I Will Send You Far Away to the Gentiles

“I WILL SEND YOU FAR AWAY TO THE GENTILES”

Acts 21:27–22:29 (Go to ESV Bible Verses)

Key Verse: 22:21

1. Who stirs up the crowd (21:27)? Of what do they accuse Paul (28), and with what mistaken assumption (29)? What happens (30)? What does this tell us about this crowd? Who intervenes, and what does he do (31–33)? What is wrong with his procedure?
2. How and why is Paul brought into the barracks (34–36)? Who does the tribune think he is, and how does Paul get his permission to speak to the crowd (37–39)? How is Paul depicted here (21:40–22:2)?
3. What does Paul say about his upbringing (3) and initial response to “the Way” (4–5)? How does he describe his encounter with Jesus (6–9)? How did Paul respond to this, and why (10)? Who was Ananias, and how did he help Paul (11–16)? Why is the word “appointed” repeated (10,14)?
4. In the Jerusalem temple, who spoke to Paul, and what did he tell him (17–18)? How did Paul respond, and why (19–20)? Read verse 21. How was this part of God’s plan all along (Gen.12:3; Isa.49:6)? Elsewhere, how does Paul describe his Gentile ministry (Rom.15:16; Eph.3:6–8)? How and why should we accept this today?
5. How does the crowd respond, and why (22–23)? What is about to happen, what does Paul say, and why (24–25)? How does the tribune respond to this news (26–27)? What is the distinction between him and Paul (28)? Describe God’s sovereign hand in this. How does Paul’s citizenship impact those there, and why (29)?

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Q4: Gen.12:3: “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Isa.49:6: “...he says: ‘It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’”

Rom.15:16: “...to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.”

Eph.3:6–8: “This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ…”