Acts #18 – Study Questions
What is required to be a Christian?
Acts 15:1-35
INTRODUCTION: Acts 15 is about the reassertion and the working through of the principle already established in chapter 11, which concerns not a general or abstract point about tradition and innovation, but a very specific and concrete point which is central to the whole of early Christianity: precisely because God has fulfilled his covenant with Israel in sending Jesus as Messiah, the covenant family is now thrown open to all, without distinction. It isn’t a matter, it can’t be a matter, of belonging to one particular ethnic group, no matter how sacred, how chosen, how blessed with God’s presence and entrusted with carrying his promise to the world. It is time for that promise to be delivered, not kept as a private possession.[1] Just like those in the first century, we want to be whole. The brilliant truth of this passage is that we can be made whole through faith in Jesus. And, that gift of salvation, or being made whole, is a gift of grace from God through Jesus. So, there it is; we are made whole by grace.
GETTING STARTED – As you begin your time together, share an experience when you experienced grace. That is, you got something that you didn’t deserve. What happened, what did you deserve, and how did that experience change you?
IN THE WORD – Let’s dig back into the passage. It is important to strengthen our muscles in reading God’s Word. On Sunday, we walked through the passage in the sermon. Hopefully, that helped you to see the landmarks of the passage with fresh eyes. Now, with your group, go back through it and see what God is saying to you specifically.
First, before you read the passage, take a moment to ask God’s Spirit to quiet your mind and heart and to illuminate the text to you. Second, read the passage aloud to the group. Then, follow the simple method below. (O.P.A)
Observe: Make 8-10 observations from the passage. Pay close attention to observe and note repeated words and phrases, names, places, and themes.
Principles: From your list of observations, what patterns or big ideas do you see emerging? Can you distill it down into 2-4 big idea truths?
Apply: Moving from your list of principles, it is time to apply God’s Word. Remember, we believe that God’s Word is living and active and that it can change the way we live Monday- Friday. What is one tangible way to apply a truth from your list above?
[1] Tom Wright, Acts for Everyone, Part 2: Chapters 13-28 (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2008), 41.