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7/28/2019 Actsnote for Scribd

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Written by Lou Soiles for the Graduate School Christian Fellowship IVCF/GFM Harvard Un iversity, 20012

He let them see him , tou ch him , tal k to hi m . V. 4 in the NRSV says, "Whil e wi th them i s "took sal t together," an i di om for eatin g together. This act w as thultim ate sign of physicali ty (in m an y Jewish tra dition s, angels could not eatfood) and in t ima cy.

What did the resurrection prove?That God ha d vi n di cated Jesu s' clai m s to be the Messia h. He wa s n ot "cu rs

God but r ather vin dica ted a n d a n oin ted by him (see Peter's serm on in Acts 2)What did Jesus com mand his disciples to do?

Remai n in Jeru salem an d wa it What do you thin k th e disciples m ight h ave been th ink ing when Jesus says, "do not leave JerIf you were one of the disciples would you have wanted to w ait there?What were they supposed to w ait there for?

The prom ise of the Father What might they have kno wn about th is prom ise?

A lot!

There were a lot of OT pa ssages that spoke of the pr om ise of the Father to pou r ou t his(e.g. Isa. 32:15; 44:3; Ezek. 36:25-28; 37:14; 39:29; Joel 2:28-31). Bu t Jesu s goes fu r thdoesn 't ju st say, "Wait for the prom ise of the Father w hich you k now abou t from youof the OT." Where di d they hear abou t this from Jesu s? The fu ll est recorded statem entcon cern in g the Ho ly Spir it com es in John 14-16. There Jesu s says am on g other thin gsSpir it wi ll be with them forever (Jn . 14:16), wi ll teach them everythin g and rem in deverythi n g jesu s sai d to them (Jn . 14:26), wi ll testify on Jesu s' behal f (15:26), wi ll beJesu s (Jn . 16:7), wi ll pr ove the worl d w ron g (or convi ct the worl d) a bou t sin an d ri ghteousn ess an d j ud gem ent (Jn. 16:8), wi ll gu id e them in to al l tr uth (Jn . 16:13).Luk e record s in hi s fir st folu m e Jesu s' word s, "When they bri n g you before the syn agoru lers an d the authori ties, do not wor ry a bout how you a re to defend your selves or war e to say, for the Holy Spir it w ill teach you at that very hou r w hat you ou ght to say12:11-12).

So the di scipl es had hear d a l ot abou t the Ho ly Spir it bu t they had n 't yet experi enced a l ot of the Spir it. For this they had to rem ai n in Jerusalem an d w

Verses 6-8What is the disciples' question in v. 6? Why did th ey ask this question ? Where did it com e frwere th e key th ings Jesus talked about in th e previous section ( vv. 105)?

The Kingdom of God an d the prom ise of the Hol y Spir it. In the OT the refeto the KOG an d the ou tpour in g of the Spir it w ere all i n the con text of Isra el'srestoration.What do the disciples assume, take for granted, in their question?

That the Kin gdom w ou ld be restored to Isra el.Why?

Becau se Scri ptu r e pr edicted it. For exam ple, Joel 2:28-32 (whi ch Peter w iqu oted in h is Pen tecost serm on ) talk s abo u t the ou tpou ri n g of the Ho ly Spir itcontin u es in 3:1-21 by talk in g of the com in g of the great a nd terr ible da y of twhen God w ou ld "r estore the fortu nes of Jud ah an d Jerusalem ." visit the Gentna tion s wi th ju dgem ent, break their oppression of Isra el, an d restore Jerusalemthe cen ter of hi s di vin g presence.


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The discipl es m u st be thin ki n g, "So m an y prop hecies con cern in g the Messihave been an d ar e bein g fulfill ed. When w ill the prophecies concern in g the restora tion of Isra el be fulfill ed?"

Look a gain at their qu estion . It's n ot, "Are you goin g to restore the ki n gdoIsra el "Are you at this time goin g to restore the ki n gdom to Isra el?"

Why are the disciples so concerned about the restoration of Israel?It ma y be that they ar e pri m ar ily con cern ed abou t the plight of their peop

have been oppr essed for so m an y year s by foreign powers. It ma y also be, how etha t they rem ember Jesu s' prom ise to them, "You a re those who ha ve stood by mm y tria ls; and I confer on you, just as m y father ha s conferred on m e, a ki ngdthat you m ay eat an d dri nk at my table in m y kingdom, and you wi ll sit on t ju dgi n g the tw elve tr ibes of Israel" (Lk . 22:28-30).

So it is possibl e the di scipl es ar e thin ki n g, "Is this when w e get our r ewa rd?experi enced sufferi ng, ridi cule, hardship, fru stra tion . Is this when w e fin all yexperi ence som e of the perk s of foll ow in g Jesu s?"

How does Jesus answer th eir question? (v. 7)Jesus an swers the precise question they asked. He doesn 't deny that h e's goinrestore the Kin gdom to Isra el; he sim ply tells them tha t they can 't be told the extim in g of it, sin ce the father ha d r eserved al l su ch m atters of tim es an d da tes thimself.

What does Jesus say next ( v. 8)?Instead of focusin g on thin gs they can 't know abou t or do a n ything abou t

ar e to focus on bein g witn esses. There ma y be a m il d r ebuk e here in that Jesus to wan t to expand their vision beyond Israel.

The disciples (li ke u s) often tend ed to tow ar d pa rochi ali sm , but the OT was verythat God w as concern ed for the whol e wo rld ( cf. Gen . 12:3, "In you [Abra ham ,] alfam il ies of the ear th sha ll be blessed") In Isa .49:6, as Messia n ic passage, the Lord saysli ght a thi n g that you shou ld be m y serva n t to ra ise u p the tri bes of Jacob a n d to r estosu rvi vors of Isra el; I wi ll give you as a light to the nati on s, that m y salva tion m ay rto the end of the ear th (cf. Acts 1:8)

How will th e Messiah's salvation reach to the end s of the earth?Through the Spirit-empowered witness of his disciples.

What did it mean for t he disciples to be " witn esses?" To w hat were they suppo sed to witHow had Jesus prepared them for th is task? H ow has he prepared us? What prevents us fromeffective witnesses? D o we, like th e disciples, have concerns or p erspectives or p riorities thus or distract us from effectively fulfilling our ro les as wit nesses?

Verses 9-12Why does Luke include this section? What is its purpose? What does it tell us that we need tWhy do es Jesus ascend? Where is he going? To do w hat? What does the ascension p rove? Wtwo "m en" t ell the disciples that Jesus is com ing back? Why wo uld th at be im portant to the


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If you w ere one of th e disciples wh at would you be feeling as you see Jesus floating awayWhat would your tendency or temp tation be?

Do you ever feel like Jesus is really far away or that life is just way too hard? How does thJesus will retu rn affect you dur ing those times?

How does the m essage of the two m en (i.e. that Jesus is com ing back) com plete the answerdisciples question of v. 6? Was Jesus going to restore th e Kingdo m to Israel now?

No Why?

He was going awa y. But he wou ld retur n. There woul d be n o restoration Kingdom before the unk now able time of Jesus' second com in g. But that comicerta in ; the full r estora tion wou ld com e then. The pur pose of this in terva l beJesus' ascen sion an d r etur n wa s n ot the restora tion of Isra el, but w orld -wi de wto Jesu s. That pu rp ose con tin u es to stan d toda y.

What is the question the tw o m en ask th e disciples? What do you th ink they mean by that qu

John Stott wr ites, "There was som ethin g fu n da m entally a n om al ou s abou t their gu p in to the sky w hen they had been com m ission ed to go to the ends of the ear th Thcal li n g wa s to be w itn esses, n ot star gazers."

What abou t us? What are we giving our attention to? Are we fulfilling our p rim ary callingGod, pay attention to him , obey him ?

Verses 12-14What do th e disciples do when they return to Jerusalem? What could they have don e instead

What might you have been tempted to do? Why?Why does Luk e tell us who w as present in Jerusalem? What is significant abou t th is? What dfrom it? How did the disciples pray? What do you th ink th ey prayed about?

ApplicationWhat did Jesus give his disciples before he ascended? H ow d id he prepare them ?

Jesu s gave them teaching , insight into the plan an d pu rpose of God, a vision for their cal lin g to be witn esses. Astrategy Jeru sal em, Ju dea , Sam ar ia , etc., a community each other, his example to follow , the pr om ise of power , an d hope even the greatest enemy (death) has been con qu ered.

What has Jesus given us? How h as he prepared us? What will we do , individually and corp

with Jesus' comm and to be his witn esses?


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Acts 1:15-26Study N otes and Questions

Key ThemeThe D isciples prepare for w orld-wide w itness by dealing with th e problem presented by Ju

and betrayal of Jesus

Outline1:15-20 Peter's theological reflection and apologetic1:21-26 The criteria and process of choosing Judas' replacement

Verses 15-20Why do you th ink Peter tells us how m any believers were together? Wh at is the significance120? And why do es Judas need to be replaced?

The nu m ber 120 here is m ore than ju st a r oun d n um ber. This is the sm allest nu mtradi tion for a popu lation that could ha ve it's own coun cil, it 's own synagogue (M1:6). There wa s also a tra diti on that each jud ge shoul d r ul e or r epresent at least 10 m(1QS 6:3-4, 1Qsa 2:22, CD 13:1-2). So Luk e ma y ha ve been suggestin g that thi s you nalr eady become a comm un ity in its own right and that a 12 th leader w as requir ed.

The Twelve were to bear w itn ess to Isra el of Jesu s' resu rr ection , whi ch dem on stra tvin di cati on of Jesu s. They w ere to present this "new evidence" (i .e. Jesu s' resu rr ectionvin di cation ) of w ho Jesus is in an effort to overcom e the ignor an ce that pr odu ced Je(Acts 3:17), an d to gai n Jewi sh r epen tan ce (Acts 2:38). In or der for their w itn ess to bthey m u st not on ly be empo wer ed by the Spir it (Acts 1:8) bu t also their sym boli c nu mcom plete. Prop hetic sym bol ism dema n ds 12 Witn esses for the 12 Tr ibes. So the reflecreplacemen t for Jud as is par t of the prepar atio n for the mi ssion that's abou t to begin

Fur ther, the nu m ber 120 (10x12) m ay sym boli cal ly refer to the restored 12 Tri beCouple this wi th the Jewish tra diti on (of u ncertai n da te) that 120 elders fir st passed the tim e of Ezra . Lu ke ma y be sayin g that this new grou p of 120 wi ll be confir m in gthe Spir it (Acts 2) a n d tha t these 120 beli evers sym boli ze the restor ed or fa ithfu l r em

The 12 then , wil l, serve in the dua l r ole of wi tnesses to Isra el an d of r u lers (i n thelead in g the people un to fai thful n ess to Jesu s) over the restor ed Isra el (Lk. 22:28-30), u n der the ru le of Jesu s.

Let's look at Judas. How d oes Peter describe him ?Nu m bered a m ong u s, allotted hi s shar e in the m in istry. "Ju das was one of

the team . We tru sted hi m ."

What happened to Judas? How d o you th ink Judas might have felt wh en Jesus first called himthink he was excited, glad, overjoyed?

Do you think th e disciples had any clue that Judas was becom ing a betrayer? Do you think Jubed one night fully com mitted to Jesus and w oke up the next m orning and said to h imself, "th ink I'll betray Jesus today?"

The pr ocess that led Ju da s to becom e a betra yer wa s pro babl y lon g and slowother disciples wer e wi th him da y an d n ight for thr ee year s.


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Why cou ldn 't they see what was happening to Judas? If Judas had doubts, or w as struggling wtemp tations why didn't h e talk with his fellow d isciples and ask for help? Wh y didn't h e let what was going on in h im so that they could h elp to ho ld him accountable?

What are the th ings or issues that tem pt you to depart from Jesus? What wou ld it m ean fo

let others know you, to kn ow what's going on inside you so that they can help to h old you acHas God ever used others in your life in th is way in the past? What are the factors that makeand vulnerability difficult here? What is the specific lesson of Judas for you?

Let's look at Judas from another perspective. What problem did the betrayal by Judas presenApostles and to their preachin g? Th ey want to say that Jesus is the Messiah, right? Well, if JeMessiah, wh y didn 't he know what k ind o f person Judas was? If he couldn 't choose good diswhat hope do es he have of restoring Israel and b ringing in the Kingdom of God? H ow doesanswer these objections?

He a sserts tha t the an sw er li es in the di rectives given by the Spi r it i n Ps. 69 a109 (v. 16, the Scri ptur e had to be fulfill ed).

What are th ese Psalm s abou t?They ar e lam ents by ri ghteous Da vid w ho is bein g scorn ed, betra yed, cau se

suffer.

The ear ly Chri stia n s saw Da vid , the ri ghteou s su ffer er, as a type of Chr ist; Dav iden em ies were an ti-types. Da vid, an oin ted by God a nd m ar ked ou t as Isra el's savi or bvictory over Goliath an d i n m an y other battles wi th the Phili stin es, wa s n on e the lesra ther becau se of that rejected, persecuted a n d sen ten ced to death by the establi shman d for ced to fell to the Gen tiles. There however, he was preserved by God u n til evenreturn ed and wa s ackn owl edged King, first by Jud ah a nd then by Isra el. And then a gdu ri n g Absalom 's rebellion , not only di d the bu lk of the people tur n a gain st him , mthe elite in Jud ah, but his close fri end a nd ad visor Ahithophel pr oved a tra itor, join econspir ators and ad vised Absalom how D avi d cou ld best be track ed down an d destrSam . 17:1-9) in the sam e wa y as Ju da s ad vised the high pr iest how Jesu s cou ld be fou narrested.

Da vid 's experi ences, thou gh not i n themselves pr ediction s, were pro totypes that hafulfil led at the higher level of Messia h's su fferin gs an d fin al vin di cation , just as IsraPassover, though n ot in itself a prediction had to be fu lfilled in his redeem in g death resu rr ection (Lk. 22:16). In a dd iti on , som e of the experi ences descri bed in D avi d's Pwent far beyond an ything that Da vid ever experi enced hi m self. They were not, then an al ogous to Messia h's experi ences; they were di rect predi ction s of them . (This is whsayin g in Acts 2:29-31 when he says Da vid wa s a pr ophet speakin g un der the in spir athe H oly Spir it).

So w ha t Peter i s sayi n g is that Ju da s' defectio n a n d betra yal , rather tha n br in gin g to qu estion Jesu s' clai m s to Messia hshi p, actu al ly con stitu tes fur therevidence for that cla im . Scri ptur e had to be an d wa s fulfil led.


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Verses 21-26Ok ay, the Scripture had to be fulfilled; Judas had to be replaced. But with whom ? What wercri teria for their decision-making? H ow d id they com e to hold these criteria? Why were theyimportant?

The qu al ifi cati on s m ak e sense if the task wa s that of bein g a w itn ess. A wi

can on ly speak of w hat he or she has person al ly seen a n d experien ced.What was theprocess of their decision-making?

1. They established criteria 2 On the basis of these criteri a, they proposed tw o persons as replacem ents 3. Then they pr ayed, askin g God to choose between them 4. Fin al ly they cast lots

Would th is be a good p rocess today?

This castin g of lots wa s not evidence of an y ki nd of su perstition or renegin g of respon sibil ity. Prov. 16:33 endor sed su ch a wa y of pra yerfu lly subm ittin g the decisim ak in g process to God's wi ll. (Note this wa s befor e the givi n g of the Ho ly Spir it w hom ak es God's wi ll kn own to us)

ApplicationThere are two main characters in this passage, Peter and Judas. What do they have in com m o?

Both w ere tru sted d iscipl es of Jesu s an d bo th betrayed hi m .

What is different abou t them? H ow d oes each hand le his spiritual failure? (See Acts 1:16-110) What does Peter do?

Peter's in iti ati ve "Amon g the beli evers r eflects hi s obedi ence to Jesu s' com m(Lk. 22:32, "On ce you ha ve tur n ed back, you m u st strengthen your brothers")m ar ks, both hi s ful l r epen tan ce for denyi n g Jesu s an d hi s ful l em bra ce of Jesurestora tion . Thu s, Peter becom es a helpful m odel for u s wh en we gra pple withow n spir itu al fai lu re. He repents of his sin , receives the for giveness offered, anforges on wi th deeper hu m ili ty, depend ence upon God, tru st an d joy.How does Judas handle h is failure?

He com m its sui cide. He is un able or un wi llin g to repent. And he is also uto live wi th the enor m ity of his sin . If we do n ot give ou r sin to Jesu s an d r eceforgiven ess it w il l even tua lly destroy u s.

How do we deal with our spiritual failures? D o w e repent, receive forgiveness and then le

failures go? Or do we pr idefully hold onto our sin, wallow in it , beat ourselves with it (this rem orse but deep p ride) and refuse God's forgiveness?

Rem ember th e lesson of Jud as1. Anyone can fall away Don't be too proud2. If you fall away, com e back Don't be too p rou d


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Trust in the sovereignty of GodJudas' betrayal was very bitter and painful both to Jesus and to the Apostles. Bu t what did Go d dworked out the redemption o f the world . To adapt th e declaration o f Joseph (Gen. 50:20) "Whfor evil, God m eant for good ." Suffering, hardship , betrayal, confusion will fall upon all of us. Babandon us. His loving rule will not be threatened. Trust in him!


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Acts 2:1-13Study Notes and Questions

Key ThemeThe pro m ised Holy Spirit is sent

To em pow er the witn ess of the Apostles

To incorporate people in the new comm unityTo give life and joy and grace to know God intim ately

Outline2:1-3 Th e p rom ised gift is received2: 4-11 Sp eak in g in oth er lan gu ages2 :12-13 React ion of Pen tecost crowd

Verses 1-3What is the context of the Holy Spir it's com ing? Who's there? (everyone - all) What are theWhere are they? D escribe the scene.

They are all together, in one m in d, wai ting pra yerful ly, in Jerusalem . In owo rd s, they are being obedient to w hat Jesu s told them to do. And they ar e obed"together" they ar e un ited, com m itted to on e an other.

How long were they told to wait? How long were they waiting?They wer e told to wa it u n til they Ho ly Spir it cam e. So that's how l on g the

waited.How lon g did they have to wait? (10 days ) Did they know th e Holy Spirit would come on the 10th day?(n o ) What would have happened if they had despaired or had grown im patient and quit praywaiting a day or tw o earlier? We don't kn ow, but perhaps they wou ld have missed ou t on whwas about to d o.

We don 't know , but perhaps they wou ld ha ve missed out on wha t God wa s

to do.Have you ever begun som ething with the sense that God h ad called you to it and then got

discouraged or imp atient and then quit?Ho w do you kno w when you have prayed and waited long enough?

The an swer to the prayer comes (n ot alw ays the an swer you wa n t or i n theyou expect)

Have you sensed that God has made som e sort of p rom ise to you? H ow long shou ld you wUn til the pro m ise is fu lfi ll ed cf. Abr aha m , Moses, the Apostles, etc

What if it's been a really long time?Keep w ai tin g, keep pra yin g, keep listen in g, pay a tten tion to wha t God is sa

an d doi n g in the present, obey/act on w hat you can .

Let m e ham mer on the issue of prayer for a mom ent. In the Gospel of Luke and th e book ovirtually no significant init iative of God h appens outside the context of prayer. Luke wants absolutely clear that prayer is the lifeblood of ou r spiritual lives and fundamental to our expeGod.Look at Lk. 3:21-23. What's going on? What is Jesus do ing? (He is pra ying ) Then what happens?(The Holy Spir it descen ds u pon him ) Then what happens next? (Jesu s begin s hi s ear thly m in istry)


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When did Jesus begin his earth ly min istry? (After the Ho ly Spir it d escended u pon him ) What was thecontext o f the H oly Spirit's coming to Jesus? (Jesu s was pr ayi n g )What d id Jesus tell his disciples to d o in Acts 1:4? (Wait for the prom ised Holy Spir it ) How did thedisciples understand this com m and to "wait?" (It mean t to pra y a l ot an d to be attenti ve to God, to listen a s you pr ay )

What happens in the context of the disciples' prayer? (Jesu s pou rs out the H oly Spir it u pon them )What about us? Can we experience the presence and pow er of the H oly Spir it in the same wJesus and th e Apostles did? (Perhaps not in the exact same way raising th e dead, speakingunk now n languages but we can experience the presence and pow er of th e Holy Spirit in ware approp riate to us and our circum stances.

Look at Luke 11:1-3. What's goin g on here? (Jesu s is teachi n g his di scip les abou t pra yer ) Whatdoes Jesus say or im ply abou t prayer? (It's n ot a ca su al , easy, leisu rely thin g ) It demandsperseverance, desperation, asking, knocking, searchin g, courage and tenacity.Look at the prom ise in v. 13. What is it?

Do we want m ore of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in our own lives and in thFellowship s? What should w e do? Let's ask and keep askin g. Let's not be those "wh o have nbecause we ask not" (James 4:2). Jesus makes a pro m ise, " how m uch m ore will the HeaFather give the Holy Spir it to those wh o ask him ." It's a prom ise. Jesus always, always, alwahis prom ises. The on ly real question is, "Will we persevere in askin g?"

Ok ay, let's talk abou t Pentecost. What was Pentecost? What is it's significance to the Jews? WJesus send the Spirit on Pentecost? Was it a haphazard ch oice on his part or was he intentio nachoo sing this day?

Historical:

Pentecost is the Greek nam e for a festival know n in the O T as the Feast of Weeks (L23:15; Dt. 16:9). The Gr eek wo rd m eans "50" and refers to th e 50 days that elapsed sinwave offer ing at Passover.

What happened was that, before th e grain was com pletely ripe and ready, a sheaf was offered as firstfruit s to God ( Lev. 23:9-11). Th is was the Passover wave offering. 50 day(i.e. on th e day of Pentecost) two loaves, baked from the first flour to be m illed from threaped grain, were also offered as firstfruit s to G od (Lev. 23:15-17).

Harvest time, in any prim itive, agricultural economy, was a big deal which occasionedcelebration. It m arked the break of a cold, dismal win ter with its scarcities. In Israel the both natural and sacred. God , they believed, had given th em Canaan as their inheritance, was the reaping of t he blessings of th at God-given in heritance.

Now I srael had been celebrating these agricult ural festivals (Passover w ave offerin g aPentecost) for centuries. But the year Jesus rose from the grave there were bigger th ingcelebrate. His resurrection w as the first break in a more terrible winter th an th e one causbru tal scarcities of the seasons. His glorified body was the first fru its of a m ightier harve15:23). 50 days later, on th e day of Pentecost, the Ho ly Spir it came as the firstfruit s of a inh eritance, a foretaste and guarantee of Creation 's final restoration (Rom . 8:18-23).


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Typological:Pentecost also had typo logical significance. What Do I mean by "Typology?" Biblica

deals with the parallels between actual, histor ical (usually OT) figures or events in salvatand their later, analogous fulfillment. Early Christians used typological writing frequentlexam ple, the reference in M k. 1:6 to John th e Bapt ist's wearing a garm ent of camel's hair

leather girdle echoes the description in 2 Kgs. 1:8 of Elijah th e Tishbite's distinctive appeIn so doing, Mark m akes the po int that John the Baptist is the Elijah w ho w as to return bMessiah (cf. Mk. 9:11-13). The sam e thing is going o n in Matthew's depiction of Jesus second Mo ses (echo ing Deu t. 18:15-19) and th e Epistle to the H ebrews' depiction o f thChristian life as wilderness wandering between exodus and p rom ised land ( Heb. 3-4).

So what's the typological significance of the com ing of the Spir it on the day of PenteWhat past event does it echo and fulfill? And what might that m ean?

Look at Ex. 19. What happened in Exodus 19? (if tim e is a factor , you m ay want to jusumm arize this)

This is where God established Covenant with the I sraelites as a people, making th

nation, his Chosen Peop le (Ex. 19: 5-7; Note: Peter echoes the language of Ex. 19 in tabout Gods establishm ent o f the ch urch in ( 1 Pet. 2:9-10).

In establishing covenant w ith Israel, it was there, at Sinai, that God gave Israel theWhat was the purp ose of the Law? (It wa s wha t identified Isra el as set apa rt a nd in covena nt-relation ship w ith God )

By, the second cen tury BC, the day of Pentecost began to be observed by the Jewsthe anniversary of the giving of the Law at M t. Sanai (Jubi lees 1:1), because this was as having happened 50 days after th e Exodus.

Look again at Exodus 19. Look at how the scene is described. Look at the language being uat v. 2. Where are the Israelites? (They ar e together, in on e pla ce, cam pin g, w ai tin g just as they were told to do in Ex.) Do es this remind you of anything in Acts 2? Look at Acts 2:1 What ardisciples doing?

They ar e all together, in on e place, wai tin g just as they were told to d o (AcNow look at Ex. 19:16-19. Look at the phenom ena described. Whats going on?

There is a viol en t sou nd thu nd er, lightenin g, tru m pet blasts There is sm oke an d fir e There is speech i n di fferen t ton gues As the blast of the tru m pet grew l

an d lou der, Moses wou ld speak an d god wou ld an swer him in thun der. (v. 1Jewish trad ition had it that when God spoke in thu nd er it wa s split u p in to 70in 70 lan guages, so all n ati on s shou ld u nd erstan d (Exodu s Rabba h 5:9, Tan h26c)

Do you see how this point s to the phenom ena recorded in Acts 2:2-3? Whats going on therSou nd lik e the ru sh of a violent wi nd Ton gues of fire Speakin g in other lan guages

Ok ay, Jesus choo ses to send the Ho ly Spiri t on the day of Pentecost and he does it in a way sohighlight its connection with the Covenant-making and Law-giving at Sinai. So whats the p


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Look at Gen 2:7 where God breathes life into h um anity. Pentecost is a life-breathing experiAlso, in Ezek. 37:1-4 (breathing life into dried bones) and John 3:5-8 (being born of th e SpiSo th e coming of the H oly Spirit as a violent wind w as m eant to symbolize the coming of thpow er of God to inaugurate a new era in which m en and w om en shou ld be brought to spiritOn e other biblical association is that fire is a symbo l of God's pow erful p resence (Gen. 15;1

5; 13:21-22) and also a source of light ( spiritual illum ination) and warm th.

What advantage do the N ew Covenant People of Go d h ave over the O ld Covenant People ofGiven a hear t of flesh (i .e. the Holy Spir it i n dw ells them) so tha t they m ay

the pow er to obey God ( cf. Rom . 8:1-4)

As people filled wi th the Spir its light an d w ar m th we a re to be a spreadi nga people set abla ze who set others on fire. We ar e to bri ng light an d tru th to a m ir ed in da rk ness an d falsehood. And w e ar e to brin g wa rm th to people whoou t in the cold un loved, lost, despai ri n g, alon g

Verses 4-11Ok ay, lets look at v. 4. What happened to the disciples? And what did they do? What did thsay? Does this tell us anyth ing about what the H oly Spirit w ants to p roduce in our lives?

The di sciples wer e fil led wi th the Spir it an d begin to speak i n o ther lan gulan guages they had n ot previously kn own .

Where do they do th is?In Jeru sal em, in pu bli c, fear lessly

What are th ey saying?They a re speaki n g abou t Gods deeds of pow er (v. 11)

Why do you th ink God enabled them to speak in o ther languages? Why not just have them sAramaic or Greek, which mo st of the crowd w ould have understood?

Why do p eople care about their own language and culture? Have you ever been outside yourculture and th en run in to somebod y from your hom e culture? What was that like? Why doeabout peoples languages and cultures? What does this say about God? And what does it impus and our witness?

People have a heart la n guage, a l an guage which con n ects them wi th thcore identity an d pla ce in the wor ld. Their hear t lan guage helps defin e who tan d how they see themselves. People ma y un derstan d a n d be fluen t in o ther lan guages but they reson ate with their own .

What God d emon stra tes at pentecost is that he kn ows an d ca res abou t eachpersons hear t lan gua ge. he kn ow s people at the very core of their selves, a t thefun da m ental level of their id en tity. And because He know s an d car es, he speatheir lan guage. (This is on e reason Bible tran slati on is such a hu ge deal it to peoples core id entiti es an d dem on stra tes that God va lu es them as they ar e) also tells us that the people of God a re n ot each m eant to fit in to on e cookie-cm old. We ar e meant to be un ited, together, wi th one m in d i n ALL our d iversitra ce, lan guage, cul tur e, tem peram ent, giftin g.

If we care abou t our wi tness, we also m u st lear n the heart la n guage of oau dience. We mu st learn to comm un icate biblical truth in lan gua ge that reson ates wi th them .


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Oh another level, does this languages thin g remind you of anyth ing else in Scripture? D o yoremember what happened at Babel in Gen 11?

The people in Gen 11 were tryin g to bui ld their ow n tower to reach God onow n an d m ak e a n am e for themselves to, in effect, dethron e God so God confu sed their la n guages

Here at Pen tecost, God r eversed wha t happened a t Babel by comn in g uponhum ble people and un confusin g langua ges.

This also was an in dication of the kin d of new com m un ity God wa s buildw as a foretaste of Rev. 5:9-10 where people fro m ever y tri be, la n gua ge an d n awor shi p Jesus.

ApplicationOk ay, lets look at the Pentecost crow d. Who is there? Whats the significance of this? Whabeginning to happen?

Jesu s had sai d, "You shall be my w itn esses in Jeru sal em, Ju dea, Sam ar ia anthe en ds of the ea r th. When the di scip les fir st hear d thi s they mu st have been flabber gasted. Goin g to Jeru sal em fro m Ga li lee ha d been a stretch of their im agin ati on s an d expectatio n s. Goin g to the ends of the ear th!? This wa s w aybeyon d an ythin g they cou ld even im agin e. H ow w as this goin g to happen? Thdi dn 't have a clue. Where ar e the ends of the earth an ywa y? Beats m e The tthey couldn 't even i m agin e, God wa s alr eady doin g; Thin k a bout this the n exyou sen se God givi n g you a ta sk tha t is over you r head !

Is God showing you or calling you to som ething over your head?

What is the reaction o f the Pentecost crow d? Why does Luke keep repeating him self?They ar e bewi ldered (v. 6), am azed, astonished ( v. 7), am azed a nd perplex

12). Luke is telli n g u s that they w ere absolutely stun n ed. There wa s n othin g i

experi ence that cou ld ha ve prepared them for this.What is the question which som e finally ask? What does th is mean?How does this relate to their calling to be Witnesses?

Are we so filled w ith the H oly Spirit, so radically comm itted to following Jesus that wh epeople encoun ter us, "Wh at does it mean?" is the question th at jum ps from th em? H ow d o the people answer the question? Wh y do you think they come up with such an obviously abexplanation? Wh y are som e people resistant to th e work of God even when it is spectacularlfront of them ?

What might th at look like here?

Why is it crucial to kn ow and experience the Ho ly Spirit 's indwelling and daily filling?Sets u s apa rt a s God's people an d ena bles u s to live i n covenan t-relati on ship wi thHelps us to kn ow God a nd his Word a nd to obey him Gives u s pow er for wi tness an d servi ce

Ho w d o we experience the daily on-going filling of the Spirit?We ask a nd keep on a ski ng


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Acts 2:14-47Study Notes and Questions

Key Theme:Jesus is Lord and MessiahThe pouring out of the Spirit means they are in the last days

The last days were in augurated by Jesus wh o, as Lord and Messiah, had authority to send The on ly prop er response to Jesus is repentance and com mitm ent

Verses 14-21Peter stands up to address the crowd . How does he begin? What question does he answer? H

Peter begin s wi th the qu estion his au di ence is askin g, Wha t does this m eanthin k thi s is a k ey to effective evan geli sm . We n eed to kn ow the question s ou r actu all y aski ng. Som etim es n on -Christian s question s ar e differen t than whaexpect)

Then Peter, a lm ost ki dd in gly (he doesn t get defen sive or fru stra ted) an sweexplan ation wi th a coun ter-expla na tion . Lets get real guys. Were not dru n9 AM. No! Thi s is wha t Joel pr ophesied .

Why quote Joel to an swer their qu estion ? He wa n ts to speak ou t of their w otheir wa y of thin ki ng an d m ak in g sen se of the wor ld. This both ena bles him tun derstood an d gives him credibili ty.

Lets look at Joels prophecy. What point is Peter making with it? H ow d oes it answer th e question?

Peter says that the phenom ena descri bed in Acts 2:14 were a ful fill m ent ofThe Spir it ha d been po u red ou t on a ll flesh. This m ean t they were in the last d

Verses 22-36:Why does Peter jum p from Joel to Jesus? Whats the con nection betw een Joels prop hecy an

The question Peter wa n ts to an swer is, H ow di d w e get to the last days? His, Becau se of Jesu s. Thi s lea ds to the key qu estion of thi s pa ssage, Wh o i s Jes

What does Peter say about Jesus in v. 22?Jesu s w as attested ( affir m ed or pr oven to be tru e) to them by God . How? God di d

deeds of power, w on ders, an d signs am on g the people throu gh him

What prob lem w ould the crow d have with w hat Peter was saying?Yes, we kn ow tha t Jesu s di d w on ders an d signs. But w as that real ly God wo

throu gh him ? Jesu s cou ldn t have been Gods chosen a gen t . Why?He failed; he wa s cru cifi ed. Gods pla n s can n ot fail , so Jesu s cou ldn t have been Gods Messia h

How does Peter answer this objection? (See vv. 23-24)You re right. Gods plan s can no t fai l. But Jesu s di d n ot fai l. It was Gods

Jesu s a t peoples di sposal. The Messia h ha d to su ffer . Bu t Gods verd ict i s n ot scross, but in the resu rr ection . You k illed . But God rai sed up.

The id ea of a cru cified M essia h wa s a hu ge stum bli n g block to the Jews, wbe add ressed repeatedly. We also n eed to k n ow an d a ddr ess the gospel stum blinour aud ience.


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Why does Peter move on to Davids prophecy in Ps 16? Ho w does it show th at Jesus is Messspeakin g? To Wh om ? Who is the Holy One in v. 27? What does Ps 16 talk abou t?

Remem ber the big qu estion Peter w an ts to an swer, Who i s Jesu s? Ps 16 taln ot being aban don ed to Hades an d flesh not experienci ng corru ption . But ththat Davi d had died, been bur ied an d w as still entom bed. So, David could n 'ttalk in g abou t him self. The crow d also kn ew David w as a prophet. Of whom pr ophesyin g? Of wh om had they hear d that death cou ld n ot hold him (v 24)?Jerusalem wa s ri fe wi th ru m ors that hi s tomb w as em pty.

In vv. 32-33, Peter anticipates anoth er objection. If Jesus is alive, produce him for all of us does Peter answer th is question?

Jesu s isn t here. He wa sn t just ra ised u p by God. He wa s exalted to the ri ghGod. Wha ts the evid ence that Jesu s is at Gods r ight han d? Everyth in g you seeJesu s ful filled Joels pr ophecy. Jesu s pou red ou t the Spir it. You can dou bt ourthat w eve seen Jesu s ra ised u p from the dead , but you can t dou bt wha t you yoand hear.

Why does Peter now br ing in Ps 110? Again, who is speakin g? To whom? About wh at?Da vid cou ld n ot be speak in g of himself. Why? He didn t ascend in to heav

can t be his ow n My Lor d . So Da vid m u st be speak in g of Messia h. But the God had to in vite David s Lord , i.e., Messia h, to come an d sit at Hi s ri ght hanthat there wa s a ti m e when M essia h w as not seated there an d thu s had to be elethat position . So, if Ps 16 wasnt eno ugh to convi nce the crow d that Da vid wpro phesyin g abou t Messia h, then perha ps the added w eight of Ps 110 wou ld d o

Peters use of Ps 110 also a n swer s an other objection the crow d w ou ld h aveis Messia h, where is the evid ence of his Kin gdom ? Why ha sn t he begun pu ttinevil a nd in ju stice? Ps 110 im plies that it w as never par t of Gods pla n that thshoul d proceed, imm edia tely upon his evalu ation , to usher in his ki ngdom . Tin vitatio n w as, Sit at my ri ght han d un til I ma ke you r enemi es you footstoowa s to be an in terva l between hi s exaltation an d the su bjugatio n of his enemiwhi ch Messia h w oul d be seated a t Gods ri ght han d a wa itin g his Second Comthen wou ld his kin gdom be fully consum m ated.

Whats the climatic po int Peter has been dr iving at from v. 14 on?What does this m ean?Joels pr ophecy ha s been ful filled.Why now?Beca u se of Jesu s.Who is Jesus?Lord a nd M essiah- and by im plication God incar na te.

Verses 37-41How does the crowd respon d to Peters sermon?

Cut to the hear t. Brothers, wh at shou ld w e do? 3000 saved.

Verses 42-47What do these 3000 converts to? Wh ats the connection betw een who they know Jesus to bof the Spirit and their com m unity life? What did it m ean for th em to devote them selves to tteaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to p rayer? Whats the difference beyourself to som ething and m erely adding something to your already busy lives?


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Why did th ey share their possessions and goods? What enabled them to do th at? Why dont normally live this way?

What does it mean that they had glad and generous hearts? H ow did th ey enjoy the goodwpeop le? What caused such favorable responses? Have you ever thought about h ow powerfu l

joy and generosity can be in drawing people?

How d oes the life and purpose of our fellowships com pare with that of the early church?be like them ? Could we be like them?

Key Appli cation sThe Jesus you kn ow determ ines the person you becom e and the life you lead.Who is Jesus? Do we kn ow and fo llow the real Jesus? The tender yet terr ible Lord of the

holds it destiny in h is hands.


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NOTE TO STUDY LEADERS:The following m aterial is optional Use it only if you h ave the tim e and

Lets take a second look at Ps 16. Again, wh o is speaking here and w hat is he speaking abou t?Peter asserts that David is prophesying abou t the Messiah. But th e prop hecy does not simply

Messiah, but in troduces the Messiah h imself talking. It does not simply announ ce that upon hisGod w ould intervene to raise him from the dead.What does the Ps. Do? I t shows us Messiah, in confrontation wi th death , telling us the secre

relationship with God th at abolished deaths power o ver him.

What is Messiahs secret? H e saw th e Lord always before him and was conscious that Godhand, so that he should not be moved. And he was conscious of who he was- Gods Holy Oloyal to God and p erfectly sinless. This gave him a rock like stability that opposition, persecutiodeaths approach could not dem olish. It was in unshaken confidence in the character of God thahis head in d eath, with a triumphant prayer (It is finished!) on his tongue. He was certain that Gto h im the w ays of life and fill him with gladness in H is presence. (Cf. Heb 5:7).

And what did God do? H ow d id he respond to Jesus faith? H e raised him from the dead. Where? H um anitys ultim ate stability doesnt depend m erely and finally on the physical laws of thaccord ing to which the universe norm ally operates. Hum anitys stability depends on the moral The resurrection, the fact that God did not abando n Jesus tells us that God is just, loyal, faithful.un iverse is stable.

Ok ay, what can we apply from this? The God who w as loyal and faithfu l to Jesus is the sam eloyal to us. Will we be loyal to H im? Will we keep The Lord always before us, i.e., nurtu re ouHim ? Will we rem ember wh o we are- God s Holy On es, His Saints- and, by Gods grace, live ac

Acts 1:1 tells us that the Gospel of Luk e is a record of what Jesus began to do and teach. Thby implication, is what Jesus continued to do and t each th rough his followers. Ho w cou ld his foJesus did? The sam e way Jesus did- by being empowered by the H oly Spir it and led and directedtrusting in H is goodness. Do we want to be part of what Jesus is continu ing to do in th is world?his secret, continue to be filled with his Spirit and press on in faith.


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Look at v. 6. What do es Peter say to th e man? Whats the first thing he says?I have no silver or gold.

What do p eople in our culture, people here at H arvard, think is important to have?Mon ey, r esou r ces, exper tise, tra in in g, kn ow ledge, ski lls, gifts, abil iti es, sta

access, i n flu ence

How m uch of that stuff does Peter have? Zip! What does he have?Compa ssion , faith in Jesu s, spir itu al pow er given to him an d chan neled th

by Jesus.

Would any of tho se thin gs - mon ey resources, etc.- have helped th e lam e man?Not m uch.What did theman really need?Wha t Peter ha d to give him - Jesu s.

To be faithful, fruitfu l follow ers of Jesus what is most im po rtant for u s to have? Yet, whatpursue? What dont w e prize and pursue? Whats the evidence of this?

What do w e (not ice I keep saying we- Im in the same boat with you ) really need?Intim acy wi th God, holy char acter a nd especial ly love, divi ne wi sdom a

spir itu al power an d au thority, the experi en ce of Gods wholeness.Non e of this can be ear ned, ordered, or m an ufactur ed. I t mu st be receivedgood an d graciou s God. And to receive it mean s we have to m ak e space for lives. It mean s we have to be pati ent, pra yerfu l, atten tive so that God can woin us.

What happens in v. 7? What does Peter do?Takes the m an by the ri ght had a nd pull s him up.Who doesth e m iracle? Is it Peter?No ! But w hat if Peter hadnt extended his hand and raised up the lamWould the m an have been healed?I dont know .

Risk of failure... What if he pulled th e man up, but the m an wasnt healed.Hed look li ke a fool an d Jesus na m e would be dishonor ed.

H ave you ever not d one som ething because you were afraid that God m ight no sho w up ?were afraid that you o r God would fail and be rid iculed? Wh ats worse than failing?

Not tru stin g God an d n ot tryi n g. (Mt 25:14-30) Som etim es we wi ll thinsai d som ethin g to us, told u s to do som ethin g and we wi ll be wron g. But thatdoesn t get u ptight abou t our m istakes. Fai thlessn ess, a ba sic di stru st in God is a m uch bigger pr oblem .

Lets not be presumptuous, but lets be willing to take faith-risks, be willing to fail.

Lets summ arize a bit. What did th e man ask for?Mon ey - som ethin g Peter an d John did n ot have

What does Peter give?What he has- u ltim ately, access to, relatio n ship w ith Jesu s. Ho w v al u ab

Supr emely valu able.


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Do you realize how in credibly valuable our relationship wit h Jesus is? Is there anythineven in the universe, more valuable than this?

In term s of ministry, what is the principle for us?Don t worr y about w hat you don t have. Don t be paralyzed by a sense

scarc i ty. Don t use what you d ont have as an excuse for n ot car i ng or nin volved i n p eoples li ves.Ra ther, focu s on w ha t you ha ve to give. Giv e w ha t you have- of tim

resou rces, lov e, etc. an d give it in fai th. Remem ber the feedi n g of the 5000? Wdo w ith 5 loa ves an d 2 fishes offered i n fa ith? Remem ber the discip les. Wha twi th 12 qu ar relsom e, in signi fican t people?

Look at the lam e man in th is passage. What happened to h im ? Wh ere was he at the beginningWhere is he at the end?

H e goes fr om b ein g a t the gate of the tem pl e beggin g to bein g in side twor shipi n g (v.8).

What do you thin k happened to this mans view of God in the pro cess? His view of himself? Twe kn ow a lot of brok en people around u s? Arent we ourselves a bit brok en? Wou ldnt w e lovoff transform ation in ourselves and in the peop le aroun d us? H ow will this happen?

Thr ou gh Jesu s. Thr ou gh entr u stin g ou r li fe to Jesu s. Thr ou gh w an tin g Jthan an y other thin g. Thr ou gh doi n g everythin g we do for Jesu s. Throu gh kno

Verses 9-11How do the peop le react wh en they see this man w alking and leaping and praising God?

They are filled with won der an d am azement at w hat had happened to him.When God is at wor k people wi l l m ar vel . They will m ar vel an d som e wi llquestion s an d di scover that God is who they have really needed an d w an ted a

Are we people who are living our lives in such a way that onlo okers keep asking, WhatChristians? Th eres someth ing different, som ethin g alive, someth ing both scary and comthem . Lets go take a look .

Lets get at this another way. Do we believe the Apostles were norm al peop le who wwith God s Spirit ? Or do we thin k there was someth ing special, unique, irrepeatable aboutand what they did? Do w e think any of them wo uld have gotten into H arvard? Would anstood o ut at our parties because of their intellect, look s, charm, charism a or credentials? going on with them ? And can we get in on it?

The story goes that when D .L.Moody was a youn g man he heard a preacher say, The wo rlwh at God will do with a man wholly consecrated to Him. Mo ody heard that and said to hgrace, Ill be that m an. Moodys life bears testimon y that God was indeed gracious and Mto being that man.

Im haunted by th at preachers statem ent and by Moodys response. What about you?


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Acts 3:12-26 Stu dy Notes and Question s

Key ThemeJesus is glorified by deeds of power done th rough the Apostles and by courageous witness twh at God is do ing, poin ts people to Jesus and calls for response

Out lin e: Peter's Serm on and Respon se3:12-16 Ho w th e healing happened by the nam e of Jesus3:17-26 What the healing demands and w hy Repentance

Personal Stu dy Qu esti ons1. Outline Peter's serm on. What are it's elements? Why does Peter include each element?2. What strikes you or surprises you about th is passage?3. Look at the titles Peter ascribes to Jesus. What do they signify?

Verses 12-16Why is the crow d staring at Peter and John? What do you suppose they are thin king? What cthey be drawing? Wh at does Peter want to m ake very clear to them? Why? Wh y not take socredit?

Peter a sks the qu estion , "Why do you star e at us as though by our own power or piety we had m ad e him wa lk ?" Anytim e God does som ethin g u n expected we arto look for som e hu m an cau se hum an strategy, ski ll, abili ty, even hu m an phu m an pr ayer. What does Peter k n ow ? God m ay u se al l these thin gs bu t he is ain itia tor an d m ai n a ctor; he is alw ays the on e respon sible for every "w ork of

Why do es Peter want to m ake clear th at th e healing of th e lam e man was God 's work and noJohn's?

First, becau se it's the tru th. Peter i s u n der n o delu sion s abou t who di d it. Sda ngerous to thin k w e can play God. If we thin k w e ar e responsible for doinGod can do we wil l become crushed by the bur den. We have an im porta nt pain wh at God is doi ng but it is only God who d oes it. Thir d, if Peter had n ot retem ptation to take credit for the healin g he wou ld ha ve robbed the crow d of wreally needed Jesus!

What could Peter have focused on in h is serm on? What did he focus on?Peter cou ld ha ve focused on the mi ra cle itself. "Oka y folks, gather 'rou nd

exam in e this m an . I wan t you to un derstand this really is a m ir acle. He coufocused on the ma n a n d m ad e it a testim ony service, "Ok ay, tell the crow d w h

happened to you ." What Peter focu ses on is Jesu s. There is a p la ce for talk in g abou t experi encan d giv in g testim on y bu t these thi n gs can 't tak e the focus off of Jesu s. We've gpu t Jesu s at the center of ou r w itn ess. Why? Becau se onl y Jesu s can save, hea l,restore, ma ke w hole.

What does it m ean for us to m ake Jesus the center?

What is Peter's argum ent in vv. 12-16? What is his point?1. The heal ing is not done by the Apostles' power (v. 12)


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2. God gl or ifi ed hi s ser va n t ( v. 13a )3. You h an d ed hi m over a n d rejected hi m ( v. 13b)4. You r ej ected hi m a n d k i ll ed hi m ( vv. 14-15a )5. God r ai sed hi m fr om the d ea d (v. 15b)6. Jesu s' n a m e m a d e th e m a n str o n g ( v. 16)

The poin t Peter wa nts to m ak e is how the healin g happened. It didn 't happen by the power of the Apostles bu t by Jesu s' na m e. Ho w? The very Jesu s wh om the crhad r ejected a nd killed, God r aised from the dead, vin dicatin g him a nd ena bpow er. The su b-poi n t is that this Jeru sal em crow d had r eally m essed up in rejJesus.

Let's unpack th is a bitWhat does Peter say abou t Jesus in vv. 12-16? What names/tit les does he use? What do they about Jesus?(Make sure you r ead I saiah 52:13-53:12 It t ell u s wh y Messiah m ust suf fer- Acts 3:18 )

Peter r efer s to Jesu s as "God 's Serva n t," "The Holy a n d Righteous One," an d"Au thor of li fe." The wo rd u sed for "serva n t" is the on e used in the Septua gin(Greek) tr an sla tion of Isai ah 52:13-53:12, wh ere the com in g serva n t of God is descri bed as the on e who w ou ld be wou n ded for ou r tr an sgression s an d cru sfor ou r i n iqu ities (53:5). The concept of "servan t of the Lord" w as well kn owIsra el becau se of Isai ah 42-53 an d other texts. So w hen Peter u sed "serva n t" a nthen w ent on to speak o f "the Ho ly an d Righteou s On e" an other title for Mthat a lso a ppears in Isai ah 53:11 it's pretty clear that he wa s thin ki n g of thpa ssage. So Peter was teachin g that Jesu s is the Messia h pr om ised i n the OT Scri ptur es. That's wh y Peter begin s his serm on wi th, "The God o f Abra ham , thIsaa c, an d the God of Jacob, the God of ou r a n cestors " It is as if Peter is say"Ou r God, work in g throu gh ou r history is fulfill in g his coven an t prom ises bu p this Jesu s. He is the focal poi n t, the ful fill m ent of al l ou r hopes an d dr eamrejecting him , you ha ve rejected you r God, den ied your history a nd cut you rsfrom blessin g of God's covena n t.

Im agine you are part of th e crowd listening to Peter. What thou ghts andteelings, what objecmight you have?

You m ight be feeling confu sed, guilty, resen tful , angry. And you wou ld prbe thin ki n g to you rself, "H ow da re he say these thin gs? H ow cou ld he m ak e suassertions so confidently?"

But wh at's the evidence Peter can cite as proof of his assertio ns?The lam e ma n w as no lon ger lam e !

Ho w d id he get healed?Throu gh Jesu s, who ha d been vin di cated by God.

Why did God need to vindicate Jesus? And what did God 's vindication o f Jesus signify? WhaJews do ne?

They had han ded Jesu s over a n d r ejected hi m befor e Pila te, though he had decided to r elease him (v. 13).

They had rejected the Holy a nd Righteous One an d a sked that a m ur derer bgiven to them (v . 14). Pila te had given them the choice between Jesu s an d Ba r


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thin ki n g that, given the difference in m ora l char acter between Jesu s an d Barthey wou ld n ever choose Bar abba s. But faced with either a perfectly holy andri ghteous m an or a m an who for poli tical ends wa s prepar ed to m ur der, theym ore comforta ble wi th Bar abba s an d chose him . (We still m ak e su ch choicetoday).

They ki lled the Author of life (v. 15). This show s the su ici da l in san ity of raga in st God a n d r ejection of his ap poi n ted Sav ior . Jesu s w as the on ly sou rce an d they rejected hi m . They chose a m u rd erer som eone who took l ife ovethe onl y one who cou ld give life.

In vi n di cati n g Jesu s, God ha d r ejected their ju dgement of Jesu s an d con firtha t Jesu s was in deed hi s Chosen On e.

What question do you th ink is now going through th e minds of those in the crowd?Oh no ! Woe is u s! We ha ve rejected a n d ki lled the Lord's Chosen. What w i

do w ith us.How does Peter address th is question in vv. 17-26? What do es he want to see happen?

Peter a ppeals to them . Why? Peter i sn 't in terested i n m erely condem n in g hi

hear ers. What he real ly w an ts is that they wou ld r epen t of their sin , beli eve inan d be saved. So Peter d oesn 't stan d a loof from them. He call s them fri ends (GLit. "brothers") a nd says, "I kno w you acted in ignor an ce." He is forthri ght ipron oun cin g the people culpa ble for ki llin g Jesus but he doesn't say how terr iar e. Rather, he says he kn ow s they acted in igno ra n ce. Their i gnor an ce wa s nexcuse; it di d n ot place them beyond the need for repenta nce, bu t neither di d tdi rect invol vement in Jesu s' condem n ation place them beyon d the reach of redem ption . So he appeals to them, "Repent, an d be forgiven."

What about u s? Of what mu st we repent?The Jews rejected a n d k il led Jesu s. Ma ybe we haven 't don e thi s di rectly (thou gh Je

led to the cro ss for the sin s of the w hole wor ld, in clu di n g ou rs). But even a s "foll owJesu s, wha t ar e we gu il ty of? We're gu il ty of ign or in g Jesu s, of redu cin g him to ou r i mof not taki n g him seri ously, of taki ng him for gran ted, of tryin g to bend him to our

We need to repent.

What benefits com e to us when we repent?1. Forgiven ess Most people, even i f they can 't put a n am e to it, car ry heavy lo

gu ilt an d sham e and don 't know how to get rid of it (cf. the movie "The Mission "). Pforgiven ess an d the only pla ce they can reall y find it is in Christ.

2. Tim es of Refreshin g (v. 20). Most of us go throu gh mu ch of life feeling prettywha t we do. We feel fla t. And w e try to sha ke the fla tness by seeki n g a va r iety of expeThe problem is that the excitem ent doesn 't last. In Chri st there ar e tim es of refreshin gwh en Jesu s becom es so r eal to u s that ou r wh ole spir it, sou l a n d bod y ar e revived.

What are some k ey app lications from this passage?

1 . Let Go d be Go dDon 't be tem pted to tak e credi t for God 's wo rk . Don 't be tem pted to tak e on Gwor k. Play you r par t but don 't car ry bur dens or expectation s that aren't youcarry.


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2. Keep your focus on JesusIt's r eall y easy to become di stra cted, even by good th in gs, an d a llo w Jesu s to beto the periphery of your l ife and conversation

3 . Be q ui ck t o r ep en tDon 't let sin fester u ncon fessed in your life. Be wi llin g to have your sin poineven i f it's don e n on e too gently. Don 't get defensive, resentful a n d r etal ia toryRepen t. It wi ll brin g health an d renewa l to you.


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Acts 4:1-22 Stu dy Not es and Qu esti on s

Key Theme:There is a clash of comp eting authorities. Peter and John are forced to choose which auth ori

obey. They cho ose to obey Jesus at risk to their lives, but at benefit to their souls.

Outline:4:1-7 Responses to healing and first serm on - By the rulers (1-3, 5-7), by the people (4)8-12 Peters second serm on - How healing happened; wh at it m eans13-22 Responses of both autho rities (13-18, 21-22) and apostles (19-20)

Intr oduction/Warm upWhen, because of your faith in Jesus, have you do ne/said something which got you into trouin authority? What happened?

Question s for I ndi vidual Stud yWhats going on in this passage? Who are the characters involved? What seems to be their mWhy? How do Peter and John react to th e situation they are in? What new things do they tell

Verses 1-7What happened in Ch. 3? How do the rulers respond? Who are these rulers and why do th eyway they do?

In ch. 3 a lam e m an is healed a nd Peter explai n s to the lar ge crow d w hichhow the heali ng happened, who di d it, an d w hat its signi fican ce wa s. The ru ldow n on the scene, mu ch an noyed an d obviou sly very threatened, an d a rr est John.

Who were these rulers?Collectively they m ad e up the San hedrin or r u lin g cou n cil of the Jews, ma

m embers presid ed over by the high pr iest. Its im por tan t to note that they w ererepr esentati ve of the Jewish na tion as a w hole; they were a ti ghtly closed gr ouar istocrats descend ed from the old pa trici an fam ili es. Neither w ere they typipri esthood i n genera l, who tended to be Phar isees. They bulk of the San hedri n u p of Sad du cees wh o were very m u ch men of the wo rl d. Over recent cen tur iebeen deeply in fluenced by Helleni stic ration ality an d cul ture an d that, comthe satisfaction of wieldin g religious and political pow er, had in du ced i n thwor ldly-min dedness an d a lu ke-wa rm spir itu ali ty. They had w ealth (they enm assive r even u es from the tem ple), they ha d po wer, they mi xed i n the highest Jewish an d Gen tile), they w ere edu cated, polished an d sophi stica ted. (You canthem in the Ha rva rd Faculty Clu b, can t you?)

Politicall y, they in gratia ted themselves wi th the Rom an s an d follow ed a pcollabor ation . Theologically, they believed that the messia n ic age had begu nMaccabean period (2 n d -1st Cen tur y, BC); so they wer e not look in g for a M essia h. Thal so deni ed the doctr in e of the resu rr ection of the dead . The worl d a s it w as, wenough for them; it w as the only w orld they really believed i n.

The Apostles, wi th their talk abo u t ful filled p ro phecy, the last da ys, the hopcom in g Messia n ic Kin gdom , all ba sed on the presu pposition of the real ity of


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resu rr ection , offended the Sad u cees sense of ra tion al ity, chal lenged their li festwo rl dvi ew a n d their vested i n terests. The Sad du cees saw the apostles as both aan d heretics an d w ere in ten sely threatened by them .

Verse 8-12Peter and John are standing on tr ial before a hostile cour t. What might they be thin king?

They ar e proba bly thin ki n g abou t Jesu s tri al before this sam e gro u p of peo22:66-71; Mk 14:16-35). Wa s hi stor y goi n g to repea t itself? Were they goin g tosame fate?

What was their legal strategy? What could they have done instead? What was their key goal?If their key goal had been to try to save their ow n ski n, they woul d ha ve sa

as possible, dow n pla yed the situ ati on , kept Jesu s n am e out of it a n d a cted cowIn stead , they took the offensive. In effect, they pu t the San hedri n o n tr ia l, actipr osecut9ng attor n eys. Why su ch a r isky stra tegy? Becau se they wa n ted to brian d glor y to Jesu s m or e then they wa n ted to save themselves. You get the sense thou ght to themselves, Wow! Look a t this au di ence: hi gh pri ests, cap tai n of t

elders. We m ay n ever get a cha n ce li ke this agai n . Lets go for i t! Look at v. 8. How does it begin? Wh at does th is tell us abou t the H oly Spir its filling?

Then Peter, filled w ith the Ho ly Spir it. The Spir its filli n g is n ot once inWe n eed to ask the Holy Spir it to fil l us a n ew every day a n d in every situ ati onperson, not a m ere power. We need to be in com m un ion wi th Him , seek His h

Why is Peter filled with the Spirit ? For what purpo se?To bear w itn ess to Jesu s. The Spi r it loves to empo wer those who w an t to bea

to Jesus.

What is Peter saying in h is serm on?Ultim ately, Peter cha rges the San hedri n , w ho ar e the m ost em in ent religio u

spir itu al a u thori ties in Isra el with ha vin g 1) fai led to recogni ze Gods Messiacam , 2) actuall y killi ng him an d 3) bein g an ti-Christ and therefore an ti-Go

This is why Peter qu otes from Ps 118:22. The psa lm depi cts a p ro cessio n u ptemple gates (v.19), then thr ou gh the gates to the alta r (v. 27). The whol e scenethe tem ple an d Peters u se of it ha s to keep this im agery in m in d. Who, then, cobu il ders be, if n ot those in char ge of the tem ple, i.e., the high pri est, ru lers, anAnd wh o is the cor n erston e if no t he Messia h? So, prophetica lly, the psal m ithe high pri est an d hi s cron ies wou ld on e day r eject the Messia h a nd find no phim in their reli giou s system . But, in spite of them , God wou ld in terven e to mMessia h the fou nd ation of the tem ple, the fou nd ation of Isra els spir itu al life

wh at Peter dr ives at.Why does Peter add v. 12?

Accord in g to the r u lers, wh o al on e ar e sav ed? Yah w eh (cf. Isa 43:11-12; 4Peter a greed. So w hat w as Peter doi n g? Was he advoca tin g they shou ld d efy a mal on g sid e Yah weh? No ! Peter wa s ar gui n g that Jesu s w as in fact God in car n asu ch, there w as by defin iti on , no salva tion ap ar t from Jesu s. To r eject Jesu s wGod. Peter wa s sayi n g that these religiou s pro fession al s had m issed the whole p


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their r eligion , that they wer e n ot saved people an d n ever w ou ld be un less theyrepented an d pu t their faith in a m an they had recently condemn ed to death.

Verse 13-22Picture the frustration of the rulers. They kill one man, Jesus, who had threatened their authposition, and now a bunch o f Jesus clones had po pped up. What would o ur world be like if wJesus clones?

What problem faces the rulers now in t erms of deciding what to do?They couldn t deny the mir acle had happened (an d a pparently couldn t d

the apostles r epeated cla im that Jesu s wa s ra ised from the dead ) Everyon e kn em ir acle wa s gen ui ne an d people were pra isin g God for i t. To pun ish the aposhad don e the mi ra cle wou ld be to tell the people to stop glor ifyin g God: a verthin g for a pr iest to do an d still r etai n cr edibili ty with people (vv. 21-22)

What is peculiarly striking about the rulers response to the m iracle? What are they interestethey not interested in?

They were not in terested in getting at the tru th, in actu all y fin din g ou t whha ppened. All they wan ted wa s to stop the spr ead o f the apostles m essage. Whain terested in wa s m ain taini ng their au thority and position. They were mor e losin g that then they were of being on the wro n g sid e of God.

So what do the ru lers decide to do? Wh y doesnt their p lan work?They decide to lean on the apostles wi th all their religiou s an d pr ofession a

au thori ty, to threaten then a n d cau se them to cru m ble.

Peter an d John do n t cru m ble. Why? They ar e n ot afr ai d to su ffer an d dieBecau se they kn ow wh o Jesu s is, Lord a n d M essia h. They tru st his char acter; hwi lli n g to die to save them from their sin s. They ar e intensely aw ar e of his m en ot merit salva tion . They kno w the power of God; m orta ls can n ot thwa rt HiBecau se they w erent afr ai d to su ffer, the ru lers had absolutely no pow er over

They were asked to choo se between com petin g au thori ties: Jesu s had com mthem to pr each an d to be hi s wi tnesses. They cou ld n ot obey Jesu s wi thou t di sodefyin g the cou n cil . And they cou ld n ot obey the cou n cil w ithou t flatly di sobThey ha d to choose. And thei r choi ce depend ed on their view of Jesu s. He wasreform er or r abbi or prophet. He wa s the Lord in car na te, exalted to the positisu preme power a n d a uthor ity in the un iverse. For Peter a nd John , the choice

What about us? When w e experience the clash o f competing author ities what choices doDo we follow the exam ple of John and Peter? It depends on who we think Jesus is.

How im portant was Peter and Johns refusal to be cowed by the ruling council? What did thunder pressure accomp lish? D o you think they knew wh at would happen?

It allow ed the Gospel to con tin ue to spread throu gh the Jewish com m un ityover tim e, to the Gen tiles wh ere it eventu al ly reached u s.


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Peter says in v. 20, we canno t keep from speaking about wh at we have seen and heard. Lewh o ask Go d to make this true of us as well. There is a lot at stake- fam ily, friends, colleaguask for the filling of the Spirit and for Go ds boldness. Lets begin opening our m outh s. Whwill be accomp lished?


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Acts 4:23-31 Study Notes and Questions

Key ThemeHow does the early church respon d to crisis? Th ey come together in un ity and pray, affirming Gand seeking H is help to fu lfill their calling as witnesses.

Outline4:23-24a The context4:24b -30 The Prayer4:31 The Answer

Warm Up/Intro QuestionWhen w as the last tim e you felt like you w ere under some kind o f attack or in some sort o f you handle it?

Question s for in dividu al stud y

How do these disciples handle the crisis they are in?What do you notice about their prayer? What strikes you?Read Ps. 2 What is Ps 2 all about? How do these disciples use it to in terpret th e situation theyis their view of history? What is their view of God?What is God saying to you through th is passage?

Sm all Grou p D iscussionWhat is the first thing Peter and John do when they are released? Wh at does this say about ththe comm unity to which they belong?

They go to their fri ends an d r eport wha t the ru lers had sai d to them . Peter aar en t tryin g to be lon e ran ger heroes; they ar e part of a comm u ni ty of friend

acti vely an d i n ten tion al ly follo wi n g Jesu s together. You get the sense that they ju st as Peter an d John s probl em , bu t a s thei r pr obl em . Wh atever happ en s theytogether.

Whats the first and im mediate response of this group of friends to P and Js repo rt? How drespon se compare to our response when w e receive threats of opposition?

Instead of im m ediately tryin g to figure ou t wha t to do, tryin g to figure ouor r espon se of som e sort, they tur n to God i n pr ayer. And they pra y as a u n itedwor d tr an slated as together is the Greek w ord , homothy m ad on whi ch is in Acts (1:14,4:24, 4:32, 6:5, etc.). It m ean s to be 9in on e accor d, to ha ve the spassion.

Luke keeps bringing up the unity of this group o f believers. It seem s to be a hugely imp ortahim . Why do you think th is is? What brought these early believers to such unity despite all of background, language, temp erament, etc ? Do you th ink its imp ortant for us to seek suHow might we do so?

Perh aps the greatest theologia n Am erica has ever pr odu ced is Jon atha n Edw(1703-1758). In a ddi tion to bein g a ri gorou s thin ker, Edw ar ds wa s a m an ofperson al piety wi th a deep love both for Gods glory a n d peoples sou l. In the trou bled by the spir itu al a pathy an d gross sin of his da y, Edwar ds wr ote a li ttthe title, A Hu m ble Attem pt To Pro m ote Explici t Agreem ent And Visible Unio


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People In Extra ord in ar y Prayer For the Reviva l of Religion And The AdvanceGods Kingdom . People took Edw ar ds exhorta tion to hear t. N u m erou s pra yespra n g u p across chur ch an d denom in atio n al li nes. Shortly thereafter The GAwak in g broke ou t, swept the coun try, crossed the Atlan tic an d spread throu gEuro pe an d elsewhere.

For Edw ar ds, explicit agreement an d visible u ni on of all Gods people for effective prayer . Luk e seem s to be sayi n g the sam e thin g here in Acts. For tbelievers, their shar ed vision an d u n derstan di n g of who Jesu s wa s dr ew them tacr oss their di fferences. We n eed to emp ha size this sha red vision of Jesu s an d wdeepen ou r com m itm en t to un ity. We need to exercise hum ili ty before God anon e an other, take relation al r isks an d be patient an d w illi n g to do wha tever to becom e un ited- all of this flowi n g out of our shar ed experience of God i n in formed by our com m un al readi ng and r eflection of Scriptur e.

And then w e need to pr ay- often, a lot, perseveri n gly, in fai th.

How do the believers begin their prayer? What do they say about God?God is the Sovereign Lord. This wa s a term u sed of a r u ler of un chal lengea

The San hedrin m ight utter thr eats an d throw its weight arou nd , bu t the San heau thority wa s subject to an in fini tely higher au thority.God is the Creator . He is the or igin of all ear thly powers, au thor iti es, an d

in stitution s. The au thority of the San hedr in wa s derived from , given to i t, byan d w as to be u sed onl y to accom pli sh Hi s pu rpo ses. When the San hedri n , theGods pur poses, it exceeded i ts au thori ty, m ad e its au thority i n vali d, becam e an d therefore ou ght not to be obeyed. (Thi s is the theologica l ba sis for civi l di

God is the Reveal er. He spok e by the Ho ly Spir it thro u gh Davi d. He conti nspeak today, prim ar ily, though not solely through Scriptur e and never in conto Scri ptu re.

Lets look at Ps. 2 together. What is the psalm abou t? H ow does the early church use it to intsituation? H ow do they see the opposition arrayed against them ? Against who is it ultim atelHow do w e see oppo sition d irected against us?

Psal m 2 states the gen eral pr in cipl e that thr ou ghout hi story, the pow ers of have stood a gain st the cau se of Good a nd Hi s Messia h. The psalm ori gina lly gthe crow in g of a new ki ng in Israel, possibly Davi d. Whenever a n ew kin g wenthron ed, the vassal r ul ers ar ou nd hi m w ere requir ed to come and subm it tosom e of them r efu sed to do this. What Psal m 2 says, usin g the im agery of the cran earthly ki n g, is that God has crow ned H is ki n g, that the n ation s have revoGods m essia h, but that their r evolt is in vai n.

The ear ly believers quoted Ps. 2:1-2 an d then pr oceeded to r eview in pr ayerGod the detailed w ay in which the concerted a ction of Herod an d Pilate (whthis ha d been enem ies), of the Gen tiles an d the people of Isra el m atched exactsitu ation descri bed in the psalm . The cru cifixi on of Jesus wa s a va in ra gingGod, a concerted attack on God s Messia h. The San hedri n s opposition wa s nultim ately again st them , but against God an d dealin g with it w as not up to thto God who wou ld w ork throu gh an d beyond them . And li ke the opposition athe opposition again st them , thou gh it m ight cost them their lives, wou ld be inbecau se God r emai ned in control an d H is pur poses were alw ays good.

What forces are arrayed against us as Christians? Wh at obstacles and opposition d o w e facour calling as Christians? Do we remem ber that God is sovereign, that He is Creator and Lor


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Do we m agnify the forces and situations brought against us and minim ize Gods great powesovereign control?

Lets focus now on vv. 29-30. What strikes you about th is part of their prayer? Is there anythabout their prayer? What do they ask for? What dont they ask for? Whats their overr iding c

dont th ey seem very concerned abou t? And what perspective on reality do th e believers revThe disciples begin by rem in di n g them selves of w ho God is- Sovereign LordCreator . And they, from Scriptu re, gain a m acr o-view of history- The wor ld iopposed to God, but in vai n. Now , wi th their vision of God an d of history clthemselves hu m bled they ar e read y to m ak e their petition s. Whats odd a bou t is that they don t pra y for the defeat of the evil forces, or for their ow n safety. ask for wi sdom as to whether or n ot they shou ld la y low for a wh ile. In stead , tfor strength an d cour age to speak boldly an d wi thout compr om ise an d 2) thawou ld i n tervene by doin g not ju st m ir acles, but m ir acles throu gh the n am e oWhat they wa n ted w as that Jesu s be exalted an d vi n di cated. Fur ther, they donm ir acles of ven gean ce an d d estru ction, but for m ir acles of mercy. Why do thm ir acles? Because the m ir acles both create the oppor tun ity for the preachin gvin dica te the tru th of the preachin g. What the reachin g does is to in terpr et anthe m ir acl e. Both ar e n ecessar y for effective wi tness- deeds (n ot necessar il y mto r ai se question s, an d w ord s to an swer the question s an d d ir ect people to Jesu

In their pr ayer the beli evers tak e in to accou n t the ful l forces of the enem yis pow erful . But, whi le evil i s a r eali ty, God is m or e pow erful stil l. Beli eversul tim ate realists, seeing the wor ld a s it is while r ememberin g that the wor ld ithere i s.

How d oes God answer their prayer?1) The pla ce where they weregathered together wa s sha ken . Why? This sha ki n g w

eviden ce of Gods pr esence (cf. Ex 19; Isa 6) . God w an ted to r eassu re, en cou raaffirm Hi s people. It wa s an expression of compa ssion , em pathy an d gra ce, a presence an d appr oval. 2) They were all a gain fil led with the Spir it an d enabspeak the wor d of God w ith bold n ess. And 3) Acts 5:12 in di cates that their pr awa s al so an swered.

Applications:Two key things com e out o f this passage. 1) If we are serious about doing the will o f God wserious opposition and endure great suffering. What will give us strength to face suffering? us strength to face suffering and opp osition will be: united fellowship, trust in the sovereignScripture h idden in our hearts. 2) The chief weapon w e bring to bear against oppo sition is ppersistent, faith-filled prayer.

Their prayer is a model for us:

1. They were of one heart. There was a unity in the face of diversity, discouragement apersecution

2. They began with p raise. They remind ed themselves of who Go d is: Sovereign, m aje3. They acknowledged Gods action in history. H es in control.4. They relied on the truth and authority of Scripture.5. They relied on their relationship with Jesus. Everything was in his name.


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Acts 4:32-5:11 Study Notes and Questions

Key ThemeHaving successfully withstood op position from without, the early church no w deals with opwithin.

Outline4:32-35 The Unit y of the Believers4:36-37 The Positive Example of Barnabas5:1-11 The Negative Example of Ananias and Sapph ira

Warm -up QuestionHow have your values, prior ities and concerns begun to change since you became a follow er

Question s for I ndi vidual Stud yHow did the believers in th e early church express their oneness?

Why does Luke include the story of Barnabas?What was A and Ss sin?

Questions for sub-group discussionShare your observations, questions and impressions with one another.What mo tivated A and S? And wh y do you think God dealt with their sin so severely?

Study Notes and Questions

Verses 32-35What were the believers like? H ow did they express their oneness of heart and soul? H ow dtheir love and concern for each other? How w ere the needs of individuals in the com m unitytheir attitude toward m aterial possessions? What sacrifices were they m aking for one anoth ethink, they were willing to m ake these sacrifices?

If you were an out sider looking in on th is community what m ight you be thinking? What qthis comm unity raise for you? Would you be attracted or repelled by it? Why?

How are we living out o ur un ity in our fellowship? When o utsiders look in on us, what do tquestions does the com m unity life of our fellowship raise for ou tsiders?

Verses 32 and 34 are about the sharing of possession s. Sandw iched between these two verseabout evangelism. What is Luke trying to say?

I thin k Luk e is tryi n g to say tw o thin gs: 1) The believers un ity greatly a ffwi tness to others. It ra ised qu estion s, drew crow ds, released en ergy an d en thusserved a s par tial vin dica tion for their m essage. 2) The believers u ni ty was nitself. They wer e cal led to be a w itn essin g com m u n ity. Every cha pter of Acts 27) says som ethin g abou t evangelism ; it i s in m an y wa ys a history of evan geli

Ho w im portant is evangelism in our fellowship? H ow can w e give evangelism greater prfellowship?


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What are the obstacles to developing and m aintaining a unity of heart and soul? And whaabout them ?

One obstacle is that we don t like an yone pryin g into ou r personal livesit w hen people question u s or tr y to hold u s accou nta ble. So we low er ou r staan d settle for a fun ctiona l sort of u ni ty whereby we agree to wor k together i naccom plishment of som e task, but don t really open o ur lives to one an other. thin gs that m ad e the early M ethodi st m ovement so pow erful a n d effective warefused to settle for r elativ ely su rfa ce u n ity. Wesley m ad e the follow in g ru lesMethodist ban ds or sm all groups:

In or der to confess our faults one to an other a nd to pray on e for a nothem ay be healed, we in tend , 1) to m eet once a w eek, at the least, 2) to com e punatthe hour appoi nted, 3) to begin w ith sin gin g or pra yer, 4) to speak each of ufreely an d pla in ly, the tru e state of ou r soul, wi th the fau lts we have com m ittthou ght, wo rd , or d eed, an d the tem ptati on s we ha ve felt sin ce the last m eetin gdesir e som e person a m on g us (thence called a leader) to speak hi s ow n state fi

then to ask the rest, in or der, as m an y an d a s sear chin g qu estion s as ma y be, cotheir state, sin s an d temp tati on s.

Another obstacle is that w hen we r ai se high stan da rd s for u ni ty we then haexpectation s of each other. Consequ ently, the pain of in evitable disappoi ntmhigh. The greater the depth of our un ity, the greater capa city we have to disaphu rt on e an other. Often w hat happen s is that hur t in di vidu als, in their effortproblem , focus on their hu rts an d give vent to them. This m ay tak e the form ofor ju stice or tru th, but i t is actua lly a battle to r etri eve a hu rt ego. Its oka y thu rt, but n ot to be consu m ed by it. Ultim ately, we n eed to cr u cify our selves (Eph 4:2, 32) for the sak e of the body a n d su bm it to on e an other ou t of reverenChri st. (Eph 5:21).

A thir d obstacle to deep u n ity is that it tak es a l ot of tim e. We n eed to be wspend tim e with one an other.

A fou rth obstacle to u ni ty is that we have a thi s is m y own attitu de to wpossess. We ma y, theologica lly, believe that a ll tha t we ha ve- tim e, gifts, opporpossession s- belon gs to the Lor d. Bu t, in rea li ty, we don t live this way. As follwe can n ot m ak e ou r l ifestyle decision s on the basis of our peers in society, buafter di scern in g the pur pose of God a n d seein g the needs of the believers aro u n

Verses 36-37

What does Luke tell us abou t Barnabas? What do you th ink it m eans to be a Son of Encouryou know any encouragers Why are they necessary? Why do you thin k Luke highlight s Brole does he play in the structu re of the narrative?

Luk e u ses Bar n aba s as a foil . He talk s abo u t the com m u n ity li fe of the belBar n aba s as a positi ve exa m ple, an d then gives u s the negati ve exa m ple of A aby their action s an d m otivati on s, threaten ed the in tegrity an d u ni ty of the feltheme that i s very im por tan t to Luke is the pro per u se of wealth. It is u sed propbui lds relation ships an d com m u ni ty an d m eets n eeds. (Luk e 12:33-34; 16:9; 45; 11:27-30; 24:17). For Luk e, w ealth u sed pur ely for pr iva te in du lgence is


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pr operly u sed when di sciples liv e ou t of their being filled wi th the Spir it. Anddo n ot follow the gu id an ce of the Spir it w ill they use wealth for pr iva te in duthan to expr ess an d bu ild com m u ni ty. Barn aba s is depicted as on e who followSpir its leadi n g. A and S ar e depicted as hav in g resisted a n d bla sphemed a gainSpirit.

Verses 5:1-11Whats going on in th is passage? What do A and S do? Wh ats their plo t? How does Peter deWhat is their sin? Is it keepin g back some of the m oney? Why do you th ink A and S do whacould A and S have done?Who d oes Peter discern lurk ing behind their sin? And w hy are they judged so severely?

A an d Ss sin is n ot that they di d n ot give awa y all the proceeds of their la nPeter m ak es clear that they were un der n o com pul sion to sell the lan d or giveaw ay (v. 4). Rather their sin wa s lyin g and hypocrisy, u ltim ately directed a gHoly Spir it. They wa n ted the credit an d pr estige for sacr ificia l generosity wiin conveni ence of it .

The verb kept back is the Greek verb n osphizom ai w hich ha s the connto m isappr opri ate or to embezzle. It is onl y used 3 tim es in the NT- twice hereTitu s 2:10 w here it is tra n sla ted as pi lfer or steal. It is al so u sed in the Grtra n sla tion of Jos. 7:1 to descri be Acha n s theft. The story i n Joshu a i s that Achm on ey an d clothin g after the destru ction of Jericho a nd thus brou ght Gods juu pon the Isra elites.

Behin d A a n d Ss sin Peter sees the wor k of Sata n . In Luke 22:3-5 we a re tolSata n entered i n to Ju da s an d thi s is associa ted w ith Ju da s acceptin g mon ey toJesu s. Here A an d S betra y Jesu s church for the sak e of m on ey an d Sata n i s behwell. What A and S did wa s as bad a s wha t Jud as did . If they had gotten aw ayu nscathed it wou ld ha ve threaten ed the un ity an d w itn ess of the chu rch w hicreflection o f an d d emon strati on of the presence and empow erin g of the Spir itchur ch. If they had gotten a wa y with this it wo ul d ha ve di scredited the whol ebehind Pen tecost, that thi s wa s Gods people, doi n g His wor k, in Hi s pow er.

A an d S wer e n ot prepar ed to yield com plete obedience an d devotion to theJesu s; they on ly pr etended they wer e. They thought they cou ld deceive the aposaw ay w ith it. They foun d they were in reali ty tem pting the Spir it of the Lord ,cheatin g the Ho ly Spir it. The Ho ly Spir it exposed their h ypocri sy an d vin di caan d H is presence in the chur ch. A and S fell u nd er the ju dgment of God.

A an d S lied to w in the esteem of the chu rch. The dan ger of do in g that i s veu s toda y. Its seri ou s becau se it cau ses u s to be dishonest wi th ou rselves. If we ta show of bein g what w e are n ot we destroy ou r chan ces for grow th by blockiof God. And ou r deception hin ders tru e u n ity in the body. It also m ak es u s su

the in fluence of Satan . Weve got to be wi llin g to upr oot un tru thfuln ess in oneed to be wi llin g to be decisive in upr ootin g un tru thfu ln ess in the body. Itshealin g will occur a nd growth will contin ue.

What lessons or app lication s do we want to draw from this passage?1) The necessity of pursuing unity of heart and soul2) Right perspectives on possessions3) Dealing with deceit and sin decisively


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Verses 21b-27aWhat happens next? Picture this scene from the perspective of the chief pr iests and the restWhat are people think ing and feeling? What are people talking about? And w hy do you thinthe Apostles from jail only to allow them to be arrested again? Wh at was God saying?

The Coun cil i s shocked an d u tterl y perpl exed. What do you m ean theyr

How could the pri son d oors be locked an d the guar d stan din g at the door s bon e in sid e? This is utterl y nu ts! Luk e says they

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