Acts Chapter 9 Study Guide

Family Study Guide for October 26 - November 1, 2006
(Read Acts 9 Online)

Reflections on Acts 9 by Mark Chesner, Coach

"Fate" is a word you hear a lot about in English classes when you’re studying Greek myths, but you don’t hear much about it in Sunday School. Dictionary.Com defines fate as...

fate -noun
1. something that unavoidably befalls a person; fortune; lot
2. the universal principle or ultimate agency by which the order of things is presumably prescribed; the decreed cause of events; time
3. that which is inevitably predetermined; destiny
4. a prophetic declaration of what must be
5. death, destruction, or ruin.
6. the Fates, Classical Mythology. the three goddesses of destiny, known to the Greeks as the Moerae and to the Romans as the Parcae.

That doesn’t sound much like the way we view our lives. We tend to think of ourselves as "free" – after all we’re Americans and America is all about freedom, right? We look at each day as a series of choices, a new chance every minute to "Deal or No Deal" our way to success or failure. And to an extent, it is true.

But in Acts 9, we are reminded that our freedom in Christ is not absolute. God is God, Lord, and King, and when He decides something, we do not have the choice to go against Him. Christians do have a "fate" to which God is moving us, and we can’t do a thing about it. (Luckily, He is a good God, so we can trust his decisions!) Consider how many people are forced to comply with God’s decision, against their own better judgement:

• Saul is struck down with blindness to force him to see that Jesus is the Christ, despite his "choice" to persecute and kill Christians as heretics,
• Ananias is forced to go to Saul and heal him from blindness, despite his "choice" to stay away out of fear of the man who has harmed so many of the faithful, and
• The apostles are forced to accept Paul into their midst as one of the disciples, despite their choice to avoid him out of fear.

And note that it is not just those who are "not right with God" who sometimes have to be dragged along. It is not just Saul who has to be pushed, but also Ananias (a faithful disciples) and even the apostles themselves (presumably including Peter and John who showed amazingly open minds in the last chapter towards the Samaritans). We all have to give in to God’s decisions, whether we agree with them or not.

The Christian life is always a split between freedom and the recognition of God’s absolute power. "Fate" is something real in our lives, and we need to be ready for it when it comes.



Questions to Consider
- When have you tried to be "free" when God wanted you to follow the "fate" He had set for you?
- Right now in your life, is God teaching you more about freedom or about obedience?
- If God’s decisions are irresistible, how can someone who is "lost" come to Christ by their own "free will"?


Bible.Org Outline for Acts 9

C. Saul’s Conversion (9:1-30)
1. Setting: On the Road to Damascus (9:1-2)
2. The Conversion of Saul on the Road (9:1-9)
3. The Coming of Ananias in Damascus (9:10-19)
4. The Confrontations with the Jews in Damascus (9:20-25)
5. The Coming of Saul to Jerusalem (9:26-30)
D. Conclusion of Book Three (9:31)
IV. Book Four: The Extension of the Church to Antioch (9:32–12:24)
A. The Preparation of Peter for the Gentile Mission (9:32–10:48)
1. Peter in Western Judea: With Aeneas and Dorcas (9:32-43)
a. In Lydda: The Healing of Aeneas (9:32-35)
b. In Joppa: The Raising of Dorcas (9:36-43)

Finish the Verse Questions for Acts 9

Finish the Verse: But the // Lord said to
Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." [Acts 9:15-16]

Finish the Verse: Yet // Saul grew more and
more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ. [Acts 9:22]

Finish the Verse: But Barnabas // took him and
brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. [Acts 9:27]

Finish the Verse: Then the // church throughout Judea,
Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord. [Acts 9:31]

Reference Questions for Acts 9

Q: According to Acts 9:04, who fell to the ground?
A: He - Saul

Q: According to Acts 9:18, who was baptized?
A: He - Saul

Q: According to Acts 9:20, Jesus is what?
A: The Son of God

Acts Chapter 8 Study Guide

Family Study Guide for October 19 - October 25, 2006
(Read Acts 8 Online)

Reflections on Acts 8 by Mark Chesner, Coach

There is a parable in the book of Matthew that always bothers me. It is the parable of the sower. As Jesus tells it in Matthew 13:3-8, it goes…

"A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."

The disciples were confused by the parable and asked Jesus about it, and he explained it in Matthew 13:19-23…

"When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."

What has always bothered me about this is how many ways Jesus seems to indicate the gospel can be received by someone, understood, and accepted, but fail to really bring about any change in your life. How would that look in real life? Am I like that?

Well, in Acts 8, we get to see two examples of people who receive the gospel, understand it, and accept it. And we see how in real life this can have very different outcomes: one which leads to joy and faith, and one that leads to a return to an evil life.

First, we meet Simon the Sorcerer (sometimes called Simon Magus from the latin for “Magician”). He is a popular illusionist who has built up a great following by leading people to believe he is not only a performer, but actually some kind of god. They call him “the Great Power”. But, he hears Philip preaching and he “believed and was baptized” (Acts 8:13). Later, Peter and John come to the same place and they learn that the Holy Spirit has not yet been given to these believers, and they begin to lay hands up on them (note: another sign of God having given the apostles special authority). Simon sees this amazing thing and immediately realizes if he could earn so much money with illusion, he could earn a whole lot more with a REAL power like this. He tries to buy the power from the Apostles. Peter is furious and rejects the offer out of hand, and warns Simon that this little thing is an indication that he is not right with God, even if he has been baptized. The gospel story ends here so we don’t know for sure what came next, but church tradition indicates that Simon did not repent and become a humble man. Instead, he turned back to magic and tried to claim he had special powers from God. Tradition indicates that he lead many away from God, and became very rich selling his services. In fact, there is a word “simony” used for thousands of years by the church in reference to Simon the Sorcerer, which means “the making of profit out of sacred things.” It is considered a crime.

Here is our seed that seed choked and killed by the deceitfulness of wealth.

Second, we meet the Ethiopian eunuch – an important government official who was apparently interested in religious things because Philip comes across him reading the book of Isaiah during his free time. God sends Philip up to talk to this man, and he immediately asks Philip to explain to him what Isaiah is talking about. Philip launches into an explanation that shows that Jesus is in fact the Messiah that the prophets talk about, which leads the eunuch to action. He not only receives the gospel, and understands it, but he takes immediate action. He orders his chariot stopped, and uses a nearby bit of water to be baptized – accepting Christ and announcing his change to the world. Note that unlike Simon, he is not looking to make himself look good in front of others. It is very possible the “water by the side of the road” was a muddy puddle, that would leave him damp and messy for whatever important meeting he was going to next. He humbles himself and comes up out of the water rejoicing.

Here is the seed that fell on good soil.

It is rare that we get so clear a real-world view into one of Jesus parables. It is worth studying and carefully considering in our lives today.

Questions to Consider
- Have you received the gospel, believed, and accepted it? Has it made a change in your life?
- When in your life have you let money come ahead of your faith? Have you ever been guilty of “simony”?
- Do you think your life is more like Simon’s or more like the eunuch’s?

Bible.Org Outline for Acts 8

B. Philip’s Ministry (8:1b-40)
1. Setting: the Persecution by Saul (8:1b-3)
2. Philip in Samaria (8:4-25)
a. The Activities of Philip (8:4-8)
b. The Response of Simon (8:9-13)
c. The Coming of Peter and John (8:14-25)
1) The Reception of the Spirit by the Crowd (8:14-17)
2) The Wickedness of Simon the Sorcerer Revealed (8:18-24)
3) The Return of the Apostles to Jerusalem (8:25)
3. Philip and the Ethiopian on the Road to Gaza (8:26-39)
4. Philip on the Coast of Palestine (8:40)

Finish the Verse Questions for Acts 8

Finish the Verse: And // Saul was there, giving
approval to his death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. [Acts 8:1]

Finish the Verse: But Saul // began to destroy
the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison. Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. [Acts 8:3-4]

Finish the Verse: Peter answered: // "May your money
perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. [Acts 8:20-21]

Reference Questions for Acts 8

Q: According to Acts 8:01, that day what?
A: A great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria

Q: According to Acts 8:07, who were healed?
A: Many PARALYTICS and CRIPPLES

Q: According to Acts 8:09, who had practiced sorcery?
A: A man named Simon

Q: According to Acts 8:12, who preached the good news?
A: He - Philip

Q: According to Acts 8:17, who received the Holy Spirit?
A: They - those Peter and John placed their hands on -- the people of Samaria who had accepted the word of God

Q: According to Acts 8:22, repent and what?
A: Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord

Q: According to Acts 8:30, Philip what?
A: Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked.

Q: According to Acts 8:35, Philip what?
A: Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus

Q: According to Acts 8:38, Philip what?
A: Both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.

Q: According to Acts 8:40, Philip what?
A: Philip appeared at AZOTUS and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea

Acts Chapter 7 Study Guide

Family Study Guide for October 12 - October 118, 2006
(Read Acts 7 Online)

Reflections on Acts 7 by Mark Chesner, Coach

If there was ever a man with a gift for giving a complicated answer to a simple question, it must be Stephen. The High Priest asks, "Are these charges true?" - a simple yes or no question - and instead we recieve a short course on Israel's history as a people and a nation. Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, Moses, Aaron... What is going on here? Is Stephen just stalling for time?

No, notice how he pairs off each stage of Hebew history:

• Abraham contasted with logical doubts about God's promises.
• Joseph contasted with the Patriarchs (i.e. the fathers of the tribes of Israel)
• Moses versus the Israelites he tried to save
• Moses versus Aaron in the wilderness

Each time, we are left with two conclusions: (1) God was following a plan through what was apparently good and apparently bad, and (2) the great leaders trusted God and followed his plan even when it did not appear to make sense at the time.

And in case anyone missed the implication, he ends off with a pretty direct shot, "You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it."

This leads to the obvious conclusion, as the leaders become furious and drag Stephen off to be killed. Stephen, following and trusting in God's plan, is cursed and murdered by the leaders of his day. And he dies not knowing how God's plan is going to be worked out after he is gone.

But the writer of Acts knows. Notice the little phrase there in the middle of the last section, "Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul." This Saul is going to become Paul in the chapters to come. By following God's plan for his life, Stephen has ensured that Saul is drawn closer to the message of Christ, so that he will be ready when God decides to speak to him. And the world will never be the same.

Questions to Consider
- Have you ever had to follow God's plan, even when it did not make a lot of sense at the time?
- When have you seen God's plan unfolding in your life, working against your expectations?
- Have you ever been like the Jewish leaders here, opposing God's plan simply because it did not fit your preconceptions?

Bible.Org Outline for Acts 7

2. His Defense (7:1-53)
a. The High Priest’s Question (7:1)
b. Stephen’s Response (7:2-53)
1) The Patriarchal Age (7:2-8)
2) The Nation in Egypt (7:9-19)
3) The Rejection of Moses by the Nation (7:20-39)
a) Moses’ Early Years (7:20-29)
b) Moses’ Call by God (7:30-34)
c) The Nation’s Rejection in the Wilderness (7:35-39)
4) The Rejection of the Nation by God (7:40-43)
5) The Tabernacle and the Temple (7:44-50)
6) The Rejection of Christ by the Nation (7:51-53)
3. His Death (7:54–8:1a)

Finish the Verse Questions for Acts 7

Finish the Verse: Then he // gave Abraham the
covenant of circumcision. And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth. Later Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs. [Acts 7:8]

Finish the Verse: However, the // Most High does
not live in houses made by men. As the prophet says: "'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things?' [Acts 7:48-50]

Finish the Verse: While they were stoning // him,
Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep. [Acts 7:59-60]

Reference Questions for Acts 7

Q: According to Acts 7:02, who was our father?
A: Abraham

Q: According to Acts 7:09, God was with whom?
A: Him - Joseph

Q: According to Acts 7:20, Moses what?
A: Was born, was no ordinary child, for three months was CARED for in his father's house

Q: According to Acts 7:22, Moses what?
A: Was EDUCATED in all the wisdom of the EGYPTIANS, was powerful in speech and action

Q: According to Acts 7:25, Moses what?
A: Thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them

Q: According to Acts 7:26, Moses what?
A: Came upon two Israelites who were fighting, tried to RECONCILE them

Q: According to Acts 7:36, for forty years in the desert he did what?
A: Wonders and miraculous signs

Q: According to Acts 7:37, Moses what?
A: Told the Israelites, "God will send you a prophet like me from your own people."

Q: According to Acts 7:42, what is written?
A: It is written in the book of the prophets: "Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the desert, O house of Israel?"

Q: According to Acts 7:46, David what?
A: Enjoyed God's favor and asked that he might provide a DWELLING place for the God of Jacob

Q: According to Acts 7:55, who was full of the Holy Spirit?
A: Stephen

Q: According to Acts 7:55, who was standing at the right hand of God?
A: Jesus

Q: According to Acts 7:56, I see what?
A: Heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God

Q: According to Acts 7:56, who was standing at the right hand of God?
A: The Son of Man

Acts Chapter 6 Study Guide

Family Study Guide for October 5 - October 11, 2006
(Read Acts 6 Online)

Reflections on Acts 6 by Dagney Pitts, Missionary

The outline that I see in Acts 6 has two parts:

1. A church administration issue: some people thought that they were being treated unfairly b/c they weren’t getting as many handouts as others were getting. V1-7
2. Stephen, a very articulate and wise evangelist was falsely accused and hauled off to court.v8-15

In Acts 6:1-7, how very amusing it is to see that even in the first days of the Christian church, the leaders (actually the apostles) were receiving complaints from people. To be fair, the scripture says that the one group of ladies actually were being overlooked. But most likely it wasn’t intentional. But like any mistake, peoples feelings (and needs) got hurt. So the leadership had to do something about it. Notice just a few things:

• Verse 2: They gathered together all the disciples together to talk it over. Now, “all the disciples” meant the whole congregation of believers.
• Verse 7: “So the word of God spread”…after their social issues were resolved and people problems taken care of, they were more free to spread the Gospel. We have to take care of each other first, then we can share Jesus together.

In Acts 6:8-15, We read that Stephen was “full of God’s grace and power” and “did great wonders and miraculous signs”. This is no ordinary, average believer. But notice that although he was doing amazing things, he had opposition. Verse 10 says that when anyone argued with Stephen they just never won. But that didn’t stop his enemies. Since they couldn’t stop him honestly, they had to get rid of him by any means necessary. They conjured up all kinds of lies and took him to court. Notice a few more things on this part:

• No matter how full of God’s spirit we are, we will be opposed. We have enemies, because Jesus has enemies. Just because someone disagrees with you or finds fault with you, doesn’t mean you’ve done something wrong.
• The Sanhedrin (the executive, judicial and legislative big shots) noticed that when Stephen was faced with these lies he looked even more godly, ie. His face was like an angel. Stephen didn’t get discouraged by the false accusations, but just kept telling them the truth. It made them “furious”.

This chapter is about opposition and how the church handled it correctly, but other authorities handled it the wrong way.

Questions to Consider
- Do you have any issues with other Christian friends that you need to work out? First talk to God about it and FORGIVE ; and then talk to them and work it out! You may not be able to evangelize without doing that! How have you been sharing the gospel in your community?
- Is it possible to have God’s power in your own life like Stephen had? Check out Eph.1:18-19 for help on that.
- Do you know what you really believe, so that when someone puts down your faith, you can stand up under it without being discouraged? Do you know your Lord well enough to withstand accusation?

Bible.Org Outline for Acts 6

D. Community: Distribution and Administration (6:1-6)
E. Conclusion of Book Two (6:7)
III. Book Three: The Extension of the Church to Judea and Samaria (6:8–9:31)
A. Stephen’s Martyrdom (6:8–8:1a)
1. His Arrest (6:8-15)

Finish the Verse Questions for Acts 6

Finish the Verse: So the // word of God spread.
The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. [Acts 6:7]

Reference Questions for Acts 6

Q: According to Acts 6:01, in those days what?
A: When the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food

Q: According to Acts 6:05, Stephen was what?
A: A man full of faith and the Holy Spirit

Q: According to Acts 6:05, they chose whom?
A: Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, PROCORUS,NICANOR, TIMON, PARMENAS, NICOLAS from Antioch (a CONVERT to Judaism)

Q: According to Acts 6:08, Stephen was what?
A: A man full of God's grace and power

Q: According to Acts 6:09, what arose?
A: Opposition from members of the Synagogue of the Freedman (as it was called) -- Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia
Q: According to Acts 6:12, they seized whom?
A: Stephen

Q: According to Acts 6:15, they saw what?
A: That his face was like the face of an angel (his/Stephen)