Acts Chapter 4 Study Guide
Family Study Guide for September 21 - September 27, 2006
(Read Acts 4 Online)
Reflections on Acts 4 by Sean Dean, Master of Church History and Youth Pastor of Fircrest Church in Tacoma, WA
Acts chapter 4 is a great chapter with a lot of interesting items in the development of the plot that is the story of the early church. A basic outline of the chapter shows us the first of many arrests for social disruption (or at least perceived social disruption), an interrogation with a mandate, a terrific refusal to that mandate followed by one of the best prayer meetings you'll ever see - that concludes with an earthquake, then the example of how life was lived in the early church. There is also the positive example of Barnabas that is part of a larger description of positives and negatives that extends into chapter 5 with Ananias and Sapphira being the negative to Barnabas' positive - but you'll talk about that next week. With all of that content, picking one thing to discuss is a bit rough. We could discuss opposition to our faith by authorities, something we all have, do and/or will face in our world today. We could discuss the nature of prayer and the way God responds to it. But what I want to discuss is the idea of unity.
Unity is rough! Lots of people talk about it, few people succeed at it. The reason why is that we all have opinions and we all think we're right most of the time. When we disagree, we tend to throw unity out the window rather than work through our difference - because we all think we're right, which automatically makes THEM wrong. Unity requires that we suck up our pride and give other people the benefit of the doubt - that doesn't mean that we're necessarily wrong or that we take the attitude that we're always wrong, but it does mean that before we decide that we hate them for their opinion we hear them out. Unity means destroying (in a rational and common sense way) those things that come between us, not each other.
When we look at the picture of the church provided in Acts 4 we see a group of people that have decided to not let things come between them. Society at this time told them that money, status, education, religious devotion, gender were all things that were appropriate to use as separators - to deem oneself better than somebody else. The early church didn't use those dividers - well at first they did, but gradually and with some work they were stripped off (check out chapters 10 & 11 for one such process). The point is that the rich helped the poor, the well educated helped that not so well educated. Now when unity comes about, something else happens, your stuff no longer is only your stuff. Well, legally and practically it's still yours, but because of unity it also belongs to those with whom you are united with. Generosity is a fruit of unity. Security is a fruit of unity. Love is a fruit (and a cause) of unity.
The real question is, how does unity happen? First, unity was a result of the grace of God among them. So for us to live in unity we need to live in unity with God - that means living an upright life in relationship with Jesus Christ. Second, they chose to live in unity. Unity doesn't just happen, it's purposeful - each of us decides on our own to live in unity. That's why Barnabas and Ananias & Sapphira are so important - Barnabas chose to live in unity, while A & S chose to lie to the group and not live in unity. Our choices within our relationships make a difference on whether we're going to live in unity or not. For instance, a while back I wanted to buy a fairly expensive camera. We had the money to buy the camera, but it wouldn't have been the best use of our money so my wife told me that we couldn't get the camera. Now, I could have gone out and bought the camera anyway or I could decide to wait until my wife and I could agree on the camera - I chose to not buy the camera. Doing the first would have destroyed the unity of our marriage - at least for a while. Doing the second maintained the unity of our marriage and in fact made it stronger because my wife knew that I had sacrificed something for her/us. Later on when we had a little more money my wife and I agreed and I did get the camera, which has made owning it that much easier. In the same way unity within the church/youth group/quiz team/any other group you can think of is a result of each member making choices based upon what's best for each member of the group. That is why it's so significant that members of the early church were selling off land and giving the money to the church - it was their way of thinking of the group before themselves.
My challenge to you for the next week and the rest of your life is to think of others before yourself and learn to live in unity with others.
Questions to Consider
- What have you allowed to come between you and another Christian?
- When is it more important to be unified, than to feel like you personally are right?
- What is one thing you need to put aside to restore unity with another youth grouper?
Bible.Org Outline for Acts 4
4. The Arrest of Peter and John (4:1-4)
5. Peter and John before the Sanhedrin (4:5-22)
a. Peter’s Defense (4:5-12)
b. The Debate in the Sanhedrin (4:13-17)
c. The Release of Peter and John (4:18-22)
6. The Thanksgiving of the Saints (4:23-31)
B. Community and Discipline (4:32–5:11)
1. The Sharing of All Possessions (4:32-37)
Finish the Verse Questions for Acts 4
Finish the Verse: But many // who heard the
message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand. [Acts 4:4]
Finish the Verse: If // we are being called to
account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. [Acts 4:9-10]
Finish the Verse: He is // "'the stone you
builders rejected, which has become the capstone.'” [Acts 4:11]
Finish the Verse: Salvation // is found in no one
else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." [Acts 4:12]
Finish the Verse: When they saw // the courage
of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. [Acts 4:13]
Finish the Verse: Then they // called them in
again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." [Acts 4:18-20]
Finish the Verse: All the believers were one //
in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. [Acts 4:32]
Finish the Verse: With // great power the apostles
continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. [Acts 4:33]
Finish the Verse: There // were no needy persons
among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. [Acts 4:34-35]
Reference Questions for Acts 4
Q: According to Acts 4:02, who were teaching the people?
A: The apostles
R: Acts 4:2 (C/R 5:25)
Q: According to Acts 4:03, they seized whom?
A: Peter and John
R: Acts 4:3 (C/R 6:12, 16:19, cp. 19:29)
Q: According to Acts 4:04, who believed?
A: Many who heard the message
R: Acts 4:4 (C/R 5:14, 8:12, 8:13, 9:42, 11:21, 13:12, 13:48, 14:1, 17:12, 17:34,
18:8, cp. 18:27, 21:20)
Q: According to Acts 4:08, who was filled with the Holy Spirit?
A: Peter
R: Acts 4:8 (C/R 2:4, 4:31, 13:9, cp. 9:17)
Q: According to Acts 4:10, God raised whom from the dead?
A: Jesus Christ of Nazareth
R: Acts 4:10 (C/R 3:15, cp. 3:26, same as 2:24, 4:10, 10:40, 13:30, 13:34)
Q: According to Acts 4:11, he is what?
A: The stone you BUILDERS rejected, which has become the CAPSTONE
R: Acts 4:11 (C/R 10:22, 10:42, 13:25, 17:25, 17:27)
Q: According to Acts 4:21, all the people what?
A: Were praising God for what had happened
R: Acts 4:21 (C/R see 3:9)
Q: According to Acts 4:25, who was our father?
A: David
R: Acts 4:25 (C/R 7:2)
Q: According to Acts 4:32, all the believers what?
A: Were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.
R: Acts 4:32 (C/R see 2:44)
Q: According to Acts 4:33, the apostles what?
A: The apostles continued (with great power) to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus
R: Acts 4:33 (C/R see 4:2)
(Read Acts 4 Online)
Reflections on Acts 4 by Sean Dean, Master of Church History and Youth Pastor of Fircrest Church in Tacoma, WA
Acts chapter 4 is a great chapter with a lot of interesting items in the development of the plot that is the story of the early church. A basic outline of the chapter shows us the first of many arrests for social disruption (or at least perceived social disruption), an interrogation with a mandate, a terrific refusal to that mandate followed by one of the best prayer meetings you'll ever see - that concludes with an earthquake, then the example of how life was lived in the early church. There is also the positive example of Barnabas that is part of a larger description of positives and negatives that extends into chapter 5 with Ananias and Sapphira being the negative to Barnabas' positive - but you'll talk about that next week. With all of that content, picking one thing to discuss is a bit rough. We could discuss opposition to our faith by authorities, something we all have, do and/or will face in our world today. We could discuss the nature of prayer and the way God responds to it. But what I want to discuss is the idea of unity.
Unity is rough! Lots of people talk about it, few people succeed at it. The reason why is that we all have opinions and we all think we're right most of the time. When we disagree, we tend to throw unity out the window rather than work through our difference - because we all think we're right, which automatically makes THEM wrong. Unity requires that we suck up our pride and give other people the benefit of the doubt - that doesn't mean that we're necessarily wrong or that we take the attitude that we're always wrong, but it does mean that before we decide that we hate them for their opinion we hear them out. Unity means destroying (in a rational and common sense way) those things that come between us, not each other.
When we look at the picture of the church provided in Acts 4 we see a group of people that have decided to not let things come between them. Society at this time told them that money, status, education, religious devotion, gender were all things that were appropriate to use as separators - to deem oneself better than somebody else. The early church didn't use those dividers - well at first they did, but gradually and with some work they were stripped off (check out chapters 10 & 11 for one such process). The point is that the rich helped the poor, the well educated helped that not so well educated. Now when unity comes about, something else happens, your stuff no longer is only your stuff. Well, legally and practically it's still yours, but because of unity it also belongs to those with whom you are united with. Generosity is a fruit of unity. Security is a fruit of unity. Love is a fruit (and a cause) of unity.
The real question is, how does unity happen? First, unity was a result of the grace of God among them. So for us to live in unity we need to live in unity with God - that means living an upright life in relationship with Jesus Christ. Second, they chose to live in unity. Unity doesn't just happen, it's purposeful - each of us decides on our own to live in unity. That's why Barnabas and Ananias & Sapphira are so important - Barnabas chose to live in unity, while A & S chose to lie to the group and not live in unity. Our choices within our relationships make a difference on whether we're going to live in unity or not. For instance, a while back I wanted to buy a fairly expensive camera. We had the money to buy the camera, but it wouldn't have been the best use of our money so my wife told me that we couldn't get the camera. Now, I could have gone out and bought the camera anyway or I could decide to wait until my wife and I could agree on the camera - I chose to not buy the camera. Doing the first would have destroyed the unity of our marriage - at least for a while. Doing the second maintained the unity of our marriage and in fact made it stronger because my wife knew that I had sacrificed something for her/us. Later on when we had a little more money my wife and I agreed and I did get the camera, which has made owning it that much easier. In the same way unity within the church/youth group/quiz team/any other group you can think of is a result of each member making choices based upon what's best for each member of the group. That is why it's so significant that members of the early church were selling off land and giving the money to the church - it was their way of thinking of the group before themselves.
My challenge to you for the next week and the rest of your life is to think of others before yourself and learn to live in unity with others.
Questions to Consider
- What have you allowed to come between you and another Christian?
- When is it more important to be unified, than to feel like you personally are right?
- What is one thing you need to put aside to restore unity with another youth grouper?
Bible.Org Outline for Acts 4
4. The Arrest of Peter and John (4:1-4)
5. Peter and John before the Sanhedrin (4:5-22)
a. Peter’s Defense (4:5-12)
b. The Debate in the Sanhedrin (4:13-17)
c. The Release of Peter and John (4:18-22)
6. The Thanksgiving of the Saints (4:23-31)
B. Community and Discipline (4:32–5:11)
1. The Sharing of All Possessions (4:32-37)
Finish the Verse Questions for Acts 4
Finish the Verse: But many // who heard the
message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand. [Acts 4:4]
Finish the Verse: If // we are being called to
account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. [Acts 4:9-10]
Finish the Verse: He is // "'the stone you
builders rejected, which has become the capstone.'” [Acts 4:11]
Finish the Verse: Salvation // is found in no one
else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." [Acts 4:12]
Finish the Verse: When they saw // the courage
of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. [Acts 4:13]
Finish the Verse: Then they // called them in
again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." [Acts 4:18-20]
Finish the Verse: All the believers were one //
in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. [Acts 4:32]
Finish the Verse: With // great power the apostles
continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. [Acts 4:33]
Finish the Verse: There // were no needy persons
among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. [Acts 4:34-35]
Reference Questions for Acts 4
Q: According to Acts 4:02, who were teaching the people?
A: The apostles
R: Acts 4:2 (C/R 5:25)
Q: According to Acts 4:03, they seized whom?
A: Peter and John
R: Acts 4:3 (C/R 6:12, 16:19, cp. 19:29)
Q: According to Acts 4:04, who believed?
A: Many who heard the message
R: Acts 4:4 (C/R 5:14, 8:12, 8:13, 9:42, 11:21, 13:12, 13:48, 14:1, 17:12, 17:34,
18:8, cp. 18:27, 21:20)
Q: According to Acts 4:08, who was filled with the Holy Spirit?
A: Peter
R: Acts 4:8 (C/R 2:4, 4:31, 13:9, cp. 9:17)
Q: According to Acts 4:10, God raised whom from the dead?
A: Jesus Christ of Nazareth
R: Acts 4:10 (C/R 3:15, cp. 3:26, same as 2:24, 4:10, 10:40, 13:30, 13:34)
Q: According to Acts 4:11, he is what?
A: The stone you BUILDERS rejected, which has become the CAPSTONE
R: Acts 4:11 (C/R 10:22, 10:42, 13:25, 17:25, 17:27)
Q: According to Acts 4:21, all the people what?
A: Were praising God for what had happened
R: Acts 4:21 (C/R see 3:9)
Q: According to Acts 4:25, who was our father?
A: David
R: Acts 4:25 (C/R 7:2)
Q: According to Acts 4:32, all the believers what?
A: Were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.
R: Acts 4:32 (C/R see 2:44)
Q: According to Acts 4:33, the apostles what?
A: The apostles continued (with great power) to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus
R: Acts 4:33 (C/R see 4:2)
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