THE FIRST-CENTURY CHURCH
Based on the Book, Acts of the Apostles

LESSON ONE

Chapter 1 ~ c. AD 30
DAY ONE:
Jesus Returns to Heaven
VERSE 1-2        Acts was written by the same man who had written a life of Jesus to Theo-philis ~ Luke.  Luke's life of Jesus was written to Theo-philis.  Therefore, who was the author of Acts?  ________________  (By the way, a letter written to Christians in Turkey, Colossians 4:14, says this author was a physician.)
VERSE 3�������� A letter written to the church in Corinth, Greece, much later, states Jesus appeared to over 500 people after he came back to life (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).� For how many days after Jesus came back to life did he show himself to people before returning to heaven?� ____________________
VERSE 2-5����� To whom did Jesus say they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days? _________________ ___________________________________________
VERSE 6-7����� When the Apostles asked Jesus when he would restore the kingdom, he said it was not for them to know the ________________ and _______________ God has settled on.
VERSE 2,8����� To whom did Jesus say they would receive power from the Holy Spirit? ________________________
VERSE 8�������� Jesus predicted that within their lifetime, they would preach to the ends of the _____________________.� (We will see later how the two - power of Holy Spirit and radius of their ministry - are connected.)
VERSE 9-11��� After saying this, Jesus started rising up into the sky.� Those who saw him do this were who? _____ of _____________________________.� (Galilee was one of about five provinces in Palestine at that time.� All the Apostles were from Galilee except Judas Is-cariot (Joshua 15:25 says Cerioth was in Judah to the south) and he was now dead (see Matthew 26:14 & 27:5).
����������� a.�������� How will Jesus return some day?� ______________ ____________________________� A letter written to the church in Thessalonica, Turkey, (1 Thessalonians 4:17) says Christians will meet Jesus where?� __________________________
DAY TWO:
Jesus' Followers Await Instructions
VS. 12-13������� This same group of men returned to Jerusalem to a room they were apparently renting.� Compare the list of men here with the list in Matthew 10:2-4, the first book of the New Testament.� As a group these men were called the _________________________.
VERSE 14������ Who joined them in that room? ________________, ____________________________________, and his _______________________________.� What were the names of Jesus' brothers (see Matthew 13:55-56)? _______________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________
����������� b.�������� Before Jesus' crucifixion, had his brothers believed he was the Son of God?� (See John 7:5) _________
VS. 15-20������� Jesus was crucified during Passover Week (John 19:14), and came back to life at the end of that week.� Pentecost means the 50th day after Passover.� It was after the 40 days Jesus showed himself (verse 3) and during the next ten days that the Apostles waited for the Holy Spirit to come.� It was during those ten days before the Day of Pentecost that Peter stood among a group of _________________ (how many) and said who among the Apostles should be replaced?� ______________
VS. 21-22������� The qualifications to be an Apostle were that this person must have been with "us" the ____________ time from John [the Baptist's] __________________ until Jesus was ______________________________.
VS. 23-26������� Who was chosen to take Judas' place as an Apostle?� __________________________________________
Chapter 2

The Apostles and the Holy Spirit
VERSE 1�������� Then, on another day, what day arrived? _________ _________________________________________
�����������               a.�������� Who did "they" refer to as being all together in one place?�
����������������������� vs 7:���� ____________ from ____________________
����������������������� vs 14:�� _______________________ and the Eleven
����������������������� vs 15:�� These _______________________________
����������������������� vs 37:�� Peter and the _________________________________________________________________
VERSE 2�������� What sound did "they" hear? ____________________________________________________________
VERSE 3�������� What did "they" see? __________________________________________________________________
DAY THREE:
VERSE 4�������� When "they" were filled with the ______________ ______________________, they began to speak in _____________________ _____________________.� (These were known languages, not unknown.)
VERSE 5-8����� Who was speaking so everyone could hear in their own language (verse 7)?� _____________ from ________________________
VS. 9-12��������� How many countries were represented by the crowd who heard them speak?� _______
����������� 1.�������� Parthia (Iraq)�������������������������
}  First Language

}  Second Language

}  " (same)

}  Third Language

}  Fourth Language

}  Fifth Language

}  Sixth Language

}  Seventh Language

}  "  (same)

}  "  (same)

}  Eighth Language

}  Ninth Language

}  Tenth Language

}  Eleventh Language

}  Twelfth Language
����������� 2.�������� Media (Iran)��������������������������
����������� 3.�������� Elam (Iran)�������������������
����������� 4.�������� Mesopotamia (Syria)������
����������� 5.�������� Judea (Palestine)����������
����������� 6.�������� Pontus (North Turkey)�������
����������� 7.�������� Asia (West Turkey)��������������
����������� 8.�������� Cappadocia (East Turkey)���
����������� 9.�������� Phrygia (SE Turkey)���������������
����������� 10.������ Pamphylia (SC Turkey)������
����������� 11.������ Egypt (Egypt)����������������
����������� 12.������ Cyrene (North Africa)�����
����������� 13.������ Rome (Italy)����������������
����������� 14.������ Crete (Greece)�����������������
����������� 15.������ Arabia (Arabia)��������������������
����������� a.�������� It is believed the native tongues of some of these countries were alike since they were so close to each other.� In that case, how many different languages would have been spoken on that day by the Twelve Apostles?� __________________
VS. 14-15������� In that case, all twelve spoke to the crowd, which far exceeded the _____________ who were saved that day (see verse 41).� However, whose sermon is recorded?� ____________________
VS. 16-17������� The last days or latter days started when? THE DAY OF ___________________________________
VS. 18-20         About 830 B.C. the prophet Joel predicted that in the latter days miracles would be performed as evidence that the glorious ________________ of the ___________________ had arrived.
The First Church Sermon
DAY FOUR:
VERSE 22������ Jesus was authenticated or proven to be telling the truth by the ________________________________, _______________________________________, and _________________________ God did through him.
VERSE 23������ Peter, who denied even knowing Jesus during his trial, now put his own life on the line by accusing the crowd of what?� _________________________ ___________________________________________
VERSE 25-28  About 1500 years earlier, King David Predicted that God's Holy One would not be abandoned to the __________
_______________ or see _____________________.

VS. 29-36        Peter explained David had predicted the resurrection of the _________________ (which means the anointed high priest, the crowned king).
VERSE 36������ Since the Christ is a title, who did Peter say the Christ was (see also 32)?� _____________________ and _______________________________________
VERSE 37������ Realizing they had murdered the Son of God, many in the crowd were __________________ to the heart and begged Peter and the other Apostles, "What _______________________________ we do?"
VERSE 38������ Peter replied, "_____________________________ and be ____________________________________, __________________________________________of you for the __________________________ of your ___________________.� Then you will _______________________ the ____________ of the _________________ _____________________."
DAY FIVE:
VERSE 39������ Peter said this command and gift apply to everyone who heard him that day "and for your __________ ______________, and all who are ______________ __________________."� Since he was referring to generations, who do you think are the people who are far off? _________________________________
VS. 40-41������� What did those who accepted the message do that same day?� _________________________________
����������� b.�������� How many were there who did so? _____________
����������� c.�������� Since the sermon began at 9:00 AM (verse 15), and assuming the sermon ended at 10:00 AM and dark arrived about 6:00 PM, that would give _________ hours to baptize everyone.� With 12 Apostles and 3000 people, each Apostle would have to baptize ___________ each hour, or one every two minutes.� (This doesn't count meal breaks.)
������������d.        Although just an opinion, do you believe those baptized earlier in the day might have helped baptize people after them?� In that case, would they have required someone who was "ordained" in order to make their baptism valid?�
VERSE 42������ Since the New Testament was not written yet, what did the first Christians rely on to know if they were in the will of God (see verse 42)? ______________ __________________________________________
����������������������� NOTE:� The word "devoted" in verse 42 is from a Greek word meaning "addicted."
VERSE 43������ Did everyone who became saved perform miracles?� _______� Who performed the miracles?� ________ __________________________________________
DAY SIX:
VS. 44-45������� So much love developed among the believers, the first Christians, that many sold their _____________ so they could give to those in _________________.
VERSE 46������ Compare the breaking bread sentence in verse 42 with the breaking bread sentence in verse 46.� List below the other things they did or felt in connection with breaking bread, one column for verse 42 and a second column for verse 46.
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����������� b.�������� Might one "breaking bread" have been for religious purposes and the other for physical health purposes?� ____________� (For help, read 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).��
VERSE 47������ The other people of the community thought how of the new Christians?� _________________________ ___________________________________________
����������� b.�������� Who made the decision whether someone was added to "the number" of the saved?� ____________� Who should make that decision today?� ______________
����������� c.�������� The new movement of Christians grew in number how often?� ________________________
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