Sunday School Lessons: Acts 15

Lesson 18

The First Missionary Journey, continued

Acts 14

Read vs. 1-7
As we’ve noted in the past, they take the Gospel “to the Jew first.”  Both Jews and Gentiles believed.  That’s when the trouble began.  Unbelieving Jews stirred things up against them and “poisoned their minds against the brothers.  This didn’t bother Paul and Barnabbas.  They remained there for a long time, preaching and teaching and doing signs and miracles in the power of the Holy Spirit.  They were not afraid of troubles or persecution.  The city was divided.  Remember, this is a Gentile city.  Paul and Barnabbas are on one side and they are both Jewish believers.  The other side, stirring up trouble, are unbelieving Jews.  It was only when the city, along with the rulers joined forces to mistreat and stone them that they left town and headed for Lystra and Derbe.  Where ever they went, they preached the Gospel.  As during the time of persecution in Jerusalem, persecution usually causes the Gospel to spread into new areas.
Read vs. 6-18
They went to Lystra.  (see map) Paul and Barnabbas were able to do signs and miracles in the power of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes these are called the apostolic gifts?  Why do you think that is?  Why were the apostles able to perform miracles?
Read vs. 9.  Why did Paul heal the man?  Why was this miracle so amazing?
What was the reaction of the people when they saw what Paul had done?  Remember, these people were Gentiles, but more than that, they worshipped the Greek gods.  They tried to worship Paul and Barnabbas and even make sacrifices to them. Why did this upset Paul and Barnabbas so much?  
When they heard of it, they tore their clothes. Why?  How did they respond?
First, they told them that they were just men like themselves.  They wanted to turn their attention away from such false worship so that they would turn to the living God.  Even so, they could hardly prevent them from worshipping them and sacrificing to them. (Remember back in Chapter 9 when Peter had to warn Cornelius not to worship him, telling him that he was a man, just like himself)
Read vs.19-20
19 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. 20 But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.
Antioch is 100 miles from Lystra!  Unbelieving Jews from Antioch and Iconium came all that way to stir up trouble against Paul.  This time, they stoned Paul and carried him out of the city, supposing he was dead.  Some Bible commentators believe that Paul WAS dead but that God raised him from the dead.  They think this because of what Paul later wrote in 2 Corinthians 2:2-4.  We don’t know for sure, but we do know for sure that it was a miraculous thing that Paul was stoned and yet lived, and was able to get up and go back into the city (that had just thrown him out!) and that he was able to travel to Derbe the next day!
Read vs. 21-23

21 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. 23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

They went to Derbe and preached there.  They must’ve had more success there because they made many disciples.  Then they returned to Lystra and Iconium—both places where they had not had a good reception.  Why did they return?  What did they do while they were there?  Why was that important?
Read vs. 24-28 (follow their path on map)

24 Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia, 26 and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled. 27 And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they remained no little time with the disciples.

They returned to the church in Antioch to tell them all that God had done through them and especially that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.  They remained there for some time.
Remember that the church, at first, was made up of believing Jews, then it was taken to Jewish communities and to the synagogues some Gentiles believed.  Now the Gospel is going out into wholly Gentile areas.  This ends the first missionary journey.

We’ll meet again on April 9th.  Please read chapter 15 to prepare for our next class.

*These lessons are written for use with elementary aged students.  You can find lessons for previous chapters here.