Reading the Acts of the Apostles ... Acts 21:18 - 26:32

Acts 21:18 - 26:32
When God Drops Out of the Picture
May 27-June 2

Make sure you read or listen to Dr. Jack Levison's commentary by following this link: http://blog.spu.edu/lectio

Be sure to spend some time with his "Questions for Further Reflection" at the bottom of the commentary. You'll find new questions there each week!

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Paul Visits James in Jerusalem, Then is Arrested by Roman Authorities

Acts 21:17-36

 

Luke continues to recount the action by using the pronoun “we” – an eyewitness account.  Paul arrives in Jerusalem and makes a report of his ministry to James.  There is much rejoicing, but there’s a catch.  Paul learns that there are some Jewish believers who are under the impression that he has been teaching Jews not to observe the Law of Moses, and they’re not very happy about it.  Paul follows the suggestion for reconciliation, going through a ritual of purification according to the Jewish law.

 

• Why do you think Paul went ahead and purified himself as requested?
• Have you ever “bent over backwards” to meet the demands of someone or a particular group?  Share your story.
• How important is it to meet others’ demands in Christian community?  What are the limits?

 

 

Paul Defends Himself, Witnessing to His Conversion and Call

Acts 21:37-22:29

 

Paul’s purification actions didn’t keep some Jews from Asia from seeing him in the temple and seizing him, firing up the crowd by accusing Paul of “teaching all men everywhere against our people and our law and this place.”  They tried to kill Paul, but he was saved by being arrested by the commander of Roman troops in Jerusalem.  The Roman Commander mistakenly thought Paul was an Egyptian revolutionary.  In response, to clarify his identity, he received the Commander’s permission to speak to the crowd who sought his life.  He spoke to them in the people's language of Aramaic, sharing the testimony of his conversion and calling into missionary service in the church.  The crowd was not sympathetic, but raged all the more.  Paul was about to be flogged by a Roman Centurion when he informed them that he was a Roman citizen.  The Roman citizenship he was born with would allow him to be protected and heard.

 

• Paul was saved by being arrested, something that is usually seen as a negative circumstance. Have you ever experienced a good side of something bad in your life?  How might a negative experience save you from something worse?
• What is your testimony of meeting and starting to follow Jesus?  How is it similar to Paul’s?  How is it different?
• Have you ever shared your testimony with a person or a group?  Were they friendly to you, or hostile?  What was the experience like?
• What do you think is the most difficult aspect of speaking your story of faith in Jesus?

 

 

Paul in Trouble with the Jewish Leaders

Acts 22:30-23:22

 

Paul continues his defense of his ministry in front of the council of chief priests and elders in Jerusalem.  Paul is bold in defending himself from mistreatment, but also shows humility in acknowledging that he misspoke in speaking harshly to the high priest, something scripture forbids.  By claiming that he was on trial “concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead” (v. 6), he touched off a debate between two main groups on the council, the Pharisees and Sadducees.  The Pharisees were sympathetic to Paul because they believed in the concept of the resurrection, while the Sadducees did not.  In verse 11 we see that the Lord is standing near Paul and encouraging him, letting Paul in on the master plan that is unfolding: just as Paul has testified for Jesus in Jerusalem, he will also bear witness to Jesus in Rome.  A conspiracy to kill Paul is discovered by Paul’s nephew; Paul sends him to the Roman authorities to tell them of the plot.

 

• How do you stay humble and obedient to God’s word in the midst of difficult circumstances?
• In the New Testament, Pharisees generally get a bad rap, but Paul is proof positive that Jesus can transform their lives…and they actually have beliefs (e.g. resurrection) that might serve as “doorways” to Christian faith.  What “doorways to Christian faith” do you see in the lives and outlooks of non-Christians in our culture?
• How has Jesus stood near you and whispered encouragement to you?  What was your situation?  How might Jesus be encouraging you through what you are going through now?

 

 

Paul Explains Himself – and the Gospel – to the Civil Authorities

23:23 - 26:32

 

Around Seattle, there’s a lot of talk about King Felix (Mariners’ pitcher Felix Hernandez).  But here in Acts, Felix is the Roman Governor and Agrippa (Herod Agrippa II) is the King.  To each of these powerful civil authorities Paul defends his actions, recites his testimony, and witnesses to Jesus [Felix, 24:10-21 & Agrippa, 26:1-29].  Paul is now in Caesarea on the coast (not the famed Caesarea Philippi of the gospels), one step closer to Rome.  Jesus is moving Paul closer to Rome, and influencing the actions of the Roman authorities to make it happen.  Paul tells the truth as he gives his account, and speaks about faith in Christ Jesus as he does it.  But the process is painfully slow: Paul is in prison in Caesarea for over two years!  The finer points of justice are why it’s taking so long: defining the charges against Paul and factoring in his rights as a Roman citizen.  But this process preserves Paul’s life from plots to kill him, prolongs his ministry, and allows him to preach to the powerful.

 

• What would you say if you were put on the stand to defend your Christian actions and beliefs?
• How have you shared your personal testimony of faith in Jesus?
• Describe where you think Jesus is moving you.  What people and places might be on the next leg of your journey of following Christ?
• For Paul, prison actually provided protection from evil forces.  What seems like a prison to you but actually might be a positive thing in the long run?

 

 

 

In Christ,

 

Pastor Kurt

Reading the Acts of the Apostles ... Acts 15:36 - 18:22

Acts 15:36–18:22
Strange Happenings
May 13 – 19

Make sure you read or listen to Dr. Jack Levison's commentary by following this link:

 

 

http://blog.spu.edu/lectio

 

 

Be sure to spend some time with his "Questions for Further Reflection" at the bottom of the commentary. You'll find new questions there each week!

 

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Personal Conflict Leads to Reshuffling Mission Teams

Acts 15:36 – 16:5

 

Ever had a personal disagreement with someone at church?  The most difficult ones tend to be when we disagree about how to move forward in ministry and mission, and when it involves a judgment about a person’s qualifications for ministry.  Barnabas and Paul disagree on both counts, and the “disagreement became so sharp that they parted company.”!!!  Barnabas and Mark went by sea to Cyprus, Paul chose Silas and travelled by land in Syria and Cilicia.  The story follows Paul and Silas into the town of Lystra, where we meet Timothy.  Half-Gentile & half-Jewish, Paul had him circumcised even though his job is to share the decision of the elders in Jerusalem that this procedure is no longer required of Gentile believers.  What gives?  All the while, “the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in numbers daily.”

• Have you ever had a disagreement with someone in the church over ministry decisions?  Share an example.
• How did you feel about being in this disagreement?  How did you feel about the person you disagreed with?
• What, if anything, led to the fixing of the disagreement or healing the relationship?
• How does it make you feel to know that there were major disagreements even in the early church?

How God gets Paul to Philippi

16:6 – 15

The Spirit of Jesus says “No” to Paul and Silas’ ministry plans.  What to do now?  But then Paul has a vision in which he sees a man saying “Come to Macedonia and help us.”  Convinced that God was calling them there, they sailed from Troas to Neapolis, then Philippi.  Who does Paul meet in Philippi? Not a man, but a group of women gathered for prayer.  In particular, a business woman named Lydia whose heart was opened to their message by the Lord.  It is through Lydia’s wealth/resources that God provides a place for Paul and Silas to stay.

• Share an experience of when God has said “No” to your plans.  How did you discover this response, and what did it feel like?  How did God lead you in another direction?
• What area of your life do you need God to give you more direction?
• Have you ever known a Christian business woman like Lydia, who makes money from a business and uses it to support the mission of the church?  Share your example.
• What is your profession/career – or what do you hope it will be?  How might you serve God through this career as Lydia did through hers?

Paul & Silas in Prison – Shaken Up by Salvation

16:16-40

The world will put up with a lot of the activities of the church, but here we see an example of where the line is often drawn – when the witness of the church and its caring for oppressed people is bad for business.  Freeing the fortune-telling slave girl is what gets them arrested: “But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul & Silas…”  In jail, while Paul & Silas were joyfully singing hymns to God, an earthquake shook the foundations and they were free!  But the purpose of their freedom was to bring the salvation of the Lord Jesus to the jailer and his family.

• What activities does the church do in the world that might be bad for business?
• What does this episode say about the value of vulnerable people in a world of commerce?
• What is your favorite part of the Prison/Earthquake/Jailer conversion story?
• What would you say to someone who asked you “What do I have to do to be saved?”
• Of all the people in your life right now, who might be closest to actually asking this question?  How can you stay alert and ready to respond?

Turning the World Upside Down in Thessalonica & Beroea

Acts 17: 1-15

Jason takes one for the team.  We don’t know much about him, but we do know that he hosted the apostles at his home, and because of this a mob of ruffians attacked his house and dragged him to the authorities.  In Thessalonica and Berea, Paul starts his ministry the same way he usually does, with a visit to the Jewish synagogue.  Overall, however, the Beroeans were much more receptive to the message: “these Jews were more receptive than those in Thessalonica, for they welcomed the message very eagerly and examined the scriptures every day to see whether these things were so” (v. 11).  True to form, Paul and Silas do God’s work in the midst of opposition that follows them around to harass them and turn the crowds against them.

 

• Have you ever “paid the price” for sticking up for someone who was being mistreated?  Share your example.
• Come up with some examples of contemporary situations in which hosting a person at your home might expose you to violence.  Would God still want you to do it if it exposed you to harm?  What safeguards might help protect you?
• Why do you think the Beroeans were more receptive than the Thessalonians?  How much a part do you think their eager “examination of the scriptures” played in this?
• How eager are you in examining the scriptures? Is it a daily thing for you?

Athens…The Message Goes Global
17:16-34

Paul arrives in Athens, distressed to see the city full of idols.  He argued in the synagogue with the Jews, and argued in the marketplace (civic center) with Epicurean and Stoic philosophers.  He is invited to speak at the Areopagus because people are curious about this “new” teaching.  Paul speaks of Jesus in a way that the people can understand, fitting his message to their world & culture. 

 

• How is this story of Jesus different from the ones Paul and Peter have been proclaiming so far in Acts?
• Why do you think Paul quotes an inscription from a pagan altar and Greek poetry instead of sharing the story of God from the Old Testament?
• “Mars Hill” is the Roman name for the Greek “Hill of Ares,” the Areopagus in Athens where Paul preaches.  It is also a popular name for new churches started in the last few decades.  Why do you think churches choose this name to label their ministry?  If you are familiar with any churches named Mars Hill, how does their ministry reflect what Paul is doing/saying on the original Mars Hill in Athens?  How might it not reflect the original Mars Hill preaching?

Corinth…Christian Community in the midst of Commerce
18:1-22

Paul’s time in Corinth is made even more memorable by the two (or more!) letters he wrote to the church there after he moved on.  But the story of his original time there is a story of Christian community.  First, Paul meets Aquila and his wife Priscilla - they become co-workers in the tent-making business.  After meeting resistance at the synagogue, he goes next door to the house of Titius Justus.  From there, Crispus, the synagogue official, becomes a believer in the Lord.  Inspired by a vision in which the Lord spoke to him, he stayed in Corinth for a year and a half.  That’s a lot of time making tents, developing relationships, and preaching the message of Jesus.

 

• We don’t always think of work or school as places where we’ll meet other Christians.  Has this every happened to you?  Share.
• How important to you are Christian relationships?
• What benefits do you receive from others in these relationships?  What benefits do you offer others?
• Who might God be calling you to spend more time with so you can be an encouragement to them in their walk with Christ?

Together in Christ,

Kurt

Reading the Acts of the Apostles - Chapter 13:1 - 15:35

Acts 13:1 - 15:35
...How to Raise a Ruckus - The Right Way
May 6 - May 12, 2013

Make sure you read or listen to Dr. Jack Levison's commentary by following this link:

http://blog.spu.edu/lectio

Be sure to spend some time with his "Questions for Further Reflection" at the bottom of the commentary.  You'll find new questions there each week!


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Paul’s First Missionary Journey

Acts 13:1-9

The Holy Spirit said (v. 2), The Holy Spirit sent (v. 4), The Holy Spirit filled (v. 9). It is the Holy Spirit who leads the New Testament church in mission.  The church at Antioch had prophets and teachers who were led by the Holy Spirit. Two were set apart to proclaim the word of God elsewhere – Barnabas and Saul.  Saul then becomes Paul.  Contrary to popular belief, Paul’s name change did not happen soon after his conversion, but after his commissioning and on his first missionary journey (v. 9).

• How do you follow the Holy Spirit’s leading? 
• What does your church do to follow it?
• How do you know the difference between your own thoughts and the Holy Spirit’s leading?

The Island of Cyprus

13:4-12

Jewish false prophet Bar-Jesus (a.k.a. Elymas), a magician, opposed Paul & Barnabas and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith.  Proconsul Sergius Paulus wanted to hear the word of God.  Paul powerfully confronts the magician Elymas, and Sergius Paulus believes.

• Have you ever run across someone who is intent on turning someone away from the Christian faith?  Share about this experience. 
• How might God work in power to confound a person such as this?
• Is it appropriate to pray for God to do this?  Share your thoughts.

 

Pisidian Antioch

13:13-52

First, people in the synagogue - initially intrigued but then critical of the message due to the crowd’s overwhelming positive response - "stir up persecution” and “drive out of the region” Paul and Barnabas (v. 50).  Second, “almost the whole city” (v. 44) gathered to hear the message, and the gentiles were glad and believed (“…as many as had been destined for eternal life became believers” v. 48).  Here in this town Paul gives his first speech/sermon in Acts, and follows it up with an encore.  The disciples are filled with joy even under persecution.

The same message produces friends and enemies.

• In your opinion, what is it that attracts people to Jesus and the Christian faith? 
• What is it that makes people angry or turns them against the faith?

 

Iconium (in Pisidia)

14:1-7

The apostles preach in the synagogue, and great numbers of Jews & Greeks believed.  But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the gentiles and poisoned their minds against “the brothers” (v. 1-2).  This resistance led Paul & Barnabas to remain for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord.  Eventually, a group of Gentiles, Jews, and their rulers made plans to mistreat them and to stone them, but the apostles got wind of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe to continue proclaiming the good news (v. 5-7).

• Has the challenge associated with others’ negative response to your faith ever caused you to go deeper in the faith?  Explain. 
• In what ways might you be facing an opportunity like this in your life today?

 

Lystra & Derbe (in Pisidia)

14:8-20

Paul heals a man crippled from birth, and the crowds are amazed.  They jump to the conclusion that Barnabas and Paul are Greek gods who have come to earth in human form!  Barnabas and Paul vehemently refuse to be worshiped (“we are mortals just like you”) and call the people to turn to the living God.  Barnabas and Paul were gathering quite a following.  But they also were collecting enemies who followed them around to oppose them.  Jews from Antioch and Iconium - cities the apostles have previously preached in - win over the crowds, stone Paul and drag him out of the city.  But there are disciples who “surround him,” enabling him to continue on his journey.

• How well do you think you handle complements? 
• In what ways have people praised you for the good work you do for God or for the character that God is producing in you? 
• How might you receive this praise in a way that also gives God credit?

 
Retracing Steps on the Return to Syrian Antioch

14:21-28

Paul & Barnabas retrace their steps, travelling back through each town and establishing the church (From Derbe, to Lystra, then to Iconium, then to Pisidian Antioch).  They appoint elders and entrust them with the ministry and the care and equipping of the believers.  They stop in Perga (a town in the coastal region of Pamphylia), then sail for Syrian Antioch.  They report on “all that God had done” and stayed for some time there with the disciples at their home church.

• What experience do you have of needing to retrace your steps and go back to finish up unfinished business? 
• Why do you think the churches needed “elders?” 
• Who provides this God-ordained leadership in your church? 
• How do they support you in your Christian life and ministry? 
• How do you support them?

A Trip to the Council at Jerusalem, then Back to Antioch with a Question Resolved

15:1-35

Christians from Judea came to Antioch, teaching that believers needed to be circumcised according to the law of Moses in order to be saved.  Paul and Barnabas debated this, and eventually were appointed by the church to travel to Jerusalem to discuss this issue with the apostles and elders there.  Peter is there, and makes a speech in favor of removing this requirement (contrast this to Paul’s version of Peter’s involvement in Galatians 2:1-14).  James finally reaches a decision: “we should not trouble those gentiles who are turning to God…but only require them “to abstain from things polluted by idols, and from fornication and from whatever has been strangled and from blood.”  The Jerusalem church appoints two of their leaders – Judas Barsabbas and Silas – to accompany Paul and Barnabas back to Antioch and share the decision (the full text of the letter is verses 23-29).  When the members of the Antioch church read it, they rejoiced.

• Do you think this issue was worthy of such a high-level meeting of church leaders?  Explain. 
• How does it make you feel to know there were disagreements and debates in the church even in these early days?
• What important issues are leaders of your church discussing today? 
• How do these issues impact the mission of the church and its outreach to new believers?

Together in Christ,

Kurt

Reading the Acts of the Apostles - Chapters 10-12

Acts 10-12
...On Second Thought
April 29-May 5

I highly recommend that you read or listen to Dr. Jack Levison's commentary by following this link:

http://blog.spu.edu/lectio

 

Be sure to spend some time with the Questions for Further Reflection at the bottom of the commentary. You'll find new questions there each week. 

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Peter & Cornelius – God’s Work of Integrating Jews & Gentiles in the Church

Acts 10:1 – 11:18

God-given vision changes the church.  Cornelius, a gentile (Roman military commander) in the Mediterranean coastal city of Caesarea*, has a vision.  Peter, the lead apostle of the church, also has a vision while on the coastal town of Joppa.  God brings them together at Cornelius’ home.  Long story short – God speaks clearly to the leadership of the church that the good news is not only for Jews, but also for gentiles (non-Jews).  In 10:34-43, there’s Peter preaching the good news about Jesus again.  As the gentiles respond in faith, God pours out the gift of the Holy Spirit on them.  This is a first!  Gentiles receive the Holy Spirit…who would have predicted this?!  In chapter 11, Peter explains to the Jewish believers in Jerusalem what happened…and they embrace the change.

• God-given visions had a huge part to play in this episode.  What is your experience of having visions?  How do you know if a vision is from God?
• As crazy as it sounds, what happened in this episode is the reason those of us who are not Jews can be part of the church!  What kind of experience do you have with Christians who are also Jewish (sometimes called Messianic Christians)?  What do you appreciate most about the Jewish heritage of the church?
• Some people interpret this passage to be the scriptural support for full inclusion and approval of all kinds of groups in the church, notably in relation to sexual orientation.  What do you think of this approach?  How do you interpret the meaning of this story for the church today?

*Caeasarea Maritima http://www.bibleplaces.com/caesarea.htm

 
 

The Integrated Church in Antioch – Missionary Training Ground for Saul & Barnabas
Acts 11:19-30

Antioch is the first place Jesus’ followers were called “Christians.”  The church there was one of the first integrated churches, including both Jews and Greeks.  It was here that Saul and Barnabas became ministry partners and taught the church for a year in what turned out to be a training ground for their future missionary travels.  The Antioch church cares for the believers in Judea who suffer through a famine.  God cares for the poor members of his family through the gifts of others in the church.

• What do you think about being known as a “Christian.”  Is it a title you are comfortable with people knowing/using?  Why or why not?
• God trains those he calls into his service.  Share an experience that God used to prepare you for what was to come.  Looking back, did you know what God was up to?  How much faith and hope did it take?  What might God be preparing you for right now?
• How does (or how might) God use your gifts to help poor believers in your church?  In the world-wide church?  

Peter’s Miraculous Escape From Prison – Surprise!

Acts 12

King Herod is on the war path against the Jesus people (he doesn’t have long until he meets his demise).  Peter is arrested and placed in prison, but God sends an angel to free him from his chains and open every prison door.  The believers were gathered together and praying for his release, but they were in for a surprise - God had answered their prayer!  The episode with the servant Rhoda borders on the comedic – forgetting to open the door, leaving Peter standing there while trying unsuccessfully to convince those gathered that he was right there.  When we pray, we shouldn’t be surprised to see God actually answer them!

• Rhoda is a humble servant, but she plays a big role in this story and gets mentioned by name.  Can you identify with her servant ministry?  Name some of the people whose service to the Lord benefits you, but who rarely get name recognition; praise God for them!
• What chains and gates are holding you back from fully experiencing the promises of God or serving God’s purposes?  How might it help to pray for God’s freedom?  Like the believers prayed for Peter, take some time to pray for church leaders who face difficult trials.

 

Together in Christ,

 

Pastor Kurt