Acts of the Apostles
Lesson 3 w/answersActs Chapters 3-4
This week we continue our study in Acts by looking at chapters three and four. We saw last week how empowered the Apostles became, once the Holy Spirit came and dwelt within them; and the power of the Holy Spirit displayed as the Gospel was preached to Jews from all over the world.
We also noted the experiences of the Apostles and the converted Jews as a model for what we can experience as, led by the Holy Spirit, we share that very same Gospel message. It changes people’s lives, just as it has ours, and empowers all of us to do great things in God’s Kingdom if we’re willing to surrender to His sovereign will.
In this week’s study, we will see the Apostles in the early days of the church, continuing in prayer and ministry; and we will witness firsthand the awesome and miraculous power that God provided them. Additionally, we will also see that, given this power, they give God the glory and use each opportunity to continue to boldly proclaim the Gospel message.
For our study this week, read Acts Chapters 3 and 4 and answer the following:
- Many times in our time of prayer, or under times of great trouble, we will ask God for one thing, but He provides something entirely different. Read Acts 3:1-5. What did the crippled man ask the Apostles for, and why?
- ANSWER 1: He asked for money, because he begged for a living.
- ANSWER 2: More importantly, since the spiritual leaders, the Sadducees and Pharisees, did not believe in miracles, he had no hope of being healed, and did not even consider asking for it.
- Read Acts 3:6-10. The Apostles had very little resources they could not meet the man’s needs…or could they? What did God do through the Apostles that answered the beggar’s prayers?
- ANSWER: He provided a complete and unexpected healing.
- What was the beggar’s reaction?
- ANSWER: His reaction was on of joy and celebration. He could not resist telling others all about it, and wanted to stay close to the Apostles; he would not leave their side.
- Have you ever been like the beggar, having such a difficult time in your life that you had given up all hope and were simply trying to get through life one long day at a time? Did God come and deliver you from that life? If so, what was your reaction?
- ANSWER: Probably a lot like the beggar’s.
- What was the reaction of all those in the Temple area when they saw that the beggar had been miraculously healed?
- ANSWER: They came running, wanting to see the real miracle what had just occurred, because they all knew the beggar.
- Read Acts 3:11-13. Peter and John are now surrounded by the crowd. What does Peter do, and what power does he credit with the miracle?
- ANSWER: He uses the opportunity to demonstrate to the crowd that Jesus is the Messiah. He shares the Gospel message, and gives God all the glory for having healed the beggar.
- In verses Acts 3:13-15, Peter accuses those in the temple of having done four things, each starting with "You…". Can you identify what the four things are that he accused them of?
- ANSWER 1: They handed him to be killed.
- ANSWER 2: They disowned him before Pilate.
- ANSWER 3: They disowned the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer instead.
- ANSWER 4: They killed the author of life.
- What theme in the Apostles’ testimony do we see repeated here again in verse 15?
- ANSWER: That they were witnesses; that they actually saw Jesus and knew that he was, and is, the Messiah.
- What does Peter say healed the beggar?
- ANSWER: Peter asserts that the beggar’s faith in Jesus’ name healed him.
- In Acts 3:17, Peter acknowledges that he understands that their previous actions were in ignorance, i.e., that they did not know what they were doing. What does he tell them in verse 19? And how do these two verses apply to us, and to the people that we witness to today?
- ANSWER 1: Verse 19 admonishes us to repent. Once a person’s eyes are opened to the truth, they recognize that they have sinned, and are to repent and follow Christ.
- ANSWER 2: Similar to the indictment issued in verse 17, we were ignorant, and those that we witness to are as well. It is our responsibility to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us, as He did Peter, to reveal to people their ignorance and sin -- and the hope of salvation through Christ.
- In the remaining verses, Peter is referring to Jewish scripture -– our Old Testament -- to show them how God foretold these events and how Jesus fulfilled that prophecy. Can you find Jesus in the Old Testament? Find one reference and list it below.
- ANSWER 1: Psalm 118:22.
- ANSWER 2: Psalm 2:1-2.
- Acts Chapter 4 is a well-known account of some of the early persecution that Peter and the other Apostles faced, as they followed the leadership of the Holy Spirit and preached the Gospel. It picks up at the point in time when Peter is finished his testimony to the Jews in the Temple about Jesus and the beggar was healed. Read Acts 4 verses 1 and 2. Why were the authorities upset? Why was this so troubling to them?
- ANSWER: They did not believe in miracles, nor did they believe in the resurrection of the dead –- a miraculous event itself.
- With all of the turmoil and trouble at the Temple that day, and the arrest of Peter and John, was God’s plan of salvation for those people delayed or negatively impacted by the actions of the authorities?
- ANSWER: No; in fact 5,000 people believed that day.
- At the trial of Peter and John, what is the question that the High Priest asks, and what is Peter’s answer? (See Acts 4:7.)
- ANSWER 1: Peter is asked "By what authority or name did you do this?"
- ANSWER 2: Peter responds that the court is calling him to account for an act of kindness –- a kindness that was the result of Jesus, the man they crucified, but God raised from the dead.
- What did the court realize about Peter and John as a result of Peter’s response?
- ANSWER 1: The court realized that while Peter and John were unschooled and had no training, they still exhibited great knowledge of the scriptures; and they were bold in the presentation of their arguments.
- ANSWER 2: Secondly, they connected this to the fact that these men had also been with Jesus.
- What did the Apostles do after they were released from prison?
- ANSWER 1: They returned to their own people and told them what had happened.
- ANSWER 2: After that, they prayed, realizing God had been with them through all of it.
- What did the Apostles pray for? (See Acts 4:24-30.)
- ANSWER 1: They acknowledged that God was sovereign.
- ANSWER 2: They acknowledged that God created everything.
- ANSWER 3: They realized that God had spoken to them through David’s writings.
- ANSWER 4: They prayed that He would give them great boldness, and that he would heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the Holy Spirit.
- Did God answer their prayer? (See Acts 4:31.)
- ANSWER: Yes. After they prayed, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
- How did the Apostles and Disciples of Christ live in the days of the Day of Pentecost? (See Acts 4:32-37.)
- ANSWER: All things were "in common". They shared everything that they had, no one had a need that wasn’t met, and no one was esteemed higher than anyone else.
And so we see from this week’s lesson that God used the healing of one beggar to spread the Gospel -- and 5,000 souls were saved in a single afternoon. The Apostles continued to be bold in their proclamation of the Gospel and their condemnation of the Jews, who had rejected and crucified Christ.
We are also encouraged when we see the victory and the celebration that enters into the body of believers when they faithfully follow the Holy Spirit’s leading and boldly proclaim the word of God. What an example they set for us, praying for even more boldness in the face of so much adversity! Continuing to witness for Christ, and praying for miraculous signs from God that glorify His presence among them. They were quick to give God all the glory, quick to confront adversity, and quick to seize every opportunity to share the Gospel message. Oh that we could follow so boldly in their footsteps!
Yours in Christ,
Wes
[2016]