Based on the Book, Acts of the Apostles
LESSON EIGHT
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| THE FIRST-CENTURY CHURCH Based on the Book, Acts of the Apostles LESSON EIGHT |
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| DAY ONE: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chapter 16, c. AD 50 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Paul's Second Missionary Trip* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VERSE 1-2����� In Lystra, Turkey, Paul met who?� _____________� What was his nationality?� ___________________ Were there "believers" in his family besides himself?� __________________________________ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������������������� LYSTRA was not a very culturally advanced community.� But two statues have been discovered there of Zeus and Hermes.� A local legend said that two men entertained these two gods while the rest of Lystra ignored them. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������� b.�������� Look up 2 Timothy 1:4.� What were Timothy's mother's and grandmother's names? _____________ __________________________________________� Were they Christians?� ____________ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������������������� THOUGHT QUESTION:� Who in Timothy's family do you think raised him to be a Christian? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������� c.�������� Look up 2 Timothy 1:2 & 4; also 4:9.� How close did Paul and Timothy become?� __________________ _________________________ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������������������� NOTE:� 2 Timothy is the last known letter that Paul wrote.� In 1:8 he told Timothy not to be ashamed of Jesus or ashamed that Paul was a prisoner.� In 4:6 he said he would die soon (be executed by Nero).� He wanted Timothy to be with him at the time.� | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VS. 9-10��������� They had apparently decided to preach only in Turkey, but one night Paul had a vision of a man in Macedonia, a province of Greece.� What did the man say in the vision? _______________________ __________________________________________ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������������������� THOUGHT QUESTION:� Have you had any "Macedonians" interfere with your life and cause you to move? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VERSE 12������ They went to which leading city of Macedonia?� _______________________ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������� | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������������������� NOTE:� This city had a famous school of medicine.� About 15 years after this visit, Paul wrote the church here while he was in prison.� It was probably his most gentle letter.� In Philippians 4:7 he wished them "the peace that passes all understanding," and in 4:13 he said, "I can do all though through Christ who strengthens me." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VS. 13-15������� There, Paul met a business woman named _______________________.� After hearing Paul, what did she and her household do? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������������������� * | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������������������� * | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DAY TWO: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VS. 16-18������� Paul and Silas were hounded by a "psychic" who kept following him around and shouting what? _______ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ (More on this "psychic" in the lessons on the writings of the apostles to the churches.) |
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| THOUGHT QUESTION:� Why do you think Paul caused the "psychic" spirit to leave her? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VERSE 23������ The woman's owners got mad because they'd made money off her.� So they caused what to happen to Paul and Silas? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������������������� * | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������������������� * | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VERSE 25������ What did Paul and Silas do while in prison? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������������������� * | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������������������� * | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VS. 26-27������� When the earthquake broke open the prison doors, what did the jailer threatened to do? ____________ ____________________ because he thought the prisoners had _______________________. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VS. 33������������ When the jailor asked what to do to be saved, (a) what did Paul tell him to do, and (b) what did they do? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������������������� * | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������������������� * | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VS. 37-39������� When the local magistrate decided to free Paul and Silas, Paul objected because: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������������������� * | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������������������� * | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������������������� * | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DAY THREE: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chapter 17 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VERSE 1�������� What was the next city they went to? ___________ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������������������� NOTE:� Paul wrote two letters to the Christians at this Greecian seaport city.� The first was written about A.D. 54.� In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.� After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air [not in Jerusalem].� And so we will be with the Lord forever." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������������������� Paul wrote his second letter to them shortly after the first to follow up on the first letter. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VERSE 6�������� It is 15-20 years since Jesus returned to heaven.� At yet, the mob shouted that these men had caused trouble where?� _______________________________________________� (More on this in lesson 11.) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VERSE 7�������� The mob claimed Paul was defying Caesar by saying _______________ was king.� | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������������������� THOUGHT QUESTION:� In what way do opponents of Jesus today twist around the Truth to make it sound like Christians are bad? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VS 10-11�������� They escaped Thess-ala-nica and fled to what city?� ____________________________� Paul said these Christians were more ________________ than some other Christians because they did what and how often? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������������������� * | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������������������� * | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VERSE 16������ Paul then escaped to Athens, still in Greece, but was disturbed to see so many what there? ___________ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DAY THREE: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VERSE 18������ EPICUREANS founded about 300 B.C.� Nature is the true reality.� As atheists, they believed mind is just matter in motion.� Sought happiness through pleasure.� There was no such thing as absolute truth.� However, they still believed in a universal morality because it ultimately leads to happiness.� Man's soul is part of the soul of the world. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������������������� STOICS founded 280 B.C.� Reason/Mind is the true reality.� As pan-theists, they believed the laws of nature are from the Great Reason of the Universe, a Mind with no personality.� Happiness was attained by eliminating emotions and just going along with nature.� They believed they could best do this by being kind to others, thus alleviating conflict in their lives.� Sin was just an error in judgment.� They were a slight variation of the Buddhist and Hindu religions that existed then and which is having a come-back today through the New-Age Movement. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������������������� The philosophers accused Paul of introducing ____ _________________________________. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VERSE 19������ AR-E-OP-AGUS was on Mars Hill in Greece.� Court was held there, reportedly from legendary times, and still was in Paul's time.� Its purpose was to question the morals and rights of teachers who lectured in public. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VERSE 32������ After Paul testified of Jehovah God, many of them sneered because he believed in what? ___________ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������������������� __________________________________________ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VERSE 34������ Only a few in Athens believed, among them a member of the __________________, and a woman named ________________________. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chapter 18, c. AD 52 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VERSE 1�������� Paul next went to what city? __________________� ____________________________ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������������������� NOTE:� This city had a major temple to Venus (Aphrodite) that housed 1000 prostitutes.� They also worshipped Poseidon, the god of the sea, since this was a seaport.� The city had over twice as many slaves as citizens.� | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������������������� Paul wrote the church in Corinth twice, both times frustrated because, although they were wealthy, they were still spiritual babies (3:1).� I Corinthians was written about AD 58, partly because of the sexual immorality in the church (5:1), and also in answer to many questions they had:� 7:1 - Marriage.� 8:1 -"Now about food sacrificed to idols."� 12:1 -"Now about spiritual gifts." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������������������� He wrote his second letter to them after a "painful visit" (2:1).� At the end he said he was going to come a third time, and he was afraid he would find the same quarrelling, jealousy, anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance, disorder, impurity, sexual sin and debauchery (12:20-13:3).� He closed saying, ";Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves" (13:5).� Should we do the same? _____________________________________ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VERSE 2�������� There he met ___________________ and her husband Aquilla who'd recently been kicked out of __________ by Claudius Caesar with all the ______ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VERSE 6�������� Paul got so exasperated with the Jews following him around everywhere causing trouble, he finally said, "Your _____________ be on your own _________.� From now on I will go to the _________________." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VERSE 8�������� However, the ruler of the Synagogue did believe; and he and many of the Corinthians did what? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������������������� * | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������������������� * | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VERSE 11������ How long did Paul stay here teaching? __________ ____________________ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VERSE 17������ Eventually, what did the Jews do to the former ruler of the Synagogue?� ______________ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| c. AD 54 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VS. 19-21������� Where did they go that Paul couldn't stay long but promised to return?� ________________ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VERSE 18������ When Paul finally left, who did he take with him? __________________ and ___________________. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Many more details of this missionary trip are found in the lessons on the letters/epistles written by Paul. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||