1. What do you think it did for the faith and growth of the early disciples to spend 40 days with Jesus after His resurrection? 2. Why is it significant, based upon their previous conduct, that Jesus’ brothers were gathered with the disciples of Christ? 3. What were the divine qualifications for being an apostle (according to verses 21-22)? 4. What can…

1. In fulfillment of God’s eternal plan, what came into existence in Acts 2? 2. According to Peter’s sermon, what event/reality is the foundation of the Christian faith, and how absolutely certain is it? 3. What kind of unity did early Christians enjoy? How did it come about and how did they maintain it? 4. What can I draw from this chapter…

1. Like they did in New Testament times, what effect should reading about actual miracles in the Bible have on us today? 2. What significance do you think it has that Peter begins and ends his sermon referring to Jesus as God’s “Servant”? 3. In prophecy 1,500 years before Christ, what did Moses emphasize about hearing (i.e., obeying) the words of Jesus?…

1. What was it about the apostles (and should be about us) that stood out and led people to conclude that they had been with Jesus? 2. Even though their lives were threatened, how did Peter and John respond to the command to never speak of Jesus again? 3. How was Barnabas an encourager in the early church? How can we emulate…

1. What positive, long-term effect did the harsh disciplinary action against Ananias and Sapphira have for the church? 2. In what situations today should we be ready to express the same commitment that the apostles did in 5:29? 3. At the end of chapter 5, how did the apostles respond to the command to stop preaching? 4. What can I draw from…

1. In the face of such severe persecution, why do you think the number of disciples kept multiplying? 2. Why would it be important for the men who served widows to meet certain qualifications? 3. When confronted with the truth, what were those men who had disputed with Stephen unable to do? 4. What can I draw from this chapter to help…

1. Why was it necessary for Stephen to preach such a hard-hitting sermon on the Old Testament Jews’ rebellion? 2. What made the response of the hearts in 7:54 different from those in 2:37? 3. How could Stephen be so calm and forgiving in the face of his own death? 4. What can I draw from this chapter to help me grow…

1. Even though the Christians in Jerusalem were scattered because of their faith, what did they continue to do everywhere they went? 2. Why would it have been a big deal for Philip to go and preach in Samaria? (see John 4:9) 3. What are the instructions given to a Christian who sins in order to be made right with God? 4.…

1. What does the conversion of Saul of Tarsus teach us about the power of the gospel and the urgency of the Great Commission? 2. What did Barnabas do that no one else was willing to do? 3. What does the account about Dorcas show us about the impact one person can have in the church? 4. What can I draw from…

1. While the Biblical description of Cornelius is of a very religious man, how do we know that he was not saved, although he was so pious? 2. What can we learn from Cornelius’ eagerness to hear Peter’s preaching of the gospel and his desire for others to hear it with him? 3. What centrally key lesson to New Testament Christianity did…

1. What personal application can we make today of Peter’s realization, “Who was I that I could withstand God?” 2. What do we find Barnabas doing in this chapter and what great things resulted from his efforts? 3. Why is it important to use and define the word “Christian” in the way that the New Testament does and not as the world…

1. When peril came upon one of God’s children, what did the church do on his behalf? 2. What happened to Herod when he allowed himself to be unduly exalted, and what can we learn from that for ourselves today? 3. An apostle was murdered and another apostle was imprisoned, but what did “the word of God” continue to do? 4. What…

1. Since Paul was trying to convert people to Christ and His gospel, why do you think he would spend so much time going to Jewish synagogues? 2. The Bible says that Sergius Paulus was “an intelligent man” (13:7), who was intelligent enough to do what (in verse 12)? 3. When the Jews rejected the gospel in Antioch Pisidia, why do you…

1. What can we learn from the response of Paul and Barnabas to the people of Lystra who wanted to worship these men of God? 2. Why do you think that Paul went back into the city of Lystra after he had been dragged out of the city and stoned (supposing to death)? 3. While strengthening and exhorting new converts to continue…

1. What does it mean that God made “no distinction” between the Jews (i.e., “we”) and the Gentiles (i.e., “them”)? (Read verses 8 through 11.) 2. When some brethren tried to bind circumcision on the Gentiles, how did the leaders in Jerusalem prevent that issue from dividing the church? 3. How did Paul and Barnabas resolve their conflict, so that it did…

1. What can we learn from Paul’s choice to take such a young man as Timothy with him on his missionary journey? 2. We sing a song that says, “We have heard the Macedonian call today.” What does that mean in specific application for us today? 3. Although they were arrested, beaten with rods and thrown into the inner prison, how did…

1. What key efforts are necessary on our part to be Bible students like the Bereans? 2. When Paul preached about the true God of heaven to the Athenians, for what purpose did he state that the Lord had made man? 3. While repentance is not a fun topic to discuss or contemplate, what reason did Paul give that all must make…

1. Paul regularly “reasoned” with individuals “from the Scriptures.” What does that indicate about the understandable and logical nature of God’s Word? 2. The Lord spoke directly to Paul to reassure him while in Corinth. Has the Lord said anything similar to us in His Word? 3. Why was it crucial for Apollos to not be “mostly right” in his preaching but…

1. Why was it necessary for the twelve men in Ephesus to be “baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” when they had already been baptized before? 2. Multiple times in this book (and in this chapter) the Lord’s church and doctrine is referred to as “the Way.” What significance does that have? 3. What effect was the gospel having on…

1. What was the central purpose of the weekly assembly of the Lord’s church in the first century? 2. What charge did Paul give to the Ephesian elders regarding themselves and their oversight of the Lord’s church in Ephesus? 3. How have you found this statement to be true in your life—”It is more blessed to give than to receive”? 4. What…

1. When the brethren pleaded with Paul not to go to Jerusalem, what did he tell them that he was ready to do? 2. Paul regularly reported to the Jews “in detail those things which God had done among the Gentiles.” Why do you think he kept doing that? 3. With an eerie similarity to the mob crying out against Jesus, why…

1. How extreme was Paul’s conversion from where he had been before Christ to where he grew to be in Christ? What can we learn from this? 2. Why were the Jews so incensed when Paul mentioned the word “Gentiles”? Is there any modern-day parallel to that? 3. How did Paul use his legal/national citizenship as a Roman to benefit for his…

1. How could Paul say that he had lived in all good conscience, even while persecuting and killing Christians? What does that teach us about following our conscience? 2. While Paul may have felt alone in the midst of his horrible circumstances, who does it say “stood by him”? What comfort should that bring to us? 3. What do we learn about…

1. While Paul’s accusers foolishly referred to the religion of Christ as a “sect,” how did Paul describe it and how much confidence did he have in it? 2. What three things did Paul reason about from the Scriptures before Felix, which caused Felix to become afraid? 3. While we consider Felix’s postponement for a “convenient time” to be foolish, in what…

1. How should we as Christians respond when others conspire against us and lay complaints down against us? 2. Why would Paul appeal to stand before Caesar? What possible benefits could outweigh the risks involved in that? 3. One significant proof of the resurrection of Christ is the conversion, faith and preaching of Paul. Why are Paul’s before and after pictures strong…

1. Why do you think Paul explained where he had come from in his life as a Jew and what he had previously done to Christians? 2. When Jesus appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus, what plans did the Lord tell Paul that He had for him? 3. “Almost” is such a devastating word when it comes to Christianity. How…

1. Why do you suppose that the centurion was “more persuaded” by the advice of “the majority” than of Paul? How should we measure whose advice we follow today? 2. In order to convey his utter trust and dependence on God to these sailors, what three verbs did Paul use after the personal pronoun “I” in verses 23-25? 3. Just as physical…

1. While the Christian Way, which the Jews called a “sect,” was “spoken against everywhere,” was Paul embarrassed or did he back down? What can we learn from that? 2. Although Paul had been arrested, beaten, imprisoned and now could have his life taken for preaching about Jesus and his kingdom, what did he continue to preach while in prison? 3. Why…