Church-Lesson03

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

LESSON THREE

Chapter 7

The Church's First Problem

DAY ONE:

VERSE 1�� The previous chapter 4:34-37 explained how the early Christians made sure there were no needy ones in their group.� This was a kind of welfare program.� They sold their land from ____________ to

�� ________________ (see 4:34), whenever more money was needed.

VERSE 2�� Ana-nias and his wife, Sapph-ira, sold some property.� But with his wife's _________________ knowledge, he only took part of the money to the apostles.� That made her an accessory.

VERSE 3�� Apparently Ana-nias had told the Apostles he was bringing the full amount.� Look ahead to verse 8.� Who did Peter say influences people to lie? ______ ____________________

�� b.�� Who did Jesus call the Father of Liars?� (See John 8:44).� __________________________

�� c.�� Even though Ana-nias was talking to Peter, Peter said he was actually talking to the _______________

�� ________________________ of God.

VERSE 4�� Then Peter said Ana-nias had lied, not to ________, but to ________________.

VERSE 5-6�� Ana-nias died through God's power.� Does this mean he went to hell?� Other godly people died at God's hand in the past.� For example....

�� b.�� Moses wanted to enter the promised land after leading the Jews for 40 years, but God told him he couldn't because of something he said that was a sin.� Yet, when Jesus needed encouragement shortly before his death, who appeared to him?� (See Matthew 17:2 & 3).� _________________________� In fact, in heaven, angels sing the Song of Moses (Revelation 15:3).

�� c.�� When we compare perhaps 80 years on earth with millions times millions of unending years in heaven, what are 20 years more or less?

�� In fact, Peter himself said many years later in 1 Peter 1:3 & 4 that our inheritance is waiting for us in ________________.

DAY TWO:

VERSE 7�� Wife Sapph-ira stopped in where the Apostles were how much later?� ____________________

VS. 8-10�� Sapph-ira was stricken dead too.� Why?_______________________________________________

�� b.�� Peter, many years later in 1 Peter 2:17 said we should _________ the __________________ of believers, fear ___________, and ____________ the king.

VERSE 11�� A generation ago in the early 1900s, preachers seemed to preach primarily on the wrath of God.� Today, they seem to preach primarily on the goodness of God.� Does this verse say anyone dropped out of the church because of God's punishment? ___________

VS. 12-13�� Who continued to perform signs and wonders (miracles)?� ________________________________

�� b.�� Who continued to meet in Solomon's Colonnade of the Temple?� _______________________________

�� c.�� Why do you think they met there?� (Recall Acts 3:11) ______________________________________

�� NOTE:� It seems the Christians may have taken over that corner of the Temple.

VERSE 14�� Did declaring the fear of God cause people to shy away from the church?� __________

VS. 15-16�� Being just in whose shadow caused peole to be healed?� _________________� He was one of the original _____________________ (Acts 1:13).

�� b.� Crowds came even from the suburbs of _______________________.

DAY THREE:

VERSE 17�� Although it never came out while Jesus was alive, apparently the high priest (a different Ananias than the Christian) was of the party of the ______________________________ who did not believe in the ______________________ (see Matthew 22:23).

�� NOTE:� Josephus, the Jewish historian, said the high priest Ananias's son, Ananias Jr. was a Sadducee (Antiquities of the Jews, Book 20, 9:1).

�� b.�� How did they feel toward the crowds following the apostles?� _____________________

�� c.�� Who else had they been jealous of just a few months earlier?� (See Matthew 27:18) ___________ __________________________________________

VS. 18-19�� So this time they arrested all the _______________.

��

�� b.�� Who set them free from jail during the night? ____� __________________________________________

VERSE 20�� What did the angel tell the apostles to stubbornly do?� ______________________________________

�� __________________________________________

VERSE 21�� Although they'd had a hard and eventful night, the apostles returned to the Temple to talk about Jesus when?� ____________________________________

VS. 21-24�� NOTE:� The Sanhedrin was made up of 70 men from all over the country.� The original Sanhedrin was appointed two thousand years earlier by Moses (Numbers 11:16).� Over the centuries, this body sometimes was corrupt.

�� When the Sanhedrin (Supreme Court) got to work the next day, they sent to the __________________ for the ________________, but they weren't there.

DAY FOUR:

VS. 25-26�� When they learned the apostles were back in the Temple, the Temple guard rounded up the apostles.� They did not use force on them because of who? _________________________________________________

VERSE 27�� Jesus had predicted the apostles would testify before local ________, and before ________________ and ___________________ to tell about Jesus (Mark 13:9-10).

VERSE 28�� The religious leaders with a false sense of righteous indignation told the apostles they were _______________ to make them ________________ of Jesus' blood.�

�� b.� Were they?� (See Matthew 27:20 & 25)� _____ __________________________________________�

VERSE 29�� When confronted by the religious leaders, what did Peter and the other apostles say they MUST do? __________________________________________ __________________________________________

VERSE 30�� Rather than back down, Peter faced the most powerful ruling body among the Jews and said God brought Jesus back from death "whom _____________ had ____________."

VERSE 31�� Then, after the bold accusation and confronting these religious leaders with their sin, he told them Jesus could give them ________________________ and _______________________ of sins.

VERSE 32�� Were there eye witnesses of Jesus coming back to life?� _______� Who?� ________________________

VERSE 33�� Instead of repenting, the religious leaders just got __________________

�� THOUGHT QUESTION:� When confronted with our sins, how do we react?

DAY FIVE:

VS. 34-35�� One of the few honorable men in the Sanhedrin was Ga-ma-liel.� Later on, a future apostle, Paul, said he?d grown up being taught by who?� (See Acts 22:3) ____________________________________________

VERSE 36�� How many men did the rebel Theudas lead? _____

�� NOTE:� Theudas persuaded a great part of the people to take their effects with them and follow him to the river Jordan; for he told them he was a prophet, and that he would, by his own command, divide the river and afford them any easy passage over it; and many were deluded by his words.� However, [the governor] did not permit them to make any advantage of his wild attempt, but sent a troop of horsemen out against them; who falling upon them unexpectedly, slew many of them, and took many of them alive.� They also took Theudas alive, and cut off his head, and carried it to Jerusalem.� This is what befell the Jews.� Antiquities of the Jews, Book 20, 5:1

VERSE 37�� Who else led a revolt? _______________________ __________________________________________

�� "here was one Judas, a [Galilean]...became ZEALOUS to draw them to a revolt, who said that this taxation was no better than an introduction to slavery, and exhorted the nation to assert their liberty....All sorts of misfortunes also sprang from these men, and the nation was infected with this doctrine to an incredible degree; one violent war came upon us after another.� (Antiquities of the Jews, Book 28, Chapter 1, Verse 1).

VS. 38-39�� This "diplomat," Ga-ma-liel, advised the Sanhedrin to let the Apostles go, because, if it is of ___________________ origin, it will ___________, but if it is from God, "You will ____________ be able to stop them."

�� One of the few honorable men in the Sanhedrin was Ga-ma-liel.� Later on, a future Apostle, Paul, said he'd grown up being taught by who?� (See Acts 22:3).

VS. 40-41�� After being beaten and warned not to talk about Jesus any more, what kind of attitude did the Apostles have?� ____________________________� Why?� ____________________________________

�� b.�� They knew that, if they weren?t doing any good, the leaders wouldn?t be afraid of them.� The opponents of

�� Jesus only fight those they?re afraid of.� How does this relate to causes advanced in our society today and opposition given in the media to Christians? _______________________________________________

�� ________________________________________________________________________________

VERSE 42�� Right after being beaten and warned not to talk about Jesus any more, where did the Apostles turn right around and return to?� ___________________

�� b.�� Where else did they teach? ___________________

�� NOTE:� There was no stopping these Apostles!� Look back at your notes on Acts 2:42.� These Apostles were ADDICTED.� They couldn't stop themselves!

�� A prophet 700 years earlier, Jeremiah, said this:� "But if I say, 'I will not mentioned him [God] or speak any more in his name,' his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones.� I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot" (Jeremiah 20:9).

CHAPTER 6

DAY SIX:

Second Office of the Church Established

VERSE 1�� The church is made up of weak humans.� If it were made up of perfect people, they wouldn't need to be in the church.� There were people living in Jerusalem of both Grecian and Hebrew descent.� Prejudice reared its head.� The Grecian _________________ were being neglected in the ___________ ______________________ of __________.

VERSE 2�� The Twelve Apostles were extremely busy teaching.� But they knew the poor needed to be taken care of too.�

�� In verse 1 above, the original Greek word translated "distribution" in some Bibles, and "ministration" in other Bibles is diakania.

�� In verse 2, the original Greek word translated "wait on" or "serve" is diakonein.

�� 1 Timothy 3:8-13 explains the qualifications of Diakonous and this Greek word is translated deacon.

VERSE 3-4�� Seven men were selected to serve as the first "deacons."� They were known to be ________ of the Spirit and _______________.

VERSE 5-6�� Among the seven deacons were Stephen and Philip.� We will learn more about them later.

�� What did the Apostles do to these men?� ________________ and laid their hands on them [in a ceremonial manner, as we shall see later].

VERSE 7�� The church continued to grow.� In fact, a large number of _______________ became obedient to Jesus Christ.

�� THOUGHT QUESTION:� Do you believe they lost their jobs by making such a stand?� Could you make such a stand for Jesus?�

VERSE 8�� Stephen is the first man mentioned who was not an apostle who performed ____________________.� Remember the Apostles had "laid their hands on him."

VERSE 9�� There was a new sect of the Jews called the Synagogue of the __________________.� They were from (a) Cyrene, a city now in Libya in North Africa, (b) Alexandria, a city in Egypt, (c) Cilicia, a province in southeast Turkey, and (d) Asia, a province in eastern Turkey.

VERSE 9-10�� They _________________ with Stephen.� We are not told what over, but they didn?t like what Stephen had to say.

VS. 11-14�� So, they _____________________ persuaded some men to say Stephen had spoken against Moses and God.

�� b.�� Who else was condemned to die because some men were bribed to say this about him?� (See Mark 14:55-59, 64) _________________________________

VERSE 15�� Suddenly Stephen's face was like the ______________ of an _______________ and members of the Sanhedren stared at him.�

�� Surely the Sanhedren should have believed when this happened.� We'll find out what they did not in the next chapter.�

�� Perhaps Stephen needed this in order to face what he was about to face.

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws