What state were the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria in? What caused them to be multiplied?
Where did Peter make his way to? Who did he find there?
How long had Aeneas been paralyzed?
What words did Peter say to heal him? Who did he say heals him?
What was the result in Lydda and Sharon?
Where did Tabitha live? What was her other name? How was she characterized?
What happened to Tabitha? How did they prepare her body?
Why was it pretty easy for the disciples in Joppa to call for Peter?
What did the widows show Peter when he came to the room where Dorcas was laid?
What two things did Peter do first? What did he say to Tabitha? What happened?
What happened in Joppa when this became known?
Who did Peter stay with in Joppa?

Thought Questions

Go through the description of the churches again in verse 31. What is it about this verse that sets the tone for the rest of the chapter? Does your church fit that description? Which parts more than others?
What was the result of Aeneas’s healing (v. 35)? What idea does that give you about a good way to reach out to people who don’t know Christ?
Who healed Aeneas? Why was Peter careful to tell him that? Although medical work is a great way to reach people, who should physicians give credit to?
What can you learn from Tabitha’s example? Are you doing everything you can to ease the needs of those around you?
Why don’t we experience miraculous healing and raising from the dead in our churches today? Look back over everything we have studied so far in Acts. Did the church then have something your church is missing today? Did it have a special purpose then? Does your church have a special purpose now?
In your opinion, what is the most important result of a person being healed by God? Is it for that person, or that others might see it and believe (verses 35 & 42)?
If someone in our day started healing and raising people from the dead, would you automatically believe that they were from God? How can you be sure? (Read Exodus 7:11.)

My prayer is:
that my church would have peace and be edified, and walking in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they would be multiplied;
that I, like Tabitha, would make it a priority to serve the needs of the poor in any way I can;
and that I would give glory to God for any healing I see or experience.

What was Saul’s attitude toward the disciples of Christ at this time? Who did he go to?
What did Saul ask the high priest for? Where did he want to bring the disciples, bound, to?
What city was Saul approaching? What did he encounter all of a sudden?
What was Saul’s physical reaction to the experience? What did the voice say?
What question did Saul ask? What was the answer?
What was the next question Saul asked? Where was Saul asked to go? What would be told to him there?
What was the reaction of the people Saul was with? What had they observed?
What did Saul see when he got up again?
How did Saul find his way to Damascus?
How long was Saul blind? What else happened during that time?
What was the name of the disciple in Damascus who received a vision from the Lord?
What was his response? What was he told to do?
What did God tell Ananias that Saul was doing at that time?
What did God tell Ananias that Saul saw in a vision?
What was Ananias’ answer to God? What had he heard about Saul?
What did God say, in response, that Saul was?
What did Ananias do? What did he say to Saul?
What fell off of Saul’s eyes? What did he do next?
Who did he stay with while he was in Damascus? What did he do there?
What was the reaction of the people who heard him?
What did the Jews plot to do to him? Where were they watching for him?
What did the disciples do to get him out of the city?
Where did Saul go next? Who did he tried to join? But what was their reaction to him?
Who spoke up for Saul? What did he tell the apostles?
Who did Saul dispute in Jerusalem? What was their reaction to him?
Where did he escape to this time?

Thought Questions

What would be your reaction if you found out that someone like Saul was coming to your town, to bind and drag off all the followers of Christ?
What was Saul’s response to the voice from heaven? What was the response of other Bible characters who received a similar call? Read the following passages: 1 Samuel 3:8-10; Luke 1:11-12, 28-29, and 38; as well as Acts 9:10. How would you be prepared to answer that call?
Why do you think Saul, who was “breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord,” was chosen for the job of being a great apostle? Do you think he had any choice? Do you think he had any background which might have softened his heart more that we know? (Read Acts 7:58). What does this tell you about people’s unknown potential, even though the situation might look completely hopeless?
Why do you think Saul was blinded? Do you think it was a kind of punishment, or another reason? (Hint: think about what he was doing and considering during the days he was blind.) Are there times when you could apply a kind of “blindness” (i.e. focus with lack of distractions) to your life?
How many things do you think you must suffer for Christ? Is a life of suffering a requirement for being a Christian? Is pleasure forbidden?
Do you think Ananias was out of line in his response to the Lord (v. 13-14)? Were his objections valid? How would you have responded?
What can we learn from how Ananias spoke to “Brother Saul” in v. 17?
What do you feel about Saul being baptized right away? (See our discussion from last chapter.)
What was the reason for Saul’s immediate change, and ability to preach Christ and confound the unbelievers? Do we all have that potential?
What did Barnabas see that the other Christians in Jerusalem did not? What would it take for you to be like Barnabas in that situation, rather than doubting like the other Christians understandably did?

My prayer is:
to be prepared for whatever call God has for me, even though it might involve completely turning around what I’m doing;
that, if called, I would answer, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” and be willing, with fasting, prayer, and “blindness,” to strive to discern the true will of God for my work;
and that I would be willing to accept that God can convert even my enemies for His work.

Who spoke to Philip? Where did he tell him to go? What was the description of this road?
What did Philip do in response?
Who was returning along that road? What is the description given of him?
What was he reading while in his chariot?
What did the Spirit tell Philip to do?
What did Philip ask the eunuch? What was his answer?
What points were made in the passage that the eunuch was reading?
What was his question about it?
What did Philip preach about to him? Where did he begin?
What did they find along the way? What did the eunuch ask for?
What was Philip’s answer? What was the eunuch’s response?
What happened next? What happened to Philip immediately afterward?
Where was Philip next found? Where did he preach?

Thought Questions

Considering the description of the Jerusalem-Gaza road as desert, would Philip have imagined that anything interesting or useful to his mission would happen there? Why did he go?
Has an angel or the Holy Spirit ever told you to do something? How do you know, or would you know, that it was a spirit from God? Schizophrenics have voices instructing them, too.
In Philip’s case, was the Spirit’s message supposed to benefit Philip himself, or someone else? How does this help answer the previous question?
How is the best way to preach Jesus to someone? Does it depend on the situation? How can we be aware of a person’s readiness to receive a message? Do you believe that all questions can lead to Christ?
How would you interpret the passage from Isaiah (Is. 53:7-8)? How would you use this text to tell someone about Jesus?
What are the qualifications for baptism? (We dealt with the same question earlier in this chapter.) Was Philip too hasty in baptizing people? Why or why not?

My prayer is:
that I would be open and willing to obey the Spirit of God’s leading, despite how unfruitful it sounds like it might be to me;
that I would be prepared and able to preach Christ from any question that might arise from a stranger I might happen to meet;
And that I would consider baptism, if I have not already been baptized as an adult, as the symbol of my commitment to Christ.