Queen's Road Cell

 3. Peter says that the babble of languages is a sign of something greater than drunkenness. What does the sign demonstrate (see 2:15-21)?  God's work. Fulfillment of prophecy of the Spirit's outpouring, and the opportunity for salvation.   4. Next Peter recounts the key facts of Jesus’ life (see 2:22-24).  a. How could the Jews have known that Jesus was a special person sent by God (see 2:22)?   ' mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst' b. How did Israel respond to Jesus (see 2:23)?  ' you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men '. The teachers of the Law had acted contrary to the Law in causing Jesus to be killed by Gentiles. ' delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God ' cf. Acts 4:28 -  a powerful affirmation that God's permissive/decretive will is often fulfilled through the breaking of His revealed/prescriptive/preceptive will.   c. What was the crucial event of Je...

Pentecost is the name Greek-speaking Jews used for the Feast of Weeks (see Leviticus 23:15-21; Deuteronomy 16:9-12), the Feast of Harvest (see Exodus 23:16), or the Day of First-fruits (see Numbers 28:26-31). (LifeChange)  Read through all of Acts 2:1-47.   1. Why was it appropriate that the events of Acts 2 occurred on Pentecost, the day when Jews celebrated the giving of the covenant under the Law of Moses? (Optional: See Jeremiah 31:31-34; Romans 7:6; 2 Corinthians 3:6.)  The giving of the Spirit in power corresponds to the birth of Jesus in Luke's gospel and to the birth of the Church. As the Jewish nation was defined by the Law of Moses, so the Church is defined by the presence of the Spirit's power. This is the new covenant promise.   Pentecost is the fulfillment of Jesus' promise in 1:4 as well as of OT promises in Joel 2:28-32 and Is 32:15. The list of countries there begins with three countries to the east of the Roman Empire in the area known as Per...

To apply Acts to our lives sensibly, we need to distinguish when Luke is describing an example we should follow; when he is describing one we may follow; and when he is giving details to portray the overall message, not to be exact models for us. One clue to this distinction is that primary patterns recur whereas specific details vary. For instance, people repeatedly pray for God’s guidance to make decisions in Acts but casting lots occurs only once, before the Spirit is poured out at Pentecost. Likewise, when people become believers in Acts, water baptism and the gift of the Holy Spirit normally occur, but “these can be in reverse order, with or without the laying on of hands, with or without the mention of tongues; and scarcely ever with a specific mention of repentance, even after what Peter says in 2:38-39.” You’ll find more guidelines for applications later in this study guide. For now, keep this question in mind: When is a practice in Acts a norm we should follow; w...