DEDUCTIVE LESSON TWENTY-ONE Ultimate Makeover It took me only one attempt to realize that I had no talent as a matchmaker. It couldn t have gone too much worse when I tried to arrange a blind date for one of my friends in college. The girl, a coworker of mine, tried to break the ice by telling a series of Polish jokes to my friend. It took her several minutes to realize that no matter what joke she told, my friend seemed to know the punch line long before she could get it out of her mouth. After about fifteen minutes of endless Polish jokes, my coworker asked my friend how it was that he could possibly know all of these Polish jokes. His response, You hear a lot of them when you re Polish. The endless jokes turned out to be the deal breaker. Unlike my attempted matchmaking, Paul s relationship with his audience seemed to be going quite well as they listened in silence, until he threw out what turned out to be the ultimate deal breaker. To his audience of legalist Jews, the concept that salvation was available to the Gentiles without them first becoming converted Jews was more than they could endure. In connecting with his audience, Paul shares just how misguided he was in his mistaken zeal for Judaism. He had ruthlessly tracked down Jews who had converted to the Way (Christianity) and had them beaten, imprisoned, and even murdered. Hearing once again Paul s conversion, but this time from a different perspective or emphasis, reminds me how amazing the grace of God is. I was listening to the news the other night and they had asked Franklin Graham, president of the Billy Graham Evangelist Association and Samaritan s Purse, his thoughts on the murder of 20 Christians by Islamic terrorists. He said, I would like to say something to them if they are watching. What they did was evil. What they did was wrong. It was a sin against God. I know they did this thinking they were pleasing God, but it doesn t. God loves you and God is willing to forgive you. But you ve got be willing to confess your sin to Him and ask for His forgiveness. I think it s important that the Muslim world know that God does love them, Graham continued. He has made a way for them to be with Him in heaven. That s through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. They don t have to cut off heads; they don t have to die in a holy war. 1 I will admit my initial response was, No Franklin, not those guys. They re beyond God s grace. Then it dawned on me that my prejudice against these men, because of their heinous crimes against Christians, was the same prejudice that prevented the Jews from believing Paul s message of his conversion, and the offer of God s grace even unto the Gentiles. Paul, in his zeal to serve the Lord, had misapplied the truth of God s Word and committed crimes approaching the terror we hear about on the evening news. But all that changed on the Road to Damascus when Paul was the recipient of God s ultimate makeover. God s grace allowed him to later write, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). The transformation (Greek metamorphosis) that Paul had undergone was not unique to him but is the birthright of all believers as, by His Spirit, we are 1
changed into His image (see Romans 12:1 2). John Newton, former slave trader turned evangelist and author of the song Amazing Grace, said it well: I am not the man I ought to be, I am not the man I wish to be, and I am not the man I hope to be, but by the grace of God, I am not the man I used to be. 2 1 http://www.mediaite.com/tv/rev-franklin-graham-tells-isis-to-convert-you-dont-have-to-cut-off-heads/ 2 http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/john_newton Memory Verse Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV Prayer Start by praying over the passage and asking the Holy Spirit to give you fresh insights and wisdom in understanding it. Then read through the entire passage two or three times. This is the first of six speeches Paul gives in his defense. This first defense breaks nicely into three sections: his condition before conversion in verses 3 5, his conversion in verses 6 16, and his commission in verses 17 21. In the three accounts of Paul s conversion (Acts 9, 22, and 26) the stories are almost verbatim, reflecting the importance of the event in Paul s memory. Day 1 Paul s Credentials Acts 22:1 5 Paul had some unique credentials. His hometown of Tarsus was home to the second largest and most prestigious university in the Roman Empire. Based upon Paul s fluency in classical Greek from his writings, he had likely attended this university. Besides being well educated from a secular viewpoint, Paul s religious training was second to none as well, by virtue of having trained under the most renowned Rabbi of the day, Gamaliel. 1. Compare Paul s opening remarks in verse 1 with Stephen s opening address in Acts 7:2. How is the opening of their speeches similar, and how did it serve to create a bridge to their audience? 2. Gamaliel made a brief cameo appearance in Acts 5:33 39. From what we learn in this passage, how would you describe him and his attitude toward Christianity? 3. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul elaborates on his credentials as a Jew and his attitude towards the Way. What more do we learn about him in Philippians 3:4 6? 2
4. To say that Paul was zealous in his persecution of Christians is an understatement. He was willing to travel 170 miles on foot from Jerusalem to Damascus to pursue believers. How would Paul later describe this period in his life to the Galatians in Galatians 1:13 14? Memory Verse Fill in the Blanks Therefore, if anyone in Christ, he a new creation; things have passed ; behold, all things become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV Day 2 Paul s Conversion Part 1 Acts 22:6 11 Your personal testimony is strong evidence for the truth of the gospel. Paul s testimony, or story of his personal conversion experience, is no exception as we will see when we study it in detail. 1. Paul would later share that he believed that his encounter with Christ was a divine appointment arranged for him according to God s sovereign will. What do we learn about this from Philippians 1:11 12 and Philippians 1:15 16? 2. Although the accounts of Paul s encounter with Christ in Acts 9:3 9 (given in the third person) and Acts 22:6 12 (given in the first person) are extremely similar. What differences can you find? Can you give an explanation for any of the differences? (See John 12:29 for what his companions heard or didn t hear that day on the road.) 3. Paul s testimony had three parts, his condition (how he was prior to conversion), the conversion (the actual process that led to his confession of faith), and his commission (the changes that came about and his calling in Christ). Following a similar format, briefly describe your own personal testimony. 3
Memory Verse Fill in the Blanks Therefore, anyone in, he a creation; things passed ; behold, things become. 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV Day 3 Paul s Conversion Part 2 Acts 22:12 16 One of the principles of Bible interpretation (Hermeneutics is the SAT word for it) is that when a passage is in question, scholars use other scriptures to interpret the scripture in question. We will get a little practice with this principle in our last question today. 1. Ananias is one of the unsung heroes of faith. Risking his life to minister to the zealot from Jerusalem, a Pharisee determined to eliminate the Way. a. The account in Acts 9:10 16 expands the story of God s instructions to Ananias. What do we learn from this passage? b. Paul describes Ananias as, a devout man according to the law. Why would this description be especially important in the message he was giving to this audience? 2. Some churches have taken verse 16 out of context and make baptism a requirement for salvation. Look briefly at the following passages that we have previously studied in Acts, and make a more sound statement of doctrine on the relationship between baptism and salvation: Acts 8:12,13,16, 36; Acts 10:47; Acts 16:15, 23; Acts 18:8; and Romans 10:9, 10, 13. Memory Verse Fill in the Blanks Therefore, in, he creation; passed ;, things become. 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV 4
Day 4 Paul s Commission Acts 22:17 24 1. Paul felt he was called to be an apostle. His encounter with the risen Lord on the Damascus Road was essential to that claim. What would Paul later write about this in 1 Corinthians 15:3 11? (1 Corinthians 9:1 will also help.) 2. The chronology of Paul s ministry can be confusing unless you cobble it together from several sources (see Galatians 1:17). After a brief ministry in Damascus, which ended when he was lowered in a basket from the city s outer wall, Paul spent three years studying in the Arabian Desert before going to Jerusalem. a. What does Acts 9:26 30 tell us about Paul s initial ministry in Jerusalem? b. What was the warning Paul received in verse 18? 3. What was the commission Paul received directly from the Lord as recorded in Acts 9:15 16? 4. Paul proclaims the deal breaker to the crowd in verse 21. a. What was it? b. How did the crowd respond? 5
c. Why do you think Paul s statement brought about such a violent reaction? Memory Verse Fill in the Blanks Therefore, in, ; passed ;,. 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV Day 5 Paul in Custody Acts 22:25 30 The commander ordered Paul to be carried up two flights of stairs from the outer court of the Gentiles to Fort Antonio for his safety, and to interrogate him to determine what caused the commotion. Scourging was a common form of getting information from a suspected criminal, but one prohibited for Roman citizens. Paul s claim to Roman citizenship was unchallenged because making a false claim was a capital offense. 1. Summarize the dialogue between Paul and the commander in this passage. 2. Some commentators wonder why Paul submitted to a beating in the Philippian prison (see Acts 16:22) but later identified himself as a Roman citizen (see Acts 16:37), while in this incident Paul quickly identified himself as a Roman citizen and thus, avoided a scourging. Record any thoughts you have on why Paul acted in two very different ways facing the same persecution. 3. Paul had a true burden for the lost of Israel in addition to the ministry God had given him with the Gentiles. What do we learn about Paul s passion for both groups in the following passages? a. Romans 11:13 14 b. Romans 10:1 4 6
c. Romans 9:1 5 Memory Verse Write the Entire Verse From Memory 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV Take Away / Summary To avoid walking in circles when lost in the wilderness, survival instructors teach their students to pick out the most prominent point in the distant landscape and walk toward it. In a similar sense, we need to pick out the single most important truth in this week s study, and apply it in our life as we walk toward Jesus and out of the wilderness. Please share with your group what that truth is for you and how will you apply it this week: Memory Verse Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV Key Words/Phrases Write out the definition of these key phrases. How would these phrases instruct us today? My Defense (Greek apologia) (Acts 22:1) A Good Testimony (Acts 22:12) 7
Tool Box Step 1: The Bible. Read the passage in a couple of different versions. If you are having trouble understanding a passage, choose a more dynamic version such as New Living Translation or The Message. To focus in on the exact meaning of a verse, choose a more literal translation such as New American Standard Bible or New King James Version. Step 2: Study Tools. Use these to help you dig deeper. Background Information: 1) Unger s Bible Dictionary 2) Bible Dictionaries online at biblestudytools.com and blueletterbible.com. Word Studies: 1) Zodhiates The Complete Word Study New Testament 2) Vine s Complete Expository Dictionary 3) Strong s Dictionary of Bible Words. Step 3: Commentaries. Commentaries should not be used in place of studying God s Word directly, but they can give you additional insights. Some good commentaries include: J. Vernon McGee, The Expositors Commentary, NIV Application Commentary, H.A. Ironside, William Barclay (great for background and culture but be careful of his spiritual applications). Step 4: Online Assistance. Should you have a specific question about the study please email your inquiry to: markn.valor@gmail.com 2015 Mark Newton. All rights reserved. Express permission granted for use and reproduction by Harvest Christian Fellowship, Riverside, CA. www.harvest.org 8
Timeline for the Life of Paul 9
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