After the riot (Acts 19:23-41), Paul resolved to leave Ephesus. But he took an extended detour through Macedonia and Achaia instead of going straight to Jerusalem (Acts 20:1-3). On this journey, representatives of some Gentile churches were with him (Acts 20:4). Read Acts 20:7-12. What’s wrong with the common argument that these verses help prove the Sabbath was changed … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: Paul steadfastly performed his mission on his third journey despite the obstacles and foreboding of future affliction. Lesson 10 – September 8, 2018 1. Have a volunteer read Acts 19:1-7. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is. What did Paul encounter when he … Continue reading –>
As a second grader walking home from school with a couple of other boys, for some reason I cannot explain, I thought it would be a good idea to throw some rocks at a car parked near a house. The lady in the house ran outside and demanded that I go get my mother and … Continue reading –>
In Ephesus, Paul followed his practice of preaching in the synagogue first. When opposition arose, he and the new believers moved to the lecture hall of a certain Tyrannus, where Paul preached daily for two years (Acts 19:8-10). Luke’s summary of Paul’s Ephesian ministry is that the entire province was intensely evangelized (Acts 19:10, Acts 19:26). In Acts 19:11-20, … Continue reading –>
Acts 18:24-28 records that while Paul was still on his way to Ephesus, a Jewish believer named Apollos came to that city. He was an eloquent man and well-versed in the Scriptures. That Apollos was a follower of Jesus is clear from the way Luke describes him: “he had been instructed in the way of the … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Acts 18:24-28; Acts 19; Acts 20:7-12, Acts 20:15-27; 2 Cor. 4:8-14; Acts 21:1-15. Memory Text: “I do not count my life of any value to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news of God’s grace” (Acts 20:24, NRSV). Luke’s account … Continue reading –>
Further Study: “Those who today teach unpopular truths need not be discouraged if at times they meet with no more favorable reception, even from those who claim to be Christians, than did Paul and his fellow workers from the people among whom they labored. The messengers of the cross must arm themselves with watchfulness and prayer, … Continue reading –>
Acts 18:1-11 recounts Paul’s experience in Corinth, where he would stay for one and a half years. Aquila and Priscilla would become Paul’s lifelong friends (Rom. 16:3, 2 Tim. 4:19). The account implies they were already Christians when they came to Corinth, probably because of the deportation of Jews from Rome by the Emperor Claudius. Roman historian Suetonius … Continue reading –>
Athens, the intellectual center of ancient Greece, was literally given to idols. Marble statues of persons and gods were found everywhere, especially at the entrance of the agora (public square), which was the hub of urban life. Paul was so distressed about such dominant idolatry that he changed his usual practice of going first to … Continue reading –>
When Paul and Silas were released from prison, the missionaries departed from Philippi (Acts 16:35-40). From Philippi, Paul and his companions went straight to Thessalonica, the capital city of Macedonia. Read Acts 17:1-9. How did the Thessalonian Jews react to Paul’s successful preaching among the Gentiles? Once again we see Paul looking for the synagogue where he … Continue reading –>
The memory verse tells our missionaries to “keep on speaking”: Hymn 378, “Go, Preach My Gospel” and Hymn 368, “Watchman, Blow the Gospel Trumpet”. The missionaries were to “Work, for the Night Is Coming” – Hymn 375, along with Hymn 582, “Working, O Christ, With Thee”. Paul chose to travel several places (on Sunday) with the Holy … Continue reading –>
Part 1 Back in Lystra “Keep on speaking. Do not be silent” How many times have you been admonished like that? Or are you more likely to receive–or hear others receive–messages to “stop talking so much” or “be quiet”? Are Paul and Barnabas angry with each other? Why couldn’t Paul agree with Barnabas to take his cousin Mark with him … Continue reading –>
