Rich Nelson Uncategorized

64: Romans — Introduction & The Law, Sin and Life in the Spirit — Romans 7:7-8:17

Get Ready

Paul’s letter to the believers in Rome is the most systematic statement of Christian theology and belief in the New Testament. It presents his argument for a unified understanding of God’s relationship with his creation: salvation for all people through Jesus Christ’s life, death and resurrection.

Author

The Apostle Paul is universally accepted as the author of Romans. Most scholars believe he wrote this letter during his last visit to Corinth (probably 56 or 57 CE). He was preparing to go to Jerusalem with the money he had collected from the churches he had founded in Greece and Asia Minor. He was then planning to go to Rome before going on to spread the Gospel in Spain [15:14-29].

Context

Paul did not start the church in Rome (and neither did Peter). Most historians believe Jewish Christians (who may have heard Peter’s testimony on Pentecost) carried the Gospel to the capitol city fairly soon after the church began in Jerusalem. The Gospel spread among the Gentiles as well as the Jews in Rome and believers probably met in house churches scattered around the city. In 49, Emperor Claudius expelled all Jews from Rome because of their supposed “rioting” over “Chrestus” (a corruption of “Christ”). Even though the Jews were allowed to return after Claudius died, the Jewish Christians came back to a church dominated – practically and theologically – by the Gentile believers who had remained in the city.

Paul was nearing the end of his missionary work in the eastern Mediterranean region and wanted to go to Spain, where he would be the first to preach the Gospel and start new churches. He planned to spend some time in Rome to build support “and to be sent on by you” to Spain [15:23-24].

The letter serves as Paul’s self-introduction to the believers and attempts to promote unity among them through his explanation of Christian belief as he had been preaching throughout his ministry.

Structure

Paul gave considerable thought to this letter, which is organized along the lines of a classical rhetorical argument. After the greeting and introduction [1:1-17], Paul presents his understanding of the Gospel in four major sections:

  • The Gospel is God’s response to our separation from him: Jews
    as well as Gentiles are separated from God because of sin; but reconciliation is available through Christ by faith – and only by faith [1:18-4:25].
  • The Gospel is God’s provision of salvation: grace brings us into a new relationship with God – free from our former enslavement to sin and inability to follow the law [5:1-8:39].
  • The Gospel is God’s fulfillment of his promises to Israel: the Jewish people will continue to have a special relationship to God, which will be revealed according to God’s plan [9:1-11:36].
  • The Gospel is the way God transforms our lives: our restored spiritual relationship through Christ should result in a new way of living our lives in this world – loving one another as Christ loved us [12:1-15:13].

Paul concludes the letter with a series of “greetings” to believers Paul knows (or knows about) in Rome, and a doxology [16:1-27].

Major Themes

Paul presents his theme in the introduction: For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, “The one who is righteous will live by faith,” [1:16-17, the quote is from Hab 2:4].

Paul stresses that both Jews and Greeks (Gentiles) need salvation because both have sinned, and salvation is available to both Greeks and Jews because God loves all of his creatures. Therefore, Jews and Greeks should be equal in their relationship with each other.

Get into the Word

1. Who wrote this book? What is the author’s background? Where did he write this book? When did he write it? What was his personal situation at the time?

2. Who started the church in Rome? How did it start? Who were the initial members of the church? How did the church function in Rome? What was the relationship between Jewish and Gentile believers? How did this change? What was the effect of this change?

3. What was Paul’s relationship with the Roman church? Why do you think he wrote this letter? What did he hope to accomplish by his visit?

4. How is this book organized? What is the major subject of this book? Why do you think Paul chose to write on this subject? What are the major parts of Paul’s argument? What is the key statement in each section? Who is the primary character in each section? Who is the recipient of these actions? What is the ultimate goal of the Gospel?

6. Why is it important to have a good understanding of the doctrine of sin, the law and salvation? What are the four aspects of salvation? How is each aspect related to the others? What is the outcome of salvation?

5. What is Paul’s primary theme or message in this book? When does he first state it? How does he describe the Gospel? Who is the Gospel for? How does a person gain access to the Gospel? 

Bible Trivia
Paul’s letter to the Galatian believers deals with the same subject of salvation by grace through faith, but Galatians was written to deal with a growing error in doctrine and is much more personal than Romans.

Doctrine Notes . . .

Sin: Sin is both the human situation of separation from God, and the thoughts and actions that are contrary to God’s law and the result of the separation.
Law: The law is not an arbitrary or unilateral set of rules. God gave humans the law so we can know what God expects of people who are in a relationship with him – what we should do and what we should not do. The Ten Commandments begins with a description of the relationship: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt,” [Exodus 20:1].
Salvation: Humans are not able to obey God’s Law. Our failure to obey the law results in our separation from God – death. But God does not want death – he wants people to be in a living, loving

  • relationship with him. Therefore, he offers us salvation, which is available to people only through
  • faith:Grace – God offers salvation in spite of our disobedience and sin, because he loves us.
  • Sacrifice – Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross paid the “cost” of our sin. Because he was sinless his sacrifice was sufficient.
  • Forgiveness – God no longer holds believers accountable for sin because Jesus’ sacrifice “paid” for our freedom.
  • Righteousness – God views believers as if they have Christ’s righteousness, and God’s Spirit “grows” a believer to be more like Jesus: more righteous.

64: The Law and Sin & Life in the Spirit – Romans 7:7-8:17

Get Ready

When you start a fairly involved or complex project, do you focus on the end result and the advantages of successfully completing it, or are you the type of person who breaks it into its component steps and finishes each task in sequence before starting the next step?

The Word

77 What then should we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet, if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, seizing an opportunity in the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. Apart from the law sin lies dead. 9 I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived 10 and I died, and the very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. 11 For sin, seizing an opportunity in the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good. 

13 Did what is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, working death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. 

14 For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin. 15 I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. 17 But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 

21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self,
23 but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
24 Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin. 

8There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed it cannot, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 

9 But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you. 

12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. NRSV

Get into the Word

1. How does Paul describe the situation of a Christian? What particular sin does he focus on? Why do you suppose he chose that one? What do you think about that sin? How has it affected you?

2. What is the role of the law in all this? How does the law affect a sinner? How does the law affect a person trying to keep the law? How does the law affect a Christian?

3. What is the role of sin in an unbeliever’s life? What it its role in a law-keeper’s life? What is its role in a believer’s life? How did Paul feel about this situation? How do you feel about it?

4. What dilemma does Paul face? Why is it such a problem for him? What does he say about the conflict? How does he deal with the conflict? How does he solve it?

5. How has God resolved the dilemma sin creates for humans? How does Christ’s death deal with the requirement of the law? What is the outcome of setting one’s mind on the “flesh?” What is the result of focusing on the Spirit? What are the differences?

6. Why is the believer “not in the flesh?” How does God accomplish this change? What is Christ’s role here? What does this mean for our individual lives?









Get Personal

What is your current understanding of sin? Of sins? How has God helped you understand the power of sin in your life? How does he help you deal with it?

Notes . . .

7:7. The law is not sin, but the law is the lens that identifies and clarifies what sin is — similar to the way eyeglasses help a person see clearly.
Covet — the 10th commandment is the one that goes straight to our inner life and shows us that our attitude about people and things is contrary to what God expects.
7:8. Opportunity — the Greek word also refers to the concept of a military base for an attack.
7:9. Once alive — people who are unaware of a rule or requirement usually think their actions are OK until some one points out the violation.
7:10. Promised life — God had told Israel: You shall keep my statutes and my ordinances, by doing so one shall live, [Lev 18:5].
7:13. Paul underscores that sin is what

leads to (“brings”) death; the commandment, which is holy and good [v. 12], makes us aware of the true nature of our thoughts and actions.
7:15-24. I do not understand — Paul expresses the frustrating situation facing Christians: our human-ness still responds to sin, even when we want to follow Christ and obey God. The ultimate solution to the problem is Jesus Christ. 
8:4. Walk according — through Christ God puts his Spirit within us [check Exe 36:27]. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross satisfies the “just requirement of the law.”
8:15. Adoption — under Roman law an adopted son had the same rights and privileges as a naturally born son – “joint heirs.”
Abba! Father! — “Daddy” in today’s English.

Memory Verse
When we cry “Abba! Father!” it is is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, [Romans 8:15-16].

Next Lesson
1 Corinthians 12: Spiritual Gifts.

Rich Nelson Uncategorized

63: The Council at Jerusalem — Acts 15:1-29

Get Ready

Who generally made the final decisions when there was an argument in your family? Mother? Dad? Another relative? How did this person gain this type of authority? How did you feel when you had to present your case — your side of the story — to this person?

The Word

15 Then certain individuals came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to discuss this question with the apostles and the elders. 3 So they were sent on their way by the church, and as they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, they reported the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the believers.
4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them. 5 But some believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and said, “It is necessary for them to be circumcised and ordered to keep the law of Moses.” 

6 The apostles and the elders met together to consider this matter. 7 After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “My brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that I should be the one through whom the Gentiles would hear the message of the good news and become believers. 8 And God, who knows the human heart, testified to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us; 9 and in cleansing their hearts by faith he has made no distinction between them and us. 10 Now therefore why are you putting God to the test by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? 11 On the contrary, we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.” 

12 The whole assembly kept silence, and listened to Barnabas and Paul as they told of all the signs and wonders that God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13 After they finished speaking, James replied, “My brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first looked favorably on the Gentiles, to take from among them a people for his name. 15 This agrees with the words of the prophets, as it is written, 

16 ‘After this I will return,
and I will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen;
from its ruins I will rebuild it,
and I will set it up, and I will set it up, 
17 so that all other peoples may seek the Lord—even all the Gentiles over whom my name has been called.
Thus says the Lord, who has been making these things 18 known from long ago.’
19 Therefore I have reached the decision that we should not trouble those Gentiles who are turning to God, 20 but we should write to them to abstain only from things polluted by idols and from fornication and from whatever has been strangled and from blood. 21 For in every city, for generations past, Moses has had those who proclaim him, for he has been read aloud every sabbath in the synagogues.” 

22 Then the apostles and the elders, with the consent of the whole church, decided to choose men from among their members and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leaders among the brothers, 23 with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the believers of Gentile origin in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. 24 Since we have heard that certain persons who have gone out from us, though with no instructions from us, have said things to disturb you and have unsettled your minds,
25 we have decided unanimously to choose representatives and send them to you, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to impose on you no further burden than these essentials: 29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.” NRSV

Get into the Word

1. How does this dispute get started? Why do you suppose the “men from Judea” went to Antioch first? What is the issue these men are raising? Why would this be so important to the men? Why would it be important to Paul and Barnabas? [see Notes]

2. How is the argument resolved? Why do you think the Antioch church decided to go to Jerusalem for a decision? 

3. What happens when the delegation arrives in Jerusalem? How do you suppose Paul and Barnabas felt at first?

4. Who raises the circumcision question? Why would these people be concerned? What happens next? How do you think Paul and Barnabas felt at this point? How would you have felt?

5. How does Peter respond to the question about circumcizing the Gentile Christians? What is the basis for his position? How does the council react to his remarks?

6. How does James respond to Peter’s argument? Do you think this may have surprised people in the meeting? Why?What must Gentile Christians avoid? Why did the Council include these and not others? How did they communicate their decision?






Get Personal

How do you deal with questions regarding your faith? What authorities do you rely on? Who do you look to for clarification or interpretation? How does God help you live out your beliefs each day?

Notes . . .

15:1. Circumcision — actually more than a “custom,” circumcision was the physical sign of being part of the covenant God made with Abraham: This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised, [Gen 17:10-11,14]. The Judaizers based their argument that Gentiles must be circumcised on the requirement regarding Passover, [Ex 12:48-49].
15:4. Whole church — this meeting, called the “Jerusalem Council,” was held in 49 or 50 A.D.
15:5. Pharisees — the religious [and political] party in Israel that insisted on strict adherence to Mosaic Law — and to the many interpretations, additions and rituals that had grown alongside the law over time. 
15:7-10. Peter is referring to the conversion of Cornelius’ household in Acts 10:34-46.

15:10. Yoke — a harness, usually wooden, that allowed two animals to work together pulling a wagon or plow. The term was often used as a metaphor for a burden or responsibility.
15:13. James — Jesus’s brother, who became a Christian after Jesus’s death. He became the leader of the Jerusalem church and is considered the author of “James” in the New Testament.
15:16-18. James is combining several Old Testament passages in his remarks: Amos 9:11, Psalm 22:27, Isaiah 49:6, and Joel 2:32. 
15:20-21. Abstain — the four things Gentile Christians should avoid are all rooted in Mosaic Law [idols: Ex 20:3-4 and Ex 20:23; blood: Lev 3:17 and Lev 17:12; strangled animals: Ex 22:31; and fornication (sexual immorality): Lev 18]

Memory Verse
God, who knows the human heart, testified to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us; and in cleansing their hearts by faith he has made no distinction between them and us.
[Acts 15:8-9].

Next Lesson
Romans 7-8: The Law and sin, and life in the Spirit.

Rich Nelson Uncategorized

62: Saul meets Jesus – Acts 9:1-31

Get Ready

How would you describe your “trust quotient?” Do you tend to accept people at their word, or are you skeptical and wait to see if a person’s acts are consistent with their words? How would you deal with a person who claims to be drastically different than they were before?

The Word

9Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
3 Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. 

10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; 16 I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 17 So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized,
19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, 20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21 All who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem among those who invoked this name? And has he not come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” 22 Saul became increasingly more powerful and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Messiah. 

23 After some time had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, 24 but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night so that they might kill him; 25 but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket. 

26 When he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him, brought him to the apostles, and described for them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus.
28 So he went in and out among them in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He spoke and argued with the Hellenists; but they were attempting to kill him.
30 When the believers learned of it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. 

31 Meanwhile the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and was built up. Living in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers. NRSV

Get into the Word:

1. What is Saul doing as the story opens? Why does Saul want to go to Damascus? What happens to him during the trip? How does Saul respond? How do the people with him react? How might you have reacted?

2. What happens to Saul next? Why do you think he was blind and didn’t eat for three days?

3. Who does God choose to go to Saul? What is his initial reaction? Why is he reluctant? How does God deal with this situation? What rationale does God give for selecting Saul?

4. What does Ananias do? What happens to Saul as a result? How does Saul respond to this development?

5. How long does Saul wait to put his zeal to work for Christ? What did he do? How did the Jews in Damascus react to the “new” Saul? Do you think Saul was aware of the effect he was having on his former allies?

6. How does Saul avoid the Jews who want to kill him? Where does he go after he escapes? How do the believers in Jerusalem respond to him? How do you think you would have felt? Who intercedes for Saul? How did he help Saul gain acceptance by the church leaders?








Get Personal

There is a difference between “knowing about Jesus” and actually “knowing him.” How has Jesus revealed himself to you? How has this affected your walk with him?

Notes . . .

9:1. Saul — was born in Tarsus, the capital city of Cilicia in Asia Minor. His father was a Roman citizen and his mother was Jewish. Just as he had a Jewish and Roman heritage (he was a member of the tribe of Benjamin), he had Jewish (Saul) and Roman (Paul) names. He studied under Gamaliel, the most respected rabbi of his time and his Jewish heritage was clearly more important to him. 
9:2. Damascus — continues as the capital of Syria. In fact, it is credited with being the oldest continually-inhabited city in the world, and is mentioned in connection with Abraham’s journey to Canaan. Because of its location at the junction of major trade routes it was a cosmopolitan city then and now.
Letters — Saul wanted letters of extradition so he could force the Christians in Damascus to renounce their faith or return to Jerusalem for trial.
The Way — an early name for Christianity.

9:9. Three days — it is not uncommon that a person who experiences a traumatic shock also experiences temporary physiological effects, such as loss of sight or hearing. Saul’s meeting with Jesus reversed every aspect of his life prior to that moment.
9:17. Hands — here is another instance of a person’s touch being involved with receiving the Holy Spirit. 
9:25. Opening — probably a window in a room adjacent to the city wall. Saul is not the first Biblical hero to leave a city in this fashion: Then she let [Joshua and Caleb] down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the outer side of the city wall, [Josh 2:15]; and, So Michal let David down through the window, and he fled and escaped, [1 Sam 19:12].
9:27. Barnabas — now a leader in the Jerusalem church [Acts 4:36-37], he is able to pave the way for Saul to join with the believers in Jerusalem.

Memory Verse
Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit, [Acts 9:17].

Next Lesson
Acts 15: Jerusalem Council.

Rich Nelson Uncategorized

61: Acts of the Apostles – Introduction & Pentecost — Acts 2:1-36

Get Ready

The Acts of the Apostles is really part two of a two-part work on Jesus’s life and ministry and the development of the early Christian church – the Gospel of Luke (which precedes John’s Gospel) dealt with Jesus’s life, ministry, death and resurrection. Acts is the story of what happened next.

Author

As noted in Lesson 57, the writer does not identify himself in either book; however, almost all authorities agree that Luke – the physician who traveled with Paul [Col 4:14] – wrote these two books. Luke was a Gentile and probably Greek. The literary quality of his writing indicates a classical education, appropriate for a physician.

There is less agreement regarding when Luke wrote. Most scholars believe he had access to Mark’s Gospel which puts his writing sometime after 60 CE. He also mentions the destruction of Temple, which Jesus prophesied, which leads some to conclude he wrote after that event (70 CE). However, Acts ends before Jerusalem was destroyed, which points to a date sometime between 60 and 65.

Context

Luke probably wrote Acts while in Rome with Paul during the Apostle’s house arrest [2 Timothy 4:11]. This was a period of great growth in the church as the message reached the Gentile’s throughout the Roman Empire. It was also a time of fairly constant dissension and growing persecution:

  • The dissension came from differences between Judaizers, who insisted that a Gentile had to follow Jewish law in order to become a Christian, and Paul’s followers who preached salvation by grace through faith, [which is a gift of God] – not the result of works, so that no one may boast, Eph 2:8-9].
  • The persecution increased as emperors presented themselves as gods and demanded allegiance from all subjects of the empire, while persecuting those who did not acknowledge their divinity.

Structure

Luke opens this part of his work with a brief introduction: In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to Heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen, [1:1-2]. He follows with a quick synopsis of his resurrection appearances before describing his ascension and final instruction to the Apostles: You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth, [1:8].

Luke then presents three primary sections – each presenting a “history” of the emerging Christian church:

  • The twelve years following Jesus’s ascension, focusing primarily on the development of the church in Jerusalem, but including Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus, [chapters 1-12].
  • Paul’s three missionary journeys to Greece and Asia Minor, which expanded the church geographically and spiritually by including Gentiles, [chapters 13-21].
  • Paul’s arrest, imprisonment, trials in Palestine, and trip to Rome for his trial before Caesar (which actually did not happen), [chapters 21-28].

Major Themes

While the narrative of Acts follows the development of the church according to Jesus’s direction (Jerusalem, then Judea and Samaria, then all the earth, Luke also traces the development of Christian theology.

The church began as a small-but-growing group of Jews. These early followers of “The Way” continued to follow all the requirements of the Mosaic law. They even met in the temple in Jerusalem (and in synagogues as the church spread to other areas in Palestine). They believed following Jesus was the culmination of their Jewish faith.

God starts to break this pattern when he sends Peter to meet with Cornelius and his family. Peter realizes the same Holy Spirit that he received has “fallen” on Cornelius’ entire family, so he baptizes them [10:44-48]. He reported back to Jerusalem that God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life, [11:18].

The issue comes to a head when Paul, along with Barnabas (who originally introduced him to the leaders [9:27]), returns to Jerusalem. The Apostles and other leaders conclude the church should not trouble those Gentiles who are turning to God, [15:19], by requiring circumcision or adherence to the law. They did require abstaining from food sacrificed to idols (which became a problem in several Greek churches), and from eating food with blood or that had resulted from strangulation, and from fornication [15:29].

Luke makes it very clear that the Holy Spirit is the primary force behind the growth and development of the church. The Holy Spirit led, nudged and sometimes yanked the early Christians to spread the “Good News” of salvation through Christ to the Gentile world. He does not tell us everything that happened, and he does not detail how the Holy Spirit worked in the early church – which is a very similar picture to his work in the church today.

Get into the Word

1. Who wrote this book? What other Biblical book has the same author? What do we know about this author? Who was a major source of information for this book? When was this book probably written?

2. Where was the book probably written? What was happening during the time this book was written? How might these events have affected the book? How might they have affected the church?

3. How did the author organize this book? How does it begin? How does the author characterize Jesus and the Apostles? What direction does Jesus give them? How do you suppose they responded to this direction? How do you respond?

4. What are the three major sections of this book? How are they organized? What are the key events in each section? Why do you think the author chose the events he did and not others? What sort of picture do they present of the early Christian church?

5. What is the overall pattern of this book? Who established this pattern? What does the author describe that parallels this pattern?

Bible Trivia
This book has also been called “The Acts,” “The Gospel of the Holy Ghost,” and “The Gospel of the Resurrection.” It deals almost exclusively with the ministry of Peter and Paul, so it is really “The Acts (or some of them, at least) of a couple of the Apostles.”

6. How did the church begin? Who was involved? What was the major source of guidance or direction? Where did the early believers meet? Why was this appropriate then? Why is it not appropriate now?

7. How did this pattern of worship and ritual begin to change? Who was responsible for these changes? What events contributed to this change? Who was involved in these events? What decisions did the church ultimately make regarding religious practices?

8. Who is the major instigator of the expansion of the Christian church, according to Luke? Who is the primary initiator of change in today’s Christian church?

61: Pentecost: the Holy Spirit & Peter’s Message – Acts 2:1-36

Get Ready

What is the largest crowd you have been part of? What was the crowd for? Where was it? Where were you in the crowd? Was there a long wait for something to happen? What did happen? How did you feel about your experience? Was it the kind of experience you would like to repeat? Why?

The Word

2When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. 

5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.
7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?
8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” 12 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.” 

14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15 Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning.
16 No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 
17 ‘In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams. 
18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
and they shall prophesy. 
19 And I will show portents in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and smoky mist. 
20 The sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. 
21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ 

22 “You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know— 23 this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. 24 But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. . . . 

32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, 
35 until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ 36 Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.” NRSV

Get into the Word

1. What is significant about the day of this incident? What were the apostles doing? Where were they?

2. How does Luke describe what happened to the apostles? What happened to them spiritually? How do you think they felt at first? How did they respond to the situation? Who was really at work here?

3. Why do you think Luke lists all the different countries? What was happening to the people in the crowd? How did they react? What did some people say was the reason for the Apostles’ speech? What difference did this make to the apostles?

4. How does Peter begin his message to the crowd? Why did he go to the Old Testament? Why did he choose this particular passage? What point is he trying to make about the tongues? Do you think the crowd understood?

5. What does Peter say about Jesus? How does he demonstrate who Jesus really is? What aspects of Jesus’s story does he focus on? What message about God is he trying to convey? What message about Jesus?






Get Personal

How does the fact of Jesus’s resurrection affect your life today? How is he Lord in your life? How is he exalted in your life today?

Notes . . .

2:1. Pentecost — originally the Feast of Weeks, because it takes place seven weeks after the Sabbath of Passover. It was also called the Feast of Harvest because it involved bringing the first fruits to the celebration.
2:4. Other languages — Jesus alerted the disciples to this event when he told them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the one who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues,” [Mark 16:15-17].
2:9-11. Parthians . . . Cretans and Arabs — Luke’s list of peoples and countries demonstrates the reach of the Holy Spirit. People had come from as far away as the Persian Gulf (Mesopotamia), the Caspian Sea (Parthia), the Black Sea (Cappadocia and Pontus), and modern Lybia (Cyrene).
2:18. Servants — Joel’s prophesy [2:28-32] describes a major difference between the former covenant when only leaders had received God’s Spirit, and the new covenant when all people will receive the Holy Spirit.

2:22. Miracles, wonders and signs — the Apostles began to realize the spiritual significance of Jesus’s miracles, which verified his claim to be the Messiah. John wrote his Gospel so people “may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name,” [20:31].
2:23. Foreknowledge — Peter makes it clear that Jesus’s crucifixion was part of God’s “definite plan” of salvation; he was not just aware that it would happen. Peter’s goal is to make it clear to his Jewish audience that Jesus’s death and resurrection, as well as the presence of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues, is part of the same history the Jews had celebrated for centuries.
2:25-31. David’s prophecy regarding Jesus.
2:36. Lord and Messiah — the central point of the apostles’ teaching was that God raised Jesus from death and exalted him as both Lord (ruler) and Messiah (“God’s anointed”). It was not what the Jews were expecting, but it is what God did.

Memory Verse
In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams,[Acts 2:17; Joel 2:28].

Next Lesson
Acts 9: Saul meets Jesus.