Bible

In the Bible room today, we continue reading the book of Acts with Session 6, the summaries of chapters 12 and 13.

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Acts

Session 6

Chapter 12. Worms

At that time, Herod, the local ruler, starts persecuting the church:

• He has James, the brother of John, killed with a sword;
• This happens during the days of the Passover;
• The Jews are happy about the death of James;
• Herod has Peter arrested, put in a prison;
• Four squads of soldiers are assigned to guard him;
• Herod intends to have a trial for Peter after the Passover;
• The church is in constant prayer for Peter;
• During the night before his trial, Peter is sleeping in prison;
• He has two chains binding him, and two guards at his sides;
• Also, there are two guards standing at the prison door;
• Suddenly, an angel appears beside him with a shining light;
• He tells him to wake up, raises him to his feet;
• The chains fall off, he tells him to put on his clothes, sandals;
• Peter thinks he is seeing a vision, but it is really happening;
• They walk past the guard posts, the iron gate opens, untouched;
• They enter onto a street, and then the angel disappears;
• Peter realizes what has happened, and he knows he is free;
• He knows that the Lord has sent His angel to deliver him;
• And to spare him the persecution of Herod;
• Meanwhile, several people are in a house, praying for Peter;
• Mary, the mother of John Mark, is there with them;
• Peter comes to the house, knocks on the gate outside the door;
• A girl named Rhoda comes to ask who is knocking;
• When Peter tells her, she recognizes his voice, jumps for joy;
• She runs back to tell the people, but does not open the gate;
• The people do not believe her when she says who it is;
• They think she is imagining what she has heard;
• Or, they suggest she may have heard the voice of an angel;
• Peter is still outside, knocking at the gate;
• Finally, they open the door, they are shocked to see him;
• They get noisy, but he tells them to stay quiet;
• And he relates the story of how he has been released;
• He tells the group to get the word to James and the others;
• Then he leaves that house, makes his way to Caesarea;
• In the daylight, there is a disturbance about Peter’s escape;
• Herod has the guards put to death;
• The people of Tyre and Sidon had made Herod angry;
• So, they make friends with his chamberlain named Blastus;
• And they ask Herod to grant them peace, and extra food;
• Then, on a certain day, he gets dressed in his royal robes;
• Takes his seat on the royal throne, and addresses the people;
• The people are shouting: He is the voice of a god, not a man;
• Herod does not give glory to God;
• He becomes infested with worms, and dies;
• But the word of God continues to multiply;
• Barnabas and Saul finish their ministry in Jerusalem,
• Then return with John Mark.  

Chapter 13. Justified

In the church at Antioch, there are certain prophets and teachers:

• Along with Barnabas and Saul, there are Simeon, called Niger;
• Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, who was raised by Herod;
• The church is led by the Holy Spirit to appoint missionaries:
• After prayer and fasting, Barnabas and Saul are sent out;
• They travel first to Seleucia, then they sail to Cyprus;
• In Salamis, they preach in the Jewish synagogues;
• There, John joins with them as their assistant;
• They cover the entire island, arriving at Paphos;
• A false prophet there is a Jew called Bar Jesus, a sorcerer;
• His name, translated, is Elymas, who, at that time,
• Is with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus;
• He asks for Barnabas and Saul to teach him the word of God;
• But Elymas intervenes, tries to keep them away;
• He wants to turn the proconsul away from the faith;
• Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit,
• Confronts Elymas, tells him: You are full of deceit and fraud,
• You are a son of the devil, an enemy of righteousness,
• Will you not stop perverting the ways of the Lord?
• The Lord is going to touch you now, and you will be blind
• For a time, and need someone to lead you by the hand;
• Amazed at what he sees, the proconsul becomes a believer;
• After leaving Paphos, Paul, with his group, arrive at Perga;
• John returns to Jerusalem;
• After Paphos, they come to a town called Antioch in Pisidia;
• On the Sabbath day, they all go into the synagogue, sit down;
• After the reading of the Law and the Prophets,
• The leaders of the synagogue stand and address Paul:
• They ask: Would he have encouraging words for the people,
• And, if so, he could say those words now to the people;
• Paul stands, addresses his words to Israel and all who fear God;
• Gesturing with his hand, he tells the people to listen to him;
• The people of Israel were strangers living in the land of Egypt;
• With a raised arm, their God delivered them out of Egypt;
• Then He patiently helped them for about forty years,
• As they wandered through the wilderness,
• Until they entered Canaan, where He destroyed seven nations;
• Then He divided the land to them by allotment;
• After that, He gave them judges for four hundred fifty years,
• Until the time of Samuel, the prophet,
• When they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul,
• Who reigned forty years until God removed him,
• And brought in David whom He called:
• ‘A man after My own heart, who will do all My will;’
• From David, God raised up Jesus, a Savior for Israel;
• Before Him, John preached repentance to the people,
• John had said he was not the One who was coming,
• And he was not worthy to even loosen His sandals;
• Now, Paul says, the word of salvation has been sent to you,
• The family of Abraham, and to all who fear God;
• As those in Jerusalem did not know Him, nor the prophets
• Of whom they read every Sabbath, fulfilling the prophecies
• That they would condemn Him, even asking Pilate to
• Sentence Him to death, even though there was no cause;
• Then, after they fulfilled all the prophecies, they took Him
• Down from the tree and buried Him in a tomb,
• But God raised Him from the dead, as He was seen by
• Many witnesses, for many days, and we bring you the
• Good news that was promised to your fathers, and
• God has made it happen for us, their children;
• Sending Jesus to us, having raised Him from the dead,
• And it is through this Man we preach to you
• The forgiveness of sins, and everyone who believes is justified
• Which the law of Moses could not do;
• Therefore, I caution you against what the prophet said:
• ‘I will do a work in your days which you will not believe;’
• After the Jews leave the synagogue, the Gentiles beg to hear
• What Paul had said to them, and many people believe,
• And start following Paul and Barnabas, and then the next
• Sabbath most of the city comes to hear the word of God;
• The Jews are envious, angry, oppose what Paul has said;
• Boldly, Paul tells the Jews they have deemed themselves
• Unworthy to have eternal life, therefore, the Gentiles will
• Receive the word, for the Lord has commanded:
• ‘I have sent you to be a light to the Gentiles;’
• The Gentiles are happy to hear the word and glorify God;
• Angry, the Jews force Paul and Barnabas to leave;
• They shake the dust from their feet, move on to Iconium;
• They are filled with joy, and the Holy Spirit.

End of Session 6 of the book of Acts.