Commentary ® Spring 2016 > Vance H. Pitman, General Editor EXPLORE THE BIBLE: COMMENTARY Acts 1–12 SPRING 2016 Acts 1–12 © 2016 LifeWay LIFE BY DESIGN We live in a broken world. This brokenness is seen in suffering, violence, poverty, pain, and death around us. Brokenness leads us to search for a way to make LIFE work. The Bible tells us that God originally planned Sin a world that worked perfectly—where God’s everything and everyone fit together in Design harmony. God made each of us with a purpose—to worship Him and walk with Him. Brokenness (See Genesis 1:31 and Psalm 19:1.) R e e c v o e Life doesn’t work when we ignore God and His v li e e r original design for our lives. We selfishly insist & B P t & on doing things our own way. The Bible calls u en rs ep this sin. Sin leads to a place of brokenness. ue Gospel R The consequence of our sin is separation from God—in this life and for all of eternity. (See Romans 3:23 and Romans 6:23.) When God restores our relationship to Him, we begin to discover meaning and purpose At this point we need a remedy—some good in a broken world. Now we can pursue God’s news. Because of His love, God did not leave Design in all areas of our lives. God’s Spirit us in our brokenness. Jesus, God in human empowers us to recover His Design and flesh, came to us and lived perfectly according assures us of His presence in this life and to God’s Design. Jesus came to rescue us—to for all of eternity. (See Philippians 2:13 and do for us what we could not do for ourselves. Ephesians 2:10.) He took our sin and shame to the cross, paying the penalty of our sin by His death. Jesus was Now that you have heard this Good News, then raised from the dead—to provide the God wants you to respond to Him. You can only way for us to be rescued and restored talk to Him using words like these: My life is to a relationship with God. (See John 3:16, broken—I recognize it’s because of my sin. I Colossians 2:14, and 1 Corinthians 15:3-4.) believe Christ came to live, die, and was raised from the dead—to rescue me from my sin. We don’t have the power to escape this Forgive me. I turn from my selfish ways and brokenness on our own. We need to be put my trust in You. I know that Jesus is Lord rescued. We must ask God to forgive us— of all, and I will follow Him. turning from sin to trust in Jesus. This is what it means to repent and believe. Believing, Excerpted from Life on Mission: A Simple Way to Share we receive new life through Jesus. God turns the Gospel. our lives in a new direction. (See Mark 1:15, Ephesians 2:8-9, and Romans 10:9.) © 2016 LifeWay CONTENTS SESSIONS SUGGESTED FOR Title Page THE WEEK OF Mar. 6 Session 1: Entrusted (Acts 1:1-11) ............................................. 10 Mar. 13 Session 2: Empowered (Acts 2:1-15) ......................................... 20 Mar. 20 Session 3: Unified (Acts 2:41-47) .............................................. 30 Mar. 27 Session 4: Resurrected!* (Luke 24:1-12) .................................... 40 Apr. 3 Session 5: Courageous (Acts 4:1-13) ......................................... 50 Apr. 10 Session 6: Integrity (Acts 4:36-37; 5:1-11) .................................. 60 Apr. 17 Session 7: Faithful (Acts 5:25-35,38-42) .................................... 70 Apr. 24 Session 8: Selfless (Acts 6:1-10) ................................................ 80 May 1 Session 9: Obedient (Acts 8:26-31,35,38-39) ............................. 90 May 8 Session 10: Converted (Acts 9:3-9,15-20) .................................. 100 May 15 Session 11: Bold (Acts 9:36-43) ................................................. 110 May 22 Session 12: Accepting (Acts 10:9-15,43-48) ............................... 120 May 29 Session 13: Extraordinary (Acts 12:7-12,16-19) ........................... 130 *Easter Evangelistic Emphasis Explore the Bible 3 © 2016 LifeWay MEET THE WRITERS MICHAEL MARTIN wrote the commentary for the sessions based on passages in Acts ADULT COMMENTARY 1–5. Dr. Martin is a vice president and New Testament professor at Golden Gate Baptist SPRING 2016 Theological Seminary in California. He is the VOLUME 2 • NUMBER 3 author of 1, 2 Thessalonians in The New American Commentary series and previously ERIC GEIGER has written articles and Bible study curriculum VICE PRESIDENT, for LifeWay. LIFEWAY RESOURCES VANCE H. PITMAN CHARLES RAY wrote the commentary for GENERAL EDITOR the sessions based on passages in Acts 6–12 as well as the introduction to Acts. Dr. Ray DAVID BRISCOE is an associate dean and professor of New CONTENT EDITOR Testament and Greek at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He has written articles DWAYNE MCCRARY in theological journals, Bible dictionaries, and TEAM LEADER Biblical Illustrator, a LifeWay publication. KEN BRADDY MANAGER, ADULT ONGOING BIBLE STUDIES Explore the Bible: Adult Commentary (ISSN 2331-6292; Item MICHAEL KELLEY 005412610) is published quarterly by LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN DIRECTOR, GROUPS MINISTRY 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President. © 2015, LifeWay Christian Resourc- es of the Southern Baptist Convention. For ordering or inquiries visit lifeway.com, or write LifeWay Church SEND QUESTIONS/COMMENTS TO: Resources Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0113. For subscriptions or subscription address changes email [email protected], fax (615) 251-5818, or write to the above CONTENT EDITOR address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, email EXPLORE THE BIBLE: [email protected], fax (615) 251-5933 or write to the above address. ADULT COMMENTARY We believe that the Bible has God for its author; salvation for its ONE LIFEWAY PLAZA end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. Read LifeWay’s full doctrinal NASHVILLE, TN 37234-0175 guideline online at lifeway.com/doctrinalguideline. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman OF AMERICA Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. Scripture quo- tations indicated by KJV are taken from the King James Version of COVER PHOTO: the Bible. Scripture quotations indicated by ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), © 2001 by Crossway, a pub- ©Shutterstock.com lishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations indicated by NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. The uggestionss in this resource for pronouncing Bible names are from That’s Easy for You to Say: Your Quick Guide to Pronouncing Bible Names by W. Murray Severance, © Copyright 1997 by Broadman & Holman Publishers. Used by permission. 4 Explore the Bible © 2016 LifeWay A WORD FROM THE GENERAL EDITOR For much of my Christian journey, if you had asked me what the Book of Acts is about, I would have answered that it’s about the birth and growth of the early church. In reality, the Book of Acts is about that and so much more. The story opens with the resurrected Lord Jesus spending His last 40 days on earth with His disciples, speaking about the kingdom of God (1:3). It closes with the apostle Paul spending two years in Rome under house arrest and telling all who came to visit him about Jesus and the kingdom of God (28:30-31). Between these two bookends is the account of the birth and growth of the church. The implication is significant: God established His church as His primary tool for the expansion of His kingdom to the ends of the earth! What you will read in the Book of Acts is the story of believers— ordinary people—being empowered by the Holy Spirit to accomplish God’s eternal mission of establishing a kingdom representing every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. It’s an action-packed story filled with arrests, miracles, persecution, martyrdom, radical conversions, and missionary movements. Most amazing of all is that the story is still being written today. You and I as believers in the twenty-first century are now a part of this amazing story. God is still at work, expanding His kingdom to the ends of the earth through His church. Co-laboring in Christ, Vance H. Pitman Vance H. Pitman is senior pastor of Hope Church in Las Vegas, Nevada. He also serves with the North American Mission Board as a national mobilizer—engaging and mobilizing pastors to plant more churches. Follow Vance on Twitter at @vancepitman. Explore the Bible 5 © 2016 LifeWay INTRODUCTION TO ACTS The Book of Acts forms a historical bridge between the Four Gospels—the accounts of what Jesus did and said—and the rest of the New Testament, much of which consists of Spirit-inspired letters, or epistles, that reveal the struggles and victories of local groups of believers. Acts provides an account of how the Holy Spirit indwelled, guided, and empowered Christ’s early followers to turn their world upside down. Persecution, a miraculous escape from prison, a blinding light at midday, an earthquake, a shipwreck, and various other adventures punctuated the early church’s history as believers set about their mission of proclaiming the gospel in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.