201214 Acts 17 Monday Night Bible Study Copy 14

Monday BIBLE STUDY-Prayer

Friendship Evangelism- Talking with Strangers Acts 8:36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”

It seems probable that Philip had explained to the Ethiopian the privilege of Christian baptism, identifying oneself with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. Now as they near a body of water, the eunuch signifes his desire to be baptized.

Acts 8:37 Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

Verse 37 of the KJV and NKJV is omitted from most Greek manuscripts of the NT. Belief in Jesus Christ is certainly prerequisite to baptism.

Acts 8:38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.

The chariot is stopped, and Philip baptizes the eunuch. That the baptism was by immersion is evident by the expressions, they went down into the water and they came up out of the water.

One is impressed by the simplicity of the ceremony.

Out on a desert route a believer baptized a new convert. The church was not present. None of the apostles was there. Doubtless only the retinue of servants in the caravan witnessed the baptism of their master; they would understand that he was now a follower of Jesus of Nazareth.

Acts 8:39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.

As soon as the baptism was over, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away. This suggests more than mere guidance to another location. Rather, it speaks of miraculous and sudden removal.

Its purpose was that the eunuch would not become occupied with the human instrument of his conversion, but with the Lord Himself.

May His beauty rest upon me, As I seek the lost to win, And may they forget the channel, Seeing only Him. —Kate B. Wilkinson

The eunuch went on his way rejoicing. There is a joy that comes from obedience to the Lord that surpasses all other pleasurable emotions.

Acts 8:40 But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.

Philip, in the meantime, resumes his evangelistic ministry at Azotus (OT Ashdod), north of Gaza and west of Jerusalem, near the coast. From there he works his way north along the coast to Caesarea.

And what of the eunuch? There was no opportunity for what we call “follow-up work” by Philip.

All the evangelist could do was to commit him to God and to the OT Scriptures.

Yet with the power of the Holy Spirit this new disciple doubtless returned to Ethiopia witnessing to all of the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Crosscultural Evangelism What books, movies or songs might you use constructively in evangelism?

Acts 17:1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.

After leaving Philippi, Paul and Silas traveled thirty-three miles southwest to AMPHIPOLIS (am-fp’-o-lis). Their next stop was APOLLONIA (ap-o-lo’-ni-a), another thirty miles southwest. From there they moved in a westward direction thirty-seven miles to THESSALONICA (thes-a-lo-nye’-ka).

This city was strategically located on trade routes, and was thus an excellent center of commerce. The Holy Spirit chose it as a base from which the gospel would radiate in many directions. In our day, the city is known as Saloniki. www.ebcnc.com McDonald, Knoll, Farstad; Hinson and Knoll 1 Monday BIBLE STUDY-Prayer

Luke may have remained at Philippi when Paul and Silas left there to claim new territory for the Lord. This is suggested by the narrative changing from the frst person plural (we) to the third person (they).

Acts 17:2 Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, :3 explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to sufer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.”

As was their custom, the missionaries located a Jewish synagogue and preached the gospel there. For three Sabbaths Paul opened the OT and showed convincingly that it was predicted that the Messiah had to sufer and rise again from the dead.

Having established this from the Scriptures, Paul went on to declare that Jesus of Nazareth was the long awaited Messiah. Had He not sufered, and died, and risen from the dead? Did this not prove that He was the Christ of God?

Acts 17:4 And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas.

Some of the Jews were persuaded, and took their place with Paul and Silas as Christian believers. Also many of the Greek proselytes and not a few of the leading women of the city were converted.

Acts 17:5 But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.

Because people were being saved, the unbelieving Jews went into action. They rounded up some of the hoodlums from the marketplace, incited a riot, and besieged the house of Jason where Paul and Silas had been guests.

Acts 17:6 But when they did not fnd them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. :7 Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king —Jesus.”

When they did not fnd Paul and Silas in the house, they dragged Jason and some of his fellow believers before the rulers of the city (politarchs).

Without meaning to, they paid a genuine tribute to Paul and Silas when they described them as men who had turned the world upside down.

Then they charged them with plotting to overthrow the government of Caesar by preaching about another king—Jesus.

It was, to say the least, a strange thing for Jews to be so zealous in safeguarding the government of Caesar, because they had little or no love for the Roman Empire. But was their charge true? Doubtless they had heard Paul proclaim the Second Coming of Jesus to reign as king over all the earth. But this did not pose an immediate threat to Caesar, since Christ would not return to reign until Israel had repented nationally.

Acts 17:8 And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things. :9 So when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

The politarchs were troubled by these reports. They required Jason and those with him to post bail, probably adding instructions for his guests to leave the city. Then they let them go.

Acts 17:10 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. :11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to fnd out whether these things were so. :12 Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.

The brethren in Thessalonica decided it would be well for the preachers to leave, so they sent them away by night to BEREA. These indomitable and irrepressible evangelists went straight to the synagogue of the Jews. As they preached the gospel there, the Jews showed their open-mindedness by searching, checking, and comparing the OT Scriptures.

What are your thoughts on the above?

They had a simple and teachable attitude and a determination to test all teaching by the Sacred Scriptures. Many of these Jews believed. And there were also a good number of converts from prominent Gentile women as well as men.