Summary of what's going on in these chapters.
Chapter 1
Christ appearing to many for 40 days after his death. v3
Jesus promises power and the Holy Ghost. v5
Jesus taken up by a cloud. v9
Mathias chosen because the 'lot fell upon Mathias. v20-26
Chapter 2
Day of Pentecost where the Holy Ghost filled them. v1-13
Speaking in Tongues. v6-13
Peter testifies, prophesies & teaches repentance. 14-40
3,000 baptised. v41
Consecration. 44-47
Chapter 3
Peter & John heal a lame man. v1-11
Peter teaches the people that came out of temple marvelling at the lame mans healing. v12-26
Chapter 4
Peter & John aprehended. v3
5,000 from the temple 'believed'. v4
Peter & John boldly declaring that they healed the lame min in the name of Jesus. The council frustrated and unable to also deny the validity of their claim. v16
Commanded by the council not to teach in the name of Jesus. v18
Reply to put God 1st. v19
Law of consecration. v31
Chapter 5
Ananias & Sapphira. v1-11
Apostles teaching and healing. v12-16
Apostles aprehended. v18
Angel opened the doors for them. v19
High Priests went to fetch the apostles and found everything in place, except their prisoners. v20-24
Worthy to suffer shame for his name. v41
Ask the class what passages stood out to them.
What did you learn this week?
Points for discussion, in order that they appear in the chapters (roughly).
1:9 After my 1st listen of the chapters, what stood out to me the most was the saviour ascending up into heaven. He says when he comes again it will be in a similar manner. Then he descends about the same time in a similar manner to the Nephites in America.
Pentecost, 50 days following easter Sunday, which incidentally was passover. 7 weeks and one day. Whitsun or whitmon. The monday being a bank holiday. As of 1971, the bank holiday became the last Monday in May. If you are wondering where the name pentecost come from then look no further than a pentagon. A shape with 5 sides.
2:41, 47 I believe it also said that through the apostles teaching people were being converted daily. This got me thinking. Were people back then more religiously fluid? Moving from one faith to another, or were they just as staunch as we are today? If people didn't transition from faith to faith lightly, then this is a great thing.
3:1-11. V6. The lame man thought he needed money. He thought money was the answer to his problems. Maybe he thought this because it is reasonable to assume healing was not an option. What he really needed was faith in Jesus Christ.
3:13, 4:12 No other name. The holy 'One'. One. Not one of many.
5:1-11 Ananias & Sapphira. 'Keep back a part'. Liken to ourselves. Do we ever keep back a part? Do we ever give 9% tithe? Do we ever not count some income as income? Do we ever just give 75% of our effort? or less. Are we as a ward really giving 100%. What about the fast today, are you doing it properly? Or the reading of the book of Mormon Challenge as invited by Bishop last week? If we were, would we not see more miracles?
5:19 Miraculous escape from prison, similar to Alma & Amulek in the Book of Mormon.
5:42 ...in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
Consider reviewing the exact words peter taught. What was he teaching. Must have been good to convert 3,000 people. We could be guilty of focusing of irrelevant details.
2:14-40
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judæa, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
Or, in english.
-The Spirit, the Holy Ghost, will be 'poured out' to all people.
-With the spirit come gifts of prophesy & visions.
-Blood, Fire, Smoke, Darkened Sun are signs preceding his return.
-Salvation come through Him.
-Him, Jesus, who did miracles, who you crucified, He is Risen. He has power over death.
-Christ was prophesied/promised to come from David's ancestral line.
-What should we do when we feel a prompting?
-Repent & Be Baptised, in the name of Jesus and receive the Holy Ghost (AoF4).
Note the difference in Peter since his denial just a short while earlier.
3:12-26
12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?
13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.
14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
16 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
17 And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.
18 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
22 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
24 Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.
25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities
Or, in english.
-We cannot heal a man of our own power. We did this in the name of Jesus Christ.
-The same Jesus you crucified instead of a murderer.
-Repent and be converted and have your sins blotted out.
-All the holy prophets testified of his coming.
-Destruction awaits those that do not repent
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So many likenesses to the Book o Mormon
-Escape from Jail
-Testify with Soberness (not drunken Words)
-Filled with the spirit, missions and prophesy. Lehi right at the start of the Book of Mormon.
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