Thoughts on Study Questions from Acts Ch 9 on 12/23

My Sunday school class/Life Group is studying the book of Acts. I posted these questions this Monday and encouraged you to jot your thoughts down.

It's Wednesday. This post consists of some comments from the class discussion.

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

Chapter 9:32-42

The story returns to which apostle? 
Peter

What's he been doing?
He was traveling from Damascus.

This miracle is similar to which previous miracle?
The 4-year cripple in the Temple in Jerusalem.
We figured there were other miracles that were not reported by Luke.

Where did this occur?
Lydda.

What do you think v35 means?
All means everyone.
100% of the people in the region became believers.
The significance of the term was increased to us when every translation we checked agreed on the totality of the population's decision.

Tabitha (Dorcas) is the first positive woman role model presented in Acts—what was her claim to fame?
Locally, she was a seamstress who ran a charity house helping primarily poor widows.
She was full of good works and acts of charity.
She's called a disciple by Luke. It's the only use of the female form of that term in the New Testament.

What has happened to Dorcas? 
She died.

What do the people of Joppa do about it?
Weep and wail.
Wash her body.
Send for Peter and wait for him to arrive.

They ask Peter to come "at once," but when he arrives, what do they do?
Takes a tour of the area where he sees physical evidence of her good works and acts of charity.

How does Peter address the need?

Clears the room she's in.

Kneels.

Prays.

Tells her to "get up."
His focus is on God.

What results from this miracle?
Many people in the town of Joppa believe.

Why might some confusion have arisen from Peter's choice of residence in Joppa?
He stayed with Simon the Tanner who probably treated the skins of unclean animals among others.
One commentary suggested that this time might have been part of God's preparation of Peter's heart for the vision he sees in the next chapter.

 We got this far this week. 

The class does not meet next week. There will be a report on the class's prayer list over the past year. 

I invite you to see how God used the prayers of this group of His people.

Chapter 10

Vv1-8

Who is Cornelius? What do we know about him?

What is significant about the time of day of Cornelius' vision?

Why do you think God sent an angel and not just a voice?

9-23a

Why do you think Peter went up on the roof to pray?

What is significant about Peter’s physical state during his prayer?

What is Peter doing when he sees his vision?

What comes from heaven?

Describe the vision.

What does the voice say to do? What is Peter's response? [see Leviticus 11]

How does the voice respond to Peter?

What significance do you think there is to Peter seeing the vision 3 times?

What is Peter's mental state after the third vision?

Who shows up? Are they invited in?

Why aren’t they invited in?

Why does Peter go down off the roof?

What does Peter do when he gets down?

23b-33

When do they head to Caesarea? What is implied by this?

What is Cornelius doing?

How does this show the depth of Cornelius' faith?

Why would Cornelius "fall at [Peter's] feet"?

How does Peter respond to this act of Cornelius?

What does Peter do then?

How does he explain this non-Jewish action?

What is Peter's question to the group?

Cornelius' answer is straight-forward. He adds one thing, what? Why do you think he adds this?

34-48

How does Peter's sermon here differ from his previous sermons?

What happens before the end of the sermon?

Who came with Peter? What is their reaction?

What is Peter's reaction?

How does Peter’s reaction fit into Jesus command of Acts 1?

Chapter 11

1-18

When Peter returns to Jerusalem, he is on the hot seat. Why?

Describe a possible parallel situation that might happen in our church in this century.

Compare Peter's account to the brothers in Jerusalem to Luke's account in Chapter 10. What is different?

Why do you think that it’s different?

What happens to the objections of the Jerusalem believers?

19-26

How does the church get its start in Antioch?

Who might these “evangelists” be?

Who is given "first shot" at the Gospel by the evangelists?

Who are "the Greeks"?

What is the secret of the evangelist's success?

Why is Barnabas sent to Antioch?

What is the effect of his visit?

Where else does he go? Why?

How long do Saul and Barnabas "pastor" the church at Antioch?

What significant terminology arises from this church?

27-30

Who is Agabus?

What does he do?

About what year is this?

What is the Antioch church response to this?

In Jesus time, Jews were looking for a wrong type of Messiah rather than the One God provided in Jesus.

If you are interested in Messianic prophecies, my blog December 26 is a "fill in the blanks" table for 37 messianic prophecies. On December 27, the blog post provides the answers.

Feel free to spread the word about this.

This week's Expressions of Faith is Immanuel (Revised)

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