DOCSLIB.ORG

Discussion Guide - Acts 9:32-43

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Discussion Guide - Acts 9:32-43 Discussion Guide - Acts 9:32-43 ICE BREAKER: What do you still want to accomplish with your life? Acts 9:32-43, read it aloud… Acts begins with the resurrection ministry of Jesus and his promise of the Holy Spirit. Jesus appears to a multitude of people in his glorified body, gives instruction to wait for a gift that the Father has promised, and then ascends into heaven. So the apostles wait, and the Pentecost happens. In chapter 2 the Holy Spirit descends on these people and dwells within their hearts. The early church is starting to establish itself and community is being developed through sharing and generosity. In chapters 5-7, we read of the persecution happening to the apostles. Stephen, a man full of faith, and under the power of the Holy Spirit, argues the case for Jesus as the Messiah from Israel’s history as recorded in Jewish scripture before being stoned to death. We read in chapter 8 about the church itself becoming scattered and people fleeing for their life. Those who were scattered preached the word wherever they went. Now there was a man named Saul, he was a religious leader, determined to shut the movement of Jesus Christ down. To rid the earth of these people who he thought were preaching blasphemy. Saul was there at Stephen’s stoning and he was responsible for putting countless believers in prison. He was a man feared among many, but this would soon change. In Acts 9, he has his Damascus road experience. Jesus appears before him and transforms his life. The people he persecuted now become his friends. His religious anger turns into a fervent passion for spreading the message of Jesus Christ. The story of Saul is a great example of transformation. What are some of the characteristics of a transformed life as seen through Saul’s experiences? What was the single factor that led to Saul’s transformation? THE HEALING OF AENEAS AND TABITHA Of the many healings performed through Peter’s ministry, Luke mentions two of them in Acts 9:32-43; Aeneas and Tabitha. Aeneas was from Lydda and Tabitha was from Joppa. Aeneas was a paralytic and Tabitha was devoted to good works and charity. Peter is determined to preach the message of the Gospel which is healing and restoration through Jesus Christ. Why? Because Jesus Christ is the healer, he’s our healer. As read in verse 37, Tabitha was busy doing the good work but became ill and died shortly thereafter. Upon death, a body would normally be buried before sundown. Right away, the disciples sent two men to retrieve Peter. After hearing this message, Peter hurriedly left for Joppa on foot which was about 15 km from Lydda. Upon his arrival, Peter took in quite the scene; a room full of widows mourning for the one they loved. The widows greatly appreciated Tabitha and everything she had done for them and they showed Peter all the clothing that Tabitha had made for them. Peter then sends the group of wailing women out of the room, and says, “Tabitha, get up.” With these words, Tabitha opens her eyes, sees Peter, and sits up. Peter extends his hand towards Tabitha to help her up and invites everyone back into the room to see that Tabitha is in fact alive! Word spread throughout Joppa and many would come to faith because of this miracle. In what ways was the raising of Tabitha similar to the raising of Jairus’s daughter? Read Luke 8:49-56 and discuss. In both these situations, healing came at different points in their journey. Aeneas was bed ridden for eight years and paralyzed before God’s transformation happened in his life. For Tabitha, she was already at work doing good deeds when death came upon her. The healing came a lot quicker for Tabitha than it seemed for Aeneas. The important thing to remember is that as Christians we live by God’s timing and not our own. Transformation can happen at any moment. Psalm 27:14 reads, “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” There is hope in waiting for the Lord for yourself, your family, and your situations in life. God is at work, redeeming, transforming His people and lavishing His love upon us. Right away, we read that through this miracle, the word spread quickly about how Tabitha was brought back to life. Through the transformation that happened in Tabitha’s life, many would come to faith in Jesus Christ. When you allow the Word of God to transform your life, it transforms others. People will recognize the change that has happened within you. It is a change that only comes through Jesus Christ. How would you describe transformation? What are the qualities of a transformed life? Have you experienced life transformation? Share some of your experiences of transformation that you have witnessed. LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT L: Leadership development. Who in your group is growing as a leader? I: How can you as a leader involve your group in biblical service? F: Who is a friend you can invite to become a part of your group? E: How can we use this passage to equip us as followers of Jesus? .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • (Acts 9:1-31) Questions: Week Seventeen
    The Conversion of a Persecutor (Acts 9:1-31) Questions: Week Seventeen Saul's Conversion - Acts 9:1-19 Topics: Blindness, Christianity, Church, Fasting, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Obedience, Prayer, Restoration, Salvation Open It 1. How would you describe the most intimidating person you know? 2. *If you could have a surprise visit from someone, whom would you want to visit you? 3. What was the most unusual experience that ever happened to you when you were growing up? Explore It 4. What was Saul doing against the Lord’s disciples? (9:1-2) 5. What was "the Way"? (9:2) 6. What happened to Saul as he approached Damascus? (9:3-6) 7. Whom did Saul meet? (9:3-6) 8. In persecuting the church, whom was Saul really attacking? (9:5) 9. What did the resurrected Lord Jesus order Saul to do? (9:6) 10. What did Saul’s traveling companions experience when Saul met the risen Christ? (9:7) 11. How did Saul get to Damascus after his meeting with the Lord? (9:8) 12. Who was Ananias? (9:10) 13. *What did the Lord instruct Ananias to do? (9:10-12) 14. *Why was Ananias reluctant to do as the Lord asked? (9:13-14) 15. *How did God persuade Ananias that it was all right to go to Saul? (9:15-16) 16. To what service had Saul been called? (9:15-16) 17. How did Ananias do the Lord’s bidding? (9-17) 18. What did Saul do when his vision returned? (9:18-19) Get It 19.
    [Show full text]
  • “Resurrection Finds the Road You Are On” Acts 9:1-20; Luke 24:13-35 Rev
    “Resurrection Finds the Road You Are On” Acts 9:1-20; Luke 24:13-35 Rev. Matthew Reeves Easter 3; April 14, 2013 When Paul left Jerusalem for Damascus, he knew where he was going, why he was going there, and what he was going to do when he arrived. In one pocket of his cloak there was a map of the Great North Road that stretched 135 miles from Jerusalem to Damascus. In another pocket were papers authorizing the arrest of Jesus’ followers in that city. In Paul’s heart pockets were convictions and purpose he thought were written in indelible ink. Paul would not have considered himself a wanderer, but Jesus thought otherwise. In the first book of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, Gandalf the wizard writes Frodo the Hobbit, “Not all those who wander are lost.” A wanderer is, by definition, a traveler without destination, someone who has left the fixed path. A wanderer would seem to be a soul who doesn’t know the way. That term, “the Way,” is one the Book of Acts would have stick in our heads. Luke, who wrote Acts as well as the Gospel, tells us the people Paul meant to round up belonged to the Way. This phrase could just as easily be translated from Greek as “the road” or “the path.” Followers of Jesus were called the Way--people who knew where they were going; people who walked a certain path. Luke says, “There’s irony going on here, people.” The one on the road had lost his way.
    [Show full text]
  • THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN a Survey of the Book of Acts
    joshua hartwigsen, Adult Bible study, summer 2020 THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN A survey of the book of Acts The coronavirus has quickly changed everything about our world. In just a few weeks, the virus deconstructed many of the institutions considered untouchable in both our nation and in other nations around the world. Given the upheaval created by the virus, it seemed like a good time to study the book of Acts. Luke’s second book (cf. Acts 1:1) traces Jesus’ ongoing teaching and activity through the Holy Spirit empowered church and how it, like the coronavirus, “turned the world upside down”1 (Acts 17:6). This class will therefore consider the way Luke’s narrates the church’s early activity to better understand why it disrupted its world. Our understanding of Luke’s presentation of the church’s character and message will then help us understand the church’s place in our world today. Acts 8-12 – “You will be my witnesses in…all Judea and Samaria”2 Luke introduced his account of the church by noting the commission Jesus gave to the apostles – they were “to be [his] witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Acts 8-12 details apostles and the church’s activity in the second region of the commission, in Judea and Samaria. In particular, this section of Luke’s material notes the Jewish Christians’ resistance to the equal inclusion of the widening range of people being attracted to Jesus. Luke narrates their resistance in a way that echoes the resistance Jesus experienced from the religious leaders who objected to the way he interacted with people they considered ‘undesirable’ (cf.
    [Show full text]
  • Dealing with Messy Relationships #2
    COVID-19 PARENTS AND STUDENTS BIBLE STUDY GUIDE Unit 3 // Session 2 DEALING WITH MESSY RELATIONSHIPS Encourage // Acts 9:26-28; 11:21-26 THE POINT: Encouragement strengthens relationships. SHEETONE THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE Daily encouragement can provide a spiritual and emotional boost that helps us in many ways. We’ve been created to live in relationship with others, and we long for acceptance and afrmation. We need a healthy supply of encouragement from others in order to grow as God intends. Unfortunately, too many of us face a deficiency in this area. Without deeply and regularly experiencing the love and support of others, our lives can grow weak. And so can our relationships. Barnabas was a natural encourager. His life challenges us to be a source of encouragement to others. Y Who has been the most encouraging person in your life? ACTS 9:26-28 Barnabas first shows up in Scripture as Joseph of Cyprus (Acts 4:36). The apostles had given him the nickname “Barnabas,” which means “Son of Encouragement.” He had developed a reputation of building others up, and when people in the early church thought of an encourager, they thought of Barnabas. In Acts 9, God used Barnabas to bring Paul to a place of influence. The apostles kept their distance from Paul. Based on his past record, he was not the kind of person a Christian would want to be around. Barnabas, however, realized that Paul was a changed man. He encouraged the apostles and believers to reconsider. The disciples opened the door and their hearts to Paul, and he soon became a force in spreading the gospel.
    [Show full text]
  • Download PDF Version
    Chapter 5 What’s God’s Mission for Your Life? Acts 9:1–19 UNDERSTANDING Pages 64 - 69 DISCUSSION Pages 70 - 74 Understanding / What’s God’s Mission for Your Life? UNDERSTANDING WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS PASSAGE? Read Acts 9:1–19 The Big Picture God has a plan for our life. How are we called to serve? What is God’s plan for your life? In this chapter, we will look at the conversion of St. Paul to examine how God gave him a mission for his life. Then, your group will begin to outline their own personal mission statements to explore God’s plan for their lives. Saul the Pharisee, Saul the Persecutor As we saw earlier, Saul (known later as St. Paul) consented to the death of the first martyr, St. Stephen (Acts 8:1). He also scattered the Christians to Judea and Samaria through his persecutions. Now he takes center stage as he goes to Damascus to persecute the Christians there. We know a little bit about St. Paul’s background from his own account in the New Testament. He tells us that he was a Jew from the tribe of Benjamin (Philippians 3:5). He was a Pharisee, a teacher of the law, and studied under the greatest Pharisee of his day, Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). He was zealous for the law, meaning that he was willing to use violence even against his fellow Jews to protect the correct teaching of the law (see 1 Maccabees 3:23-26). ‘Saul, Saul, Why Are You Persecuting Me?’ (Acts 9:1-9) Saul’s zealousness for the law helps explain why he violently persecuted the Christians and why he is intent on traveling to Damascus.
    [Show full text]
  • Paul's Conversion and Luke's Portrayal of Character In
    Tyndale Bulletin 54.2 (2003) 63-80. PAUL’S CONVERSION AND LUKE’S PORTRAYAL OF CHARACTER IN ACTS 8–10 Philip H. Kern Summary Luke’s portrait of Saul shows him to lack a right relationship with God. This is accomplished in part by contrasting the pre-conversion Saul with Stephen, the Ethiopian eunuch, and Cornelius. After his experience on the Damascus road, Paul is portrayed in ways that resemble Stephen and Peter, while Bar Jesus and the Philippian gaoler, who clearly oppose God and Christianity, are portrayed in ways that recall the earlier portrait of Saul and inform how we are to understand him pre-conversion. Thus Luke connects opposition to the church with opposition to God, and shows that Saul, in opposing the former, was an enemy of the latter. By showing the change from an enemy to one who himself suffers for the gospel, Luke indicates that Paul has entered into a relationship with God. This suggests, furthermore, that Paul joined an already established movement. I. Introduction The debate that began in 1963 with Krister Stendahl’s suggestion that Paul was not converted, that the Damascus Road experience was a call to ministry, and that Paul’s conscience was sufficiently ‘robust’ to exclude the need for conversion to a new religion, continues unabated.1 Often those who deny that Paul was converted insist on the impossibility of moving from Judaism to Christianity since the latter did not yet exist.2 1 See esp. K. Stendahl, Paul Among Jews and Gentiles—And Other Essays (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1976), 7–23.
    [Show full text]
  • Acts 9:31-43 1. What Did You Do This Week To
    9. Joppa was at least 10 miles from Lydda. Why do you Small Group Questions think the disciples sent men to urge Peter to come to “The Church Afire: Following Faithfully” Joppa after Tabitha’s death (9:38)? Acts 9:31-43 10. Why do you think Peter sent everyone out of the room? 1. What did you do this week to be an encourager and a. What did Peter do first after the room was cleared mimic God’s love and mercy? (9:40)? 2. What do we see happening in the church in 9:31? b. What might that indicate about Peter? 3. Why do you think Peter was traveling about the country c. What is your first impulse in a difficult situation? (9:32)? 11. What effect was there on the community when it was 4. Who did Peter meet and what was his condition (9:33)? known that Tabitha had been raised from the dead (9:42)? 5. What did Peter tell Aeneas in verse 34? 12. Peter was with Jesus at least three other times when a. What does this suggest about Peter and his someone who was dead was brought back to life. Read actions? Mark 5:35-43, Luke 8:49-56, and John 11:38-44. List similarities and differences. b. How was Christ glorified through Peter’s actions? a. What impact might these events have had on 6. What was the result of Aeneas being healed (9:35)? Peter’s ministry in Acts? 7. Who was Tabitha (Dorcas) and why was she important b.
    [Show full text]
  • Lesson 12 * Dorcas
    Lesson 12 August’s B.i.G. Idea August 21, 2011 We believe that God wants us to help others. August’s Bible Verse Children, you show love for others by truly helping them, and not merely by talking about it. 1 John 3:18, CEV August’s B.i.G. Theme We Can Help Others Lesson 12 5 Dorcas Today’s Bible Story Peter sat alone with her body and prayed. Acts 9:36-42 After a time, he knew her ministry was not yet finished. He said to her, “Dorcas, get up.” And Objectives she did. Today’s story stands as a memorial to 5 her and as testimony to the presence of the Children will connect with the biblical Holy Spirit in the early church. The story of Dorcas. resurrection of Dorcas strengthened the faith 5 Children will discover that one way we of those first-century Christians. Many who can help others is by sharing clothes. heard about the resurrection of Dorcas came to believe in Jesus Christ. However miraculous Dorcas’s story provides a model of Christian the account of Dorcas’s healing and charity to society’s marginalized and outcast resurrection, it is the example that she people. At the time of our Bible story, orphans provided in her daily life that becomes most and widows were often the most economically powerful. vulnerable to the devastation of poverty. There existed no government safety net, no As you prepare your lesson, think about feeding program, and no shelter to help them examples of Dorcas-like women and men in when hunger and homelessness fell upon your own congregation.
    [Show full text]
  • Acts 9 Saul’S Conversion (Acts 9:1-31) the Imagery of Breathing out Murderous Threats Is to Give the Idea That He Is Like an Angry Wild Animal That Is on the Prowl
    Dan Bair Fall 2020 PLANTED Seeing Jesus in his people Lesson # 9 Acts 9 Saul’s Conversion (Acts 9:1-31) The imagery of breathing out murderous threats is to give the idea that he is like an angry wild animal that is on the prowl. This is contrasted with the Paul we will come to know through the rest of Luke’s book who becomes a shepherd and a lamb. If God can change the life of Saul, the greatest enemy of the Gospel who is like a ferocious animal, then he can change anyone and succeed in making his message reach the ends of the earth. Saul is attempting to contain the spread of the Gospel by pursuing especially the Hellenistic Jews who are escaping Jerusalem and fleeing to the safety of the Jewish communities in the Greek world. He understands the importance of these communities and the real danger of the Gospel in the context of the Gentile world. He has the approval of the High Priest. Here is another case of the Hellenistic Jews doing the dirty work of the Jerusalem elite. Gamaliel’s advice was to let these men go because if it is from God then you will not be able to stop them but even more you will find yourself fighting against God. This is exactly what Saul is doing. He will not leave them alone so he is in direct conflict with God and God will deal with him. Saul is on his way to Damascus and just about concluded with the 150 mile trek by noon (probably took one week).
    [Show full text]
  • (Acts 9:32-10:48) Notes: Week Eighteen
    Good News for the Whole World! (Acts 9:32-10:48) Notes: Week Eighteen Acts 9:32 – 10:48 (NIV) Aeneas and Dorcas 32 As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the Lord’s people who lived in Lydda. 33 There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. 34 “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up. 35 All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord. 36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. 37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!” 39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. 40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.”She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet.
    [Show full text]
  • Study of Acts – Discussion Notes Chapter 9
    Study of Acts – Discussion Notes Chapter 9 Introduction In chapter 9 of Acts, Luke begins to give a broader view of what is taking place in the New Testament church. He departs from a careful analysis of apostles experiences in Jerusalem. We are now seeing the power of the Holy Spirit touch and transform many lives if different areas. Among those transformed is the most unlikely person to become a convert; Saul of Tarsus. We have spoken much about God’s determined will in our study of Acts. We have observed how God systematically established His church through the power of the Holy Spirit. But it is especially hard to imagine how God could turn the angry heart of Saul to believe in Jesus Christ. Like every other chapter, our study of Acts 9 focuses not on men or women but on the power of the Holy Spirit. We continue to read with amazement as we see the Holy Spirit transform and empower ordinary people to do things they would never think of doing under their own initiative. One can’t help but read Acts 9 and wonder. Has my life been changed significantly by the power of the Holy Spirit? Have I allowed the Holy Spirit to transform me and lead me in paths I would have otherwise feared? Or, have I rejected the urging of the Holy Spirit and insisted on my own way? I suppose for most of us the answer is a little yes and a little no. Perhaps Acts 9 will inspire us to trust in the leadership of the Holy Spirit more.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 30 AD • Jesus Death, Resurrection, Ascension • Day of Pentecost In
    30 AD • Jesus Death, Resurrection, Ascension • Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 31 AD • Peter heals crippled man in temple. (Acts 3) • Peter and John arrested by Sanhedrin. (Acts 4:1-3) 32 AD • Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus (Barnabas) sells a field. (Acts 4:36-37) • Ananias and Sapphira die. • The Jerusalem church meets by the temple in Solomon’s Colonnade (Porch). (Acts 5:12) • Apostles perform many miracles. • Apostles arrested but released by angel. 33 AD • Seven deacons chosen (Acts 6:1-6) • Church is growing rapidly. (Acts 6:7) • A large number of priests believe. (Acts 6:7) 34 AD • Saul arrives in Jerusalem. • Stephen debates Jews coming from Cyrene, Cilicia (ie. Saul), and Alexandria. (Acts 6:9) • Stephen arrested by Sandhedrin. (Acts 6:12) • Stephen stoned (Acts 7:59) • Saul persecutes the church in Jerusalem. • Philip goes to Samaria. (Acts 8:5) • Philip meets Ethiopian Treasurer. (Acts 8:26-27) 35 AD • Saul converted on road to Damascus. (Acts 9) • Saul is in Damascus. • Saul leaves for Arabia. (Gal.1:17) 36 AD • Saul is in Arabia. 37 AD • Saul is in Arabia. Caligula is emperor 1 38 • Saul returns to preach in Damascus. • Saul’s life is threatened. (Acts 9:23) • Saul escapes to Jerusalem. • Barnabas introduces Saul to disciples. • Saul stays with Peter 15 days. (Gal.1:18-19) • Saul debates Grecian Jews. (Acts 9:29) • Saul flees to Tarsus in Cilicia. (Acts 9:29,30) 39 • Saul preaches in Cilicia and Syria for five years. (Referred to during Gal.1:21-22) • Persecution has ceased in Jerusalem.
    [Show full text]