October 16th - Acts, Con'td

ACTS INTRODUCTION- 1:1-11 The CommissionTHE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE  CHURCH- Pentecost- Chapter 2:37-40, The church is "born" 3,000 people added and baptized...THE EVENT in Acts- The church began with teaching, eating, fellowship and prayer- Healing (Chapter 3)----Acts 4:31"....filled with the Holy Spirit, ...spoke the word of God with boldness"..this pattern repeats throughout Acts...they PRAY, God ACTS, and they SPEAK about it boldly- Conflict with the Jews- Persecution and Scattering  (8:1)TRANSITION: JUDEA/SAMARIA - Acts 8:4-11:18- Philip (gets led by the Spirit to Ethiopia and baptizes believers even there)- Saul's Conversion (and calling/commission) (9:1-31) {Saul has been persecuting disciples and is chasing down Christians who have escaped Jerusalem....Jesus meets him on the road, strikes him blind and has Annanias meet him and proclaim his mission to him}- Peter's Vision (10:9) {then Peter goes and witnesses to Cornelius after being sent for by him...and he shares the same message again...we have seen Jesus risen, and recieved the Holy Spirit, and call everyone to do the same, in doing so the Gentiles receive the Holy Spirit}- The rest of the book of Acts (11:19-28:30), has to do with the expansion of the Church through the missionary journeys. FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY- Acts 13:1-14:28 (AD 40's)- Journey to Antioch (Paul and Barnabas are pastors in Antioch, the spirit calls {Ch.13:1-4}, and they are sent out - Synagogues- Pattern of success and rejection....Rejected by Jews, success with Gentiles- Galatian Churches- Perga, Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, DerbeTHE JERUSALEM COUNCIL- Acts 15 - AD49- It is being taught by some: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the law of Moses, you cannot be saved."- God accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them. - Paul and Barnabas disagree with the circumcision teachings, and cause dissension among the ranks....Peter finally stands up (15:7-11)- We should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. {turn from sexual immorality, and instead live in Love, by gracious towards Jews and others, circumcision not necessary, give up your idols}- The importance of the decision made here is huge, impacts the missions and church forever after....saved by grace, not works, by faith and Jesus, not circumcision, etc.- The book of Galatians is written in response to the question of how to deal with this situationSECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY- Acts 15:36-18:22 - AD 50-53 ish- Galatia- Macedonian Call-They are called by a Macedonian to come and share the gospel there.- Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth- 18 months in Corinth- 1 and 2nd Thessalonians-written from Corinth during this journeyTHIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY- Acts 18:23-21:16 - AD 54-57- Galatia- Three years in Ephesus- 1 and 2 Corinthians and Romans were most likely written from Ephesus during this trip- Greece- Took a collection for the church in Jerusalem while on this journey....this seems to be of importance as there is a fair amount of space dedicated to it.IMPRISONMENT OF PAUL- Acts 21:17-28:31- Arrested in Jerusalem, jailed in Caesarea for 2 years (AD 58)- Trials before Felix and Festus and Herod Agrippa II (uses each one as an opportunity to share the gospel)-  The appeal to Caesar and the trip to Rome - Two years in prison in Rome (Acts 28:16-31) AD 60-62- The Prison Epistles-Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon...written from prison in Rome.- The Pastoral Epistles - 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus

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