Church-Lesson05

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

LESSON FIVE

DAY ONE:

Chapter 9, c. AD 35

Conversion of a Future Apostle!

VERSE 1�� Saul was still trying to destroy the church by threatening to have Christians _________________.

VERSE 2�� Going house to house wasn?t enough for Saul, so he went to the ______________________________ to get letters of permission to enter synagogues all the way up in Damascus which was in Syria, not Palestine.

VERSE 3-4�� Near Damascus, a _____________________ suddenly flashed around Saul.� then a voice said, "Saul!� Saul!� Why do you ____________________ _____________?"

VERSE 5�� Saul wanted to know who this ";me" was.� He called him __________________, but couldn't figure out who he was persecuting that represented God.

�� b.�� In Acts 22:3 where Saul (called Paul by the non-Jews) recalled this event many years later, he said he was very _______________________________ ________________________.� But he was still wrong.

�� c.�� Romans 10:1-2 says we can be lost if we have a zeal for God, but it is not based on _____________ of (see Romans 10:17) _______________________ _______________________________.

VERSE 6�� Jesus told Saul to go on into Damascus and it would be told him what he _______________ do.� His instructions in Damascus were not something he could do if he wanted, or if his parents had done it before him, or if his friends did.� These were things he ______________________ do.

VERSE 7-9�� The light ______________________________ Saul.� He stayed that way in Damascus for ______ days.

VERSE 10�� In Damascus Jesus appeared to ________________.� He did not have a church title.� He was just a _______________________.

VS. 11-14�� In Damascus Jesus appeared to ________________ (not the same Christian who died earlier).� Jesus told this Ananias to do what for Saul?� __________ __________________________________________

�� b.�� Ananias objected.� He'd heard many reports about Saul and all the ___________________ he had done to God's people.

�� THOUGHT QUESTION:� Why do you think Ananias objected?� Do we object to God for the same reason at times?

DAY TWO:

VERSE 15�� Amazingly, Jesus said Saul, the Christian killer, was his ___________________ ____________________ to carry Jesus before the _____________________ and their _____________________________ as well as the Jews.

VERSE 16�� Now that Saul had caused Christians to suffer, Jesus was going to make Saul __________________.� Years later, Saul/Paul would write to the Grecian Christians in Corinth (2 Corinthians 11:23-29) that he had worked much harder, been in ____________ _____________________________ more frequently, been ________________________ more severely, and been exposed to ____________ again and again.� He'd also been beaten with a whip _____________ times, beaten with rods _________ times, been stoned ____________ time, was shipwrecked _______________ times, floated around in the open sea _______________________________.� He'd been in danger from rivers, bandits, hypocrites.� He'd labored without sleep, knew ______________ and ______________________ and had been cold and ______________________.

�� b.�� Yet, just before his death, Saul/Paul wrote his friend in 2 Timothy 4:6-9, "The time has come for my ___________________________.� I have ________ the _______________________ fight.� I have ____ __________________________ the _____________.� I have ________________________ the� ________.� Now, there is in store for me the _______________ of _______________________."

�� THOUGHT QUESTION: �Have you ever noticed the way we treat others is how we respond best to them?� If we are soft spoken, we respond to people who speak softly to us.� Since Saul threatened Christians with death, he responded most valiantly when threatened with death himself.� Is there someone you've been praying for a long time whose negative traits could be put to work by God as a positive trait?

VS. 17-19�� What things happened to Saul after Ananias arrived?

�� *

�� b.�� What things did Saul then do?

�� *

VS. 20-22�� The courageous Christians in __________________ agreed to meet with Saul.

�� NOTE:� In Galatians 1:16-17, Saul/Paul said he then went immediately to Arabia where Jesus taught him personally, and also to study the scriptures and all the prophesies that were fulfilled in Jesus' life.� Then he returned to Damascus.

�� b.�� How did the people of Damascus react? _______________________

�� c.�� Did Saul become spiritually strong and then teach, or did he teach and then become spiritually strong?� ____________________________________________________

VS. 23-25�� The local Jews conspired to _______ Saul, Jesus? star witness.� Instead, one night, he was lowered in a basket over the city hall.

DAY THREE:

VERSE 26�� NOTE:� In Galatians 1:18-19, Saul/Paul explained that it was three years after his conversion before he went to Jerusalem.� It was apparently a secretive visit because he saw only Peter, staying with him 15 days, and also James, Jesus' brother.

�� In Acts 22:17-21, Saul/Paul later recalled that he went to the Temple to pray and while there Jesus told him "Quick!� Leave Jerusalem ____________________, because they will not accept your testimony about me."� Instead he reminded Saul that he was supposed to preach to the Gentiles (non-Jews).

�� Although, after Stephen's execution, all the disciples left Jerusalem except the Twelve Apostles, some disciples seem to have returned.� These disciples were ______________________ of Saul, so wouldn't let Saul __________________ them.

�� Some time later, ______________________ accompanied Saul/Paul to Jerusalem.� Remember him from Acts 4:36?� What does his name mean? __________________________________________

VERSE 27�� NOTE:� In Galatians 1:19, Saul/Paul explained that later the only Apostles apparently left in Jerusalem by then were Peter and James, Jesus' brother.

�� What man whom everyone trusted convinced the Apostles and disciples to believe Saul was truly converted?� ________________________________

VS. 28-30�� So Saul began preaching in Jerusalem.� But some Jews tried to _____________________ him, so the Christian brothers sent Saul back to his hometown of _____________________ (see verse 11) up near Turkey.

�� NOTE:� Apparently Saul stayed in Tarsus awhile, possibly until the first Gentile convert, which we will see shortly.

VERSE 31�� Saul was such a dynamic personality that the conversion of just this one man caused the church to do what? __________________

�� b.�� Did the church grow because it feared man's will or God's will? ___________________

NOTE:� Apparently Paul stayed in Tarsus, his home town, awhile possibly until the first Gentile convert, which we will see shortly.

VERSE 32�� Peter didn't always stay in Jerusalem.� He went to visit the saints in ____________________, a city near Damascus.

�� Were these saints live or dead Christians?� _______ Where else were there saints (see verse 13)?� ____ ______________________________

VS. 33-34�� How long had the paralytic, Ae-neas, been bedridden?� ______________� How long did it take Ae-neas to be healed after Peter pronounced him healed?� __________________________

��

VS. 35What did the single miracle of healing Ae-neaus cause people to do?� _________________________

�� THOUGHT QUESTION:� Peter didn't go everywhere and in the hospitals to heal people.� Why?� (Hint:� John 20:30-31).

VS. 36-39�� In the town of __________________ near Jerusalem was a woman named __________________ who helped the ___________________ and she died.� Was it before or after she died that the disciples sent for Peter to come?� ______________________

VS. 40-43�� Peter raised her from the _____________________.� As a result, many people _____________________ in the ______________________.� Then he moved into the home of ________________________ to stay awhile for follow-up.

Chapter 10 c. AD 44

Conversion of First Non-Jew

DAY FOUR:

VERSE 1�� Cor-nel-ius was a __________________________ of the Italian Regiment.� He was a captain over 100 men.

VERSE 2�� His name was Roman, his position was Roman, yet he and his family believed in _____________, he ___________ to those in need, and _____________ often.�

VERSE 3-4�� One day an __________________ appeared to him saying his __________________ and ___________ to the __________________ were a ____________ offering before ______________________.

VERSE 5-6�� The angel told him to send someone to find ______ and bring him to Cornelius' ___________________.

VERSE 7-8�� Who did Cornelius confide in to explain an angel had actually appeared to him?� ________________ __________________________________________

VS. 9-10�� In the mean time, the next day at ______________ Peter went to a rooftop to ____________________.� He became ____________________________, but while the meal was being prepared, what happened? __________________________________________ __________________________________________

VS. 11-14�� Out of _________________________ came a large sheet containing all kinds of __________________, and ____________________, and ______________.� Then a voice from heaven told Peter to do what with them?� ________________________________

�� b.�� Did Peter argue with the Lord or obey him?� _____

�� NOTE:� In the Law of Moses (Leviticus 11:1-31), their diet was explained.� (Yes, there were more than 10 Commandments in the Law of Moses.)� The Jews could eat some four-footed animals, but couldn't eat camels or pigs.� Of birds, they could not eat eagles or vultures.� Of reptiles, they couldn't eat rats or lizards.� When you analyze all of the "unclean" animals, they are all scavengers and bad for one's health.

VERSE 15�� God replied that he had now made these animals __ _________________________________

VERSE 16�� How many times did Peter and God argue?� ______

VERSE 17�� Peter realized this vision had some kind of ______ __________________, but didn't yet know what.

DAY FIVE:

VS. 18-20�� In the mean time, Cornelius' messengers arrived.� God indirectly told Peter the meaning of his vision by telling him to do what?� ___________________

VERSE 22�� The messengers explained to Peter that Cornelius was God-fearing and respected by what nationality? ___________________ (another indication he was not a Jew).

VERSE 23�� When Peter invited these people into his house to be his ________________, he was going against every Jewish tradition.� Since it was noon, he probably ate with them.� This is something else Jews never did.� They even spent the night there!�

VERSE 24�� The next day, Cornelius, expecting Peter, invited who to come to his house?� ___________________ __________________________________________

VERSE 25�� When Peter arrived, what did Cornelius do?� _____ __________________________________________

VERSE 26�� What was Peter's reaction, and why?� ___________ __________________________________________

VS. 27-29�� Peter reminded the people that it was against Jewish _______________ to do what with Gentiles? _____

�� b.�� Peter, then, explained the meaning of his vision.� What was it?� ______________________________ __________________________________________

VS. 30-33�� After Cornelius explained what happened in his vision, he said that everyone was now together in the presence of _________________.

VS. 34-35�� Which nation, today, does God show favoritism to? _______________

VS. 36-38�� Peter tried to prove Jesus was really the Son of God by explaining that he had performed ____________.

VS. 39-40�� Although Jesus was then crucified, Peter explained that on the third day he did what?� _____________

VERSE 41�� Jesus not only appeared alive again, he also� ___________ and _________ with them.� Do you think ghosts could do this?� _______

VS. 42-43�� Peter than gave another proof of Jesus' divinity by explaining he had fulfilled ____________________.� Being the Son of God, then, he could forgive ____.

VERSE 44�� Only one other time did the Holy Spirit come spontaneously on a group of people without them having to do something first.� Look back at Acts 2:1-4.� The first time it happened was on the Day of _____________________________ when the church began with the Jews.

VERSE 45 �� The emphasis at this time was that the Holy Spirit had been poured out on who?� _________________� The first time, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Jews.

�� Did the Holy Spirit coming on these people before baptism mean they were already saved?� There was in earlier centuries a pagan prophet named Baalam who practiced sorcery.� Yet, "the Spirit of God came upon him and he uttered his oracle" (Numbers 24:1-3) in favor of God's people.� We know that, after this event, he went back to prophesying evil and he was not saved (Joshua 13:22; 2 Peter 2:15; Revelation 2:14).

�� Now, not only the Jewish Apostles, but also these Gentiles could know and speak the Truth, the Word of God (see John 14:17 and 17:17).

VERSE 46�� Since this was a duplicate of what happened in Acts 2, were the tongues they spoke unknown or understood by people of other languages?� ___________________

Look up Revelation 5:9.� The same Greek word for "tongue" in Acts is used in this passage.� Is it referring to "unknown" or what is used by different nationalities?� __________________________________

VERSE 47�� Although Peter had told the people on the Day of Pentecost to repent and be baptized, and then they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), since this was the "induction" of the Gentiles into the church, Peter announced it the other way around.� Now, after receiving the Holy Spirit, they could be what?� _____________________

VERSE 48�� What did Peter "order" them to do?� __________________________________________________

�� ______________________________

�� Since verse 46 says they heard, and verse 48 says Peter ordered these same people, do you think any babies were baptized?� ____________

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