Church-Lesson10

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

LESSON TEN

DAY ONE:

Chapter 21 (cont)

Paul's Arrest

VS. 17-18�� In Jerusalem, Paul went to see _________________ and all the ________________________________.

�� NOTE:� Apparently between Acts 15:22 and now, all the original Apostles had left Jerusalem.� What happened to them?� According to history and Foxe?s Book of Martyrs written in the mid 1500s, over the next probably 10 years, all were martyred except John:

�� Matthew was burned at the stake in Egypt

�� Simon was crucified in Great Britain

�� Peter was crucified upside down in Rome

�� Thaddeus was killed in Russia

�� Andrew was crucified in Greece

�� Thomas was stoned in India

�� Philip was speared in Turkey

�� Nathaniel was thrown into the Black Sea in Russia

�� When Andrew died, it is reported that he said this:

Accept me, oh Christ Jesus!

Whom I saw,

Whom I love,

And in whom I am.

Accept my spirit in peace

In your eternal home.

VS. 23-24�� Because the headquarters of the Jewish religion was in Jerusalem, James and the elders advised Paul to go through a Jewish ceremony to prove he didn't hate Jews.� He was to do this with ________ other Jewish men?�

VS. 28-29�� But some Jews who'd followed Paul from Turkey ("Asia"), accused Paul of defiling the Temple by bringing who into it?� ________________________� Was it true?� ______________

VS. 30�� So a mob dragged Paul into the _____________________, closed the gates, and tried to do what to him? ________________

VS. 31-35�� Who rescued Paul from death?� ________________

DAY TWO:

VERSE 38�� The captain had thought Paul was the ___________ who led _________ terrorists.

�� NOTE:� Josephus speaks of this terrorist:� There came out of Egypt about this time to Jerusalem, one that said he was a prophet...and at his command the walls of Jerusalem would fall down.� He promised them that he would procure them an entrance into the city through those walls when they fell down.� Now when Felix was informed of these things, he....slew four hundred of them, and took two hundred alive.� But the Egyptian himself escaped....And again the robbers stirred up the people to make war with the Romans, and said they ought not to obey them at all; and when any persons would not comply with them, they set fire to their villages, and plundered them.� Antiquities of the Jews, Book 20, 8:6

VS. 37-40�� Paul spoke to the Roman commander in what language?� _____________________� He then got permission to address the mob, and did so in what language?� _______________

Chapter 22

Paul's Trial Before the Jewish Sanhedrin

VERSE 16�� In recalling his conversion, Paul said he was baptized for what reason?� ____________________

VERSE 29�� When the crowd got into an uproar again, the commander ordered Paul flogged.� But he was ______________________ to find out Paul was a ___________________________.

VERSE 30�� So the commander ordered the Jewish __________ __________________ to assemble and get to the bottom of the riots.

DAY THREE:

Chapter 23

Paul's Trial Before the Jewish Sanhedrin

VS. 1-2�� Who was the high priest before whom Paul was tried?� _____________� Who was the high priest before whom Jesus was tried?� (See John 18:12-14)� ________________________

�� NOTE:� Acts 4:6 (pg. 113) lists Annas' (also spelled Ananias, Ananus) sons as Caiaphas, John(athan), Alexander.� This elder Ananus proved a most fortunate man; for he had five sons, who had all performed the office of a high priest...and he had himself enjoyed that dignity a long time formerly.� Antiquities of the Jews, Book 20, 9:1

VS. 6-9�� Paul decided to "divide and conquer" when he realized part of the Sanhedrin were Sadducees and part were Pharisees.� Did it work? ______________

VERSE 10�� So the Sanhedrin created a riot among themselves.� It got so violent, the commander was afraid what would happen to Paul?� ______________________ __________________________________________

VERSE 11�� That night, Jesus ____________ near Paul and told him he'd live to go to ___________.

DAY FOUR:

VS. 12-13�� The next day _____ Jews decided not to ______________________ or ______________ until they had _________________ Paul.�

VS. 15-16�� They plotted to have Paul sent back to the Sanhedrin, and on his way they would do what?� _______________________________� Who spoiled the plot?� _____________________

VERSE 23�� To protect this Roman citizen, the commander slipped Paul out of town that night under guard of ___________ soldiers, ___________ horsemen, and ___________ spearmen and escorted him to _____ __________________________.

�� NOTE:� Caesarea was built on the Mediterranean coast by King Herod about 15 years before Jesus was born, and named after Augustus Caesar.� It became Palestine's headquarters as it related to Rome while Jerusalem continued to be Palestine's headquarters as it related to the Jews.�

VS. 25-26�� The commander sent a _________________ along with the soldiers to explain that the Jews were trying to kill Paul, the Roman citizen.

�� b.�� Who was governor of Judea at this time? ________ ___________________

�� NOTE:� Josephus says Felix was appointed by Claudius Caesar to be governor of the Judea part of Palestine the last year of Claudius' life.� (Antiquities of the Jews, Book 20, 7:1).

Chapter 24

Paul's Trial Before Roman Governor Felix

VS. 2-3�� The high priest hired a slick lawyer named _______________ who flattered Felix by saying the Jews had enjoyed __________________ under his rule.�

�� NOTE:� Josephus said regarding the time Felix was governor, Now, as for the affairs of the Jews, they grew worse and worse continually; for the country was again filled with robbers and impostors, who deluded the multitude.� Yet did Felix catch and put to death many of those impostors every day.� Antiquities of the Jews, Book 20, 8:5

VERSE 5�� What did Paul's enemies at this time call the church?� __________________________________

VERSE 14�� What did Paul call the church at this time? __________________________________________

�� (See also Acts 9:2)

�� b.�� Where did the early Christians get this name?� (See John 14:6) _________________________________

�� THOUGHT QUESTION:� Paul intimated that this was not a sect, a denomination of the Jewish religion.� Do you think we should have sects/denominations today?� __________

VS. 17-19�� Paul defended himself by saying

�� * He hadn't even been in Jerusalem for _________ years.

�� * He was ceremonially ___________ in the Temple.

�� * There was no _______________ around him.

�� * The Jews from ______________ weren't even in court and they were the ones who brought the original charges.

DAY SIX:

VERSE 23�� Felix ordered that Paul be put under house arrest, so that his ______________________ could come see him.

VERSE 24�� A few days later, Felix heard Paul again, along with his wife ______________________ who was a Jewess.

�� NOTE:� Josephus says Drusilla was sister of King Herod Agrippa II (see Acts 25:23).�

�� While Felix was procurator of Judea, he saw this Drusilla, and fell in love with her; for she did indeed exceed all other women in beauty....and endeavored to persuade her to forsake her present husband, and marry him; and promised that if she would not refuse him, he would make her a happy woman....was prevailed upon to transgress the laws of her forefathers [divorce] and to marry Felix.� Josephus goes on to say that their son was later killed when Mount Vesuvius erupted.� Antiquities of the Jews, Book 20, 7:1-2

VERSE 26�� Felix often sent for Paul, hoping Paul would offer him a _________________________.

�� NOTE:� During Felix's second year as governor, Claudius Caesar died, poisoned by his wife Agrippina.� Then her son by a previous marriage became Caesar.� His name was NERO.

VERSE 27�� This went on for ________________ years.�

�� NOTE:� During the time Paul was under house arrest, Felix was fighting with Jonathan, the current high priest, and one of Annus' sons.� Jonathan had wanted Caesar to make him governor instead of Felix.�

�� So Felix contrived a method whereby he might get rid of him....in the following manner:� Certain of those robbers went up to the city, as if they were going to worship God, while they had daggers under their garments; and, by thus mingling themselves among the multitude, they slew Jonathan.� Antiquities of the Jews, Book 20, 8:5

�� Further, the Jews and Syrians of Caesarea got into a bloody dispute over who was more important in Caesarea.� The Jews claimed they were because Herod the Great, a Jew, had built the city.� The Syrians claimed they were because a city had already existed there under a different name centuries before the Jews ever came to this country.�

�� But when Felix saw that this quarrel was become a kind of war, he came upon them....and slew many of them, and took more of them alive, and permitted his soldiers to plunder....� Antiquities of the Jews, Book 20, 8:7

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