Acts 52. Roundup

By -
1. From your study of Acts, what would you say the church is? 
 The new community of believers, Jew and Gentiles together. 
Those who are 'saved'. (2:47)
Their activity is given in 2:42-47
 
2. What is the church’s mission?
Witnessing to Jesus' death and resurrection.
Witnessing to Jesus as judge (10:42) 
Declaring forgiveness of sins through Jesus (5:31,  13:38)

Reasoning with and convincing (18:4)
Healing and ministering to people
Breaking the power of Satan (16:19. 19:11) 

 
3. In a few sentences, summarize the Christian message—who Jesus is, what He has done, and how we should respond. (Try to avoid Christian jargon that an unbeliever wouldn’t know.) 
The Jewish Messiah. - the promised One. 
Foretold in the Old Testament Scriptures
Anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power (10:38) 
Died on a tree (10:39, risen from the dead (10:40) 
We have forgiveness of sin through him.
Repent, believe in Him (16:31)
 
4. Who is the Holy Spirit? 
The Promised One for God's people (1:5, 2:17-18, 2:33), 'gifted' (10:44, 11:17)
The Spirit of Jesus (16:7)
A person, can be tested and lied to (5:1-11) 
 
5. What was His role in the events of Acts? 
Giver of power (8:9-24)
Provider of guidance (e.g. 8:29, 16:7)
 
 
7. In Acts, what kinds of things happened to believers when they tried to fulfill their mission and speak their message? 
Wrongly understood to be divine (14:12, 28:4-6)
Persecuted (8:1-3)
Personal belongings and lives threatened (17:5-6, 19:29) 
Forced to leave  (17:10, 20:1) 
Wrongly accused  (17:6-7, 17:5-6, 21:27-28) 
Brought to court (18:12)
Mocked (16:32) 
Ignored (22:22-23) 
Jailed (16:23-36)
Plotted against (20:3. 23:12)
Faced natural disasters (27:13-44)
Stoned (Ac 14:19)
Beaten (5:40, 16:22, 18:17, 21:32) 
Killed (7:58-60, 12:2)
Received a warm welcome.
 
8. Describe some ways in which Peter, Paul, and other believers in Acts responded to opposition and persecution because of the gospel. 
Left peacably (20:1))
Insisted on public exoneration (16: 27-29)
WIth divine wisdom to confound opponents (23:6-7) 
Taking advantage of legitimate secular rights (16:, 22:26-29, 23:22-35, 25:11-12) 
Concern for those who had jailed them (Ac 16 28j
Rejoiced in persecution 
 
 
9. What is the relationship between Christianity and Judaism, according to Acts?
Christianity is a fulfilment of Judaism.
Christians are no required to obey Jewish ritual law (Ac 15:19-21)
 
10. What has Acts taught you about Christian fellowship or partnership?
 Encouragement of the good, when there is persecution
Teaching one another (18:26)
Comforting (20:12)
Trusting (20:16, 21:14)
Loving (20:37) 
Praying
Hospitality 
Financial aid

 

13. Have you changed in any ways (thoughts, attitudes, opinions, habits) as a result of studying Acts? If so, how?
Acts shows us the interaction between human action and God's sovereignty
It tells us that we are part of the story of God's continuing action in the world
In different situations - whether triumph or hardship and persecution - the gospel will prevail
We must never be closed to the supernatural power of the Spirit
We must act wisely, using our secular advantages legitimately to advance and defend the gospel.
 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

QC and accountability (29/4/16)

By -
Joyce and I shared about our attending the wake of a son of a Christian couple I had known from my JC days. This young man had been having problems at work and had just broken up with his long-standing girlfriend. We saw the broken hearts of the parents and remembered also our own bereavement when Doreen died. Suicide is always the hardest way to die in how it affects the family of the deceased. I know we have spoken on this issue before, but we again affirmed that suicide is not an unforgivable sin - but one in which the sinner has no chance to repent. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which is truly unforgivable, is when the sinner has no desire to repent.So the believing Christian who is truly saved should be saved even if he/she sins and takes his/her own life. Not every one of us will have the opportunity to confess our sins if we die suddenly, after all. We also did a brief recap of "why bad things happen to good people". Our response then is: 1. There are no good...
Read more

Acts 38. Acts 18:18 - 19:10

By -
 A temporary Nazirite vow involved abstinence from alcohol and also from cutting one’s hair. Its conclusion was marked by shaving one’s hair completely off and offering a sacrifice in the temple at Jerusalem” (Numbers 6:1-21; Acts 21:17-26). Went up (18:22). Because Jerusalem was in the mountains, people spoke of “going up to” Jerusalem and “going down from” Jerusalem. Verse 22 probably means that Paul went to Jerusalem to offer the sacrifice that ended his vow and to visit the church. For Thought and Discussion: How did Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos show their fellowship/partnership with Paul in 18:18-28? List all the ways you observe. (See also Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 3:5-9.)  He 'stayed with them and worked' (18:3) They accompanied him on his return journey to Antioch, until Ephesus (18:18-19) They taught Apollos 'more accurately' the way of God (18:25) Apollos went to Corinth to teach and preach there (18:27-28)  1. Both Apollos and the disciples Paul met had...
Read more

Acts 42. Acts 21:1-16

By -
 Philip the evangelist (21:8). About twenty-five years earlier, Philip reached Caesarea on his missionary wanderings (see 8:40). Apparently, he eventually settled there, married, and raised a family. “Evangelist” may have been Philip’s office, as Paul was an apostle and Agabus was a prophet.   Agabus (21:10). The same man who prophesied famine about fifteen years earlier (see 11:27-29). His demonstrative method of prophecy (see 21:11) was used by Old Testament prophets to make their points more vivid than mere words could.    6. Why was Paul going to Jerusalem (see 20:22; 24:17)?   " I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me" (20:22)   "Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings." (24:17)  He was compelled (" bound ' cf. 21:11) by the Spirit  He ...
Read more