ACTS - First Section of Acts: Jerusalem (1:1-8:3)

When did Jesus raise again?

The third day (Luke 9:22; 18:33; 24:7, 21, 46).

In the Dedication (Acts 1:1) Luke wrote Acts for who?

Theophilus ("lover of God," Acts 1:1).

What is the only way to salvation?

There is no other way of salvation than through Jesus (v. 4:12).

What did Peter & John pray for in Acts 4:29 after being released from court?

They asked God for more confidence to boldly share the Gospel (4:29). Again, filled with the Spirit, they boldly proclaimed Christ (4:31).

What question did the disciples ask Jesus before he ascended? What was Jesus' answer?

They asked if now was the time He will set up His earthly kingdom? He responded with a call to evangelize the entire world (v. 8).

Why did the Jews not kill Jesus?

They didn't want to make him a martyr, they thought if Rome did it, the movement would die out. But it did not, it starting growing quickly through the disciples.

Who did they encourage at the the gate called Beautiful?

They encountered an old (see 4:22) lame beggar by the gate called Beautiful (3:3, 6-8). - he was over 40 years old

What did the Sanhedrin think of Peter & John's training?

They saw they were "uneducated and untrained" (v. 4:13), meaning they had no rabbinical training.

Why did many Jews reject Jesus?

They wanted an earthly Kingdom. The prophecies in the OT were pointing to the Millennial Kingdom.

What did the Sanhedrin do to Peter & John?

They warned & released Peter & John.

Where did the early church go to share the gospel?

They went to the Temple daily "with one mind" (v. 46). ▪ They went there to share the Gospel where many people were.

What type of fulfillment is the Joel 2 verse that Peter preached?

This event is a partial fulfillment of Joel's prophecy of the Day of the Lord.

This unusually swift judgment by God (Ananias & Sapphira) was a helpful reminder of? What OT passage what this similar to?

This unusually swift judgment by God was a helpful reminder of how bad sin is. A. It certainly got everyone's attention! B. It is similar to God's judgment upon Uzzah (2 Sam 6:6-9). - carrying the ark wrongly.

What is the significance of water baptism?

Water baptism (immersion) was the outward sign of salvation (v. 38).

What important precedent should the believer live by concerning the rule of the government?

obey the government unless it contradicts God's Word.

What is the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

one-time receiving the Holy Spirit (at the time of salvation, it was different at Pentecost)

What does Barnabas mean?

son of encouragement - if the Jews called you that you are showing that characteristic.

3 possible locations of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit?

the upper room, Solomon's Portico at the Temple, or the southern steps of the Temple.

Why did Jesus ascend upward?

visually see that He was going to heaven

Was it permissible to cast lots back then? What about today?

• Can assume God led them to cast lots. God does use lots - ex. Story of Jonah. After the Holy Spirit came in Acts 2 we no longer use lots. We now have the Holy Spirt and the Bible. He guides us through these things now. Some things are done in Acts and earlier that we should not do today. • The high priest - on the breast plate was holy dice they used to throw out to show Gods will. • Dice leads things up to chance and we take a large gamble when we follow signs. • There is no other place in the remainder of the NT once the disciples have the HS where they use casting lots as a way to determine God's plans or will. • Be careful about reading signs - demons and Satan can duplicate signs

Are the details of Jesus' ascension exactly the same as the details given in Luke?

▪ Luke reviewed some events at the conclusion of his Gospel—but he added some new details.

What was a common name for Jesus?

"Jesus the Nazarene" (Acts 2:22) was a common name for Jesus (Mark 10:47; 14:67; 16:6; Luke 24:19; John 18:5, 7; 19:19; Acts 22:8).

What was Peter's answer to their interruption of his sermon, "Brethren, what shall we do?

"Repent, &...be baptized... "on the basis of" (eis) the forgiveness of your sins... (v. 2:38)."

How does Peter describe God in his sermon?

"The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob": God cares about His people and interacts with us (v. 13).

At the second appearance before the Sanhedrin, what great answer did Peter and the apostles give to the command to stop teaching about Jesus (Acts 4:29)?

"We must obey God rather than men (v. 29)!"

Where is Jesus' Ascension described in Acts?

(Acts 1:1-11)

If the apostles performed many signs and wonders (v. 43), why do we see less miracles in the church today?

- Gentiles respond to philosophy - Jews respond to miracles - Muslims respond to dreams - emphasis is on the Miracle and not on Salvation - be careful to keep the emphasis on Salvation.

Did Peter preach baptismal regeneration?

- If baptism was saving we would see it in the other verses on salvation - It's an obedient act, but does not save you

What was Peter & John's response to the threat of the Sanhedrin?

1. God is our highest authority, and we obey Him (v. 19). 2. "We cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard (v. 20)."

Where did the term Nazarene on Jesus' name come from?

1. There were no surnames back then, so often people added a descriptor to a person's name. 2. This referred to Jesus' hometown, like Saul of Tarsus or Judas Iscariot. 3. Yet, it also can refer to Jesus being from the root of Jesse (Aramaic nezer = "branch").

What was Peter and John's reaction after they had been physically beaten by the Jewish authorities (Acts 5:40-41)?

1. They reported to the brethren what had happened. 2. They asked God for more confidence to boldly share the Gospel (4:29). 3. Again, filled with the Spirit, they boldly proclaimed Christ (4:31). 4. They shared possessions with each other as needed, but like Acts 2:44-45. Again, this was not Christian communism or socialism.

What are the Kerygma in Peter's sermon in Acts 2?

1. You crucified Jesus (2:23, 36). (message to the Jews, they crucified Christ) 2. God raised Him from the dead (v. 24). 3. Of this we are all witnesses (v. 32). (we all crucify Jesus with our sin, the weight of his blood is on all sinners.)

How many people met in the upper room? How many people met in a typical house church?

120 people in the upper room. 60 in a typical house church.

How many people became Christians after Peter's sermon at Pentecost (Acts 2:41)?

3,000

How many people were saved on Pentecost?

3,000 "people" ("souls," ψυχαὶ, psychai) were saved that day (v. 41).

Pentecost (aka Feast of Weeks) was a Jewish agricultural festival which occurred when?

50 days after Passover

Where is the kerygma in Acts 5?

5:30, 32. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."

Who is Gamaliel? What advice did he give concerning the disciples? Is this good advice for Christians concerning false teaching in the church?

A Pharisee/teacher of the law honored by many. He is mentioned several times in the Talmud, the Jewish commentary on the Law. Pauls mentor - 22:3 His advice: leave the men alone. If this movement (the Way) is of men, it will go away. If it is of God, we do not want to fight against Him (Acts 5:39). No this is not good advice for false teaching. We should speak up against it immediately before it spreads to too many people.

Define: Jesus, Christ, Lord, Nazarene, and Hakeldama.

A. Jesus (English) = Ἰησοῦς [Iēsous] (Greek) = Yeshua (Hebrew) = "God saves" B. Christ (English) = Χριστός [Christos] (Greek) = mashi ah [messiah] (Hebrew) = "anointed one" C. Lord (English) = κύριος [kurios] (Greek) = "master; ruler of all" D. Nazarene - 1. There were no surnames back then, so often people added a descriptor to a person's name. 2. This referred to Jesus' hometown, like Saul of Tarsus or Judas Iscariot. 3. Yet, it also can refer to Jesus being from the root of Jesse (Aramaic nezer = "branch"). E. Hakeldama:

three signs of the Holy Spirit coming:

A. There was a noise like a violent, rushing wind (v. 2). B. Tongues of fire rested on them (v. 3) C. They spoke in tongues (vv. 4, 8 - other human (foreign) languages as opposed to a heavenly, unknown tongue).

Who was Theophilus?

A. Was he Luke's patron? - supporting the writing of the gospel, Luke was not wealthy not the same as doctors today. B. Was this his birth name or his baptism name (given at his believer's baptism)? C. Or, does this name not refer to a specific individual but to every believer in Christ, who is a "lover of God"? • Dr. Wicker believes Theophilus is a real person.

Why did God send an angel to break Peter and the apostles out of jail the second time they were jailed (5:18-19) and not the first time (4:3)?

A. We see the sovereignty of God here. The other time they were jailed God left them there (Acts 4:3). This time He broke them out. B. Being jailed twice did not sidetrack them from obeying God.

What happened in Acts 5:12-32 when Peter and the apostles were put in jail by the high priest?

An angel set them free, and they went back to the Temple to preach the next day. A. We see the sovereignty of God here. The other time they were jailed God left them there (Acts 4:3). This time He broke them out. B. Being jailed twice did not sidetrack them from obeying God.

What was the wrong that Ananias & Sapphira did? What happened to them?

Ananias & Sapphira gave a portion of their land sale proceeds to the church but lied and said it was the full amount. - The problem was that they lied about it, they wanted to get the glory for this - They fell dead immediatly

Who appeared to the disciples after Jesus ascended? What did they say?

As they just stood there watching, two angels appeared (v. 10). A. Sometimes Luke described angels as "men in white clothing" (v. 10) or "men...in dazzling apparel" (Luke 24:4). Normally he just used "angel" (e.g., Luke 1:11, 13, 18-19, 26; Acts 5:19; 7:30; 8:26). B. They said Jesus will return "in just the same way as you have watched Him go (v. 11)."

Pentacost was a reversal of what in the OT?

Babel

What is the inward sign of salvation?

Baptism of (receiving) the Holy Spirit was the inward sign of salvation (v. 38).

What is a Kerygma?

C. H. Dodd called the evangelistic points in the early sermons in Acts the kerygma.

How did the early church meet the needs of others?

Church members shared their possessions as members had a need (vv. 44-45). This was benevolence, not socialism. - we need to meet the needs of those in our churches - take care of believers and those around us by taking care of physical needs and share the gospel.

What is the filling of the Holy Spirit?

Daily empowerment/control by the Holy Spirit - have you given him control today? (Eph 4:8, 31; 5:18).

What field did Judas purchase with his money?

Hakeldama, the "field of blood" (v. 19).

How long did Jesus appear after his resurrection?

He appeared for 40 days (v. 3) and then ascended to Heaven. Pentecost was about 7 days later. Jesus died on the Passover, was in the grave for 3 days, then appeared for 40 days before ascending to Heaven, Pentecost was 7 days later - Penta means 50.

How is Peter different now that he had the Holy Spirit?

He boldly shared the gospel.

How did Judas die?

He fell, burst in the middle, and "all his bowels gushed out" (v. 18).

Where did Jesus tell his disciples to wait? What would happen there?

He said to wait in Jerusalem, and they would soon be baptized with the Holy Spirit (vv. 4-5).

What did Barnabas do?

He sold some land and gave the full proceeds to the church (vv. 4:36-37).

Was Peter's sermon short?

It was a long sermon: "many other words" (v. 40). - We have in the Bible what we need to know, but not everything that was said and done was recorded by the authors.

Should they have replaced Judas Iscariot now or waited a while?

It was important to keep the number of Disciples at 12.

Who told the disciples to return to Jerusalem after Jesus ascended?

Jesus - vs. 1:4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.

Which OT prophet predicted the signs and wonders of Pentecost?

Joel

Peter preached from which OT text?

Joel 2

Who did they replace in Acts 1:12-26? Who led this charge? How did they replace him?

Judas Iscariot. Peter led the charge by casting lots.

What is the kerygma? What were the 3 common points in the sermons preached in the early church period?

Kerygma: C. H. Dodd called the evangelistic points in the early sermons in Acts the kerygma. The three main points are: 1. You crucified Jesus (2:23, 36). (message to the Jews, they crucified Christ) 2. God raised Him from the dead (v. 24). 3. Of this we are all witnesses (v. 32).

How many people came to believe in Peter's message after his Acts 3 sermon?

Many people believed the message, and the number of "men" (Greek ἀνδρῶν, andrōn) "came to be about 5,000 (v. 4)." ▪ This may be the total number of people. If just the number of men, the number of believers could be 15,000-20,000—1/10 of the population of Jerusalem.

Who was chosen by the lots as the new disciple?

Matthias won (1:26).

Must Christians follow all of the practices observed by the early church in the book of Acts? Why or why not?

No - because the disciples did not have the Holy Spirit until after Acts 2. The book of Acts describes things that we done before the Holy Spirit came, like casting lots and the process of getting the Holy Spirit - Pentecost. Modern day believers have the Holy Spirit upon conversion, the Bible for guidance, prayer, and other believers who have the Holy Spirit and can give wisdom. These are the ways we make decisions today.

When was Jesus crucified?

Passover (Luke 22:1, 7, 8, 11, 13, 15)

How did Peter heal the beggar? What did the healed man do?

Peter "fixed his gaze" on the beggar and healed him (3:6-7). ▪ The healed man walked, leaped, and praised God (v. 8).

Who went to the temple at the hour of Prayer? Acts 3:1

Peter & John 3:00 PM (ninth hour)—the hour of prayer (3:1).

Who preached the sermon at Pentecost? On which two apostles does Acts focus?

Peter, Peter & John

What is the typical response in Acts to being filled with the Holy Spirit?

Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, gave a bold witness for Christ to the Sanhedrin (4:8). Peter was not intimidated even though he was addressing the Sanhedrin—the highest Jewish court in the land.

Where did Peter preach his bold sermon in Acts 3?

Solomon's Portico. A. This is where the people gathered (v. 3:11).

What reason did Peter give for not being drunk?

Some listeners thought they were drunk (v. 13)! • Peter said they are not drunk because it is only 9:00am (v. 15: the 3rd hour of the day).

How does Judas' death account in Acts reconcile with Judas hanging himself (Matt 27:5)?

The Earthquake that God sent most likely caused him to fall off the tree he was hanging on and fall to the ground where he burst and all his bowels gushed out.

Did the Sanhedrin follow Gamaliel's advice? What did they do to the apostles?

The Sanhedrin followed his advice. B. They flogged the apostles, threatened them, and released them (v. 40).

In Acts 5:29 - The apostles gave a bold answer to the Sanhedrin.

The Sanhedrin threatened them. Their bold answer: "We must obey God rather than men (v. 29)!"

What is "The first account"?

The book of Luke

What was an important criteria for the new disciple?

The candidate must be someone who was with Jesus and the Twelve the entire time (1:21-22).

What did the early church regularly gather for?

The church regularly gathered for teaching and worship, including the Lord's Supper ("breaking of bread," v. 42).

What are the greater things Jesus talks about the disciples doing?

The greatest miracle is salvation! Physical healing is temporary but the truly great things is someone coming to the Lord.

Where is the kerygma in Peter's sermon in Acts 3?

The kerygma is in v. 15. 15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.

Where did Jesus meet his disciples before the ascension?

The mount of Olives

Why did Peter and John get in trouble in Acts 3? What happened to them (4:3)? How many men did the church grow to at this time (4:4)? What is the Sanhedrin?

The priests, Temple guard captain, and Sadducees were "greatly disturbed" about the teaching of Jesus' resurrection (vv. 1-2). They threw Peter and John in jail overnight (v. 3). Many people believed the message, and the number of "men" (Greek ἀνδρῶν, andrōn) "came to be about 5,000 (v. 4)." Sanhedrin: The high priests

What was the officials reaction to Peter's preaching?

The priests, Temple guard captain, and Sadducees were "greatly disturbed" about the teaching of Jesus' resurrection (vv. 1-2). ▪ They threw Peter and John in jail overnight (v. 3).