Sunday School Lessons: Acts 17

Lesson 21
Acts 17
Second Missionary Journey (con't): Thessalonica, Berea, Athens

Read vs. 1-3  Amphipolis was also called “Nine Ways" because the city and its walls were round.  It was a hub of an important Roman highway, with many roads meeting there.  The Roman Army used this road, as did all travelers and tradesmen.  Apollonia was another Roman town on the way to Thessalonica.  Thessalonica was a seaport because of three prominent rivers that joined the sea at that place.

Again we see Paul going first to the synagogue and he was there three Sabbath days.  When is the Jewish Sabbath?  So how long had the missionaries been there?

So for three Sabbaths, Paul had been there preaching.  What was his message?

He reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.”

He was preaching the Person and Work of Jesus Christ, specifically the necessity of His death and resurrection.  He uses the Old Testament Scriptures to tell them that Jesus is “the Christ.”  What does the phrase “the Christ” mean?  Why was this an important idea for the Jewish listeners?  Why is the message of the resurrection important to us?

Read vs. 4-5  Some of them believed.  Some of them did not. Some of them got angry and plotted against them and stirred up trouble.  We’ve seen this before.  But some of the Gentiles believed and some of the most important women, too,

Read vs. 6-9

6 And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 7 and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 8 And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. 9 And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

Apparently, the missionaries were staying at the house of Jason, like they had stayed at Lydia’s house in Philippi.  When the angry mob couldn’t lay hands Paul and the rest of the missionaries, they went after Jason.  What charge did they bring against Jason?  How does that relate to the sermon that Paul had preached regarding “the Christ?”

Read vs.10-12
10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 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. 12 Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.

Leaving Thessalonica, they traveled by night to Berea.  Paul went straight to the synagogue and preached to the Jews.  What do you think he preached about?  Why?  How did the people respond?  The people of Berea have given us an important example.  We must check what we have heard to see if it lines up with the Scripture.  It is hard to know where to look for information in the Bible if you don’t know it well.  False teachers could tell you anything and you wouldn’t know if it was true or false if you never read the Scriptures and took the time and effort to learn what is in them and where to find things.  This is why it is essential for every Christian to learn to read and study the Bible!

Read vs. 13-14. As we’ve seen before, when the Jews heard that Paul was preaching in Berea and people were believing the Gospel, they came to Berea to stir up trouble.  Immediately, the believers in Berea sent Paul on to Athens.  Silas and Timothy stayed behind.

Read vs. 15-16.  Athens was the most important cultural center of the world at that time.  Art, architecture, politics, philosophy, logic, education—all these topics were discussed and developed in Athens.  But it was also a city full of idols of all kinds.  While Paul waited for Silas and Timothy to join him, he had time to see the idolatry of the people of the city of Athens.

Read vs. 17-21
 

So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

Paul was there at the marketplace everyday, talking to everyone and anyone who was there!  He spoke with Epicurean and Stoic philosophers.  Epicureans believed that the way to control your body was to do whatever you wanted—satisfy yourself!  The Stoics believed the opposite.  They believed that one should have their bodies under control.  The Epicureans believed, “Eat, drink and be merry” while the Stoics denied themselves pleasure and lived meager lives.  Both groups came to listen and questioned him.  Paul preached the resurrected Christ.  Verse 21 helps us understand something about the Athenians.  They liked to talk about new ideas.   They were always discussing the next newest idea and went from one thing to another.

Read Paul’s sermon in vs.22-31:

22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for
“‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said,“‘For we are indeed his offspring.’  
29 Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

Beginning with the altar they had made to the unknown God, Paul begins to tell them about the God that they do not know.
What are some of the things he tells them?  Let’s look at it verse by verse and see what he is telling them. (make a list)
(Help them to recognize that Paul was declaring to them that God is the Creator, the Redeemer and will be the Judge of all.  He tells them that all would be judged by a man appointed by God and that God proved who that was by raising him from the dead! Again, we see the importance of the resurrection in Paul’s teaching and preaching.)
When they got to the matter of the resurrection of the dead, that’s when some mocked, but others wanted to hear more.

That is always the way it is when the Gospel is preached; some will believe, some will not.  Some will ask questions, some will mock and make fun.  Some will get angry.  But the Word will always accomplish what God has intended!

Next week we'll be worshipping with our sister church in Grayslake.  On May 11th we will continue with  Chapter 18.

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

Sunday School Lessons: Acts 16

Lesson 20
Acts 16
The Second Missionary Journey (Part One)
Paul and Silas return to Galatia to “confirm” the churches and to correct the error of the Judaizers in Galatia.  The letter to the Galatians deals with this error and confirms the doctrine of justification by faith; a person is saved by grace through faith.

In this chapter, the Gospel is taken to Macedonia (Europe) instead of Asia or China.

Read vs. 1 and 2

This is the first time we meet Timothy.  Timothy was a convert to Christianity from Paul’s first visit to Lystra.  His father was a Greek, but his mother was a Jew.  Timothy has a good reputation and he joins Paul and Silas.

Read vs. 3

We learned last week that circumcision does not save you, nor is it necessary to be circumcised.  Timothy was half Greek and half Jew.  Because of Timothy’s Jewish roots, Paul did not want this to become an issue or reason for offense among the Jews, so Timothy was circumcised.  When Paul took Titus, a Gentile, to Jerusalem, Paul did not have him circumcised, but in this case, because of Timothy’s Jewish roots and in order to avoid unnecessary arguments, Timothy was circumcised.

Read 1 Corinthians 9:19-20 In this, Paul did not compromise the Gospel, but he avoided arguments and disputes about Timothy’s ministry.

Read vs. 4-5

They revisit the churches, reminding them of the apostles’ decrees and establishing them in doctrine, in the faith, and increasing their numbers.

6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. 8 So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

The Holy Spirit forbade them to take the Gospel south into Asia.  The people that lived in Asia (Ephesus was the chief city; a heavily populated area and an important cultural, commercial, political, and educational area).  They had come from the east and were forbidden to go to the south, so he went west to Troas.  In Troas, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia, praying and asking for them to come and help them. 

10 And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Notice what vs. 10 says:  immediately they went to preach the Gospel in Macedonia.  They were certain that God was sending them.  The Spirit was leading them into Europe!

Notice, too, the word “we.”  Who is “we?”  Do you remember who wrote the book of Acts?  It was Luke.  So now the missionaries include Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke.

11 So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days.

They journeyed from Troas to Philippi.  Philippi was the center of the region, a Roman colony and political center.  The people of Philippi had Roman customs and spoke Latin.  It was a very influential area and a strategic place to establish the Gospel in Europe.  Paul developed a very close relationship with the church in Philippi and it became a great encouragement to him.

13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

What was Paul’s usual custom when arriving at a new location to preach the Gospel?  It was the Sabbath, but there is no mention of them going first to the synagogue.  Perhaps there wasn’t an established group of Jews in Philippi.  Notice, too, that they did not meet with men, but with women!  This is very different from Paul’s usual method, but remember, the Holy Spirit is the one who is directing their ministry and in Philippi, they meet with some women.  They “sat down and spoke to the women.” What do you think they spoke to them about?  It is clear that they were speaking to them about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, because the Lord opened Lydia’s heart and she believed and was baptized along with her household, who also believed.  They went and stayed with her.

16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 18 And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.

This slave girl possessed of a spirit of divination, which is forbidden by God.  She earned money for her owners.  The people of the area would know this girl and her owners.  They would have seen her make predictions and foretell things for money.  She, and her owners had a reputation for divination.  Even though what she was saying was true, she was disrupting Paul and the others and probably damaged their work by her association with them.  Paul knew that she was possessed of a demon.  He cast out the demon.  

Read vs.17-24

The slave girls owners were angry that she would no longer earn them money as before so they took Paul and Silas before the Roman magistrates.  They didn’t say, “Hey, these guys are making us lose a lot of money!”  Instead, they appealed to the Roman customs and said that they were going against the Roman ways.  The mob rose up against them and they were beaten, whipped, imprisoned and put into stocks.

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened.

Paul and Silas were praying and singing.  Notice, the prisoners were listening to them.  The earthquake opened the doors and the chains fell off all the prisoners.

Read vs. 27-30.

When the jailer saw that the prison doors were open he knew that he would be held responsible, so he drew his sword to kill himself.  Paul cries out and stops him, telling him that all the prisoners were still there.  Trembling he went into Paul and Silas and asked them, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

How must he be saved?  What about his household?  Could they be saved because of what HE believed?  No, but if they, too, believed on Jesus, they could be saved in the same way!

The jailer took them home to his house, and washed their wounds.  Paul and Silas told them the word of the Lord and they believed and were baptized.  They shared a meal at the jailer’s house and they rejoiced together.

35 But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” 36 And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.” 37 But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.” 38 The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. 39 So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. 40 So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.

In the morning, the magistrates released the prisoners and told them to leave.  But they had been beaten and imprisoned unlawfully as Roman citizens and would not leave until they had received an apology.  The magistrates were afraid since they were Roman citizens and so apologized and asked them to leave the city.

Before they did so, they visited Lydia and encouraged those who were there.  Perhaps Timothy and Luke were with Lydia at her house.

Next week, we will continue the second missionary journey to Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens)  Please read chapter 17 before next Sunday.

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

Sunday School Lessons: Acts 15

Lesson 19
Acts 15
The First Church Council (at Jerusalem)

In the beginning of the Church era, what kind of people first made up the church?
As the Gospel went out according to Acts 1:18, who was added to the church?
What kinds of problems did this create? (Discuss the problems from the Jewish point of view as well and the Gentile point of view)

Acts 15 is the account of the first time that there was a general, wide reaching theological or doctrinal question or dispute that affected the teaching of the Gospel in the church.  The issue is brought to the Apostles in Jerusalem.

The Issue

Acts 15:1But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

In the historic Jewish religion, a male child was circumcised on the 8th day as a symbol of his inclusion with the Covenant people.  This was an essential part of the Law of Moses.  The problem with what the men from Judea were teaching was that they made being circumcised an essential part of salvation.  They were teaching that no one could be saved apart from circumcision.

Read Acts 15:2  When these men came to Antioch and started teaching this doctrine, Paul and Barnabas disputed with them.  In order to settle the matter, the church at Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem to talk to the Apostles and elders.  This was an important event in the life of the early church because the Gospel was at stake.

3 So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. 5 But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”

When Paul and Barnabas got to Jerusalem they gave a report of what was happening in Galatia among the Gentiles, just like they had when they returned to Antioch.  As they told of the conversion of the Gentiles and their faith in Christ for salvation, the Pharisees declared that the Gentiles must be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses.

These men were not disputing the facts of the Gospel (Christ’s life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension) but they were disputing the meaning or the interpretation of those facts.  What is the Gospel?  How does the Gospel save you?  What did Christ do on the Cross?  Do you still need to bring sacrifices?  Do you still have to observe the Law?  These are the questions that needed to be clarified.

6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter.

The Discussion

7 And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. 10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

Peter reminds the assembly that God had used him to first bring the Gospel to the Gentiles. (Review Cornelius, Acts 10)  By doing this, he is also reminding them that this issue had been dealt with at that time.  

Read vs. 8-9. What is Peter reminding them about the salvation of the Gentiles?

Read vs. 10-11 Peter makes an amazing point here.  By this he is telling them that no one is ever saved by the Law!  Even they, themselves, as Jews have never been able to keep the Law, nor had their Fathers (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, etc.) Only one Person ever kept the Law and that was Jesus.  Both the Jews and the Gentiles will be saved the same way—through faith in Jesus Christ—His perfect, obedient life; His death and resurrection.

Read vs. 12-13 Everyone then listened to Paul and Barnabas as they told about what God had done among the Gentiles.  Then James, the brother of Jesus, who was a leader of the church in Jerusalem, stood up and spoke next.

The Decision

Read vs. 13-20

13 After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,
16 “‘After this I will return,
and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen;
I will rebuild its ruins,
and I will restore it,
17 that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,
says the Lord, who makes these things 18 known from of old.’
19 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood.

James reminds them that God, by saving the Gentiles, is calling out a people for Himself.  He quotes Amos and then announces his judgment that the Gentiles should not be “troubled” by the addition of the Law and circumcision, but that they should, out of courtesy to the Jews, abstain from these four things:  eating meat sacrificed to idols, from immorality (immorality was a part of the worship of the pagan Gentiles) and from eating meat that had been strangled or had not been drained of blood.  These were not a matter of salvation, but of courtesy.

The Decision Goes Out

Read vs. 22-29

Paul and Barnabas are sent back to the church in Antioch along with two other men, Silas and Judas Barsabas, along with letters from the Apostles and Elders of the church in Jerusalem.  They sent the letters and the other two men along with Paul and Barnabas to confirm the message they were bringing.

Read vs. 30-35 The communications from Jerusalem were received with joy.  Paul, Barnabas and Silas remained in Antioch, preaching and teaching.

The Second Missionary Journey introduced

And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” 37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. 38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39 And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

After a while, Paul thought it was time to go and visit the churches they had established and see how they were doing.  Barnabas wanted to take John Mark, but Paul did not.  They disagreed over this, so they parted.  Barnabas and John Mark went to Cyprus, (Barnabas’ home area and Silas accompanied Paul.  Barnabas is no longer mentioned in Acts and we will follow Paul’s second missionary journey.  God used both of these men, even though they did not agree.  They were able to disagree in a way that did not harm their ministry.  It’s alright to disagree.  Later, Paul would greatly desire to have Mark come to him.

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