READ ACTS 14:1-7 *
How did some of the Jews and Gentiles temporarily overcome their aversion to one another for a common cause?
How did God confirm the message of His grace?
How did Paul and Barnabas respond when they found out about the plans to mistreat and stone them?
After their experiences in Iconium, what did Paul and Barnabas do when they reached Lystra and Derbe?
READ ACTS 14:8-20 *
Why were bulls and wreaths brought to the city gates in Lystra?
Why did Paul and Barnabas tear their clothes in verse 14?
Imagine you are Barnabas, watching Paul being stoned. What kinds of things might be going on in your mind?
READ ACTS 14:21-28 *
Why do you think Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Pisidian Antioch on their way back to Syrian Antioch?
Paul and Barnabas appointed elders in each church before they departed for Pamphylia. What evidences can you find to support the seriousness of these appointments?
Paul and Barnabas had suffered and survived many things. They had also performed miracles. How did they resist any self-praise according to verse 27?
Based on Acts 13-14 what was Paul’s pattern of ministry? *
Summary of Acts 14
ICONIUM (14:1-6)
Iconium, modern Konya, was 90 miles east of Galatia.
A relatively fruitful ministry began at the synagogue. This synagogue ministry, however long it was tolerated (Luke calls it "a long time"), led to the conversion of a great number of Jews and Gentiles.
A resistance on the part of many led to an unsuccessful effort to stone Paul and Barnabas, resulting in their departure. Unbelieving Jews stirred opposition among the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against Paul and Barnabas. Consequently the city was tense and divided, and the hostility led to an effort to assault and stone them. Fortunately P and B learned of the plan and fled to Lystra.
LYSTRA (14:6-20)
Lystra, still in provincial Galatia, was in the district of Lycoania, 18 miles south. Three incidents are specifically detailed here.
1. A cripple's healing created a stir.
The man was lame from birth. As he listened, Paul detected his faith and commanded his healing. The result excited the people.
2. An effort to worship P and B was barely stopped by them.
Seeing the miraculous healing, the Lystrans jumped to the conclusion that P and B were Greek gods. There was a local legend that Zeus and Hermes had visited there as men before. Obviously such notable guests deserved sacrifices in their honor. There was a temple in the front of the city, and the priest of the cult made appropriate preparations. When P and B learned what was about to take place, they were horrified. Verses 15-17 contain Paul's presentation of the gospel to the Gentile/Greek audience (similar to Acts 17:22-31).
3. Paul was stoned, near death, and miraculously restored.
This came about as a result of the hostility of Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who learned that Pa and B were in Lystra and came there to persecute them. What they had failed in at Iconium they succeeded at here. A mob was aroused, and Paul was attacked with stone and dragged to the dump outside the city. He was left for dead, but when the believers gathered around he got up and accompanied them back into the city.
We don't know why Paul was stoned and not Barnabas. Could simple be that P and B were not together when the mob seized Paul.
Also worth mentioning here something Luke does not: Young Timothy was converted under Paul's ministry during this visit to Lystra. On Paul's next journey he visited Lystra again, and Timothy became a traveling companion and co-worker (2 Tim 3:10-11).
DERBE (14:20-21)
Derbe was also Lycaonian, about 60 miles from Lystra to the southeast. All we are told is that they evangelize that city and made many disciples, typical of the entire journey. This was the farthest point of the first journey.
LYSTRA, ICONIUM, AND PISIDIAN ANTIOCH (14:21-23)
These cities were revisited in reverse order, with edification of the young churches as a goal. Here they guided the selection of elders, who would have been responsible for the spiritual leadership in the church.
PERGA (14:24-25)
ATTALIA (14:25-26)
Another Pamphylian port near Perga, was the place from which they sailed for home.
ANTIOCH IS SYRIA (14:26-28)
Antioch was home base. P and B reported all that happened, including the many Gentile conversions. The church no doubt welcomed the report and rejoiced to have these two men back with them.
We have no way of calculating with any precision the duration of the first missionary journey. Estimates vary from one to four years.
Iconium, modern Konya, was 90 miles east of Galatia.
A relatively fruitful ministry began at the synagogue. This synagogue ministry, however long it was tolerated (Luke calls it "a long time"), led to the conversion of a great number of Jews and Gentiles.
A resistance on the part of many led to an unsuccessful effort to stone Paul and Barnabas, resulting in their departure. Unbelieving Jews stirred opposition among the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against Paul and Barnabas. Consequently the city was tense and divided, and the hostility led to an effort to assault and stone them. Fortunately P and B learned of the plan and fled to Lystra.
LYSTRA (14:6-20)
Lystra, still in provincial Galatia, was in the district of Lycoania, 18 miles south. Three incidents are specifically detailed here.
1. A cripple's healing created a stir.
The man was lame from birth. As he listened, Paul detected his faith and commanded his healing. The result excited the people.
2. An effort to worship P and B was barely stopped by them.
Seeing the miraculous healing, the Lystrans jumped to the conclusion that P and B were Greek gods. There was a local legend that Zeus and Hermes had visited there as men before. Obviously such notable guests deserved sacrifices in their honor. There was a temple in the front of the city, and the priest of the cult made appropriate preparations. When P and B learned what was about to take place, they were horrified. Verses 15-17 contain Paul's presentation of the gospel to the Gentile/Greek audience (similar to Acts 17:22-31).
3. Paul was stoned, near death, and miraculously restored.
This came about as a result of the hostility of Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who learned that Pa and B were in Lystra and came there to persecute them. What they had failed in at Iconium they succeeded at here. A mob was aroused, and Paul was attacked with stone and dragged to the dump outside the city. He was left for dead, but when the believers gathered around he got up and accompanied them back into the city.
We don't know why Paul was stoned and not Barnabas. Could simple be that P and B were not together when the mob seized Paul.
Also worth mentioning here something Luke does not: Young Timothy was converted under Paul's ministry during this visit to Lystra. On Paul's next journey he visited Lystra again, and Timothy became a traveling companion and co-worker (2 Tim 3:10-11).
DERBE (14:20-21)
Derbe was also Lycaonian, about 60 miles from Lystra to the southeast. All we are told is that they evangelize that city and made many disciples, typical of the entire journey. This was the farthest point of the first journey.
LYSTRA, ICONIUM, AND PISIDIAN ANTIOCH (14:21-23)
These cities were revisited in reverse order, with edification of the young churches as a goal. Here they guided the selection of elders, who would have been responsible for the spiritual leadership in the church.
PERGA (14:24-25)
ATTALIA (14:25-26)
Another Pamphylian port near Perga, was the place from which they sailed for home.
ANTIOCH IS SYRIA (14:26-28)
Antioch was home base. P and B reported all that happened, including the many Gentile conversions. The church no doubt welcomed the report and rejoiced to have these two men back with them.
We have no way of calculating with any precision the duration of the first missionary journey. Estimates vary from one to four years.
Question: Based on Acts 13-14 what was Paul's pattern of ministry?
THE PATTERN OF PAUL'S MINISTRY
1. Preach to Jews (and proselytes), using the synagogue (if there was one) as long as tolerated there, resulting in faith in Jesus on the part of many, though never a majority.
2. The inevitable ostracism form the synagogue and "turning to the Gentiles," drawing believers from Jews and heathen Gentiles into their own assemblies.
3. Suffering at the hands of unbelievers, usually stirred up by hostile Jews.
While there may be some variation, these three elements characterize Paul's approach to evangelism in almost every city he entered. The principle exception would be in a place where there were few Jews.
The method was very practical. The Jewish population provided Paul a ready-made contact with people of his own background, whom he could appeal to on common ground. The synagogue gave him contact with Gentile proselytes to Judaism, an especially fruitful soil for the gospel. The proselytes in turn gave him access into the Gentile community.
Reference: Pircilli, Robert. Paul the Apostle. (pp. 76-77)
1. Preach to Jews (and proselytes), using the synagogue (if there was one) as long as tolerated there, resulting in faith in Jesus on the part of many, though never a majority.
2. The inevitable ostracism form the synagogue and "turning to the Gentiles," drawing believers from Jews and heathen Gentiles into their own assemblies.
3. Suffering at the hands of unbelievers, usually stirred up by hostile Jews.
While there may be some variation, these three elements characterize Paul's approach to evangelism in almost every city he entered. The principle exception would be in a place where there were few Jews.
The method was very practical. The Jewish population provided Paul a ready-made contact with people of his own background, whom he could appeal to on common ground. The synagogue gave him contact with Gentile proselytes to Judaism, an especially fruitful soil for the gospel. The proselytes in turn gave him access into the Gentile community.
Reference: Pircilli, Robert. Paul the Apostle. (pp. 76-77)
Class 4 Questions: First Missionary Journey, Part 1
To set the scene for Acts 13, list at least three historical events recorded in the chapter.
READ ACTS 13:1-12
According to ACTS 13:4 who sent Saul and Barnabas on their way?
What role did Simeon, Lucius, and Manaen play in sending Saul and Barnabas?
Why do you think Paul called the Jewish sorcerer a “child of the devil”?
How is calling Bar-Jesus “a child of the devil” a play on words?
READ ACTS 13:13-43
Arrange Paul’s sermon to the Jews in Pisidian Antioch (not the Antioch where believers were first called Christians) into good news and bad news:
How would you characterize the response to Paul’s sermon?
What did Paul and Barnabas urge the believers to do (ACTS 13:43)?
READ ACTS 13:44-52
What motivated a number of Jews to oppose Paul and Barnabas?
In what three ways did the Gentiles respond when Paul and Barnabas turned to them?
What evidence can you find in these verses to support the belief that Satan, the one ultimately behind every opposition to the gospel, wants people of great influence on his side?
Look back through ACTS 13 and list all the places Paul went:
READ ACTS 13:1-12
According to ACTS 13:4 who sent Saul and Barnabas on their way?
What role did Simeon, Lucius, and Manaen play in sending Saul and Barnabas?
Why do you think Paul called the Jewish sorcerer a “child of the devil”?
How is calling Bar-Jesus “a child of the devil” a play on words?
READ ACTS 13:13-43
Arrange Paul’s sermon to the Jews in Pisidian Antioch (not the Antioch where believers were first called Christians) into good news and bad news:
How would you characterize the response to Paul’s sermon?
What did Paul and Barnabas urge the believers to do (ACTS 13:43)?
READ ACTS 13:44-52
What motivated a number of Jews to oppose Paul and Barnabas?
In what three ways did the Gentiles respond when Paul and Barnabas turned to them?
What evidence can you find in these verses to support the belief that Satan, the one ultimately behind every opposition to the gospel, wants people of great influence on his side?
Look back through ACTS 13 and list all the places Paul went:
Class 3 Questions: Persecutor to Preacher
Compare Luke’s version in ACTS 9:19-30 with Paul’s own version in GALATIANS 1:14-18. Number the following events in chronological order.
__ Grecian Jews in Jerusalem tried to kill Saul.
__ Saul began preaching in the Damascus synagogues.
__ Saul went to Arabia and later returned to Damascus.
__ The brothers sent him off to Tarsus.
__ The brothers got him out of Damascus in a basket.
__ Barnabas brought Saul to the frightened apostles.
__ Saul traveled to Jerusalem but was rejected by the disciples there.
How long did Saul stay in Damascus and Arabia after his conversion (GAL 1:17-18)?
Why do you think he went to Arabia? *
When Saul arrives in Jerusalem how do the disciples react (ACTS 9:26-27)? Who reacted differently?
What was Barnabas’ original name (ACTS 4:36-37)? Who renamed him and why this particular new name?
The root of the word encouragement is courage. What does courage have to do with encouragement?
In ACTS 9:26-28 what were the results of his encouragement? What about in ACTS 11:22-24?
With whom did Saul stay for 15 days after he arrived in Jerusalem (GAL 1:18)? Why do you think he chose to stay with him?
Compare and contrast Peter and Paul. (Think about their backgrounds, heritage, encounters with Christ, ministries…).
ACTS 22:17-21 describes the Lord’s vision to Paul instructing him how to respond to the danger he was in. What was Paul’s protest? Why do you think he protests?
After he was rescued from death threats he was sent away to Tarsus. We can’t be sure how long he was there, but it was probably about five to eight years. Many conclude that the trials referred to in 2 CORINTHIANS 1:23-27 took place during this period. Why? *
Based on ACTS 11:19-30 what caused the gospel to reach as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch?
__ Grecian Jews in Jerusalem tried to kill Saul.
__ Saul began preaching in the Damascus synagogues.
__ Saul went to Arabia and later returned to Damascus.
__ The brothers sent him off to Tarsus.
__ The brothers got him out of Damascus in a basket.
__ Barnabas brought Saul to the frightened apostles.
__ Saul traveled to Jerusalem but was rejected by the disciples there.
How long did Saul stay in Damascus and Arabia after his conversion (GAL 1:17-18)?
Why do you think he went to Arabia? *
When Saul arrives in Jerusalem how do the disciples react (ACTS 9:26-27)? Who reacted differently?
What was Barnabas’ original name (ACTS 4:36-37)? Who renamed him and why this particular new name?
The root of the word encouragement is courage. What does courage have to do with encouragement?
In ACTS 9:26-28 what were the results of his encouragement? What about in ACTS 11:22-24?
With whom did Saul stay for 15 days after he arrived in Jerusalem (GAL 1:18)? Why do you think he chose to stay with him?
Compare and contrast Peter and Paul. (Think about their backgrounds, heritage, encounters with Christ, ministries…).
ACTS 22:17-21 describes the Lord’s vision to Paul instructing him how to respond to the danger he was in. What was Paul’s protest? Why do you think he protests?
After he was rescued from death threats he was sent away to Tarsus. We can’t be sure how long he was there, but it was probably about five to eight years. Many conclude that the trials referred to in 2 CORINTHIANS 1:23-27 took place during this period. Why? *
Based on ACTS 11:19-30 what caused the gospel to reach as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch?
Why do you think he went to Arabia? *
Whenever the Bible remains silent on a subject, scholars and theologians love to fill in holes with theories. Here are a few possibilities why Paul went to Arabia.
1. Early church fathers believed Saul traveled there as a missionary, brining the Gospel to a group of desert dwellers. If so he probably went to a populated area of Mesopotamia, east of Damascus.
2. Some scholars propose that Saul fled to Arabia to protect himself from Jewish leaders who, having heard of his newfound faith, wanted to nip it in the bud.
3. Many believe that for close to three years Saul lived somewhere in the desert, cut-off from his former manner of life—in solitude, quietness, and obscurity. He might even have gone to the wilderness of Sinai. If he had ever been addicted to popularity, he lost the urge to pursue it during those years in the desert. If at one time he had become enamored with his own spiritual significance, that pride melted away in God’s presence.
Reference: Paul: A Man of Grace and Grit & Paul The Apostle
1. Early church fathers believed Saul traveled there as a missionary, brining the Gospel to a group of desert dwellers. If so he probably went to a populated area of Mesopotamia, east of Damascus.
2. Some scholars propose that Saul fled to Arabia to protect himself from Jewish leaders who, having heard of his newfound faith, wanted to nip it in the bud.
3. Many believe that for close to three years Saul lived somewhere in the desert, cut-off from his former manner of life—in solitude, quietness, and obscurity. He might even have gone to the wilderness of Sinai. If he had ever been addicted to popularity, he lost the urge to pursue it during those years in the desert. If at one time he had become enamored with his own spiritual significance, that pride melted away in God’s presence.
Reference: Paul: A Man of Grace and Grit & Paul The Apostle
After he was rescued from death threats he was sent away to Tarsus. We can’t be sure how long he was there, but it was probably about five to eight years. Many conclude that the trials referred to in 2 CORINTHIANS 11:23-27 took place during this period. Why? *
“We can be fairly sure that some of the trials referred to in 2 Corinthians 11:23-17 took place during this period, mainly because the ministry that is described in Acts does not accommodate all of them. There Paul mentions, for example, five lashings at the Jews’ hands (v. 24), none of which is described elsewhere in Acts. Such lashings were a common form of synagogue discipline. No double Paul made persistent efforts in the synagogues in his home area to turn his hearers to faith in Jesus as Messiah and Redeemer, and no doubt he was subjected to discipline for his efforts.”
Excerpt from Paul The Apostle, Robert E. Picirilli (p. 60)
Excerpt from Paul The Apostle, Robert E. Picirilli (p. 60)
Class 2 Questions: Stephen and Saul
1. How does ACTS 6:5-15 describe Stephen?
2. Read the charges Stephen made against the Jewish leaders in verses Acts 7:51-53. What do you think he meant by the following terms?
• Stiff-necked
• Uncircumcised hearts
• Uncircumcised ears
3. The Bible mentions Saul for the first time in ACTS 7:58. How is he first introduced in Scripture?
4. Why do you think Stephen did not want the sins of his executioners held against them?
5. How does ACTS 8:1 prove Saul was no innocent bystander?
6. Compare and contrast Saul and Stephen. *
Read ACTS 9:1-9, 17-19; 26:9-18.
7. Compare ACTS 9:1 to ACTS 26:9. How could these verses support the statement: “A person can be sincere in his beliefs yet be sincerely wrong”?
8. Why was Saul going to Damascus that eventful day? *
9. How did Saul describe the light from heaven?
10. What conclusions can you draw from Christ’s words “persecute me”?
11. Why did Christ appear to Saul? List every reason given.
12. What might be several reasons why Christ struck Saul blind? Think in terms of physical reasons, spiritual reasons, and even emotional impact.
Read ACTS 9:10-31
13. The Lord told Ananias he would find Saul at a certain house praying. What do you think Saul may have been praying about?
14. In a word, how would you describe Ananias’ initial response to God’s instruction?
15. What was Saul’s first action after he regained his sight?
16. Saul began preaching in Damascus. What was his message?
2. Read the charges Stephen made against the Jewish leaders in verses Acts 7:51-53. What do you think he meant by the following terms?
• Stiff-necked
• Uncircumcised hearts
• Uncircumcised ears
3. The Bible mentions Saul for the first time in ACTS 7:58. How is he first introduced in Scripture?
4. Why do you think Stephen did not want the sins of his executioners held against them?
5. How does ACTS 8:1 prove Saul was no innocent bystander?
6. Compare and contrast Saul and Stephen. *
Read ACTS 9:1-9, 17-19; 26:9-18.
7. Compare ACTS 9:1 to ACTS 26:9. How could these verses support the statement: “A person can be sincere in his beliefs yet be sincerely wrong”?
8. Why was Saul going to Damascus that eventful day? *
9. How did Saul describe the light from heaven?
10. What conclusions can you draw from Christ’s words “persecute me”?
11. Why did Christ appear to Saul? List every reason given.
12. What might be several reasons why Christ struck Saul blind? Think in terms of physical reasons, spiritual reasons, and even emotional impact.
Read ACTS 9:10-31
13. The Lord told Ananias he would find Saul at a certain house praying. What do you think Saul may have been praying about?
14. In a word, how would you describe Ananias’ initial response to God’s instruction?
15. What was Saul’s first action after he regained his sight?
16. Saul began preaching in Damascus. What was his message?
Class 2: Question 6. Compare and contrast Saul and Stephen
The following is an excerpt from John Pollock's biography on Paul, The Apostle: A Life of Paul. Note that it is written as a biography not a textual study.
“Stephen and Paul were probably about the same age – the Greek word translated “young man,” denotes a male between youth and forty. Stephen’s birthplace is unknown, for Jews from Egypt and elsewhere used the same synagogue as Cilicians, but he spoke Greek as fluently as Aramaic. Both men were quick thinkers, powerful minds, able controversialists. No tradition remains of Stephen’s physique, but though Paul is believed to have been short, he held himself well enough to stand out in a crowd. His face was rather oval with beetling eyebrows, and fleshy from good living. He had a black beard, since Jews scored the Roman taste for shaving, and his clue-fringed robe and the amulet strapped to a turban-like headdress displayed his pride in being a Pharisee. As he strode about the Temple courts, he disclosed arrogance inevitable in a man whose ancestors and actions made him feel important. He carried out faithfully the unending cycle of ritual cleansings of platters and cups and of his own person. He kept the weekly fasts – between sunrise and sunset—and said the daily prayers in exact progression and number. He knew what was due to him: respectful greetings, high precedence, a prominent seat in the synagogue. Deep down in his character lay a vein of compassion, but he believed that a good man should keep away from bad men. Paul would have approved the Pharisee who, on seeing Jesus allow a prostitute to wash His feet with her tears…, took it as proof that the man could be no prophet...
Stephen, on the other hand, spent much of his time in doling food and necessities to widows. In the two years since the execution of Jesus, the holy city had become pervaded with those who believed that He had risen from the dead. Most were nondescript and poor. Many lived in communal groups and all of them shared their resources. When Greek-speaking disciples complained that widows were being neglected, Stephen and six others were chose to undertake routine daily distribution of food.
Paul was disturbed that a man of Stephen’s academic caliber should demean himself in social concerns; and irked that, while his own affairs absorbed him, Stephen should go around bringing happiness. Men respected but feared Paul; the respected Stephen and loved him. When Stephen preached, Paul could not fail to discern the gulf between them: Stephen always turned the Scriptures in the direction of Jesus as the Deliverer or Messiah … and proved his point by citing the evidence of eyewitnesses that, incredible as it seemed, a corpse had come to life again and climbed out of the grave…
Paul considered Stephen’s arguments nonsense. The Christ had not come yet. And the way to God was fixed forever: a man must belong to God’s chosen people the Jews, and try to obey the Law… Paul felt no personal concern, knowing his own goodness, but he recognized Stephen’s contentions as dangerous. Gamaliel had advised toleration; Simon Peter and other disciples of Jesus worshiped at the Temple and continued to obey the Law. But Paul saw, as Stephen saw, that the old and the new were incompatible; man was saved either by the Temple sacrifices and obeying the Law, or by faith in Jesus. The old must destroy the new or be destroyed.”
Pollock, John. The Apostle: A Life of Paul. pp. 20-22
“Stephen and Paul were probably about the same age – the Greek word translated “young man,” denotes a male between youth and forty. Stephen’s birthplace is unknown, for Jews from Egypt and elsewhere used the same synagogue as Cilicians, but he spoke Greek as fluently as Aramaic. Both men were quick thinkers, powerful minds, able controversialists. No tradition remains of Stephen’s physique, but though Paul is believed to have been short, he held himself well enough to stand out in a crowd. His face was rather oval with beetling eyebrows, and fleshy from good living. He had a black beard, since Jews scored the Roman taste for shaving, and his clue-fringed robe and the amulet strapped to a turban-like headdress displayed his pride in being a Pharisee. As he strode about the Temple courts, he disclosed arrogance inevitable in a man whose ancestors and actions made him feel important. He carried out faithfully the unending cycle of ritual cleansings of platters and cups and of his own person. He kept the weekly fasts – between sunrise and sunset—and said the daily prayers in exact progression and number. He knew what was due to him: respectful greetings, high precedence, a prominent seat in the synagogue. Deep down in his character lay a vein of compassion, but he believed that a good man should keep away from bad men. Paul would have approved the Pharisee who, on seeing Jesus allow a prostitute to wash His feet with her tears…, took it as proof that the man could be no prophet...
Stephen, on the other hand, spent much of his time in doling food and necessities to widows. In the two years since the execution of Jesus, the holy city had become pervaded with those who believed that He had risen from the dead. Most were nondescript and poor. Many lived in communal groups and all of them shared their resources. When Greek-speaking disciples complained that widows were being neglected, Stephen and six others were chose to undertake routine daily distribution of food.
Paul was disturbed that a man of Stephen’s academic caliber should demean himself in social concerns; and irked that, while his own affairs absorbed him, Stephen should go around bringing happiness. Men respected but feared Paul; the respected Stephen and loved him. When Stephen preached, Paul could not fail to discern the gulf between them: Stephen always turned the Scriptures in the direction of Jesus as the Deliverer or Messiah … and proved his point by citing the evidence of eyewitnesses that, incredible as it seemed, a corpse had come to life again and climbed out of the grave…
Paul considered Stephen’s arguments nonsense. The Christ had not come yet. And the way to God was fixed forever: a man must belong to God’s chosen people the Jews, and try to obey the Law… Paul felt no personal concern, knowing his own goodness, but he recognized Stephen’s contentions as dangerous. Gamaliel had advised toleration; Simon Peter and other disciples of Jesus worshiped at the Temple and continued to obey the Law. But Paul saw, as Stephen saw, that the old and the new were incompatible; man was saved either by the Temple sacrifices and obeying the Law, or by faith in Jesus. The old must destroy the new or be destroyed.”
Pollock, John. The Apostle: A Life of Paul. pp. 20-22
Class 2 Question 8. Why was Saul going to Damascus?
By Acts 9, Saul's blood is boiling. He's on a murderous rampage toward Damascus. The scene opens as "Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem" (Acts 9:1-2)
Why Damascus? Saul had determined to go to the farthest extreme in his mission to apprehend followers of the Way. Over one hundred miles north of Jerusalem, the journey to Damascus was no small undertaking. To Saul the trip would pay off in spades, though. According to Josephus, at one point in history ten thousand Jews were massacred in Damascus - hard evidence that at certain times a significant number of Jewish people lived in the city. Saul was certain that many Jewish turncoats had fled to seek refuge in far away Damascus. He devised an aggressive plan to capture these infidels and drag them to court.
Reference: Paul: A Man of Grace and Grit
Why Damascus? Saul had determined to go to the farthest extreme in his mission to apprehend followers of the Way. Over one hundred miles north of Jerusalem, the journey to Damascus was no small undertaking. To Saul the trip would pay off in spades, though. According to Josephus, at one point in history ten thousand Jews were massacred in Damascus - hard evidence that at certain times a significant number of Jewish people lived in the city. Saul was certain that many Jewish turncoats had fled to seek refuge in far away Damascus. He devised an aggressive plan to capture these infidels and drag them to court.
Reference: Paul: A Man of Grace and Grit
Class 1 Questions: Background
1. What did Paul mean when he said he was “set apart from birth” in GAL 1:15?
2. As a son of a Pharisee, Saul was certainly reared as closely to the letter of the law as possible. The apostle described his home life in very few words in PHIL 3:5. In what ways did he specifically describe his heritage.
3. What are a few ways the ancient Hebrew home emphasized Scripture in the life of a young boy? *
4. How would you describe Saul’s training in Jerusalem? *
5. MATTHEW 23 is an entire chapter addressed to the teachers of the law and Pharisees. Read the chapter and compile a list of specific ways Jesus described the same people Saul encountered during his training in Jerusalem. Note both the verse and description.
6. After the day of Pentecost, recorded in ACTS 2, what was Jerusalem like (ACTS 3-5)?
7. How did Gamaliel respond to the apostles’ activity (ACTS 5:33-38)?
2. As a son of a Pharisee, Saul was certainly reared as closely to the letter of the law as possible. The apostle described his home life in very few words in PHIL 3:5. In what ways did he specifically describe his heritage.
3. What are a few ways the ancient Hebrew home emphasized Scripture in the life of a young boy? *
4. How would you describe Saul’s training in Jerusalem? *
5. MATTHEW 23 is an entire chapter addressed to the teachers of the law and Pharisees. Read the chapter and compile a list of specific ways Jesus described the same people Saul encountered during his training in Jerusalem. Note both the verse and description.
6. After the day of Pentecost, recorded in ACTS 2, what was Jerusalem like (ACTS 3-5)?
7. How did Gamaliel respond to the apostles’ activity (ACTS 5:33-38)?
Class 1: Question 3. What are a few ways the ancient Hebrew home emphasized Scripture in the life of a young boy?
In Philippians 3:5 Paul described himself as “a Hebrew of Hebrews.” A Jew would have known exactly what he meant. Virtually nothing but Jewish influence touched him in his early childhood. Unlike the typical family today, the father assumed primary responsibility for training the child. The Code of Jewish Law states, “It is the duty of every father to train his children in the practice of all the precepts, whether Biblical or Rabbinical…It is also incumbent upon the father to guard his children against any forbidden act” (Code, IV, p. 47). As a Pharisee, Saul’s father would have assumed his responsibility with great sobriety. We may have to fight the temptation to automatically attach a negative connotation to the term Pharisee. Read F.B. Meyer’s description:“The word Pharisee is a synonym for religious pride and hypocrisy; but we must never forget that in those old Jewish days the Pharisee represented some of the noblest traditions of the Hebrew people. Amid the prevailing indifference the Pharisees stood for a strict religious life…Amid the lax morals of the time, which infected Jerusalem almost as much as Rome, the Pharisee was austere in his ideals, and holy in life.” *
Some gave the Pharisees a bad name, just as some Christians give Christianity a bad name. Saul’s father was not likely one of them, although a number of scholars wonder if he might have been excessively strict, based on the apostle’s words in Ephesians 4:6.
Jewish parents considered children the utmost blessing from God and loved them dearly. The ancient historian Josephus said of the Jew, “We lay greater stress on the training of the children than on anything else, and regard observance of the Law and a corresponding godly life as the most important of all duties.” Although young Saul grew up in a very strict home, he likely enjoyed the utmost devotion of his father to his godly upbringing.
The rabbinic laws taught father to begin teaching their children the ways of God from the earliest understanding. As little more than a toddler, Saul learned to say the Schmone-Ezre – the primary prayers of the Jews – morning, noon, and night. He learned to prayer before and after every meal. He actively participated in the traditional feasts as soon as he could talk. A child of normal intelligence read Scriptures by five years of age. At six years old Saul began his education at the school of a rabbi. These schools were ordinarily attached to the community synagogue. The Jewish population was large enough to have at least one active synagogue in Tarsus. Lessons were tedious and teachers were strict, but Jewish children were rarely caught roaming the streets.
Soon after his sixth birthday, Paul would have memorized Deuteronomy 6:4-9, the words on the tiny scroll inside the Mesusah on the doorway of his home. Far more impressively, he also memorized Psalms 113-118! Imagine all six Psalms being seared into you as a child. Being a Hebrew wasn’t just a religion. Judaism wasn’t even just a way of life. Being Hebrew defined who you were, how you thought, what you felt. By the time Saul was 10 years old. He would have known the intricacies of the oral law. Young Saul’s mind was thoroughly stretched with constant memorization. He had little choice but to “meditate on the law both day and night” just to prepare for the following days lessons.
The years between 10 and 13 are transforming for any boy, but a particular metamorphosis took place in a Jewish boy’s life. By age 13, for all practical purposes, he was considered a man. Once he reached this gateway he was considered a son of the law. He assumed all the religious responsibilities of the adult Jew. He started wearing phylacteries, called tefflin, during weekday morning prayers. Phylacteries were two black leather cubes with long leather straps. The cubes held certain passages from the Torah written on strips of parchment. Saul wore one of the cubes on the left arm facing his heart wound exactly seven times. The other cube was worn in the center of his forehead.
The Code of Jewish Law prescribed that a Jewish man (13 years or older) was to put on the tefflin at the first moment in the morning when enough daylight shone to recognize a neighbor at a distance of four cubits (Code, I, p. 27). Saul would have performed this ritual in complete silence. If interrupted for even a moment, he would have to start all over, repeating the appropriate benedictions. A Jewish man got up every morning remembering to whom he belonged; the binding tefflin a physical reminder of his binding relationship to God. The law of the Lord was Saul’s life. *
* Excerpts from To Live Is Christ and The Life of Paul
Class 1: Question 4. How would you describe Paul's training in Jerusalem?
Although Saul’s education in the home of a Pharisee was probably typical, his response was not. Saul was an exceptional student, so exceptional he was accepted to one of the most prestigious boarding schools around, and it was set in Jerusalem – the fountain of Jewish learning.
Like any 13-year-old boy (or “man”) moving so far from home, he was probably scared to death and at the same time excited. All his life Saul heard about Jerusalem. His father had probably been there often, making the annual pilgrimage for the three feasts. A proper Pharisee traveled to Jerusalem to attend the Passover feast. Saul most likely stayed home to tend to the family affairs. I can only imagine the anticipation he must have felt just before his life-changing journey.
Then once there he was able to actually see with his own eyes the walls, palaces, busy streets, and magnificent buildings including the temple. Saul later wore in Ephesians 2:14 of a “middle wall of separation”. Here Paul was not simply referring to a figurative wall of partition. He was referring to the imposing wall on the temple grounds, a literal wall of partition, which forbade access of the defining heathen from entering the inner sanctuaries of the house of God. Consider the contrasting picture of Saul now and Paul later.
Within days, Saul took a seat in one of the most impressive classrooms in the entire Jewish world. His esteemed teacher was the rabbi Gamaliel, grandson of the great Hillel. Gamaliel continues to be so highly respected in Judaism that he is referred to as “the beauty of the law.” At the feet of this fragile, gentle teacher Paul learned to dissect a text until scores of possible meanings were disclosed according to the considered opinion of generations of rabbis. Paul learned to debate in question-and-answer style known in the ancient world as the "diatribe," and to expound. A rabbi was not only part preacher but part lawyer, who prosecuted or defended those who broke the sacred Law. About 1,000 students populated the rabbinical school, also called the House of Interpretation, during Saul’s studies in Jerusalem.
Gamaliel was almost liberal in comparison to many of his contemporaries. Large-hearted, wise and open-minded, he had been raised on the teachings of his grandfather, Hillel, whose words often had remarkable similarities to The Rabbi, Jesus. An excerpt from Hillel’s teachings: “Judge not thy neighbour until thou are in his place; … my abasement is my exaltation; he who wishes to make a name for himself loses his name; … what is unpleasant to thyself that do not to thy neighbour; this is the whole Law, all else is but its exposition.”
Saul spent five of the most critical years of his life in Jerusalem. He experienced the Holy City during some of its most prosperous and thriving years. Here his childhood dreams came true. He became a rabbi. The son of a Pharisee became a Pharisee. Decades later, when he wrote his first letter to the Corinthians, he may have looked back over all those years of learning, the hundreds of debates, the trivial arguments and reflected on the unimportance of it all (1 Corinthians 8:1-3).
Notice, that nothing in Saul’s life would be a waste unless he refused to let God use it. All Saul’s religious training, his countless hours spent in Scripture and study, his brilliance in spiritual matters would all be a part of God’s plan.
References: To Live Is Christ and The Apostle: A Life of Paul
Like any 13-year-old boy (or “man”) moving so far from home, he was probably scared to death and at the same time excited. All his life Saul heard about Jerusalem. His father had probably been there often, making the annual pilgrimage for the three feasts. A proper Pharisee traveled to Jerusalem to attend the Passover feast. Saul most likely stayed home to tend to the family affairs. I can only imagine the anticipation he must have felt just before his life-changing journey.
Then once there he was able to actually see with his own eyes the walls, palaces, busy streets, and magnificent buildings including the temple. Saul later wore in Ephesians 2:14 of a “middle wall of separation”. Here Paul was not simply referring to a figurative wall of partition. He was referring to the imposing wall on the temple grounds, a literal wall of partition, which forbade access of the defining heathen from entering the inner sanctuaries of the house of God. Consider the contrasting picture of Saul now and Paul later.
Within days, Saul took a seat in one of the most impressive classrooms in the entire Jewish world. His esteemed teacher was the rabbi Gamaliel, grandson of the great Hillel. Gamaliel continues to be so highly respected in Judaism that he is referred to as “the beauty of the law.” At the feet of this fragile, gentle teacher Paul learned to dissect a text until scores of possible meanings were disclosed according to the considered opinion of generations of rabbis. Paul learned to debate in question-and-answer style known in the ancient world as the "diatribe," and to expound. A rabbi was not only part preacher but part lawyer, who prosecuted or defended those who broke the sacred Law. About 1,000 students populated the rabbinical school, also called the House of Interpretation, during Saul’s studies in Jerusalem.
Gamaliel was almost liberal in comparison to many of his contemporaries. Large-hearted, wise and open-minded, he had been raised on the teachings of his grandfather, Hillel, whose words often had remarkable similarities to The Rabbi, Jesus. An excerpt from Hillel’s teachings: “Judge not thy neighbour until thou are in his place; … my abasement is my exaltation; he who wishes to make a name for himself loses his name; … what is unpleasant to thyself that do not to thy neighbour; this is the whole Law, all else is but its exposition.”
Saul spent five of the most critical years of his life in Jerusalem. He experienced the Holy City during some of its most prosperous and thriving years. Here his childhood dreams came true. He became a rabbi. The son of a Pharisee became a Pharisee. Decades later, when he wrote his first letter to the Corinthians, he may have looked back over all those years of learning, the hundreds of debates, the trivial arguments and reflected on the unimportance of it all (1 Corinthians 8:1-3).
Notice, that nothing in Saul’s life would be a waste unless he refused to let God use it. All Saul’s religious training, his countless hours spent in Scripture and study, his brilliance in spiritual matters would all be a part of God’s plan.
References: To Live Is Christ and The Apostle: A Life of Paul
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