Lesson 89: Acts 10–11
Introduction
God revealed to Peter in a vision
that the gospel should be preached to the Gentiles. Peter taught the gospel to
Cornelius and his household and later settled contention among Jewish Saints about
the gospel being preached to the Gentiles. The Lord’s work continued to move
forward despite persecution.
I.
Acts 10
God reveals to Peter in a vision that the gospel should be preached to
the Gentiles
---Invite students to imagine that a
friend asks: “I heard that in 1978 your church changed its position to allow
all men to receive the priesthood regardless of race. If you believe your
church is directed by God, and God is an unchangeable being, how is that
possible?”
---Ask students to write in their
class notebooks or scripture study journals how they would respond to this
friend. (Note: Make sure students respond to the question of changing Church
practice rather than speculating on possible reasons for the priesthood
restriction. Also, do not speculate on why the priesthood restriction was in
place, since these reasons have not been revealed [see Official Declaration 2].)
---Invite students as they study Acts 10–11 to look for doctrines and principles
that can help them answer questions about how the Lord leads, guides, changes,
and directs His Church.
---Up to this point in New Testament
times, the gospel had been preached, with a few exceptions, exclusively to Jews
as directed by the Savior (see Matthew 10:5–6). However, the Savior also told
His disciples that after the Holy Ghost came upon them
they would preach the gospel “unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). In Acts 10 we read about a significant change
in the way the Church operated that would facilitate this.
---Read Acts 10:1–2 aloud. Ask the class to follow along,
looking for details about a Gentile named Cornelius. (You may want to point out
that Cornelius “feared God” (verse 2). God-fearers were Gentiles who
worshipped the Lord but were not proselytes, or converts to the Jewish faith,
and therefore did not live the entire law of Moses.)
- What was Cornelius’s profession? (He was a centurion in the Roman army, responsible for one hundred soldiers.)
---Remind students that prior to
this time, a Gentile could not join Christ’s Church without first converting to
Judaism, since the gospel was only taken to the Jews.
- Even though Cornelius could not join the Church as a Gentile, how did he show his faith in God?
---Take turns reading aloud from Acts 10:3–6. Ask the class to follow along,
looking for what happened to Cornelius. (Explain that “the ninth hour of the
day” [verse 3] was about 3:00 p.m.)
- According to verse 4, what did the angel tell Cornelius about his prayers and alms?
- What did the angel instruct Cornelius to do?
---Acts 10:7–8 says that Cornelius sent three men to
Joppa to find Peter. (To help students understand where Caesarea is in
relationship to Joppa, you may want to refer students to the map “The Holy Land in New Testament Times” [Bible
Maps, no. 11].)
---As these men traveled to Joppa,
Peter had a remarkable vision while staying at the house of a man named Simon.
Give each student a piece of paper.
---Invite students to read Acts 10:9–16 silently and to draw a picture of
Peter’s vision as it is described in these verses. After sufficient time, ask
students to use their pictures to explain to a classmate what happened in
Peter’s vision. Following this activity, ask:
- In the vision, what was Peter commanded to eat?
- According to verse 14, what was Peter’s initial reaction to this commandment? (Explain that under the law of Moses, Jews were forbidden to eat animals that were designated as common or unclean [see Leviticus 11].)
- According to verse 15, what did the Lord say about the unclean animals He had commanded Peter to eat?
---Read Acts 10:17–20 aloud. Ask the class to follow
along, looking for what happened while Peter was pondering the meaning of his
vision.
- What phrase in verse 17 indicates that Peter did not initially understand the meaning of his vision?
- Who arrived as Peter was pondering his vision?
- What did the Spirit tell Peter to do?
---In Acts 10:21–24 the three men told Peter about Cornelius’s
vision. The next day, Peter and other disciples accompanied them to see
Cornelius.
---Take turns reading aloud from Acts 10:25–28. Ask the class to follow along,
looking for what Peter did when he arrived at Cornelius’s house.
- According to verse 28, what did Peter say about interactions between Jews and Gentiles?
- What did Peter now understand?
---In Acts 10:29–33 Cornelius told Peter about his
vision. Cornelius had also gathered his family and friends so
Peter could teach them.
---Read Acts 10:34–35 aloud. Ask the class to follow
along, looking for what Peter learned.
- How would you summarize what Peter learned?
---Acts 10:36–43 says that Peter taught Cornelius
and his household about Jesus Christ and His good works, Crucifixion, and
Resurrection. Peter testified that those who
believe in Jesus Christ will receive a remission of their sins.
---Read Acts 10:44–48 aloud. Ask the class to follow
along, looking for the effect Peter’s teachings had on these Gentiles. Explain
that the phrase “they of the circumcision” (verse 45) refers to the Jewish disciples who
had come with Peter from Joppa.
- According to verses 44–46, what effect did Peter’s teachings have on Cornelius’s household?
- Why were the Jews who were present for this occasion astonished?
- Through Peter’s experiences recorded in Acts 10, what did the Lord reveal to him about the Gentiles? (The gospel should be preached to the Gentiles, and they could be baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ.)
---To help students identify
doctrines we can learn from Acts 10, divide them into groups of two or
three. Provide each group with a copy of the following handout, or write these
questions on the board. Invite students to work with their groups to answer the
questions.
- What truth can we learn from the account of Peter and Cornelius about how the Lord directs His Church?
- What truth can we learn from the fact that the Lord revealed truth to Peter over time instead of all at once?
- What truth can we learn from this account about what God may do with instructions He has given in the past?
© 2015 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
All rights reserved.
---After sufficient time, invite
several students to come to the board to write the truths their groups
identified. Make sure the following truths are reflected in what they write:
God directs His Church by revelation
to His prophet, the senior Apostle.
We may receive revelation and
understanding gradually as we obey the Lord.
God may change or add to
instructions He has given in the past according to His wisdom and the needs of
His children.
---Invite a student to read aloud
the following statement by Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of
the Twelve Apostles. Ask the class to listen for how the third truth in the
bolded list is reflected in Elder Christofferson’s statement.
“By this experience and revelation to Peter, the Lord
modified the practice of the Church and revealed a more complete doctrinal
understanding to His disciples. And so the preaching of the gospel expanded to
encompass all mankind” (“The Doctrine of Christ,” Ensign or Liahona, May
2012, 88).
---Give students time to review what
they wrote about how they would respond to their friend’s question. Encourage
them to write additional insights they gained while studying Acts 10, and allow them to share these
insights with the class.
---You may need to point out that
although God may modify practices of the Church and add to our doctrinal
understanding through ongoing revelation (see Articles of Faith 1:9), His divine nature,
attributes, covenants, doctrines, and plan never change. Knowing this can help
us have faith in God and confidence that He will lead His Church according to
His will and the needs of His children.
II.
Acts 11:1–18
Peter settles contention among Jewish Saints about preaching the gospel
to the Gentiles
- How do you think some of the Jewish members of the Church felt when they heard about Peter’s interaction with a Gentile? (Peter’s interaction with a Gentile was a major change from past practice, and some members had difficulty accepting this change.)
---Read Acts 11:1–3 aloud. Ask the class to follow along,
looking for how the disciples responded to what Peter had done.
- How did the disciples respond to what Peter had done?
---In Acts 11:4–15 Peter described to the disciples the visions
he and Cornelius had received. He told them Cornelius and his household had
received the teachings of Jesus Christ and then had experienced the power of
the Holy Ghost in the same way in which Peter and other disciples had.
---Read Acts 11:16–17 aloud. Ask the class to follow
along, looking for Peter’s concluding remarks to the disciples.
- What do you think Peter meant when he said, “What was I, that I could withstand God?” (verse 17)? (Peter would not oppose God’s will of giving the Gentiles the opportunity to receive the gospel, repent, and be baptized.)
---Read Acts 11:18 silently, looking for how the
disciples responded to Peter’s explanation.
- How did the disciples respond once they learned that Peter had been led by God?
- What principle does this account teach about how we can sustain and follow those who preside over the Church? (Students may identify a variety of principles, but make sure they understand that when we know that those who preside over the Church are led by God, we can confidently sustain and follow them. This principle has been confirmed in modern scripture, which records that God has revealed His will to those who hold the presiding priesthood keys [see D&C 28:2, 7; 42:11; 107:65–66].)
- How have you come to know that those who preside over the Church are led by God?
- What counsel from the prophets have you chosen to follow because you know the prophets are led by God?
---Invite students to set a goal to
gain a stronger testimony that those who preside over the Church are led by
God.
III.
Acts 11:19–30
The Lord’s work moves forward despite persecution
---Acts 11:19–30 says that because of persecution,
several disciples were scattered throughout the region but faithfully preached
the gospel of Jesus Christ wherever they went.
Commentary
and Background Information
Acts
10:21–24. Cornelius needed to send for Peter to receive the ordinances of the
gospel
“Seeing an angel or receiving a
visitation from heaven does not bring salvation; keeping the commandments does.
Cornelius wished for salvation, and in order to obtain it he had to obey its
precepts. The angel who appeared and gave Cornelius initial instructions could
have told him what to do, but he sent him to Peter, who held the earthly
authority. This is the pattern in the kingdom of God. It is, then, as Joseph
Smith observed: … ‘The angel told good old Cornelius that he must
send for Peter to learn how to be saved: Peter could baptise and angels could
not, so long as there were legal officers in the flesh holding the keys of the
kingdom, or the authority of the priesthood” [Teachings of Presidents of the
Church: Joseph Smith (2007), 110; italics added]” (The Life and Teachings of
Jesus and His Apostles [Church Educational System manual, 1979], 252).
Acts
10:45. The gift of the Holy Ghost
In Acts 10:45, the phrase “the gift of the Holy
Ghost” refers to the power of the Holy Ghost, which had come upon these
Gentiles. This is different from the gift of the Holy Ghost, which we receive
through the ordinance of confirmation after baptism
(see Acts 8:14–17; Teachings of Presidents of the
Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 97).
Acts 11.
God directs His Church by revelation to His prophet, the senior Apostle
Elder L. Tom Perry of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke of the order by which revelation is
received for the Church:
“There is order in the way the Lord
reveals His will to mankind. We all have the right to petition the Lord and
receive inspiration through His Spirit within the realm of our own stewardship.
Parents can receive revelation for their own family,
a bishop for his assigned congregation, and on up to the First Presidency for
the entire Church. However, we cannot receive revelation for someone else’s
stewardship. The Prophet Joseph Smith declared:
“‘It is contrary to the economy of
God for any member of the Church, or any one, to receive instructions for those
in authority, higher than themselves’ [Teachings of Presidents of the Church:
Joseph Smith (2007), 197–98]” (“We Believe All That God Has Revealed,” Ensign or
Liahona, Nov. 2003, 85–86).
Acts 11.
Revelation often comes incrementally as we act according to what we know
Elder David A. Bednar of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles likened incremental revelation to the rising of
the sun:
“The gradual increase of light
radiating from the rising sun is like receiving a message from God ‘line upon
line, precept upon precept’ (2 Nephi 28:30). Most frequently, revelation
comes in small increments over time and is granted according to our desire,
worthiness, and preparation. Such communications from Heavenly Father gradually
and gently ‘distil upon [our souls] as the dews from heaven’ (D&C 121:45). This pattern of revelation tends
to be more common than rare” (“The Spirit of Revelation,” Ensign or Liahona,
May 2011, 88).
Supplemental
Teaching Ideas
Acts 10:24–47. Video presentation—“Peter’s Revelation to
Take the Gospel to the Gentiles”
Before dividing students into groups
to discuss questions about Acts 10, you may want to show a portion of
the video “Peter’s Revelation to Take the Gospel to the Gentiles”
(time code 3:30–7:53) from The Life of Jesus
Christ Bible Videos, available on LDS.org. This video
portrays Peter teaching Cornelius and his household. After the video, continue
following the instructions in the lesson.
Acts
10:34–35. “God is no respecter of persons”
As students are summarizing what
Peter learned as recorded in Acts 10:34–35, make sure they identify the
following truth: God is no respecter of persons. You may want to invite them to
mark this truth in verse 34.
- What does it mean that “God is no respecter of persons”? (See 2 Nephi 26:33.)
- What comfort can this truth give you?
You may need to explain that while
God does not favor people based on such distinctions as nationality or social
position, He does judge all people by their works and blesses those who obey
Him.
(For additional information, see the
official statement “Race and the Church: All Are Alike unto God” [mormonnewsroom.org/article/race-church];
see also Bruce R. McConkie, “All Are Alike Unto God” [Church Educational
System symposium on the Book of Mormon, Aug. 18, 1978], speeches.byu.edu.)
© 2016 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Right margin
extras:
Give
students opportunities to explain, share, and testify
Allowing students to teach each
other gives them opportunities to explain doctrines and principles, share
insights and experiences, and testify of divine truths. This can also deepen
students’ understanding of doctrines and principles and enhance their ability
to teach the gospel. As students explain, share, and testify, the Holy Ghost
can strengthen their testimonies of the truths they express.
Lesson 90: Acts 12
Introduction
Herod killed the Apostle James and
then arrested and imprisoned Peter. The night before Peter was to be executed,
an angel helped him escape from prison. Herod was smitten by an angel from God,
and the gospel continued to move forward.
I.
Acts 12:1–17
Herod kills James and arrests Peter, who miraculously escapes from
prison
---Display a compass or draw one on
the board. Invite a student to explain how a compass works and what it is used
for.
- Because a compass always points north, how can using a compass help us make correct decisions about where we should go?
---Draw an X on the board somewhere
near the compass (but not near the north compass point), and ask the class to
imagine that the X represents a handheld magnet.
- How would this magnet influence the behavior of the compass needle? (The needle will point to the nearby magnet because it interferes with magnetic north.)
- How would this magnet affect your ability to make the right choice about what direction you should go?
---Encourage students to look as
they study Acts 12 for an influence that can interfere
with our ability to make correct decisions.
---To help students understand the
context of Acts 12, explain that since the martyrdom of
Stephen, the Christians in and around Jerusalem had experienced increasing
persecution.
---Read Acts 12:1–4 aloud. Ask the class to follow along,
looking for how King Herod Agrippa I contributed to this persecution. (Explain
that a quaternion is equal to four soldiers).
- Who did Herod have killed with a sword?
- According to verse 3, who was pleased with James’s death?
---The phrase “the Jews” in verse 3 refers to influential Jewish leaders
in Jerusalem who encouraged the persecution of the Church of Jesus
Christ. Herod sought to please these Jewish leaders (see Bible
Dictionary, “Herod”). Near the X on the board write the
following incomplete statement: If we seek to please others rather than God,
then …
- What did Herod do after he saw that the murder of James pleased the Jewish leaders? (He planned to publicly put Peter to death.)
---Point to the picture of the
compass on the board, and ask:
- How did Herod’s desire to please others rather than God affect Herod’s direction in life?
- Based on what we can learn from Herod’s example, how would you complete the statement on the board? (After students respond, complete the statement on the board so that it conveys the following truth: If we seek to please others rather than God, then we can be led further into sin.)
- What are some other examples that demonstrate how seeking to please others rather than God can lead someone to sin?
---Invite students to ponder ways
they may be allowing their desire to please others to direct them away from
their Father in Heaven.
---Explain that students will be
invited to act out the events of Acts 12:5–17. Invite several students to play the
parts of Peter, two guards, the angel, Rhoda, and one or two disciples at the
home of Mary, the mother of Mark. You or another student can act as the
narrator.
- Ask the narrator to read Acts 12:5–6 aloud, and invite the students whose roles are mentioned to act out what is read. To help students understand the content, pause after each group of verses is read and acted out, and then ask the associated questions.
- What were the Church members doing at this time?
---Ask the narrator to read Acts 12:7–10 aloud while the designated students
act out what is read.
- What restraints or barriers did Peter make it through during this escape?
---Ask the narrator to read Acts 12:11–15 aloud while the designated students
act out what is read.
- When did Peter realize what had happened?
- What happened when Peter knocked at the gate of Mary’s house?
---Ask the narrator to read Acts 12:16–17 aloud, and invite the designated
students to act out what is read. After these verses are read and acted out,
invite the students to take their seats.
- According to verse 17, to whom did Peter give credit for his escape from prison? (Point out that the James referred to in verse 17 is one of Jesus’s brothers [see Matthew 13:55].)
---Invite students to review Acts 12:5 and look for how this verse is related
to what happened to Peter.
- What do you think the phrase “prayer was made without ceasing” (verse 5) suggests about the sincerity and fervency of the Church members’ prayers?
- What principle can we learn from this account about the effect our prayers can have on ourselves and others? (Students should identify a principle similar to the following: Our sincere and fervent prayers invite God’s miracles and blessings into our lives and the lives of others. Write this principle on the board.)
- What does it mean to pray sincerely and fervently?
---This principle does not mean that
if our prayers are sincere and fervent, we will automatically receive what we
are praying for. Other contributing factors to receiving God’s miracles and
blessings include God’s will and timing as well as individual agency.
---Invite a student to read the
following statement aloud. Ask students to listen for how our sincere and
fervent prayers affect God’s will.
“Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the
will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of
prayer is not to change the will of God but to secure for ourselves and for
others blessings that God is already willing to grant but that are made
conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on
our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work and is an
appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings” (Bible Dictionary, “Prayer”).
- According to this statement, what is an important purpose of prayer?
- Why is it important to remember that the purpose of prayer is not to change the will of God?
---Invite students to respond to the
following question in their class notebooks or scripture study journals:
- When has prayer invited God’s miracles and blessings into your life or into the lives of others for whom you have prayed?
---After sufficient time, consider
inviting a few students to share what they wrote. Following their comments,
invite students to consider how they may be able to pray more sincerely and
fervently in order to invite the blessings and miracles that God is willing to
bestow upon them and those they pray for.
II.
Acts 12:18–25
Herod is smitten by God, and the gospel continues to move forward
---Acts 12:18–22 says that the following day, Herod
learned of Peter’s escape and executed the guards he felt were responsible for
allowing Peter to escape. Later, Herod gave a speech to the people, who praised
him for his speech.
---Read Acts 12:23–24 aloud. Ask the class to follow along,
looking for what happened to Herod.
- What happened to Herod? Why?
- What happened to the missionary work of the Church despite the persecution that Church members faced?
---Conclude by inviting students to
review the truths they learned and ponder how they will apply those truths in
their lives.
Commentary
and Background Information
Acts
12:1–17. Peter and James put God first
Acts 12 shows that Peter and James put God
first in their lives, regardless of the punishment they might receive. Why is
it so important to love God and place Him first in our lives? Elder
Lynn G. Robbins of the Presidency of the Seventy related the following
experience that helped him understand the importance of what direction we face
in our lives:
“‘Which way do you face?’ President
Boyd K. Packer surprised me with this puzzling question while we were
traveling together on my very first assignment as a new Seventy. Without an
explanation to put the question in context, I was baffled. ‘A Seventy,’ he
continued, ‘does not represent the people to the prophet but the prophet to the
people. Never forget which way you face!’ It was a powerful lesson.
“Trying to please others before
pleasing God is inverting the first and second great commandments (see Matthew 22:37–39). It is forgetting which way we
face. And yet, we have all made that mistake because of the fear of men. In
Isaiah the Lord warns us, ‘Fear ye not the reproach of men’ (Isaiah 51:7; see also 2 Nephi 8:7). In Lehi’s dream, this fear was
triggered by the finger of scorn pointed from the great and spacious building,
causing many to forget which way they faced and to leave the tree ‘ashamed’
(see 1 Nephi 8:25–28)” (“Which Way Do You Face?” Ensign or Liahona, Nov.
2014, 9).
Acts
12:5. “Prayer was made without ceasing”
President Thomas S. Monson
expressed his gratitude for those who pray for him and the
leaders of the Church:
“I express my thanks to you for your
kindnesses to me wherever I go. I thank you for your prayers in my behalf. I
have felt those prayers and am most grateful for them” (“As We Gather Once Again,” Ensign or Liahona, May
2012, 5).
“I love you; I pray for you. I would
ask once again that you would remember me and all the General Authorities in
your prayers. We are one with you in moving forward this marvelous work. I
testify to you that we are all in this together and that every man, woman, and
child has a part to play. May God give us the strength and the ability and the
determination to play our part well” (“Until We Meet Again,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov.
2011, 109).
President Harold B. Lee gave
the following insight regarding offering mighty prayer:
“You’ve got to desire it with all
your soul! You’ve got to have all the intensity of which you are capable and a
desire that this is the most prized thing in all the world for which you seek!”
(Teachings of Harold B. Lee, ed. Clyde J. Williams [1996], 125).
Acts
12:21–23. The death of Herod Agrippa I
Herod Agrippa I was the nephew
of Herod Antipus, who killed John the Baptist, and also “the grandson of Herod
the Great. He was generally popular with the Pharisees because he was careful
to observe Jewish customs. It may be for this reason—to be popular among the
Jews—that he ordered the death of James (see Acts 12:1–2). Agrippa died at the age of 54, in A.D. 44,
the same year James was martyred. Luke saw Agrippa’s sudden death as divine
retribution, administered by an angel of the Lord” (New Testament Student
Manual [Church Educational System manual, 2014], 302; see also Bible
Dictionary, “Herod”).
© 2016 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Right margin
extra:
Use
a variety of teaching methods
Many effective teachers vary the
ways they teach during the lesson and from day to day. Be willing to experiment
with new methods or approaches. Also, be prepared to change methods during the
lesson if students have lost interest or if what they are doing does not seem
to be helping them reach the desired outcomes.
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