The book of Acts is a history of the early church - its beginnings and its growth. Luke, a Gentile, is generally accepted as the author of the book of Acts for several reasons. After Jesus ascended to heaven, the disciples returned to the city of Jerusalem to wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit.
The disciples asked the Lord to show them which of the two men He had chosen, for the Lord knows what. Before ascending to heaven, Jesus instructed his disciples to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the promise from the Father – the Holy Spirit, who would give them power (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4, 8). On this day the apostles were immersed (baptized) in the Holy Spirit – that is, they were completely under the influence and power of the Holy Spirit, and they spoke as the Holy Spirit commanded them.
What did some of the believers do to help others who were in need. On the day of Pentecost, 3,000 received the apostles' message and were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:41). When Peter and John went to the temple one day, they saw a lame man at the door of the temple.
This gate was probably the eastern gate of the temple, leading from the court of the Gentiles to the women's court and the main entrance.
L ESSON 4
- PETER AND JOHN ARRESTED (Acts 4:1-4)
- THE COUNCIL'S PRIVATE CONFERENCE (Acts 4:13-17)
- FURTHER PREACHING FORBIDDEN (Acts 4:17-22)
- UNITY AND PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH (Acts 4:32-37)
They asked Peter and John by what power or in whose name they had healed the lame man. Jesus applied this Psalm to himself earlier when he spoke the parable of the wicked men, telling the rulers of the people that "whoever falls on this stone will be broken, but on whom it falls it will grind to a grinding halt." that. in the dust" (Mat. 21:42-44). To prevent further spread of the apostles' teachings, the council decided to threaten Peter and John and ordered them not to do so.
After threatening the disciples, the council released them without punishing them, for the people of God because of a miracle. 2:1-2 which says that the kings and rulers of the world will gather against the Lord and His Anointed One (Christ).
L ESSON 5
ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA
ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA (Acts 5:1-11)
The apostles in whom the Holy Spirit dwelt acted by the power and authority of God. So when Ananias tried to deceive the apostles, he lied to the Holy Spirit and God. Peter asked Sapphira if she and her husband had sold the land for a certain price (that is, the amount she and her husband had agreed to give to the apostles).
SIGNS AND WONDERS (Acts 5:12-16)
THE GROWTH OF THE CHURCH
L ESSON 6
When the officials brought the apostles to the council, they did so without violence (carefully). Preaching in the name of Jesus - when Peter and John were released from prison earlier, they had been forbidden to preach in the name of Jesus. By bringing the blood of Jesus upon them (the rulers) – the Sanhedrin had condemned Jesus to death and persuaded Pilate to crucify him.
They even boldly told Pilate that they would accept responsibility for Jesus' death (Matthew 27:25). But now they feared that the multitudes who had followed the apostles would rise up against them. In response to the first accusation, Peter and the apostles admitted their guilt, but said that they had to obey someone.
The apostles and Holy Spirit were witnesses of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. When the council heard the words of the apostles, what did they want to do.
L ESSON 7
STEPHEN – CHOSEN TO SERVE AND ARRESTED (Acts 6:5-15)
When Stephen was brought before the Sanhedrin (council) for trial, he related that Jewish history was brought before the Sanhedrin (council) for trial. He told Jewish history for the council members. God appeared to Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia and told him to go to a land that He would show him. When a famine broke out in Canaan and Egypt, Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to buy grain.
The second time they came to Egypt to buy food, Joseph introduced himself to his brothers. When another forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the wilderness of Mount Sinai in a flame of fire in a bush. The voice of the Lord spoke to Moses and said that he saw the plight of his people in Egypt and that he would save them.
Then the Lord sent Moses into Egypt to be both ruler and deliverer of the children of Israel. Moses led the people out of Egypt after showing signs and wonders in Egypt, in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness. Moses received the laws of God on Mount Sinai while the church was in the wilderness.
While Moses was on the mountain, the hearts of the people turned back to Egypt and the idols they had left there. The tabernacle, which was built in the desert at that time, was mobile and accompanied the Israelites during their forty-year wandering in the desert. David found favor in God's eyes, but was not allowed to build a permanent place of worship.
Since Stephen had been accused of blasphemy against the temple, he pointed out to the council that the tabernacle was a temporary place of worship and the temple was a building made with hands—neither was the true dwelling place of God. After proving his innocence concerning the blasphemy against the temple, Stephen then told the memory concerning the blasphemy against the temple, Stephen then told the council members that they were stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, always resisting the Spirit of Holy. . At these words, the anger of the council became so strong, they rushed upon Stephen, threw him out of the city, and stoned him to death.
L ESSON 8
PHILIP AND SIMON, THE SORCERER (Acts 8:5-25)
who came from Jerusalem to Samaria after the Samaritans had received the word of God. Although these Samaritans were baptized in water in the name of Jesus Christ, and received the gift of the Holy Spirit, that is, salvation (Acts 2:38), they had not yet received a miraculous measure of the Holy Spirit. Through the laying on of their hands, the apostles imparted a miraculous measure of the Holy Spirit to the Samaritans.
These miraculous gifts of the Spirit were wisdom, knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, different kinds of tongues, interpretation of tongues (1 Cor. 12:8-10). In the early New Testament church, various miraculous gifts were given to different individuals to help confirm the word. After Peter and John spoke the word of the Lord to the Samaritans, what did they do when they returned to Jerusalem?
Even though the Samaritans believed Philip's preaching about the kingdom of God and were baptized, the Holy Spirit had it.
IMPARTING THE HOLY SPIRIT. Although the Samaritans believed Philip's preaching concerning the kingdom of God and were baptized, the Holy Spirit had
L ESSON 9
PHILIP AND THE ETHIOPIAN
The part of Isaiah the Ethiopian that he read refers to the suffering and death of the Lord's servant Jesus (Is 53:7-8).
SOME THOUGHTS REGARDING BAPTISM
L ESSON 10
SAUL'S VISION (Acts 9:1-9)
SAUL'S OBEDIENCE (Acts 9:10-19)
PAUL, AN APOSTLE
L ESSON 11
SAUL IN DAMASCUS (Acts 9:19-25)
Apparently, these Jews were working with the governor of the city, who was under King Aretas (2 Cor. 11:32-33). Aretas was an Arab king and apparently controlled the city of Damascus at the time. In ancient cities, houses were often built along the city walls, and sometimes the windows of the houses were above the walls themselves.
From one of these windows a man could descend outside the city walls. Rahab let two Israelite spies over the walls of Jericho with a cord (rope) that fell from such a window (Josh 2:15).
SAUL IN JERUSALEM (Acts 9:26-31)
L ESSON 12
P ETER, A ENEAS, T ABITHA (D ORCAS )
PETER IN LYDDA (Acts 9:32-35)
Joppa, meaning beautiful, was an ancient port on the Mediterranean coast about thirty-five miles northwest of Jerusalem. It was the only natural harbor between Egypt and Acco (Ptolemais in the New Testament). The grant of Joppa to the patriarch Dan is the first mention of the city in the Bible (Joshua 19:46).
Later, when Solomon was king, rafts of cedar logs from Lebanon floated down the Mediterranean Sea from Tire and Sidon to Joppa, and were then transported overland to Jerusalem for the building of the temple (II Chron. 2:16). Joppa was the place Jonah traveled to when he boarded a ship while trying to flee from God (Jon. 1:3).
PETER IN JOPPA (Acts 9:36-43)
New Testament Palestine
L ESSON 13
- CORNELIUS' VISION (Acts 10:1-8)
- PETER'S VISION (Acts 10:9-23)
- THE CONVERSION OF CORNELIUS (Acts 10:24-48)
- PETER JUSTIFIES HIS CONVERSION OF THE GENTILES (Acts 11:1-18)
About the ninth hour of the day he saw an angel who said that his prayers and alms had come to remembrance before God. The next day, as they approached the city, Peter climbed onto the roof of the house. Then Peter said: Can anyone defend that those who have received the Holy Spirit like us are not baptized?
Sometime after baptizing Cornelius and his family, Peter went to Jerusalem to tell the brothers and apostles there the events surrounding the conversion of these Gentiles. The people who accompanied Peter to Cornelius' house also went with him to Jerusalem as witnesses. To prove to the Jewish brothers in Jerusalem that the gospel message was also for the Gentiles, Peter said that the Holy Spirit fell on them (Cornelius and his family) as on us (the apostles) at first (Acts 11:15-18) . ).