Acts of the Apostles

Lesson 15 w/AnswersActs 18:1 - 20:38

In the last lesson, we discussed Paul’s patience in witnessing for Christ spending time reasoning with both the Jews and the Gentiles, and explaining to them why he knew for a certainty that Jesus was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament. He knew how to meet people where they lived, and on an intellectual plane equal to their own, with a logical and well-thought-out defense of his faith.

Bible

This week we will take a quick look at Paul’s Second and Third Missionary Trips and the beginning of his new mission to Rome. Throughout all of Paul’s visits we have observed how he invested himself in each place, first trying to show the Jews that Jesus was the promised Messiah, then when rejected by them, taking the gospel message to the Gentiles. This week will be no exception; his approach will be the same, but on his Second Missionary Journey he will meet people that we will come to know well through Paul’s other letters.

Read Acts Chapters 18:1 - 20:38 and answer the following:

  1. List the places that are mentioned in Paul’s second missionary trip (Acts 18:1-22) and the places mentioned in Paul’s third missionary trip (Acts 18:23-20:38).
    1. Second Missionary Trip:
      1. ANSWER 1: Corinth
      2. ANSWER 2: Syria
      3. ANSWER 3: Cenchrea
      4. ANSWER 4: Ephesus
      5. ANSWER 5: Caesarea
      6. ANSWER 6: "The Church" – Jerusalem
      7. ANSWER 7: Antioch
    2. Third Missionary Trip:
      1. ANSWER 1: Galatia
      2. ANSWER 2: Phrygia
      3. ANSWER 3: Ephesus
      4. ANSWER 4: Macedonia
      5. ANSWER 5: Philippi
      6. ANSWER 6: Troas
      7. ANSWER 7: Assos
      8. ANSWER 8: Mitylene
      9. ANSWER 9: Kios
      10. ANSWER 10: Samos
      11. ANSWER 11: Miletus
  2. In what province are these cities? (Acts 19:10)
    1. ANSWER: Asia
  3. Who does Paul meet in Corinth that becomes a part of his ministry? (Acts 18:1-3)
    1. ANSWER: Priscilla and Aquila
  4. What trade skills do Aquila and Priscilla have?
    1. ANSWER: The are tentmakers
  5. How does Paul support his ministry?
    1. ANSWER: He was a tentmaker
  6. Why did Paul consider this important? (Acts 20:33-35)
    1. ANSWER: He wanted to show that by his hard work he could help the weak, and that it was better to give than to receive.
  7. Where did Paul go in Corinth when the Jews rejected him? (Acts 18:7-8)
    1. ANSWER: Next door; today we would say he went next door to the Parsonage as he went to the home of the Synagogue ruler who lived next door. He and his family believed in the Lord and were saved.
  8. How long does Paul remain in Corinth? (Acts 18:11)
    1. ANSWER: A year and a half
  9. In Acts chapter 18 we are introduced to Apollos. How is he described in Acts 18:24-28?
    1. ANSWER 1: A learned man with a thorough knowledge of the scriptures
    2. ANSWER 2: Had been taught in the way of the Lord
    3. ANSWER 3: Spoke with great fervor
    4. ANSWER 4: Taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John
    5. ANSWER 5: He spoke boldly in the synagogue
    6. ANSWER 6: Vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
  10. With all the positive things stated about Apollos, what was wrong with his teaching? (Acts 19:1-4)
    1. ANSWER: He was only teaching up to repentance – stressing the need for confessing of sins and preparing the heart to receive Christ – and forgiveness of sins. John’s preaching was looking forward to the coming of Christ, as well as the forgiveness of sins.
  11. How long did Paul preach in the Asia Province during his third trip? (Acts 20:30-31)
    1. ANSWER: Three years
  12. How long did Paul minister in Ephesus? (Acts 19:9-10)
    1. ANSWER: Two years, or two years and three months, depending on how you read the verses.
  13. When Paul completed his third trip, did he expect to be coming back to the churches in that region? If not, why not? (see Acts 20:22-25)
    1. ANSWER: No. The Holy Spirit was telling him that ahead of him was prison and hardship, and he knew he would never be back. As such, he wanted to emphasize to the leadership at Ephesus the importance of protecting the Gospel and being wary of false teachers.

We see Paul concluding his third missionary vision with instructions to those that he had trained along the way. He warned them of the threats to the Gospel and their ministry that would arise once Paul left, and he encouraged them to continue working to spread the gospel.

Have a great week everyone!

Yours in Christ,

Wes

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