Acts - Lesson 7

Acts 8

In Judea, Samaria, and Abroad

Objectives:

  1. The student can relate the growing persecution to Jesus' statement that his disciples would go into Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth.
  2. The student can describe Philip's preaching in Samaria and the outcome.
  3. The student can tell of the conversion of Simon, his sin, and his forgiveness.
  4. The student can tell of the conversion of the Ethiopian.

Preparation:

  1. Have Written Review No. 6 ready to distribute.
  2. Have Notes/Review sheets ready to distribute.
  3. Have Bibles and pens for all.

Theme:

Persecution scatters Christians and everywhere they go they continue to share their faith. Philip's conversion of Samaritans and a man from Ethiopia represent significant steps in the spread of the gospel.

Lesson Plan for Conducting Class

Introduction: (about 10 minutes)

  1. Check roll, welcome visitors, make necessary announcements.
  2. Review the last class by giving the answers to the Written Review.
  3. Prayer and songs as desired: We Have Heard the Joyful Sound; Send the Light; Shine, Jesus Shine.

Learning Experiences: (about 25 minutes)

  1. Growing Persecution. Q: Describe the continuing escalation of the persecution that comes on the church after the death of Stephen. (Also consult Acts 22:4; 26:10). Q: How do the Christians respond to this persecution? (Many of them flee Jerusalem but they continue to believe and to share their faith.)
  2. Philip to Samaria.
    1. Philip, one of the seven, goes to Samaria. Q: How did Jews feel about Samaritans? Q: Connect this with the story of Jesus in Sychar in Samaria (John 4).
    2. Q: What does Phillip do in Samaria? (Proclaims Christ [v. 5.] Does miracles [v. 6-7]. Preached the good news of the kingdom of God and name of Jesus Christ [v. 12].
    3. Q: As result of this preaching and working of miracles, how do the people of Samaria respond? (Believe and are baptized. Philip's preaching of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, then, included evidence on which to believe and the command to be baptized.) Q: Who is Simon and how does he respond to Phillip's preaching.
    4. Q: Who comes to check out the work? Q: What do they do? (We will study the various ways in which the Holy Spirit worked in the early church in Supplemental Lesson 9 when we have covered a little more in Acts.)
    5. Q: How does Simon sin? (In seeking to buy, not the power of the Holy Spirit, but in seeking to buy the apostolic power of giving the Holy Spirit to others.)
    6. Q: How does Peter describe Simon's spiritual condition? (Perishing, heart not right, in the bondage of sin.)
    7. Q: What does Peter tell Simon to do to get right with God? (Repent and pray. Note that Peter in no way indicates that there was anything wrong with Simon's original belief and baptism. More on this in the Supplemental Lesson.)
  3. Philip to the Ethiopian
    1. Q: Where does the Spirit next send Philip? (use map) 2.Q: Who is there, where has he been, and what is he doing?
    2. Read Acts 8:32-33. Q: How might Philip have begun with this Scripture and told the Ethiopian about Jesus?
    3. Q: What do we learn about baptism from this passage? (It was included in preaching Jesus, it was important, it was by immersion, it was a way those who heard about Jesus expected to respond, it is followed by rejoicing.)

Application: (about 5 minutes)

  1. Q: What lessons for our own lives should we learn from Philip's story. (Tell the story of Jesus wherever you go. Go beyond your own cultural and racial comfort zone to tell about Jesus.)
  2. Q: How would you connect chapter 8 to our five key ideas in Acts: Savior, Salvation, Saved, Spirit, Spread?

Evaluation:

  1. Prepare for the Written Review at the next lesson.

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