this week’s study.)

2C. In Acts 17:2, it states that, “Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. ‘This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,’ he said.” Can you think of any verses from the Old Testament that Paul might have used to prove that Jesus is “the Christ?” There are many Old Testament verses that prophesize about Jesus. Personally, I find Isaiah 52:13-53:12 amazing. Other verses include: Genesis 12:3; Psalm 2:1,2; Psalm 2:7; Isaiah 9:1,2; Isaiah 9:6,7; Isaiah 42:1-4; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Daniel 7:14; Daniel 7:27; Micah 5:2; Zechariah 9:9; Zechariah 12:10; and Malachi 3:1.

3A. Read Acts 17:16-34. Background Note: In Roman times, the Areopagus was the chief judicial body of Athens. Paul’s appearance before this council was for the purpose of determining whether he would have the freedom to speak freely about Christianity. Perhaps rumors of the charges against Paul had arrived from Thessalonica, so that there was concern that Paul might cause unrest in the city. It seems that Paul’s address to the Areopagus was unsuccessful. He was not awarded the right to propagate Christianity, and hence he decided to leave.

3B. Where is Athens? (HINT: Check out the map attached to the end of this week’s study.)

4B. Where is Corinth? (HINT: Check out the map attached to the end of this week’s study.)

4C. Paul’s ministry to Greece was initiated by a vision and an opportune meeting in Troas with a Philippian physician (Luke) who provided very timely assistance. Approximately a year had passed since that time. How do you think Paul felt about the progress of his ministry? (HINT: Think through his stops in Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens and try and determine if Paul would have found the ministries there to be encouraging or discouraging.) In Philippi, there was a small positive response. However, strong opposition arose before he was able to accomplish much. Paul was severely beaten and jailed. In Thessalonica, there was more of a positive response. However, impassioned opposition again rose up against him, so much so that he was forced to leave town (and feared for the well-being of his new converts). In Berea, there was again initial success, and again opposition where he had to leave town. In Athens, there was little positive response. Further, the city was

52 effectively blocked off from his evangelization efforts when he failed to gain the approval of the Areopagus for his teaching. Thus, it seemed like Paul was being blocked on every front.

4D. Here is what Scripture tells us about how Paul felt about things at this time: In the Book of 1 Thessalonians, Paul writes that he was distraught over the Thessalonian converts, wondering if they would survive the persecution that had broken out against them: 1 Thessalonians 2:14,17-3:5: “…you, brothers, became imitators of God's churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews,…But, brothers, when we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. For we wanted to come to you--certainly I, Paul, did, again and again--but Satan stopped us. For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy. So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God's fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them. In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.” Further, Paul writes in 1 Corinthians that he was pretty beaten down by the time he appeared in Corinth: 1 Corinthians 2:3: “I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.” Add to that the fact that he had not been given permission to preach in Athens, and that the churches in Philippi and Berea were not very impressive, and it is easy to see that Paul was likely feeling depressed. That Paul’s emotional state was impacted by the state of his ministry is clearly evident in the following passage: 2 Corinthians 11:27-29: “I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?”

4D1. With this is mind, now how would you answer the question, How do you think Paul felt about the progress of his ministry? Paul probably felt very discouraged. He had worked very hard, but opposition seemed to stop his progress wherever he went.

53 4D2. What lesson can we learn from this? Ministry can be discouraging. Probably contributing to Paul’s discouragement was confusion about what God was up to. Here God had led him to this new mission field, yet God had also allowed the opposition against Paul to stifle the gospel. If this is how ministry went for Paul, we should not be too surprised if we have similar experiences.

Day Six: 1. Read Romans 18:12-22. Historical Note: Concerning Gallio, the NIV Bible Commentary in the Zondervan Bible Reference Library software states, “Gallio was the son of Marcus Annaeus Seneca, the distinguished Spanish rhetorician. He moved to Rome and was adopted by the Roman rhetorician Lucius Junius Gallio….The importance of Gallio's decision was profound. Luke highlights it in his account of Paul's ministry at Corinth and makes it the apex of all that took place on Paul's second missionary journey. No Roman authority had yet repudiated Christianity's claim to share in the religio licita status of Judaism--neither in Macedonia or in Athens. If Gallio had accepted the Jewish charge and found Paul guilty of the alleged offense, provincial governors everywhere would have had a precedent, and Paul's ministry would have been severely restricted. As it was, Gallio's refusal to act in the matter was tantamount to the recognition of Christianity as a religio licita; and the decision of so eminent a Roman proconsul would carry weight wherever the issue arose again.”

2. The time period spanned by Acts 18:1-22 was likely longer than that covered by Acts 15:36-17:34, despite the fact that the latter is a much longer section of Scripture. This time appears to have been a very successful for Paul. Christianity now had a claim to being a legitimate religion, the church in Corinth was large and growing, and Paul picked up two more ministry leaders in Priscilla and Aquila who could help the ministry. How do you think Paul felt about the progress of his ministry at this time? This was more like it! Paul had the chance to lay deep roots in one place, and to grow up the church. He got to see the Corinthian church thrive. The incident with Gallio encouraged him that he would not encounter further difficulties with the Roman judicial system concerning his freedom to preach the gospel. Further, enough time had passed where he could see that the earlier seeds of ministry in Philippi and Thessalonica had taken root and blossomed. Finally, the ministry team he had developed (Timothy, Priscilla and Aquila, and others) were showing that they could be effective leading the work. All in all, this was probably a deeply satisfying time for Paul.

54 3. What lesson can we learn from this? Just like the weather, ministry has good and bad seasons. God calls on us to plant the seeds. Maybe we see the harvest, maybe we don’t. Just because we haven’t in the past doesn’t mean we won’t in the future. The bottom line is that it is God’s work, and we should not become too discouraged when we don’t see fruit, hard as that may be.

55 56 WEEK NINE: Acts 18:23-21:16

18:23. Paul strengthens the churches in Galatia and Phrygia. 18:24-28. Apollos is instructed in the truth and becomes a powerful witness in Ephesus and Corinth. 19:1-7. Paul returns to Ephesus and baptizes some disciples who had only been familiar with John’s baptism. 19:8-12. God uses Paul for great impact in Ephesus over a two-year period. 19:13-20. Some Jewish exorcists are overcome by demons as they use Paul’s name, causing many practitioners of magic to renounce their evil deeds. 19:21-41. Ephesian craftmen start an uprising against Paul that is ultimately unsuccessful. 20:1-6. Paul leaves Ephesus and travels to Troas, crosses over to Macedonia and Achaia, where he spends considerable time, and then returns to Troas. 20:7-12. Paul brings a young disciple back to life and sets his sights on Jerusalem. 20:13-17. Paul and his party travel to Miletus, where he sends for the Ephesian church leaders. 20:18-38. Paul charges the Ephesian elders to be on guard for themselves and their church. 21:1-9. Paul travels to Caesaria en route to Jerusalem, where he stays with Philip the evangelist. 21:10-16. Paul is warned by the prophet Agabus that he will encounter great difficulties, but nevertheless travels onward to Jerusalem.

Day Three: 1. Review Acts 18:23-21:16. 2. Think of some questions that might lead to an important spiritual “discovery.” Write them in the space below, then pray that God would answer your question(s). This is perhaps the most important part of the Bible study. This is where you decide what YOU want to know from this section of Scripture. And where you give God the opportunity to provide the answers you are seeking. So…what questions did you have this week?

2. Where is Galatia (NOTE: Paul probably traveled through southern Galatia)? Where is Phrygia? Where is Ephesus? (HINT: Check out the map attached to the end of this week’s study.)

3. In Acts 18:25, it says that Apollos “knew only the baptism of John.” What does that imply that Apollos did NOT know? It is likely that Apollos did not know that Jesus’ death on the cross was for the purpose of providing salvation to those who would trust in Him. Apollos clearly knew that Jesus was the Messiah (Acts 18:28). It’s possible that he taught that mankind had killed the promised Messiah, and therefore was guilty before God and needed to repent -- hence John’s baptism, which was a baptism of repentance. The missing link was that he did not know, and hence did not teach, that Christ’s death provided forgiveness of sins.

4. Read Acts 19:1-7.

5. Where is Ephesus? (HINT: Check out the map attached to the end of this week’s study.)

6A. Were the disciples who had received “John’s baptism” -- but not the Holy Spirit -- Christians? That is, were they saved prior to being “baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus?” It is my opinion that these disciples were not Christians. Romans 8:9 states, “…if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.” While we often emphasize the things a person must do to become a Christian (i.e., one must believe in Jesus Christ), the fact is that people don’t make themselves Christian, God makes them Christians. He makes them “born again” by placing His Spirit in them and transforming them into new creatures. That is, a person becomes a Christian by having God cause them to be “born again,” by receiving a new nature. 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” Receiving a new nature is synonymous with having the Spirit of Christ in a person’s life. Galatians 2:20a: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…” Further, Scripture also teaches that if someone does not have the Spirit within them, they are not a Christian. Romans 8:9: “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.” Because these disciples had not received the Holy Spirit, it is my understanding that they were not Christians.

58 What WAS the spiritual status of these disciples? They were probably Jews who had been impacted by the ministry of John the Baptist. They recognized the sins in their lives and were baptized to symbolize repentance for their sins and to testify publicly that they were committed to living more righteously. However, they had not had their sins forgiven, and they had not received new natures. Thus, it remained for them to “believe in the one coming after [John the Baptist], that is, in Jesus” (Acts 19:4b) in order to be saved.

6B. What lesson can we learn from this? These disciples were “good people.” They had earnestly repented from their sins and had committed themselves to righteous living. However, that was not enough. If that were enough, we would not need a Savior. We could just be good enough on our own. However, the problem of our sins is so great that we cannot be “good enough” on our own. We need divine help. Only through faith in Christ and the regeneration of the Holy Spirit can a person escape judgment for their sins and obtain a relationship with God.

7. God does not usually mark the new life of a Christian with miracles and signs. Even in the Book of Acts, there is no indication that the Ethiopian eunuch spoke in tongues or prophesied upon becoming a Christian (Acts 8:26-40). If you are a Christian, how can you know whether you have received the Holy Spirit? If you recognize that you are a sinner before God and have depended on Jesus to forgive your sins, then you are a Christian. If you are a Christian, then you have received the Holy Spirit, even if you have never seen or felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life. How can you know this? You can know this by faith – by accepting what the Word of God says: God’s Word equates being a Christian with having the Holy Spirit. Acts 5:32: “We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” 1 Corinthians 6:19a: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” Romans 5:5: “And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” Romans 8:9-11: “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.” 2 Corinthians 1:21,22: “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” 2 Corinthians 5:5: “Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.”

59 Day Five: 1. Read Acts 19:8-41. Historical Background: [From the NIV Bible Commentary of the Zondervan Bible Reference Library software] “It is certainly strange to read of healings occurring through [handkerchiefs and aprons]. But Ephesus was the home of all sorts of magic and superstition, and the phrase "Ephesian writings" was common in antiquity for documents containing spells and magical formulae. So Paul was likely just meeting his audiences at a point of common ground in order to impress them and lead them on to the Good News of salvation in Christ. The virtue, of course, lay not in the materials themselves but in the power of God and the faith of the recipients.”

2. What are some of the extraordinary things that are recorded in these verses? It says in Acts 19:11 that “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul.” Miracles are by definition “extraordinary”! Thus, when it says that God was doing “extraordinary miracles”, that’s saying a lot! On top of the “usual miracles,” God was also allowing people to be healed and dispossessed of evil spirits through articles of clothing that had touched Paul’s body. Also extraordinary is the account of the seven sons of Sceva, and how they were overpowered by a demon-possessed man they were attempting to exorcise.

3. Why do you think God would choose to work in such extraordinary and “magic-like” ways? We often are not given sufficient information to understand why God chooses to work this way in one situation and quite a different way in another situation. In the case of Ephesus, it is noteworthy that the city was consumed to an unusual degree with the “black arts,” magic, occultism, and idol worship. In this setting, it makes “sense” that God would want to convince the Ephesians that His power was greater than the power of their black arts. Hence, the rationale for “extraordinary miracles.” We have seen God do this before. One of the punishments God imposed on the people of Egypt was for total darkness to fall over that land for a period of three days (Exodus 10:21-23). This was surely a powerful statement to the Egyptians that God’s power was greater than that of their sun-gods. In much the same way, God was making a statement to the Ephesians that His power was greater than the powers of the spiritual forces of darkness that they worshipped.

4B. These verses briefly summarize an extensive missionary journey that started in Ephesus, passed through Macedonia and Achaia, and ended up in Troas. Use the map attached to the end of this week’s study to follow the path of this missionary journey.

5. Acts 20:4 states that Paul “…was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and

60 Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.” It is important to remember that these men were not professional religious people. They were ordinary folks with jobs and families who were willing to leave everything behind because they had tasted something so wonderful and true that they could not continue to live their old lives. How about you? Suppose you had been asked by Paul to accompany him on his trip? How would you have felt about that? On the one hand there is the leaving behind of the things one loves and that give one’s life stability and meaning. On the other hand there is the great adventure of moving ahead through uncharted territory to be where God wants one to be. Tough call?

6. Consider the following verses: Matthew 4:18-22: “As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.” Do you think you could ever get to the point where you would be willing to leave everything behind to follow Jesus? Would you want to? What do YOU say?

2. Use the map attached to the end of this week’s study to follow the journey from Troas, to Assos, to Mitylene, to Kios, to Samos, and Miletus.

3. Where was Paul heading towards? Paul’s destination on this trip was Jerusalem.

4. Read Acts 20:17-38.

5. Summarize the main points of Paul’s talk to the Ephesian elders. 20:17-21. You know my life, how I have fearlessly shared the gospel among you. 20:22-24. The Holy Spirit is compelling me to go to Jerusalem. 20:25-27. I will never see you again, so remember my ministry as an example to you. 20:28. Therefore, keep watch over the flock. 20:29-31. “Savage wolves” will come in after me to lead you astray.

61 20:32. Embrace the grace of God. 20:33-35. Remember that I didn’t live for myself, but to be a blessing to others. 6. What do you find noteworthy about Paul’s talk? Three times in the course of his talk, Paul emphasized the life he lived among the Ephesians, that he might be an example to them.

7. Do you think that you could point to your life as an example to other Christians? What part of your life could be best used as an example to others? What part of your life most holds you back from being an example to others? As you think through your life, ask God for help to make YOU an example of what God’s grace can do in a person’s life. Set your heart that YOUR life could be an encouragement to other believers, as Paul’s life was to the believers in Ephesus.

62 63 WEEK TEN: Acts 21:17-23:35

21:17-20a. Paul reports to the Jerusalem leadership about God’s work among the Gentiles. 21:20b-25. The Jerusalem leadership advises how Paul can defuse the tensions with the Hebrews. 21:26. Paul goes to the Temple as part of his agreement to pay the purification rites expenses for several poor Hebrew men. 21:27-30. A riot breaks out as the Jews mistakenly think that Paul has brought Gentiles into the Temple. 21:31-36. Roman soldiers rescue Paul. 21:37-22:21. Paul explains to the crowd how he became a follower of Jesus and was given a ministry to the Gentiles. 22:22,23. The crowd once again erupts when Paul mentions the Gentiles. 22:24-29. The Roman commander orders Paul to be flogged but stops when he finds out Paul is a Roman citizen. 22:30-23:5. The Roman commander orders the Sanhedrin to try Paul in his presence. 23:6-9. Paul gets the Pharisees and Sadducees to turn on each other when he announces that he believes in the resurrection of the dead. 23:10. The Sanhedrin turns violent and once again the Roman commander has to rescue Paul. 23:11-22. The Jews plot to kill Paul, but the plot is reported to the Roman commander. 23:23-35. The Roman commander sends Paul to Felix, the Roman governor in Caesaria.

2A. Right after Paul tells the Jerusalem leadership about God’s work among the Gentiles, the leaders respond by telling Paul that “thousands of Jews have believed” and “all of them are zealous for the law.” Why do you think the leaders immediately changed the topic to the zealousness with which the Hebraic believers held to the law? I think they did this to alert Paul that his work among the Gentiles had caused a storm of controversy within the Hebraic Christian community (see 2B below).

2B. Consider the following paraphrase of Acts 21:17-26: [Paul speaking] “Hey guys, guess what? God’s been doing wonderful things among the Gentiles. Thousands have embraced salvation in Christ and the Gentile church is growing by leaps and bounds!” [Leaders respond] “Paul, that’s great about all those Gentiles coming to faith in Jesus. However, we have a problem! We have a lot of Jews who have become Christians here in Jerusalem, and they hold tightly to their Jewish heritage. They believe strongly that being Christian does not mean relinquishing the religious traditions and customs with which they express their faith. They have heard that you are telling Jews to give these things up, and they are really angry about it.” In your opinion, does this paraphrase capture the flow of thought in Acts 21:17- 26? I like it!

3. In Acts 21:24, the Jerusalem leadership advises Paul to take four Hebraic Christians and pay for their purification rites. Why do you think they recommended this course of action to Paul? One possible explanation is that the leadership wanted to make clear to the Jewish community that Paul was NOT advocating that Jews must abandon their religious heritage in becoming Christians. Acts 21:24b: “Then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law.” In other words, the Jerusalem leadership did not want a nonessential—the expression of one’s faith through Jewish traditions—to become a stumbling block that would take people’s eyes off of the essential truth that a relationship with God was based on faith. Given the prevailing passions at the time, this was a very real concern.

4. While Paul and the Jerusalem leadership were willing to accommodate Jewish sensitivities on some parts of the Law, they apparently were willing to take considerable heat over their position that Gentiles did not need to get circumcised (cf. Acts 15:5, 15:24-29). Why do you think they treated circumcision different from other “works of the Law?”

65 At one level, circumcision was not treated any different than other works of the Law. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul wrote, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Galatians 5:6). All works of the law are evaluated as to whether they are “an expression of faith.’ However, there is no denying the fact that Paul spoke a lot more about circumcision than about other Jewish rituals. Why? Probably because, in the Hebraic mind, circumcision was indelibly linked to spiritual condition. Circumcision was the identifying symbol which distinguished a Jewish man from a Gentile. Much more so than any other practice in Judaism, circumcision was what “made’ a Jew. In a very real sense, circumcision represents the antithesis of Christianity: A person does not become a Christian by doing anything, but by trusting in what Jesus has done for that person. As such, it provided the perfect example of the difference between living by law and living by grace. Circumcision gave Paul the perfect opportunity to highlight the difference between Christianity and “religion.”

5. We know from Paul’s writings that he constantly emphasized that the Christian life was based on “faith,” not “works of the law.” Romans 8:28: “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.” Galatians 2:16: “…knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified.” Why would Paul be willing to blur this point by publicly participating in “works of the Law” like purification rites? One possibility is that Paul was willing to risk blurring this point in order to open a line of communication to the Hebrews. By publicly participating in these purification rites, Paul was showing the Hebrews that their stereotype of him was wrong. This would allow him to gain a hearing where otherwise the Hebrews might not be willing to listen to anything he had to say. Another possibility is that Paul didn’t want to encourage another heresy in the Christian life: Namely, that one grows in faith by “giving up” things. Spiritual growth comes from resting on the work of Jesus, not on doing or not doing a particular set of things. In this respect, these “purification rites” were like our practice of Lent today. Many Christians are raised in a religious tradition where they celebrate Lent by giving up something in their life to empathize with the suffering of the cross. Is this ritual a bad thing? It could be, if one believed that giving things up somehow made one holier. Then one would be counting on their “works” to become holier. On the other hand, giving things up can be a way of preparing one’s heart to be more sensitive to Jesus, helping one to rely more on His strength. This is a good thing.

66 6. What lesson can we learn from how the early church handled the issue of how Hebraic Christians were to relate to their Jewish heritage? The early church got it right! Christianity is not about what one does or doesn’t do. It’s not about adopting a certain set of rituals, nor about giving up a certain set of rituals. It is about “faith expressing itself through love” (Galatians 5:6b). This is a lesson that we need to be reminded about both for our personal Christian walks, and as we minister to others. It should be obvious that this lesson is particularly important for cross- cultural ministry. It is exceedingly important that we not impose Western practices and rituals on non-Western people. Nor that we make non- Westerners give up rituals that are part of their expression of faith.

Day Five:

NOTE: Yesterday’s study addressed how Christianity is about FAITH. It is not about adopting a certain set of rituals/cultural behaviors, NOR about giving up a certain set of rituals/cultural behaviors. Today’s lesson asks you to apply this principle in some practical ways.

1. Give an example of something in the Christian life that is “nonnegotiable” -- that is, something on which you would not be willing to budge no matter how upset it got people. I would not be willing to budge on the statement that the only way a person can gain acceptance in God’s sight is to trust in Jesus for their righteousness.

2. Identify a practice or behavior that could be part of a person’s “religious heritage” but against GACP (“generally accepted Christian practices”), where in your opinion it would be okay to continue this practice/behavior. (This can be hard, so don’t sweat it if you can’t think of something.) Many Eastern religions practice meditation or a form of physical disciplines that are a part of the practice of their religion (e.g., yoga). I would never want a person coming out of this religious tradition to feel like they had to change this behavior, though I might want them to reorient themselves about the value of those practices.

3. How about “homosexuality?” What would you say to a person who came from a homosexual lifestyle and became a Christian? Would you tell them that being a Christian required them to give up their homosexual behavior? Why or why not? The short answer is that I believe that Christianity teaches that they should give up their homosexual behavior. Homosexuality is a sin. Christians are called to “flee immorality.” Thus, the practice of homosexuality is inconsistent with righteous living. However, there is a great danger in equating the giving up of something (such as homosexual behavior) with being a Christian. A person might successfully leave the homosexual lifestyle and still not be a Christian.

67 Likewise, somebody could continue to struggle with this sin and still be a Christian. The issue isn’t homosexuality. The issue is trusting Jesus. In summary, I believe the Bible teaches that sexual sins (e.g., homosexuality, fornication) are egregious violations of God’s standard of righteousness. God wants all those who are His children to be free of these sins (1 Thessalonians 4:3,4). In this sense, Christianity requires a person to forgo sexual immorality. On the other hand, the power of sin is strong, and sexual sins can be particularly hard sins to give up. Christianity does not teach that success over sexual immorality is a necessary requirement to being a Christian. It does teach that our failures in this area are indicators of our sinfulness, and of our need for supernatural help. That’s my answer. What is yours?

4. In some cultures, it is common for a man to have more than one wife. What would you say to a person with this heritage who became a Christian? Would you tell them that being a Christian means that they can not have more than one wife? Suppose they already had several wives. Would you tell them that being a Christian required them to give up their “excess wives?” I think the answer depends on whether one views polygamy as sexual immorality. If yes, my answer would be the same as for homosexuality. What do YOU think?

5. Suppose somebody became a Christian out of a different religious experience (Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, etc.) and feared persecution over their Christian faith. Would you tell them that being a Christian required that they go to church? Would you tell them they could no longer go to the temple where they previously worshipped? Church is good, and going to church is definitely better than worshipping in a non-Christian temple. However, I would not tell them they had to go to church (though I would definitely emphasize the importance of Christian fellowship— Hebrews 10:24,25). How about YOU?

Day Six: 1. Read Acts 21:37-22:21. Background Note: Gamaliel was the most famous Jewish religious leader of his time. He was a Pharisee and a widely known scholar of the law. He was a grandson of Hillel, and the first of only seven rabbis to be given the title of Rabban (source: The NIV Bible Dictionary in the Zondervan Bible Reference Library software). When Paul says he was trained in the law by Gamaliel, his listeners would have known that he had received the finest possible training in Judaism.

68 2. Summarize the main points of Paul’s talk to the Jewish crowd. Acts 22:3. Paul introduces himself as a Jew with impeccable credentials. Acts 22:4,5. Paul initially persecuted the Christians. Acts 22:6-13. God blinds Paul, then has a Jewish Christian come to him to restore his sight. Acts 22:14-16.Paul is told that he shall be a witness for Jesus, and becomes baptized. Acts 22:17-22.Jesus appears to Paul in a vision, and tells him that he must go to the Gentiles.

3. Read Acts 2:14-2:36.

4. Summarize the main points of Peter’s talk to the Jerusalem Jews. Acts 2:14-21. Peter tells the people that they are seeing a fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy. Acts 2:22-24. Jesus did great miracles among them, they killed Him, but God raised Him from the dead. Acts 2:25-28. David prophesized about Jesus’ resurrection in the Book of Psalms. Acts 2:29-36. David was not writing about himself, but in fact he was writing about Jesus.

5. Why do you think Paul didn’t use this occasion to talk about more about how Jesus was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament, like Peter did? Possibly, these Jews had heard all these arguments before. After all, Paul’s speech is almost 30 years after Peter’s speech, and we know that Hebraic Christians had been witnessing in Jerusalem with much effect over these years (Acts 21:20b). Another possibility is just that Paul thought a personal testimony would be more effective in witnessing about Jesus than an apologetic argument from the Old Testament.

6. What lesson can we learn from this when it comes to witnessing about Jesus? Apologetics is good. Personal testimonies are good. Christians worship a God who has both left (i) a “paper trail” in the Bible to evidence His truth, and (ii) a “trail” in our hearts to evidence His person and work.

7. If you were going to witness about how Jesus had worked in your life, what events/experiences would you highlight? I would emphasize that I was once a young man who did not know the meaning of love and was contemplating suicide because I found life so painful and meaningless. I now am somebody who joyfully embraces life and love. And all of that is His doing. How about YOU?

69 WEEK ELEVEN: Acts 24:1-26:32

24:1-9. The Jewish leaders accuse Paul before Felix of desecrating the Temple and inciting riots. 24:10-21. Paul defends himself by saying that the real reason the Jewish leaders are after him is because he is a follower of “the Way.” 24:22-26. Felix delays making a decision about Paul’s case, but is convicted by subsequent conversations with Paul. 24:27-25:12. After two years, a new governor, Porcius Festus, hears Paul’s case, with the result that Paul appeals his case to Caesar. 25:13-27. King Agrippa visits Festus and Festus asks for advice in deciding the crime with which to formally charge Paul. 26:1-23. Paul gives his testimony, explaining how he went from a persecutor of Christians to an evangelist to the Gentiles. 26:24-32. Paul parries with Festus and Agrippa, leading Agrippa to conclude that Paul has not committed a chargeable offense.

Day Four: 1. Read Acts 24:1-23. Historical Note: “Antonius Felix, was born a slave and freed by Antonia, the mother of the emperor Claudius. He was a brother of Pallas, who was also a freedman of Antonia and became a good friend of the young prince Claudius. Through the influence of Pallas, Felix was appointed in A.D. 48 to a subordinate government post in Samaria. In 52 Claudius appointed him governor of Judea. … [Tacitus said of him that "he revelled in cruelty and lust, and wielded the power of a king with the mind of a slave."] During his governorship, insurrections and anarchy increased throughout Palestine. Try as he would to put down the

70 uprisings and regain control, his brutal methods only alienated the Jewish population more and led to further disturbances. Despite his low birth, Felix had a succession of three wives--the third being Drusilla, the youngest daughter of Agrippa I, who had been unhappy as the wife of Azizus, king of Emesa; Felix desired her because of her beauty and persuaded her to leave Azizus for him. The relationship between these two seems to have been based upon greed, lust, and expectations of grandeur. [Because Drusilla was Jewish (at least in part), Felix learned much of Jewish life and customs.]” SOURCE: The NIV Bible Dictionary in the Zondervan Bible Reference Library software.

2. Acts 24:1-23 reports the first of three “trials” in this week’s study, which in turn follow on Paul’s speech before the crowd in Jerusalem (Acts 21:37-22:21) and his appearance before the Sanhedrin (Acts 23:1-10). In some respects, these trials seem repetitious. Can you think of a reason why the Holy Spirit wanted these details recorded in the Bible? Of course, we can only speculate about the Holy Spirit’s motives. One reason that Luke gave for writing this book was so his reader(s) could “know the certainty of the things you have been taught” (cf. Luke 1:1-4; Acts 1:1). In this respect, it would have been important to know that Christianity had been on trial numerous times, and each time the official verdict was that there was nothing illegal about this religion. What purpose did the Holy Spirit have for us as we read about these trials today? Maybe the Holy Spirit wanted us to imagine ourselves in either Paul’s or Felix’s/Festus’/Agrippa’s position and to evaluate for ourselves the arguments in favor of Christianity.

3. Read Acts 24:24,25.

4. Acts 24:24b states that Felix “sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus.” Why do you think Felix did that? Do you think he had a sincere desire to hear the truth about Jesus? Acts 24:26 states that Felix was “hoping that money would be given him by Paul; therefore he also used to send for him quite often.’ So part of Felix’s interest was mercenary. However, there must have been more to it than that. It says in Acts 24:24a that “Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess.” If the purpose was simply to encourage a bribe, there would have been no reason for Drusilla to come along.

5. Many people find Christianity “intellectually interesting.” That is, they don’t really think Christianity is true, but they like to know what it is that causes so many people to believe in it. Do you think that was Felix’s motivation for listening to Paul? Yes, I think that both Felix and Drusilla had an “intellectual interest” in Christianity. This is suggested by the fact that the text points out that she “was a Jewess,” and that he was “well acquainted with the Way” (Acts24:22). Likely, they were curious about this new religion and wanted to hear more

71 about it. However, Felix became “afraid”, suggesting that the conversation had become uncomfortable for him, and possibly for Drusilla as well, as no mention is made of her coming back for a return visit.

6. Acts 24:25 states that Felix became “frightened/afraid” as a result of his conversation with Paul. Why do you think he became afraid? Paul did not leave the conversation in the academic area, but pressed to get Felix to make a decision about Jesus. It says in Acts 24:24,25 that Paul brought the conversation around to “faith in Christ Jesus” and “righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come.” Once the conversation got personal, Felix became uncomfortable. He probably became afraid as Paul talked about the “judgment to come.” As discussed in the historical note under (1) above, Felix lived an unscrupulous life and he likely fell under conviction as Paul talked about righteousness and self-control.

7. Respond to the following statement: If Felix’s interest in Christianity was merely intellectual, he would have no reason to be afraid, since he would not have believed its teaching about “judgment.” Thus, the fact that he was afraid indicates that he thought there must be some truth in what Paul was saying. Do you agree with this statement? Yes, I think Felix became afraid because it hit him that the things Paul was saying might be true.

8. What do you think held Felix back from embracing Christianity? On the one hand, Felix felt that Christianity might be true. On the other hand, Felix realized that he could not go on living like he was if he were to become a Christian. I think in the final analysis, Felix decided that he didn’t want to change.

9. Think of non-Christians you know. What do you think holds them back from embracing salvation through Jesus? It is my impression, and I could well be wrong, that most people do not really care about whether Christianity is “true.” What they care about is whether their lives will be better. Most non-Christians are not convinced that Christianity will make their lives better, and hence they see no compelling reason to embrace Christianity. In other words, they sense no need for a Savior. That’s my opinion. What do YOU think?

Day Five: 1. Read Acts 24:26,27.

72 2. Paul waited in jail for two years while Felix delayed making a decision about him, all the time hinting strongly about a bribe. How do you think Paul felt about his situation? Paul was a man of action. It is hard to imagine that he did not find it frustrating to be sitting in jail while there was a world out there waiting to hear the gospel.

3. Why do you think God allowed this to happen? What possible purpose could God have for Paul sitting in jail for two years? No reason is given. There are a lot of possibilities. Some commentators believe that Luke used this time to collect information for the writing of Luke and Acts. But the bottom line is that we do not know why God would allow this man who was so singularly effective in propagating the gospel to sit around in a jail cell for two years.

4. Have you ever had a time in your life that seemed to make no sense at all? Briefly describe that time. I have. How about you?

5. What lesson can we learn from the fact that God was willing to have Paul sit in a jail for two years for no apparent reason? While we may not know them, God had His reasons for letting Paul linger in jail. Romans 8:28 states, “And we know that God causes ALL things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Likewise, He has His reasons for taking us through situations that may make no sense from our perspective. I once heard a sermon on “not despising the time in the quiver.” The picture was of a quiver filled with arrows. The archer was God, and the arrows represented Christians that God intended to use to strike targets for the advance of His kingdom. The arrows sat in the quiver until such a time when the archer decided they could be used most effectively. In the same way, we may feel frustrated as Christians that we are “in the quiver” and not being used to “strike the target.” The message is to “not despise this time.” Instead, we should have confidence that God has His reasons for our circumstances. Let us submit to His will and be teachable to learn his lessons “while in the quiver”, so that we may be more effective arrows when He chooses to use us. James 1:2-4: “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” Hebrews 12:11: “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

73 1 Timothy 4:7b-8: “…discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

Day Six: 1. Read Acts 24:27-25:12. Historical Note: Porcius Festus replaced Felix as procurator of Judea. According to Josephus, Felix was removed because of his inability to manage relationships with the Jewish population. Hostilities and violent uprisings dominated Felix’s rule. The climax came as a result of a conflict between Jews and Greeks at Caesarea. Felix harshly punished the Jews for this outbreak. Many Jews were killed, taken prisoner, or plundered of their wealth; and a delegation of Jews went to Rome to complain. As a result, Felix was recalled to Rome and replaced by Festus. SOURCE: The NIV Bible Dictionary in the Zondervan Bible Reference Library software.

2. Read Acts 25:13-26:32. Historical Note: King Agrippa II was the son of Herod Agrippa I (Herod’s death is recorded in Acts 12:21-23). In 53 A.D. the Roman emperor Claudius appointed Agrippa king over Iturea, Trachonitis, and associated areas immediately north of Judea. As ruler of the adjoining kingdom to the north, Agrippa II came to pay his respects to Festus, the new ruler of Judea. While Agrippa did not have formal authority in Judea, he was appointed by Claudius as “the curator of the temple,” with the power to depose and appoint the high priest in Jerusalem. He developed an interest in the Jewish religion, and was regarded by Rome as an authority on Jewish matters. With Agrippa II was Bernice, his sister one year younger than himself. She was previously married to her uncle, but came to live with her brother after her uncle/husband’s death in 48 A.D. It was widely rumored in both Rome and Palestine that they had an incestuous relationship. SOURCE: The NIV Bible Dictionary in the Zondervan Bible Reference Library software.

3. Consider the following verse: Acts 26:28: “Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?’” In this passage of Scripture, Paul tried to persuade Agrippa of the truth of Christianity. What do you think was his most compelling argument? I think Paul’s most compelling argument was his changed life. To have gone from a persecutor of Christians, to a persecutee, while maintaining the truth of Christianity.

4. In your opinion, what is the best argument in favor of Christianity? I believe the best argument is the Bible itself, how the Old and New Testaments confirm each other in a way that no human could ever have devised. The only

74 problem with this argument is that it takes familiarity with the Bible to appreciate this argument. Another argument that I find compelling is the fact that Christianity was able to grow so dramatically after the death of Jesus while making such outrageous claims about who He was. To say that Jesus was God and that He died on the cross is a pretty tough sell. It’s hard to believe so many people would embrace this religion. Unless it was true. What do YOU think is the best argument in favor of Christianity?

5. The branch of theology that is concerned with proving the truth of Christianity is known as “apologetics.” There are a huge number of websites that engage in “apologetics.” 5A. Check out the website: “http://rationalchristianity.net/”. Read through some of the articles. Is there anything there you found compelling? Briefly elaborate. What did you find most compelling?

5B. Do you know of any websites that are especially good sources of apologetics? What are their addresses? What makes them so good? ?????

75 WEEK TWELVE: Acts 27:1-28:32

27:1-3. Paul sails from Caesaria to Sidon. 27:4-8. Paul travels from Sidon, to Myra, to Cnidus, and finally arrives in Fair Havens on Crete behind schedule due to difficult sailing conditions. 27:9-13. Against Paul’s warning, the ship sets sail for a safe winter harbor. 27:14-20. The ship is hit by a hurricane-like storm and is dragged out to sea. 27:21-26. Paul tells the men he has received a vision assuring him that they will survive the storm. 27:27-44. The ship runs aground in Malta, and while the ship is lost, all the men survive. 28:1-6. Paul is attacked by a viper but is not harmed. 28:7-11. Paul spends 3 months on Malta, healing many and earning the appreciation of the islanders. 28:12-16. Paul sails from Malta, to Syracuse, to Rhegium, to Puteoli, and finally arrives in Rome. 28:17-22. Paul meets the Jewish leaders in Rome and arranges a meeting for him to tell them about the Christ. 28:23-29. The meeting does not go well, and Paul announces that he is taking the gospel to the Gentiles. 28:30-32. For two years, Paul is allowed great freedom to preach the gospel in Rome.

Day Three: 1. Review Acts 27:1-28:32. 2. Think of some questions that might lead to an important spiritual “discovery.” Write them in the space below, then pray that God would answer your question(s). This was your LAST CHANCE! What questions did you come up with?

76 Day Four: 1. Check out the map attached to this week’s study and follow Paul’s journey to the following places: - Caesaria - Sidon - Myra - Cnidus - Fair Havens - Malta - Syracuse - Rhegium - Puteoli - Rome.

2. Read Acts 27:1-26.

3A. Consider the following verses: Acts 18:9,10: “One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.’” Acts 23:11: “The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, ‘Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.’” Acts 27:23,24: “Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, `Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.'”

3B. Why do you think God kept reminding Paul to “not be afraid” and to “have courage?” I think God knew that Paul was fearful about his safety. Therefore, God sought to encourage Paul to help him overcome his fears. I can think of no other reason why God would have intervened these several times to tell Paul to not be afraid.

4. One possible reason for why God kept encouraging Paul is that Paul struggled with fears when it came to his safety. Do you think this is a reasonable possibility? I do. Admittedly, it is hard for me to think of Paul as being fearful, since his life was characterized by courage in the face of danger. Yet it is important to remember that Paul’s actions only indicate how Paul RESPONDED to danger, not how he felt. What a remarkable testimony that Paul could live so courageously even when he felt great fear! And what a great encouragement to me that God can help me to overcome those feelings in my life that hold me back from being the person He wants me to be.

77 5. We tend not to think of Paul being fearful because of the many courageous things that he did. Yet the “real” Paul struggled with fear. 1 Corinthians 2:1,3: “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. … I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.” How about you? Are there issues in your life that you wrestle with that other people may not be aware of? Do you ever worry that these issues will hinder you from being the person you want to be? That God wants you to be? Just between you and God, elaborate on this below. There ARE issues in my life that stand as obstacles between me and the person I want to be. How about with you?

6. What lesson can we learn from how God interacted with Paul that can encourage us in our lives? God helped Paul to live courageously despite his fears. In this respect, Paul’s life is an example for me. How inspiring to know that God can overcome the issues in my life, just like he did in Paul’s life. God is not held back by the old things in my life—He makes all things new!

Day Five: 1. Read Acts 27:27-28:6.

2. This section of Scripture reads like the “Perils of Pauline”: It is filled with various escapades in which Paul escapes one peril after another. What lesson do you think the Holy Spirit wants us to learn from this section of Scripture? God promised Paul that he would get to Rome (cf. Acts. 23:11). Surely God could have made the trip an uneventful, peaceful voyage! Yet God chose to allow Paul to undergo a number of harrowing and life-threatening experiences en route to his God-ordained destination. In the same way, God has promised me that He will never forsake me. Hebrews 13:5,6: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" Even so, He never promises me that life will be free from hardships and difficulties. Therefore, I should not be surprised when I come across difficulties -- just assured that the One who has allowed them to come into my life will also see me through to my ultimate destination. 1 Peter 4:12,13: “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.”

3. Read Acts 28:7-31.

78 4. In Acts 28:20b, Paul states that “It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.” What is this “hope of Israel” Paul is referring to? The hope referred by Paul here is hope for the Messiah, a Savior and Redeemer who would deliver the nation of Israel from its difficulties.

Background Note: Nave’s Topic Bible in the Zondervan Bible Reference Library software has the following entry under “MESSIANIC HOPE: (Matthew 13:17; Acts 9:22; Hebrews 11:13; 1 Peter 1:10-12). Created by prophecy (Genesis 49:10; Numbers 24:17; Isaiah 9:6-7; 11:1-9; 40:3-5; 55:3-5; 62:10-11; Jeremiah 23:5-6; 33:15-17; Daniel 2:44; 7:13-14; 9:24-27; Micah 5:2; Zechariah 9:9; Malachi 3:1-3; Acts 13:27), by the covenant with David to establish his throne forever (2 Samuel 7:12-16; 1 Chronicles 17:11-14; 22:10), by the messianic psalms (Psalm 2; 16; 21; 22; 45; 72; 87; 89; 96; 110; 132:11, 17- 18). Confirmed in the vision of Mary (Luke 1:30-33). Exemplified, by the priest Zechariah (Luke 1:68-79), by the prophet Simeon (Luke 2:25, 29-32), by the prophetess Anna (Luke 2:36-38), by the wise men of the East (Matthew 2:1-12), by John the Baptist (Matthew 11:3), by the people (John 7:31, 40-42; 12:34), by Caiaphas (Matthew 26:63; Mark 14:61), by Joseph of Arimathea (Mark 15:43; Luke 23:51), by the disciples on the way to Emmaus (Luke 24:21), by Paul (Acts 26:6-7).”

5. The nation of Israel yearned for a Messiah who would free them from their worldly enslavement. What is the great message of “hope” that Christianity has for you? The hope is that, by the grace of God, I WILL one day be in heaven with God eternally. Titus 3:5-7: “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

Day Six: 1. What did you find spiritually impacting in this week’s study? Elaborate.

Prologue: “With Acts ending so abruptly, we must look elsewhere for information about Paul's Roman imprisonment and its aftermath. Accepting the Prison Letters as having been written during this time, we may surmise that Paul fully expected to stand before Caesar's court and that, while we cannot not be certain about the outcome, he did expect to be released (cf. Philippians 1:19-26; Philemon 22). We may date such a release around 63. Accepting the Pastoral Letters as genuine, after Paul's release from this imprisonment, he continued evangelizing the eastern portion of the empire (at least in lands surrounding the Aegean Sea)--perhaps even fulfilling his desire to visit Spain (cf. Romans 15:23-24). And since 2 Timothy 4:6-18 speaks of a second trial in a tone of resignation, we may conclude that Paul was rearrested about 67 and, according to tradition, beheaded at Rome

79 by order of Nero” (SOURCE: NIV Bible Commentary in the Zondervan Bible Reference Library software).

2. Take some time to reflect on this semester’s study of Acts. List some things that you learned in the space below.

3. What truth or thing you learned most impacted you from this semester’s study? Elaborate in the space below.

80 81 AN OUTLINE OF THE BOOK OF ACTS

The Birth of the Church 1:1-8. Jesus teaches His disciples after His resurrection. 1:9-14. Jesus ascends to heaven and the disciples wait for the Holy Spirit to come. 1:15-26. The disciples select Matthias to take Judas’ place. 2:1-13. The Holy Spirit descends on the disciples, causing them to speak in foreign languages. 2:14-21. A crowd gathers round, and Peter tells them that this is a sign that they are in the Last Days. 2:22-36. Peter tells the crowd that the purpose of this event is to witness that Jesus is the Messiah, resurrected from the dead. 2:37-41. Three thousand are saved that day. 2:42-47. The new believers sell their possessions and form a new community in which everything is shared.

The Church Experiences its First Opposition 3:1-10. Peter and John heal a crippled man. 3:11-26. Peter uses this occasion to persuade the crowd to become Christians. 4:1-4. Peter and John are arrested, but many are saved. 4:5-22. Peter and John testify to the religious leaders, are ordered to stop talking about Jesus, and are released. 4:23-31. The new community of believers praises God for what He is doing.

The Church Expands Greatly and Problems Arise Within 4:32-37. Members of the new community share their possessions to help those in need. 5:1,2. Ananias and Sapphira sell their possessions to give to the church, but secretly hold back some for themselves. 5:3-11. Ananias and Sapphira are supernaturally stricken dead once their deed is found out. 5:12-16. The numbers of the community continue to grow, with large crowds coming to be healed. 5:17-28. Peter and the other apostles are arrested for preaching Jesus’ name and appear before the Sanhedrin. 5:29-40. The Sanhedrin orders the apostles flogged, but releases them, again commanding them to cease their preaching of Jesus. 6:1. The apostles continue their teaching, and many more are saved. 6:2-7. A problem arises with the Hellenistic Jews, and the apostles appoint deacons to make sure that needs in the body are being met.

82 Stephen is Arrested and Killed and a Great Persecution Breaks Out in Jerusalem 6:8-7:1. Opposition arises against Stephen and he is arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin. 7:2-7:50. Stephen testifies before the Sanhedrin of Israel’s history towards God. 7:51-53. Stephen accuses the religious leaders of rejecting God just like their forefathers did. 7:54-59. The members of the Sanhedrin stone Stephen to death. 8:1-3. A general persecution arises against the church, with Saul as an active participant.

Christian Witnesses Expand Their Ministry to Samaria 8:4-8. Philip preaches Jesus and performs miracles in Samaria. 8:9-13. Many receive Christ, including a renowned magician by the name of Simon. 8:14-17. Peter and John come down from Jerusalem and the Holy Spirit falls upon the new believers. 8:18-25. Simon attempts to buy the power of the Holy Spirit and is rebuked by Peter. 8:26-40. Philip is prompted by the Holy Spirit to approach a member of the Ethiopian royal court and leads that man to Christ.

God Converts the Persecutor Paul 9:1,2. Saul heads to Damascus to persecute Christians. 9:3-9. Jesus appears to Saul in a vision, causing Saul to lose his eyesight. 9:10-16. Jesus appears to a disciple by the name of Ananias and tells him to go to Saul. 9:17-19a. Ananias restores Saul’s eyesight. 9:19b-25. Saul begins to preach Jesus, causing his life to be threatened. 9:26-30. Barnabas arranges for Saul to meet with the apostles in Jerusalem, after which Saul goes to Tarsus.

God Converts the Gentile Cornelius 9:31-35. Peter travels to Lydda and heals a paralytic. 9:36-43. Peter is summoned to Joppa and raises a woman from the dead. 10:1-8. An angel appears to a devout, Roman centurion by the name of Cornelius and tells him to send for Peter. 10:9-16. Peter has a vision telling him to “kill and eat” unclean animals. 10:17-24a. Cornelius’ men find Peter and take him to Cornelius in Caesaria. 10:24b-29. Peter explains to the assembled people how God had showed him that Gentiles are not unclean. 10:30-48. Peter shares the gospel with these Gentiles, the Holy Spirit falls upon them, and Peter has them baptized. 11:1-18. Peter returns to Jerusalem where he silences criticism of his baptizing Gentiles by telling the disciples what the Holy Spirit had done.

83 God Establishes a Gentile Church in Antioch, Led by Barnabas and Paul 11:19-21. The persecuted disciples leave Jerusalem sharing the gospel wherever they go, including Antioch, where a community of believers forms. 11:22-26. The disciples in Jerusalem send Barnabas to Antioch, and Barnabas fetches Saul to help with the fledgling church there. 11:27-30. The prophet Agabus prophesizes a great famine, and the disciples send Barnabas and Saul to carry contributions to Jerusalem. 12:1,2. Herod begins to persecute the church in Jerusalem, killing James the brother of John. 12:3-19a. Herod has Peter arrested, but Peter is released by an angel of the Lord. 12:19b-23. Herod is slain by God because “he did not give God the glory.” 12:24,25. The church continues to grow, and Barnabas and Saul, along with “John, who was also called Mark” return to Antioch.

Paul’s First Missionary Journey 13:1-3. The Holy Spirit selects Barnabas and Paul to go out with the gospel. 13:4-12. Paul and Barnabas travel to Cyprus, where they convert a high-ranking Roman official over local opposition. 13:13-15. Paul and his companions travel to east Asia Minor, to Pisidian Antioch. 13:16-41. Paul gives a sermon to the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch. 13:42-52. After many Gentiles believe, Paul and Barnabas are expelled by the Jews. 14:1-7. Paul and Barnabas travel to Iconium, where they lead many to Christ before they are forced to flee for their lives. 14:8-18. Paul and Barnabas travel to Lystra, where they heal a lame man and are mistaken for gods. 14:19,20a. Some Jews from Antioch and Iconium incite the people, Paul is stoned and left for dead, but survives. 14:20b-28. Paul and Barnabas travel to Derbe, then retrace their steps back to Antioch to report to the church what God has done.

The Church Decides That Gentile Christians Need Not Be Circumcised 15:1. Believers from Jerusalem show up in Antioch and tell the Gentiles there they must be circumcised. 15:2-4. Paul and Barnabas travel to Jerusalem to get a judgment from the church’s leaders on the circumcision issue. 15:5-20. The church decides not to enforce circumcision on the Gentiles. 15:21-35. Paul and Barnabas return to Antioch along with a delegation from Jerusalem to communicate the decision on circumcision.

84 Paul’s Second Missionary Journey 15:36-39. Paul and Barnabas have a disagreement and part ways. 15:40,41. Paul takes Silas and strengthens the churches in Syria and Cilicia. 16:1-5. Paul travels to Derbe and Lystra to encourage the churches, and adds Timothy to his entourage. 16:6-8. Paul is kept by the Holy Spirit from going into Asia and Bithynia, so he travels north and then west to the coast of Turkey, to Troas. 16:9-12. Paul receives a vision directing him to Macedonia, so he leads his party to Philippi. 16:13-15. A Gentile ‘worshipper of God” named Lydia receives the gospel and she and her household are baptized. 16:16-18. Paul heals a slave girl with a demon-inspired gift of prophecy. 16:19-24. The slave girl’s owners inspire a riot against Paul, and he and his companions are arrested. 16:25-34. An earthquake miraculously opens up the jail, leading to the conversion of the jailor and his household. 16:35-40. Paul is released by the city officials and leaves Philippi. 17:1-9. Paul travels to Thessalonica, many come to Christ, but the Jews start a riot that forces him to leave. 17:10-15. Paul travels to Berea, where many respond to the gospel, but opposition again forces him to leave. 17:16-21. While waiting in Athens for his partners to join him, Paul shares the gospel, and is brought to a meeting of the Areopagus to present his ideas. 17:22-34. Paul tells the Athenians that it is time for them to repent and worship the true God, or they will be judged. 18:1-8. Paul goes on to Corinth, where Silas and Timothy rejoin him, and many Gentiles respond to the gospel. 18:9-11. God tells Paul he is safe at Corinth, and Paul stays there for a year and a half. 18:12-17. The Jews instigate a riot against Paul, but are rebuffed by the local authorities. 18:18-21a. Paul travels to Ephesus and leaves two disciples, Priscilla and Aquila, to engage in ministry there. 18:21b,22. Paul leaves Ephesus and returns to the church in Antioch.

Paul’s Third Journey, Ending With a Mission to Jerusalem 18:23. Paul strengthens the churches in Galatia and Phrygia. 18:24-28. Apollos is instructed in the truth and becomes a powerful witness in Ephesus and Corinth. 19:1-7. Paul returns to Ephesus and baptizes some disciples who had only been familiar with John’s baptism. 19:8-12. God uses Paul for great impact in Ephesus over a two-year period. 19:13-20. Some Jewish exorcists are overcome by demons as they use Paul’s name, causing many practitioners of magic to renounce their evil deeds. 19:21-41. Ephesian craftmen start an uprising against Paul that is ultimately unsuccessful.

85 20:1-6. Paul leaves Ephesus and travels to Troas, crosses over to Macedonia and Achaia, where he spends considerable time, and then returns to Troas. 20:7-12. Paul brings a young disciple back to life and sets his sights on Jerusalem. 20:13-17. Paul and his party travel to Miletus, where he sends for the Ephesian church leaders. 20:18-38. Paul charges the Ephesian elders to be on guard for themselves and their church. 21:1-9. Paul travels to Caesaria en route to Jerusalem, where he stays with Philip the evangelist. 21:10-16. Paul is warned by the prophet Agabus that he will encounter great difficulties, but nevertheless travels onward to Jerusalem.

Paul is Arrested in Jerusalem 21:17-20a. Paul reports to the Jerusalem leadership about God’s work among the Gentiles. 21:20b-25. The Jerusalem leadership advises how Paul can defuse the tensions with the Hebrews. 21:26. Paul goes to the Temple as part of his agreement to pay the purification rites expenses for several poor Hebrew men. 21:27-30. A riot breaks out as the Jews mistakenly think that Paul has brought Gentiles into the Temple. 21:31-36. Roman soldiers rescue Paul. 21:37-22:21. Paul explains to the crowd how he became a follower of Jesus and was given a ministry to the Gentiles. 22:22,23. The crowd once again erupts when Paul mentions the Gentiles. 22:24-29. The Roman commander orders Paul to be flogged but stops when he finds out Paul is a Roman citizen. 22:30-23:5. The Roman commander orders the Sanhedrin to try Paul in his presence. 23:6-9. Paul gets the Pharisees and Sadducees to turn on each other when he announces that he believes in the resurrection of the dead. 23:10. The Sanhedrin turns violent and once again the Roman commander has to rescue Paul. 23:11-22. The Jews plot to kill Paul, but the plot is reported to the Roman commander. 23:23-35. The Roman commander sends Paul to Felix, the Roman governor in Caesaria.

Paul Defends Himself Three Times Before Roman Rulers 24:1-9. The Jewish leaders accuse Paul before Felix of desecrating the Temple and inciting riots. 24:10-21. Paul defends himself by saying that the real reason the Jewish leaders are after him is because he is a follower of “the Way.” 24:22-26. Felix delays making a decision about Paul’s case, but is convicted by subsequent conversations with Paul. 24:27-25:12. After two years, a new governor, Porcius Festus, hears Paul’s case, with the result that Paul appeals his case to Caesar.

86 25:13-27. King Agrippa visits Festus and Festus asks for advice in deciding the crime with which to formally charge Paul. 26:1-23. Paul gives his testimony, explaining how he went from a persecutor of Christians to an evangelist to the Gentiles. 26:24-32. Paul parries with Festus and Agrippa, leading Agrippa to conclude that Paul has not committed a chargeable offense.

Paul Travels to Rome to Appeal to Caesar 27:1-3. Paul sails from Caesaria to Sidon. 27:4-8. Paul travels from Sidon, to Myra, to Cnidus, and finally arrives in Fair Havens on Crete behind schedule due to difficult sailing conditions. 27:9-13. Against Paul’s warning, the ship sets sail for a safe winter harbor. 27:14-20. The ship is hit by a hurricane-like storm and is dragged out to sea. 27:21-26. Paul tells the men he has received a vision assuring him that they will survive the storm. 27:27-44. The ship runs aground in Malta, and while the ship is lost, all the men survive. 28:1-6. Paul is attacked by a viper but is not harmed. 28:7-11. Paul spends 3 months on Malta, healing many and earning the appreciation of the islanders. 28:12-16. Paul sails from Malta, to Syracuse, to Rhegium, to Puteoli, and finally arrives in Rome. 28:17-22. Paul meets the Jewish leaders in Rome and arranges a meeting for him to tell them about the Christ. 28:23-29. The meeting does not go well, and Paul announces that he is taking the gospel to the Gentiles. 28:30-32. For two years, Paul is allowed great freedom to preach the gospel in Rome.