Church-Lesson11

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

LESSON ELEVEN

DAY ONE:

Chapter 25, c. AD 60

Paul's Trial Before the Roman Governor Festus

VERSE 1�� Who arrived in the province as the next governor?� ______________________________

�� Josephus said Felix was replaced because the Jews accused him to killing some of them in Caesarea during their dispute with the Syrians:�

�� Now when Festus was sent as successor to Felix by Nero, the [Jews] went up to Rome to accuse Felix; and he had certainly been brought to punishment, unless Nero had yielded to the [Felix's brother's]....solicitations.� Antiquities of the Jews, Book 20, 8:8

VERSE 2�� Festus went immediately to the Jewish headquarters in ___________________ to decide what to do with Paul, still in prison.

�� NOTE:� By this time, Agrippa, King of all the Syrian and Palestine territories, had given the high priesthood to Ismael, and the priesthood got even worse:�

�� And now arose a sedition between the high priests and the principal men of the multitude of Jerusalem ....The high priests had the hardness to send their servants into the thrashing-floors to take away those tithes that were due the priests [in the Law of Moses, but to be brought to the Temple, not seized in homes]; insomuch that it so fell out that the poorer sort of the priests died for want.� To this degree did the violence of the seditious prevail over all right and justice.� Antiquities of the Jews, Book 20, 8:8

VERSE 3�� Why did the religious leaders want Paul transferred back to Jerusalem?� __________________________

�� _________________________________________________________________________

VERSE 9�� When Festus got to Caesarea, he held a preliminary trial.� Why did he decide to send Paul back to Jerusalem? ___________________________________________________________________________

VERSE 11�� Paul refused to go back to Jerusalem.� Instead he used his right as a Roman citizens and said what?� ________________________________________________

VERSE 12�� What was Governor Festus' reply?� ______________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________

VERSE 13�� What king arrived a few days later to visit Festus?� ___________________�

�� NOTE:� This King Herod Agrippa Jr. was the son of the Herod Agrippa Sr. whose death was described in Acts 12:19-23.� He had been brought up with Claudius Caesar who had become emperor just a few years earlier.� When his father died, he was only sixteen years old.� The year Felix became governor (about fourteen years later), he was given the kingship over Palestine and Syria, with governors under him.� (Antiquities of the Jews, Book 19, 9:1)

DAY TWO:

VERSE 18�� Festus explained to King Agrippa that Paul's accusers did not accuse him of ________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________

VS. 19-20�� Festus realized the real cause of the charges against Paul involved their religion and a dead man named _____________ who Paul claimed _____________________________________________________.

VERSE 23�� Who accompanied King Agrippa during this entire visit with Festus?� ___________________________

�� NOTE:� Bernice was Agrippa's sister and a widow at this time.� But as for Bernice, she lived a widow a long while after the death of Herod [king of Chalcis] who was both her husband and her uncle....But when the report went that she [was committing incest] with her brother, she persuaded...king of Cilicia [in Turkey] to be circumcised and to marry her....Yet did not this matrimony endure long; but Bernice left Polemo...and the Jewish religion.� Antiquities of the Jews Book 20, 7:3

VERSE 25�� Preliminary to Paul's defense of himself, Festus said Paul hadn't done anything deserving of __________.

VS. 26-27�� Festus wanted King Agrippa's help in writing a _______________ to Nero Caesar because it was unreasonable to send him without specifying what?� _________________

Chapter 26

Paul's Trial Before Jewish/Roman King Agrippa

VERSE 4-5�� Paul said his accusers had known him ____________________________________________________.

�� NOTE:� In Acts 22:3, Paul said that, although born in Tarsus, he was brought up in Jerusalem, and had been trained by Gamaliel.� Acts 5:34 said Gamaliel was a member of the Sanhedrin.� It was the Sanhedrin that was accusing Paul.� Most of them had probably formerly been his friends.

VERSE 9-10�� Paul admitted he'd formerly cast Christians (saints) into prison, and _____________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________

�� to put them to ___________________.�

�� NOTE:� This word translated "voice" in some versions and "vote" in some versions is from a Greek word meaning to speak out.� For Paul to have been allowed a vote meant that apparently he had once been a member of the Sanhedrin himself, his former teacher (Gamaliel) being a senior member.

DAY THREE:

VS. 22-23�� After Paul reviewed his own conversion, he said he wasn't teaching against the Jewish religion, but was just declaring that prophecies of their religion were fulfilled in who?� ____________________?

�� b.�� He then declared that Jesus had done what?� _________________________

VERSE 24�� Governor Festus interrupted at this point and told Paul he was what?� _______________

VERSE 26�� Paul told Festus he had no right to interrupt, because Paul had the right to __________________ __________________________________________ to King Agrippa.

VERSE 28�� King Agrippa replied what to Paul? _______________________________________________________

�� __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________

�� NOTE:� The word in Greek translated "almost" or "shortly" indicates that he was close to becoming a Christian himself.

VERSE 32�� King Agrippa told the governor what about Paul?� ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________

DAY FOUR:

Chapter 27, c. AD 61

Shipwreck on the Way to Rome

VERSE 2�� When the writer said "we" boarded the ship, that included Paul and the writer, and perhaps others.� Who was the writer?� ________________________ (Remember Acts 1:1 and Luke 1:3)

VERSE 3�� The ship landed at various ports, probably to pick up cargo and people.� ______________, the centurion (in charge of 100 soldiers), allowed Paul to go ashore for what reason? _________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________

VERSE 7-9�� Why did the ship make such slow headway? _________________________________________________ ____________________________________________

�� NOTE:� "The fast" referred to was the Day of Atonement.� That was held in October.� It was nearly too late in the season for ships to be at sea.

VERSE 12�� Although the ship captain considered wintering in the harbor of Fair Havens (see v. 8), what did the ship do and why? _________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________

VS. 13-14�� What happened to threaten the ship? ______________________________________________________

VERSE 16�� What did the sailors have trouble securing on the ship?� _____________________________

VERSE 17�� What did the sailors do to try to hold the ship together?� _________________________

VS. 18-19�� What did they throw overboard to try to save the ship?� __________________________

VERSE 20�� What did everyone on board finally conclude?� _________________________________

DAY FIVE:

VERSE 27�� How long did the storm last? _________________ __________________________________________

VS 30-33�� When they finally got close to shore somewhere, what did some of the sailors do and how did the soldiers react? _____________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________

VS. 33-38�� Why did Paul urged everyone to eat? ___________ __________________________________________

�� b.�� Was he embarrassed to give thanks for the food in public? __________________

�� c.�� How many were on board?� _____________

VS. 42-43�� What did the soldiers want to do before leaving the remains of their ship? ________________________

�� _______________________________________________________________________________

VERSE 44�� How did people get to shore? _________________ __________________________________________

Chapter 28

Paul Arrives in Rome to be Heard by Nero Caesar

VERSE 1�� They found out this was the island called ________ ______________________.

VS. 2-6�� When Paul helped build a fire, a ________________ from the wood bit him.� When he didn't die, what did the people decide?� _______________________ _______________________________

VERSE 9�� What did Paul do for the people?� ______________ _________________________________� Did any of the others help him perform them?� _____________

DAY SIX:

VERSE 11�� How long did they stay on the island before setting out for Rome again?� ____________

VERSE 14�� When they landed at Puteoli, Italy, Paul was allowed to look for who?� ______________

VERSE 15�� The Christians brothers heard the news and traveled to where to meet Paul?� ______________________ _______________________________________________________________

�� b.�� At the sight of the brothers from Rome, what did Paul do?� _______________________

�� NOTE:� Remember, Paul had written them what we now call the book of Romans in the New Testament.� In it he said how much he longed to see them some day.� His wish was at last coming true, though not perhaps the way he'd planned.

VERSE 16�� In Rome, Paul was again put under house arrest, with his own home, and only _______ Roman soldier guarding him.

VS. 17-20�� When did Paul send for the Jewish leaders in Rome?� ____________________________

VS. 23�� What did Paul use to try to convince the Jews their promised Savior had come and he was Jesus? ____ ___________________________________________________________________________________

VS. 24�� What was the Jews' response? __________________________________________________________

VS. 30�� For how long was Paul under house arrest? _________________________________

For a summary of what happened after the close of "Acts of the Apostles", click here.

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