Notes on the International Sunday School Lessons

Fall 2005

by Jarl K. Waggoner

Lesson 1 - Acts 2:1-8, 38-42

2:1 – “day of Pentecost” – The Day of Pentecost was celebrated fifty days after the beginning of Passover.  It was a harvest celebration at which the firstfruits of the harvest were offered to the Lord (Exod. 23:16; Lev. 23:15-21).  It was also called the Feast of Weeks or Feast of Harvest.

2:2 - "house" - This could refer to the upper room (1:13) or the temple (Kent, 29).

2:2-3 - "sound from heaven . . . cloven tongues like as of fire" - The significance of these evidences are not given here. See Kent (29), Harrison (51), BKC (357) for suggestions. At least they indicated that all present were baptized by the Spirit. The "tongues . . . of fire" was probably symbolic of the divine presence (NIVBC, 387) and recalled the words of John the Baptist (Matt. 3:11).

2:4 - "tongues" - There are various views of the nature of these tongues (cf. Kent, 30-32; NIVBC, 387-388). Clearly, the hearers heard the apostles speaking in their various native languages. Some hold that the apostles spoke in known human languages that they had not learned. Others suggest these were ecstatic utterances, presumably like the tongues in Corinth, and that the hearers miraculously heard their native languages.

2:38 - "repent" - Literally, it means change the mind. Here it "includes all aspects of conversion, including faith" (Kent, 33).

2:38 - "for the remission of sins" - Clearly this does not teach baptismal regeneration. Peter himself did not make baptism a requirement for salvation elsewhere (cf. Acts 3:19; 5:31; 10:43). BKC (359) gives a good summary of interpretations. Basically, there are three: (1) "Remission" is connected with both "repent" and "be baptized" (Bruce, 98). Baptism is closely connected to repentance as the symbol of it. It naturally follows repentance but is not a condition for forgiveness. (2) "for" (eis) should be taken here (as it is in some other places) to mean "on the basis of" or "because of." Thus baptism is based on forgiveness that has already been received (Kent, 33-34; Robt. 3:35-36). (3) "and be baptized . . . in the name of Jesus Christ" is a parenthetical statement set off from the main thought and thus is not presented as a condition for forgiveness (BKC, 359).

2:39 - "promise" - This probably includes both forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit (NIVBC, 396).

2:39 - "all that are afar off" - This refers to Jews in the Dispersion but could also include Gentiles (Harrison, 63; NIVBC, 396).

2:41 - "were added" - Kent (34) states, "This whole paragraph (vss. 41-47) emphasizes the visible relationships of the believers. Hence "were added" . . . should be understood of their addition to the group of Christians, not of their mystical addition 'to the Lord.'"

2:42 - "fellowship" - See EDT (414). The basic meaning is participation. Here it probably speaks of a "unity of faith and love and joy that characterized these early believers" (Harrison, 65). Breaking of bread, prayers, and having all things in common (vs. 44) were physical expressions of this fellowship (Bruce, 100; BKC, 360).

2:42 - "breaking of bread" - Most take this as a reference to the Lord's Supper (noting that definite articles are used with the expression in Greek) in contrast with the ordinary meals mentioned in vs. 46 (Harrison, 65-66; Kent, 34). See NIVBC (398) and Robt (3:38) for other ideas.

 

Lesson 2 - Acts 2:43-47; 4:32-35

2:44 – “had all things common” – This, of course, was not commanded but was a response to the particular situation in Jerusalem (cf. NIVBC, 398).

 

Lesson 3 – Acts 3:1-16

3:1 - "ninth hour" – This is 3:00 P.M. See Harrison (69) for description of Jewish prayer times.

3:2 - "gate . . . called Beautiful" - The identity of the gate is not certain, but "most scholars today believe it is the Nicanor Gate, which led from the eastern part of the outer court (Court of the Gentiles) into the first of the inner courts (Court of the Women)" (NIVBC, 399).

3:3 - "alms" - See TDNT (2:485-486). The Greek word is related to the word for mercy (eleos) and speaks of acts of benevolence, especially the giving of money.

3:6 - "In the name of Jesus Christ" - "In Semitic thought, a 'name' . . . does not just identify or distinguish a person; it expresses the very nature of his being. Hence the power of the person is present and available in the name of the person. Peter, therefore, does not just ask the risen Jesus to heal but pronounces over the crippled beggar the name of Jesus, thereby releasing the power of Jesus (cf. 3:16; 4:10). And the power of the risen Jesus, coupled with the man's response of faith (cf. 3:16), effects the healing" (NIVBC, 400).

 

Lesson 4 – Acts 4:1-4, 23-31

4:1 - "captain of the temple" - This was the commanding officer of the temple police (NIVBC, 402; Harrison, 79).

4:1 - "Sadducees" - The Sadducees held power in the Sanhedrin. They rejected the resurrection of the dead, which was why they so objected to the apostles' teaching. See Old ISBE (2658-2660) and Tenney, NT Times (94-95).

4:3 - "it was now eventide" - Peter and John were confined overnight because it was evening, and there was not enough time for a trial. Jewish law "forbade night trials (a law flagrantly violated in the case of Jesus)" (Kent, 44). They were brought before the Sanhedrin the next day (vss. 6ff).

4:4 - "men" - This is the word for males; so it can be assumed that the total number was considerably more than the 5,000 men cited here (Robt. 3:50).

 

Lesson 5 - Acts 6:8-15; 7:54-60

6:8 - "full of faith and power" - MSS evidence favors "grace" rather than "faith" here (Robt. 3:75; cf. NASB; NIV; NJB; NRSV).

6:10 - "they" - These were Hellenistic Jews now living in Jerusalem and attached to certain synagogues there (vs. 9) (cf. NIVBC, 415; Harrison, 109).

7:54 - "gnashed on him with their teeth" - "Gnashed their teeth at him" (NIV) is better. This was an expression of anger. They were angered by Stephen's accusation that they had murdered Jesus just as their fathers had killed the prophets of God and that they had not kept the law (vss. 51-53).

7:55-56-"Jesus standing on the right hand of God . . . the Son of man standing on the right hand of God" - The Sanhedrin previously had heard Jesus declare that they would "see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power" (Mark 14:62). That Jesus was "standing" rather than sitting has usually been seen as suggesting Jesus' welcoming Stephen into His presence (cf. NIVBC, 423).

7:58 - "stoned him" - Some see the stoning of Stephen as a legal execution carried out by the Sanhedrin (Harrison, 128; JFB, 6:46). They point out that Stephen was taken outside the city (cf. Lev. 24:14; Num. 15:35) and that the witnesses against him cast the first stones (cf. Deut. 17:7). Others (Kent, 72; LBC, 2144-2145) believe these were formalities that masked what was actually a lynching. They point out that capital punishment could only be carried out by permission of Rome (cf. John 18:31) and that according to current Jewish law capital cases required a second trial a day later.

7:58 - "young man" - This "generally refers to someone from about twenty-four to forty years old" (NIVBC, 424).

7:59-60- "Receive my spirit . . . lay not this sin to their charge" - Stephen's words reflected those of Jesus (cf. Luke 23:46, 34).

 

Lesson 6 – Acts 8:4-17

8:5 - "Philip" - This is the same Philip named in 6:5 (cf. 21:8). If he was a Hellenistic Jew, as many suggest, he was more suited to ministry among the Samaritans than a Palestinian Jew (cf. BKC, 372).

8:5 - "the city of Samaria" - Some MSS have "a city of Samaria" (cf. NIV). Thus it may simply refer to an unnamed city in the region known as Samaria. If it is taken as "the city" (cf. NASB), it seems to be a reference to the ancient city of Samaria, which, though destroyed in OT times, had been rebuilt and was ordinarily called Sebaste (Kent, 76, 78 note). The Samaritans were "descendants from a mixture of the remnant of Israel with foreigners who were settled in Samaria by the conquering Assyrians when the upper classes were taken into exile (II Kings 17). The Samaritans had erected a rival temple upon Mount Gerizim (see Jn 4:20)." (WBC, 1138; cf. NBD, 1131-1132).

 

Lesson 7 – Acts 8:26-38

8:26 - "the angel of the Lord" - Better translated "an angel of the Lord" (Kent, 80; cf. NASB).

8:26 - "Go toward the south . . . down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert" - This may suggest Philip had returned to Jerusalem with Peter and John (cf. vss. 14-25), though this is by no means certain. "Desert" may refer to either the town or the road (BKC, 374) , though most take it as the latter (cf. NIV; NASB; NJB). Gaza was the southernmost of the five ancient Philistine cities (NIVBC, 428; NBD, 454-455).

8:27 - "a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch" - "In ancient times, this term indicated a large territory lying directly south of Egypt, hence to be distinguished from modern Ethiopia located to the southeast" (Harrison, 141). "Eunuch" could refer to a physical eunuch, a court officer (Gen. 39:1), or both since eunuchs were often put in charge of harems and sometimes rose to high government positions (Kent, 81).

8:27 - "come to Jerusalem for to worship" - The Ethiopian was either a proselyte to Judaism or, if a physical eunuch (Deut. 23:1), a "'proselyte of the gate,' one whose adherence to Judaism was only partial" (Kent, 81).

8:27 - "Candace" – This was a dynastic title for the queen-mother of Ethiopia (BKC, 374; Kent, 81).

8:32-33- "scripture which he read" - The Ethiopian was reading Isaiah 53:7-8. "It describes one who suffered in silence, to whom justice was denied, and who was slain" (WBC, 1139). The entire passage from Isaiah 52:13-53:12 speaks of the suffering Servant.

8:34 - "Of whom speaketh the prophet?" - The Ethiopian was "Puzzled about the identification of this figure. This is not surprising in view of the variety of interpretations which have been put forward: . . . The eunuch felt sure that the prophecy concerned an individual, but was unable to fix his identity" (Harrison, 142).

 

Lesson 8 - Acts 10:1-20

10:1 – "Cornelius" - He was a Roman centurion (captain of 100) stationed in Caesarea, the capital of the province of Judea (Kent, 89; cf. NBD, 174; NIVBC, 438 ).

10:2 – "feared God" – This is "an expression which when applied to gentiles in the NT meant that they were adherents to Judaism to a limited extent (i.e. 'proselytes of the gate') (Kent, 90). NIVBC (438-439), however, says, "It seems that Cornelius was a Gentile who, having realized the bankruptcy of paganism, sought to worship a monotheistic God, practice a form of prayer, and lead a moral life, apart from any necessary association with Judaism."

10:3 – "ninth hour" – This is 3:00 P.M., one of the regular Jewish times for prayer (Kent, 90).

10:4 – “Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God” – Cornelius later recalled this using these words: "thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance" (v. 31).  This was "a biblical and traditional way of saying that he was commended before God and that God was attentive to his situation" (NIVBC, 439). It does not suggest he had earned divine favor for he was still unsaved (cf. 11:13-14).

10:5 - "Joppa" – See NBD (654). Joppa was about 30 miles south of Caesarea on the coast.  Peter had been ministering in and around Joppa for a time (9:32ff).

10:6 - "Simon a tanner" – Cf. 9:43. Tanners "handled skins from ceremonially unclean animals, and were thus regarded as Levitically impure. . . . Peter's disregard of Jewish scruples in this instance may indicate his broadening outlook" (Kent, 88).

 

Lesson 9 – Acts 12:1-16

12:1 – “Herod” – This is Herod Agrippa I, the nephew of Herod Antipas, who had murdered John the Baptist and questioned Jesus (Matt. 14:1-12; Luke 23:6-12), and grandson of Herod the Great, who had died shortly after the birth of Jesus (Kent, 100-101).

12:4 – “four quaternions” – This is “four squads of four soldiers each” (NIV).  “Usual procedure would call for them to served three-hour watches, with two soldiers chained to the prisoner and two guarding the door” (Kent, 102).  Peter’s prior deliverance from prison (Acts 5:12-25) perhaps drove Herod to take such precautions.

 

Lesson 10 – Acts 9:3-18

9:5 – “it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks” – Most modern versions omit this on textual grounds.  “It was probably added in some manuscripts from 26:14 where it properly belongs” (Kent, 83).  This proverbial expression came from the pain or “hardness” experienced by oxen that resisted the prods used to direct them.  It could indicate “that Paul had not been altogether at ease in his conscience in his persecution of Christians” (WBC, 1172) or it “referred to the futility of his persecuting the church” (BKC, 424).

 

Lesson 11 – Acts 16:6-15

Background - After splitting with Barnabas, Paul took Silas and set out on his second missionary journey, visiting churches in Galatia. In Lystra, they were joined by Timothy. They eventually passed through Galatic Phrygia but were directed by the Holy Spirit not to preach at this time in the provinces of Asia or Bithynia. They then came to Troas (15:36-16:8), a seaport on the Aegean Sea in the Roman province of Asia.

16:9 - "Macedonia" - "A Roman senatorial province, corresponding roughly to northern Greece today" (BKC, 398).

16:10 - "we . . . us" - These pronouns indicate that the author of Acts, Luke, joined Paul's band at this point. He apparently remained in Philippi after Paul's initial visit there (16:17) and was not reunited with Paul until his return visit (20:5-15). Some surmise that Philippi was his hometown (NIVBC, 470).

16:11 - "Samothracia . . . Neapolis" - Samothrace is a small, mountainous island in the northern Aegean Sea. It was a stopover place for ships traveling through this part of the sea (NIVBC, 470; NBD, 1133). "Neapolis" was on the northern coast of the Aegean in Maceonia. It served as the seaport for Philippi, which was 10 miles inland (NIVBC, 470; NBD, 872).

16:12 - "Philippi" - For background, see Bruce (312); NIVBC (470); NBD (985). Philippi was named for Philip of Macedon, who enlarged the settlement and named it for himself in 356 B.C. In 42 B.C. it became a Roman colony, "responsible directly to the emperor and not to the provincial administration" (NIVBC, 470). Its inhabitants were Roman citizens (Kent, 134).

16:12 - "chief city of that part of Macedonia" - This cannot mean that it was capital of the province; Thessalonia was the capital of Macedonia. Likewise, it cannot mean it was district capital for that was Amphipolis. "Chief" (prote) might be an honorary title or more likely it simply means "a leading city" (Kent, 134; cf. NASB; NRSV). Another view is that it means Philippi was a city "in the first district of Macedonia" (Harrison, 251).

16:13 - "by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made" - Apparently there was no synagogue in Philippi, which indicates there were few Jews living there since a synagogue required ten adult male Jews (cf. BKC, 399). The "river" was the Gangites, about a mile and a half west of the city.

16:14 - "Lydia, a seller of purple, of . . . Thyatira, which worshipped God" - "Lydia" may be a personal name, or it may mean "a Lydian woman," that is, a woman of Lydia, the region in which Thyatira was located (WBC, 1154). "Seller of purple" indicates Lydia was one who sold cloth that had been dyed purple (cf. NASB; NIV). She was from Thyatira, a city in western Asia Minor known for its dyed cloth. NBD (1275) suggests that she may have been the "overseas agent of a Thyatiran manufacturer." She probably was either unmarried or a widow. Lydia was one who "worshipped God," that is, she was a God-fearer, or proselyte of the gate (Robt. 3:252).

16:15 - "household" - This could include "other members of the family (if there were any), business helpers, and servants" (Harrison, 252).

 

Lesson 12 – Acts 18:1-4, 18-21, 24-28

18:1 – “came to Corinth” – Paul left Athens (Acts 17) and came to Corinth on his second missionary journey.   Corinth was located in southern Greece on the narrow Isthmus “which connected northern Greece with the Peloponnese” (Harrison, 275), near ports on both the east and west.  It had a large and diverse population.  It was a prosperous and immoral city, a center for the worship of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, as well as other idols.

18:2 – “Aquila . . . Priscilla” – Aquila was Jewish; probably Priscilla was as well.  It is probable both were already Christians, though some dispute this.  They had recently come to Corinth from Rome, having been expelled by Emperor Claudius in A.D. 49, along with all Jews.  The reason for the expulsion was what the historian Suetonius described as  “disturbances at the instigation of Crestus.”  It is likely this is a reference to riots in the Jewish community due to the preaching of Christ.  The ban evidently did not last long.   The church in Rome already was established by this time, presumably by believers who had returned there following their conversion in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:10).

18:3 – “because he was of the same craft, he abode with them . . . they were tentmakers” – Paul was in financial need at this time (cf. 2 Cor. 11:9), and Aquila and Priscilla provided him a place to live and an opportunity to join them in their tentmaking, or leather working, trade, a trade Paul himself was trained for. 

18:18 – “having shorn his head in Cenchrea” – Paul left Corinth to return to Antioch, Syria.  Before setting sail from Cenchrea near Corinth, he shaved his head.  The reason given is that “he had a vow.”  The exact nature of the vow is not stated, but it seems to have been a Nazirite vow such as described in Numbers 6:1-21.  “At the conclusion of the vow one’s hair was cut (or shaved) and burned with a sacrifice at Jerusalem” (Kent, 145).

18:19 – “came to Ephesus” – This was Paul’s first visit to Ephesus in Asia Minor.  He left Aquila and Priscilla there after a short ministry.  He would visit there again on his third missionary journey.

18:21 – “this feast that cometh in Jerusalem” – This was probably the Passover.  It is clear that while Paul did not teach any requirement to follow Jewish ritual, he frequently did.

18:24-25 – “Apollos . . . mighty in the scriptures . . . knowing only the baptism of John” – After Paul’s departure from Ephesus, a church was founded there.  Apollos was a man deeply steeped in the Old Testament Scriptures, and somehow he had become knowledgeable of John the Baptist and Jesus’ early ministry. 

18:26 – “expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly” – After hearing Apollos speaking in the synagogue, Aquila and Priscilla gave him further, more complete instruction about Jesus’ finished work.  “More perfectly” is translated “more accurately” (NASB) and “more adequately” (NIV).

18:28 – “mightily convinced the Jews” – In Achaia Apollos argued forcefully and successfully from the Old Testament Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.  Apollos became greatly revered in the Corinthian church for his powerful speaking skills (cf. 1 Cor. 1:12; 2:5-6).

 

Lesson 13 – Acts 20:17-28, 36-38

Background - Paul was returning to Jerusalem from his third missionary journey. When he arrived at Miletus, about 30 miles from Ephesus (Bruce, 377), he sent for the elders of the Ephesian church to join him there (vs. 17). He had visited Ephesus briefly on his second missionary journey (18:19-21) and earlier on this third journey he had spent more than two years there (19:1-41).

20:18 - "Asia" - This is the westernmost province of Asia Minor. It included both Ephesus and Miletus (cf. UBD, 99).

20:19 - "temptations . . . lying in wait of the Jews" - "Temptations" here is better translated "trials" (cf. NASB; JFB, 6:149). "Lying in wait" is translated "plots" in NASB and NIV (cf. Vine's, 475). See Acts 19:9. Paul did not describe these plots in detail.

20:20 - "from house to house" - This is in contrast to his public preaching and may be a reference to house churches in Ephesus (BKC, 413; Harrison, 324).

20:21 - "repentance . . . faith" - The word order in Greek is "toward God repentance and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." "Repentance" and "faith" are closely connected and are not viewed here as distinct acts but two aspects of saving faith (BKC, 413; JFB, 1:149). Paul was here summarizing the content of his preaching in Ephesus.

20:22 - "bound in the spirit" - This probably refers to the constraint of the Holy Spirit, who was leading Paul to go to Jerusalem (Harrison, 324-315; BKC, 413; NIVBC, 492). Some, however, argue that "spirit" refers to Paul's own spirit. Thus, he was compelled by a "high sense of duty" (Robt. 3:350).

20:22 - "unto Jerusalem" - Evidently Paul was going to Jerusalem to deliver the offering from to the poor believers there from the churches of Galatia, Achaia, and Macedonia (Acts 24:17; Rom. 15:25-28; 1 Cor. 16:1-3).

20:23 - "The Holy Ghost witnesseth . . . that bonds and afflictions abide (await) me" - Apparently through those who were gifted as prophets Paul had been warned of trouble awaiting him in Jerusalem (BKC, 413; NIVBC, 492). See Acts 21:4, 10-11.

20:25 - "ye all . . . shall see my face no more" - This was Paul's conviction in light of what lay ahead of him. He was convinced his ministry would move on to Rome (Acts 19:21; Rom 15:19-25). BKC (414) also says, "The NIV translation, none of you, is a bit strong. The Greek refers to 'all' of them (as a group) not seeing Paul again . . . He did not say no one of them would see him again." It is, in fact, probable that Paul did later visit Ephesus after a first Roman imprisonment (Kent, The Pastoral Epistles, 45-52).

20:27 - "counsel of God" - Boule means advice or purpose and here refers to the will of God (BAG, 145; Vine's, 16 [Advice]).

20:28 - "overseers" - These same church leaders are called "elders" in vs. 17. "Elders" emphasizes the dignity of the individual, while "overseers" refers to the function of the elder (Saucy, The Church in God's Program, 140-142).

20:28 - "feed" – The Greek word here means "to feed or tend the flock . . . to act as shepherd" (Robt. 3:352).

20:28 - "with his (God's) own blood" - According to the KJV rendering "Jesus is here called 'God' who shed his own blood for the flock" (Robt. 3:353). Nowhere else, however, does Scripture speak of God the Father shedding blood; thus many prefer an alternate (but legitimate) translation: "with the blood of his own" (Bruce; 381; Harrison, 316; cf. NRSV; NJB).

 

Abbreviations:

BAG - Bauer, Arndt, Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the NT

BKC - Walvoord and Zuck, eds., The Bible Knowledge Commentary

Bruce - F. F. Bruce, Acts of the Apostles: The Greek Text

EDT - Elwell, ed., The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology

Harrison - Everett F. Harrison, Acts: The Expanding Church

JFB - Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary

Kent - Homer A. Kent, Jerusalem to Rome: Studies in Acts

LBC - Falwell, et al, Liberty Bible Commentary (now known as KJV Parallel Commentary

NASB - New American Standard Bible

NBD - Douglas, ed., The New Bible Dictionary

NIV - New International Version

NIVBC - NIV Bible Commentary (An abridgement of Expositor's Bible Commentary)

NJB- New Jerusalem Bible

NRSV- New Revised Standard Version

Old ISBE- Orr, ed., International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

Robt. - A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament

TDNT - Kittel, et al, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament

UBD - Unger, Unger's Bible Dictionary

Vine's - Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words

WBC - Pfeiffer and Harrison, eds., The Wycliffe Bible Commentary

 

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