Bible Discussion — Acts 11-12

September 24, 2008, 12:00 pm; posted by
Filed under Bible, Connie, David, Josh J, Steve  | 1 Comment

This week, Bweinh.com tackles the next two chapters of Acts.

PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS:
Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50
Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40
Romans: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 (I)
Ch. 8 (II) | Ch. 9 | Ch. 10 | Ch. 11 | Ch. 12 | Ch. 13 | Ch. 14 | Ch. 15-16
Luke: 1:1-38 | 1:39-2:40 | 2:41-3:38 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10
11 | 12 | 13 | 14-15 | 16-17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24
Esther: 1-2 | 3-5 | 6-8 | 9-10
Acts: 1 | 2 | 3-4 | 5 | 6-7 | 8 | 9-10

 
INTRODUCTION:
David:
One important thing here is the evolution of church leadership. It changes from “the Apostles” or “the 11,” and becomes “the apostles and brethren,” drawing in the other mature church members. This group emerges as an entity and has no problem asking Peter to explain his actions in Joppa. Peter was not at all offended, and seemed perfectly willing to have his authority questioned. Some first Pope.

Connie:
The church continues to grow. Peter successfully defended his Gentile tour, and Barnabas and Saul continued theirs, but Herod thought it was time to put a stop to all this nonsense.

Who will win? Never bet against God’s House.

 
SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Connie:
God waited until the night before to save Peter from James’s fate: death. That’s what the guards got for letting him escape.

And Peter was so confident in whatever the next day held for him that he was sound asleep. The angel practically had to dress him verbally: “Tie your belt, lace your shoes. Come on, get your coat, for Pete’s sake!” Peter didn’t fully wake up until he was in the streets and the angel was gone; now that’s the peace that passes understanding.

David:
The last verse of chapter 12 tells us that Paul was in Jerusalem during the murder of James and the imprisonment of Peter.

Steve:
It must have been Peter’s “angel” at the door? What was that supposed to mean?

 
BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Connie: Four Squads
Steve: Blastus
Josh: Herod and the Worms

 
STORY IT REMINDS YOU OF:
Connie:
Peter’s rescue by the angel reminds me of The Soldier’s Song, where they got a huge guy dressed in silver with reflective pieces of glass on his huge shield — in a dark theater under the brightest spotlight you’ve ever seen — to come out and move the stone from Jesus’ tomb. But the light this angel emitted seemed to knock the guards out, not scare them away.

Josh:
The apostles apparently have their share of “Get Out of Jail Free” cards.

David:
When I first joined Faith Fellowship in Watertown and became part of the jail ministry, some inmates accused us of smuggling drugs to get us kicked out. It worked, and being the young, unknown guy, all eyes were on me. I was so ashamed I couldn\’t go into the sanctuary for church that next Sunday; instead, I sat on the stairs in the back hall, listening to the service through an open door.

I didn\’t escape fast enough when the service ended, though, and Mike Bartholomew found me scurrying through the crowd, threw his arm around me, and proclaimed, “It\’s a filthy lie from the enemy!” Amazing how one man believing in me made all the difference. I always remember that story when I read about Saul\’s rejection by the church, and how Barnabas found him and brought him back to Antioch.

 
WHERE IS JESUS IN THIS PASSAGE?:
Connie:
He is our Salvation.

 
DEEP THEOLOGICAL MEANING:
Steve:
When Peter was called before the church to defend his relationship with Gentiles (which was attacked in language strikingly similar to Pharisaical complaints about Jesus), he didn’t bother to give a full explanation of the brotherhood of mankind or universal depravity — because that’s not how God convinced him to begin with. He just told them the story and its results: the Spirit falling on the Gentiles in the same way it had the Jews. “Who was I to think that I could oppose God?”

Apologetics are wonderful and necessary, but sometimes the most effective tool is a simple testimony and its undeniable results.

 
RANDOM THOUGHT:
Connie:
Oswald Chambers says, “Christianity is indeed a space-time faith that confesses that its Lord can and will act in history on behalf of His saints.” That’s a time-space theory I can finally get my head around.

Josh:
The girl who heard Peter at the door and got so excited that she neglected to let him in has got to be one of the funniest things I\’ve ever read in Scripture.

 
VERSE TO REMEMBER:
Josh:
11:18 — “When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, ‘Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.’ ”

Steve:
11:17 — “If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?”

Connie:
12:24 — “But the word of God grew and multiplied.”

 
PORTION YOU’D MOST LIKE EXPLAINED IN HEAVEN:
Josh:
Herod was fine killing James, arresting Peter with intent to do the same, and slaughtering his own guards, but when somebody called him a god and he didn\’t correct it, that\’s when his number was up?

 
LESSON TO TAKE AWAY:
David:
The church reviewed Peter\’s actions, and in 11:18, they acknowledged that God had extended salvation to the Gentiles. Two verses later, though, they were still “preaching the word to none but the Jews only.” It is hard for us to overcome our prejudices and reach for the people we have been taught to hate.

Josh:
We each bear responsibility for our part in shaping the world. The Jews did not arrest Peter themselves, but by giving their approval to the execution of James, they provided the incentive that helped make it happen. In our world today, many ungodly influences seem beyond our control and thus beyond our responsibility — but we are accountable for the ways we help encourage these things by the way we spend our money and the media we provide ratings for.

Connie:
For Herod and any other politician or world leader: do not mock God or take His glory. Herod was only four years into his rule when he was struck down by God for his arrogance.

 
CONCLUSION:
Steve:
Saul (soon to be Paul) sets off on the very first of his great missionary journeys. It’s not a stretch to say that his faithful work was responsible for my salvation and yours.


Comments

1 Comment to “Bible Discussion — Acts 11-12”

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