How We Multiplied - Session 1
A STUDY OF ACTS
How We Multiplied - Session 1
A Study of Acts
In Group & Homework Scripture Reading - John 16, Luke 24, Acts 1-4
How to use this Bible Study
If you are in a group: Complete the sections that have a white background together. The sections with a peach background should be completed individually. Then come back together and talk about what you have written.
If you are doing a solo devotional: Read through and complete the journalling prompts as usual, and use the discussion questions as an additional journaling prompt.
Opening Prayer
Dear Lord,
You are so great and so good. Thank You for preserving the history of the early church. Please make Your self known as we study Your Word. Help us to see your glory as we learn how You established the church. And remind us that You are still writing the greatest story ever told. We invite you to be present in our conversations and for the Holy Spirit to fill this space. We love You God.
Amen
Introduction
In this Bible Study, we will be studying the Bible, not just reading it. While reading your bible is a good thing to do on its own, you will gain a better understanding of the book of Acts by paying attention to themes through out each chapter.
The book of Acts was written by Luke, who also wrote the gospel of Luke. These two books were likely written one right after another, and like sequels. Acts is a book of history. It documents Jesus’ ascension into heaven, and the events that took place for the next thirty years after. As you read, you will witness the early church go through trials inside the church, and outside the church. You will witness the power of the Holy Spirit and God’s plan to spread the gospel far and wide.
The story of Acts is also your story. We can read and know the Good News of Jesus because of the devotion, hard work, and perseverance of the people in Acts. Just like we have genetic family trees, we have a spiritual family tree too. Your faith can be traced back to the people in Acts. As you read and learn about how the early church operated, hold space for gratitude that Jesus’ disciples kept their faith alive, so that you might also have faith.
How to Study Acts
During How We Multiplied you will read three chapters in Acts every week. We will be paying attention to three themes while reading: the Holy Spirit, Actions of the Early Church, and When the Gospel Spread. During your quiet time reading, use highlighters, colored pencils, or underlines to mark each theme as you read.
You will want to do this in your printed bible OR using the PDF attached at the top of the page, which contains the passages for the session. Most Bible apps do not allow you to highlight parts of verses or write notes on the side of the text. Your study will be much richer if you do it on paper.
Take a moment now to complete your key. You can make your key directly in your bible, use the bookmark included in the PDF, or at the top of your reading in the PDF.
HIGHLIGHTING GUIDE
Holy Spirit
Highlight mentions of the Holy Spirit, or actions that the Holy Spirit takes. This can include when the Holy Spirit is mentioned by name, or when the Lord speaks to someone and gives them a specific task.Actions of the Early Church
Mark whenever members of the church participate in spiritual disciplines (prayer, fellowship, reading scriptures, giving to people in need, etc.), make decisions, or demonstrate how the church is organized.Spread of the Gospel
Highlight when the gospel is shared. This is anytime that a Jesus follower is telling another person or group of people about Jesus. If it is a long section, like Peter’s sermon in Acts 2, you can draw brackets around the section if you don’t want to highlight every line.
MAP STUDY
As you are doing your reading, use the map in the PDF, draw a line from Jerusalem to each of the places that the gospel spread. You should note places that the disciples traveled to, and places that new converts are from. In our study we are assuming that the new converts went home and proclaimed the gospel to their own circle of influence. By the end of the study, you will be able to see how far the gospel spread in just thirty years.
In your reading, you will notice that a lot of places that are named are in Israel, and may be hard to label on your map. There is a second map that focuses only on Israel. If you want to see what the spread looked like among the promised land, you can optionally mark up this map too.
Read Aloud Together
Assign one person to read each of the following sections.
John 16:7-16
Luke 24:44-53
Acts 1:1-14
Acts 1:15 - 26
Discussion Questions
Have you read or studied the Book of Acts before?
What was the last command Jesus gave? Do you think this applies to us today?
What does your decision process normally look like?
Peter and the Apostles made a difficult decision in this reading. It probably felt like there was a lot of weight hanging on this decision to chose someone to join Jesus’ inner circle when Jesus was no longer with them. What can we learn from them about how we should be making decisions?
About Casting Lots
The casting of lots is an old practice that can be found through out the Old Testament (Joshua 18:8-10, Jonah 1:4-7, Judges 20:8-9). This story in Acts 1 is the only instance of casting lots after Jesus’ ascension. We find this practice twice in the gospels. One is an unholy example, when the Roman soldiers are casting lots for Jesus’ clothes as He hung on the cross (John 19:24, Matthew 27:35, Mark 15:24). The second example is in Luke 1:8-9, when Zechariah is chosen by casting lots to enter the Holy of Holies (the inner sanctuary of the temple). While Zachariah is in the inner sanctuary he is visited by an angel and told that his wife would soon be pregnant with a son, who would become John the Baptist. This example of the practice honors God, and puts the control in God’s hands.
Should casting lots be a part of our own practice as a church?
Probably not. Remember that when Matthias was chosen as a disciple the Holy Spirit had not been sent. They did not have the benefit of the Holy Spirit’s voice. We have the ability to communicate directly with the Holy Spirit through prayer and developing a spirit that is sensitive to His whisperings. We don’t need to literally roll a dice to make decisions.
What does the Bible say about casting lots today?
We live under the covenant of Jesus’ blood, which is documented in the New Testament. As you read through Acts, you will see many examples of how the early church practiced their faith. At no point after Acts 1 is casting lots mentioned. Paul writes many letters about how churches should operate. He writes about how we should act in our community, how we should chose leaders, and how we should live. At no point in those letters does he point to lots as a spiritual practice. Instead Paul says: “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments.” 1 Corinthians 2:14-15 (ESV).
➤ Close in Prayer
Homework
Read Acts 2 - 4 in preparation for Session Two. Below is a suggested reading schedule for two, three, or five days a week. For your convenience, the text for the homework is in the PDF in the World English Bible Translation (WEB).
If sitting down with a printed Bible is not available to you in this season of life, feel free to complete the reading using your preferred Bible app. There are also audio versions of the Bible that can be read to you. God is able to meet you wherever you are.
Reading Schedule
Five Day Reading Plan
Day 1 - Acts 2:1-41
Day 2 - Acts 2:42 - 3:10
Day 3 - Acts 3:11-26
Day 4 - Acts 4:1-22
Day 5 - Acts 4:23-37
Three Day Reading Plan
Day 1 - Acts 2
Day 2 - Acts 3
Day 3 - Acts 4
Two Day Reading Plan
Day 1 - Acts 2:1 - 3:10
Day 2 - Acts 3:11 - 4
Extra Resources
Enduring Word Bible Commentary
Cru - Understanding the Trinity
More Opinions on Casting Lots
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