From Acts to the Epistles
Arlen L. Chitwood
www.lampbroadcast.org
Review/Study Questions
Foreword
1. What are the four main sections of the New Testament? And in order for the New Testament to be properly understood, what must be done? Then, viewing the matter from another perspective, how is the New Testament to be understood relative to the Old Testament? In fact, what type of connection exists between the Old and New Testaments? And why is this so?
2. What is necessary when one wishes to understand the book of Acts along with a continuation into the epistles? And of what does the book of Acts record?
Introduction
1. On what do the gospels, the book of Acts, and the epistles each center?
2. To what does the “kingdom of the heavens” (a literal rendering of the Greek text, which is used 32 times in Matthew) refer? And what is the “chain-of-command” structure of that to which the “kingdom of the heavens” refers?
3. What are the “spheres” of the “kingdom of the heavens”? And how do these spheres relate?
4. As a God-appointed ruler over the earth, what path did Satan take that disqualified him for this position? And what “principle of biblical governmental rule” allows him to presently retain this position of authority? But what was different pertaining to Satan’s reign, following his rebellion against God’s supreme power and authority, than it had been before that time?
5. In regards to the changed state of Satan’s reign subsequent and due to his rebellion, how did God intervene in order restore this portion (ruined province) of His kingdom? And where is this restoration recorded? And regarding this “restoration” by God, what did Satan do that allowed him to continue “holding the scepter” (authority over the earth)?
6. Since the Bible is a book of redemption, what end does this redemption encompass, which is more than just man’s eternal salvation through faith in God’s Redeemer and to which all of God’s redemptive purposes in Scripture are seen to move (toward this end)? And where is the warfare recorded that will bring in this “end”?
7. What was meant by the phrase, “kingdom of the heavens,” when John the Baptist came on the scene to minister to Israel? And why should Israel have known what was meant by the phrase? And who introduced the concept “what was meant” by the phrase and where was it introduced in the Old Testament? And where in the Old Testament is the form in which “what was meant” by the phrase covered in the Old Testament?
8. To what specific nation alone was the scepter “held by Satan of his angel” offered by Christ, John the Baptist, and twelve apostles? But what action did this nation take as a result of this offer?
9. What was the status of the “offer” mentioned in the previous question within the book of Acts? And regards to this, what action did the nation mentioned in the same prior question take? And then, as a result of this, what did God do with the “offer”?
10. Apart from what can there be no such thing as properly understanding the gospels, Acts, or the epistles?
11. Upon what central thing did Christ focus upon while suffering at Calvary, which is what Christians are to focus their attention on as well? And what central “age” and central “purpose” are in focus in Scripture pertaining to man’s redemption?
12. Regarding the interpretation of Scripture, what is the “only way” man can come into an understanding of “the deep things of God”?
Chapter One
1. Of what did Christ speak to His disciples during the forty days of His post-resurrection ministry? And of what did He speak to them immediately before His ascension?
2. To what was the Spirit (being presented after the fashion to which Christ referred immediately before His ascension) inseparably connected? And this being the case, then what question could have been expected for His disciples to ask?
3. What message pervaded the disciples mind at Christ’s ascension, which was proclaimed for a number of years following Pentecost? And, specifically, what was this “message”? And, what supernatural indicators (actions) attended the proclamation of this “message”?
4. What were the “two main differences” between the original and the re-offer of the kingdom message to the nation Israel?
5. For what was Israel made the repository, which went all the way back to promises given to Abraham? And, conditioned on what by Israel could the kingdom of God have been established during Christ’s ministry on earth?
6. During the time covered by the book of Acts, what “entity” was then the rightful possessor of the kingdom, which was instrumental in bringing (proclaiming the message of) the re-offer of the kingdom to Israel? And what parable in the New Testament revealed that there would be a re-offer of the kingdom to the nation Israel following events surrounding Calvary and the calling into existence of the Church? And where is this parable found?
7. How and why was there a bona fide offer that couldn’t possibly have been accepted made to Israel prior and subsequent to the events surrounding Calvary and the calling into existence of the Church?
8. Regarding the offer and re-offer of the kingdom to Israel, what major thing must be taken into consideration, which will shed more light on the whole matter? And what two distinct things must be in view in order for signs, wonders, and miracles to exist?
9. What two occasions were signs, wonders, and miracles performed through individuals manifested in the Old Testament? And, by whom were all other signs, wonders, and miracles directly performed in the Old Testament?
10. In relation to what were signs, wonders, and miracles performed through individuals in the Old Testament? And what principle of interpretation of Scripture does this illustrate?
11. What were the signs, wonders, and miracles to those who were manifesting them in Israel’s presence? And, what were these signs, wonders, and miracles to mean to Israel regarding those who were manifesting them?
12. When did “the times of the Gentiles” began and when will it end? And how is “the times of the Gentiles” defined by the author?
13. After the occasions recorded in the Old Testament, when did signs, wonders, and miracles next appear relative to Israel and the kingdom? And, other than Christ, who also were “empowered” and “appointed” to demonstrate signs, wonders, and miracles relative to Israel and the kingdom?
14. To what people (nation) alone were Christ and His disciples sent relative to the offer of the kingdom of the heavens with its accompanying manifestation of supernatural powers? And, what was the responsibility of the religious leaders in Israel once they were exposed to the offer of the kingdom and its accompanying signs, wonders, and miracles? But, upon this exposure, what course of action did the religious leaders of Israel take?
15. What was the threefold end-result of Israel rejecting both the message and the Messenger of the kingdom of the heavens?
16. What was the evidence that indicated the re-offer of the kingdom to Israel after it had been taken from them and given to the Church? Otherwise, if God had terminated His dealings with Israel at or before the time that the Church was called into existence, what would have ceased to exist?
17. What was the purpose of God in the manifestation of supernatural works in the Church after the ascension of Christ? But then, what was the reaction of the religious leaders in Israel? And, what was the two-pronged manner in which God was dealing with Israel immediately after Christ’s ascension that the author designates as God dealing with Israel in “a maximum manner”?
18. What events subsequent to the ascension of Christ have whole denominations through misinterpretation been built? And what verse of Scripture misinterpreted have cults seized upon to explain the way a person is to be saved, which practically the whole of Christendom also misrepresents in order to counter the cults?
19. Regarding the “verse of Scripture misinterpreted” in the previous question, what must be understood first before it can be properly understood? And, in view of Joel’s prophecy (Joel 2:27-32), how could the disciples only have associated the coming of the Spirit?
20. With what did the promise concerning the Spirit in Acts 1:5 have to do, which was fulfilled in Acts 2:4? What two actions involving the Spirit happened to those in the first chapter of Acts? And where else in the book of Acts is this work(s) of the Spirit subsequently found?
21. How does the Spirit affects (deal with) those saved today, which would be different in how He affected (dealt with) those in the second chapter of Acts? And why is this so?
22. Events throughout Acts chapter two pertain to what people (nation)? And, to put it another way, with what “beginning” did Acts chapter two (i.e., the immersion in and filling with the Holy Spirit) indicate?
23. When will Joel’s prophecy be fulfilled?
24. How does the Spirit of God in the New Testament deal with the immersion in and the filling of the Spirit when these experiences are either connected with or separated from Joel’s prophecy?
25. In what manner is the Greek word pimplemi used in Acts 2:4? And what are the five times this Greek word is used in the book of Acts relative to the filling of the Holy Spirit? And, regarding the first three times it is used in this fashion, what is in view and what miraculous things accompany these events?
26. What “climatic point” is reached in the book of Acts prior to Paul and the Samaritans first appearing in the book and then Paul being saved? And, what was the reason Paul initially always went to “the Jews first” in his ministry?
27. Regarding the Holy Spirit’s use of two different Greek words pertaining to the filling of the Holy Spirit, what is “the key” in determining what marks the difference in their use? And, what is the difference in the way they are used?
28. The day of Pentecost was one of what three annual feast days that adult Jewish males were required to keep in Jerusalem? And, according to the Greek historian Josephus, how many Jews did he estimate could have possibly been there during the day of Pentecost recorded in the book of Acts?
29. And regarding the message that was proclaimed to the Jews who had gathered for the day of Pentecost in Acts, what was expected of those who heard the message? And with what did this message have to deal, the content of which lasted for approximately 32 years (until about 62 A.D.)?
30. Relative to the message proclaimed on the day of Pentecost to the Jews, what was the only means that the nation Israel could take in order to correct the previous wrong of Israel rejecting the proffered kingdom and crucifying the Messiah? And, providing that the nation of Israel would take such a corrective course of action, what then would occur?
Chapter Two
1. According to the author, what must be understood, which is embodied in the opening (the first nine verses) of the book of Acts in order to be able to properly understand the entire book? And what connection does the book of Acts provide between the gospels and the epistles? And what is the result if one does not see this “connection?”
2. What is the central theme of (1) the gospels, (2) the book of Acts, and (3) the epistles? And then, what part does the book of Revelation play regarding the matter (the common theme between the gospels, the book of Acts, and the epistles)?
3. With what does the one continuous divinely-given revelation deal, which comes from both Testaments (towards which all Scriptures moves)? And pertaining to the central theme of both Testaments, what nation was the focus of Christ’s instructions to His disciples during His post-resurrection time (40 days) on earth?
4. When Christ informed His disciples that they would soon be “immersed in the Spirit,” of what could His disciples only think that this was about? And, how does the grammatical construction of the Greek text in the first part of Acts 1:6 clarify their question in the latter part of the verse?
5. How is Christ’s response to His disciples’ question in Acts 1:6b usually misinterpreted? And what prophecy in the Old Testament is inextricably connected to how the disciples understood Christ’s response, which was confirmed by Peter some ten days later?
6. With strictly what did the phrase “times or seasons” apply?
7. How was the re-offer of the kingdom to Israel to be carried out? And to whom would the disciples need to leave the results of their ministry relative to the re-offer of the kingdom to Israel?
8. With what exactly did the various commissions by Christ to His disciples during the forty days subsequent to His resurrection focus upon? And what truth was revealed by the message to be carried to Israel first? And, on the other hand, what truth was revealed by the message to be carried to the Gentile world?
9. With what people or peoples in connection to the kingdom do the verses, Acts 2:38 and Mark 16:16, target? And what happened to the disciples when they carried the message of the kingdom with great zeal to the people of Israel? And why was the fulfillment of Mark 16:15ff not fulfilled, and, in fact, cannot be fulfilled today in the fashion in which it was intended?
10. What is the message that the Church is to carry to the unsaved today? And why would a message of this type attended by signs, wonders, and miracles be out of place today? And how can all things, with respect to miraculous signs, Israel, and the Gentile nations, be best seen in their proper perspective?