Paul had been attacked by those in the temple who thought he had brought uncircumcised believers from the nations inside while he was bringing four Nazarite vow-takers into the temple at the end of their time. The Roman commander in Yerushalayim pulled Paul out of the melee, and Paul received permission to address the crowd. The gathering quietly listened to his talk until he mention that the “Righteous One,” i.e. Messiah, had sent Paul to give the good news of God to the nations.
Thought Questions
What did James ask Paul to do?
How did that request get Paul into trouble in the Temple?
Why did James want Paul to go to the Temple?
What does the Mishna tell us about the nazir?
How does it differ from what the book of Numbers tells us about the nazir?
How might contact with gentiles make a nazir unclean?
How does the Septuagint preserve the spirit of the text as well has the letter of the text?
Why could only certain people enter certain parts of the temple??What are the similarities between the vow of the high priest and the vow of the nazir?
How might the nazir vow be of use to believers today?
What sparked the riot?
What recent riot was on the Roman commander’s mind during this time?
How does the reference to the “Egyptian” give us a timeline of this incident?
Why is it important that Paul spoke to the crowd in Hebrew rather than Aramaic or Greek?
Who was Paul addressing?
How did the slanders against Paul and Stephen similar?
How does Paul start his defense?
Why is Paul giving his life’s testimony here?
Who was the “Righteous One” Paul saw?
When did Paul see the “Righteous One”?
What did He tell Paul do to?
Did Paul make a mistake by speaking the way he did?
Did Stephen make a mistake with his boldness?
What work did God accomplish through the bold truth of Stephen and Paul?
What is “walking in the way of God”?
Reader: Dave DeFever. Speaker: Jeff.