Church-Lesson07

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

LESSON SEVEN

DAY ONE:

Chapter 13, c. AD 48

Paul's First Missionary Trip*

VERSE 1-3�� The Holy Spirit told the Christians in Antioch to set apart what two men for a special work?� ________ and _______________________________

VERSE 6-7�� On the island of Cyprus, there was a __________________________________________prophet who was personal attendant to the proconsul.�

�� Acts 19:38 indicates proconsuls were judges, a duty the rulers of an area usually took upon themselves.

VERSE 8�� Apparently this proconsul was thinking seriously of becoming a Christian, for the false prophet tried to turn him from __________________ __________________.

VERSE 9�� Now that Saul was primarily among Gentiles, he was no longer called Saul, but rather _________.

DAY TWO:

VS. 10-11�� Paul had the power to perform miracles because God had made him an Apostle.� See 1 Corinthians 15:8-9 explaining this.

�� NOTE:� Thus far, the only ones able to perform miracles are Apostles or someone an Apostle "laid his hands on."

�� b.�� Paul made Elymas ______________.� Had being made blind helped Paul turn to Jesus years before?� ___________.� Does it look like it helped Elymas?� ______________

VS. 12-31�� Back on the mainland in Antioch (a different city from their home congregation), Paul reviewed Jewish history.��

VS. 32-41�� Paul preached a sermon in a synagogue and concluded by showing how Jesus' life had _______ ____________________________ one prophecy after another.

DAY THREE:

VS. 42-45�� Everyone was so excited about this that the next Sabbath, almost the whole _____________ gathered to hear Paul.� But the Jews tried to outshout him because they were ___________________.

VERSE 46�� At this point, Paul made a dynamic decision.� He said he had spoken to the Jews _____________.� But, since they _____________ God's word, Paul was from now on going to turn to the _______________________ people.

VERSE 50�� Even more angry, the Jews stirred up the local government leaders until Paul and Barnabas were ________________________ from their region.

Chapter 14

DAY FOUR:

VERSE 5�� At the next city, Iconium, many believed.� But both Gentiles and Jews plotted to __________________ Paul and Barnabas, so they left.

VS. 12-13�� In Lystra, they healed a man born lame, so the people decided they were _______, calling Barnabas ______________ and Paul _______________.

VS. 14-15�� When Paul and Barnabas realized what was happening, they rushed through the crowd shouting, "We are only ________________, like you."

VS. 16-18�� They tried to explain that the only God was the one who brought them _______________ and happiness.

VERSE 19�� But the Jews from the previous city had followed Paul and Barnabus here.� They stirred the people up so that they _______________ Paul and left him for _________________.

VERSE 20�� Instead, Paul got up and did what remarkable thing?� ____________________

VERSE 23�� Then Paul and Barnabus returned through the cities they had started churches in.� At that time they appointed ___________________________ in each _________________.� (Notice, no elder in one church was put in charge of other churches.)

�� NOTE:� The cities of Derbe, Lystra, Iconium and Antioch were all in the Turkish province of Galatia.� About AD 51, Paul wrote them, and it is part of our New Testament today.� In Galatians 1:8-9 he made this warning:

�� But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!� As we have already said, so now I say again:� If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!

�� THOUGHT QUESTION:� Notice, no elder in one church was put in charge of other churches.� Are there any church offices we are used to today that they ommitted having then?� Do you think it is God?s will that we continue to create church offices he did not create?

Chapter 15, c. AD 49

DAY FIVE:

VERSE 1�� After returning to Antioch to report the results of their missionary trip, some Christians showed up teaching that Gentile Christians should be circumcised, this having been commanded in the Law of ______________ to the Jews.

VERSE 2�� So Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem to confer with the ________________ and elders there.� (Remember, they still did not have the New Testament written yet, so had to rely on what the Apostles decided.)

�� NOTE:� This occurred _____ years after Paul's conversion.� (See Galatians 2:1)

VS. 10-11�� At the Council in Jerusalem, Peter got up and said they shouldn't put a ___________ on the Gentiles that the Jews couldn't even keep.� Therefore, Gentiles need not be circumcised, because they are saved through ______________.

�� THOUGHT QUESTION:� Some people today have begun incorporating Jewish worship from the Law of Moses in the Old Testament into Christian worship.� Do you think it is important enough to look up our forms of worship in the Bible to see if they are from the Old Testament or New Testament?

VS. 13, 20�� James, the brother of Jesus, suggested they send a letter around with Paul warning Gentile Christians to abstain from what?

�� *

DAY SIX:

VERSE 23�� How careful were the Apostles that their instruction not be misunderstood? _______________________ __________________________________________

VS. 25-27�� Even though the letter was sent with Paul and Barnabas from the Apostles to the church in Antioch, what further care did the Apostles take that this letter was authentic? _____________________ __________________________________________

�� THOUGHT QUESTION:� The only example in the New Testament church of any group of church leaders being in charge of another congregation is this one congregation in Jerusalem.� How were the leaders in Jerusalem unique from all the others? �(See Acts 2:42)

�� NOTE:� This is the last we hear of the original twelve Apostles being together in Jerusalem.� They seem to have scattered after this.� The next time the church leadership in Jerusalem is mentioned, this congregation is headed by James and elders (see Acts 21:18).

VERSE 40�� Then Paul and Barnabas decided to make a second missionary trip, revisiting the areas where they'd preached before.� But this time, Paul chose ___________________ as his preaching partner.

*Many more details of this missionary trip can be found in the lessons on the letters/epistles written by Paul.

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