Please forgive this rough draft format, as these are my raw study notes on the book of Acts. I felt a great sense of urgency to publish them rather than waiting until I had the time to pretty them up. Thank you and I pray that God blesses and encourages you through this material. Stay strong. Live in the Spirit. Encourage each other. Pray. Jesus is coming…
Stacey
Take a few minutes to pray and savor chapter 17 of the book of Acts. Read it with the thought in mind that this is the first display of the power of the Holy Spirit working through man – aside from Christ, that is. Imagine what the Spirit can do through you if you let Him! Then return here and ponder the thoughts, answer the questions, and be sure to leave comments about your own revelations…
17:1 – see 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:12.
17:3 – explaining – dianoigo – to open what was once closed (womb).
The Word isn’t a weapon against people! Sin, Satan – YES! Help people hear. Don’t chop off their ears like Peter did to Malchus.
17:11 – we should be like the Bereans. Their motives were pure.
17:16-33 – Paul was alone in Athens.
17:17-18 – Paul’s actions got him noticed by the intellectual community.
17:17 – Is it possible that Paul started preaching in the synagogues first not only to spread the salvation message to the Jews, but also to build momentum to share with the Gentiles? The Jews knew the scriptures, and would therefore be able to uniquely sharpen Paul’s witness to the Gentiles in the culture.
Don’t wait for people to come to you! Take the Gospel to the people!
17:18 – The philosophers didn’t consider Paul to be an intellectual equal. Yet they debated him, anyway. What does this say about those who were willing to “have a battle of wits with an unarmed man”? One thing it does say is that these individuals were hungry for new knowledge and would absorb anything! See v. 21.
Epicureans are pleasure seekers. (GET BETTER DEFN)
Stoics are rationalists. They live in harmony. (GET BETTER DEFN)
17:19 – Areopagus is a council of overseers of religious and educational matters. They would meet on Mars Hill.
17:22-31 – great sermon!
17:22 – We should seek common ground.
Paul was stating a fact, not approving or disapproving of Athenian behavior.
17:23 – We should be observant and knowledgeable about what others believe so that we can influence them.
17:26-27 – We’ve been placed in this very time and place to seek and reach for God.
17:31 – God has already set the day of judgment. How does this effect your outlook?
• The book of Acts teaches us much about what the Holy Spirit is capable of doing through a mortal life. What have you learned about how He wants to work through you today? What will you do to give up a bit of control to Him?
• What attributes of God do you see in this book?
• What verse of scripture seemed to be God speaking directly to you? What is He teaching you in these verses? How does He want you to respond?
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