Acts - Week 64

Week 64 Acts 19, 20 

Day 1 

READ 

Acts 19:38-39 

38 “If Demetrius and the craftsmen have a case against them, the courts are in session and the officials can hear the case at once. Let them make formal charges. 39 And if there are complaints about other matters, they can be settled in a legal assembly. 

The mayor of Ephesus keeps trying to calm the rowdy crowd. He reasons that the silversmith and craftsmen can take their case to court. In that way things can be settled legally instead with the way the mob is attempting. It is a characteristic of mobs that they don’t want to listen to another opinion and try to shut down anyone giving another viewpoint.  

REFLECT 

Be concerned with the way you listen to other opinions. Be open to hearing what is expressed so you will understand an opposing viewpoint. Then make sure your opinion is supported by facts. 

RESPOND 

Talk with your disciple about what to do when confronted by others who do not want to hear what you have to say. Apart from the difference of opinion, what are your lives like in contrast to those objecting to you? Others will notice a difference if you are displaying the love of Christ.  

Day 2 

READ 

Acts 19:40-41 

40 I am afraid we are in danger of being charged with rioting by the Roman government, since there is no cause for all this commotion. And if Rome demands an explanation, we won’t know what to say.” 41 Then he dismissed them, and they dispersed. 

The mayor goes on to reason they may all be in trouble with the Roman government because of the way they are rioting. He warns them they may not know what to say if the Roman government wants an explanation. With his speech over, the mayor dismissed the people and the crowd went away. It seems that God worked behind the scenes and used this person to spare Paul and his companions from further trouble. 

REFLECT 

Think about how the sovereign God works in ways not seen to accomplish His will. Hebrews 1:14 says His angels are ministering spirits to care for believers. 

RESPOND 

Check another example how God works in unknown ways to accomplish His will. How was the prophecy about Jesus being born in Bethlehem to be accomplished? With your disciple, read Luke 2:1-5 to see how God used an unbelieving Roman emperor to get Mary to Bethlehem for Jesus to be born there.  

Day 3 

READ 

Acts 20:1-3 

1 When the uproar was over, Paul sent for the believers and encouraged them. Then he said good-bye and left for Macedonia. 2 While there, he encouraged the believers in all the towns he passed through. Then he traveled down to Greece, 3 where he stayed for three months. He was preparing to sail back to Syria when he discovered a plot by some Jews against his life, so he decided to return through Macedonia. 

As this new chapter begins, it is important to know that when originally written there were no chapter or verse divisions. These were added later to make for easy reference. This is why the topic in Acts 20 continues where chapter 19 left off. Notice that wherever Paul went he wanted to encourage believers. Now he faces a plot against his life and changes his travel plans. 

REFLECT 

Is it on your heart to encourage other followers of Christ? Some can be discouraged and need a positive word from a fellow believer to lift their spirits. 

RESPOND 

Read Ephesians 4:29-32 about how to encourage other believers and not have behavior that grieves the Holy Spirit. Talk with your disciple how each of you can better do this. 

Day 4 

READ 

Acts 20:4-6 

4 Several men were traveling with him. They were Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea; Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica; Gaius from Derbe; Timothy; and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. 5 They went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. 6 After the Passover ended, we boarded a ship at Philippi in Macedonia and five days later joined them in Troas, where we stayed a week. 

Several were accompanying Paul on his travels. The reference to “us” (v. 5) and “we” (v. 6) indicate that Luke, the human author of Acts is traveling with Paul. In Colossians 4:14 Paul refers to Luke as “the beloved doctor.” Paul was blessed to have a physician traveling with him as well as the other fellow believers. They stayed a week in Troas. Why did they do this? 

REFLECT 

These place names may seem confusing to a reader not acquainted with the territory, but Luke is carefully listing the places they went. Had you been living in the area at that time, your mind would have been following better what Luke was writing.  

REPSPOND 

Hopefully you and your disciple have access to some Bible maps. As you look up these places about Paul’s third missionary journey you can imagine how a reader familiar with the area could easily be tracking Paul’s travels in the mind.  

Day 5 

READ 

Acts 20:7-8 

7 On the first day of the week, we gathered with the local believers to share in the Lord’s Supper. Paul was preaching to them, and since he was leaving the next day, he kept talking until midnight. 8 The upstairs room where we met was lighted with many flickering lamps. 

This passage shows what Paul and his companions were waiting for in Troas. They were waiting for the first day of the week, the time for worship and sharing the Lord ’s Supper during the days of the early church. Paul went to synagogues to reach Jews, but he met with other Christ-followers on the first day of the week—the day Jesus had risen from the dead. After Jesus’ resurrection, there is no record of believers meeting on Saturday, the Sabbath, to worship and break bread.  

REFLECT 

Some countries might outlaw meeting on Sundays for worship, Acts 20:7 indicates the practice of the early church. One can worship any day of the week, but the first day of the week is special in remembering the day of Jesus’ resurrection from the grave. 

RESPOND 

Be aware of what Paul said in Colossians 2:16-17 about special diets and days. A person is not more holy by worshiping on a certain day, but Acts 20:7 reveals the early church met on the first day of the week.