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Home Group Notes - Acts

Focus on Acts

We are going to be looking at some incidents in Paul’s career in the book of Acts in home groups this term. The studies will look mainly at the second half of what is a very long book. The Crossway guide to Acts has been helpful in putting these studies together. Maps of Paul’s missionary journeys, often found in the back of Bibles, are very useful for keeping track of where Paul and company are going

Acts 13:13-52

What do you think are the basic beliefs of Christianity? What ten subjects would you include in a basics course for new Christians?

Why did Paul tell the gospel first to Jews?

Paul started from where people were and then told them the gospel. How can we put this into practice in our own area?

Although the Jewish leaders had theological disagreements with Paul and Barnabas, Luke tells us that jealousy was at the root of their opposition. How can we guard against jealousy spoiling the work of the church?

The Jews were in danger of missing out on what God was doing. How can we make sure we are open to God working in new or unexpected ways?

What happens to our Christian lives when we try to do things in our own strength and when we don’t try at all? How can we keep a balance?

Why did the disciples in Antioch feel joy after all the trouble there had been?

Notes

At the beginning of chapter 13 the Holy Spirit tells the church at Antioch to set apart Barnabas and Saul for a new work. In verse 9 Saul is called Paul for the first time.

v13 John Mark (Acts 12:25) had travelled from Jerusalem with Paul and Barnabas. He was probably the author of the second gospel and we are not told why he left the others at this point, though we do know that Paul was reluctant to take him on a future trip (Acts 15:37,38), so he may have considered that he lacked commitment.

v14 This Antioch is in modern day Turkey, and is different from Antioch in Syria, where there was already a flourishing church, which had commissioned Paul and Barnabas for this mission.

v15 It was customary for visiting rabbis to be invited to speak, so Paul had an open door when he reached a new city. Paul started his message with the Old Covenant and God’s dealings with his people, and went on to show that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament.

v43 Paul and Barnabas urged those who came to talk to them to ‘continue in the grace of God’. They still had responsibility to come to a decision about following Jesus, but God was working as well.

v46 Despite Paul’s practice of going first to the Jews and his longing to see his own people saved, God has called them to bring the good news to the Gentiles and Paul and Barnabas were not going to disobey.

v51 Here Paul and Barnabas follow Jesus’ instructions to the 72 sent out to preach the Kingdom (Luke 10:11). This is a prophetic action, which both proclaims the Kingdom of God and warns of judgment to come.

Acts 14:1-28

The people at Iconium had their minds poisoned. What things can poison the unity and faith of a church and how can we guard against them?

Paul and Barnabas caused uproar in many places. Does evangelism today cause the same excitement and controversy?

Paul and Barnabas’ mission was accompanied by ‘signs and wonders’. Do we expect to see the same in our evangelism and if not, why not?

We see superstition at work in Lystra. What forms does superstition take today?

How can we best follow up new Christians? What do they need most in the early weeks?

What qualities would you look for if you were choosing an elder for a new church?

It was very hard for Paul and Barnabas to go back to these towns. Where do you find it hardest to be a Christian?

How can we encourage each other to be bold?

The missionaries had much to share with their church when they returned home. What do we most appreciate about hearing the experiences of missionaries.

How can we best support those who have gone out to preach the good news?

v1 Iconium was 80 miles from Pisidian Antioch.

v4 The mission divided the town and seems here, as in other places in Acts, to have caused turmoil. Christians were threatening the very fabric of ancient society.

v6 Lystra was about 40 miles from Iconium, populated largely by uneducated rural people. There were a few Jews, but they do not seem to have been very influential.

v11 The excited crowd began to speak in their own language, rather than in the Greek which was commonly used in business and daily life throughout the Roman Empire. This use of Greek helped the early missionaries, because they could speak and be understood everywhere they went. Paul and Barnabas did not immediately understand what was being said about them – the sacrificial bulls arriving must have been something of a shock.

v15 Even in the moment of crisis, Paul still manages a mini sermon.

v21 After visiting Derbe, Paul and Barnabas return, visiting the places they had been on the outward journey. This must have required a good deal of courage in view of the threats and attacks they had been subject to on the way. Even at this early stage we see Paul’s concern for the nurture of the young churches, by appointing faithful leaders.

v26 Their return to Antioch marks the end of Paul’s first missionary journey.

Acts 15:1-35

What problem did the Council of Jerusalem meet to discuss?

Why was it so important?

What do people need to believe to be part of our church?

What things are we tempted to add to the simple gospel message?

In what ways do we make it difficult for people who aren’t Christians in our church?

Do any of the four guidelines in verse 29 apply today?

How should we deal with conflicts that arise within a church congregation?

How can we develop encouragement in our church?

v1 The problem for Jewish Christians was not whether Gentiles could be saved, but whether Gentile Christians had to obey the law of Moses, and the sign of this obedience was circumcision. In effect, did Gentiles have to become Jews before they could become Christians? The experience of Peter, Paul and Barnabas was that God had shown his acceptance of the Gentiles on the basis of their faith alone. The law cannot save, only by grace through faith in Jesus Christ can a person be saved.

v5 Some of the Christian believers were Pharisees and they wanted to see a more legalistic Christianity. They may have been worried about Gentiles weakening the moral standards in the church. Jewish contempt for Gentiles was to some extent based on their view that they were immoral. This may be born out if we consider the amount of time Paul spends in his letter on matters of morality. Gentiles had not been brought up with the firm moral standards of the Old Testament.

This was a crucial moment for the church. If those who advocated circumcision had won, Christianity would have become simply another sect of Judaism.

All sides were allowed to state their case, but this was not just a theological debate. Peter reminds people of his experience with meeting the Gentile Cornelius in chapter 10 and the fact that they themselves have been unable to keep the law, and Paul and Barnabas share the signs of God’s power that they saw on their recent mission.

v13 James, the brother of Jesus, has become a leader of the Jerusalem and proposes a course of action, which appears to meet with the approval of the Council. By quoting from Amos 9, he reminds them that God had always intended that the Gentiles should share in the blessings brought by the Messiah. He is concerned not to burden Gentile believers. He does not advocate circumcision of Gentile believers, but does suggest some moral guidance to do with rejection of idols and respect for life. The worship of the one true God and the rejection of idols was the key thing that marked Jews out from their Gentile neighbours. These guidelines appear to have been given not to appease the Jewish faction, but to ensure harmonious relations between Jewish and Gentile believers. Three of them related to food, a big issue for Jews. What you ate and how you ate it had major religious implications. Peter’s vision (Acts 10:11-16) was a direct challenge to this thinking, as were Jesus’ words in Matthew 15:16-20.

V30 The Christians in Antioch were encouraged by the letter and the advice from Jerusalem. However, as we see in Paul’s letters, the matter continued to cause problems for many years to come.

This is not an easy passage to look at and raises a number of questions in my mind. Luke does not tell us what Paul thought of the conclusions of the Council, but we know that this was not the end of the matter. The guidance given to the Gentiles seems to fall short of a ringing endorsement of their coming to Christ on the basis of faith alone. Yet, Luke tells us that the Antioch church received the message with joy and felt encouraged. It should not be forgotten that the Jerusalem Council had made a potentially costly decision. Every advance among the Gentiles made their situation in Judaism more difficult. By taking this step outside the law of Moses they were making it more likely that they would be persecuted. We also know that issues of morality and culture were difficult for young Gentile Christians. If you and your whole family have always eaten at the temple of Artemis every Thursday, you may not realise the full implications now you are a Christian. Although the matter continued to rumble on, the Council did give formal backing to the Gentile mission and Paul and Barnabas in particular.

Acts 16:1 - 40

How sensitive are we to God’s guidance?

What methods does God use to guide us as a church and as individuals?

What are the best places to tell others about Jesus?

How can we develop the gift of hospitality?

Can we give examples of times when God has given us joy in difficult situations?

How would you have answered the jailer’s question in v31?

Why did Paul refuse to go quietly when released from prison?

There is no censorship involved in missing out the end of chapter 15. I am not trying to protect the reputation of our patron saint. It is just I didn’t want to make the passages too long. Paul and Barnabas had a serious disagreement about John Mark and decided to part company. Paul took Silas and began his second missionary journey by revisiting the cities he had preached in earlier.

v1 Timothy was Jewish, through his mother, but he had not been circumcised, probably because of his Gentile father. This might have caused problems with some Jewish believers, so Paul asked him to be circumcised, so there would be no obstacle to the gospel. Obviously as a Christian there was no necessity for him to be circumcised, as the Council of Jerusalem had already determined.

V9 After twice closing the door, the Holy Spirit finally gives definite directions that Paul and company should go to Macedonia (present day northern Greece).

v10 Luke now seems to have joined the party.

v12 Philippi was the main city in the region, a Roman colony, which gave it considerable independence in the region. There does not seem to have been a synagogue, but a small group meet at the river.

v14 Lydia was a dealer in purple cloth, very valuable and expensive and often worn by royalty, so she was probably very wealthy.

v17 Just as Jesus silenced the demons who recognized him, Paul does not appreciate the free advertising and does not want his mission to be associated with anything occult.

v37 Paul refused to leave quietly. The magistrates had acted illegally in flogging Roman citizens without trial. A more public release might protect the young church from further illegal persecution.

The group may like to read Acts 17 to fill in the story, though there isn’t a study on it. The next study is on Acts 18.

Acts 18 – 19:10

How can we do our daily work in a Christian way?

How have we experienced God’s encouragement in a stressful situation?

Gallio decided that Paul has not broken any law, but it was not long before he came up against the authorities again. Is it ever right for us to break the law?

Paul is committed to God’s will (v21). How aware are we of God’s purposes for our lives? How can we be more sensitive to his leading?

What can we learn from the way Priscilla and Aquila dealt with Apollos?

How can we make sure we grow in knowledge (v24-26)?

What were Apollos and the twelve men in Ephesus missing, by only knowing about the baptism of John?

I have decided to omit a study on chapter 17, as it is not long since we had a sermon on it and unfortunately time does not allow us to look at everything.

Chapter 17 relates Paul’s visits to Thessalonica and Berea, where many people come to faith, and to Athens, where the gospel falls on more stony ground. Paul was waiting for Silas and Timothy in Athens, but has moved on to Corinth by the time they catch up with him. Paul meets Aquila and Priscilla, who had to leave Rome while Claudius was emperor. They shared the trade of tentmaking. We may not often think of Paul working with his hands, but, like Jesus, he would have learnt a trade as he was growing up. When Silas and Timothy arrive they were able to support Paul in some way, perhaps bringing gifts from Philippi and the other churches Paul had visited, while he gets on with preaching. Corinth was the political and commercial centre of Greece, and like many big cities, it had a reputation for wickedness and immorality. There was large temple to Aphrodite, goddess of love, in the city. As usual Paul preaches first to Jews in Corinth, but he meets with aggressive opposition and leaves the synagogue to begin preaching, not very tactfully, in a house next door!

v9 Paul may have felt discouraged on his arrival at Corinth: the mission in Athens was not a success, he has been mistreated in Philippi and a number of other places and he must continually move on in the face of opposition. But in a vision he receives encouragement from God and assurance that there will be a time of relative stability, when he will be able to put down some roots. We know from the two Corinthian letters that Paul developed a close relationship with the young church at Corinth.

v12 Gallio, the brother of the philosopher, Seneca, who was an advisor to the young emperor Nero, makes an important decision here. Judaism was a recognized religion in the Roman Empire, with certain protection under Roman law. Here Gallio refused to outlaw Christianity as a new religion.

v22 Paul returns to Antioch and concludes his second missionary journey.

The next study is on Acts 19:11 –20:1.

Acts 19:11 – 20:1

Do we take the name of Jesus seriously enough? What difference would it make to our worship if we understood the true power and honour of Jesus’ name?

Does God work in the same way today, as he did through Paul in Ephesus?

Many Ephesians burnt their parchments. How should we separate ourselves from the wrong things in our past? Can the past have a hold on us?

Paul has some wise friends. How can we try to stop someone doing something we think is wrong?

How do the false gods of our society influence us and our friends and neighbours?

When have we seen mob action in modern society? How should a Christian march or gathering be different? Is there anything that would make you go on a protest march?

Notes

Paul began his third missionary journey in chapter 19 by returning to the churches of Asia Minor (Turkey), which he has already visited. He arrives in Ephesus and stays there two years. Luke deals with the Ephesian years in this one chapter, but it gives an insight into what must have been a dramatic beginning for the church.

Ephesus was the capital and leading business centre of the Roman province of Asia, a hub of sea and land transportation and the home of the temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It also seems to have been a centre of black magic and other occult practices. Paul’s mission here seems to have been marked by a number of miraculous events.

v11Even Paul’s overalls and handkerchiefs are used to bring healing, but Paul seems to have avoided a cult of personality arising around himself. Even those who sought to take advantage of God’s power for personal gain (v13) were clear that the power resided ‘in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches’. They discovered that no one can control or duplicate God’s power. Jesus’ name is not to be recited like a magic charm, God works only through those he chooses.

v23 Demetrius and his fellow souvenir makers do not object to Paul's message on theological grounds, but they are afraid that their profits will be affected!

v33 The Jews of Ephesus would have been keen to distance themselves from the Christians, but the crowd are in no mood to distinguish between Jews and Christians.

v35The city clerk is able to bring order, by reminding the crowd that civil unrest is more likely to damage the tourist trade than the Christians. The Roman authorities were liable to treat any such unrest very seriously, which could involve the loss of civic freedoms and the removal of the appointed officials. Paul sees the riot as the signal to move on, but it also showed that the law still provided protection for Christians.

Acts 20

How should we celebrate Sunday?

How can we grow more encouragers in the church? How can we encourage our leaders?

What has been our experience of the grace of God?

Paul has proclaimed the whole will of God. Why do we have a tendency to emphasize only bits of it?

How can we know what is sound teaching?

What dangers does Paul warn the Ephesian elders about?

What is the task of Christian leaders?

Have these studies in Acts taught us anything new or reminded us of anything important?

v4 The men travelling with Paul represented different churches Paul had started in Asia. They were bringing gifts for the church in Jerusalem, (see 2 Corinthians 8:1-21, Romans 15:25,26). As well as being a sign of unity, the group would have been added security for the gift on a long journey.

v8,9 Eutychus was probably between 8 and 14. The many lamps in the room would have been candles in lanterns and the heat and smoke probably contributed to Eutyches falling asleep.

v13-17 Paul’s companions embark at Troas, but Paul walks along the coast road and is picked up at Assos. He decided not to revisit Ephesus, but stopped at the nearby port of Miletus, about 30 miles from Ephesus, and arranges to meet the elders of the Ephesian church there.

v18 Paul is filled with sadness at the thought that he is seeing these Christian brothers and sisters for the last time. We know that he spent a considerable time in Ephesus and was probably close to a number of people there. He may also have fears for what the future will hold, both for himself and for his churches. Lukes record of the speech gives us almost a ‘mini epistle’, as Paul reviews the past and gives practical teaching and theological reflection.

v24 Paul knows that he is set on a course that may lead to his death, but his concern is only for the task God has given him, to tell others of the grace of God, which has so transformed his own life.

v28 Paul encourages the church leaders to take care both of their own spiritual lives and those of the congregation in their care. He calls them ‘overseers’, the word traditionally translated as ‘bishops’, and shepherds, whose task is to protect the church from false tea-ching, from those inside and outside the church who will seek to cause trouble.

v32-35 Paul’s final warning is about greed. He points out his own example and the antidote for greed, concern for the poor and weak. These words of Jesus are not recorded in the gospels.

V38 Wanting to stay with Paul until the last possible moment, the elders accompanied the group right down to the ship.

Our studies in Acts end here, as Paul embarks for Jerusalem, a journey that will lead him eventually to Rome, where tradition, though not the book of Acts, tells us that he was martyred.