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Acts Bible Study

Acts: The Apostles Heal Many People

Acts 5:12-16 New International Version (NIV)

The Apostles Heal Many

12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.

The believers were meeting in the place where the Sanhedrin had arrested Peter. The apostles’ message was more than just words. Miracles were being performed.

Some people did not want to be seen with the believers. They kept away from them. Those people were afraid. Perhaps they had also heard what had happened to Ananias and Sapphira. But those people respected the believers. However, many other people joined the church.

It is often like that today. Some people do not want to go to church. They do not want to mix with Christians. But they are not the church’s enemies. Sometimes, they are afraid. They do not want their lives to change. Perhaps they do not realize that their lives could be so much better! Other people are bolder. They are not afraid to give their lives to the Lord. When they have done this, they have his joy. And they are quiet inside themselves. Then they see the wonderful things that he can do.

In his Gospel, Luke told how a sick woman touched Jesus’ clothes. Immediately, she got well. Jesus said that her faith had cured her (Luke 8:48). The apostles were continuing Jesus’ work. People believed that God would cure them, even by means of Peter’s shadow. Like the sick woman, they had faith in Jesus’ power.

People from outside Jerusalem heard about the miracles. They brought people who needed help. Some people were ill. Other people had evil spirits in them. They all became well. God showed his power to cure people’s bodies and minds. He also showed his power to free them from evil spirits. Whatever is wrong with us, God can make us well.

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Acts Bible Study

Acts: Ananias and Sapphira

Acts 5:1-11

5 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.

Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.

About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”

“Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”

Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”

10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

The story about Ananias and Sapphira is a strange one. It is not easy for us to understand what happened. But it is a very important story. Christians are not perfect! Some Christians can do very bad things. Even in the first church, there were Christians who were not honest.

Like Barnabas, Ananias and Sapphira sold their land for money. But Barnabas had given all the money to the apostles. Ananias brought only some of the money to them. But that was not the problem. As Peter said, the money belonged to Ananias and Sapphira. The Greek word for ‘kept’ here can also mean ‘stole’. Perhaps, before they sold the land, they had agreed to give all the money.

But they had also lied. They did not give all the money to help the poor people. Instead, they wanted to seem generous. Nobody forced them to sell their land. It belonged to them. They did not need to lie. But Ananias had let Satan tell him what to do. He had promised to give all the money to God. Because he did not do this, he had lied to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God. So, he had lied to God.

Ananias knew that he had done a very wicked thing. Sometimes, people just pretend to be good. They do this so that they look important. God hates this. Jesus talked about this many times. (For example, look at Luke 6:42; 12:1, 56; 13:15.) When Ananias died, everyone was afraid. They buried him immediately.

In verses 7-11, Peter gave to Sapphira a chance to tell the truth. He asked her how much money she and Ananias had received for the land. But she lied. Ananias had lied. In this way, they had tried to ‘tempt’ the Lord’s Spirit. Like Ananias, Sapphira fell down and she died. Again, everyone was very afraid.

In verse 11, Luke uses the Greek word for ‘church’ (ekklesia). This is the first time that he uses it in Acts. Christians needed to trust each other. If they did not do this, maybe the church could not continue. Satan was trying to destroy the church. Already, the believers had enemies who were attacking them from outside the church. But now, Satan was working by means of their own members.

God hates lies. He wants his church to be pure (with nothing bad in it). Peter knew this. The church was in danger if believers were not honest. He gave to both Ananias and Sapphira a chance to repent. But they did not repent. So, by his words, Peter showed that this was a very serious thing. He showed it to everyone. It is very important to be honest always.

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Acts Bible Study

Acts: Sharing What God Gives You

Acts 4:32-37 New International Version (NIV)

The Believers Share Their Possessions

32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all 34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.

36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

In verses 32-34, the members of the first church cared about each other. They did not just say that they cared. They showed their love by what they did. They would share their things with anyone who needed them. Some believers owned land or houses. If anyone needed money, these people sold their land or houses. Nobody forced them to do this. They wanted to help each other.

Luke reminds us about Jesus’ resurrection. This was the reason why the church began. It is the reason why the church is here today. Jesus is alive!

In verses 35-37, the Greek words here mean that people would put the money down ‘at the apostles’ feet’. This showed that people were offering it to God.

Luke mentions Barnabas’s gift. Barnabas was from the large group that were all Levi’s relatives. Each Israelite belonged to a large group or tribe like this. There were 12 such large families, the 12 tribes of Israel. Levi’s group served God in the Temple. Later in ‘Acts’, we can read more about Barnabas. He traveled with Paul and he worked with him.

A lot of times we hear about what we ought to be doing for God. But in reality, God has done way more for us that we could ever repay. God continues to give and give and give, and we need to continue to receive and receive and receive. Because they were such receivers of God’s grace, they were also great givers to the needs around them.

The key to giving is receiving.

I wonder if some of us have stopped being so gracious towards each other because we’ve stopped receiving God’s grace in our lives. Not that He isn’t still giving grace, but we have stopped recognizing it.

It’s not that everybody who had any property were being forced to sell all their possessions and give everything to the church. Those that sold and brought money into the church did so on their own, of their own will, as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. (we’ll see this in Acts 5:4)

2 Cor 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Giving should not be done because somebody twists your arm, but because God has put it on your heart, and because you have a cheerful desire to do it.

It’s not necessarily how much you give, it’s how willingly and cheerfully you give that counts.

If a person in the church had a real need, the apostles’ would help by distributing some of the funds toward that need.

It’s kind of like what we do as a church, when we are made aware of a need, the elders have a fund to work with to help meet the needs within our body.

But please, don’t lay any money at my feet!

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Acts Bible Study

Acts: The Place was Shaken

Acts 4:23-31 New International Version (NIV)

The Believers Pray

23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:

“‘Why do the nations rage
    and the peoples plot in vain?
26 The kings of the earth rise up
    and the rulers band together
against the Lord
    and against his anointed one.

27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

After they were released from prison, Peter and John went back to the other believers. They told them what had happened. Then they prayed together. When we have a problem, we should always pray about it.

We can also learn from the way the believers prayed. First, they called God the ‘Lord of everything’. They were reminding themselves that he made everything. God rules over everything. Often we need to remind ourselves about this. He is bigger than any problem and he can do anything. But we must ask him.

The believers were Jews. So, they called David their ‘father’ because he was a famous king in Israel. They said words from a psalm that David wrote (Psalm 2:1-2). He wrote this psalm about 1000 years before Jesus’ birth. His prophecy there about the Messiah had now happened. And some people in the psalm wanted to stop Jesus. This was so that he would not preach. So, they had made plans to stop him. Together, with their king (Herod Antipas) and their ruler (Pontius Pilate), they had killed Jesus. But they had not stopped his message. He had become alive again. The apostles were curing people in his name. His church was growing and many people were hearing the good news. What had happened had been in God’s plan.

The Sanhedrin had done bad things to the believers. But the believers did not pray that God would stop the Sanhedrin’s actions. Instead, the believers asked God to give courage to them when they continued to tell people about Jesus. They asked God to show his power when they spoke with Jesus’ authority.

At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit had come and he had filled everyone. Here, the Holy Spirit came and shook the place where they were meeting. God answered their prayer immediately. They all spoke God’s message in a bold manner. Oh how powerful the Holy Spirit is to shake their meeting place. Have you been shook lately? Shook so much you can’t help but tell others?

Christians can ask the Holy Spirit to fill them many times like that. It does not just happen once. When the Holy Spirit has filled a person, we know it. We know it by how they behave. The Holy Spirit makes us more like Jesus. The Holy Spirit helps us to do things for God that we could not do alone. HAVE YOU BEEN SHOOK?

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Acts Bible Study

Acts: the Sanhedrin Listen

Acts 4:13-22 New International Version (NIV)

13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16 “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”

18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

21 After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.

Before Peter and John met Jesus, they were fishermen. The members in the Sanhedrin had gone to special schools where their, ‘rabbis’ had taught them everything about the Jewish religion and Moses’ Law. They thought that they were cleverer than Peter and John. So, they were very surprised. when Peter and John were very confident. Peter and John even explained the scriptures. Usually, only rabbis did this.

Then the men in the Sanhedrin remembered that Jesus had taught Peter and John. Jesus had not gone to a special school either (John 7:15). But everyone had listened to him. He had explained the scriptures as well. It does not matter to God whether we have gone to school or not. It does not matter to God whether we are clever or not. What does matter is that we obey God. He will show his power by means of us, if we let him do it.

People could see that Peter’s words about Jesus were true. The man who could now walk was standing in the court. He was the proof. The men in the Sanhedrin told Peter and John to leave the room. They wanted to talk privately about what to do.

The man who was standing in court had never been able to walk. Everyone in Jerusalem knew that. But he was walking! A miracle had happened. The men in the Sanhedrin could not argue about this.

Peter and John had not said anything wrong. Nor had they done anything wrong. The men in the Sanhedrin knew this. They could not keep Peter and John in prison. But they did not want the apostles to tell everyone that Jesus was alive. And they did not want the people to see the power that there was in Jesus’ name. So, they decided to warn Peter and John that they must not speak in Jesus’ name. Nor must they teach in his name. If they did this, bad things would happen to them.

Peter and John had to do what God wanted. Jesus had told them to go to people everywhere. And he had told them to make people into his disciples (Matthew 28:19). They could not stop talking about what they had seen. And they could not stop talking about what they had heard.

It is the same for Christians now. We know that the Lord Jesus is alive. We know him as our friend and our Saviour. We must share the good news, so that other people can know him too. We must not be afraid of what people might say about us.

The people in the court were praising God because he had done a wonderful thing. The man was more than 40 years old. Nobody had expected him to get well.

The men in the Sanhedrin knew that they must let Peter and John go. The only thing that they could do was to warn them again. They could not do anything else!

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Acts Bible Study

Acts: Peter Speaks to the Sanhedrin

Acts 4:5-12 New International Version (NIV)

The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is

“‘the stone you builders rejected,
    which has become the cornerstone.’[a]

12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

The most important Jewish rulers met in Jerusalem. Together, the high priest and 70 other men formed the Sanhedrin. The men in the Sanhedrin had to decide whether a person was guilty of a crime. Both Annas and Caiaphas had been at the courts when Jesus died (John 18:12-14, 24). Here, the men in the Sanhedrin met to decide whether Peter and John should have a punishment.

In verse 7, Peter and John stood in front of the most clever and powerful men in the country. The men in the Sanhedrin knew that a miracle had happened. They wanted to know how Peter and John had done it.

Jesus had made a promise to believers. He had said that they must not worry when important people asked them about Jesus. They would know what to say. So, they need not worry (Luke 21:14-15). The Holy Spirit would help them. This is true today, too. Today we talk about our faith in Jesus. And we must not worry when we talk about it. The Holy Spirit will help us, too.

The Holy Spirit helped Peter when he spoke to the rulers. He was bold. And his words were wise and true.

Peter reminded them that they should be happy. A sick man was completely well. He was standing in front of them. That miracle was ‘a kind act’. But Peter and John had not cured the man by themselves. They had done it ‘by Jesus’ authority. That is, Jesus Christ from Nazareth.’ Jesus had cured the man.

Peter said, ‘You killed him on a cross’ (verse 10). Peter was speaking to the men who really were responsible for Jesus’ death. Caiaphas was there. He had sent Jesus to Pontius Pilate, the Roman ruler. Caiaphas had wanted the Romans to kill Jesus.

‘But God made him alive again’ (verse 10). The people had done bad things to Jesus. They had killed him. God had shown to them that they were very wrong. He had made Jesus alive again.

Peter used the word ‘stone’ to describe Jesus. The ‘builders’ were like Israel’s rulers. They did not think that Jesus was important. So, they had rejected him. But he was ‘the most important stone’. He was the Messiah. Now he sits next to God and he has the most important position in heaven.

The Romans and the Greeks had many gods. The Jews had their Law. But these could not save people. Today, there are many other religions. But there is still only one Saviour. Only Jesus can save us from the results of our sin. If we believe him, we have salvation.

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Acts Bible Study

Acts: Peter and John are Arrested

Acts 4:1-4 New International Version (NIV)

Peter and John Before the Sanhedrin

The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.

The Temple guard were like the police. Their captain’s job was to stop people, if those people were making trouble in the Temple. The Temple guard came because a large crowd had gathered, to listen to Peter and John. And they wanted to stop Peter and John.

Two important reasons for stopping Peter and John.

1.   The Sadducees did not believe that dead people could become alive again. This was what Peter and John were talking about.

2.  The Sadducees were chief priests. These people were rich and important. That was because they helped the Roman rulers. The Sadducees wanted to keep their power. So, they needed to stay friendly with the Romans. They did not want any trouble in a public place. They wanted to keep their jobs more than they wanted to hear the truth.

Peter and John were speaking, but those other men stopped them. And they put Peter and John in prison. But they could not stop the good news about Jesus. Luke says that ‘the men grew in number to about 5000’. This number does not include the women and children!

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Acts Bible Study

Acts: Peter Preaches to the Jews

Acts 3:11-26 New International Version (NIV)

Peter Speaks to the Onlookers

11 While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. 12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.

17 “Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. 21 Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. 22 For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. 23 Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.’

24 “Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days. 25 And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’26 When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”

Solomon’s Colonnade was like a long walkway with a wooden roof, on the east side of the Temple. Jesus had walked there and he had taught there (John 10:23).

In verse 12, the people were staring at Peter and John. They had just seen Peter and John heal the lame man. But Peter gave all the glory to God. God may use us to help someone or witness to someone. But we must remember to give all the glory to God. God is the one that gave us the means and opportunity to do what we do.

Peter used the words ‘The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob’. These are the same words that God used in Exodus 3:6, This was when God introduced himself to Moses. The miracle here in Acts had happened because God had glorified Jesus. Jesus was in a special place in heaven. He had given power to his disciples to act in his name. When Jesus was on earth, he had done miracles. Now the disciples had his authority to do miracles like those.

Peter wanted to convince the Jews that Jesus was their Messiah. So, he used language from the book called Isaiah in the Old Testament. It was from a part where the writer describes the Lord as a Servant who suffers (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). Like Isaiah, Peter said first that God had glorified his Servant (Jesus). Then Peter talked about how the Servant had suffered. He blamed the people for this. They were responsible. Pilate (a Roman ruler) had wanted to free Jesus. But the people had asked for Barabbas instead. They had wanted Jesus to die. Jesus was their Savior. He was completely good. But they had chosen a criminal instead.

The Jews had not expected the Messiah to die like a criminal. But Peter was saying that Jesus was innocent. God had known already how Jesus would die. The prophet Isaiah had described it all when he wrote about the Servant. This was the Servant who suffered. (See Isaiah chapters 42, 49, 50, 52 and 53.) The Servant who suffered was Jesus, the Messiah. God had proved this. He had made Jesus alive again after he had died. Peter and the apostles knew that this was true. They knew because they had seen it.

Everyone could see that the man’s legs were now strong. The man had not been able to walk. But Peter had told the man to walk by Jesus’ authority. And the man had done this. Christ’s power had made the man strong because of the man’s faith. Jesus was the Servant that God had glorified. This was evidence that they could all see.

The people in Jerusalem had killed their Messiah. But they had not known that he was their Messiah. Even their rulers had not realized this. They had not expected that their Messiah would suffer. Jesus’ death on a cross was one part in God’s purpose. Isaiah spoke about God’s Servant who suffered. The Old Testament also contains the stories about men like Joseph (Jacob’s son) and Elijah. These are examples of God’s servants who suffered. So, it should not surprise the people that the Messiah should suffer too.

They knew that they had done a terrible thing. They did not have an excuse. God wanted to forgive them. But first, they had to repent.

To repent means to realize you have sinned and turn away from that sin. We apologize for sins that we have done. And we decide not to do any more sins. We do what God wants. We change how we think and we change how we live.

Peter said that if the Jews repented, three good things would happen.

1.  God would forgive their sins (verse 19). The Greek word here for ‘forgive’ means that God will ‘wipe off’ their sins.

2. The Lord will give to you times when you have spiritual strength (verse 19). God would not just take away their sins. He would give rest to their spirits. And he would give relief to them.

3.  He would send Jesus. Jesus was the Messiah that God had already chosen for them (verse 20). Jesus will forgive them and he will give them strength. But he ‘must remain in heaven until a certain time. Then God will put all things back as they should be’ (verse 21). Christ would return. Then God would do wonderful things (Romans 8:19-21; Isaiah 11:6-9).

Moses was the first prophet for the Israelites. The words in verses 22-23 are from Deuteronomy 18:15. People believed that these verses were a prophecy about one particular prophet. This prophet would be like Moses. He would be like a bridge between God and the people. He would tell the people what God was saying. And he would tell God what the people wanted to say.

Samuel was the prophet who anointed David as king. To anoint means to mark a person with oil. And this shows that God has chosen that person. God made promises to David about a new kingdom. These promises became true when Jesus came. Many things that the other prophets had said about God’s kingdom happened, too.

Peter called the Jews the ‘sons of the prophets’. He meant that God’s promises belonged to them too. Abraham’s ‘children’ meant the Jews. Jesus, the Servant who came to save all the people on earth, was a Jew. He had gone to the Jews first but they had rejected him. God was giving a second chance to them. They had to accept Jesus as their Saviour. Otherwise they would not share in the blessing that God had promised.

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Acts Bible Study

Acts: The Healing of the Lame Man

Acts 3:1-10 New International Version (NIV)

3 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

The apostles were given the ability to heal people through the power of God. And had performed “acts” that awed the people of that time. (2:43). Here, Luke describes the “act” of healing a lame man. Many people saw this miracle.

The apostles had a new faith. But they remained loyal Jews. So, they went to pray together in the Temple with other Jews. There were three special times when they prayed together. They prayed in the morning and they prayed at noon. And they also prayed in the afternoon.

Poor and sick people often waited at the entrance to a holy place. They asked for money there.(alms for the poor) This was a custom, people would be more generous when they were going to worship God.

The Beautiful Gate was one gate of the Temple. The Temple probably had 9 gates in total. Josephus, who was a writer in the first century, describes a beautiful bronze gate in the Temple. Perhaps this was the Beautiful Gate.

Peter was with John. This was probably the John who was Zebedee’s son (Luke 5:10). Peter stared at the lame man and told him to look at them. The man thought that they would give money to him. But Peter gave to him something much better. Peter cured him ‘in the name of Jesus Christ’. This meant that he cured the man by Christ’s power and authority.

Peter did not just watch the man. He helped the man to stand up. Peter had seen Jesus when Jesus held the hand of Jairus’s daughter (Luke 8:54). Like Jesus, Peter wanted to show that he cared. Peter wanted to encourage the man to walk by faith.

‘Immediately the man’s feet and ankles became strong.’ The man had never been able to walk. His legs were probably very weak. But they became strong immediately. Luke was a doctor. He carefully described everything that happened. The man walked and he jumped. This was a real miracle.

Verses 9-10 Again, Luke wrote that the man was walking. He wanted to emphasize that the man’s feet and legs were working for the first time ever. People recognized him as the man who had never been able to walk. They could not understand how he was able to walk at that time. They thought that this was impossible. But nothing is impossible for God.

Are you like the lame man sitting outside the temple gate, waiting for help and healing? Or are you like Peter and John being called to share God’s word and love to the lame waiting for hope?

No matter who you are God is the answer and Jesus is the way to all hope and healing.

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Acts Bible Study

Acts: The First Church

Acts 2:42-47 New International Version (NIV)

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

In these verses, Luke describes the people in the first church; what their daily life was like and how they treated each other. Christians today can learn much from what he writes. Church was not just a Sunday morning affair or even just a Sunday and Wednesday event. It was a daily connection.

In verse 42, The apostles continued to teach the new believers. As Christians, we must continue to learn about our faith always. We have the Holy Spirit to teach us. But we must also listen to those God appointed teachers. It is also very important to have regular meetings with other Christians.

‘ the breaking of bread ’. Jews did this before they ate a meal. Jewish people did not cut their bread. They broke it into pieces and then they shared it. On the night before Jesus died, he ate a meal with his disciples. He broke up the bread and he gave it to them. He said, ‘Take this and eat it. This is my body.’ Then he gave to them a cup of wine. He said, ‘This is my blood in the new covenant. It is poured out for many people.’ So, to break up bread has a special meaning for Christians.

The first Christians always prayed before they did anything. They spoke to God about everything. They asked him to help them. And they asked him to guide them. Today. we need to do the same. Bring everything yo God.

Miracles happened in the first church. Miracles still happen now. When people expect God to do wonderful things, he will do wonderful things.

in some translations the word “Ewe” is excitement and fear. In the Old Testament, writers often used the words ‘the fear of the Lord’. This does not mean that people were afraid of God. (The reason for such fear would be because he might hurt them.) ‘The fear of the Lord’ meant that people respected God. They respected him because he is good, powerful and holy.

The first Church sold land and possessions. The Christians showed that they were taking care of each other. So, no Christian was rich and no Christian was poor. Each person had what he or she needed.

Verse 46 tells us the first Christians met together every day. It is very important for us now to meet often with other believers. They met in a public place to worship God. They also met in their homes as friends. The people who were richer provided a meal for the poorer people. They ate together. They broke up the bread and they worshiped God.

The first Christians were kind and generous. They were happy and they showed God’s love in their daily lives. People wanted to come to be with them.

Have we strayed from the example of the first Church? Christians should be the most joyful, loving, caring and friendly people on the planet. Are We?