Church-Lesson06

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

LESSON SIX

DAY ONE:

Chapter 11, c. AD 44

Peter Defends Gentiles in Jerusalem

VERSE 1-3�� Word spread fast about Peter allowing __________ into the church.� So when he returned to Jerusalem, what did the Jewish believers do to him?� _______

VS. 13-14�� The angel had told Cornelius that Peter would tell him and his household how to be ______________.

VERSE 15�� Notice, Peter said the Holy Spirit came on the Gentiles as he had come on "us" when? _________

�� __________________________________________�

�� a.� According to Acts 2:1, what day was the "beginning"?_______________________________

�� b.� According to Acts 2:4, 7, who were the "us" who received the Holy Spirit?_______________ (See also Acts 1:2-5)

VERSE 16�� Peter finally understood what Jesus had said when he'd told them years earlier that they would be baptized with the what?� ______________________

�� THOUGHT QUESTION:� Do you ever read a scripture but not catch on to it until years later?� Has this happened to you recently?

DAY TWO:

VERSE 17�� Peter then told the assembly, "Who was I to ______ __________________________________ God?".

VERSE 18�� Even though the Gentiles could now become Christians, it does not mean they were not allowed to be saved under the Jewish system.� The book of Romans (1:20, p. 142) explains that people without the Law of Moses could look around at the world God made and understand God's invisible _____________________ and what kind of life he expected them to live.� (The entire book of Romans talks about both Jews and Gentiles needing Jesus, for all have sinned.)

VS. 19-21�� In the mean time, the Christians who scattered after _________________'s martyrdom went everywhere telling others the good news about who? ________

VERSE 22�� News of this reached the church where? _________

�� How could the church in Jerusalem have authority to tell Barnabus to go to Antioch up around Syria?� Acts 6:2 says the Jerusalem congregation was led by the __________________________

DAY THREE:

VS. 23-24�� What did Barnabas do in Antioch? _____________ ___________________________________

�� What kind of man was Barnabas? ______________ __________________________________________

VERSE 25�� Then Barnabas went where to look for who? __________________________________________

VERSE 26�� Saul had been a Christian for some time now.� So Barnabas teamed up with him and together they taught the church in Antioch for how long?

�� __________________________________________

�� b.�� It is in Antioch that the disciples, the believers in Jesus Christ, were called what for the very first time?� ___________________________________

�� THOUGHT QUESTION:� Do you believe we should call ourselves by a man's name or a doctrine? ______

VS. 27-28�� During this year, a prophet named ______________ predicted there would be a severe ______________ throughout the _________________ world during the reign of Caesar __________________.

VS. 29-30�� So the Christians in Antioch decided to provide help, each according to their __________________.

�� b.�� Their donations were sent to the elders in Jerusalem by whom?� __________________ and __________.

DAY FOUR:

Chapter 12

First Martyrdom of an Apostle

VERSE 1�� King Herod decided to arrest who?� ____________ __________________________________________

�� NOTE:� There were several Herods at this time, it having become a family name.� Herod Antipas, Herod the Great's son, killed John the Baptist and approved of Jesus' execution.� His wife was Herodius who he stole from another man to marry, and he was the cause of John the Baptist's execution.� He later approved of Jesus' execution.

�� Herodius' brother was Herod Agrippa, the grandson of Herod the Great.� Herodius was jealous that her dead-beat brother, Agrippa, was made a king over more territory than her husband, so she convinced her husband to complain to Caesar.� When he did, he was banished to Gaul instead.

�� So, the kingdom of Herod Antipas was then taken away by Claudius Caesar and added to Herod Agrippa's kingdom.� (See Josephus, Book 18, 5:4 and 7:1-2)�

VERSE 2�� This King Herod had the Apostle ______________, the brother of the Apostle ____________________ executed.

�� NOTE:� James was the first of the Apostles to die.� His brother, John, was the last of the Apostles to die.� (John wrote the book of Revelation, the last book in the Bible.)

VERSE 1-5�� Who did James' death please? _________________ Rising in popularity, Herod decided next to arrest who?� _____________________

VERSE 6�� The night before his trial which surely would have led to his death as it had James, Peter was doing what?� _________________________

�� b.�� List the things/people that kept Peter securely behind bars:

�� *

�� *��

VERSE 7�� Who suddenly awoke Peter?� __________________

�� b.�� What happened to his chains?� ________________

DAY FIVE:

VS. 8-11�� What did the angel lead Peter past?

�� *

VERSE 12�� Peter then went to the house of Mary, the mother of John _____________.�

�� NOTE:� This is the same man who wrote one of the four lives of Christ and which we call Mark.� Because the book sounds so much like Peter's writings, and he associated with Peter, many believe John Mark got much of his information from Peter.� (See I Peter 5:13)

VS. 13-16�� When Rhoda went to see who was knocking on the door in the middle of the night during their prayer service, she couldn't believe it was _____________ standing there in answer to their prayers.�

VERSE 17�� Peter told them to be sure and tell ______________ what had happened.� Then he disappeared, showing up later in Turkey and Greece (I Corinthians 1:12, and Galatians 2:11 where he is called Cephas).

�� Since the Apostle by this name had just been executed, which James did he probably mean?� (See Galatians 1:19) _____________________________

DAY SIX:

VS. 18-20�� King Herod Agrippa, then, went to his palace in Caesarea, a city his grandfather had built and named after Caesar.� He'd been __________________ with some people nearby, so they decided to flatter him in order to obtain _____________________________ with him.

VS. 21-22�� Herod delivered a _________________, and they responded that he was a ___________.

�� NOTE:� Josephus said this about that event:� Now, when Agrippa had reigned three years over all Judea, he came to the city of Cesarea....On the second day of which shows he put on a garment made wholly of silver, and of a contexture truly wonderful, and came into the theatre early in the morning; at which time the silver of his garment being illuminated by the fresh reflection of the sun's rays upon it, shone out after a surprising manner, and was so resplendent as to spread a horror over those that looked intently upon him: and presently his flatterers cried out, one from one place, and another from another...that he was a god.� Antiquities of the Jews, Book 19, 8:2

VERSE 23�� Herod died of a disease wherein he was _________ by ________________.�

�� A severe pain also arose in his belly, and began in a most violent manner.� He therefore looked upon his friends, and said, "I, whom you call a god, am commanded presently to depart this life...."� When he had said this, his pain was become violent.� Accordingly he was carried into the palace....And when he had been quite worn out by the pain in his belly for five days, he departed this life.� Antiquities of the Jews Book 19, 8:2

VS. 24�� The church continued to ___________________________________, Barnabas and __________ got their benevolent money delivered to __________________.� Then they asked John ________ to leave Jerusalem with them.

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