23 October 2022 (am) – Acts 21:17-40
 | Andy Bruins preaching from Acts on Sunday 23rd October 2022. |
Paul and his companions have arrived in Jerusalem. They greet the Elders of the church and receive a warm welcome – it is wonderful to see how the Jewish Jerusalem church rejoices to hear that there has been so much fruit amongst the Gentiles. It’s a very positive meeting, but the reader knows that trials and suffering lie ahead for the Apostle Paul.
As soon as he enters the temple the trouble starts. Despite his best efforts to clear all of the lies and misinformation circulating about him it is the false witnesses that prevail.
Q Why do you think people like to attend a church where everyone is as much like them as possible?
Q Read v17-20a. Who does Paul meet with in Jerusalem, and why? What response do they give? What does this tell us about their attitude to Gentile converts?
Q Read v20b-25. What are the elders of the church concerned about? What do they propose?
Q Why does Paul go along with their plan (Read 1 Corinthians 9:19-23)? How would you sum up Paul’s attitude towards Jewish law regarding diet, circumcision and temple rituals?
Q Read v27-39. Paul is falsely accused and attacked. Why does God allow this kind of thing to happen to his servants?
Q What can we learn from Paul’s example in this chapter? What is he passionate about and willing to suffer for?
