Today’s passage: Acts 7

Helpful thoughts:

• In this chapter, Stephen delivers his defense.  This would have been a similar defense to the times before as mentioned in Acts 6:9-10.
• Stephen’s defense was a survey of the Old Testament!
  • Verses 35-37 point forward to the Messiah.
  • Stephen reminded them of Israel’s rebellion.
  • Stephen also reminds them that God is not confined to the Temple.
    • The Temple was a means to worship God, who is bigger than the Temple.
    • Stephen is rebuking them for putting the Temple (And the life it gave them) above God.
• This is the first time we see Saul (The future Apostle Paul).  He was not a new guy in town when he was converted.  Saul was involved and active in the early persecution of the church.
  • He heard Stephen’s defense.  He was cut to the heart and infuriated.  He gnashed his teeth.  He cried out and covered his ears.  He helped rush Stephen out of the city gates. He held the outer clothes of those casting stones.

Questions to consider:

1. What did Stephen offer as his defense?  Where did the information come from?  What would have been the right response from the Jewish leaders?
2. Did Stephen mess up?  Did he do something or say something wrong?  Did he fail as an evangelist?  When we are deciding whether or not to share the Gospel with people for fear that it won’t go well, what are our greatest concerns?
3. The book of Acts was written by Luke, who accompanied Paul on his missionary journeys.  How would Luke have learned then of the account of Stephen’s martyrdom?  How might this encourage us to share Christ with others even when we don’t expect it to go well?

Today’s passage: Acts 6:8-15

Helpful thoughts:

• Jews from at least three different synagogues (Jewish places of worship away from the temple) all debated with Stephen.
  • The “Freedmen” would have been the descendants of Jews who had been captured and enslaved in the Roman Empire.
• The fact that the accusations against Stephen were false indicates these Jews were unable to find fault in Stephen’s teaching.  They couldn’t prove him wrong, so they spread lies.
  • The same tactic was used to deny the resurrection (Matthew 28:11-15)
• If Stephen had been lashing out in anger, or defending himself by speaking hatefully toward his accusers, it would have been impossible for his face to look like that of an angel.  (Romans 12:14-21)

Questions to consider:

1. What information does verse 8 give us that may help us to understand why Stephen became a target for the Jews?
2. Do you have to be mean to win an argument?  What does this passage teach us about how to carry ourselves in our belief in the face of opposition?
3. Stephen could not control what other people were going to think about him, but what could he control?  If people are against you or against our church, what should be the cause of their frustration?  If we remember who we were before Christ and why we are saved, how should we view those who oppose us?  What does God want us to do for them?

Today’s passage: Acts 6:1-7

Helpful thoughts:

• The “Hellenists” were Jewish people who had lived outside of the area of Israel.  When they moved back and brought back some of their Greek ways, they were often treated as outsiders. (James 2:1-10)
• The elders of the church (At that time, the Apostles) needed to devote their time to prayer and the ministry of the Word.  Deacons (Taken from the word which means “Service”) were chosen to minister to the physical needs of the church.
  • “Serving tables” was used to refer to financial matters as well as things like food.
  • This does not mean that Deacons can only count money, write budgets and organize meeting physical needs.  However, the office of the Deacon was created for these purposes.  We will see these deacons doing other things in Acts, but they aren’t doing those things because they are deacons…they were chosen to become deacons because the church had already seen them serving in various ways.
• We also see in this passage the beginning of congregational government.  The elders did not choose the deacons, they led the congregation to make a choice.  Then the congregation approved and followed through on the final decisions.
  • The church is to be elder led, deacon served, and congregationally ruled.  (This article could be a helpful resource for you to learn more about what this means)

Questions to consider:

1. Who suggested how many deacons the church needed in Jerusalem and what they should do?  If we were to follow the pattern of the early church, how should each church decide how many deacons there will be and what they will do in their roles?
2. Why would it be wrong to say that elders do spiritual ministry and deacons do non-spiritual ministry?  In what ways could deacons be vital to the church spiritually in areas of unity, encouragement, service etc.?  How is the biblical definition of a deacon different than the business-styled executive board member approach that is quite common in our culture?
3. With the example we see in this passage, what do you think it means for a church to be elder led, deacon served, and congregationally ruled?  Why is each role so important?  How can you contribute more faithfully to the role that God has place you in?

Today’s passage: Acts 5:12-42

Helpful thoughts:

• Solomon’s Porch was a portico at the Court of the Gentiles at the temple in Jerusalem.  An open area where the many people in the church could gather.
• Both the unbelievers in verse 13 and the religious leaders in verse 26 made their decisions based on the fear of man.
  • The unbelievers were scared of what the Jewish leaders would do.
  • The Jewish leaders were scared of what the people would do.
• Suffering and persecution brings rejoicing, honor and furthers the Gospel.

Questions to consider:

1. Why were the Jewish leaders furious?  What did they charge the Apostles with?  What did the Apostles say that made them so angry?
2. Even though Gamaliel may not have believed in Jesus, why was his advice sound?  What did he trust in?  What did he believe about God?
3. What do you think about verse 41?  Why did they rejoice?  How did they view persecution?

Today’s passage: Acts 4:32-5:11

Helpful thoughts:

• Everything in this world is the Lord’s.  We are His stewards.
• There is no commandment for these believers to sell their possessions.  They did it willingly and in unity.
  • Barnabas serves as an example to set the stage for Ananias and Sapphira.
• Ananias and Sapphira did not sin by keeping part of the money.  They sinned in lying about how much they had received in order to impress people.

Questions to consider:

1. In what ways does it make sense for us as a church to have all things in common and to share with one another?  In this time, culture, economic environment, how could/should we replicate the spirit of the church in Jerusalem?
2. Who did Ananias and Sapphira sin against?  What did they do that was wrong?  What would have been their motivation?
3. God may not allow Christian’s who sin in this way to die like these did in Acts 5…but does that mean God doesn’t take sin as seriously as He used to?  In what way should this passage (Along with passages like 1 Corinthians 11:30-32 and 1 John 5:16) still work to cause us to have a holy fear and reverence of the holiness of God?  Did Jesus die that we might continue in sin (Romans 6:1)?

Today’s passage: Acts 4:23-31

Helpful thoughts:

• In the midst of so much change, these believers knew that one thing hadn’t changed.  God was sovereign, eternal, and in complete control.
  • The word they used for “Lord” refers to an absolute master.  They were taking comfort in God’s authority.
  • In their prayer, they quoted from Psalm 2.  Seeing how Christ had fulfilled prophecy assured them that everything they were going through was exactly according to God’s plan as well.
• The believers prayed for boldness to speak the word.  The result, the Spirit gave them boldness to speak the word.
  • These believers had just seen their brothers arrested for speaking the word…so they prayed for boldness.  Not for release from persecution, but boldness.

Questions to consider:

1. In what ways can the sovereignty, providence, and Lordship of God bring us comfort?
2. How was the moving and filling of the Spirit different this time than it was at Pentecost?  What didn’t need to happen this time?  How was it the same?  What was the end result of both instances?
3. There are so many things these believers could have prayed for.  What are some things you might have been prone to pray for if you were in their shoes before you would think to pray for boldness to continue to share the Gospel with others?  How can this apply to today?

Today’s passage: Acts 4:1-22

Helpful thoughts:

• 5,000 men could mean just as many women and however many children.  The church was growing quickly!
• Peter and John were set before the Jewish leaders for questioning not long after the night before Jesus’ crucifixion.  Peter’s response, by the grace of God, was far different.
• The Jewish leaders had every bit of evidence to believe in the miracle and to believe that Peter and John were disciples of Jesus.  They never even denied it.  They simply rejected Jesus.
  • Peter and John were put on trial and the Jewish leaders were found guilty.  But they refused to repent.

Questions to consider:

1. Why were Peter and John brought in before the rulers in the first place (Verse 2)?  What did the chief priests want more than to be pleasing to God?  What other desires do we have that can pull us away from valuing God most highly so that we obey Him?
2. What was the ruling of the court?  Why was that an impossibility for Peter and John to obey?  When does the government overstep their God-given authority?
3. Will winning an argument result in repentance and salvation?  Will all the evidence convince people into getting saved?  Why should this encourage you to share the Gospel without fear?  Has God commanded us to win arguments or something else?