Valor Bible Study - Exploring Acts: Deductive, Lesson 201
DEDUCTIVE LESSON TWENTY ADVICE NOT TAKEN What is it with us and
warning signs? I once saw a video in which a crew placed a
“Warning: Wet Paint” sign on what appeared to be freshly painted
park bench and then recorded the reactions of those passing by the
bench. The majority of people stopped to touch what appeared to be
wet paint despite the warning. Many actually looked disappointed
when their test touch didn’t produce a paint smear on their finger.
I also enjoyed a recent news photo of a compact car floating in a
stream with a yellow “Warning Subject to Flooding” sign in the
foreground. My daughter and son-in-law are both nurses in emergency
rooms, and they tell me that they have a form ready for patients to
sign when they refuse treatment against medical advice. It appears
that Paul had ample warning against making his trip to the temple
in Jerusalem. The warnings to Paul started shortly after his
conversion (see Acts 9:16) and he was well aware of the imminent
danger of his trip to Jerusalem (see Acts 20:22–24). In our passage
we will examine the many warnings given to Paul against his journey
to Jerusalem. If you read commentators on this portion of Paul’s
ministry, they seem to be evenly divided over whether or not he
should have gone to Jerusalem. Those who feel Paul should not have
gone feel he was presumptuous and testing the Lord (as Satan had
challenged Jesus to jump off the temple in Matthew 4:5–6, to which
Jesus responded that one should not put the Lord to a test). Those
who feel Paul was acting in alignment with God’s Will remind us
that the Holy Spirit had initially blocked Paul from going to
Ephesus and Asia (see Acts 16:6), and Paul felt compelled by the
Spirit to go to Jerusalem (see Acts 20:22). Whether we view Paul as
a courageous risk-taker or a reckless fool, the most important
takeaway for us is independent of whether or not this was the
proper course of action. We can clearly see that God, in His
sovereignty, was able to use Paul’s choice for His glory and
advancement of the gospel. Indeed, one of the hallmarks of our
study this year is that we have seen—despite the opposition,
attacks, imprisonments, beatings, and shipwrecks—the gospel will go
forth for His glory and our good. Paul had long desired to go to
Rome and then on to new territory in Spain (see Romans 15:23–24).
Paul would have likely visited the believers there and gone ahead
to Spain, but God had bigger plans. After his arrest, Paul would
eventually be imprisoned in Rome under imperial guard while allowed
to preach in his own house for two years. You might say Paul had a
captive audience. It was because of this opportunity that Paul
would later write to the church in Philippi, “All the saints greet
you, but especially those who are of Caesar’s household.”
Philippians 4:22 NKJV As we saw earlier in the attempted murder of
Peter by Herod in Acts 12, the decisions of man may be contrary to
God’s revealed will but can never be outside of His sovereign will.
The perfect example of this concept in the Old Testament is found
in the life of Joseph, whose
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brothers sold him into slavery out of jealousy. Through God’s will
Joseph became Prime Minister of Egypt. Following the death of their
father, Jacob (also called Israel), the brothers came to Joseph to
plead for their lives. Joseph insightfully tells his brothers, “Do
not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you
meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring
it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” (Genesis
50:19–22 NKJV). A fifteenth century proverb by German clergyman
Thomas à Kempis says it well, “Man proposes, but God disposes.”1 As
we watch the world unravel on the nightly news, and events in our
personal lives often reflect the chaos of our culture, God’s
sovereignty is the greatest source of comfort for believers. We
have a peace which passes all understanding, knowing that
ultimately all events are filtered through His will for His glory
and the good of those who love Him and call on His name.
1https://www.englishclub.com/ref/esl/Sayings/Religion/Man_proposes_God_disposes_915.htm
Memory Verse “And we know that all things work together for good to
those who love God, to those who are the called according to His
purpose.” Romans 8:28 NKJV Prayer Start by praying over the passage
and asking the Holy Spirit to give you fresh insights and wisdom in
understanding it. Then read through the entire passage two or three
times. Day 1 Return to Judea – Acts 21:1–9 The trip from Miletus
(the closest major seaport to Ephesus) to Caesarea (the closest
major seaport to Jerusalem) was over 700 miles. The ship taking
Paul to the first three ports mentioned was likely smaller as it
hugged the coastline in making each of its stops. Each port was
about one day’s sailing from the next stop. It was in Patara that
Paul and his companions switched to a larger vessel to cover 400
miles of open water across the Mediterranean Sea to Tyre. 1. Paul
was well aware of the danger involved in his trip to Jerusalem, but
apparently believed
the risk was worth the reward. What does 1 Corinthians 16:1–4
inform us about Paul’s purpose for his trip to Jerusalem?
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2. Romans 15:25–29 gives us even more details about Paul’s plans
and purpose. From this
additional passage what do we learn?
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a. This passage hints at the bigger purpose in Paul’s relief effort
beyond meeting just the material needs of the Jews. Can you
identify that purpose?
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b. Jerusalem was not to be the endpoint of Paul’s ministry. What
plans did he have for
future missionary trips after Jerusalem?
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3. For the second time in this journey Paul received a warning
(verse 4). What was the warning,
and do you feel that Paul was being disobedient in pressing forward
to Jerusalem?
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4. Paul and his companions (notice Luke includes himself in verse
8) press on to Caesarea and
stay with Philip. What do we know about Philip from the following
passages? a. Acts 6:5 (you may need to read Acts 6:1–6 for context)
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b. Acts 8:26–40 (just do a quick read and summarize the story)
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c. Acts 8:1–8 (notice who and what caused the disciples to be
scattered)
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d. From these three sources what can we glean about the character
of Philip?
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Memory Verse – Fill in the Blanks “And we know _______________ all
things work _______________ for good to _________________ who love
God, ______ those who are the _________________ according to His
________________.” Romans 8:28 NKJV Day 2 Return to Jerusalem –
Acts 21:10–16 Caesarea, located about 60 miles from Jerusalem, was
populated mostly by Gentiles and served as the Roman capital of
Judea. From here the group went up to Jerusalem. Travelers always
went up (notice verse 15) to Jerusalem because it was located on a
plateau around 2,500 feet above sea level. Likely the road was
swollen with pilgrims trying to get to the Holy City in time for
Pentecost. Pentecost was one of three celebrations that mandated
Hebrew males to return to Jerusalem to the Temple to celebrate
(hence the Jews from Asia that we will meet later in our story).
Pentecost was also called the Festival of Weeks (seven weeks after
the Passover) or the Festival of Harvest. 1. We will meet a prophet
from Judea who issues yet another warning to Paul.
a. What was the prophet’s name and message for Paul?
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b. This prophet had a flair for the dramatic use of props, like
Paul’s belt in this passage, to
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2. Describe the efforts of his companions to persuade him not to go
to Jerusalem.
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3. What was Paul’s resolute response to his friends’ pleadings?
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4. Convinced it was God’s will for him to go to Jerusalem and
suffer, Paul would not be
distracted. This is reminiscent of Jesus as He approached
Jerusalem. a. How does Paul’s attitude reflect that of Jesus as
they both approached the same journey
(see Luke 9:51)?
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Memory Verse – Fill in the Blanks “And ______ know _______________
all ___________ work _______________ for ____________ to
_________________ who _______ God, ______ those ________ are the
_________________ according _____ His ________________.” Romans
8:28 NKJV Day 3 Plan to Appease the Pharisees – Acts 21:17–25 1.
Earlier the Jerusalem church had a different leadership than it did
following persecution,
which caused many of the early believers to scatter. a. Describe
the original leadership structure found in Acts 2:42, 4:35–37, and
5:2.
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b. Describe the present leadership structure of the Jerusalem
church as found in verse 18.
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2. Paul tells the eldership about his ministry in great detail. a.
He is careful (verse 19) to give God the credit for the success. He
would share this
principle later with the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 3:5–7 and
15:10. What do you learn from these passages?
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b. What is the response of the eldership to the news of Gentiles
being saved? How was
their response just like what occurs in heaven (please see Luke
15:10)?
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3. Salvation is grace by our faith in Jesus—nothing more. a. The
eldership recounted their requirements for Gentile believers in
verse 25. These
would help promote harmony in the church between Jews and Gentiles.
Briefly summarize them.
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b. Just like the Gentiles, Jewish believers are saved by grace and
because of their liberty in
Christ, they were free to continue to practice the Mosaic Law as
long they did not rely upon it for their salvation. Explain how
Paul later clarified that in Galatians 3:10–11.
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c. What should our response be to those that insist on following
some of the Old
Testament regulations according to Romans 14:1–4, 11?
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4. The vow of the Nazarite was usually taken for a month or longer,
and ended by shaving the head, and offering several costly
sacrifices in the Temple. Often a wealthy benefactor would help
underwrite the cost of the sacrifices for the person(s) fulfilling
their vows. Paul participated in this ritual as a witness to the
Jews. a. According to verse 24 what was his motivation for doing
this?
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b. What additional explanation for Paul’s actions can you get from
his message to the
Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 9:19–23? How can we apply this in our
witness for Christ?
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Memory Verse – Fill in the Blanks “And ______ ________
_______________ all ___________ _______ _______________ for
____________ to _________________ who _______ _______, ______ those
________ _______ the _________________ according _____ ________
________________.” Romans 8:28 NKJV Day 4 Paul Assaulted in the
Temple – Acts 21:26–31 The charges brought against Paul were very
serious. The Romans permitted Jews to carry out capital punishment
on any Gentile that passed through the gate, separating the Court
of the Gentiles with the Court of the Women. The inscription above
this gateway read “Any Gentile Passing Through This Opening Will
Have Only Themselves To Thank For Their Death.”
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1. What charges did the Jews from Asia bring against Paul?
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2. What were Paul’s credentials as a Jew (see Galatians 1:11–14)?
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3. How did Paul compare his Jewish credentials with his
relationship with Christ (see
Philippians 3:4–8)?
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Memory Verse – Write the Entire Verse from Memory “_____ ______
_____ _______________ _____ ___________ ________ _______________
_____ ____________ ______ _________________ _______ _______
_______, ______ _______ ________ ______ _______ _________________
_______________ _____ _______ ________________.” Romans 8:28 NKJV
Day 5 Paul Rescued by the Romans – Acts 21:32–40 The temple was the
focal point of Jerusalem and the most likely spot for an
insurrection or other disturbance to begin. Accordingly, the Roman
garrison in Jerusalem was headquartered in the Fortress of Antonia
situated overlooking the Temple, and was connected to the outer
Court of the Gentiles by two flights of stairs. Normally there
would be around 1,000 soldiers in the Fortress, although during
Festivals the number would be even greater to maintain order. The
standing order for the commandant was to maintain the Pax Romano
(Roman Peace) at all costs. 1. After Stephen’s speech before the
Sanhedrin, the crowd covered their ears and carried him
outside the city walls to stone him. The Jews’ methods were a
little different this time, but their intent was certainly the
same—to kill and silence the spokesman for Christ. But this time
God had different plans. Describe the events leading up to Paul’s
arrest in verses 31– 37.
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2. The Jewish historian Josephus tells of an Egyptian revolutionary
who led 4,000 of his
followers called sicarii (literally dagger men or assassins) to the
Mount of Olives to battle the Romans. Most of the insurrectionists
were killed, but the leader escaped. Describe the exchange between
Paul and the commander.
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3. We are about to start a study of Paul’s ministry while
incarcerated. While in jail, he wrote
four of his epistles. Later, from his imprisonment in Rome, he
would reflect on these events leading to his imprisonment and
conclude that his actions were aligned with God’s will for his
ministry. One of his prison letters was to the Philippians. What do
we learn of Paul’s perspective on his arrest and imprisonment from
Philippians 1:12–18?
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4. While God’s sovereign will is always directed for His glory and
our good, sometimes the
path we are to travel is difficult. Even during such times, what
should our response be based upon? a. 1 Samuel 3:18 (Eli, the high
priest, had just learned the priesthood would pass from his
family).
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b. Luke 22:42 (Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane)
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Memory Verse – Write the Entire Verse from Memory
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Romans 8:28 NKJV Take Away / Summary To avoid walking in circles
when lost in the wilderness, survival instructors teach their
students to pick out the most prominent point in the distant
landscape and walk toward it. In a similar sense we need to pick
out the single most important truth in this week’s study, and apply
it in our life as we walk toward Jesus and out of the wilderness.
Please share with your group what that truth is for you and how
will you apply it this week:
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Memory Verse “And we know that all things work together for good to
those who love God, to those who are the called according to His
purpose.” Romans 8:28 NKJV Key Words/Phrases Write out the
definition of these key phrases. Both of these are a blast from the
past–reflecting Old Testament concepts that are being brought into
the New Testament by Paul. How would these phrases instruct us
today? The Will of the Lord Be Done (Acts 21:14)
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Zealous for the Law (Acts 21:20)
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Tool Box Step 1: The Bible. Read the passage in a couple of
different versions. If you are having trouble understanding a
passage, choose a more dynamic version such as New Living
Translation or The Message. To focus in on the exact meaning of a
verse, choose a more literal translation such as New American
Standard Bible or New King James Version. Step 2: Study Tools. Use
these to help you dig deeper. Background Information: 1) Unger’s
Bible Dictionary 2) Bible Dictionaries online at
biblestudytools.com and blueletterbible.com. Word Studies: 1)
Zodhiates’ The Complete Word Study New Testament 2) Vine’s Complete
Expository Dictionary 3) Strong’s Dictionary of Bible Words. Step
3: Commentaries. Commentaries should not be used in place of
studying God’s Word directly, but they can give you additional
insights. Some good commentaries include: J. Vernon McGee, The
Expositors Commentary, NIV Application Commentary, H.A. Ironside,
William Barclay (great for background and culture but be careful of
his spiritual applications). Step 4: Online Assistance. Should you
have a specific question about the study please email your inquiry
to:
[email protected]
© 2015 Mark Newton. All rights reserved. Express permission granted
for use and reproduction by Harvest Christian Fellowship,
Riverside, CA.
www.harvest.org
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