What was happening with the number of members of the church in those days?
Who had a complaint? Who were they complaining against? Why?
Who summoned the disciples? How were the disciples described in verse 2?
What did they say they didn’t want to leave doing?
How many men were they supposed to seek out? What characteristics were they looking for?
What were the apostles going to do instead?
Did the church members (disciples) accept this idea?
Name the seven men they chose.
What two things did they do for these seven men?
Then, what three things happened? Where were the disciples multiplied? A great many of what specific group of people were obedient to the faith?
How is Stephen described? What did he do?
From what groups of people were there those who disputed with Stephen?
What were they not able to resist?
What did they secretly induce others to accuse him of?
Who did they stir up? What did they do to Stephen? Where did they bring him?
What did the false witnesses accuse Stephen of saying?
What did Stephen’s face look like then?

Thought Questions

Is your church big or small? What organizational problems do you feel the church faces? Do you think they have done a good job in trying to solve them? What solutions would you propose?
Do you believe everyone in the church should do the same thing, or have different jobs? What role do you think you are best at? Are you fulfilling it? Are some roles better or more important than others?
Is feeding the hungry more important than preaching, or the other way around? Or are they equal?
When your church chooses officers, what requirements do they look for?
Read verse 7 again. What were the results–including some possibly unexpected ones–of this action? Do you think there was a direct correlation? How can you put this example to work in your church?
Why do people dispute with Christ’s followers? Have you seen examples of this personally? Did the words in verse 10 apply in that situation?
What would you do if someone falsely accused you of saying something you didn’t say, or twisted your words?
Why do you think Stephen’s face looked like the face of an angel? Could yours?

My prayer is:
that the Holy Spirit would give power to the people in my church to be able to solve problems of organization in an effective way;
that God would show my my role in the church, and that I would carry it out faithfully and contentedly,
and that I would always reflect Christ even when falsely accused.

Where were the apostles found? What were they doing there?
Who brought them back again? Were they forced violently? Why?
Who were the apostles brought to stand before?
What did they say to them? What were their accusations?
Who did Peter and the others say that they ought to obey?
What did Peter have to say about Jesus this time?
Who are the witnesses Peter mentions in verse 32?
Who does God give the Holy Spirit to?
How did the council react to Peter’s words?
Who was Gamaliel? What did he command?
Who was the first character Gamaliel mentioned? What did he claim? How many followers did he have? What was his end?
Who was the second character? What was his end?
What did Gamaliel advise the council to do with the apostles?
According to Gamaliel’s advice, if the apostles’ plans or work were their own, what would happen to them?
But, if the apostles’ were sent by God, what would happen?
Did the rest of the council agree with Gamaliel? What three things did they do?
How did the apostles feel about this experience?
Did they quit teaching? What did they do, and where?

Thought Questions

What kind of mindset did the priests have to have, to arrest the apostles again right after they had mysteriously and miraculously been released?
How would you respond in that type of situation? What might have given the apostles courage?
Do you think you ought to obey God or men? What if there is a conflict? Under what circumstances, that you might face in your own life, would you be willing to obey God rather than men, regardless of the punishment you might face from men? Can you think of any conflicts between the law of God and the laws of men in your society?
Read verses 30-32 again and list the main points. How does Peter’s short statement encapsulate Christ’s ministry? Would you be able to come up with such a profound, short summary under those circumstances? Where did Peter find the words and the courage? (Again, compare John 18:25-27, from just a few weeks before.)
Read verse 32. Are there some things you need to change, if you want to truly receive the Holy Spirit?
What kind of person do you think Gamaliel was? What do you think of his advice? Do you think he will be saved?
As you think through the history of various religious movements, do you see Gamaliel’s principle applying? Why do you think Christianity and Judaism has survived so many centuries? Is every long-standing religious movement true?
Are there some things in your life that you are fighting against? Are they from God or from human invention, whether your own or others’? Have you applied Gamaliel’s principle to those things?

My prayer is:
that I would have the boldness to go right back to the work God has called me to do regardless of the threats of humans;
that I would have the courage to obey God rather than human law if there is a conflict;
that I would obey, in order to receive the Holy Spirit and His power to stand up under such conflict;
and that I would have the wisdom to apply Gamaliel’s principle to the things in my life that I am fighting against–that is, if they are from humans, to know that they will pass away on their own, but if they are from God, to know that I cannot fight against God.

How were the signs and wonders done among the people?
Where were they assembled?
How did the people feel about the apostles?
Were there very many believers?
What did the sick to to be healed?
Where did a multitude of people come from? Why?
Who was filled with indignation?
What did they do to the apostles?
Who opened the prison doors and let them out?
Where did the angel want the apostles to go? What did he want them to do?
Is that what they did?
Who did the high priest call together in response?
Where did the priests go to look for the prisoners?
What did they discover when they went to the prison?
How did the priests respond to the news?

Thought Questions

What does it mean that “through (by) the hands of the apostles” these miracles were performed? Where did the miracles originate? Why is this important to know, and how can we apply this for God’s work in our lives?
Why didn’t the rest dare to join them? Would you have joined them?
Although “none of the rest dared to join them,” the next verse says that there was a multitude of believers. How do you explain that? (read verse 15) Would you be a believer despite the risks, or just for the healing?
Why did the angel release the apostles? Why does God not always release His people from prison?
Was there a risk in doing what the angel asked them–to go right back under the priests’ noses? Why did they obey anyway?

My prayer is:
to have the willingness to do God’s works through my hands;
to have the boldness to preach Christ wherever He leads me to, despite the risks;
and to know that God will make a way for me to do His works for Him, no matter how impossible the situation may seem, even if He has to send an angel to help.