CHAPTERS 3-5

SUMMARY

In this Chapter we see ordinary men, untrained in the rabbinical schools, but full of the Holy Spirit, impact and influence Jerusalem more powerfully than the religious leaders of the time.

Jerusalem is the home of the religious leaders who believed that no good thing could come out of Jerusalem.

John 7:52

“They answered and said to him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.”

Meanwhile a group of Galilean fishermen who are full of the Holy Spirit preach that Jesus the Nazarene is Moses’s expected prophet and the patriarch’s hope, and they proclaim healing in His name. By the power of the Holy Spirit, they turn Jerusalem upside down.

Peter, who is untrained in Scripture or educated, frequently references Scripture to prove that Jesus is Messiah. God delights in using ordinary people to establish His desires on earth.

Ananias and Sapphira, a self-seeking, appearance-loving couple, attach themselves to the community. Their view of God doesn’t include Him as all-seeing, all-knowing, and involved in human affairs. Their lesson is hard but necessary one for the early church to learn- having God in their midst requires both transparency and reverence.

(Have the Pod read the first 2 chapters together, taking turns in reading. After Reading reflect on the questions below?)

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

By what power is the lame man healed?

How does Peter explain the healing to the crowd, and how do the people and the leaders respond?

How do the apostles and the church respond to the threats of the leaders?

What is God teaching His Church about prayer?

What plan do Ananias and Sapphira make, and how does God expose their plan?

What does this story teach us about God, Satan and the Holy Spirit?