Exam #2 : Acts

Question 1

1. How is Acts related to Luke?

Answer 1

It’s a sequel to Luke’s Gospel

Question 2

Who wrote Acts? How do we know?

Answer 2

Luke, we know because he writes several sections of Acts in first person

Question 3

What do we know about the author of Acts?

Answer 3

Luke is a physician, Gentile, missionary companion of Paul, good writer, and a historian.

Question 4

2. When was Acts written?

Answer 4

early 60’s AD

Question 5

What evidence do we have for that approximate date?

Answer 5

Acts ends with Paul preaching “unhindered” in Rome, not persecuted.
Nero’s terrible persecution in Rome began in 64 A.D.
Therefore, Luke ends Acts before 64 A.D.
The events in the book cover about three decades, from the 30’s to the 60’s A.D.

Question 6

3. What are the three major sections of Acts ?

Answer 6

The Church Begins in Jerusalem (Acts 1:1 to 6:7).
The Church Expands through Judea and Samaria (Acts 6:7 to 9:31).
The Church Expands through the World (Acts 9:32 to 28:31).

Question 7

What verse in Acts serves as an outline for the book?

Answer 7

Acts 1:8
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Question 8

What other structural markers indicate the divisions in the book?

Answer 8

Seven summary statements through the book end each section of the book.
(Acts 2:42-47; 6:7; 9:31; 12:24; 16:5; 19:20; 28:30-31).

Question 9

4. What is the purpose of Acts?

Answer 9

To explain the beginning and expansion of the church from Jerusalem to Rome.

Question 10

How does God’s sovereignty play a role in the purpose of the book?

Answer 10

Luke is showing that his sovereignty is causing the spread of the church. Nothing can stop it.

Question 11

5. What two important sub-purposes for Acts did the professor identify?

Answer 11

1. Luke seeks to prove Paul’s volatility as an apostle.
2. Luke also wishes to demonstrate that Christianity is not a political threat to Rome. The church is law-abiding. When trouble comes, it is started by the Jews or by Gentiles who have ulterior motives.

Question 12

6. What is the Greek term for “church,” and what does it mean literally?

Answer 12

Church: from ekklesia, meaning “gathering” or “assembly.” Theologically it depicts the group that is now Christians, trusting in Jesus for eternal life.

Question 13

7. What are the two senses in which the church is described in the NT: universal and local?

Answer 13

1. The universal church: the one group of all Christians for all time.
2. Local churches: the thousands of groups of Christians meeting

Question 14

8. How does Acts 1 relate to Luke 24?

Answer 14

Overlaps with Jesus’ final words before his ascension.

Question 15

9. What are the apostles expecting in Acts 1, when they ask Jesus if He will now restore the Kingdom to Israel? How does Jesus respond?

Answer 15

They expect that Jesus will NOW establish David’s throne over Israel and rule. (Acts 1:6)

Jesus responds: No, the kingdom will spread to the world through your work (Acts 1:6-8). We are still waiting 2000 years later.

Question 16

10. How does Luke describe the baptism of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:1-4?

Answer 16

When the Spirit comes, Luke describes a sound like a violent wind (Acts 2:2), tongues of fire on each one (Acts 2:3), and they were all filled with the Spirit (Acts 2:4), speaking in tongues/languages (glossa) as the Spirit gave them the ability

Question 17

What are three results of the baptism of the Spirit in Acts 2?

Answer 17

1. The multitude from different ethnic groups all hear the mighty acts of God in their own languages. (2:11)
2. Peter proclaims the Gospel message boldly, indicating that this event is part of the “last days” of Joel 2:14-21.
3. The crowd is convicted, and 3000 believe in Christ (Acts 2:37-41).

Question 18

11. What are the ways that Luke describes the church’s life at the close of Acts 2?

Answer 18

the church is devoted to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the Lord’s Table, and to prayer. They are united in joy, encouraged through many miracles, and many come to Christ each day (Acts 2:42-47).

Question 19

12. How do pentecostals, charismatics, the Vineyard, and the Father’s Blessing traditions understand the baptism of the Spirit applying today?

What is the opposing view of the Spirit’s baptism for today?

Is the baptism of the spirit happening today?

Answer 19

For:
Yes, Empowering Christians for living, witness, exercising their gifts properly. Many dramatic manifestations may come with this.
Opposed:
No, this event in Acts is unique to star the church, The spirits power is available all the time, there is no need to wait and seek it. Any claimed manifestations must be evaluated carefully.

Question 20

13. Describe the three stages of the church’s early life and the initial resistance that it faced, recorded in Acts 3:1 to 6:7.

Answer 20

1. Peter preaches and performs signs. (3:11-16)
2. Jewish leaders threatened the apostles. (4:1-4, 12-18)
3. The church is strengthened. (4:29-35, 5:1-11)

Question 21

14. Why is the second major section of Acts (6:8 to 9:31) a “transitional” section?

Answer 21

After recording the beginning of the Church in Jerusalem (Acts 1:1 to 6:7), the spread of the gospel to Jews is slowing, while the gospel now expands rapidly among Samaritans and Gentiles (Acts 6:8 to 9:31).

Question 22

15. What three people stand out in the second major section of Acts? How does the story of each develop the transition of the section?

Answer 22

1. Stephen, the gospel starts to slow to the Jews.
2. Phillip, the gospel reaches the Samaritans
3. Saul, the gospel messenger to the Generals is prepared

Question 23

16. Why is Saul converted, according to God’s words to Ananias in Acts 9?

Answer 23

Saul/Paul has authority from the chief priests to bind all who follow Christ. (Acts 9:13-15)

Question 24

17. What are the four sub-sections to the third major section of Acts (9:32 to 28:31)? Be able to think your way through a map showing the spread of the gospel from Palestine to Rome in these four stages.

Answer 24

Antioch, Syria (Acts 9:32 to 12:24).

Asia Minor (Acts 12:25 to 16:5).

Europe (Acts 16:6 to 19:20).

Rome (Acts 19:21 to 28:31).

Question 25

18. In the third major section of Acts, how does the focus of Acts shift from the previous sections (two ways)?

Answer 25

The church is multiplying and thriving.

Question 26

19. When Peter speaks to Cornelius and the Gentiles in Acts 10, what is the result? What change in the makeup of the church does it bring?

Answer 26

Peter steps to center stage one last time in Acts. He leads the Gentile seeker Cornelius and his household to faith in Christ (Acts 10-11). The Gentiles now receive the Holy Spirit without becoming Jews (Acts 10:39-48)!

Question 27

20. How does Luke describe the growth of the church at Antioch, Syria, in Acts 11? What does Barnabus do at Antioch that changes the growth of the church in Acts?

Answer 27

In the next days of ministry at Antioch, both Jews and Gentiles come to faith in great numbers, and Barnabus retrieves Saul from Tarsus for the ministry at Antioch (Acts 11:19-26).

Question 28

21. When Paul and Barnabus go on their missions trip in Acts 13-14, what is the pattern of events in most towns that they visit?

Answer 28

1. Paul preaches to the Jews and performs signs. 2. The gentiles believe in Jesus in great #s. 3. The Jews persecute Paul, driving him out of town.

Question 29

22. How do some Jewish believers in Acts 15:1,5 respond to the Gentiles’ faith in Christ?

Answer 29

Must the Gentiles become Jews to be saved? Debate begins.

Question 30

23. Why is the Jerusalem Council called in Acts 15? What is the result? What two decisive events at the Council lead to those results?

Answer 30

Debate regarding the issues with being saved but not being a Jew Decisive Events: 1. Peter declares salvation by graces, not the law. (15:7-11) 2. Paul and Barnabas testify to the Gentiles faith. (15:30) Result: The Jerusalem council decides to encourage the Gentiles. They do not require the Gentiles to keep the Law (Acts 15:20). The Gentiles receive the message with joy (Acts 15:30).

Question 31

How do the Gentile believers at Antioch respond to the Council’s results?

Answer 31

With Joy (15:30)

Question 32

24. Why do Barnabus and Paul separate before their second missions trip? Who comes along with Paul on the second missions trip (two people mentioned in class)?

Answer 32

Paul now departs on another missions trip with Silas, after a disagreement with Barnabus about taking along John Mark (Acts 15:36-41). Paul proceeds to Asia Minor, picking up Timothy on the way (Acts 16:1).

Question 33

25. In the third mini-section of the last major section of Acts (16:6-19:20), where do Paul and Silas intend to go to minister? Where does the Holy Spirit lead them? Be able to locate on a map the general region and cities that Paul visited on this second missions trip in Acts 16-19.

Answer 33

1. Asian Minor | 2. Europe (HS)

Question 34

26. Describe the sequence of events in Philippi that Paul and Silas experienced.

Answer 34

7. 52 Arriving at Philippi, Paul speaks and Lydia and others put their faith in the gospel. But his exorcism of a slave-girl (Acts 16:16-19) land him in jail, after a beating (Acts 16:22-24). 7. 53 Paul and Silas are undeterred, singing in chains (Acts 16:25), until an earthquake frees them. They refuse to escape, however, leading to the jailer’s conversion (Acts 16:27-31). 7. 54 From Philippi, they move on to Thessalonica and Berea, with the same pattern as before. Many believe (Acts 17:4, 12), but the Jews run him out of town (Acts 17:5, 13). N.B. The Bereans’ reception of Paul’s teaching (Acts 17:11). 7. 55 Paul speaks with little results to philosophers in Athens (Acts 17:16-34). 7. 56 Paul moves on to Cornith, staying with Pricilla and Aquila . He makes tents while proclaiming the gospel (Acts 18:1-4). Under God’s assurance (Acts 18:9-10), Paul stays 18 months for ministry until returning to Antioch, ending his second missions trip (Acts 18:22).

Question 35

27. What ministry pattern resurfaces as Paul moves through Thessalonica and Berea?

Answer 35

Tent making

Question 36

28. How does Luke describe the “noble-minded” Bereans in Acts 17:11?

Answer 36

"Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so."

Question 37

29. In Acts 18, what do we learn about Apollos? What does Aquila and Priscilla do for him?

Answer 37

Apollos comes to Corinth (Acts 18:24), and is an eloquent preacher, whose message is modified to include Jesus by Aquila and Priscilla (Acts 18:26).

Question 38

30. In Acts 19, what does Paul do for a group of disciples of John the Baptist?

Answer 38

Converts them

Question 39

31. How long does Paul minister in Ephesus? How would you describe that time? How does Luke contrast Paul’s power with the Jewish opposition’s power? What is the result?

Answer 39

Nearly 3 years (19:8-10) He also heals so powerfully that even his garments are effective to cure diseases (Acts 19:11-12). Luke contrasts Paul’s power with the Jewish oppositions power (Acts 19:13-16), so that the name of Jesus Christ (not Paul’s name) will be magnified (Acts 19:17). 7.5732 Those in the occult believe in Christ and they burn their objects of worship (Acts 19:18-19). God’s power rules in Ephesus.