Section #2: People

1. Describe Peters role in the book of acts. Describe his importance in the
earliest years of the church and describe what significant truth God gave him that changed the church forever.
Peters roll in the book of acts was as an apostle, he would share the gospel with the people and they would believe. At first peter would share the gospel only with the Jews thinking he was right, but God showed him a vision in which He told Peter that he cant call anyone impure or unclean, and Peter then understood that the word of God was for all peoples. And Peter recognized Paul as an apostle for gentiles. Peter was a great leader, and people would follow his beliefs. On the day of Pentecost, Peter and the disciples witnessed for the first time what the Holy Spirits baptism was. They also saw what looked like tongues of fire and they spoke in tongues, this was very significant to the church, because people would only know what Johns baptism was but after this all the people know that there is another kind of baptisms and both are necessary. Through Holy Spirits baptism you receive power, a gift from God, like to Peter and the other disciples it was speaking in tongues.

2. According to the book of Act, who is the Holy Spirit and what role
does he play in the life of the church?
According to Acts the Holy Spirit is God himself and he was sent for two main things, to gave us power and give us power to testify, give us power to send us with signals and miracles so that people believe and to guide us to all the truth. Like in Acts 2:2-4 when the Holy Spirit comes upon them on the day of Pentecost, and where you see how the Holy Spirit sends power and by his power the people receive power and speak in tongues. Acts 2:17-2 In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. Here the Holy Spirit shows us on a prophecy what he will do for the rest of his day and another thing that the Holy Spirit does is he delivers messages so he also is a deliverer of messages and of the truth.

3. Who is Barnabas and why is he important in the history of the early

church? Include a brief summary of his story in Acts.

According to Acts 11:24 Barnabas: He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. Thats why they chose him to share the gospel in Antioch. With Barnabass speeches, many more people became saved. Barnabas was very important because he also went with Paul to his first missionary journey. Barnabas was a nice man for we also see in Acts how he sold his land and the money he received from this; he shared it all with the poor and people with needs. Acts 13:1-3: Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. The Holy Spirit set Him apart because He had prepared something for him to do. Barnabas and Paul, opened may churches in Asia and other provinces.

4. What kind of person was the Apostle Paul? Describe his character and
support your claims from the book of Acts.
Apostle Paul was an educated man, straight, a Pharisee, educated, brought up at the feet of Gamaliel (who was the high priest and very clever) was also a citizen of Rome, of strong character and firm, was a man of strong convictions, resolute, courageous taught his disciples q death was gain, and that he is willing to die for the gospel. Acts 21:13-14: Then Paul answered, Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, The Lords will be done. Paul was an excellent speaker and very articulate behaved before kings and such people like Agrippa and his wife together with leaders of the people and this we can see in Acts 26:1-10

Section #3 People
Directions: provide at least three examples of these themes form the book of Acts.

Major Themes:

1. Holy Spirit: the work of the Holy Spirit to challenge, encourage and equip the Body of Christ.
Acts 2:18-20: Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those
days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

Acts 1:6-11: "So when they met together, they asked him, 'Lord, are you at this time going to
restore the kingdom to Israel? He said to them: 'It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.' After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 'Men of Galilee,' they said, 'why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.'"

Acts 2:1-4: "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a
sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."

2. Evangelism: The work of the church to proclaim the gospel of the resurrection of Jesus and the Kingdom of God. Acts 2:40-42: With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, Save
yourselves from this corrupt generation. Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Acts 16:30-33: He then brought them out and asked, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
They replied, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be savedyou and your household. Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.

Acts 4:4: But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed
grew to about five thousand.

Minor Themes:

1. Fellowship: The community life of the church.

Acts 13:14: From Perga they went Together on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they
entered the synagogue and sat down, so together they went on the trip.

Acts 19:28-31: When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: Great is
Artemis of the Ephesians! Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Pauls traveling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed into the theater together. Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater. (Paul was defending his friends and he stood up for them but they did not let him)

Acts 2:1: When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together unanimous with the same
feelings in one place.

2. OT Prophecy: the use of the Hebrew Bible for teaching.

Acts 21:11: Coming over to us, he took Pauls belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and
said, The Holy Spirit says, In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.

Acts 2:16-17: No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:In the last days, God says, I
will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

Acts 1:20: For, said Peter, it is written in the Book of Psalms: May his place be
deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it, and, May another take his place of leadership.

3. Prayer: the use of prayer in the life of the church.

Acts 4:31: After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were
all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Acts 14:23: Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and
fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.

Acts 16:25: About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the
other prisoners were listening to them.

4. Unity: Breaking down of human barriers such as gender, language,

culture, race and class. Acts 8:6-12: When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid
close attention to what he said. For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city. Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, This man is rightly called the Great Power of God. They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

Acts 17:11-12: Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in
Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

Acts 10:14-15: Surely not, Lord! Peter replied. I have never eaten anything impure or
unclean.The voice spoke to him a second time, Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.

5. Persecution: suffering for the gospel.

Acts 8:1: And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution broke out
against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

Acts 11:19: Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when
Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews.

Acts 13:50: But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the
leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.

6. Sovereignty: the power of God to shape human history

Acts 10:38: How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he
went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

Acts 20:32: Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up
and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Acts 2:2-4: Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled
the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.