Acts (19)

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Luke 24.27

The video for lesson 19 is the same as for lesson 17. You can view it by clicking here (scroll down to Lesson 17).

Read and meditate on Acts 22.17-22.
Amazingly enough, as we’ve seen, the people actually became quiet and listened to Paul – as much, I suspect, out of fear of the Romans as of interest in what Paul had to say. Apparently, they had no quarrel or quibble with Paul’s story – how he’d seen the Lord, been baptized, began speaking the Good News. Nothing too offensive here just yet. But hold on.

For reflection
1.  It was the mention of the “Gentiles” that sparked the next round of hubbub. Most of the Jews simply put up with the Romans. Many hated them. Pretty risky here to go ballistic at the mention of “Gentiles” when all around the courtyard Gentiles armed to the teeth are watching your every move. What are some topics that can cause people to flare up at us for our faith in Christ? Why?

2.  These days it’s the word “fundamentalists,” or even “Christians,” that drops the curtain down in many thinking people’s minds and turns on the tap of irrational passion. Passion wrongly focused and whipped up to a fever pitch doesn’t stop to think about what it does. It simply does it. Or if it does think, whatever it chooses to do against its hated opponent makes perfectly good sense – to those who are passionate, at any rate. How have you experienced this? How might you expect to experience it? Just like Paul and Jesus, eh?

3.  Paul seems almost to have been explaining to the Lord why the Jews wouldn’t believe his testimony (vv. 19, 20). After all, he himself had persecuted those who confessed His Name. Why should anyone believe he was now one of them? Is there anything in your life that might prevent people from believing your testimony about Jesus and His life-changing grace and power?

4.  But Jesus had other plans for Paul, and his rejection at Jerusalem in Acts 9 was simply part of his preparation for the larger ministry for which Christ was calling and preparing him. Paul didn’t preach the Gospel because those to whom he was talking were reasonable, or ready, or whatever else we say people should be before we’ll venture to share our testimony with them. He preached to them because they were people. And they were lost. How can we grow in love for the lost people to whom God sends us each day?

5.  Would you say that you have a strategy for sharing the Gospel with the people in your life sphere? If you were to develop such a strategy, where would prayer fit? What would a typical day look like as you were working your strategy?

Summary
We can’t keep people from being offended by the Gospel. But we can try to keep them from being offended at us. This is an important part of what’s involved in being a witness for the Lord (Acts 1.8). How can you see that Paul tried hard not to give offense?

Closing Prayer
O God, do not be far from me;
O my God, make haste to help me!
Let them be confounded and consumed
Who are adversaries of my life;
Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor
Who seek my hurt.
But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.

Psalm 71.12-16

T. M. Moore

Each week’s studies in Acts are bound together into a free PDF that you can download for personal or group use (click here). Each week also features a video related to the studies of the week, which you may find helpful as you work through our studies in Acts.

Acts is the record of Christ’s ongoing work as King and Lord. This is the work of bringing the Kingdom of God to earth as it is in heaven. Read more about the implications of this work in our new book, The Kingdom Turn (click here).

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