Thoughts on Study Questions from Acts Ch 1 on 6/24


My Sunday school class/Life Group is studying the book of Acts. Monday, I posted the questions we discussed the day before. Today, I’m posting some of the comments from the class discussion.


If you’d like a PDF file of the questions, email me at crd.author@gmail.com

Chapter 1
V12-26
Keep this in mind for next week.
Part of the Jewish requirement--a tradition--to hold a sanctioned prayer meeting was the inclusion of 10 men in good order. The list provides more than enough names.


Peter quotes from two Psalms in v20. Look at the context of these verses. 
May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it, Psalm 69:25Peter refers to getting rid of evil and honoring God.

May another take his place of leadership. Psalm 109:8
Peter is saying, "He's gone. Pick a replacement."

What does Peter do by putting them together?
He combines to Scriptures to fit the existing situation and pretty much establishes himself as the leader.

Peter proposes an election. What are the candidate qualifications? How do these qualifications provide evidence that Jesus was followed by more than "the 12 disciples"?
Qualifications: 
With Jesus since His baptism (by John the Baptist)
Witnessed Jesus' resurrection.
Witnessed Jesus being taken up to heaven.


Jesus did not have only 12 followers. The diagram shows the rings of involvement. Remember that Jesus sent 72 followers out in pairs. Some argument exists over the number was 70 or 72. 

Follow the link [a] in the text for more info: Luke 10:1-2 (NIV)
10 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two[a] others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
“When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you.Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
“When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say,11 ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.
13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.[b]
16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
I did not print verses 18-23

Who gets nominated? 

Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias

How many others were qualified for "election"?
We don't know for sure, but probably quite a few. See the diagram above for an idea.

How do they determine the winner? 
They cast lots. It's not based on chance. This was an accepted method of determining God's will. 
The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. Proverbs 16:33
Priests used special lots known as Urim and Thummim. [For more information click here.]

Do you ever hear of him again?
No.
As we go through this study, keep this incident in mind. Compile evidence you discover that indicates this "winner" might not have been God's first choice for the position? 
To be completed. Here's some random information on why the disciples became known as apostles.
Disciple --> follower

Apostle --> messenger/missionary

If not, who was?
Right now we think Saul/Paul.


We got this far this week. 
  
This Friday, my Expression of Faith is What a Difference a Day Makes

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