ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

Chapter 24 - continued

(Paul's Trial Before Roman Governor Felix)

DAY ONE:

VERSE 14 What did Paul call the church at this time? ______________________________________

(See also Acts 9:2, pg. 119)

b. Where did the early Christians get this name? (See John 14:6, pg. 102) __________________________________

THOUGHT QUESTION: Paul intimated that this was not a sect, a denomination of the Jewish religion. Do you think we should have sects/denominations today? __________

VS. 17-19 Paul defended himself by saying

* He hadn't even been in Jerusalem for ________________ years.

* He was ceremonially ___________ in the Temple.

* There was no _______________ around him.

* The Jews from ______________ weren't even in court and they were the ones who brought the original charges.

VERSE 23 Felix ordered that Paul be put under house arrest, so that his ______________________ could come see him.

VERSE 24 A few days later, Felix heard Paul again, along with his wife ______________________ who was a Jewess.

NOTE: Josephus says Drusilla was sister of King Herod Agrippa II (see Acts 25:23, pg. 138).

While Felix was procurator of Judea, he saw this Drusilla, and fell in love with her; for she did indeed exceed all other women in beauty....and endeavored to persuade her to forsake her present husband, and marry him; and promised that if she would not refuse him, he would make her a happy woman....was prevailed upon to transgress the laws of her forefathers [divorce] and to marry Felix. Josephus goes on to say that their son was later killed when Mount Vesuvius erupted. Antiquities of the Jews, Book 20, 7:1-2

VERSE 26 Felix often sent for Paul, hoping Paul would offer him a _________________________.

NOTE: During Felix's second year as governor, Claudius Caesar died, poisoned by his wife Agrippina. Then her son by a previous marriage became Caesar. His name was NERO.

VERSE 27 This went on for ________________ years.

NOTE: During the time Paul was under house arrest, Felix was fighting with Jonathan, the current high priest, and one of Annus' sons. Jonathan had wanted Caesar to make him governor instead of Felix.

So Felix contrived a method whereby he might get rid of him....in the following manner: Certain of those robbers went up to the city, as if they were going to worship God, while they had daggers under their garments; and, by thus mingling themselves among the multitude, they slew Jonathan. Antiquities of the Jews, Book 20, 8:5

Further, the Jews and Syrians of Caesarea got into a bloody dispute over who was more important in Caesarea. The Jews claimed they were because Herod the Great, a Jew, had built the city. The Syrians claimed they were because a city had already existed there under a different name centuries before the Jews ever came to this country.

But when Felix saw that this quarrel was become a kind of war, he came upon them....and slew many of them, and took more of them alive, and permitted his soldiers to plunder.... Antiquities of the Jews, Book 20, 8:7

Chapter 25 - Pages 137 - 138

Paul's Trial Before the Roman Governor Festus

AD 60

VERSE 1 Who arrived in the province as the next governor? ______________________________

Josephus said Felix was replaced because the Jews accused him to killing them in Caesarea during their dispute with the Syrians:

Now when Festus was sent as successor to Felix by Nero, the [Jews] went up to Rome to accuse Felix; and he had certainly been brought to punishment, unless Nero had yielded to the [Felix's brother's]....solicitations. Antiquities of the Jews, Book 20, 8:8

DAY TWO:

VERSE 2 Festus went immediately to the Jewish headquarters in ___________________ to decide what to do with Paul, still in prison.

NOTE: By this time, Agrippa, King of all the Syrian and Palestine territories, had given the high priesthood to Ismael, and the priesthood got even worse:

And now arose a sedition between the high priests and the principal men of the multitude of Jerusalem ....The high priests had the hardness to send their servants into the thrashing-floors to take away those tithes that were due the priests [in the Law of Moses, but to be brought to the Temple, not seized in homes]; insomuch that it so fell out that the poorer sort of the priests died for want. To this degree did the violence of the seditious prevail over all right and justice. Antiquities of the Jews, Book 20, 8:8

VERSE 3 Why did the religious leaders want Paul transferred back to Jerusalem? ______________

_________________________________________________________________________

VERSE 9 When Festus got to Caesarea, he held a preliminary trial. Why did he decide to send Paul back to Jerusalem? __________________________

VERSE 11 Paul refused to go back to Jerusalem. Instead he used his right as a Roman citizens and said what? _____________________________

VERSE 12 What was Governor Festus' reply? _________________________________________________________________

VERSE 13 What king arrived a few days later to visit Festus? ___________________

NOTE: This King Herod Agrippa Jr. was the son of the Herod Agrippa Sr. whose death was described in Acts 12:19-23. He had been brought up with Claudius Caesar who had become emperor just a few years earlier. When his father died, he was only sixteen years old. The year Felix became governor (about fourteen years later), he was given the kingship over Palestine and Syria, with governors under him. (Antiquities of the Jews, Book 19, 9:1)

VERSE 18 Festus explained to King Agrippa that Paul's accusers did not accuse him of ____________________________

_________________________________________________________________________.

DAY THREE:

VS. 19-20 Festus realized the real cause of the charges against Paul involved their religion and a man named _______________ who Paul claimed _______________________________.

VERSE 23 Who accompanied King Agrippa during this entire visit with Festus? _______________

NOTE: Bernice was Agrippa's sister and a widow at this time. But as for Bernice, she lived a widow a long while after the death of Herod [king of Chalcis] who was both her husband and her uncle....But when the report went that she [was committing incest] with her brother, she persuaded...king of Cilicia [in Turkey] to be circumcised and to marry her....Yet did not this matrimony endure long; but Bernice left Polemo...and the Jewish religion. Antiquities of the Jews Book 20, 7:3

VERSE 25 Preliminary to Paul's defense of himself, Festus said Paul hadn't done anything deserving of _____________________.

VS. 26-27 Festus wanted King Agrippa's help in writing a _______________ to Nero Caesar because it was unreasonable to send him without specifying what? _________________

Chapter 26 - Pages 138 - 139

Paul's Trial Before Jewish/Roman King Agrippa

VERSE 4-5 Paul said his accusers had known him ______________________________.

NOTE: In Acts 22:3 (pg. 134), Paul said that, although born in Tarsus, he was brought up in Jerusalem, and had been trained by Gamaliel. Acts 5:34 (pg. 115) said Gamaliel was a member of the Sanhedrin. It was the Sanhedrin that was accusing Paul. Most of them had probably formerly been his friends.

VERSE 9-10 Paul admitted he'd formerly cast Christians (saints) into prison, and ______________________________________

____________________________ to put them to ___________________.

NOTE: This word translated "voice" in some versions and "vote" in some versions is from a Greek word meaning to speak out. For Paul to have been allowed a vote meant that apparently he had once been a member of the Sanhedrin himself, his former teacher (Gamaliel) being a senior member.

VS. 22-23 After Paul reviewed his own conversion, he said he wasn't teaching against the Jewish religion, but was just declaring that prophecies of their religion were fulfilled in who? ____________________?

b. He then declared that Jesus had done what? _________________________

DAY FOUR:

VERSE 24 Governor Festus interrupted at this point and told Paul he was what? _______________

VERSE 26 Paul told Festus he had no right to interrupt, because Paul had the right to ________________________________

_____________________________ to King Agrippa.

VERSE 28 King Agrippa replied what to Paul? ___________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

NOTE: The word in Greek translated "almost" or "shortly" indicates that he was close to becoming a Christian himself.

VERSE 32 King Agrippa told the governor what about Paul? ____________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 27 - Pages 139 - 140

Shipwreck on the Way to Rome

AD 61

VERSE 2 When the writer said "we" boarded the ship, that included Paul and at least one other person. Who would that be? __________________ (Remember Acts 1:1, pg. 110.)

VERSE 3 The ship landed at various ports, probably to pick up cargo and people. ______________, the centurion (in charge of 100 soldiers), allowed Paul to go ashore for what reason? ____________________________________________

VERSE 7-9 Why did the ship make such slow headway? __________________________________

NOTE: "The fast" referred to was the Day of Atonement. That was held in October. It was nearly too late in the season for ships to be at sea.

DAY FIVE:

VERSE 12 Although the ship captain considered wintering in the harbor of Fair Havens (see v. 8), what did the ship do and why? ______________________________________________

VS. 13-14 What happened to threaten the ship? __________________________________________

VERSE 16 What did the sailors have trouble getting on board the ship? _______________________

VERSE 17 What did the sailors do to try to hold the ship together? _________________________

VS. 18-19 What did they throw overboard to try to save the ship? __________________________

VERSE 20 What did everyone on board finally conclude? _________________________________

VERSE 27 How long did the storm last? ________________________________________________

DAY SIX:

VERSE 30 When they finally got close to shore somewhere, what did some of the sailors do and how did the soldiers respond?_____________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

VS. 33-38 Why did Paul urged everyone to eat? ________________________________________

b. Was he embarrassed to give thanks for the food in public?__________________

c. How many were on board? ________________

VS. 42-43 What did the soldiers want to do before leaving the remains of their ship? ________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

VERSE 44 How did people get to shore? ________________________________________________

Chapter 28 - Pages 140 - 141

Paul Arrives in Rome to be Tried by Nero

VERSE 1 They found out this was the island called ______________________.

VS. 2-6 When Paul helped build a fire, a ________________ from the wood bit him. When he didn't die, what did the people decide? ________________________________________

VERSE 9 What did Paul do for the people? _________________________________ Did anyone else help him do this? _________________

VERSE 11 How long did they stay on the island before setting out for Rome again? ____________

VERSE 14 When they landed at Puteoli, Italy, Paul was allowed to look for who? ______________

VERSE 15 The Christians brothers heard the news and traveled to where to meet Paul? _________

_________________________________________________________________________

At the sight of the brothers from Rome, what did Paul do? _______________________

NOTE: Remember, Paul had written them what we now call the book of Romans in the New Testament. In it he said how much he longed to see them some day. His wish was at last coming true, though not perhaps the way he'd planned.

VERSE 16 In Rome, Paul was again put under house arrest, with his own home, and only ____ Roman soldier guarding him.

VS. 17-20 When did Paul send for the Jewish leaders in Rome? ____________________________

VS. 23 What did Paul use to try to convince the Jews their promised Savior had come and he was Jesus? ____________________ ________________________________________________________________

VS. 24 What was the Jews' response? _______________________________________________

VS. 30 For how long was Paul under house arrest? __________________________

THOUGHT QUESTION: How has this book of the Bible affected your life?