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Overview
How did the church explode from a tiny group to a worldwide force in just a few years?
After Jesus left His followers with a mission, the Spirit of God moved mightily through them to fulfill it. Luke’s account of how the gospel was carried from Jerusalem to Rome—despite every conceivable obstacle—inspires the church today and helps us live out our individual mission in the world. Discover the exciting and challenging first few years of the church, the things we have in common with them today, and how that applies to our faith in the modern-day church. In this Bible study you will find:
- 20 lessons to help lead you through the book of Acts
- Wide margins and extra space for your reflections
- Discussion questions for group study
- Thought-provoking reflection questions and prompts
- Notes for further study
- Applications to help you go deeper
- Helpful excerpts on the historical context
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781600066399 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | The Navigators |
| Publication date: | 02/27/2014 |
| Series: | LifeChange |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 224 |
| Sales rank: | 721,635 |
| File size: | 4 MB |
About the Author
The Navigators is an interdenominational, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people "know Christ and make Him known” as they look to Him and His Word to chart their lives.
Navigators have invested their lives in people for more than seventy-five years, coming alongside them life on life to study the Bible, develop a deepening prayer life, and memorize and apply Scripture, The ultimate goal is to equip Christ followers to fulfill 2 Timothy 2:2—to teach what they have learned to others.
Today, tens of thousands of people worldwide are coming to know and grow in Jesus Christ through the various ministries of The Navigators. Internationally, more than 4,600 Navigator staff of 70 nationalities serve in more than 100 countries.
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Lesson One
OVERVIEW
The Holy Spirit has given us in the New Testament four accounts of Jesus' ministry but only one book on the early years of the church. It is called the Acts of the Apostles, but in fact it tells us only selected things about a few of the apostles. What about John, who gave us five of the New Testament books? What about Matthew, who wrote one gospel? What about Andrew, Thomas, Bartholemew, James the Younger, Simon the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Matthias? Acts is even silent on the last fifteen years or so of Peter's ministry. Clearly, just as God has not chosen to give us a complete biography of Jesus, so He has determined not to inspire a thorough history of the church's beginnings.
What is Acts?
If Acts is not a complete history of the church's first three decades, then what is it? Our first clue is that it is the second of a two-volume work. An early convert to Christianity named Luke wrote a gospel and Acts for a Roman aristocrat named Theophilus (see Luke 1:1-4; Acts 1:1). Luke was the "beloved physician" (Colossians 4:14, nasb) of the apostle Paul. He traveled with Paul on part of his second missionary journey. Some years later, Luke went from Philippi to Jerusalem with Paul, and when Paul was arrested there, Luke accompanied him on his harrowing journey to Rome. We surmise these facts from the way Luke changed from the third person ("they") to the first ("we") in parts of Acts (see 16:10-17; 20:5–21:18; 27:1–28:16).
We don't know whether Luke was a Gentile, a Gentile convert to Judaism, or a Jew before he became a Christian. His writings show that he was steeped in the urban, Gentile, Greek-speaking culture of the Roman Empire; Luke 1:1-4 is written in the literary Greek of the educated elite, and Acts describes Gentile kings, philosophers, and legal details accurately. On the other hand, Luke was also well versed in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament that Jews all over the Empire used.
About Theophilus we can only speculate. His name means "lover of God," but it was a common Greek name and was probably not made up by Luke. In Luke's day, people often wrote for and dedicated their works to wealthy patrons, who helped pay for publishing the books. Theophilus was probably an educated Gentile aristocrat, either a new convert or an interested pagan. Luke may have wanted to help confirm this man and others like him in the faith by showing that it rested on firm historical foundations and the power of God.
When was Acts written? The earliest would be about AD 62, where chapter 28 leaves off abruptly. However, Luke seems to be looking back on those events from at least some distance. On the other hand, the book gives no hint of the deaths of Paul, Peter, or James, nor of the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, nor even of Paul's letters. Would a book written after AD 90 partly about Paul have ignored his letters, which were so influential by then? Most scholars who think Acts is an accurate account by Luke (as opposed to fiction) guess that the book was written over some time and finished "towards AD 70."
1. Look at Luke's prologue to his whole work (see Luke 1:1-4). What does he say Luke-Acts is meant to be? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________
2. In Acts 1:1-2, Luke summarizes volume 1 (Luke's gospel) as an introduction to volume 2 (Acts). He says the gospel is about "all that Jesus began to do and to teach" until His ascension into heaven forty days after the resurrection. If Luke's gospel is about what Jesus began to do and to teach, what is Acts probably about? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________
3. What does Acts 1:8 tell you about the purpose of the book? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________
4. Read 1:15, 2:41, 4:4, 5:14, 6:7, 9:31, 12:24, 16:5, 19:20, and 28:31.
a. What do these verses have in common, and what progression do you see? _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________
b. What does this pattern tell you about Acts? _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________
Acts does not tell us all that Jesus did through the apostles, but only some of what He did through some of them. We learn nothing about the spread of the gospel to "Crete (Titus 1:5), Illyricum (Romans 15:19 — modern Yugoslavia), or Pontus, Cappadocia and Bithynia (1 Peter 1:1), not to mention the church's expansion eastward toward Mesopotamia or southward toward Egypt." Instead, Luke focuses on one line of geographical expansion: from Jerusalem to Rome. Therefore, Acts 1:8 is only a partial clue to the book's theme.
Also, Luke is not concerned to give us the apostles' biographies. He begins with the apostles in Jerusalem, then ignores most of them to focus on Peter and two non-apostles. Then he turns from Peter to Paul, and he ends the book at last with Paul a prisoner in Rome probably destined to live several more years.
Moreover, Luke does not tell us all we might like to know about organization, lifestyle, and worship in the early church. He gives us glimpses of details, but these are incidental to the focus of the story.
What is the main focus? The best way to find this out (indeed, the best way to begin studying any book) is to read it several times, noting first impressions and the major sections. If possible, you should stop now and read through Acts once. Then, get a piece of paper, go back through the book, and write down what each of the following sections is about:
1:1–6:7
This whole procedure should take you four to five hours, but Acts is a terrific story so it should be fun. However, if you don't have time for this kind of preparation, you can look at the following outlines before you read the book.
Acts can be outlined in several ways. We can divide chapters 1–12 (which focus on Peter and the Jewish mission) from chapters 13–28 (which focus on Paul and the Gentile mission). Or we can use 1:8 as a framework, like this:
Jerusalem (1:1–7:60)
Third, we can combine these two views, like this:
I. Peter and the Beginnings of the Church in Palestine (chapters 1–12)
A. "Throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria" (1:1–9:31; see 9:31)
B. "As far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch" (9:32–12:25; see 11:19)
II. Paul and the Expansion of the Church from Antioch to Rome (chapters 13–28)
A. "Throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia" (13:1–15:35; see 16:6)
B. "Over to Macedonia" (15:36–21:16; see 16:9)
C. "To Rome" (21:17–28:31; see 28:14)
Finally, we can use those "progress reports" you observed in question 4, like this:
(1:1–6:7) The earliest church in Jerusalem: Preaching for Jews, common life among Jewish Christians, worship at the temple and synagogues, opposition from other Jews. Concludes with a resolved disagreement between Greek- and Aramaic-speaking believers.
(6:8–9:31) The first geographical expansion: Greek-speaking Jewish Christians ("Hellenists") bring the gospel to Jews, Samaritans (semi-Jews), and a convert to Judaism. The martyrdom of Stephen (a Hellenist) causes the expansion, and the conversion of Paul (a Jew from outside Palestine) partly results from the expansion.
(9:32–12:24) The first expansion to the Gentiles: To make this breakthrough, God uses Peter (an Aramaic-speaking Jew, a "Hebrew") rather than the Hellenists. The Hellenists begin evangelizing Gentiles in Antioch.
(12:25–16:5) The first geographical expansion into the Gentile world: Paul leads. When the church decides that Gentile Christians need not live as Jews, the Gentile mission is free to explode. Opposition is still mainly Jewish.
(16:6–19:20) Paul's westward expansion reaches Europe. Jews continue to reject the gospel, and Gentiles continue to accept it. However, success with some Gentiles produces opposition from others.
(19:21–28:31) Paul reaches Rome with the gospel. Paul suffers many trials patiently while innocent of wrongdoing.
5. If you have not already done so, read the whole book of Acts, at one sitting if possible. It is one of the finest examples of the kind of history written in the ancient world. You will notice that it is not like the history written today; you'll see few dates but a great concern for the reader's enjoyment. The pace is fast, so you'll scarcely notice that the events of chapter 12 occurred some ten to thirteen years after those of chapter 2.
Use the outlines on page 12, the timeline on page 19, and the map of the Roman Empire on page 20 to guide your reading. If you want to remember any observations or questions, jot them in the space below. In particular, look for repeated words and patterns of events.
6. One main character dominates the whole of Acts. Who is that character, and what are some of his effects? (See, for instance, 1:8; 2:4; 4:8,31; 8:39; 9:31; 13:4; 15:28; 16:6-10; 20:22-24; 21:10-11.) ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________
7. From your observations so far, what seem to be the central themes, messages, or purposes of Acts? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________
Your response
8. The book of Acts is largely about how the church fulfilled its mission during its first thirty years (from Jesus' ascension to about AD 62). Why is it important for us to study this story? How is it relevant to us? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________
9. a. Did you notice anything in your first reading of Acts that you want to remember and apply? If so, what is the truth you want to take to heart? _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________
b. Ask God to show you how you can apply this truth, and write your thoughts and plans here. _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________
For the group
This "For the Group" section and the ones in later lessons are intended to suggest ways of structuring your discussions. Feel free to select what suits your group.
The main goals of an introductory lesson are to get to know Acts in general and the people with whom you are going to study it. The group will benefit from having time to read the "How to Use This Study" section, the whole book of Acts, and the background in this lesson before diving into detailed study.
Later lessons will give more background as necessary on Luke, Jerusalem, the Roman Empire, and so on. You might make a list of group members' questions and decide if they need to be answered right away. If so, see some sources of information. If not, watch for answers later in the study guide.
Some people may not be able to read all of Acts at one time. Encourage everyone to get through it at some point, even if some people need several sittings. (You can plan two meetings for this overview lesson — see suggestions under "Warm-up" below.)
Worship. Some groups like to begin meetings with prayer and/or singing. Some prefer to share requests for prayer at the beginning, but leave the actual prayer until after the study. Others prefer just to chat and have refreshments and then move to the study, leaving worship until the end. It is generally good to begin with at least a brief prayer for God's guidance in the study.
Warm-up. The beginning of a new study is a good time to lay a foundation for honest sharing of ideas, for getting comfortable with each other, and for encouraging a sense of common purpose. One way to establish common ground is to talk about what each group member hopes to get out of your group — out of your study of Acts, and out of any prayer, singing, sharing, outreach, or anything else you might do together. You can include what you hope to give the group as well. Why are you studying the Bible, and Acts in particular? If you have someone write down each member's hopes and expectations, then you can look back at these goals later to see if they are being met. You can then make changes in your meetings if necessary, such as planning more time for prayer or deciding to cover Acts more slowly.
You can take about fifteen minutes before discussing lesson 1 to discuss these goals. Or you can take a whole meeting to introduce the study, discuss the "How to Use This Study" section, and share your goals. In a second meeting, you can discuss questions 1–9. Doing this will allow the group more time to read Acts and complete lesson 1.
Overview. You can structure your discussion like this:
1. How to Use This Study. The group should have read this section at home. The leader can remind everyone of the main points and ask if anyone has questions about what to do. For example, point out the optional questions in the margins. These are available as group discussion questions, ideas for application, and suggestions for further study. It is unlikely that anyone will have either the time or desire to answer all the optional questions and do all the applications. It is reasonable to expect a person to do one "Optional Application" for any given lesson. You might choose two "For Thought and Discussions" for your group discussion. If someone wants to write answers to the optional questions, suggest that he use a separate notebook. It will also be helpful for discussion notes, prayer requests, answers to prayer, application plans, and so on.
Note the observation-interpretation-application pattern in each lesson. Many of the numbered questions are observations and basic interpretations that lay the groundwork for deeper study. The meaty questions are sometimes in the margins. In your group discussion, you may prefer to move quickly through the observation questions in order to concentrate on questions that interest you. Or you may want to spend more time learning to observe details and leave deeper questions for future years.
Point out the study aids. If you own any, bring them in to show the group.
2. First Impressions. Ask questions to draw out the group's impressions of Acts after one reading. Some possibilities are: "What is Acts about? What are your first impressions of the book? Who are some of the important characters? Tell something about each of those people. Did you enjoy reading the book? Why or why not? What kinds of things happen over and over in the book? What aspects of early church history do and don't seem to have interested Luke? What did you learn about Luke, the gospel he wrote, and Acts from the background in lesson 1?" If you let several people answer questions like these, you should put together a good picture of the book. Then, let some people answer questions 1–7.
3. Questions. Don't forget to keep a list of the group's questions as you discuss. You can try to answer them as you go through later lessons.
4. Application. If your group is not already familiar with how to apply Scripture to your lives, think of some sample ways you could apply something in Acts. Use the Study Skill — Application on pages 14–15. If the group already understands how to apply, give everyone a chance to share one truth that he or she would like to put into practice this week.
Wrap-up. This is a time to bring the discussion to a focused end and to make any announcements about the next lesson or meeting.
Some people tend to prepare for group discussions only one or two days before the meetings and then feel that it is too late to start an application. Tell the group that it is fine to be applying an insight from the previous lesson during the week when you are preparing the next lesson for discussion.
Worship. Thank God for the book of Acts and the people described in it. Praise Him for some particular things He has revealed to you about Himself through this book. Ask Him to enable you each to understand and apply what He says to you through Acts.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Acts"
by .
Copyright © 2012 The Navigators.
Excerpted by permission of NavPress.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
How to Use This Study Lesson 1:
Lesson 2: Preparation
Lesson 3: Pentecost
Lesson 4: Miracle
Lesson 5: Confrontation
Lesson 6: Community
Lesson 7: First Martyr
Lesson 8: Philip's Journeys
Lesson 9: Saul Appointed
Lesson 10: Peter Moves Out
Lesson 11: To Asia Minor
Lesson 12: Gentile Christians?
Lesson 13: Paul and Silas
Lesson 14: Athens and Corinth
Lesson 15: Ephesus
Lesson 16: Paul's Farewells
Lesson 17: Arrest in Jerusalem
Lesson 18: Prisoner in Caesarea
Lesson 19: Journey to Rome
Lesson 20: Review
Study Aids