Stephen's Speech to the Sanhedrin  vs:1-50

I do not have the answers myself..and have to study this along with you!

 

1. Why do you feel Stephen called the religious leaders "brothers & fathers"? (vs.2)

2. How believable would that vision be if It also said you'd have children after you were 100?

3. How much faith would it take to continue to believe in God even after your family sold you into slavery?

4. How can slavery, prison and famine serve the purpose of a God who is loving?

5. From the time Moses knew his calling to the time he actually began, how much time elapsed?

6. If you were being forced to kill your children, why wouldn't you be interested in being led to freedom?

7. How old was Moses when he began to lead Israel?

8. Why would Moses risk his life, family and freedom to return to Egypt?

9. Who is Moses referring to in vs 37 by saying "a prophet like me"?

10. What does Stephen mean by saying, "he received living words to pass on to us"?

11. With all the miracles and having God visibly guiding them daily, what would cause Israel to reject Moses' leadership and want to return to Egypt? Can you think of any modern examples of the same thing? Can you think of any in your own life?

12. Why would people reject God who was obviously present and worship, instead, a piece of carved wood or molded metal?

13. Do you feel this behavior had more to do with how they felt about God or about themselves? Explain your answer with examples if you can.

 

Here are the questions for the rest of the chapter!Just take your time..Rome was not built in a day! I do not have the answers yet..I have to study for them myself along with you!

Stephen Stoned by the Sanhedrin, vs 51-60

1. Do you feel this tone of speech was meant to help the audience accept Jesus?

2. Have you seen people recently use a similar tone to "reach the lost"?

3. Who do you feel Stephen meant by the Righteous One?

4. Who was Stephen saying he saw standing at the right hand of God?

5. Why do you feel they reacted to Stephen's last statement like this?

6. Who is the young man, Saul, and why was it important that his agreement be recorded here?

7. Go back to Acts 1:8. How do you feel persecution works to promote God's will? Give present day examples.

8. What do you feel motivated Saul?

 

 

7. How old was Moses when he began to lead Israel?  Moses was 80 years old.

8. Why would Moses risk his life, family and freedom to return to Egypt?  Because he believed in God and the angel who was sent to him.

9. Who is Moses referring to in vs 37 by saying "a prophet like me?"  Moses was a prophet of his own people and he was referring to the prophecy of Jesus coming and becoming a prophet, too, among his own people.

10. What does Stephen mean by saying, "he received living words to pass on to us?"  Living words are the Words of God.  Moses was the mediator between God and man on Mt. Sinai.

11. With all the miracles and having God visibly guiding them daily, what would cause Israel to reject Moses' leadership and want to return to Egypt?  While Moses was on Mt. Sinai the people below were absent from the presence of God and turned to sin.  It's as the old saying goes, "While the cat's away the mice do play."  Plus, they hadn't been away from Egypt for very long, so the temptation of their old lives were still very close to them.  Can you think of any modern examples of the same thing?  Sure!  When children are out of their parent's range they turn to childish things and get into trouble.  Or when someone has an addiction that they are being counselled for and suddenly find themselves alone, they usually turn back to that addiction because there is no one to correct or counsel them.  Can you think of any in your own life?  I'm sure there are, but I can't think of any right now.

12. Why would people reject God who was obviously present and worship, instead, a piece of carved wood or molded metal?  Because it is a physical presence that they can touch and look at.

13. Do you feel this behavior had more to do with how they felt about God or about themselves? Explain your answer with examples if you can.  Probably both.  As stated in #11, the people weren't far from Egypt and from it for very long to forget the lives they led there so they weren't whole with God.  Moses was out of their presence for quite a while and they grew restless.  There was no one to keep them connected to God so they grew apart from Him.  Aaron, who was left behind to keep the people together, was a very poor leader.  He allowed them to make a god they could worship and when he realized his mistake he tried to remedy it by telling the people to worship God when they worshipped the calf, but it was too late....the people's hearts had turned away from God.  Thank goodness God had been keeping an eye on them and sent Moses back when He did.  He was actually very angry at the people and wanted to destroy the people, but Moses begged for God to have mercy and He did.  (Exodus 32).

 

 

 

We still have these questions that still need to be answered!

So after these we will start on the next chapter. God Bless You!!

Stephen Stoned by the Sanhedrin, vs 51-60

1. Do you feel this tone of speech was meant to help the audience accept Jesus?

2. Have you seen people recently use a similar tone to "reach the lost"?

3. Who do you feel Stephen meant by the Righteous One?

4. Who was Stephen saying he saw standing at the right hand of God?

5. Why do you feel they reacted to Stephen's last statement like this?

6. Who is the young man, Saul, and why was it important that his agreement be recorded here?

7. Go back to Acts 1:8. How do you feel persecution works to promote God's will? Give present day examples.

8. What do you feel motivated Saul?

 

 

2. Have you seen people recently use a similar tone to "reach the lost"?  Not that I can think of, but I suppose the tone must be used to chastise those who have turned against God to snap them out of their "sleepiness" as a Christian.

3. Who do you feel Stephen meant by the Righteous One?  Jesus, of course!

4. Who was Stephen saying he saw standing at the right hand of God?  The Son of Man.  Jesus used this title on himself 81 times as a Messianic title.  In Daniel 7:13-14 the title Son of Man is used as reference to the Messiah.  My bible notes state "He will be enthroned as ruler over the whole earth and his kingdom 'will never be destroyed,' whether on earth or in heaven."

5. Why do you feel they reacted to Stephen's last statement like this?  Well, for one thing, I think they were being led by Satan because "they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him" just as demons in hell do.  For another thing, I think that they were in denial that they actually killed the prophetized Son of God (Jesus) instead of believing Him and worshipping Him.  They were faced with their own ugly truth and didn't like it one bit.

6. Who is the young man, Saul, and why was it important that his agreement be recorded here?  Saul may have been in charge of Stephen's execution and his being mentioned in this chapter was Luke's way of introducing the main character of the second section of the book.

7. Go back to Acts 1:8. How do you feel persecution works to promote God's will? Give present day examples.  The persecution of Stephen made him a martyr in the name of God because he was filled with the Holy Spirit to reveal the Truth to all believers and non-believers.  Those who deny the Truth of God and are faced with martyr's like Stephen are exposed to the lies they have been living.  In present day, Christian's, it seems like, are persecuted everyday for their beliefs by those who follow Satan or are too blind to see the Truth.

8. What do you feel motivated Saul?  Perhaps he felt exhalted by the people who hold him in high esteem and he wanted the power by their approval.