Last week we ended with Acts 21:36 where Paul was rescued by the Roman soldiers in the Temple courts, where the Jews wanted him killed.

Acts Lesson 33 Study Questions

1.    As Paul was about to be led into the barracks, he said to the commander: At first, the Roman commander thought that Paul was a _________, and was surprised that Paul was an __________ man and could speak Greek.

2.    Yet, he gave Paul permission to speak to the crowd, probably because he hoped that Paul’s speech might ______ the mob. At _______, it did quiet the people down.

3.    Paul’s particular call and ministry make these similarities especially striking, but we are called to follow after Jesus also. We shouldn’t be surprised when events in _____ lives are like events in ________ life. 

4.    However, Paul’s experience was obviously different in many ways, not the least of which was the manner in which he will make his ________ in the next chapter, while Jesus ________ to defend Himself before His accusers.

5.    “Paul gave a magnificent defense. He actually used the word ‘_________’ (Acts 22:1). In Greek it is the word ________, from which we get our word ‘apology.’ It refers to a formal defense of one’s past life or actions.” (Boice)

6.    Luke told the story of Paul’s conversion in Acts 9. After that, ______ told the story in some way at least ______ more times in the New Testament, each with its own intention.

7.    The will of the Lord be done: Paul’s companions – including Luke – came to the understanding that God’s ______ would be done. They came to trust that even if Paul was probably right, and even if he was wrong, God would _____ it.

8.    And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord: The elders in Jerusalem were thankful for what God was doing among the __________. They saw some of the Gentile converts with Paul and could tell of their genuine _____ for and commitment to Jesus.

9.    I persecuted this Way to the death: This was evidence of the zeal mentioned in the previous line. Paul was so energetic as a ___________ that he, in some cases, was responsible for the _______ of some followers of Jesus. Paul communicated to the crowd, “You tried to kill me, but I succeeded in killing many.” This had to be surprising news to many in the crowd.

10.    Suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me: Paul was a determined persecutor of Christians and Jesus until this heavenly _______ shone on him. It is as if Paul said: “I was just like you all, until I had an encounter with _______. 

11.    When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple: Paul told them about something that happened about 20 years before, when he had been a __________ of Jesus for 2 or 3 years. Even though he had been a Christian for a few years, yet he still came to Jerusalem to pray in the _________. 

12.    And they listened to him until this word: The crowd that had tried to kill Paul, and had then ________ intently to his whole sermon, erupted into rage over the saying of one word. That one word was “__________.”