10: Philip as Missionary – Discussion Starters
[Discussion starters for Lesson 10, Aug 29 – Sep 4, 2015]
- Philip who? In this lesson we meet Philip the evangelist and Philip the disciple. Is that right? Or is it one Philip with two titles? What was the outstanding contribution that Philip made to the fledgling Christian church? How important was Philip’s messages at the time they were made? Why? Where would we be without Philip? (Answer with care!)
- Things not seen. How would you compare Philip the disciple with Philip the
evangelist? Where can we find the details of Philip the evangelist’s success in winning others to Jesus? Or can we? What was special about Philip the evangelist’s four daughters? What do you think drew Philip and Paul into a friendship and strong working relationship for God? - The Greeks. What were some of the issues the early church faced regarding early Greek converts to Christianity? Think of “cultural issues” that continued to trouble them. What task did the church’s first deacons perform? Have you ever been to a church potluck where the food ran out? Was this something like the problem faced with so many new converts? Why did this create tension? Do you think the apostles were overworked in providing aid to Greek and other converts? How did the early church respond to this need?
- Persecution in Jerusalem. What sort of an introduction did Saul provide for himself in Jerusalem? Why was Saul so determined to drag the early Christians in Jerusalem out of the city to put them in prison? Were they threatening Saul? Where did Philip flee to so that he could preach that the Messiah had come? In the centuries-old history of Christian missions, where does the area called Samaria fit?
- The Ethiopian. What if anything did the Ethiopian’s involvement with the treasury of Ethiopia have to do with Philip’s success in reaching him? Can an audience of one provide all the success an evangelist seeks? What did Philip include in his “sermon” to the Ethiopian? Why do you think Philip was so successful in training and leading his four unmarried daughters to follow him as Christian missionaries? How important should be the influence of parents over their children in choosing a life occupation?
- “Missionary zeal.” That’ a good topic for your class members to talk about this week. Is it a compliment to comment on someone’s exercise of “missionary zeal” in selling, promoting, enlisting or carrying out other promoting activities? What about church members whose “missionary zeal” in a certain niche of witnessing activities brings new members to fellowship with them? Is God eager to bestow “missionary zeal” on His church family today? Discuss.
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I anticipate my Sabbath School class asking why did Philip being filled with the Holy Ghost (as a deacon) baptize the Samaritans in Jesus name only so that it had to take Peter and John to come from Jerusalem to "lay hands" on them so that they could receive the Holy Ghost..Was he refusing to baptize in the Father,Son and Holy Ghost?
Also does the receipt of the Holy Ghost immediately after the "laying of hands" suggest that something visible was observed (other than those occasions when they spoke in tongues)? Simon must have seen some immediate change in these converts for him to want to buy such powers?
May I have comments please.
An answer to the question as to why the apostles from Jerusalem had to come in order to lay their hands on the newly converted Samaritans so that they would receive the Holy Spirit, could be given from a historical perspective of the early church.
Three churches could have emerged: A Jewish-Christian Church with the center at Jerusalem, a Gentile-Christian Church with the center at Antioch und a Samaritan-Christian Church with the center at Samaria. The Jerusalem Council was averting the split into a Jewish-Christian Church and a Genitle-Christian Church. The Holy Spirit was guiding that council on the way of unity (Acts 15:28). The Pauline epistles affirm that these two groups are united in one church (Galatisns 3:27-28; Ephesians 2:14-15).
Even before that time, the Holy Spirit was operative in uniting the Jewish-Christian Church and the Samaritan Christian Church by coming down after the apostles from Jerusalem had laid their hands on the newly converted samaritan believers. The Holy Spirit was working in the development of the early Christian Church aiming at unity according to the intercessional prayer of Christ (John 17:21). The Holy Spirit has left a footprint in early history indicating that the He will fall on a united church -- not split into many fractions.
As to the baptism in the name of Jesus (Acts 8:12): Inasmuch as the baptismal formula even before the time of Acts (Matthew 28:19) is a trinitarian formula (there is one name and three persons united in that name) --- baptism in the name of Jeus includes the Father and the Son, inasmuch as it is impossible that Jesus could be separated from the Father and the Holy Spirit.
It is also to be mentioned that the Holy Spirit has inspired both baptismal formulas (Matthew 28:19 and Acts 8:12). Hence, it is impossible that the Holy Spirit is contradicting, fighting and splitting Himself and the Trinity. A denial of this operatinal unity of the Holy Spirit will also split the church and hinder the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (see Matthew 12:25).
Prayer for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit includes prayer for unity on the basis of scripture.
Winfried Stolpmann