When the Roman commander realized that Paul did not represent any threat to the empire; that is, that the issue involved internal disputes of the Jews, he asked the Sanhedrin to take up the case (Acts 22:30; Acts 23:29). Read Acts 23:1-5. How did Paul start his defense before the Sanhedrin? Paul’s introductory statement was met with a … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: There is no guarantee that we will be kept safe, but we know that God doesn’t abandon us. He gives us the courage to persevere. Lesson 11, September 15, 2018 1. Have a volunteer read Acts 21:28-34. Ask class members to share a thought on what is the most important point in this … Continue reading –>
Acts 21:37-40 tells what happened next. As Paul was being taken into the Roman fortress for interrogation, he asked the commander for permission to address the people, who were still frantically clamoring for his death. As he addressed the commander in the Greek language, the latter thought Paul might have been a certain Jew from Egypt … Continue reading –>
Having accepted the church leaders’ suggestion, Paul would need to undergo a seven-day ritual purification to assist the completion of the men’s vow (Num. 19:11-13). At the same time, Jewish tradition stipulated that any person coming from Gentile lands would be unclean and so unable to enter the temple. This is why Paul had to purify … Continue reading –>
What to do with those Gentiles. Do we ever disagree as a church about issues that confront us today? Or are we in total agreement about topics such as the ordination of women, the wearing of jewelry, Sabbath observance, diet, appropriate dress, and modern music in the church service? How did feelings–and beliefs–about Gentiles threaten … Continue reading –>
Our memory text gives the first hymn: Hymn 339 “God Is My Strong Salvation” – take courage! Rom 3:28-30 in the Sabbath afternoon introduction to the weeks’ study, reminds that “My Faith Has Found a Resting Place” – Hymn 523. Sunday continues to show us that we are saved by faith in Jesus: Hymn 511, “My Faith Looks Up … Continue reading –>
When Paul arrived in Jerusalem, he was warmly received by believers associated with Mnason, with whom he was to stay (Acts 21:16-17). In Acts 21:18-22, James and the Jerusalem elders expressed their concerns about Paul’s reputation among local Jewish believers zealous of the Mosaic law. They had been informed that he was teaching the Jewish converts who … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Acts 21; Rom. 2:28-29; Gal. 5:6; Acts 22; Acts 23:1-30; Matt. 22:23-32. Memory Text: “The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, ‘Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome’ ” (Acts 23:11, NIV). Soon after Paul’s first missionary journey, it became clear that there was … Continue reading –>
Further Study: “The success attending the preaching of the gospel aroused the anger of the Jews anew. From every quarter were coming accounts of the spread of the new doctrine by which Jews were released from the observance of the rites of the ceremonial law and Gentiles were admitted to equal privileges with the Jews as … Continue reading –>
After Miletus, Luke records Paul’s journey in some detail. Still en route to Jerusalem, the apostle spent a week in Tyre, on the Phoenician coast, where the ship was to be unloaded (Acts 21:1-6). However, while he was there, the believers urged him not to go to Jerusalem. That the believers were led by the Spirit … Continue reading –>
