Read through the chapter several times (if you haven't already, and I hope you have). Jot down points of interest, and peculiarity. Make notes and questions. Look especially at things Luke mentions but does not explain, but still try to put yourself in the activity, observing.
Once you've been through a few times, go through again using the questions below:
- What is Paul being continually warned about? What sort of literary device might Luke be using here?
- With whom do they stay in Caesarea? Remember him? What note about Philip does Luke include which is somewhat surprising/different?
- Where does the prophet come from? What does he do with Paul's belt? What does he say about this, who told him to say this?
- What does everyone do when they hear the prophecy? What does Paul do?
- What was already arranged before they arrived? In fact who goes with them to Jerusalem?
- What is the comment about their reception in Jerusalem? Hang on to that for a sec.
- With whom does Paul and his company meet the next day? Who is present?
- What does Paul relate to this "august" group?
- Look carefully at the response of the Jerusalem elders. Look at what they say to Paul in a few translations. Where are these "thousands of Jews who have believed..." located, or at least now?
- What do you gather about the elders view of these Jewish believers? For whom are they a problem? What problem are the elders trying to solve?
- Considering this view, where these Jewish believers not from, or at least likely not from?
- What have these Jewish believers been told about Paul? Who would have told them? Again, where would this most likely have happened (considering the reception the elders gave Paul)?
- Think about the elders' solution, where had we heard of this before concerning Paul? (hint: Luke noted it in passing in a normal narrative, oh and Paul was in "Europe")
- What will this prove? If this is such good proof, then what does that mean for Paul's previous experience with it? So what is Paul's personal view/practice concerning the Law of Moses?
- What do you think of the repetition of their decree concerning the Gentile believers? Why here?
- How long does Paul wait to follow their advice? What does it tell you that he does follow their advice?
- How long is he in this process? So for these days what could be surmised about his view of the Law of Moses by any observer? Why then did these people miss what was supposed to be obvious?
- What do they claim Paul did (on top of everything else they claimed)? And why would they claim such a thing?
- If Paul was with a Gentile in town during the week, how "pure" would he have been after the week? How would the people know someone in town was a "Gentile" anyway?
- Where do think these Jews are from? So, did Paul make it for Pentecost?
- How did the city respond? How did the "city" know?
- As the mob gets going, who reacts? Who does he bring with him? Who is he anyway?
- How does the crowd respond to his arrival?
- What does this Roman commander do when he arrives at the mob center?
- What does the mob's information tell you about them?
- If they don't know why they are beating someone, why beat him?
- Where is Paul taken? How is he taken?
- What does Paul tell the commander before he enters the barracks? What does he want to do?
- If he was being beaten by a crowd, why is he so "cognizant" now? What does that tell you about Paul, or about the beating?
- Who did the commander think Paul was? What seems odd about that? Who are these "assassins"? (look them up)
- How does Paul quiet the crowd? What does that tell you about the crowd and where Paul is?
See you there!
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