What city were they in? Where did they preach?
Who believed there?
Who did the unbelieving Jews use to poison the peoples’ minds?
How long did the apostles stay there? What did they do there?
How was the city divided?
Who tried to stone them? What was the result?
Where did the apostles go?
Describe the man they met at Lystra.
What character trait did Paul observe in this man?
What did the man do when Paul told him to stand up?
What did the Lycaonians think of Paul and Barnabas as a result?
What did the priest of Zeus do?
How did Barnabas and Paul respond?
How did Barnabas and Paul compare themselves to the people? How did they contrast the God they preached to the gods the people were worshipping?
What had God allowed the nations to do in previous times? How did He give them witness?
What quick change of opinion did the Jews produce in the people?
What did they do to Paul?
What happened when the disciples gathered around him? Where did they go next?
What were the other three cities on their circuit? What did they preach?
Who did they appoint in the churches? How?
Where else did they go on their route? Where did they finally end up?
What report did they give the church at Antioch?

Thought Questions

Again, the first place Paul went to preach was to the synagogue. Knowing how many of the Jews thought about the message of Christ, what do you think was his strategy with this? What was the result? (Verse 2, 5, 19). Do you think it was worth it?
Was Paul associated with very many healings? Why was that particular crippled man healed? What was the reaction of the town? Can we always figure out why God heals certain people and not others? Is it consistently a result of extreme faith, or a positive reaction from witnesses, or any other reason that you can think of?
Summarize the apostles’ short speech to the Lycaonians after they wanted to proclaim them gods. Read Exodus 20:11, Jonah 1:9, and Revelation 14:7. Why is this a common description of God, throughout the Bible, written over the course of thousands of years? What faith can that description give you?
Read verse 16-17. Why do you think God allowed other nations to walk in their own ways in the past, when clearly His mission was to bring them to Him? How are the blessings of nature, food, and rain witnesses to Him?
Why was Paul treated the worst in the same city where he showed the people definitive proof of God’s wonderful power by healing the cripple? What does this tell you about people who say they would believe and follow God if they just had proof?
Does Paul’s experience of being stoned give you fear or hope?
Why did the apostles return to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch? What approach should we take in places where we have preached? Is one sermon enough to strengthen new believers in their often difficult Christian walk? What kind of risk were these visits to Paul? (Acts 13:50, 14:5, 14:19) What does that tell you about how important this follow-up is?
Read verses 23-28. What are a few things Paul did to organize and strengthen the churches? Has your church implemented all of these strategies? What do you see is lacking in your church, which might help its spiritual growth?

My prayer is:
That I would have the faith to risk danger in order to share the word of Christ with others who don’t know Him;
That I would understand that even miraculous proof of God’s existence and care will not ensure that others will follow, so faith is needed;
And that I would devote myself to both reaching out to non-Christians and strengthening the members of my own church.

How did Paul get his chance to preach at the synagogue?
Who was Paul addressing?
What three things had God done for the Israelites in verse 17?
How long did God put up with them in the wilderness?
How many nations did He destroy in Canaan? What did He do with their land?
Who ruled them for 450 years?
After that, what did the people ask for? Who did they get?
What happened to Saul’s reign? Who succeeded him?
What was God’s testimony about David?
Who would come from David’s seed?
What did John preach before the Savior’s coming?
Who did John say he was, and who was to come after him?
To whom was the word of salvation sent?
Why did those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers condemn Jesus?
What did they ask Pilate for?
Who raised Him from the dead? What was the proof?
What was the apostles’ message?
What three prophecies of Jesus are quoted from David? What is their message?
What happened to David when he died, which was different from Jesus?
What is the message Paul wants to get across? How can they be forgiven? What doesn’t work?
What prophecy is Paul warning the people of?
After his sermon, who begged Paul to preach again on Sabbath?
Who followed Paul and Barnabas? What did they encourage them?
Who turned out the next Sabbath?
What did the Jews do?
Who did Paul say it was necessary to preach to first? But then, since they rejected the message, who were they to preach to? What did he quote to support this?
How did the Gentiles respond?
Where was the Word of the Lord being spread?
Again, what did the Jews do to them?
What was Paul and Barnabas’s response? (See Matt. 10:14) Where did they go?
How did the disciples feel?

Thought Questions

What were some of the main elements of Paul’s sermon? Did he start with material that was approachable to his listeners? Was he clear and concise? Did he challenge them with an appeal?
What are some similarities between this sermon and the others we have read in Acts? (See Peter’s in chapter 2 and Stephen’s in chapter 7.)
Who was Paul’s audience here? Were they all native-born Jews? (See verses 16 and 42-43.)
Why did the apostles tend to recount the history of the Jews from the Old Testament in their sermons? Do you think they believed it still had authority?
What do you think was Paul’s idea in tracing the history of rulers of Israel? Follow his reasoning from their establishment as a nation and government of judges, through David’s kingship, until the superiority of Jesus (verse 23-25).
Which verse or verses do you think are Paul’s main thesis?
What were the reactions of the two groups of people who heard Paul’s sermon? Why do you think each of them responded as they did?
What day did the Gentiles want to hear Paul? What day did almost the whole town (Jews and Gentiles) come out to hear him? Again, is there yet any indication of the apostles changing dishonoring the Jewish Sabbath day?
Compare verse 26 and 46. Why was it necessary for the Gospel to be preached to the Jews first, before the Gentiles? Why did they turn their attention more fully to the Gentiles? Under what conditions can the Gospel be preached effectively?
According to verse 46, who judged them unworthy of eternal life?
After reading the entire progression of events from verses 15-52, especially verse 46, how do you understand the concepts in verse 48?
How should we respond to the rejection of our message?

My prayer is:
That, no matter what my ethnic or religious background is, I would choose to listen to the Gospel message and follow Christ with joy and glorifying the Lord;
That I would continue to read and study the Old Testament with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, as the apostles did, in order to learn about Christ’s role as the Messiah;
And that, hearing the Word, I would not judge myself unworthy of eternal life, but would follow Christ.