Unhindered by Hindrances

This is the study page for the Thursday Night Small Group meeting May 2 to study Acts 28.  This is the final chapter of Acts, and the chapter where we finally assess the point of Luke's writing.  Hopefully we will see more clearly for what reason Luke writes to, and perhaps what role Theophilus plays.  But we may not.

Read the chapter through several times.  Consider things that are explained, but look for things that aren't.  Consider why Luke selected the things he did for explanation.  What things about Paul do you discover in this chapter that you may not have considered previously?  Jot down observations and thoughts that come to you as you read.  Since this is so late, I hope you've already been doing this.

After several times through read through again with these questions in mind:

• Look at a map (like the one below).  How far is Malta from anything else?
• Why might you expect them to find a jewel encrusted gold bird?  Perhaps painted black... Maybe a fluffy white dog?
• What do you think is meant by "natives"?  Like aborigines?
• How are the castaways treated?
• What is Paul doing in the midst of the Islanders hospitality?  Why?
• What did the Islanders think when Paul was bitten?  Why think that?
• In verse 6, Luke uses a technical medical term. Can you guess which word?
• Look up "swell up" in the Strong's Concordance.  Is this the best translation of the word? Be sure to check out Thayer's Lexicon entry.  Buried in it is a better explanation.
• When the expected doesn't happen, what do the Islanders decide?
• What can you deduce from the name of the "leading man of the island"?  How "aboriginal" are these Islanders?
• What does Paul do for Publius' father?
• Now what do the Islanders do?
• How long were the castaways on Malta?
• What was the other Alexandrian ship doing there?  So how "remote" is this place?
• Where did they go next? (New York State? Really?)
• What two stops do they make on the way to Rome? What sort of "cities" do they sound like?
• Who comes to meet Paul along the way to Rome?
• What was Paul's living conditions like in Rome?  Why would that be?
• Why would Paul call the Jews together rather than go to the synagogue? Now how nice are his conditions?
• What do the Jews say about him after he tells them why he's there?  Why is that odd?
• Why are the Jews interested in hearing him?  Why is that odd?
• What does Paul use to support his testimony about Jesus being the Messiah?
• How long does he "testify"?
• What happens among those listening?
• Read Isaiah 6 (it's not that long).  How does Paul's citation from that chapter fit these people?  What ironies do you see in his use of this passage?
• Who does Paul say salvation will go to?  And what does he say they will do?
• How long was Paul in Rome?
• What is he doing during that time?
• The final word is "unhindered" (NASB) or "without hindrance".  Why would that be a significant way to end Acts?

That should be plenty for now. See you all Thursday (tomorrow)!

Struck Down, But Not Destroyed

This is the study page for the Thursday Night Group meeting on March 21 to study Acts 21.  This is a very busy chapter with a "cliff-hanger" ending.  The ending is so abrupt it provides a good example of how arbitrary these chapter breaks can be.

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?

That should be plenty for this Thursday.  There's a lot of detail that Luke seems to have left out, but we will try to fill in some blanks, and see if we can complete a better backdrop to this events.  We also learn some things about Paul that were either assumed or hinted at in previous passages of Acts.  Bring your questions and notes to the meeting.

See you there!