Queen's Road Cell

For Further Study: Does disagreeing and parting company have to lead to anger and broken fellowship? Consider how Paul felt about Barnabas and Mark after parting from them (see 1 Corinthians 9:1-7; Colossians 4:10; Philemon 24; 2 Timothy 4:11). What do you learn about fellowship? Is there an example here for you? The disagreement with Barnabas about taking John Mark likely occurred around AD 49, while 1 Corinthians was written from Ephesus during his third journey, sometime between AD 53-57. Colossians was written AD 60-62, and 2 Timothy is AD 64-67   It did not take long before Paul and Barnabas reconciled. Reconciliation depends on each one's personal relationship with God. It also depends on the subject of disagreement or the presence/absence of personal betrayal.  Fundamental theological differences will prevent reconciliation; operational differences will not. In the early church context, the priority was the gospel and unity with Christ    For Thought and Dis...

Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe were all in the province of Galatia—these were the churches who later received Paul’s letter to the Galatians.   1. Why does Luke repeat in v.22-29 information already given in v.19-21? To record that the decision of the council was accurately recorded in writing and passed on Because of the importance of the matter for the church at large.    2. What steps do the apostles and the elders take to ensure that the decision of the council is well-communicated and that the Gentile Christians are reassured? They chose ‘leading men’ individuals from Jerusalem to follow Paul and Barnabas with a letter to affirm its contents (v.22-23, 25, 27). The personal touch They called the Gentile Christians "brothers" (v.23) They acknowleged that the Gentiles had been "troubled" and their minds "uinsettled" They assured the Gentiles that those troubling and unsettling them did not have the authority of the Jerusalem church. (v.24) ...

Two issues at stake: (1) Does God still require His covenant people to keep the Law of Moses (and the oral tradition)? and (2) Even if the Law is just a cultural preference for Jewish Christians, should Gentile Christians keep it anyway in order to keep peaceful fellowship? 6. How did the church handle this major dispute between some Jewish believers and the Antiochene Christians (see 15:2,6,12,22-30)?  They took it to the highest authorities in the Church. There was a forum to explain their position. This was a decision-making body whose conclusions were binding.   7. Why did Peter support the Antiochene position? List his key reasons in 15:6-11.  He had the experience of Cornelius' household behind him. He had pioneered Gentile minsitry. God knew the heart and had testfied to their inclusion through the giving of the Holy Spirit just as he had to the jews. He made no distinction. Clenasing of the heart was by faith. There was no reason to lay the burden of the Law on th...

 1. The Lystrians reacted to the healing of the lame man like typical rural pagans of that time (see 14:8-13). What do you learn from this incident about the religious beliefs of those people—people—the assumptions that Paul and Barnabas had to overcome? (List as many observations as you can.) They believed their gods could do miracles.  They believed that gods could disguise themselves as men. They believed in the Greek gods Zeus and Hermes They believed in sacrificing to their gods The apostles showed their grief and rejection of human worship As with our unbelieving friends, the Lystrans had a framework of belief they were committed to that could not be immediately overcome.   2. Acts 14:15-17 gives us our first example of what Paul and Barnabas preached to purely Gentile audiences, as opposed to Jews, proselytes, and God-fearers. In addition to proclaiming Jesus, what did the apostles have to explain to pagans that they didn’t have to say to Jews and God-fearers? They...

7. What will happen if the Jews believe what Paul claims about Jesus (see 13:38-39)?  Forgiveness of sins was now available through faith in Christ, which was not possible through the Law. but Lev 4:20-35, 5:10, 6:7; Nu 16:25-  True forgiveness of sin was made possible under the Law—but it was conditional, ritualistic, and inherently temporary in its efficacy. Yet it needed continual repetition and could not produce an enduring internal change.    8. What happens when many of the Jews reject Paul’s message (see 13:41-51)?  Paul affirms that it "was necessary" that the gospel be preached first to the Jews (cf. Rom 1:16). Paul then deliberately preached to Gentiles, although he continued to speak at synagogues (14:1) "as many as were appointed to eternal life believed and were "filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit". 9. In Acts 13:47, Paul quotes Isaiah 49:6, which was originally addressed to the Servant of the Lord (see Acts 3:13; Isaiah 49:1-7). Why can...

For Thought and Discussion:  Why can a person be acquitted only by merciful forgiveness, never by justice according to the Law (see 13:38-39)? See Romans 1:18–3:20; 7:7-12.   This idea is expressed in   Gal 3:24: "yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified." Rom 3:20-21: "For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. 21  But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22  the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe." "Frred" (dikaioo) is often translated 'justified' - to be declared innocent.  The Law, though good an perfect (e.g. Psalm 119) in ...