Book of Acts 

Acts  One ….(verses 1-47)

1.   Verses  1-11  

Luke was the writer of the book of Acts….he had already written the book of Luke to this same man, Theophilus. We find later on in our studies that Luke travelled extensively with Paul and knew the story of the Lord Jesus very well, from having been with many of those who witnessed His deeds and miracles and heard His teachings. We are not told when or how Luke became a Christian. It will pay to have a copy of a map of Paul’s missionary journeys with you in the study of this book  (many Bibles have maps in the back of them).                                                     

1. a.      What does he say in verse 1 ?

I’ve written to you before, and this is the second installment of what Jesus continued doing.

b.  Jesus had risen from the dead, but things were now different….He was not with His disciples all the time, but would come and go unexpectedly. How long was this period of time? What did He speak about when He was with them?     (verse 3)

He spoke of the things of the Kingdom of God. 

c.    What did He tell them in verses 4-5?  

He  told them that they would be baptised with the Holy Spirit in a short time.

d.   What did they want to know then?    (verse 6)

When are You going to restore the kingdom to Israel?

e.  Thinking of the political situation of Israel at this time, what do you think they were REALLY wanting to know?    

When are You going to get rid of this Roman oppression?

f.    What did He reply to this?   (verse 7-8)

He  told it was none of their business! They were to get on with preaching His Word. In the power of the Holy Spirit..

g.   What can we take out of this for ourselves today?   

Don’t waste time arguing about things that are not clear in the Scriptures, for example prophecy, but concentrate on what IS clear…salvation and how to live the Christian life.

h.  What happened after He had said this?     (verse 9)

He slowly ascended up into heaven before their very eyes until He vanished into the clouds.

i.    What do verses 10-11 tell us?  

That there were two angels beside them and they said that one day Jesus Christ would come back in the same way.

j.   How do we relate to this today?    (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 John 2:28)

We are still waiting for His return, and are to watch for it, living lives that we won’t be ashamed of when we see Him.

2. Verses 12-26

1. a.      What did the disciples do after this?   (verses 12-15)

The eleven disciples were still together in Jerusalem, as well as Mary and her sons, and about 115 others.

b.  What was significant about Mary’s other sons being part of this number?     (John 7:3-5)

While Jesus was doing His ministry they didn’t believe in Him, so therefore they must have changed their minds about Him around the time of the crucifixion.

c.    Who took the lead and what was his suggestion?      (verses 15-22)

Peter made the suggestion that seeing Judas Iscariot’s place was empty, it was time to replace him by drawing straws.

d.   What did they all agree to do?  (verses 23-26)

They appointed two men and drew lots to see who would fill the empty place…..and Matthias was chosen.

1. e.      We don’t read any more about Mathias…..what does Paul refer to himself as? What can we infer from this?   (1 Corinthians 15:4-9)

As being an apostle born late…..it seems that maybe he was the one who God had appointed to fill Judas’ place.

Acts  Two ….(verses 1-39)

1.   Verses  1-11                                                                             

1. a.      How long had the Lord Jesus been with them for?   (verse 3)

He had been with them for forty days.

b.  How long was it before the Day of Pentecost came after the Passover? How do we know? (Leviticus 23:15-16)

The day of Pentecost was a feast that God gave the people of Israel fifty days after the Passover.

c.   Where were all the disciples and followers of Jesus at this time? What were they probably doing?      (verse 1; Luke 1:13-14)

They were all together in a room somewhere, probably having a time of prayer.

d.   What happened this particular day? How did they know that the Holy Spirit had come upon them?    (verses 3-4)

They HEARD the sound of a gale of wind

They SAW something like tongues of flame on each other

They ACTED.….they spoke in other languages and went out preaching to all the visiting people in the city at that time

1. e.      How did other people know they were filled with the Holy Spirit ?   (verses 6-11)

They could see how bold the apostles were in preaching aloud about Jesus, and what was more they could each hear it in their own language!

2.    Verses 12-39

1. a.      What was the reaction of those who heard them? (verses 12-13) 

They were amazed and wondered how it could be…..some listened sincerely and others mocked them saying they were all drunk!

b.  Who got up to speak to all the people?     (verse 14)

It was Peter who stood up to address them.

c.    What was the point of Peter’s talk (in one sentence)?      (verses 15-36)

These men are not drunk but this is God’s Spirit in answer to prophecy, just as Jesus of Nazareth came as prophesied, but you killed Him, asking for a murderer instead, and now He is risen from the dead and God has made Him both Lord and Christ.

d.   What was the result of Peter’s sermon?    (verse 37)

They were convinced of the truth of what Peter said, and convicted in their hearts and asked what they should do.

e.   What did Peter tell them to do?   (verses 38-40)

He told them to repent of their sins, and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ and they too would receive the Holy Spirit

1. f.       What did the people then do about it?   How many did?    (verse 41)

Those who believed were baptised the same day, and there were 3,000 who did this.

1. g.     What happened in the next period of time?    (verses 42-47)

The people continued in the way the apostles taught them in breaking the bread to remember the Lord, and in praying together. They continued to all stay and meet together and shared what they had with each other.

1. h.     How often did they seem to do this at that point in time?  (verse 46)

They did this every day.

1. i.       What does verse 47 tell us?

The other people all thought they were doing good and many others were saved too.

1. j.       Who was doing the adding to the church at this time?  (verse 47)

God was, it was not done by man.

1. k.      Who adds to the church  today…..is it the same?  (Romans 10:9-17)

Yes, it is only as God calls, convicts and works in people’s hearts and they respond positively,  that they are  truly saved.

3.   Verses  40-47 

1. a.       What was the result of Peter’s sermon?   (verse 41)

Those who received and accepted what he said, believed and were baptised….. 3,000 people did this.

b.  What did these new believers do after this? (verse 42)

They continued to gather together for teaching, fellowship, and prayer times.

c.   What do you think this tells us for today?   Is all this still important for us?   (verse 1; Luke 1:13-14)

Yes, we should take the time to have fellowship with each other, instead of always only doing our own thing. We need fellowship to be encouraged in the things of the Lord.

d.   What did the general population think of these happenings?    (verse 43)

They were curious and afraid at the same time, wondering what was going on with these people.

1. e.       What did the believers continue to do ?   (verses 44-46)

They were on a high, and continued to live together in a commune, selling their home possessions and sharing things out between everyone there.

f.   What does verse 47 tell us?  

The believers kept praising God and the people looked on with wonder thinking it was a good thing. People kept getting saved and joining in with what was going on.

g.     Would this work today?   Why, or why not?   (Acts 6:1)

It is fine while people are all following the Lord as they should, but everyone is made different, and discontent will soon come in as we see in this verse. It works for a short period of time, but not as a long term thing.

 

Acts  Three ….(verses 1-26)

1.   Verses 1-11

1. a.      What is this section all about?

It is about Peter and John going to the temple to pray and seeing this crippled man who asked them for money. They healed him instead and he got up able to walk and dance for joy!

b.  Who really healed the crippled man?     (verse 16)

He was healed through the name of Jesus, and having faith in Him. It was not only that he had faith, but Peter had faith that the Name of Jesus would heal him.

c.    How long had this man been lame for?   Had he ever walked before?   (verse 2)

No, he was born a cripple.

d.   How did he make his living?    (verses 2-3 )

By begging and asking for money.

e.   What did Peter say to him?   (verses 4-6)

“I don’t have money, but what I do have I’ll give to you!”

1. f.       What did Peter  go on to say and do?    (verse 6-7)

In the name of Jesus Christ, get up and walk! Then he took the beggar  by the  hand and lifted him up and he found his feet and ankles were strengthened so that  he could walk! He didn’t have to learn to get his balance, it was just there! God does everything perfectly!

1. g.     What did all the people do, who saw this happen?    (verses 9-11)

They were absolutely amazed and came running together to have a better look.

2.   Verses 12-26

1. a.      This is Peter’s second sermon that was recorded……what is he pointing out to the people? (verses 13-15)

He started right at the heart of the matter, how that the God of Abraham  had glorified His Son Jesus Christ who they had killed.

b. What does verse 16 tell us?    

That it was through faith in the name of Jesus Christ that this crippled man was healed.

c.     What did Peter go on to say?   (verses 17-19)

He knew they did it in ignorance, but now it was being brought to their notice, they should repent of their sin to be converted.

d.   Who had foretold that this would happen?    (verses 21-25 )

All the Old Testament prophets had foretold that these things would happen.

1. e.       What does verse 26 tell us?

That it was what God had done in raising Jesus from the dead that would save them.

1. f.       Is this message still relevant for today?  (John 14:6)

Yes, very much so. Jesus is still the only way for us to get to heaven

 

 

 

Acts  Four ….(verses 1-37)

1.   Verses  1-12 

1. a.      Who now came on the scene as Peter was preaching his sermon?   (verse 1)

The chief priests and leaders of the temple came to see what was going on.

b.  How did they feel bout all that was going on?     (verse 2-3)

They were angry that Peter was preaching like this and they arrested him and John and put them in prison.

c.    What does verse 4 tell us?    

That many who had heard Peter’s sermon believed the message…..there were about 5000 this time.

d.   What did the leaders do with Peter and John the next day?    (verses 5-7)

They brought them out before the Council and asked what they thought they were doing!

1. e.      What (or who) gave Peter the answer to reply to these men?   (verse 8)

God’s Holy Spirit filled Peter with boldness and clearness of thought.

f.  What is the main thought in this next set of verses?     (verses 9-12)

Jesus Christ who you killed, is the chief corner stone in God’s building. He is the ONLY way that we can be saved!

2.   Verses  13-22 

1. a.      What did the leaders notice most about Peter and John?   (verse  13)

They were surprised at their boldness and that in spite of being uneducated men, they spoke with power….they could tell that Peter and John had been with Jesus.

b.  What is the challenge in this for us?

Can people tell that we have been spending time with Jesus and  see that we are different to others?

c.   What did the leaders have left to say?   (verses 14-17)

Nothing much. The healed man couldn’t be argued against, and they knew that everyone knew about it, but they threatened them as they let them go.

d.   What did they tell Peter and John?    (verse 18)

That they were not to preach in the name of Jesus any more, or talk about Him.

1. e.      What was Peter’s reply to this?   (verses 19-20)

Which do you think is better…..to obey God or you? We cannot help but tell what we know about Jesus Christ.

f.   What did the leaders say to that?   (verse21)

Not much. They just threatened them again and then let them go.

g.     What did everyone  say to these things?   (verses21b-22)

They all glorified God, giving Him thanks for all that was done.

3.   Verses 23-30

1. a.      What did Peter and John do then?          (verse 23)

They went back to the other disciples and told them everything that had happened, and then prayed to God giving Him thanks and praise.

b.  What do you notice about the first part of  this prayer?     (verses 24)

They glorified God as the God of Heaven and Creation.

c.    What does the next part of this prayer show us?   (verses 25-26)

 They  prayed using quotations from the Psalms.

d.    Do you think this is a good way for you  to pray?   Why?

We should always give thanks to God and glorify His name when we pray. If we find it hard to think of words to use, there is no better way to pray than to  use some of the Psalms (which the people did here) to hang your prayer on before making your requests.

e   What did they ask for in verse 29?  

For boldness to continue speaking God’s Word in spite of the leaders’ threats.

f.   What did Paul ask prayer for in Ephesians 6:19-20?  

He wanted prayer for boldness in speaking the message as he ought to.

g.        What do these verses tell us?   

That we need to pray for God’s help always, as we seek to tell others God’s message.

4.   Verses 31-37

a.  What happened when they finished praying after asking for God’s help in continuing to tell His Word?  (verse 31)

The building was shaken and everyone felt the power of the Holy Spirit as they went out to preach

b.   What do we notice about the believers in verses 32-33?  

They were all in complete unity,  sharing everything they had with others, and as they preached they had great power and great grace  (that is, patience and kindness to others.)

c.       What do we see in verses 34-37?        

How they all brought their possessions to the apostles who then saw everything was fairly distributed.

 

Acts  Five ….(verses 1-42)

1.   Verses  1-11 

1. a.      Read this passage right through at once.  Who is it about?  

It is about a man called Ananias and his wife Sapphira.

b.  What did they do with their possessions?   Did they both agree to do this?  (verses 1-2)

They sold their things, and brought some of the money to the apostles, making out that this was all of it. They both agreed to keep some of it for themselves while pretending it was all of it.

c.   What did Peter say to Ananias when he did this?  How do you think Peter knew?   (verse 3)

He asked him why he was pretending this was ALL the money, when he had some hidden at home. The Holy Spirit had given Peter this feeling and discernment about the matter.

d.   What was the main sin in this incident? Was it the lie?    (verse 4)

It wasn’t only the lie, it was the pride behind the lie, wanting to look good like the others.

1. e.      Who was this lie really to? Who is all sin against?   (verse 4c;  Psalm 51:4a)

Ananias wasn’t just lying to men, he was lying to God too…..ALL sin is against God.

f.   Do you think there are little sins and big sins?   (1 John 1:7-10)

No! Sin is SIN. ALL sin is big in God’s sight……it took the death of Jesus to cleanse ALL sin, big and little.

g.     Was there any sin in Ananias keeping some of the money for himself?   (verse 4 b)

No, it was still his to do what he liked with, it was the lie that was the sin.

h.    What was the result of Ananias’ sin?          (verses 5-6)

He  fell down dead on the spot, and was taken out and buried.

i.  What happened when Sapphira came in where Peter was?     (verses 7-10)

Peter asked her if they had sold the land for so much and when she said yes, he told her she was lying and those who had just buried her husband would bury her. She got such a shock that she too fell down dead.

j.    How did the others in the church feel about this?   (verse 11)

They were greatly afraid.

k.    What do you think that this incident shows us for today?   Why?    (Romans 6:23a)

We cannot trifle with God. He hates sin just as much today as He did then, and ALL sin deserves death.

l   Why aren’t people struck dead today when they sin?   (Romans 3:23)

Everyone would be dead because ALL have sinned!

m.   Do you think that God was a bit hard on Ananias and Sapphira?  

No, they got what they deserved. God is gracious to us today because He wants ALL people everywhere to come to Him and have their sins forgiven!

2.   Verses 12-16

1. a.      What is this section all about?

It is about how the apostles were able to do healing miracles among the people, and everyone was in awe of them. Many people believed, and there were hundreds added to the church.

b.  Why do you think God gave this healing power to the early apostles and doesn’t do it today in the same way?     (verse 14)

It was so that the new church would get a good start…..people would be able to see that this was a movement of God among men, and many would believe.

c.    What did they do with Peter?   (verses 15-16)

They brought all the sick people out into the streets and followed him around so that his shadow might fall on them and heal them.

3.   Verses  17-42

1. a.      Try to put verses 17-28 into one sentence……  

The religious leaders were so angry that they put the apostles in prison, but an angel let them out and they went back to preaching the next morning; they were arrested again, and brought before the court, asking them  why they did it.

b.  What was Peter’s reply?  (verses 29-32)

He said that they had to obey God rather than men, and then went ahead and preached about how Jesus had died to save them from their sins.

c.   What was their reaction?   (verse 33)

They were very angry and wanted to kill them.

d.   What calmed them down?    (verses 34- 39)

One of them who was respected, said to put the apostles out while he talked with the others. He reminded them that others had risen up and come to nothing, but perhaps this was of God, and they had better be careful in case they were fighting against God.

1. e.      What was the result of this talk? What happened to the apostles?   (verse 40)

They agreed to this speech and called the apostles back in and told them to stop preaching about Jesus, and gave them a whipping before letting them go.

f.   What did the apostles then do?   (verses 41-42)

They left and were happy to have been counted worthy to suffer for Christ, and carried on preaching and teaching.

g.     How did Peter say we should  react if we are persecuted for being a Christian?   Even if it is only a sneer or mocking by someone?   (1 Peter 4: 14, 16)

We are to rejoice that we can suffer for Christ because He suffered so much for us!

 

Acts  Six ….(verses 1-15)

1.   Verses  1-7    

1. a.      What began to happen in verse 1a?  

The Grecian Christians began to complain against the Hebrew Christians.

b.  What were their complaints about?  (verse 1b)

They felt that their widows were being neglected in favour of the Jewish ones.

c.   What would we call that sort of thing today?

We would call it discrimination and racist!

d.   How did the twelve leaders solve this problem?    (verses 2-4)

They said, “Look, we have to concentrate on teaching and preaching….get seven good reliable men to look after these things, and take your problems to them”.

1. e.      What did the people think of this suggestion? What did they do about it?  (verse 5)

They thought it was a good idea, and chose the seven men from among them.

f.   Who was the best known of these men?  

Stephen has more said about him.

g.     How were they ordained for this work?  What happened then?  (verses 6-7)

They were gathered together in front of the apostles and prayed over by them and then appointed for the work. With the everyday problems out of the way, the apostles were free to spend more time preaching many more people were saved and added to the church.

h.    Why was Stephen arrested?          (verses 8-14)

He was filled with faith and did great miracles as well as preach powerful messages, and the authorities  arrested him and took him before the Council for judging.

i.  Were the accusations true that they brought against him?     (verse 13)

No, they were false accusations that were brought against him.

j.    What was the testimony given about Stephen?   (verse 15)

That he had a face like an angel.

k. How can we cultivate a face like that?     (Philippians 4:8; Colossians 3:1-2)

By always having a good attitude, and thinking good and pure thoughts,  having our mind set on Jesus .

Acts  Seven ….(verses 1-60)

1.    Verses  1-50

1. a.      What did this part of Stephen’s speech consist of?   (verses 1-50)

Stephen gave a resume of the history of Israel down through the years.

b.  What was the main thrust of this history as far as God was concerned?  (verse 51)

The people of Israel neglected God many many times through the years.

c.   What is the main point of Israel’s attitude given in verse 39?

The fact that they refused to obey God and deliberately turned away from Him, hankering to go back to Egypt.

d.   Where did this attitude eventually lead them?   Why?  (verse 42a)

To making idols and worshipping  them, so that God gave them up and let them go.

e.     What did Stephen accuse the leaders of in verse 51? 

Being just as stubborn and disobedient as their ancestors were!

f.   What did this attitude of theirs culminate in them doing?       (verse 52)  

Killing God’s son, the Just One.

g.     What did it result in at this time with Stephen?  (verse 54)

They were cut to the heart and were so angry that they were ready to kill him.

h.    How did Stephen feel at this moment? Was he afraid?          (verses 55-56)

No, he wasn’t afraid, he was so filled with God’s Spirit, that he could see the Lord Jesus waiting for him in heaven.

i.  How is this a comfort to us today?    

If this is how Stephen felt when he was going to be martyred for his faith, so it will be for us if we are ever in that situation.

j.    Who  was the young man mentioned for the first time here?   (verse 58; Acts 8:1)

The young man named Saul who thought it was great that Stephen was being killed!

k. Who did he later become?     (Acts 22:4)

The Apostle Paul who wrote so much of the New Testament.

 

      We might say what a loss to the young church this was. But in the book of Acts, there are as many firsts as  there are in the book of Genesis. Stephen was the first martyr, and it is recorded of him that he could see right into heaven itself as this vicious attack of violence began. Just as the first lie to the Holy Spirit was dealt with by the severest penalty, so the first martyr was granted the greatest sight for mortal eyes as he underwent his martyrdom. These events are recorded for our learning and encouragement.

 

What does Romans 15:4 tell us?

That everything in the Bible is written for our encouragement and comfort…..so let us learn from these events that are recorded for us to read.

 

Acts  Eight ….(verses 1-40)

1.    Verses  1-4   

a.      The church had been born, and was growing in leaps and bounds……. what did this persecution of the early believers result in? What did it achieve?        ( verse 1, 4; Matthew 28:19-20)  

It achieved what God intended…..the Christians scattered throughout the known world and preached about Jesus wherever they went.

b.  Who was one of the main persecutors of the early Christians?  (verse 1a,  3)

Saul of Tarsus.

2.   Verses  5-25  

a.   What is this story about?  

About how Philip went to Samaria and preached to them there with great results.

b.  What happened while Philip was in Samaria?  (verses 5-8)

Many people were healed both physically and spiritually,  and there was great joy in the city.

c.   What sort of man was the Simon mentioned here?   (verses 9-11)

He had been a man practicing magic arts and dealing with the spirits…..he made out he was a great medicine man, and the people thought he had his power from God so they listened to him

d.   What happened when Philip turned up there preaching to them all?    (verses 12-13)

Many people believed and were baptised, and Simon was among them.

1. f.       What do verses 14-17 tell us? 

That the leaders in Jerusalem sent Peter and John down to help Philip when they heard what was happening, and they  prayed for those who had believed and were baptised so they received the Holy Spirit.

f.   Why was this necessary? Do we have to be prayed over to receive the Holy Spirit today?   (Ephesians 1:13)

At that time, the Holy Spirit didn’t come automatically at conversion as He does now.

g.     What did Simon notice and want? What did he say to Peter?  (verses 18-19)

Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given when Peter prayed over people and he offered money to have this power too.

h.    What did Peter say to him?          (verses 20-23)

You cannot buy the gift of God like that! Your heart isn’t right with God, and you must repent and be forgiven of this sin. You are still in bondage  to evil.

i.  What was Simon’s response to this?     (verse 24)

Pray for me, that none of these things you’ve said will happen to me.

j.    What did the apostles do after this?   (verses 25-26)

Peter and John and those with them went back to Jerusalem, preaching on the way, while the angel of God told Philip to go to the desert of Gaza.

3.   Verses  27-40 

1. a.      Read this passage right through at once.  What is the story about?  

It is about a man who Philip met travelling through the desert.

b.  We might wonder why God takes us through desert times in our lives, such as illness or troubles, but what did Philip find in his desert trip?  (verses 27-29)

Philip found a man with the need of and searching for salvation.

c.   Who was this man and what was he doing when Philip first saw him?   (verses 27-28)

He was a man high up in the court of the queen of Ethiopia, and he had been to Jerusalem to worship God. He had got hold of a copy of the book of Isaiah and was reading this as his chariot travelled the dusty road

d.   How did Philip know to go over and speak to him?    (verses  29-30)

The Holy Spirit prompted Philip to speak to him, and the fact that he was reading was a good talking point.

1. e.      What was the man’s response?   (verses  31-34)

“I can’t understand what I’m reading, can you help me? Come up into the chariot with me and explain it”

f.   What an opportunity for Philip! Where was the man reading from?   (Isaiah 53:7-8)

He was reading from the Old Testament book of Isaiah, in chapter 53.

g.     What was the thing that the man first asked Philip?   (verse 34)

Who is this talking about? Was  the prophet talking about himself or someone else?

h.    Philip preached the Gospel to him, and he accepted it wholeheartedly….what did he next ask?         (verse 36)

“Look, here’s water, why can’t I be baptised?”

i.  What was Philip’s response?  The man’s?  (verse 37)

“If you truly believe you can be.”    The man said, “I  believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God”

j.    Philip baptised him on the spot…what happened after that?   (verses 39-40)

The Spirit of God caught up Philip and he just vanished out of the man’s sight. The man went on his way rejoicing, and probably continued  reading with much more understanding.

k.    What did Philip continue doing?    (verse 40)

He found himself in another place, and he kept on preaching there.

l.   What can we learn from this story?  

To always be ready to go where God calls us, even if the place doesn’t seem to make much sense.

m.   What did Philip find when he got there?   What will we find if we obey God?

There was a man with a great need who he was able to point to Christ, and we will find people too if we are in the place God would have us be.

n.   What do we have to be careful of?   

We have to be careful that it really IS God’s leading and not just something we want to do ourselves!

o. How can God lead us today where to be?   (Acts 16: 9-10; 1 Corinthians 16:8-9; 2 Corinthians 2: 12; Romans 15:22)

By dreams or strong convictions;  by circumstances where there are no hindrances, but open doors to get there; Paul badly wanted to go to Rome to visit the believers there, but there were too many hindrances….nothing worked for him. These are some of the ways that God works in leading us.

 

Acts  Nine ….(verses 1-31)

We saw in the previous study, how the Gospel went into Africa, to Ethiopia to be precise, and right into the royal palace! We are given no more details about the Ethiopian man or the Christian work that would have started up in that land.

God’s work and Word were spreading…..Jerusalem had heard it and it was established there;  Judea and Samaria were hearing it and responding; and now it was about to begin  in the uttermost parts of the earth! Truly God’s work knows no bounds!!   We are going to see how God’s man came to know Him in a real and personal  way……

1.   Verses  1-20 

a.     Read this passage right through at once.  Who is it about and what was his background?   (Acts 22:3-5)

It is about a man called Saul , who was the perfect young Jewish.man and highly educated in all things Jewish. He had all the credentials to go to the top, having been trained by Gamaliel, and having the nature to be zealous and focussed on serving God to his uttermost.

b.  What can we see about Saul from God’s perspective? How does God see each one of us?  (verse 15; Psalm 139:15-17)

He was God’s man for God’s work…..he had the right nature, qualifications and the  right circumstances in life being a single man at this point in time. God has fashioned each one of us and given us our capabilities, and it is up to us to use what we have for Him.

c.   What was Saul’s attitude to the Christians of his day?   (verses 1-2)

He was determined to wipe them out….as far as he was concerned they were teaching heresy and he was going to stop it once and for all.

d.   What did he do to make this happen?    (verse 2b; Acts 22:4-5)

He had them arrested and was taking them to Jerusalem to be punished for their faith there.

1. e.      God was about to step into Saul’s life……what happened as he was going to Damascus?   (verses 3-6)

It was midday and he was nearly there when a great light from the sky shone down around him….he fell on the ground and heard a Voice saying, “Why are you persecuting ME?” He knew immediately who it was and said, “Who are You, Lord?” and the Voice replied, “I am Jesus of Nazareth, Who you are persecuting!”

f.   What did the others with him see and hear?   ( verse 7-8; Acts 22: 9, 11)

They saw the light, and heard  the Voice, (but  not the words)…..that was for Saul’s ears alone. They could see that Saul was greatly affected and had been blinded by the light,  and needed to be led into the city.

g.     What else did the Lord say to Saul?   (verse 6)

“Go into the city and you will be told what to do there.”

h.    How long was Saul blind for, and what do you think he was doing during this time?      (verses 9, 11c)

He was blind for three days, and didn’t feel like eating anything. His whole life was now turned around, and he would have been doing some hard thinking and a lot of praying!

i.  God now had another man ready…..who was he and what did God tell him to do?     (verses 10-12)

His name was Ananias, a godly man living in Damascus, and God told him in a vision to go and find Saul and put his hands on him so he could receive his sight.

j.    What did Ananias think of that idea?  (verses 13-14)

He felt it would be dangerous to expose himself to Saul as he’d heard that he was going to arrest the Christians and take them to Jerusalem for trial and punishment.

k. What did God say to him next?  What was God’s purpose for Saul’s life?   (verses 15-16)

God said  that Saul was a chosen person for a special work, and he would have to suffer much for Him.

l   What happened then?   (verses 17-20)

Ananias did as God told him to, and Saul received his sight again and had food, being strengthened, and met with the other believers there.

m.   What was the first thing that  happened to Saul as he received his sight?   (verse 18c, 20)

He was filled with the Holy Spirit and was then baptised. He was then fitted for  and able to start preaching about Jesus Christ. which he did straight away to everyone’s amazement!

 

A complete turnaround had now occurred…….where Saul had gone to Damascus with the intent to arrest the believers, now he was meeting with them and preaching about Jesus Christ himself!

2.   Verses  20-31 

1. a.      How did the locals feel about Saul now?   (verse  21)

They could hardly believe it, they were so amazed! They knew he intended  to wipe out this teaching, and now here he was doing it himself!

b.  How was it that Saul could prove that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed God’s Messiah?  (verse 22)

Because he knew the Old Testament Scriptures so well, it all fell into place for him, and he was able to prove from them that it was really so.

c.   What did the Jewish leaders do about this renegade (as they thought)?   (verse 23)

They were plotting to kill him, feeling quite let down by him.

d.   How did he escape from them?    (verses 24-25)

The local believers let him down the wall at night in a basket and he was able to escape back to Jerusalem.

e.   There was no means of fast communication in those days…..how did the believers at Jerusalem feel about Saul arriving to meet with them, and who introduced him?   (verses 26-27)

They were afraid of him, thinking it was some sort of trick, but Barnabas took him to them telling them of his conversion and how he had been preaching boldly in Damascus.

f.   What do verses 28-30 tell us?  

That Saul preached the Gospel openly  until there were more life threats against him, so the believers put him on a ship to go to  his home town of Tarsus.

g.     What happened then in the Christian community?   (verse 31)

The church was able to be built up now that persecution had died down, and many more were added to their numbers.

3.    Verses 32-43

a.   The story now switches back to Peter….. what was he doing at this time?          (verses32-34)

He was visiting around the different church groups, and came to a place called Lydda where he healed a sick man of paralysis.

b.  What was the result of this miracle?     (verse 35)

Everyone who knew about it, turned to the Lord.

c.    What do we see about this display of miracles that the apostles were able to do?  

God gave them these gifts to show people His power and to bring large numbers to Himself.

d.    What is the next story about?     (verses 36-38)

It is about a woman who did good deeds for the poor people in her area, but she got sick and died. Her friends sent to Peter to come and see them which he did.

e   What sort of testimony did Tabitha have in the community?   (verse 39)

She was greatly loved and missed by all those she had helped and done sewing for while she was alive.

f.   What did Peter do?    (verses 40-41)  

He put everyone out of the room, and kneeled down beside the bed and prayed, then said “Tabitha, get up!” He gave her his hand and she got up, and he was able to take her out to everyone, fit and well again!

g.        What happened as a result of this miracle?    (verse 42)

It was known far and wide, and many people came to know the Lord as a result.

h.   What did Peter do then?    (verse  43)  

He stayed in Joppa for quite a long time, being at Simon the tanner’s house.

i.   What question ties in with this part of the chapter?   What is different between then and now?

This shows again God’s power, and His purpose in these miracles to bring people to know Him. The church was only new then, and people didn’t have the Scriptures like we do today. We have no excuse because we can read about these things that happened then, and don’t need to have them happen under our noses.

 

Acts  Ten ….(verses 1-48)

We have only read about Jews  coming to know the Lord so far. Now the tables are turned, and other people find Him too…………

1.     Verses  1-31

1. a.      Where is our story centred, and what can we see about the main character?   (verse 1)

The story is set in the town of Caesarea, and is about a man called Cornelius who was a Roman officer.

b.  What does verse 2 tell us about Cornelius? 

It says that he was a devout man who was seeking the Lord (and everyone in his house as well, which means they were not babies or tiny children) and he gave much money away to the poor people around him and he was always praying.

c.    What does Isaiah 55:6-7 say that ties in with this man Cornelius?  

It says to seek the Lord while He can be found and this was shat Cornelius was doing. God says that all who turn to Him will be pardoned and have their sins forgiven. God knew the desire of Cornelius’ heart.

d.   What did God do for Cornelius ?    (verses 3-6)

He sent an angel to him in a vision who told him to send a message to Joppa to tell Peter to come and see him to tell him what to do.

e.     Have a look at a map at the back of your Bible and work out how far this was and where…..  

Joppa was on the sea coast south of Caesarea, about 30  miles away.

f.   What did Cornelius do when told this?   (verses 7-8)

He sent two of his servants and a devout soldier who was also seeking, to go and tell Peter to come.

2.   Verses 32-43

1. a.      Meantime, what was Peter doing this particular day?          (verses 9-10)

It was getting near lunch time, and Peter went up on the roof of the house to pray. He was hungry and while he was waiting and praying, he had a trance-like experience.

b.  What did he see while he was in this state?     (verses 11-15)

He dreamed he saw a big sheet tied at the four corners being let down in front of him full with all sorts of wild animals and birds, and he heard a voice telling  him to kill some and have a feed. He replied that he had never eaten unclean meat and wouldn’t do it. The voice then told him that what God had cleansed wasn’t common or unclean.

c.    How many times did Peter have this vision?   (verse 16)

It happened three times, and then the sheet went back into heaven.

d.    What happened while Peter was thinking about what he had just seen?     (verses 17-20)

The men from Cornelius were standing at the door knocking and asking for him; he felt God’s Spirit prompting him to go with them.

e   What did Peter do then? How long did the trip seem to take?   (verse 23)

He listened to them and gave them a bed for the night, and went off with them the next day, taking other Christians with him.

3.     Verses  44-48

a.   What had Cornelius been doing?   What happened when they got there?  (verses 24-27)  

Cornelius was waiting anxiously for them with great anticipation, and had called in everyone else he knew who wanted to know about God too, so there was quite a roomful.

b.   Peter went straight into his message…..what was the first thing he told them all?   (verses 28-29)

You know it is unlawful for a Jew to spend time with someone who is not a Jew (a Gentile), but God has shown me that I am not to think like that any more. So I’m here, what do you want to ask me?

c.   What did Cornelius want to hear more than anything else? What did he tell Peter?   (verse 33)

 I was praying and fasting four days ago and I saw a man standing in front of me in bright shining clothes, and he said my prayers have been heard and to send for you because you can tell us what we want to know!”?  

d.   What was the first point that Peter made? What had he learned himself ?    (verses 34-35)

I can see that God  has no discrimination  of people, and as long as a person wants to find Him, he will be accepted by Him.

e.    What did Peter go on to say from there?     (verses 36-43)  

He preached about Jesus and how He died on the cross to save us all from sin, and how He was now risen from the dead. All people have to do is to believe in Him with all their hearts and they will be saved.

f.   What happened while Peter was explaining all this?   (verses 44-46)

Because their hearts were ready to accept all that they heard, the Holy Spirit fell on them in the same way that He had with the Jewish believers. They began to speak in other languages and praise God. The other Christians who were with Peter, were absolutely amazed and recognised the fact that the Holy Spirit was with these foreign believers.

g.    What did Peter say next and what did they do?     (verses 47-48)  

Peter said that they should be baptised, and that there was nothing to hinder them seeing God had given them the Holy Spirit too. So they were.

h.   Whose idea was it originally for people to be baptised?   (Matthew 28:19)

The Lord Jesus told His disciples they were to do this when people came to know Him.

i.   Why is it important to be baptised?   (Acts 11:16)

It is an act of obedience to the Lord’s command, and is an outward sign of an inward change…..the Holy Spirit coming into a person’s life brings a change of direction. A believer can’t go any further in his Christians life until he is obedient in this first step.

 

Acts  Eleven ….(verses 1-30)

1.    Verses 1-18

a.     What did the other Jewish believers think when they heard where Peter had been and what he had done?          (verses 1-3)

They weren’t at all impressed and asked Peter what he thought he was doing, eating with these foreigners!

b.  What did Peter then go on to  tell them?     (verses 4-14)

He told them everything that had happened from the time that God showed him the vision of wild animals in the sheet until the end of his talk with Cornelius and his friends.

c.    How did he finish when telling these other Christians what had happened?   (verse 17)

It is God Who has given these people the Holy Spirit , what could I do against that?

d.    What was their reaction to this?     (verse 18)

They kept quiet and said, “Well, God has accepted them to be saved too!”

2.   Verses 19-26

a.   What happened to the believers after the assassination of Stephen?          (verses 19- 21)

They left Jerusalem and scattered all over the other places round about.

b.  What did they NOT do?     (verse 19c)

They didn’t preach to the Gentile people, only to the Jews.

c.    What do verses 20-21 tell us?

That some of them started preaching to the Greeks about Jesus and they believed and turned to the Lord too.

d.    What did the church at Jerusalem do when they heard about this?     (verses 22-24)

They sent Barnabas out to follow up and make sure they all understood what they had done, and encourage them to continue in the Lord..

e        How far did Barnabas go?   What did he do there?      (verse 22, 24)

He went to Antioch and encouraged them to go on for the Lord.

f.    What do we see happen in verses 25-26?    

Barnabas went to Tarsus to find Saul and to take him to Antioch where he could help among the new believers too.

g.   How long were they there preaching for?      (verse 26)

They were there for a whole year, teaching and preaching.

h.   What significant item is mentioned at the end of verse 26?

The believers were first called Christians at Antioch.

3.   Verses 27-30

a.   Who later went to Antioch? What was his name and what  did he prophesy? (verse 27-28)

Some prophets turned up at Antioch….Agabus was one of these, and he said that there would be a great drought ahead.

b.  When did this come to pass?     (verse 28b)

In the days of Claudias Caesar.

c.    What did the believers at Antioch determine to do?

That some of them started preaching to the Greeks about Jesus and they believed and turned to the Lord too.

d.    What did the church at Jerusalem do when they heard about this?     (verses 22-24)

They sent Barnabas out to follow up and make sure they all understood what they had done, and encourage them to continue in the Lord..

e     What  did the local Christians do about this prophecy?    (verses 29-30)

They took notice and had a collection for the affected Christians in Judea, then sent it to them for their relief.

g.        Who took this gift with them to deliver it?    (verse 30)

Barnabas and Saul took it.

h.   What have you learned from this chapter?   

That we cannot stop a work of God, but we are to join in and help where we can. If some of our fellow believers are hurting and suffering, we are to help them where we can, and to make sure that the money sent arrives at the destination and gets into the right hands!

 

Acts  Twelve ….(verses 1-25)

1.   Verses 1-2

a.   What do we know about this King Herod?          (verses 1; Mark 6:16-17;  Luke 3:1;, 27; 23:8-11)

He was governor over the area of Judaea; he murdered John the Baptist; he wanted to see Jesus at His trial to ask Him questions, but Jesus didn’t reply to them, so he mocked Him publicly; he murdered James.

b.  What was he doing to the church as a whole?     (verse 1b)

He was harassing them and throwing different ones into prison.

c.    How do we know which James was the one Herod killed?    (verse 2)

Because it plainly says it was James, the brother of John.

2.   Verses 3-19

a.    Who did Herod grab next and put into prison?   Why did he do this?   (verses 3-4)

He arrested Peter and put him in prison because he  knew it would please the Jewish leaders.

b        What did the other believers do while Peter was shut up?      (verse 5)

They prayed constantly for him.

c.    When was Herod planning to take him out to the people?     (verse 4b)

He was planning to take him out after the Easter period, the Passover time.

d.   What happened before this came about?      (verses 6-12)

Peter was asleep between the soldiers when he felt a whack on his side  which woke him up. He saw a bright light  and an angel who said, “Get up and follow me quickly!” His chains just fell off him, and the gates to his cell and passage outside swung open of their own accord. The angel took him outside the prison and then vanished.

e.   What did Peter do then?      (verse 12)

He made his way to the house of Mark where the Christians were praying for him and knocked on the door.

f.   What happened next?          (verses 13-16)

A girl called Rhoda answered the door but didn’t let him in….she ran inside and told the others who didn’t believe her! Peter kept knocking and at last they let him inside.

g.   What did Peter tell them ?     (verse 17)

He told them how God had sent the angel to get him out of prison, and then said to go and tell James and the others what had happened.

h.    We just read that James had been killed by Herod, so who was this James?    (Matthew 13: 55; Acts1:14)

This James would have been one of the brothers of Jesus, as he was now meeting with  the Christians.

i.    What did Peter do then?     (verse 17c)

He left the house and went off somewhere else as it was too dangerous to hang around.

j     What did Herod do the next morning?    (verses 18-19)

He sent for Peter and when he found that he had disappeared, he executed those who had been guarding him.

3.     Verses 19b-25

a.    What did Herod do next?   (verses 19b-22)

He left Judaea and went to Caesarea to stay….he made a speech for some people he had been displeased with, and they praised him up saying that he spoke like a god. Herod took the praise and it puffed him up…..he didn’r give God the credit

b        What does verse 23 tell us?     

That God’s angel touched him and he was struck with a fatal disease and died.

c.    What can we learn from this for ourselves?   

When people praise us up, we are to give God the credit for it (whether it be a speech or some deed), we have and are nothing in ourselves, we only have or can do what God has given us.

d.   What do verses 24-25 tell us?

That God’s Word spread around the place and many came to believe, and that Barnabas and Saul turned up and took John Mark with them.

 

Acts  Thirteen ….(verses 1-52

We now come to a new era in the church….that of Saul (Paul) beginning his life work that God had been fitting him for all these years. We will see that he was indeed the “chosen person” to do God’s work.

1.   Verses 1-4

1. a.      How many names do you recognise in the list in verse 1?  

Barnabas and Saul.

b.  What was different about the man called Manaen?     (verse 1)

He had grown up with Herod the king,  who had killed so many Christians.

c.    What does this tell you?

That God is no respecter of people, and can use anyone who will come to Him.

d.    What was this group of men  doing in verse 2a?    

They were getting together in prayer and discussions, being too taken up with it to stop and eat.

e        What happened while they were doing this?      (verse 2)

They all felt that the Holy Spirit was telling them to send off Barnabas and Saul for the work God wanted them to do.

f.    They fasted more and prayed for them and sent them off. Who was really sending them off? What do we have to be careful of?     (verses 3-4)

The Holy Spirit was really the One who was sending them off…..we have to be careful that we don’t get a fuzzy idea, and rush off to do “God’s work” on our own; we need to have the backing of our local church, and they have to feel confident that it IS God calling us to do whatever it is we have in mind.

2.   Verses 4-12

1. a.      Look at a map of Paul’s travels at the back of many Bibles….where did they leave from and what was the first place they called at? How would they  have travelled?          (verse 4)

They went a few ks to Seleucia, and then sailed across to the island of Cypress, landing at Salamis.

b.  What does verse 5 tell us?    (Acts 12:25)

It says that John Mark was going with them to help, and in Salamis they went to some of the local synagogues (churches) and preached there to the Jews.

c.    They travelled across to the next place, Paphos, and what did they find there?     (verses 6-8)

The deputy (mayor) of the place was very interested in what Saul had to say, and wanted to hear more, but his offsider (who was a sorcerer and medium) tried to turn his thoughts away from God.

d.    What do we notice about Saul in verse 9?    

His name had been changed to Paul, and he remained that for the rest of his life. He was filled with the Holy Spirit as he spoke to this sorcerer.

e     What was the gist of what Paul said to him?       (verses 10-11)

He talked straight to him, telling him the truth about what he was doing…….that he was full of mischief and a child of Satan trying to hinder God’s work and turn the deputy away from God. Then he told him that he would be blind physically, just as he was blind spiritually.

g.      What was the result of this?    (verse 12)

He was blind immediately and looked for someone to lead him around…..the deputy was astonished at all this and was convinced of the truth of what Paul was preaching and believed in Christ.

h.      What did Paul’s group do after this?    (verse 13; Acts 15:38)

They left Paphos and sailed across to Perga. For some reason, John Mark left them there and went back to Jerusalem ….. Paul took a dim view of this.

3.   Verses 14-41

1. a.      Look at the map….is this the same Antioch that is mentioned in verse 1?  

No, it is in another country altogether, and many miles away.

b.  What seemed to be Paul’s pattern when he was travelling to a new place?     (verses 5, 14)

He would find the local synagogue, and go there. If he had an opportunity to preach, he would take it.

c.    What happened at this one?        (verse 15)

After the usual reading time in the service, the leaders told them to give a word.

d.    Paul wasted no time taking them up on this…..what did he start off his sermon with?     (verses 17-22)

A resume of Israel’s history up until the time of King David.

e   What did he say about King David in the course of his speech?      (verse 22)

That he was raised up to be king by God, and was a man after God’s own  heart that did His will.

f.    What did he go on to say in verses 23-25?    

That it was from David’s descendants, that God had raised up a Saviour who was Jesus of Nazareth, and that a man called John had preached that it was time to repent of sin and the Saviour was about to appear.

g.   What did Paul say next?          (verses 26-41)

He preached how Jesus came in fulfillment of God’s plan, and how He was treated by the Jewish leaders, and this is what his messsage was about……it was up to them now to agree with this message if they wanted to have their sins forgiven.

4.   Verses 42-52

a.   This was all new to the Jews who were listening;  while they were thinking about it all, who then asked to have the same thing preached to them the next Sabbath day?    (verse 42)

The Gentile people wanted the opportunity to hear the message too.

b.  What can we take out of verse 43?    

That many people HAD believed that first sermon.

c.    What happened the next Sabbath day?        (verses 44-45)

Almost the whole of the city gathered together to hear Paul preach, and the Jewish leaders were not pleased and spoke out against the message.

d.    What was Paul’s reply to that?           (verses46-47)

It was necessary that the Jews have first opportunity to hear the Gospel, but seeing you don’t want it, we’ll preach to the Gentiles instead; after all, the Lord has told us we are to preach salvation to EVERY person!

e        What did the Gentiles think of that statement?      (verse 48a)

They were glad and praised God for what He had done!

f.    What do you think verse 48b means?      (Ephesians 1:4; 2 Timothy 1:9; 1 Peter 1:2a)

God has worked to a plan from BEFORE the world began, and He KNEW (God’s foreknowledge) who would respond to His invitation, and wrote their names in His book then.

g.    Has God been unfair in this matter of who gets saved and who doesn’t?    How is this worked out?

It is because God KNEW first who would respond to His call that He was able to write the names down, and then as time evolved and they were born and heard, they came to Him.. God’s call goes out to ALL people on earth, but not everyone responds.

h.  What a great time these Christians had! What does verse 49 tell us?

That the Word of the Lord went out through the whole area.

i.    What is the “But” that occurred?     (verses 50-51)

The Jewish leaders stirred up the religious people of the place who weren’t agreeing with Paul’s preaching, and they made things so unpleasant for Paul and Barnabas that they had to leave.

j.    How were the new Christians feeling?     (verse 52)

They were full of enthusiasm and joy,  and the Holy Spirit was carrying them along.

k.      What have you learned from all of this?

That when God is in a work, nothing can stop it! If what we are doing, is from God, He enables and gives the results. The Gospel is for ALL people, none are excluded.

 

Acts  Fourteen ….(verses 1-28)

1.   Verses 1-6

1. a.      Paul and Barnabas were now in the middle of Asia Minor…..what things do these verses tell us about these towns?   (verse 1; Acts 13:14)

That most towns had a Jewish community who had established a synagogue in them.

b.  What happened in verse 1 when Paul preached in the synagogue there?    

Many people, both Jews and Greeks,  turned to the Lord and believed the message.

c.    What did the unbelieving Jews do?        (verse 2)

They tried to stir up the population against the believers.

d.    What does verse 3 tell us? 

They were able to stay there a long time, teaching and doing miracles that convinced the people.

e        Did those who were against them give up their harrassments?  What happened?    (verses 4-6)

No, they didn’t give up and in the end Paul and Barnabas had to leave to save their lives.

f.    Where did they go to next and what did they do?     (verses 6-7)

They went to Lystra and Derbe in the district of Lycaonia.

2.   Verses 7-20

a.   What miracle did Paul perform at Lystra?    (verses 8-10)

He cured the long time cripple who had never walked.

b.  What had Paul noticed about this man while he was preaching?     (verse 9)

That he never took his eyes off him and that he was listening intently.

c.    What is noticeable about this man when Paul told him to stand up?        (verse 10)

He didn’t have to learn to walk, he jumped up and leaped around!

d.    Where was Paul preaching when at Lystra? What sort of people were listening?     (verse 11)

There didn’t seem to be any synagogue there so he was obviously preaching outdoors in a public place. The people were pagans and idol worshippers.

e        What was the people’s first reaction when they saw this miracle performed?      (verses 12-13)

They thought that Paul and Barnabas were supernatural to do this miracle and that they must be gods who had materialised before them! They were even going to sacrifice to them!

f.    What did Paul and Barnabas do when they realised what was happening?      (verses 14-15)

They ran among the people showing their distress by tearing their clothes, saying they were no such thing, that they were merely men who were there to preach about the true God in heaven.

g.    What do these verses show us ……..Isaiah 42:8; Acts 12:22-23;  Revelation 22:9 ?

We are not to worship anything or anyone other than God…..He will not share His glory with another.

h.  What do you notice is different in Paul’s preaching to these pagans to his preaching to the Jews? (verses 15b-17)

In preaching to the Jews, Paul used the Scriptures and prophecies to back up his claims, but to these people he used nature to prove that God was the Creator and Provider and man’s responsibility to Him.

i.    What does Paul say in Romans 1:20 that reinforces this?    

That every human being is aware of these things and nature itself is so wonderful that it points a Supreme Creator, leaving them without excuse as to God’s existence and their responsibility to Him.

j.    What happened at Lystra that caused Paul and Barnabas to move on?     (verses 19-20)

Paul was stoned and left for dead but the Lord revived him and he got up.

3.     Verses 21-28

1. a.      What happened at Derbe?   (verse 21)

It seems they were left in peace and were able to freely preach with many believing.

b.  What did they do after leaving there?   (verses 21b-23)    

They went back via all the places they had left believers and set the groups in order, with elders and made sure they understood that by standing fast to their faith  would probably mean  persecution.

c.    Where did they end up and what did they do when they got there?        (verse 27-28)

They went back to where they had started from and got everyone together telling them all that had happened; they were able to stay there a long time, encouraging them all.

 

Acts  Fifteen ….(verses 1-41)

1.   Verses 1-3

1. a.      What began to happen at the church at Antioch where Paul currently was?   (verse 1)

Some visitors came from Judaea and started to teach that the Gentile believers had to be circumcised to be saved.

b.  What did Paul and Barnabas think of this teaching?     (verse 2)

They didn’t agree with it, but the other leaders of the church felt they should defer to the wisdom and leadership of the apostles in Jerusalem.

c.    Who else went with Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem?        (verse 2b)

Titus (a Greek) and others too.

d.    What did they do as they travelled to Jerusalem?       (verse 3)

They met with other churches along the way and told what God had been doing  among the Gentile people.

e        How did these believers (who were Jews)  take this news?    (verse 3b)

They were glad to hear it, and rejoiced in what had been happening.

2.   Verses 4-32

a.   What did they do in Jerusalem, and how  did the believers there react?    (verses 4-6)

They gave a report to all the leaders there,  and some of the ones saved from the Pharisees felt it was necessary to the new Gentile believers to be taught about circumcision and the law and to do these things.

b.  Who got up in the meeting on this matter and what was the gist of his discussion?     (verses 7-11)

Peter got up and said that seeing the Lord had bestowed the Holy Spirit on the Gentile believers making no difference between Jew and Gentile, why should the Gentiles have the bondage of the law (which the Jews had never been able to fully keep anyway!) ?

c.    Who spoke next?        (verse 12)

Paul and Barnabas gave a report on their missionary journey and told of the many healing miracles and conversions they had seen over the last few years.

d.    Who got up in ensuing silence and summed the matter up?     (verses 13-21)

James pointed out how God had used Peter to bring the first Gentile converts in and reminded them of the Old Testament Scriptures that prophesied that David’s house would be built again, including Gentiles. Therefore he felt that as they were saved without knowin the law, they could live without strictly following it…..the only rules were to keep from the worship of idols (first and second commandments) from immorality of any kind (seventh commandment) and from eating blood in any way (animals to be bled properly)

e        How did the men at the meeting feel about James’ summing up?      (verses 22-29)

They were happy and agreed that these were the only rules to be laid down for the Gentile believers.

f. What did Paul write later about this meeting and the matter of circumcision? (Galations 2:1-10)

That he had taken Titus with him and he had not been compelled to be circumcised, so the matter of circumcision was now closed.

g.    What did the apostles and elders do about this matter now ?    (verses 22-29)

They wrote letters to the different churches and sent them with Paul, Barnabas, Judas and Silas to be distributed and to refute this legalistic teaching that was creeping in.

3.   Verses 32-41

1. a.      What happened when they got back to the church at Antioch ?   (verses 30-33)

They gave them the letter to read which caused much relief, and Judas and Silas confirmed the message before Judas returned to Jerusalem. ….Silas stayed at Antioch.

b.  What did Paul and Barnabas do next?   (verses 36-41)    

They decided to go back and revisit all the places they had been, but Barnabas wanted to take Mark with them and Paul disagreed strongly. So the partnership was split, and Paul took Silas instead, while Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus….we hear no more of Barnabas.

c.    Did Paul  change his mind about Mark? How does he describe him? (2 Timothy 4:11; Philemon 1: 24)

Yes, he did. Paul wrote that Mark was profitable for the ministry, and mentions him along with Luke and a couple of others as being his fellow workers.

d.  What can we learn from this?

To never write anyone off….accept them as where they are currently at.

 

Acts  Sixteen ….(verses 1-40)

1.   Verses 1-5

a.   What do verses 1-2 tell us?  

That Paul and Silas went back the towns of Derbe and Lystra and met up with a young believer named Timothy….he was the son of a believing Jewess with a Greek father, and he was a bright Christian.

b.  What else do we know about Timothy?     (2 Timothy 1:5-6; 3:15)

His grandmother’s name was Lois, and his mother’s name was Eunice, and they had brought him up to know the Scriptures from an early age. 

c.    What was the reason that Paul circumcised Timothy?        (verse 3)

Paul wanted him to go with them on his preaching trip and felt that he would be more accepted by the Jewish communities if he were circumcised since it was obvious he was half Jewish.

d.    How did Paul feel it was easiest to reach people with the Gospel?       (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)

By identifying with them as much as possible….he used the law and the prophets when preaching to the Jews and never mentioned those things when preaching to the Gentiles.

e.   What did the do as they travelled through the various towns and cities?    (verses 4-5)

They visited all the church groups, giving them the instructions from the elders and apostles in Jerusalem  and encouraging and establishing them in their faith.

2.   Verses 6-9

a.   Look at a map of Paul’s journey…..what areas had he covered?    (verse 6)

He had covered the greater part of modern day Turkey (Galatia and Phrygia)

b.  What happened while he was at Mysia?     (verse 7)

He  considered going further north towards the Black Sea (Bithynia), but they felt uneasy about the trip.

c.    What do we see about the Holy Spirit in both these cases?        (verses 6-7)

We see that the Holy Spirit was nudging them to go in the direction He wanted them to.

d.    What can we take out of this for us? What about the strong feelings of unease we have when considering a course of action?   

If we feel uneasy about what we are thinking about doing, it is the Holy Spirit warning us away from it.

e .  What gave Paul additional guidance as to where to go?      (verse 9)

He had a vision in a dream one night of a man in Macedonia asking him to go and help them there.

3.   Verses 10-15

1. a.      Who joined Paul’s party in Troas? How can we tell this?   (verse  10)

Luke, the one writing this account, joined them there….we know this as he writes “us” instead of “them”.

b.  Where did they head to and how were they travelling?   (verses 10-12)    

They took a ship and sailed to Neapolis, and then went on foot to Philippi.

c.    What did they do the first Sabbath Day they were there? (verse 13)

They made enquiries and found there was no synagogue there, but that a group of women met for prayer at a certain place by the river.

d.      Who was the first person to be baptised in Philippi? What did she do for a living? (verses 14)

It was a business woman name Lydia…she and all her household turned to the Lord and were baptised.

e.     What was her next move?  How would she have benefited from this? (verse 15)

She persuaded Paul and his party to stay at her place….what discussions they would have had during the evenings!

4.   Verses 16-40

1. a.      What sort of girl pestered Paul during the next few weeks?   (verses 16-18a)

She was a slave girl who practiced as a medium for her owners, and she recognised what sort of person Paul was…..one who had the message of God concerning salvation. She followed Paul’s group around calling this out wherever she went.

b.  What did Paul do about this in the end?  What was the result?    (verse 18)

He commanded the spirit to come out of her and she became a different person….she was  a normal girl now and not able to communicate with the spirits any more.

c.    What did her owners think of this?        (verses 19-21)

Not much! They dragged Paul and Silas off to court.

d.    What was the result of the trial?       (verses 22-24)

Paul and Silas were flogged and thrown into prison with strict instructions to keep them safe. The jailer put them into the inner cell with their feet in the stocks.

e   What are we told that Paul and Silas did in prison?   What else probably happened that we are not told, but can guess from what the jailer said later? (verse 25)

They would have preached to the jailer (and anyone else who could hear), until the jailer went to bed. At midnight we are told that Paul and Silas were praying out loud and singing praises to God.

f.   What happened then?    (verse 26)

There was a tremendous earthquake, and everyone’s chains and stocks rattled loose, and the doors opened.

g.  What was the jailer’s first reaction?  What did Paul say?   (verses 27-30)

The jailer woke out of sleep and saw everything open, so he was going to kill himself thinking the prisoners had all gone, and he would lose his head anyway! Paul called out and said, “Don’t! We are all here!” He came into Paul’s cell and said, “What must I do to be saved?”

h.    What is the answer to that question?   How simple is this act?    (verse 31)

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.

i.      How did Paul qualify and explain  this statement in Romans 10:9-10?

The heart (mind and soul) is the centre of man’s being where all his thoughts and emotions are contained, and it is born in sin naturally. Therefore the heart needs to be turned around to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and then one needs to tell others the reason of the change in their life. God knows what has happened, but other people don’t unless they are told!

j.   What happened then? How did the jailer show the reality of his change? (verses 32-34) 

He did believe, and took them into his house where everyone was awake as the result of the earthquake. Paul spoke to everyone else there, and they all believed. Then they put on a meal and washed Paul’s and Silas’ bleeding backs, and then said, “Well, let’s be baptised!”

k        How do you think they would have known about being baptised? What does this suggest to you ?      (verse15; Acts 8:36-37; 10:48)

That  baptism was preached along with the Gospel message. It suggests that being baptised is very important for those who believe……not babies or little children as they don’t know about the Gospel.

l.   What happened the next morning?   (verses  35-37)

The magistrates sent a message to let Paul and Silas go but Paul said he expected an apology from the authorities as they were Roman citizens and had been punished for nothing.

m.    How much clout did being a Roman citizen have? What did the authorities do then? (verses 38-39)

It meant a lot in those days…..the authorities came and apologised profusely and asked them to leave the city.

n.      What did Paul do before he left? (verse 40)

He called and saw Lydia and all the other Christians before he left.

 

Acts  Seventeen ….(verses 1-34)

1.   Verses 1-9

a.What was the next city that Paul stopped at for a while? What was here that wasn’t at Philippi? (verse 1)

They came to Thessalonica and found a synagogue there where they attended for three weeks.

b.  What did Paul use as the basis for his preaching there?     (verses 2-3)

He used the Old Testament Scriptures, first speaking of the passages telling of the coming Messiah, and then pointing out that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ who fulfilled these Scriptures.

c.    Who believed his messages?        (verse 4)

Some of the Jewish community believed, and a great crowd of the Greeks followed Paul’s teachings.

d.    What did the orthodox unbelieving Jews do about this?       (verses 5)

They protested and stirred up a riot and attacked the house of Jason where Paul’s party had been staying.

e.    What happened then? What did the city rulers do?    (verses 6-9)

When they couldn’t find Paul’s lot there, they dragged Jason and other believers off to court saying they were promoting another king rather than Caesar. Jason’s lot were fined and let out on bail.

2.   Verses 10-15

a.   What did Paul’s party do then? Where did they go next?    (verse 10)    (Look at map)

The other Christians advised them to leave that night and helped them on their way to Berea.

b.  What were the people in Berea like? How did they respond?     (verses 11-12)

Paul went to the local synagogue there, and preached Christ from the Old Testament Scriptures. The people listened keenly, and then searched the Scriptures for themselves to see if Paul was right. Many believed, both Jews and Greeks, and men and women of note in the city.

c.    What happened next?        (verses 13-15)

The Jews from Thessalonica heard that Paul was at Berea preaching so they went there and stirred up trouble there. The believers sent Paul off….a group of them took him to Athens. He told them to get Silas and Timothy to come to meet him there.

3.   Verses 16-34

1. a.      What was the city of Athens like at this time?   (verse  16)

The city was full of idolatry, with statues to the various gods on display everywhere.

b.  What were some of the sorts of people there?   (verses 17-18)    

There was a group of Jews there with a synagogue, also other groups called Epicureans and Stoics and others who loved to spend their time debating about any new thing that they heard about.

c.    What do verses 19-21 tell us? What were the people saying about Paul?

The people thought he was telling them about another pagan god, so they took him to a place called Areopagus, and asked him what it was all about. They thought he was just another babbler.

d.      Where did Paul start with his talk that day? What did he go on to speak about?  (verses 22-31)

He started with what they knew and could see around them ….all the altars to different gods, even one to the “Unknown God”! He took his talk from there and spoke of the one true God who created everything, and who now commands all men everywhere to repent because one day they will be judged when all are resurrected.

e.     What was the reaction of the people to this strange talk? (verse 32)

Some laughed and mocked, while others wanted to hear more.

f.   Did Paul’s preaching in Athens have any great response? (verses 33-34)

Not as much as in other cities…..a group believed, even one man from the highest court of Areopagus.

g.   What do we notice about Paul’s method of preaching?

He always started with what they knew and went on from there to explain what they didn’t know about.

h.   Who else used this method of getting His point across? (Matthew 13:34)

The Lord Jesus…..that is why He always used parables when speaking to the people to illustrate what He was talking about…..going from the known to the unknown.

 

Acts  Eighteen ….(verses 1-28)

1.   Verses 1-8

a.  Where did Paul go to next? Where was it in relation to Athens?   (verse 1)

He went to the city of Corinth  which wasn’t far from Athens in the bottom part of Greece.

b.  Who did Paul meet there? What do we know about them?     (verses 2-3, 18;  Romans 16:3; 1 Corinthians 16:19;  2Timothy 4:19 )

Paul met up with a godly couple, Aquila and Priscilla who were tent makers. Paul stayed with them while in Corinth.  They moved around several times, and ended up in Rome when Paul was there. They always seemed to gather a group together in their home for worship, and were able teachers helping others to understand New Testament truths.

c.    We are told that Aquila was born in Pontus….look at the map….where is it and what does this tell us?       

Pontus bounds the Black Sea, and this shows us how far the Jews had spread from Israel and yet they never lost their identity.

d.    What else does verse 3 tell us?       (Acts 20:34; 1 Thessalonians 2:9)

 Paul worked for a living at tent-making wherever he went, so he could preach the Gospel free of charge.

e.   How did the Jews in Corinth respond to his teaching?   With what exception?    (verses 4-8)

They mostly didn’t, so he preached to the Greeks instead. But he got to know the chief ruler of the synagogue, and he believed along with all his family, and many people were baptised there.

2.    Verses 9-17

a.   What gave Paul confidence to stay in Corinth preaching?    (verses  9-10)  

The Lord spoke to him in a vision one night, telling him to stay there and continue preaching.

b.  How long did they stay there? What happened during this time?     (verses 11-17)

Paul was there for eighteen months and then the Jews arrested him, taking him before the Roman governor  and accusing him of teaching wrong doctrine. But he sent them off without listening to them!

c.    What happened in verse 17?     

Sosthenes was now the ruler of the synagogue and was possibly the one trying to run Paul out of town, but it backfired on him and he was the one who got the beating from the Greeks with the magistrate turning a blind eye to it!

3.   Verses 18-28

a.   When Paul eventually left Corinth, who went with him, and where did they stay?   (verses  18-19)

Aquila and Priscilla went with him and stayed in  Ephesus.

b.  Where was Cenchrea (on map)? What did Paul do while there?   (verse 18b; Numbers 6:1-5)    

Cenchrea was the port for leaving Greece, only a very short distance from Corinth. Paul cut his hair while there as he had let it  grow having made a vow to the Lord.

c.    What was his vow possibly about?       (Numbers 6:2, 18a)

He had possibly vowed to be separated to the work of the Lord in Greece, and now he was leaving, the work there was completed.

d.      How do we know there was eventually a church at Cenchrea?  (Romans 16:1)

Because he later mentions that Phoebe was a  worker at that church.

e.     Where was Paul heading for when he left Ephesus this time? (verses 20-21)

He wanted to get back to Jerusalem in time for the next feast at the temple, which was apparently a special time for the believers as well as the ordinary Jew…possibly a time for prayer and renewal.

f.   Where did he go after leaving Jerusalem ?         (verses 22-23)

He went back to Antioch, and then later he went around all the churches he had started in Asia Minor.

g.   What do verses 24-26 tell us?

About a man named Apollos who was a fervent preacher of the Word, but only knowing about the baptism of John. Aquila and Priscilla took him home and explained the full Gospel to him  which he accepted.

h.   What did Apollos do after this? (verses 27-28)

He travelled around preaching and teaching what he had learned, and was a great help to all who heard him.

i.   What does this show us for today?

That we are all to what we can….Aquila and Priscilla taught Apollos at home, and then he was able to pass it on……each one of us can be a link (no matter how small)  in the chain of the Gospel

Acts  Nineteen ….(verses 1-20)

1.   Verses 1-7

a.  Where did Apollos go when he left Ephesus?        (verse 1a)

He went to the city of Corinth  in Greece.

b.  Where did Paul end up at in this point of his journey? Who did he find there? (verse 1b )

Paul ended up at Ephesus, and found a group of twelve men there who were meeting on their own.

c.    What did Paul find out about their beliefs? Who had perhaps taught them?  (verses 2-3; Acts 18:25)         

Paul found that they had never heard about the Holy Spirit , which was what Apollos had been teaching before he was instructed about Him by Aquila and Priscilla. It could have been Apollos.

d.    What did John’s baptism signify? What did it lack?       (Matthew 3:11)

John’s baptism signified repentance for sin, and pointed forwards to the Coming One. In this case, it seemed to stop short of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

e.    What was the difference in Apollos’ teaching once he understood this?    (Acts 18:28)

He then taught that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ, the One who had come to be the Saviour.

f.    What did these men do after listening to Paul?    (verses 5-7)

They were immediately baptised in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit , and were then able to be filled with the Holy Spirit and speak in other languages to preach about Jesus the Saviour of the world.

2.    Verses 8-20

a.   How long did Paul continue to preach in the synagogue?  Why did he stop?  (verses  8-9a)  

He preached in the synagogue for three months until there was active public contradiction of what he was teaching, so he left.

b.  What did he do instead?     (verses 9b)

He took the believers with him to meet in a local school where he daily taught those who wanted to hear.

c.    How long did he do this for? What else did he do there?      (verses 10-12)

He stayed doing this for two years until God’s Word had been heard all over Asia Minor. God gave him the gift of healing as well, and people would take their clothes to him to be “blessed” which in turn healed those who were sick.

d.      What strange thing do we notice about Paul’s healing powers?   (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

Although Paul was able to heal others, he was unable to  heal his own physical disability…..he had to learn that God’s grace was sufficient for him and that he would be enabled to continue by Christ’s power.

e.  What incident occurred to show that this new movement was not to be trifled with?   (verses 13:-16)    

There were seven brothers who were witch-doctors who tried to use the name of Jesus to exorcise the demons out of a man like Paul did. The man leaped on them and attacked them so violently that they had to leave in a wounded state with torn clothes.

f.    What did the lunatic say to them? What does James have to say about demons?  (verse 15; James 2:19)

He said that he knew who Jesus was and who Paul was, but he didn’t know them! James tells us that the demons know and believe about God and tremble before Him.

g.      What was the result of this incident?  (verses 17-19)

Everybody heard about it, and those of the believers who were still dabbling in the occult realised that they had to come clean and completely abandon it. The only way to do this was to burn their charms and books and they did this publicly for all to see, regardless of what it cost them.

h.    What happened as a result of this?        (verse 20)

God’s Word was shown to be great and many more people believed.

i.   What is the lesson in this incident for us today ?

God cannot be glorified or do any great work while we are still hanging  onto things that displease Him.

j.    Read 2 Corinthians 6:14-17….how does this tie in with this incident?

We cannot have one foot in the world and one in with Christianity…..it will not work! We must be prepared to give up everything that has anything to do with magic or  spirit worship if God is to work.

k.   Why is it so important to burn these things? (verse 19)

So that a person cannot go back to it…..if they are hidden or buried, they aren’t destroyed and there is always the temptation to get them back! To burn them is to totally destroy them and tells both man and the demons that you are finished with them for ever!!!

l.   What does this show us for today?

That we are all to what we can….Aquila and Priscilla taught Apollos at home, and then he was able to pass it on……each one of us can be a link (no matter how small)  in the chain of the Gospel

3.   Verses 21-41

a.  Paul had been in Ephesus  where he had been for two years preaching and teaching  (verse 17)….where did he go from there and what were his plans?   Look at map.   (verse 21)

He travelled around through Greece (Macedonia and Achaia), and then decided to go back to Jerusalem before going to Rome.

b.  He apparently went back to Ephesus,….where did he send Tiomothy and Erastus to while he was there ? (verse  22 )

He sent them back into Macedonia while he stayed in Ephesus.

c.    What was the main  icon and industry at Ephesus?  (verse 24)         

Making statues of, and silver shrines to,  Diana, a pagan goddess.

d.    What effect was the preaching of the Gospel having on this industry?       (verses 25-26)

The more people who believed the Gospel, the less people there were to buy these artifacts!

e        What was Demetrius’ main concern?    (verse 27)

His main concern was his income! But he was also concerned that their goddess was being despised by so many of the population due to Paul’s preaching.

f.    What did Demetrius do to try to stop this?    (verses 23, 28-29)

He cause a great stir and the people rioted, arresting two of Paul’s companions and taking them to the main arena  for trial.

g.   What did Paul try to do? What stopped him?  (verses  30-31)  

Paul tried to follow them, but was prevented from doing this by his friends and the believers.

h.  What does verse 32 tell us?

That the whole city was in an uproar, and most people didn’t know what it was all about!

i.    What happened next?      (verse 33)

The Jewish leaders saw Alexander in the crowd, and dragged him forward to speak.

j.      How long did this uproar last for? What were people mainly shouting out?   (verse 34)

The noise lasted for two hours, with people shouting out “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”

k.  What quietened them down in the end?   (verse 35)    

The town clerk managed to get a hearing and the crowd quietened down enough to listen to him

l.    What was the main point of his speech?  (verses 36-40)

He said that everyone knew that Diana was the greatest thing in the city, and that these men had not committed any crime against her or anyone else. If the Romans heard about this riot, they could all be in big trouble. If Demetrius wanted to take the matter further, there was the normal court of law where he could accuse these people.

m.      What was the end of this story?  (verse 41)

He was able to dismiss the crowd and everyone went home!

 

Acts  Twenty ….(verses 1-38

1.   Verses 1-5

a.  Where did Paul go when he left Ephesus after all this uproar?     (verses 1-2)

He followed Timothy and Erastus into Macedonia, and from there  went into Greece.

b.  How long was he there for ?    What made him leave?       (verse  3 )

He was there for three months, and then left when he heard that the Jews were planning a trap for him.

c.    How many others were travelling with him? Where did they go and what did they do there?  (verse 4)         

There seven others who sailed across to Troas and waited for him there while Paul went on foot through Macedonia, meeting up with them at Troas.

d.    Who else had joined Paul on the way to Troas?   How do we know?    (verse 5)

Luke met up with Paul on the way and went with him….he uses the word “us” to indicate this.

Look at the map again……one wonders why it took  five days to sail from Philippi to Troas!

2.   Verses 6-17

a.  What  meeting did they go to while at Troas? When was this meeting held and what was its purpose? What was Paul’s sermon like?   (verse 7)

They met with the believers on the first day of the week for the purpose of breaking bread (communion service), and Paul’s sermon went on until midnight.

b.  What happened during Paul’s sermon?     (verses 8-12 )

A young man went to sleep while sitting on the window sill and fell out the window  from the third storey, and died. Paul went to his aid, and embraced him saying that his life was still there and he revived.

c.    How much longer did the  gathering last for?        (verse 11)

After the disturbance caused by this happening, Paul continued his talk and had a meal, leaving at daybreak.

d.    Where did Paul go next  and how did he get there?       (verses 13-15)

The ship sailed on to Assos, while Paul went on foot across country to there, and then he joined the ship which continued down the coast to Miletus.

e        Why did Paul miss out going to Ephesus this time?       (verse 16)

Because he was in  a hurry to get to Jerusalem for the Day of Pentecost .

f        What did he do while at Miletus?       (verse 17)

He sent a messsage to the elders at Ephesus, asking them to come and see him at Miletus.

3.     Verses 18-31

a.   We have an account here of what Paul said to the elders when they arrived. What is the gist of what he said from verses 18-21?      

He gave a resume of his life style and teaching (which they all knew anyway!)

b.  What was he expecting to find when he got to Jerusalem?     (verses 22-23)

He felt there would be trouble although he didn’t know what sort it would be.

c.    What was his attitude to this prospect?      (verse 24)

He would take whatever the future held with joy and rejoicing in the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing he was in the will of God.

d.   What do verses 25-27 tell us?      

He knew he would never see these people again, but he felt he had discharged his duty towards them, by telling them all that he knew of the way that the Lord wanted them to understand and live.

e.  What was the warning he then gave them?     (verses 28-31)

He told them to watch over the other believers because they were precious to God having been bought by the blood of His Son. He also said that people would come in with other teachings trying to get them to listen, and that there was the likelihood of division from among themselves. He reminded them how he had warned them for the three years that he had been with them of these things.

4.   Verses 32-38

a.   What were Paul’s final words to his Ephesian brothers?   (verses  32-35)

He commended them to God and then reminded them again of his manner of life while he had been with them, how he had supported himself as an example of how they should live themselves.

b.  Paul quoted what our Lord said about giving and receiving….we don’t have any other direct reference to this, but what is the general principle about it?   (Luke 6:38a)    

That as we give, so we will receive.

c.    What was Paul’s final act with these people?       (Verses 36-38)

He kneeled down and prayed with them all, then they bade him farewell with tears and kisses and went with him to the ship.

d.      What was so final about this farewell?  (verse 38)

Because they all knew they would never see him again..

e.     Where was Paul when he wrote the letter to the Ephesians that we have in the Bible? (Ephesians 3:1)

He was in prison in  Rome.

 

Acts  Twenty-one….(verses 1-40)

1.   Verses 1-14

a.  Looking at the map, what do you notice about the sea off the coast that Paul’s ship was sailing?          

It is dotted with islands of varying sizes.

b.  What do verses 1-3 tell us?   

They had a fairly quick trip through the islands past the larger one of Rhodes, and docked at Patara. From there, they changed ships and sailed past the south coast of Cyprus, landing at  the port of Tyre.

c.    What did the brothers at Tyre advise Paul? What made them feel so strongly about this?        (verse 4)

They felt it wasn’t safe for him to go to Jerusalem….the Holy Spirit impressed this on them to tell him.

d. How long did Paul stay with them, and what do we know about his farewell?       (verses 5-6)

Paul’s party was there for a week and the whole group of believers (women and children too) accompanied Paul to the shore where they knelt down  and prayed before Paul’s party embarked for Caesarea.

e.  Where did they stop for a day on the way down the coast?       (verse 7)

They called in at Ptomelais where they greeted another group of believers.

f  Who did they stay with at Caesarea, and what do we know about this man?       (verses 8-9; Acts 6:5)

They stayed with Philip….he was an evangelist and was one of the seven deacons originally in Jerusalem ; he was Stephen’s contemporary, and was married with four adult single daughters.

g.   Who arrived while they were staying there? What did he say?      (verses 10-11)

Agabus arrived. He was a man of great discernment and full of the Holy Spirit , and he told Paul that he would be taken by the Jews, bound and delivered to the Roman authorities.

h.  What else do we know about Agabus?     (Acts 11:27-28)

He lived in or near Jerusalem  and travelled quite extensively among the churches….he was able to look ahead and foretell things accurately, even times of hardship  which happened.

i.   What did Paul do about this advice?      (verses 12-14)

All the believers begged Paul to reconsider his decision to carry on, but he refused to listen, and said he was ready to die for the Lord if that was how things worked out!

2.   Verses 15-40

a.   Who did Paul go to see when he got to Jerusalem ?         (verses16-18)

He went to the believers and they were very glad to see him. the next day, he had a special meeting with James and the other elders

b.  What happened at this meeting?     (verses 19-25)

He gave a report on what had happened overseas and told how the believers were getting on each place, both Jews and Gentiles. They were glad to hear this and praised God for it, but then voiced their concern that so many believing Jews in Israel had heard that Paul was teaching Jewish believers in these foreign places to forsake the law of Moses. There were four men who had taken on, and performed a vow, and were now ready to be released from it by going to shave their heads and be purified at the temple. They felt it would be a good idea if Paul identified himself with them so that others would see that he still conformed to the rules.

c.    What did Paul do? How long did this last for?      (verses  24, 26-27a)

He went along with their ideas and shaved his head when they did and stayed around the temple area for the week.

d.   What did the elders say that the Gentiles had to do?      (verse 25)

The Gentiles were not bound to anything written in the law, apart from not eating blood in any form.

e.  Did this pacify the militant Jews? What accusations did they make against him?     (verses 27b-29)

No! They had seen him in the city with a Greek man and said that he had taken him into the temple thus polluting it, and was teaching against the law and the temple.

f.     What happened in the course of this riot?   (verses  30-36)

They dragged Paul out of the temple and were about to kill him when the Roman soldiers came  and rescued him from the beating he was getting. They arrested him when Paul asked if he could speak.

g.  What happened then?   (verses 37-40)    

The chief captain quizzed him a bit and then gave him permission to speak to the crowd. So Paul began his speech……………

 

Acts  Twenty-two….(verses 1-30)

1.   Verses 1-23

a.  Paul was speaking to mainly Jews this time….where did he start his  talk?         (verses1-5)

He started with what they already knew….his life as a Pharisee and how he had been taught by one of the most noted teachers of the law, and then went out to try to stamp out this new movement by arresting and throwing the Christians into prison.

b.  What did he go on to tell about then?    (verses 6-11)

Something they didn’t know…… how he became a believer in this new movement himself. He told of his trip to Damascus and of his encounter with the glorified risen Jesus of Nazareth and he was struck blind by the brilliant light and then his conversion to following Him.

c.    What do we notice particularly about verses 7-8?      

That when people persecute Christians for their faith, they are actually persecuting the Lord Jesus in heaven.

d.    What confidence can this give us?      

That He feels our every hurt and identifies with each one of us so individually and  intimately.

e.   What do we see about those who were travelling with Paul on that trip?   How do we reconcile these two accounts?    (verse 9; Acts 9:7)

They could see the great light and heard a noise that may have been like thunder, but they didn’t hear the Voice or the words  that Saul heard…..they were for his ears only.

f        What are we told in the first account that isn’t  mentioned here?       (verses 12-16; Acts 9:9-16)

That Paul remained blind for three days before the Lord spoke to Ananias telling him to go and see him  so he could get his sight back. The Lord also told Ananias that Paul was going to be a special messenger to the Gentiles and would suffer many things through his life.

g.   What does Paul tell about in verses 17-21?      

How he had gone to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple when he heard God telling him to leave immediately for his own safety as he was to go to far places and preach to the Gentiles.

h.  What did the mention of this make the crowd  do?     (verses 22-23)

They went mad and roared to get rid of him, that he wasn’t fit to live….they threw off their clothes and threw dust at him!

2.   Verses 24-30

a.   What did the Roman captain do then to keep the crowd from tearing Paul apart ?         (verse 24)

He took Paul into the castle and commanded that he be whipped  to teach him a lesson.

b.  What stopped this happening?     (verses 25-26)

Paul asked the soldier who was tying him up if it was lawful to whip a Roman without a fair trial. The soldier went to the captain and told him he’d better be careful because Paul was a Roman.

c.    How could Paul have been a Roman when he was a Jew?      (verses  27-28)

Paul’s family were Roman citizens, which meant that he was born a Roman citizen.

d.   What did the captain say to that?      (verses 28-29)

He realised he had better be careful how he treated Paul….he himself had had to buy his citizenship whereas Paul was a freeborn citizen.

e.  What does verse 30 tell us happened then?    

They untied Paul and called the rulers together the next day to give Paul a fair hearing about their charges.

 

Acts  Twenty-three….(verses 1-35)

1.   Verses 1-10

a.  What did Ananias order to be done to Paul as he started to speak? Why?            (verses1-2)

Paul’s statement that he had a good conscience before God made Ananias very angry.

b.  What did Paul say to that? What did his description mean?    (verse 3)

Paul called him a “whited wall” which meant that he looked and sounded OK on the outside, but inside was a different story….in this case he wasn’t following the law correctly when he was supposed to be upholding it.

c.    How did Paul divide his listeners? With what result?       (verses 6-9)

He could tell that some were Pharisees and some were Sadducees, so he made it plain that he was a Pharisee who believed in the resurrection and in angelic beings (which the Sadducees didn’t) so this made the Pharisee sector wanto to let him off. So they then started to riot among themselves trying to reach Paul!

d.    What did the Roman Captain do ?      (verse 10)

He ordered the soldiers to rescue Paul and take him back into the castle for safety.

2.   Verses 11-35

a.   What assurance did Paul receive from the Lord about his safety ?         (verse 11)

He was conscious of the Lord beside him at night telling him not to be afraid, that he would get to Rome after all!

b.  What other ways over the years had Paul been spoken to by the Lord?     (Acts 16:6, 9;21:4; 27:23-24)

He had strong feelings sent by the Holy Spirit; in a vision at night; advice given by a godly man and seeing the angel standing beside him in times of danger.

c.    How do we receive direction from the Lord today?     

Firstly from God’s Word; secondly from well advised people who are experts in their field of secular things; from godly well experienced people , and then from strong clear feelings which come from the Holy Spirit  after much prayer, and finally circumstances. If all these dovetail in together then this is the Lord’s leading and is  an open door to proceed.

d.   What was going on in secret around Paul at this time?      (verses 12-22)

More than forty men had determined to kill Paul and vowed to eat nothing until he was dead….this plan was overheard by Paul’s nephew who told Paul and then the army captain.

e.  What happened then?     (verses 23-24)

The captain immediately got an army detachment together of 400 soldiers with an escort of 70 horse mounted guards  to take Paul to the Roman governor at Caesarea.

f  What else did the Captain send?       (verses 25-30)

He sent a letter of explanation to the governor telling him what had happened.

g.   What do verses 32-35 tell us?      

The soldiers delivered Paul safely, and when the governor had read the latter, he said he would hear the case when the accusers came.

 

Acts  Twenty-four….(verses 1-27)

1.   Verses 1-27

a.  Who followed Paul to Caesarea? Why?     (verses1-2a)

The high priest and elders hired a top lawyer to lay their case against Paul before the governor.

b.  How did the lawyer go about making his point?    (verses 2b-4)

He began by praising up Felix, and telling him how good he was.

c.    What accusation was he bringing against Paul?     (verses 5-8) 

He said that Paul was a public nuisance who caused trouble wherever he went, and that they would have dealt with him themselves but the captain of the army took him away from them. Now they wanted action.

d.    Paul was being given a fair trial….how did he answer?       (verses9-20)

He didn’t preach at them, but gave a clear testimony of his beliefs and a concise statement of his visit to Jerusalem. He then went on to say that the Jews who first accused him hadn’t even come to the trial.

e        What did he saw caused the riot in Jerusalem?    (verse 21)

The fact that he mentioned the resurrection from the dead, and the Sadducees took exception to it.

f        What was the governor’s judgment of the matter?       (verse  22)

He understood the situation and adjourned the court until the army captain could come in person and back up Paul’s story.

g.   What did the governor do with Paul then?      (verses 23-27)

He allowed Paul out on bail under supervision and allowed visitors…..he often called Paul to talk with him and his wife (a Jewess), and trembled when he heard of God’s righteousness and judgement to come, but he never did anything about it. He was hoping for a bribe to let Paul go, but it didn’t happen, so Paul was kept under detention for two years.

 

Acts  Twenty-five….(verses 1-27)

1.   Verses 1-27

a.  Who was the new governor that replaced Felix?   (verse1)

Festus.

b.  What did the Jewish authorities do when Festus visited Jerusalem?    (verses 2-3)

They asked that Paul be brought to Jerusalem for trial, and they plotted to kill him on the way.

c.    What did Festus say to this? How do we see God ordering the circumstances?     (verses 4-6) 

Festus didn’t know their plans to kill Paul en route, but God did. Festus said they could go to Caesarea themselves if they wanted to lay a complaint against Paul.

d.    What happened during this trial?       (verses 7-8)

The Jews had no proof of what they were saying, so it came to nothing.

e     What was Festus really doing in wanting a re-trial?    (verse 9)

He was wanting to please the Jews, while knowing he couldn’t condemn Paul for nothing.

f     What did Paul say to the idea of a re-trial in Jerusalem?       (verses  10-12)

He  appealed to the high court in Rome, to be judged by Caesars as Festus knew  he hadn’t done anything wrong.

g.   What happened in the meantime?      (verses 13-21)

King Agrippa came for a visit, and Festus told him about this  prisoner with strange ideas and how he had appealed to go before Caesar.

h.  What happened then?        (verses 22-23)

Agrippa said he would like to hear him, so Festus arranged a hearing for the next day which was conducted with great pomp.

i.  What was the main reason that Festus wanted Agrippa to hear Paul?    (verses 24-27)

Because he didn’t really know what accusation to send him before Caesar with…..he could hardly send a prisoner with no accusation against him!

j.    Did you pick up the name of the Caesar in power at this time?    

Yes, in verse 21 it mentions his name as Augustus.

 

Acts  Twenty-six….(verses 1-32)

1.   Verses 1-32

a.  Festus had already heard Paul speak, so Agrippa gave him permission to start…..where did Paul begin?           (verses1-8)

Paul started with Agrippa’s knowledge of the Jewish faith and traditions….he stated that he had lived as a strict Pharisee and believed in the resurrection.

b.  What did he carry on to say?    (verses 9-11)

How he had hunted and persecuted the believers of this new teaching about Jesus of Nazareth, and had many of them put to death.

c.    What did Paul say in this account of his conversion that is not told us in the others?       (verses 12-20; Acts 9:3-8; 22:6-11)

That the Lord told him at the time of his vision, that he would be sent to preach far and wide to the Gentile peoples of what he was going to learn. Their eyes would be opened and they would turn from darkness to light in receiving forgiveness of sin.

d.    What was the vital piece of his defence that brought a response from Festus ?   What did Festus say?   (verses 21-23)

It was when Paul told how Jesus Christ came in fulfillment of the Old Testament prophets who had said that a Messiah would come to suffer and be resurrected and show spiritual light to all people. Festus couldn’t take any more, and said loudly, “Paul, you’re mad! You’ve done too much learning!”

e.   What did Paul go on to say to Agrippa ?         (verses 25-27)

“I know that you believe the prophets, and you know about these things….what are you going to do about it?”

f.  What was Agrippa’s reply?     (verse 28)

You’ve almost persuaded me to become a Christian!

g.    What was the result of the trial?      (verses 29-32)

Both governors agreed that Paul didn’t deserve the death sentence, and that he could have been set free if he hadn’t appealed for a court hearing before Caesar.

 

Acts  Twenty-seven….(verses 1-44)

1.   Verses 1-13

a.  What happened to Paul after his trial?       (verse1)

Paul  (and a group of other prisoners) was given to a centurion of Augustus’ army named  Julius,  to sail to Italy.

b.  Who were at least two of Paul’s companions who went with him?    (verse 2)

Aristachus from Macedonia, and Luke, the writer of this account.

c.    What can we assume about Aristarchus from Colossians 4:10?      

That he was also one of the prisoners in Paul’s group.

d.    How did the Roman captain treat Paul?       (verse 3)

Very courteously in giving him  permission  to go and see his friends while in port.

e.    Look at the map…..how far did this ship go? What did they do at this place?   (verses 4-6)

They went as far as Myra, a town in the region of Lycia. The ship stopped there, and they then transferred to another boat going to Italy.

f.  What sort of a trip did they begin to have at this stage?    (verses 7-8)

It began to be a bad trip with head winds, so they changed direction to go around the island of Crete instead, and just made it to a small harbour at Fair Havens near Lasea.

g.  Where did they intend to go from there? Why?    (verses 9-12)

They thought they had better move on to a bigger harbour further along the coast, and stay there for the winter.

h.    What did Paul advise them to do? With what result?       (verses 9-11)

He told them they should stay where they were, but the captain was keen to move on and the centurion took more notice of him than Paul.

i.    When did they leave?       (verse 13)

One day when the south wind was blowing lightly, they set off.

2.    Verses 14-44

a.  Look at the map of Paul’s journey to Rome….what do you notice about the next stage of their journey?  (verses 13-15)

The light south wind that they started with didn’t laast, and the wind swung round to a northerly gale called Euroclydon which often came at this time of the year.

b.  How long did this storm last?    (verse 27)

It lasted two weeks.

c.    What does verse 20 tell us?      

That they hadn’t seen the sun for days, and didn’t really know where they were, so they gave up hope.

d.    How did Paul feel in the midst of all this turmoil?       (verses 21-26)

He was quite calm, and took charge telling them that they would all get to shore safely although the ship would be lost.

e.    How did Paul know this? What made him so confident?   (verses 23-25)

He had had a vision of an angel standing beside him who told him these things.

f.    What did he finish up by saying?       (verse 25)

“Don’t be afraid, I believe God, and this will happen as He said.”

g.    Paul was not a man of the sea, but what was he?

Paul was a man of God and full of faith in Him.

h.   What can we learn from this situation Paul found himself in ?   (1 Corinthians 16:1; Philippians 4:6-7)

It is one thing to belong to the Lord, and another thing to be strong in faith….we have to be both to have God’s peace in frightening situations.

i.  What happened in verses 27-29?    

They were still being tossed around by huge seas when the sailors could hear breakers on the shore so they put the sounder over the side (piece of lead on a line) and found it was getting shallower about midnight, so they put four anchors over and wished for the daylight!

j.    What did the sailors try to do?   What did Paul say?   (verses 30-32)

They let down their dinghy into the sea and were going to leave ths ship, but Paul told the centurion to stop them so the soldiers cut the ropes and the dinghy went without them.

k.    What did Paul tell them all next?    (verses33-34)

Look, everyone is going to be safe, let’s have something to eat so you will have strength to get ashore.

l.   What did Paul do when the food was brought out ?   (verse 35)

He gave thanks to God for it before eating it.

m.  How did everyone feel at Paul’s confidence? How many were on board?     (verses 36-38)

They felt a lot better , and all had something to eat…..all 276 of them. They threw the rest of the  cargo overboard.

n.    What do verses 39-44 tell us?  Imagine the scene…………

When morning came they pulled up the anchors and let the ship run to shore. As the ship ran aground, they all grabbed something floatable and jumped into the water, getting to shore safely just as Paul had said.

 

Acts  Twenty-eight….(verses 1-31)

1.   Verses 1-14

a.  Look at the map….what island were they shipwrecked on? What is it modern name?            (verse 1)

The island was called Melita which is modern day Malta.

b.  What was the weather like on land? What time of the year was it?    (verse 2; Acts 27:12)

The weather was still wet and stormy……it was winter time.

c.    How were the people described? What else do we know about them?       (verses 2, 10)

They were described as barbarians, probably regarded by the Romans and uneducated and primitive, but they were kind to these refugees  and treated them hospitably and courteously.

d.    What happened to Paul to make him stand out in their eyes?       (verses3-6)

When they were gathering firewood a poisonous snake fell out of the wood and bit him….everyone there saw him shake it off into the fire and watched to see if he dropped dead from it, but when he didn’t they changed their minds and said he must be supernatural.

e.    What else did Paul do that made him special in their eyes?   (verses 7-10)

He healed the chief man’s father, and then others who were sick came and were healed too.

f.    How long did they stay on Malta? We aren’t told anything else about his stay there, but what do you suppose he would have been doing?       (verse 11)

They stayed the winter months there as no other ships were sailing until the weather improved (three months). Paul would have been preaching the gospel while he was healing the people.

g.    How can we see God’s hand in this whole incident of the shipwreck?

It was God’s way of giving these people a chance to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ that they would never have heard otherwise. They weren’t even on Paul’s itinerary at any stage, yet they were still special to God.

h.   What does this tell us for today ?   (Acts 17:30; Romans 1:14)

That God wants all men everywhere to repent and come to Him, whether they are educated or not, no matter how primitive they may be.

i.   Paul’s party had landed on the island with nothing except what was on them….how did they get enough to continue on their journey ?   (verse 10)

The local people gave them what they needed to continue their journey when they left.

j.  What do we notice about the ship that they left the island on?      (verse  11)

It  had originally sailed  from Alexandria in northern Africa and .belonged to the line of Castor and Pollux. It  had been in the island’s harbour  for all the winter months.

k.  Look at the map again….where was their first port of call?    (verse 12)

It was a port in  Sicily called Syracuse.

l.    They called next at Rhegium…..what do we notice about their trip up the coast of Italy?   (verse 13)   

They had a favourable  southerly wind, and it was a fast trip lasting  less that 24 hours.

m.    What did they do at Puteoli?       (verses 21-26)

The ship stopped there and it was a week before they were able to carry on to Rome. Paul found some believers and had fellowship with them while there.

2.   Verses 15-31

a.  Paul’s party of prisoners was finally put ashore at Puteoli……how do we assume they travelled from there to Rome?            (verses 14b-15)

They went overland, so we assume they marched on foot to Rome.

b.  What really encouraged Paul on this leg of the trip?    (verse 15)

The believers in Rome heard that he was coming and they went to meet him, which encouraged him a lot.

c.    What happened to Paul when he arrived at Rome?       (verse 16)

The prisoners were all delivered to the captain of the guard there, and Paul was allowed to stay on his own with just one soldier to guard him

d.    What did Paul do after three days? (verses 17-20)

He called for all the Jewish leaders who were living in Rome to come and see him, and explained why he was there as a prisoner.

e.    What did they say in reply to his explanation?   (verses 21-22)

They said that they hadn’t had any letters from Jerusalem accusing  him, but they wanted to hear what this “sect” was all about.

f.    What happened then?       (verses  23-24)

Paul arranged for them to come at a certain time, and then told them what it was all about, with the usual result…..some believed and others didn’t.

g.    What was Paul’s summing up of the meeting?     (verses 25-28)

Isaiah spoke well when he said that some of you will hear and not understand, and others will deliberately close their eyes to the truth that they see, but the Gentiles will gladly embrace these teachings.

h.   How long did Paul stay in Rome for this time? What would have happened then ?   (verses 30-31)

Paul stayed in Rome for two years in his own rented place, and preached the Word, establishing a thriving church in that time.

1. e.      Luke leaves his account of Paul’s doings there, and we have to rely on history to tell us the rest.   We can piece together his movements a little from references in his letters to what he was doing……

63 A.D.

In the Spring of 63 A.D. Paul is acquitted of the charges against him. He travels from Rome to the isle of Crete (Titus 1:5). How does Paul describe the people of Crete?   (Titus 1:5, 12-13)

As being lazy liars, and untrustworthy. He tells Titus to straighten the believers up, and to live godly lives.

i.    Paul leaves Titus in Crete and goes to Nicopolis in Macedonia (Titus 3:12). From Nicopolis Paul writes the book of 1Timothy and Titus.  These books give us a clear understanding of how to run a local church. How long did Paul intend to stay in Nicopolis?

He intended to stay the winter there.

64 A.D. to 67 A.D.

j.   Paul possibly travels to Spain …..what was Paul’s great desire in  Romans 15: 24, 28?

Paul’s great desire was to get to Spain to preach the gospel there, and he wanted to call on the Roman believers on the way.

k. Paul was back in the Roman prison in 67 A.D. and writes 2Timothy. This letter to his close friend, traveling companion and fellow laborer in spreading the gospel would be his last epistle…what does he say as he reviews his life?    (2 Timothy 4: 6-8)

I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand.  I have fought a good fight, and finished my course keeping  the faith. The Lord will give me and all other who love Him  a crown of righteousness

68 A.D.

Paul’s death and martyrdom likely occurred in May or June of 68 A.D. as we know from history that the emperor Nero was the one who commanded his execution and he died on June 9, 68 A.D. in Greece.

l. Stop and consider what you have learned from this account of the early apostles’ lives? What impact has it had on you?

There was great resistance from the Jewish leaders to the Gospel, and especially to any suggestion that it would be equally available to Gentile people. The early apostles were faithful in their preaching and teaching as they travelled the known world at that time…..persecution only served to spread the Gospel, not to  stamp it out, and thus it has been God’s plan all through the years. Persecution only serves to fan the fire of the Gospel, and make it burn all the brighter.