Lesson 7 (Aug 11-17), Paul's First Missionary Journey

Salamis and Paphos

1. Was the laying on of hands on Paul and Barnabas before they set out on the first missionary journey an ordination or commission? Who laid hands on them? What authority did they have to perform this ceremony?
2. Why were the twelve disciples not "ordained?"
3. Why is the Bible record silent about what happened to Elymas after he was struck with blindness? How probable is it that he was converted by that event as Saul/Paul was?

Pisidian Antioch

1. Why do we think that order in lists (Barnabas and Saul/Paul and Barnabas), indicates primacy? Was James superior to John? What order do we use for the sons of Adam and sons of Isaac, and the sons of Amram, and what does it signify?
2. How significant is a name? Why do persons change names? Why would Luke use the name Paul instead of Saul for his ministry years?
3. Is a call to the ministry for life or may a pastor (such as Timothy), give up the ministry? 
4. What is the purpose of including Paul's sermons in the history book of Acts?
5. Does Paul teach more in support of the law, or does he seem against it? What influences his attitude to the law?
6. How come Paul and other apostles were allowed to speak in the temple and synagogues?
7. Can a person be both a Jew and a Christian?

Iconium

1. If the leaders of a community reject the truth and close their doors, are preachers excused from witnessing to that community? Is that how Paul and Barnabas felt indicated by "shaking the dust off their feet and leaving"?
2. Despite so much persecution, why did Paul persist with preaching first to the Jews before going to the gentiles?
3. Are Adventists justified in preaching to other Christians first or should we be taking the gospel to non-Christians first?

Lystra and Derbe

1. If Paul and Barnabas had known that the city would eventually turn against them, would they have still healed the cripple?
2. Should Paul and Barnabas have allowed the people of Lystra to believe they were gods and then convert them all?
3. Why didn't Paul and Barnabas perform another miracle to dispel the crowd that was stoning them?

Lesson 6 (Aug 4-10), The Ministry of Peter

At Lydda and Joppa

1. How genuine and complete could have been the conversions of ALL the residents of Lydda and Sharon that resulted when they witnessed Peter healing a paralytic miraculously? What does "turned to the Lord" mean? Are people who need to see a miracle before they are convinced lacking in faith?
2. Why would Peter who had healed the paralytic Aenas in full public view have wanted complete privacy for restoring Dorcas to life?
3. Why did the widows show Peter all the clothes stitched by Dorcas? Did it help convince Peter to help?
4. Why doesn't God perform more miracles through the Adventist church and pastors to convince the world that this is the true church?

At Cornelius's House

1. What do you think prevented the Roman Centurian Cornelius from becoming a Jew officially even though he was a devout worshiper of Yahweh?
2. Why did the apostles heal Jews also and not only Christians? Shouldn't charity begin at home? 
3. What prompted God to help Cornelius? Would it have been his devout prayers or his service to the poor?
4. Why did God direct Cornelius to Peter instead of teaching him directly?
5. Are people in today's world all treated as equal? Whose fault is it if there are inequalites?

The Gift of the Spirit

1. Why would the early Christians have wanted the gentiles to become Jews first before becoming Christians?
2. What convinced Peter that the "tongues" the gentiles spoke in, was a result of the receiving of the Holy Spirit?
3. How did the Jews hope to evangelize gentiles if they would not fellowship with them? How far can Adventists go in mixing with a group targeted for evangelism?

The Church in Antioch

1. How would people have perceived that "the Lord's hand" was with the Christians who reached out to the gentiles also? How would that have been evidenced? When evangelism is conducted today how can we know if the Lord's hand is with them?
2. What does it mean that Barnabas was "full of the Holy Spirit?" On what basis would people describe a person with those words?
3. How would church members know if a person like Agabus was a true prophet or not? Does it show a lack of faith if one decides to see first if a prediction comes true?

Herod's Persecution

1. Why would Herod support the Jews and want to please them rather than taking sides with the Christians?
2. What would make God decide to deliver Peter when he had allowed James to be put to death?
3. When the record states that the "Angel of the Lord" struck Herod and worms ate him causing his death, would the death have been by natural means or unnatural means?

Lesson 5 (July 28-Aug 3), The Conversion of Paul

Persecutor of the Church

1. What are the characteristics of a fanatic? Was Paul a fanatic? Are Christians expected to be fanatics for the gospel?
2. Did Paul's Greek name and origin influence him against the Jewish influence on Christianity?
3. What makes the difference between zeal for the church and zeal for the gospel? 

On the Damascus Road

1. Why didn't God allow Saul's companions to understand the words of the voice that Saul heard or to see what Saul saw? 
2. What made Saul sure he was not hallucinating?
3. Between one's reading and one's conviction which are we bound to follow?
4. Why would God strike Saul's eyesight rather than his hearing or his hands?

Ananias's Visit

1.  What qualities did Ananias likely possess that God would send him to Saul?
2. Why did God choose to choose another human to assist in restoring Saul's vision?
3. Why does God not strike other non-believers so dramatically in order to convert them? Why did He do it for Paul and not for me?

The Beginning of Paul's Ministry

1. What would be the benefits of dwelling in Arabia a while before going up to see the disciples of Jesus?
2. Why do we not hear of Paul evangelizing in Arabia?
3. Why did Paul choose to begin his ministry in Damascus?

Return to Jerusalem

1. Why did Paul wait three years before going to Jerusalem to meet the disciples of Jesus?
2. Why makes people willing to kill and be killed in the name of religion?
3. Would Stephen believe it was worth dying for Paul to be converted?

Lesson 4 (July 21-27), The First Church Leaders

The Appointment of the Seven

1. Why would Chirstians retain such distinctions as Greek Jews and Hebrew Jews among themselves?
2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of recognising ethnic groups within a church body?
3. What are the dangers and benefits of appointing Greek men to ensure that the Greek widows received a fair share of rations?
4. Why would the early church not appoint deaconesses to serve the widows?

Stephen's Ministry

1. What tasks are expected of a deacon?
2. Why did Stephen have to criticise the Sanhedrin?
3. How can one be firm in the faith and yet open to new light?

Before the Sanhedrin

1. Why were the Jews so protective of the Mosaic law that they could not see beyond it?
2. Didn't the Jews know how they had failed in the past and what their forefathers were guilty of? Why did they get angry with Stephen for reviewing that past?
3. Should Stephen have been less condemnatory and could he have saved his life?

Jesus in the Heavenly Court

1. Does having a genuine vision make one a prophet?
2. Does speaking for God make one a prophet?
3. What is the best way to deal with mob fury?
4. Does Jesus presence next to the Father in the heavenly sanctuary indicate that He had already entered the Most Holy Place?

The Spread of the Gospel

1. What is the significance of the Samaritans' need to receive the  Holy Spirit after their conversion? How important is this to Adventists?
2. Why did the disciples not insist that the Ethiopian eunuch have a longer Bible study series than one session before baptism?
3. Had the disciples covered the then known world with the gospel better than we have today?

Lesson 3 (July 14-20), Life in the Early Church

Teaching and Fellowship

1. Why does religion require fellowship?
2. How does one qualify to become a teacher of religion? How does one who does not have the education acquire the right to teach?
3. Why do people need churches for worship?

The Healing of a Lame Man

1. Why did Paul and Peter remain Jews, attending the temple etc?
2. What made them so bold and confident that the lame man would be healed?
3. Are there fewer miracles now compared to the early church or more? What makes the difference?

The Rise of Opposition

1. Why were the disciples allowed to worship in the temple?
2. What gives the right to refuse worship to any individual?
3. From where do religious leaders derive their authority, from God or from the people?

Ananias and Sapphira

1. Why did Ananias and Sapphire feel they had to declare the sum they were donating was the total they had received from the sale of their land?
2. What was sinful in  holding back a portion of their proceeds from the sale?
3. Were the apostles responsible for their punishment or were they merely announcing God's response?

The Second Arrest

1. What made people think that merely touching Peter's shadow could cure them?
2. What would it have taken for the Priests and Sanhedrin to accommodate the teachings of the disciples of Christ? Was that possible?
3. Was Gamaliel correct in stating that any religious movement not from God would fizzle out and die?

Lesson 2 (July 7-13), Pentecost

The Coming of the Spirit

1. What evidence is there that the Holy Spirit is a separate individual and not just Jesus or the Father in spirit form?
2. Why do you think the Spirit chose to appear with wind and fire?
3. What was the significance, if any, for the Holy Spirit to come on the Feast of Pentecost?
4. Why was the Spirit given to Jesus at His baptism. Is the Spirit given to us at baptism too? 

The Gift of Tongues

1. Can we expect the gift of tongues (speaking in known languages), today as was manifest at Pentecost? Why was that gift given at that time and not now?
2. is it possible that some speaking in unknown tongues (which cannot be understood by anyone) be genuine gifts of the Spirit?
3. Why did some bystanders think the disciples were drunk if they could be understood?
4. Is the gift of tongues the ability to speak other languages without having to learn them, or the ability to learn languages easily?

Peter's Sermon

1. Was Peter justified in quoting Joel's prophecy as being fulfilled in the last days? When did the last days begin?
2. What was so convincing about Peter's sermon that 3000 were baptized?
3. How easy is it to believe in a resurrection?

The Exaltation of Jesus

1. How can Jesus be at the "right hand of the Father" when he ascended after His resurrection, and still enter the Most Holy place only in 1844? Isn't the Father in the Most Holy Place?
2. Why could the Spirit not be given till Jesus ascended into heaven? Wasn't the Spirit present on earth in the Old Testament times? What was different?
3. Wasn't Satan defeated at the cross? Couldn't the kingdom of heaven be inaugurated at that time instead of waiting till Pentecost?

The Firstfruits

1. How effective can a preacher be without the Holy Spirit? Can a human convert another sometimes or is conversion always the work of the Holy Spirit?
2. Why do we refer to those converted at Pentecost as the "first fruits?" When is the latter fruits?
3. What happens to sins then they are "remissioned/remitted?
4. How important is baptism for salvation?

Lesson 1 (June 30-July 6), You Will Be My Witnesses

The Restoration of Israel

1. Why are the prophecies of the Messiah in the Old Testament seemingly confusing and contradictory, such as He will be a Servant, He will be a king, He will be victorious, He will die, etc?
2. Why were the disciples of Jesus themselves blind to the prophecies of the Messiah regarding Jesus' death and resurrection even after living with Jesus for so long?
3. How did Jesus know so well details of His future death and resurrection, from Bible study or because He was God?

The Disciples' Mission

1. How did Jesus prepare His disciples to be His witnesses? When did the preparation begin?
2. Why did Jesus outline the sequence that He did for the disciples' mission--Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth?
3. How well are Adventists following the above sequence of mission? Should that be the plan?

He Will Come Again

1. Can we know in what direction heaven is? Was it important for the ascension to be hidden by a cloud?
2. Why was it important for the disciples to witness the ascension?
3. How is it possible on a round world for every eye to see Jesus' return?

Preparing for Pentecost

1. Why did the Holy Spirit descend on Pentecost itself? Was the date significant?
2. What preparation did the disciples make for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit? What was their purpose in gathering in the Upper Room?
3. What factors could have divided the followers of Jesus in the days following the ascension, that they needed a time to bond?

The Twelfth Apostle

1. Why did it seem important to have a successor for Judas? Was there any significance to the number? Would eleven have been incomplete?
2. What qualified Paul to be an apostle? Could he have been the twelfth one if the disciples had not been in such a rush? Were they too hasty?
3. Can lots be cast today to decide on leaders for the church? Is there any evidence that the method of selection and the result was approved by God?