Studies in Acts—Lesson 13

Read Acts 22 – 25:1-13

Who said it – or might have said it? Where? When? Why?

Chapter 22

1. "Away with him ...” Verse 22. Who? All Jerusalem (21:31), the crowd (21:34), the people (21:39) who had been stirred up by the Jews from Asia (21:27) Where? This was in Jerusalem, on the steps of the barracks. When and Why? Paul told them the Lord had told him to preach to the Gentiles (vv. 21, 22)
2. “Is it lawful…to scourge…a Roman uncondemned…?” Verse 25. Who? Paul. Where? In the barracks. When? After the soldiers had tied up Paul and were about to flog him. Why? To use his Roman citizenship to prevent the flogging. Similar to what he had done in Acts 16. Note: Paul spoke Greek (21:37), was suspected to be an Egyptian (21:38), was a Jew from Tarsus (21:39), and was a Roman citizen. No wonder the tribune was curious about him!

Chapter 23

1. "Strike him on the mouth." Verse 23. Who? Ananias, the high priest. Where? In front of the Jewish council (Sanhedrin). When? The next day. Specifically, after Paul saId he had lived in all good conscience. Why? It’s not clear why. Because Ananias thought Paul was being disrespectful? He thought Paul was lying? Or simply because Ananias was a cruel man who hated Paul?
2. “We find nothing wrong with this man…” Verse 9. Who? The Pharisee scribes. Where? In front of the Council. When? After Paul stated that he preached about the resurrection. Why? Because in so stating, Paul caused dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, who did not believe in resurrection from the dead. The Pharisees defended Paul in order to strengthen their position against the Sadducees.
3. “Take courage…” Verse 11. Who? The Lord (Jesus). Where? In the barracks. When? During the night, after Paul had defended himself before the Council. Why? To encourage Paul to speak, to assure him he wouldn’t be harmed in Jerusalem, that the Lord was with him.
4. “We will neither eat nor drink.” Verses 12-14. Who? Jewish conspirators. Where? They conspired among themselves, then repeated their intention before the chief priests and elders. When? The next morning. Why? They hated Paul, and they wanted him dead. Note: This is what fear causes. The Jews who crucified Christ were also motivated by fear – and by envy.
5. “Do not listen to them….” Verse 21. Who? Paul’s nephew. Where? I’m supposing the office of the tribune (commander), whose name was Claudius Lysias (verse 26). When? After Paul’s nephew told him of the plot, and Paul instructed one of the centurions to take his nephew to the tribune with the message (verse 17). Why? In order to prevent Paul from being murdered.
6. “…when he learned that he was from Cilicia….” Verse 34. Who? Felix the governor (verse 26). Where? In Caesarea. When? The next day. Why? He read the letter from Claudius Lysias. Note: In the letter Claudius Lysias states that he rescued Paul after learning he was a Roman citizen, when in fact, it was after he had Paul in custody and was preparing to have him whipped – an indication that the tribune wanted to put himself in the best light possible.

Chapter 24

1. "We have found this man a real pest...." Verse 5. Who? Tertullus, the Jews’ attorney from Jerusalem. Where? In Caesarea, before Felix. When? Five days after Paul had been taken to Caesarea, after Felix summoned him to the hearing. Why? To explain why the Jews were concerned about Paul’s behavior. He was disturbing the peace.
2. “I cheerfully make my defense….” Verse 10. Who? Paul. Where? Before Felix, the governor. When? After Felix asked him to speak. Why? Because of his confidence in his innocence.
3. “…they found me in the temple purified, without any crowd or uproar….” Verse 18. Who? Paul. Where? Before Felix. When? During his defense. Why? He was presenting the true situation.
4. “Go away for the present.” Verse 25. Who? Felix, to Paul. Where? In Caesarea, with his Jewish wife Drusilla present. When? A few days after the first hearing. Why? Paul’s message of justice, self-control, and the coming judgment frightened Felix.
5. “Maybe I can collect a ransom.” Verse 26. Who? Felix. Where? Caesarea. When? When he was sending Paul back into custody for 2 years. Why? He hoped Paul would give him money to buy his release.

Chapter 25:1-13

1. "Bring him back to Jerusalem." Verse 3. Who? The chief priests and Jewish leaders. Where? In Jerusalem. When? Two years after Felix decided to keep Paul in custody. When Festus, the newly-appointed governor, came to Jerusalem, 3 days after arriving in the province. Why? Because they wanted to ambush and kill Paul along the way.
2. “You can make your accusations in Caesarea.” Verse 4. Who? Festus, to the Jews. Where? In Jerusalem. When? After Jewish leaders asked for Paul to be brought to Jerusalem from Caesarea. Why? Festus was going to be in Caesarea.
3. “Will you go to Jerusalem?” Verse 9. Who? Festus to Paul. Where? In Caesarea. When? Eight to ten days after Festus had been in Jerusalem, after the Jews had charged Paul again and Paul had again defended himself. Why? In order to do the Jews a favor. Note: Try as they might, these representatives of Rome couldn’t find anything to accuse Paul of according to the Roman law, to which they were bound. Still, they wanted to please their Jewish constituency, so they tried to squirm out of their responsibilities by delaying an official verdict or by handing that responsibility over to someone else. Echoes of Pontius Pilate!
4. “I do not refuse to die….” Verse 11. Who? Paul. Where? In Caesarea, before Festus. When? At this pre-trial hearing, in response to Festus’s question in verse 9. Why? To show he wasn’t trying to escape punishment, if that’s what he deserved. Note: I like the KJV rendering of this: “I refuse not to die,” meaning he would insist on judgment – if he was guilty. But he was not guilty.
5. “I appeal to Caesar.” Verse 11. Who? Paul. Where? In Caesarea, before Festus. When? After telling Festus he wanted a just verdict. Why? By doing this, he cut off all discussion about going to Jerusalem.As a Roman citizen, he had the right to make this appeal. Also, Christ has told Paul back in the Jerusalem prison that he would “bear witness also in Rome” (23:11).

Studies in Acts–Lesson 12

Read Acts 20 and 21.

1. After exhorting the disciples at Ephesus, Paul departed for Macedonia. 20:1. [The cities of Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea]
2. After passing through Macedonia (or the region), Paul came to Greece, where he is supposed to have spent 3 months. 20:3
3. Paul expected Titus to meet him in Troas with news from Corinth. (2 Corinthians 7:5-10). Also see 2 Corinthians 2:12-13.
   Note: According to scholars, Paul had written the first letter to the Corinthians while he was in Ephesus. He was anxious to receive from Titus the Corinthian church’s reaction to his first letter. When Titus finally caught up with Paul in Macdeonia, according to 2 Corinthians 7, he was greatly relieved at Titus’s news and wrote his second letter from there.
4. Paul took up a collection on the third journey for the poor in Jerusalem . (1 Corinthians 16:1-6; 2 Corinthians 8:1-6; 9:1-6; Romans 15:25,26)
5. There were seven men who accompanied Paul on his return. 20:4 [Sopater, Aristarchus, Secundus, Gaius, Timothy, Tychicus, and Trophimus. DeWitt comments that they accompanied him for protection, because he was carrying money.]
6. Luke joined the group at Troas. 20:6
7. Paul was in a hurry to arrive in Jerusalem before Pentecost. 20:6 [This was about a year after he left Ephesus, because, according to 1 Corinthians 16:8, he had stayed there until the previous Pentecost.]
8. A meeting in Troas was on the first day of the week, and Paul preached until midnight. 20:7
9. The meeting was held in a three-story house, and Eutychus fell out of the window and was taken up for dead. 20:9
10. From Miletus Paul sent to Ephesus, and called for the elders of the church. 20:17

11. Underline the mistakes.

Paul wanted the Ephesian elders to know that after he left, grievous wolves would enter in among them, not sparing the flock. 20:29 And not only so, but that right from among themselves men would draw disciples after them. 20:30 Paul quoted a statement from Jesus that is not found in the four gospels. 20:35 Rhodes is the name of one of Paul’s companions an island. 21:1 There was a change of ships in Patara. 21:2 They passed Cyprus on the right left. 21:3 The ship from Patara unloaded at Tyre. They stayed three seven days at Tyre. 21:3 Some of those of Tyre were prophets. 21:4 They stayed seven days one day at Ptolemais. 21:7 Philip the evangelist was a convert of Paul one of the seven. 21:8. Also see Acts 6:3-6. Philip was not like Paul, an evangelizing bachelor because he had four unmarried daughters. 21:9 A prophet named Agabus came from Jerusalem. 21:10 He took his Paul’s girdle and bound his hands and feet and said that Paul would be bound in the same way in Jerusalem. 21:11 Paul was to stay in the home of John Mark Mnason in Jerusalem. 21:16 Only two apostles Several brethren were present in Jerusalem when Paul arrived. 21:17

Matching

12. Tarsus	18  "All zealous for the law ... " 21:20
13. From which Paul addressed the multitude	20   Those over whom Paul was in charge 21:23-26
14. The one for whom Paul was mistaken	17  The Jews from Asia 21:27
15. When they saw the chief captain and soldiers	19  The Ephesian 21:20 (A Gentile)
16. A great silence.	15  Left off beating Paul 21:32
17. Stirred up the multitudes and laid hands on Paul	14  The Egyptian 21:38
18. The believing Jews in Jerusalem	21  Did not know the reason for the uproar 21:33
19. Trophimus	13  Castle stairs (or barracks) 21:37-40
20. Four men who had a vow	12  No mean city (or no ordinary city ) 21:39
21. The chief captain	16  Beckoned with hand 21:40