PART SECOND.
SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL IN JUDEA AND ADJACENT COUNTRIES.
viii. 5-xii. 25.
§ I. THE LABORS OF PHILIP
(viii. 5-40).
1. HE
FOUNDS A
CHURCH IN THE
CITY OF
SAMARIA,
5-13.
- Present condition of Samaria? L. of B. 295.
- Why does Luke follow Philip first? See
i. 8.
- Trace the effects of Philip's miracles.
5, 6, 8, 12, 13.
- What were Simon's pretensions?
9.
- Why did the people so promptly desert him, and turn to Philip?
11, 12.
- What caused Simon himself to yield?
2. MISSION OF
PETER AND
JOHN TO
SAMARIA,
14-17.
- Purpose of sending them?
15.
- What advantage now [15]
seen of the Apostles remaining in Jerusalem?
- In what sense had the Holy Spirit not yet fallen on any of them?
16, 18, cf. ii. 38.
- Why did not Philip impart the Holy Spirit?
3. A
WICKED
PROPOSAL BY
SIMON,
18-24.
- Did Simon repent?
24.
- Was he a real or a pretended believer?
13.
- What prompted his proposal?
- "Part nor lot" in what matter?
21.
- Meaning of "gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity"?
23.
4. OTHER
LABORS OF
PETER AND
JOHN, AND
THEIR
RETURN,
25.
- Extent of these labors?
- What now accomplished among the Samaritans?
5. PHILIP IS
SENT TO AN
ETHIOPIAN
EUNUCH,
26-31.
- In what sense a desert?
26,
L. of B., p. 246.
- Why this remark?
- Of what blood and religion was the man?
27, 28.
- What access had he to the temple?
Deu. xxiii. 1.
- Why need the Spirit's command?
29.
- Why ask the eunuch whether he understood?
31.
6. PHILIP
PREACHES TO THE
EUNUCH,
BAPTIZES
HIM, AND
THEN
PREACHES IN
PHILISTIA,
32-40.
- Why was the eunuch unable to answer his own question? [16]
34.
- How was the sermon derived from the text?
35.
- What suggested the question about baptism?
36.
- Was the eunuch reading the Hebrew text, or the Septuagint?
32, 33,
cf. Isa. liii. 7, 8.
- Could the word "sprinkle"
(Isa. lii. 15),
have suggested baptism? See the Septuagint.
- Is it right to quote
verse 37,
as found in the E. V., as Scripture?
- What evidence for immersion in this baptism?
- At what point the eunuch's joy, and why?
39.
- Trace and distinguish the human and the divine in the work of this
conversion.
- What the region of Philip's next labors?
40.
- Extent of Philip's work thus far?
§ II. THE CONVERSION AND EARLY LABORS OF
SAUL
(ix. 1-31).
1. THE
JOURNEY TO
DAMASCUS,
1-9.
- What meant by "breathing threatening and slaughter"?
1.
- What right to make prisoners in Damascus?
2.
- Meaning of "the way"?
- What did he learn from the vision?
3-6.
- What prevented him from thinking it an illusion?
7, 8.
- Why neither eat nor drink?
9.
[17]
2. HIS
BAPTISM BY
ANANIAS,
10-19.
- Was Ananias a preacher, or a church officer?
10.
- Was he one of the refugees from Jerusalem?
13.
- How had he heard of Saul's present mission?
14.
- What of the street called Straight?
11,
L. of B., 555.
- Explain the figure of "a chosen vessel."
15, cf. II. Cor. iv. 7.
- Connection of thought in
16?
- How, that he might be "filled with the Holy Spirit"?
17.
- Nature of his blindness?
18.
- What told to do, and what done?
18, cf. 6.
- Why nothing more?
- What followed his baptism, and why?
19.
3. HE
PREACHES
JESUS IN
DAMASCUS,
20-22.
- Why admitted to the synagogue?
20.
- Increased in what strength?
22.
- Show the force of his testimony for Jesus.
- Meaning of "confounded the Jews"?
22.
4. HE
FLEES FOR
HIS
LIFE,
23-25.
5. HE IS
PERSECUTED IN
JERUSALEM, AND
SENT TO
TARSUS,
26-30.
- Why not believe that he was a disciple?
26.
- Had they heard the particulars of his conversion?
27.
- Whence the correct conclusion of Barnabas?
27.
- How many Apostles were present?
Gal. i. 18, 19.
- Why the Hellenists so hostile?
29, cf. vi. 9-11.
- What known of Cæsarea?
30,
L. of B., 276.
- Why to Tarsus?
30, cf. 11.
§ III. THE BAPTISM OF GENTILES BY PETER
(ix. 31-xi. 18).
1. THE
CHURCH
ENJOYS
PEACE AND
PROSPERITY,
31.
- How the word church here used?
- Difference between "edified" and "multiplied"?
2. PETER
EVANGELIZING,
COMES TO
LYDDA,
32-35.
- How were there saints already in Lydda? See
viii. 4, 40.
- Why did one cure effect so much?
35.
- Describe Lydda and Sharon. L. of B., 22, 274.
3. HE IS
CALLED TO
JOPPA, AND
RAISES
TABITHA,
36-43.
- Meaning of the name?
36.
- Purpose of sending for Peter?
38.
- Why widows, rather than others?
39.
- Purpose [19]
of raising Tabitha?
- Why many days in Joppa?
43, cf. 42.
- Who planted the church in Joppa?
38; viii. 40.
4. CORNELIUS, A
GENTILE,
DIRECTED TO
SEND FOR
PETER,
X. 1-8.
- What the "Italian band"?
1.
- What were his virtues, religiously?
2.
- How had he acquired them?
- When, in addition, his prayers were heard
(4),
what did he lack of being a Christian?
- What was the answer to his prayer?
4, 5.
- Should such prayers receive an audible answer now, what would it be?
- How had the soldier become devout?
7, cf. 2.
- The distance and direction to Joppa? L. of B., 275.
5. PETER
DIRECTED TO
GO TO
CORNELIUS,
9-23.
- Why on the house-top?
9.
- How dare to say, "Not so"?
14.
- Why perplexed about the meaning of the vision?
17.
- As he was in a trance
(10),
how did he know that the vision had a meaning? Cf.
19, 20, 22.
- How did the messengers find the house?
17, 5.
- In what sense had the Spirit sent them?
20.
- State all the reasons Peter now had for going.
- Why did he need such directions?
- Why not know his duty by inspiration? [20]
6. THE
MEETING OF
PETER AND
CORNELIUS,
23-33.
- Why not start till the morrow?
23.
- Why did Cornelius worship Peter?
25, 26.
- Who made it unlawful to enter a Gentile's house?
28.
- How does Peter now understand the vision? and why?
28.
- How was it "four days ago"?
30,
cf. 3, 7, 9, 23, 24.
- Who the audience, and why assembled?
24, 27, 33.
- Why had they been called in?
7. PETER'S
SERMON TO THE
UNCIRCUMCISED,
34-43.
- What his introduction, and why?
34, 35.
- Of what is God a respecter?
35.
- What facts does Peter state in the career of Jesus?
37-41.
- How many of them were already known to the hearers?
36-39.
- What proofs of the resurrection does he present?
41.
- Why to "witnesses chosen before"? and not to all the people?
40, 41.
- What charge to preach is referred to?
42; Mark xvi. 16.
- Whence Peter's knowledge that Jesus was ordained as Judge?
42, cf. Jno. v. 22.
- How does the believer receive remission "through his name"?
43, cf. 48.
[21]
8. THE
UNCIRCUMCISED
RECEIVE THE
HOLY
SPIRIT AND ARE
BAPTIZED,
44-48.
- What gift of the Holy Spirit was it?
46.
- What use did Peter make of the fact?
47.
- What, then, was the purpose of it?
- Was this gift ever connected with forgiveness of sins?
See
Acts ii. 1-4;
viii. 15, 16; xix. 5, 6.
- When were these Gentiles forgiven?
- Does Peter's question imply affusion?
47.
- What had Cornelius lacked of being a Christian? and how was it supplied?
9. PETER'S
DEFENSE FOR
THESE
PROCEEDINGS,
XI. 1-18.
- Why make the visiting and eating the ground of complaint?
2, 3.
- Conclusiveness of Peter's argument?
12-14, 17.
- Why mention the six brethren?
12, cf. x. 23, 45.
- What convinced the complainants?
18.
- What difference between this and the way Peter was convinced?
- Why did not these know, by their inspiration, that Peter was right?
- What advantage in this mode of revelation in both cases?
- How had God "granted repentance" to the Gentiles?
18.
[22]
§ IV. A CHURCH FOUNDED IN ANTIOCH, AND
ANOTHER PERSECUTION IN JERUSALEM
(xi. 19-xii. 25).
1. BEGINNING OF THE
WORK IN
ANTIOCH,
19-21.
2. BARNABAS
SENT TO
ANTIOCH,
22-24.
- Who sent him, and for what purpose?
22, 23.
- Why he selected?
24.
- Effect of his exhortations on sinners?
24.
3. BARNABAS
BRINGS
SAUL TO
ANTIOCH,
25, 26.
- Why go after Saul?
25.
- Why remain in Antioch so long?
26.
- By whom called Christians? and why?
26.
4. BARNABAS AND
SAUL
SENT TO
JUDEA,
27-30.
- What confidence had they in the prophet?
29.
- Why send relief to Judea, when the famine was to be in Antioch as well?
- Why send such men?
30.
- When had the brethren in Judea appointed elders?
30.
5. JAMES IS
BEHEADED AND
PETER IS
IMPRISONED,
XII. 1-11.
- What Herod was this? See Jos. Ant. xviii. 5, 6; xix. 5-8. [23]
- Why this information not given by Luke?
- How many were four quaternions?
4.
- Cause of this persecution?
- At what season was it?
4.
- Why send help from Antioch so near the harvest?
xi. 28-30.
- In what way was Peter guarded?
6, 10.
- Why so many precautions? Cf.
5.
- Why think it a vision? and how was this thought corrected?
9, 11.
6. PETER
LEAVES THE
CITY, AND THE
GUARDS ARE
SLAIN,
12-19.
- Why to Mary's house?
- To what other person was she related?
Col. iv. 10.
- Why say, "It is his angel"?
15.
- For what had they been praying? Cf.
v: 18-23.
- Why to James? and what James?
17.
- Why were the guards put to death?
19.
- What defense did they make?
- How should Herod have regarded the case?
7. THE
DEATH OF
HEROD, AND THE
RETURN OF
BARNABAS
AND
SAUL,
20-25.
- What is a chamberlain?
20.
- How was their country fed from the king's?
20.
- In what way smitten by the angel?
23.
- Give Josephus' account of Herod's death. Ant. xix. 8, 2.
- Why did the word now grow and multiply?
24.
- When the return of Barnabas and Saul?
25.
- Why take Mark with them? [24]
[CNSH4 15-24]
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