Thoughts on Study Questions from Acts Chapter 12 on 2/24

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.

This is 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 12

Vv1-19a

Where does Peter go? 

Mary's house. She's the mother of John Mark, author of the Book of Mark.

Do you think he knew what was going on there?

Probably.

Prayer was a common activity by Christians before and after Pentecost.

He might also have considered that to be a safe house.

The word “praying” in v12 is the same form of the word Luke uses in Luke 22:41-44. What does this imply?

They knew how serious this was--this was a desperate situation.

They prayed without ceasing.

Aside: While searching for information about the term used by Luke, we came discovered that Luke describes more activity by angels, including Peter's escape than any other New Testament author.

Why do you think the doors were locked?
The Romans were stirred up.
James had been killed recently. 

Rhoda answers the knock. How does the next series of events lend “authenticity” to Luke’s account?

It emphasizes 

• her excitement.
• and that she'd probably been told to keep the door locked!

It's possible that this "door" was the gate that opened into a small courtyard common in many Hebrew houses.

Who doesn’t believe? 

The people praying.

Why is that a bit strange? 

It's an example of "oh, ye of little faith."

Even though there had been many answers to prayers of protection, there had been tragic results, too, from the standpoint of those living in Jerusalem.

How are we exactly like these people sometimes?
I opted to make this a thought question. What's your answer?

Why do you think they finally decide it’s an angel at the door?
How would anyone escape from a Roman prison?
It was easier to believe in angels than in Peter escaping from prison.

What does Peter keep doing?
Pounding on the door!

Peter says to tell James the story. Didn’t James die earlier in the chapter?
James the disciple of Christ--John's brother--is the one that was killed.
This is Jesus brother James.

Why did Peter leave the house?

For his safety.
To protect those who were praying.

The next morning is a busy one for the Romans. Wanna be a Roman soldier?

The guards could not explain what happened.

Roman Law mandated that jailers allowing prisoners to escape receive the same penalty assigned to the escaped prisoner. In this case, Peter was scheduled to die that morning.

 We got this far this week. 

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Vv19b-25

The incident with Herod shows another aspect of God. What is it?

Why did Herod die?

Despite more persecution, what’s happening to the Gospel?

Saul and Barnabas take a young man with them. What do we know about him at this time?

Chapter 13

Vv1-3

What’s the difference between a prophet and a teacher?

Comment on the list of names given here.

Why do they decide to send Saul and Barnabas off as missionaries?

Discuss the significance of the sequence of events in v3.

Vv4-12

What’s happened to John Mark?

Where do they go first: geographic location? Place in a town?

Who (what) was Bar-Jesus?

Why would Elymas even care about the proconsul’s religious beliefs?

In vv10-12, Paul really lays it on the line with Elymas. What are the two immediate results?

Vv13-41

What happens to John Mark?

Who invites Paul and Barny to speak? Why would they do that?

Vv16-41 is Paul’s first recorded sermon. Compare it to the previous sermons in Acts.

What is immediately noticeable in v16?

Vv17-20a is a very short version of what 5 books of the Bible?

Whose descendents are referred to in v23?

In v26 Paul explains the purpose of his sermon. What is it?

Who specifically is included in “they” in vv 27-29?

Why do you think Paul uses the quotations he does from Psalms in vv33-35?

In vv38-41, Paul’s tone is significantly different from the tone in the same part of Peter’s first sermon. What is the warning in v40, and how does it apply to the year 2001?

Vv 42-52

What evidence do we have of the effectiveness of Paul’s sermon? 

How does that compare to the evidence after Peter’s first sermon?

Why do you think there is no mention of numbers of converts here?

Vv 44-47 are pivotal verses in the Book of Acts. Why? What is implied here?

Hmmm. v46 has some interesting wording. React to the last phrase.

New evidence of Paul’s effectiveness appears in v49. What is it?

How do the Jews react to Paul’s preaching?

What does v51 mean?

What two things filled the disciples? What is the relationship between them?