Last week we ended at the end of Chapter 20 with Paul saying goodbye to the Ephesian elders, and we pick up in Chapter 21 with Paul continuing his journey toward Jerusalem.

Acts Lesson 32 Study Questions

1.    When we had departed from them: More literally, this is tore ourselves away from them (Bruce). This was not an easy parting. Paul poured his _____ and ______ into these leaders from Ephesus, and they loved him deeply in return.

2.    Landed at Tyre… and finding disciples: We are not told how a church was planted in Tyre, but there were ________ there. This reminds us that the Book of Acts gives only a ________ picture of the early church’s activity.

3.    They all accompanied us… till we were out of the city: The practice of walking with a traveler to the outskirts of the city was _____________; yet the practice of kneeling on the shore together for prayer was uniquely ___________ (we knelt down on the shore and prayed).

4.    We came to Ptolemais, greeted the brethren, and stayed with them one day: It must have been wonderful for Paul and his companions to find Christians in virtually every city they stopped. This showed the __________ and the deepening of the ___________ movement across the Roman Empire. Christians were everywhere, it seemed.

5.    Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven: Acts 8:40 tells us that after Philip’s work in bringing the Ethiopian eunuch to faith, he preached through the _________ region and ended up in Caesarea. Many years later he was still ________.

6.    For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus: Paul’s insistence on going to Jerusalem despite the dangers __________ by the Holy Spirit was not a result of rebellion, but an _________ response to the command of the Holy Spirit in his heart. He was bound in the spirit to go to Jerusalem (Acts 19:21 and 20:22).

7.    The will of the Lord be done: Paul’s companions – including Luke – came to the understanding that God’s ____ would be done. They came to trust that even if Paul was probably right, and even if he was wrong, God would ___ it.

8.    And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord: The elders in Jerusalem were thankful for what God was doing among the _________. They saw some of the Gentile converts with Paul and could tell of their genuine ______ for and commitment to Jesus.

9.    They have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses: The Christian community of Jerusalem heard bad, false ________ about Paul. They heard that he had become essentially ____________, and told Jewish Christians that it was wrong for them to continue in Jewish laws and customs.

10.    That all may know: The Jerusalem elders believed this would convince everyone that Paul did not preach _________ Jewish laws and customs for those Christians who wanted to ________ them.

11.    At which time an offering should be made: It’s important to understand that this offering – an animal sacrifice – was not in any way for the purpose of _________ or forgiveness. Paul absolutely understood that only the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross atones for sin. Yet not every sacrifice in the Jewish system was for atonement; many were for thanksgiving or ___________, as this one was.

12.    All the city was disturbed; and the people ran together: The crowd was enlarged because it was feast-time (Acts 20:16). It was enraged because they believed Paul not only preached ________ the people, the law, and the temple, but also __________ the temple by bringing Gentiles into its inner courts