Today’s passage: Acts 28:1-31

Helpful thoughts:

• The inhabitants of Malta went from assuming Paul was a murderer to a god.  Quite the leap!
  • Their view of justice allowed for this sort of instance to make things right.  By God’s grace, our justice was served at the cross.
  • Paul didn’t seem to fear this snake bite.  God had revealed His will.  Paul would make it to Rome.
• The Twin Brothers were believed to protect sailors.  Perhaps many of these Romans by now knew exactly who was actually protecting them on this voyage.
• Seeing other Christians gave Paul great encouragement.  The fellowship of the saints is crucial in the Christian life!
• For some helpful information about what happened after Acts 28, check out this link: https://www.gotquestions.org/Paul-fourth-missionary-journey.html

Questions to consider:

1. How was the response of the Jews in Rome so similar to all the other instances we read in the book of Acts?  How did Paul speak to their response?  What did he commit to do just as he had so many times before?
2. Why is it so important to have good relationships with others in the church?  In what ways does it help us to persevere? To get rest and encouragement?  What other benefits can you think of?
3. Why doesn’t the story end with the end of the book of Acts?  Why doesn’t the story end even with the end of Paul’s earthly life?  How are we involved in this great narrative?  How will you contribute to the story?

Today’s passage: Acts 27:1-44

Helpful thoughts:

• The use of “we” in verse 1 refers to the inclusion of Luke.  Luke would have stayed close by in Caesarea but not imprisoned with Paul.  Luke’s expertise as a medical doctor allowed and gave him great added reason to accompany Paul.
• Verse 10 is Paul’s perception (What he thinks will happen).  Verse 22 is a message delivered by an angel from the Lord.
  • Their survival was necessary for Paul to take the gospel to Caesar.
• Paul the prisoner became Paul the leader by God’s providence.  By God’s providence, every single person aboard the ship survived.

Questions to consider:

1. How was the response of these Romans similar to that of the men aboard the ship with the reluctant prophet Jonah?  How do men often act toward God when they are in grave danger?  What does this reveal about man’s hearts and our knowledge/awareness of God?
2. How did God use Luke’s trade for His glory?  How has God used your skills for the kingdom?  How could God use your abilities and expertise now or in the future for the benefit of others even beyond the company you might work for?
3. Ultimately, why did all these men survive?  Why wasn’t God ready to have Paul go home to Heaven yet?  What about Luke?  What things did God have for them (and others) to do?

Today’s passage: Acts 26:1-32

Helpful thoughts:

• Paul has referred a couple times in the previous chapters to the Pharisees’ belief in resurrection.  One of the points he makes is that all the Pharisees should believe Jesus is the promised Messiah because He rose from the dead.  He is who they were waiting for!
  • The way Paul communicates this in the first eight verses show he is aware of just how much Agrippa knows about the Jews.
• Part of Paul’s defense was his zeal to persecute the church.  He did not believe in Jesus.  He was working fervently against the church.  This adds to the evidence of his conversion.
  • People who want to believe something are easy to convince.  Paul did not want to believe.
• Paul had two goals in his defense.  The lesser goal of proving his innocence and the greater goal of leading Agrippa to Christ.

Questions to consider:

1. How was this evangelism opportunity different than the one on Mar’s Hill in Athens?  Who was Paul leading to Christ?  What did they already know?
2. How were the responses of Festus and Agrippa similar to the responses in Acts 17:32-34?  They way people will respond can often make us hesitate to share the Gospel.  We may feel like we won’t have all the answers for that person.  But, what has God called us to do?  What part of evangelism is our responsibility (And privilege)?  Did Paul always have all the answers that would make everyone believe?
3. What opportunities might God be giving you with the people you know to share the gospel?  What could help us to have our eyes out for opportunities and be ready when they come?

Today’s passage: Acts 25:1-27

Helpful thoughts:

• Two years after the initial plot and attempt, the Jews’ plan and resolve remains unchanged.
  • What had increased however, was the list of false accusations.
• As a Roman citizen, Paul had a right to appeal to the highest judge in the empire, the Caesar.
  • Paul’s appeal was his only option to avoid the murder plot once he realized Festus was willing to make a spectacle of him before the Jews in Jerusalem.
• Verse 20 contains a politically motivated fabrication.  Festus wanted to do the Jews a favor (Verse 9).
  • The official reason to bring Paul before Agrippa was to formulate the document which would accompany Paul’s appeal to Caesar.
  • The unofficial reason was simply because the matter was intriguing and an opportunity for pomp.
  • God’s sovereign reason will be on display in the next chapter…

Questions to consider:

1. What would be the reasons Paul would appeal to Caesar?  If you were Paul, what would you be trying to accomplish?  Do you think it was more about personal protection or about potential opportunity?
2. In what way had Paul become a political football?  What concerns and opportunities were there for Festus and Agrippa?
3. What does Festus’ statement in verse 25 prove about Paul’s legal status?  Are Christians always going to be treated fairly based on what we actually believe?  Did Paul complain to Festus about this?  Why not?  What was his greatest concern?

Today’s passage: Acts 24:1-27

Helpful thoughts:

• Tertullus’ basic request was for Felix to give Paul to the Jews so they could judge Paul according to their own law.
• Paul’s appeal was that the Jews were in truth only after Paul because he believed Jesus rose from the dead.  He mentioned “The Way” and the resurrection, and Felix knew exactly what he was talking about (Verse 22).
• Felix’s understanding of the situation resulted in a few things:
  • He would not allow harm to come to Paul by releasing him back to the Jews.
  • He desired to learn more about Christianity, so he asked Paul to teach him.
  • He desired money, so he talked to Paul in order to drop the hint…

Questions to consider:

1. Why did Felix keep Paul in jail for two years?  What did he want?  What motivated Felix to keep Paul in jail as he was leaving office?  Who all “benefited” from Paul being held and why?
2. What was Paul happy to do as long as God had him there in jail?  Did his ministry end?
3. If Paul remained in jail, why was he there?  If Paul was free, why was he free?  Where did Paul’s purpose and contentment come from (Philippians 4:4-13)?

Today’s passage: Acts 23:12-35

Helpful thoughts:

• God said Paul was going to Rome, men said Paul was going to die.  Paul went to Rome.
  • The severity of their oath was a means to get the Sanhedrin on board with the plan.
  • These “devout” men vowed to God to kill a man and sought to use manipulation and lies in order to do it.
• Lysias utilized 470 trained soldiers to carry Paul safely away from Jerusalem.
  • The letter that accompanied Paul was…mostly true.  “Rescued” was a bit of a stretch.  Remember, Paul was arrested and stretched out to be scourged by Lysias.  But, he wasn’t about to let Felix know that.
• Paul’s all-expenses-paid trip to Rome has officially begun.
  • God used men who thought they were serving God by trying to execute Paul and a commander who did not follow the God of the Jews to accomplish His will.

Questions to consider:

1. These Jewish men felt very strongly about their cause.  They believed they were fighting for God!  Were they right?  Does feeling very strongly about something mean you must be right?  How do we rightly discern truth?  By what standard?
2. Back in verse 11, Jesus told Paul to take courage or to be of good cheer.  Why would Paul have been right to rest at ease even while people were plotting to kill him?  What reason has God given all of us to take heart? (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)
3. What promise has God made to His children?  If you have put your faith in Jesus Christ, what do you know is in your future? (Romans 8:29-39)

Today’s passage: Acts 22:22-23:11

Helpful thoughts:

• After all that Paul had said about Jesus, appearances, visions and everything else that might have caused this crowd pause…the word that sets them off is “Gentiles.”
  • Paul was deemed not worthy to live for taking God to the Gentiles without requiring them to first become Jewish proselytes.
• Paul was tied up and stretched out to be scourged in order to aid interrogation.  This scourging would have included whips with metal tips.  Many died during this process.
  • It was in this position that Paul informed the men he was also a Roman.
• Even though Paul was right about the injustice of being struck during the hearing before the Sanhedrin, he was still willing to confess his own fault.
  • Paul realized his hearing would be unjust.  Therefore, he started this discussion on the resurrection.
  • The Sanhedrin’s argument about Paul had little to nothing to do with Paul and everything to do with preserving their own reputation.

Questions to consider:

1. What appears to be the most important thing to everyone but Paul in this passage?  What offends them?  What causes them to fear?  What gives them reason to argue?  Who are they fighting for?
2. When Israel loved the culture they believed God gave them more than the God who called them His own, what happened?  What happens when we love our lives more that the Giver of life?  What will we start fighting to defend?  How will we miss what’s most important?
3. What had the Sanhedrin become for these Jewish men?  What purpose did it truly serve?  Who did they desire for it to benefit?  What is the purpose of the church?

Today’s passage: Acts 21:37-22:21

Helpful thoughts:

• The fact that Paul could speak Greek and Hebrew, that he knew the laws of Rome and Israel would have been startling to these guards and perhaps even the crowd.  His demeanor commanded respect.  How we act and how we treat others even when they are mistreating us matters.
• When Paul had this opportunity to speak to all these people, he simply shared his testimony.
• Paul seemed certain that God could use him best in Jerusalem.  He wanted to be a missionary to the Jews.  God had other plans.

Questions to consider:

1. What made this crowd get so riled up that the Roman soldier thought Paul was a famous criminal?  What was Paul’s “crime?”
2. How did Paul conduct himself in this frightening and difficult situation?  What are some ways he could have chosen to respond?  How could Paul’s response give us wisdom for today?
3. Paul’s testimony was completely true…and Jesus really is the Son of God…and Paul really did lead many Gentiles to the Lord, but how do you think this crowd of Jewish people is going to respond?  Why? Why do people often accept or reject the gospel message?

Today’s passage: Acts 21:17-36

Helpful thoughts:

• The church at Jerusalem was now led by elders (A plurality).  Once the Apostles had left, the church was to be led by elders. (1 Timothy 5:17, Titus 1:5, James 5:14, 1 Peter 5:1-5)
• Remember, Paul had also recently completed a Nazarite vow (18:18).  The Judaizers were busy trying to discredit those who would preach the gospel to Gentiles and those Jews who would think they could be saved by grace through faith in Christ alone.
  • The Judaizers believed that everyone must become a Jew and keep the Law before they could become a Christian…making salvation something one must earn through works.
  • The goal of James and the rest of the elders was not to make everyone keep the law to get saved.  Instead, they were trying to put to rest these false accusations.
• The elders’ attempt to settle things down didn’t work.  If you want to find fault in someone bad enough, you’ll find it…even if the fault you want to find isn’t there.

Questions to consider:

1. What does Paul’s willingness to go forward with the plan of the elders teach us about Paul?  What was his heart toward the church and how did his goals shape his thinking and his actions?
2. Did the elders really have to ask Paul to do this?  What could have been some other options to encourage the people of the church in the truth?  Ultimately, who stirred up this controversy and tumult?
3. In our relationships in the church and outside of the church, what can we control?  What can’t we control?  Should the possibility of others responding the wrong way keep us from doing what we know is right?

Today’s passage: Acts 21:1-16

Helpful thoughts:

• The word for “departed” in verse 1 means to tear away.  It was very hard for Paul and his ministry partners to leave Ephesus and the elders of the churches.
• Philip the evangelist and one of the “seven” was one of the seven deacons from the church at Jerusalem.
• Paul knew what the Lord Jesus had called him to do (20:24).  The Spirit was revealing to these other brothers and sisters what was coming and they longed for Paul’s safety.  But, Paul was willing to die if that was what the Lord wanted him to do.  As we know, this death would eventually come, but not without much more ministry even while he was in prison.

Questions to consider:

1. Why would it have been so hard for Paul to leave Ephesus?  What kinds of ministries had developed there?  Where had the fruitfulness of that ministry spread according to the previous chapters?  Would anyone have blamed Paul if he’d decided to stay there?
2. Why were people weeping and struggling?  What desires would have been tugging in different directions in their hearts?
3. What was Paul’s motivation to go?  What was his greatest desire?  Who was it his pleasure to please?  How can this make our decisions easier and yet seem crazy to the world around us?