https://www.lds.org/manual/new-testament-seminary-teacher-manual?lang=eng
Lesson 93: Acts 16
Introduction
The
Holy Ghost
guided Paul and his companions to preach the gospel in Macedonia (northern
Greece). A woman named Lydia received their message and was baptized. After Paul
cast an evil spirit out of a servant girl, he and Silas were beaten and
imprisoned. That night, they were miraculously freed from prison, after which
they baptized the prison guard and his household.
I.
Acts 16:1–15
Paul
and his companions preach the gospel in Macedonia
---Write
on the board the following statement by President Thomas S. Monson. (This
statement is found in “The Spirit Giveth Life,” Ensign, June
1997, 5.)
“Never postpone a prompting” (President Thomas S. Monson).
- A prompting refers to feelings or impressions we receive from the Holy Ghost to say or do something. What might happen if someone postponed heeding a prompting?
---Look
for a principle as we study Acts 16 that can help you further understand
the importance of heeding the Holy Ghost’s promptings.
---In
Acts 16:1–5 Paul, Silas, and a Gentile convert
named Timotheus (also known as Timothy) traveled to several branches of the
Church to announce decisions Church leaders in Jerusalem had made that would
affect the whole Church and strengthen Church members in the faith.
---Read
Acts 16:6–10 aloud. Ask the class to follow
along, looking for how Paul and his companions (likely including Luke) knew
where to go as they traveled.
- How did Paul and his companions know where not to go? How did they know where to go?
- What did Paul see in a vision?
- How did Paul and his companions respond to Paul’s vision?
---In
Acts 16:11–13 Paul and Silas traveled for many days until
they came to Philippi, a city in Macedonia. (You may want to invite students to
turn to Bible Maps, no. 13, “The Missionary Journey of the Apostle Paul,” and
locate Phillipi.) On the Sabbath day, they left the city to pray near a
riverbank and began talking with the women gathered there.
---Invite
a student to read Acts 16:14–15 aloud. Ask the class to follow
along, looking for how a woman named Lydia responded to Paul’s teachings. (You
may want to explain that the phrase “a seller of purple” [verse 14] refers to the fact that Lydia sold
purple dye, which was very expensive, and probably indicates that Lydia was a
woman of wealth and influence.)
- How did Lydia respond to Paul’s teachings? (You may need to explain that attended means paid attention or gave heed to.)
- What phrases in Acts 16:14 indicate that Lydia was ready to receive the gospel?
- What principle can we learn from Paul’s experience about what can happen as we follow revelation? (Students may use different words, but make sure they understand that as we follow revelation from God, we can be guided to those who are ready to receive the gospel. Write this principle on the board.)
---Point
out that by following revelation we can also help others begin or continue the
process of becoming ready to receive the gospel.
---To
help students further understand this principle, ask a student to read aloud
the following statement by Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles. Ask the class to listen for what we must do to be guided to
those who are ready to receive the gospel.
“We must pray for the Lord’s help
and directions so we can be instruments in His hands for one who is now
ready—one He would have us help today. Then, we must be alert to hear and heed
the promptings of His Spirit in how we proceed.
“Those promptings will come. We know
from countless personal testimonies that in His own way and His own time the
Lord is preparing persons to accept His gospel. Such persons are searching, and
when we are seeking to identify them the Lord will answer their prayers through
answering ours. He will prompt and guide those who desire and who sincerely
seek guidance in how, where, when, and with whom to share His gospel” (“Sharing the Gospel,” Ensign, Nov. 2001, 8).
- According to Elder Oaks, what must we do to be guided to those who are ready to receive the gospel?
---Consider
sharing an experience of your own regarding how heeding the Spirit’s promptings
led you to someone who was ready to receive the gospel or regarding how another
person’s heeding the Spirit’s promptings led him or her to find you when you
were ready to receive the gospel. Ask a few students to share an experience
that they or someone they know has had in which he or she was guided to someone
who was ready to receive the gospel.
---Invite
students to ponder how, where, when, and with whom they can share the gospel.
Encourage them to record any promptings they receive and to continue to pray
for guidance.
II.
Acts 16:16–40 Paul and Silas are imprisoned and then freed
---Take
turns reading aloud from Acts 16:16–19. Ask the class to follow along,
looking for what Paul did when he encountered a “damsel” (verse 16), or servant girl, who was possessed
by an evil spirit. You may want to explain that divination is the process of
foretelling or trying to foretell the future using superstitious means.
- What did Paul eventually do to the evil spirit that possessed the girl?
- What problem did the girl’s masters in the city experience after Paul cast the evil spirit out of the girl?
---Acts 16:20–24 says that the men who could no
longer profit from the girl took Paul and Silas before the “magistrates” (verse 20), or local authorities, and claimed
that Paul and Silas had taught the people that they should not follow Roman
law. At the magistrates’ command, Paul and Silas were then beaten and
imprisoned, and their feet were bound so that they could not walk.
---To
help students understand the content of Acts 16:25–36, divide students into pairs and
provide each pair with a sheet of paper. Copy the following chart onto the
board and invite each pair to copy the chart onto their paper.
---Invite
each pair to read aloud the verses on the chart and then to take turns drawing
simple pictures to represent each of the six verse groupings (one student in
the pair could draw pictures to represent three of the verse groupings, and the
other student in the pair could draw pictures to represent the other three
verse groupings). After sufficient time, invite students to display and briefly
explain their pictures to another pair of students or to the entire class.
---To
help students deepen their understanding of Acts 16:25–36, ask the following questions:
- How did Paul and Silas answer the prison guard’s question about how he could be saved?
- What did the prison guard do to show his belief in Jesus Christ?
- What principle can we learn from Acts 16:31–33 about what we must do to receive salvation? (Students may use different words, but make sure they identify the following truth: Salvation requires believing in Jesus Christ, and we manifest our belief in Him by being baptized.)
---Explain
that salvation means “to be saved from both physical and spiritual death” (see
Guide to the Scriptures, “Salvation,” scriptures.lds.org).
- How does being baptized demonstrate our faith in Jesus Christ?
- In addition to being baptized, what are other ways we can demonstrate our belief in Jesus Christ?
---Acts 16:35–40 says that the magistrates sent word
to the prison guard to let Paul and Silas go. Paul refused to go because he
knew his rights as a Roman citizen and knew that their treatment of him was
unjust. It was unlawful to beat a Roman citizen without first holding a trial.
When the magistrates found out that Paul and Silas were Romans, they were
frightened because they knew that if their superiors discovered they had
treated a Roman citizen as they did, they could be punished, even with death.
The magistrates came to the prison, released Paul and Silas, and asked them to
leave the city.
---Conclude
by testifying of the truths taught in Acts 16.
Scripture Mastery Review
Use
the accompanying chart to review the scripture mastery passages students have
studied so far this year. Read aloud the question or concern in the left column
of the chart and invite students to find the scripture mastery passage that
could provide an answer (answers are provided in the right column of the
chart). You may want to read aloud the questions or concerns in a random order.
After students find a scripture, ask them how that scripture mastery passage
could help someone with that concern.
I
am afraid to live what I believe. I worry about what others will think of me.
|
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I
feel overwhelmed by my trials and challenges.
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Why
is the prophet able to receive revelation for the entire Church?
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I
love Heavenly Father, but I am struggling to love a friend right now. Does
God really expect me to love him or her too?
|
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I
know that as a priesthood holder, I have the duty to serve a mission wherever
the Lord calls me, but I worry about being far away from everyone I know and
being lonely.
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How
do we know that Jesus Christ really has been resurrected with a physical body
of flesh and bones?
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Is
baptism really necessary in order to live with God?
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Some
people say it does not matter whether I choose to follow Jesus Christ or
someone else. As long as I am a good person, I will go to heaven.
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What
is the best way for me to show the Lord that I love Him?
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Why
does knowing Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ matter?
|
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What
must I do to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost?
|
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Did
anyone who lived in biblical times know and prophesy that there would be a
Restoration of the gospel in the latter days?
|
Commentary and Background Information
Acts
16:1–3. Why did Paul circumcise Timothy even though it was no longer required?
“Even
though Gentile converts were not required to be circumcised … , Paul
circumcised Timothy prior to their missionary labors together ‘because of the
Jews which were in those quarters’ (Acts 16:3). After being circumcised, [during this
period of transition] Timothy could labor more effectively among the Jews, who
would feel that an uncircumcised missionary lacked respect for the God of
Israel and His laws. … For the sake of the gospel, at times Paul himself
modified his behavior to reach both Jews and Gentiles (see Acts 21:20–26; 1 Corinthians 9:20–22). He also taught
Gentile converts to willingly refrain from any behavior that might be perceived
as offensive to the Jews, even though it may not have been prohibited by any
commandment (see Romans 14:13–15; 1 Corinthians 8:9–13)” (New Testament
Student Manual [Church Educational System manual, 2014], 312).
Acts
16:16–18. Why was the witness of the servant girl who was possessed by an evil
spirit a problem?
Elder
Bruce R. McConkie of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained:
“The
testimony of the devil-led damsel was true. Paul and Silas were prophets; they
had the words and power of salvation. But true testimony from Satan’s servants
does not lead to salvation. In effect the damsel was saying: ‘Go ahead and
believe in Paul and Silas and this Jesus whom they preach. I agree they and
their Master are of God; and since we are now united on that point, you can
also continue to follow me and enjoy the fruits of my divination.’ And how many
other practitioners of false religions there are who give lip service to Jesus
and his doctrines so that people will the more readily follow them and their
special brand of ‘saving’ grace. It was for the very reason here involved that
Jesus himself forbade the devils whom he cast out to testify that he was the
Son of God. (Luke 4:41.)” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary,
3 vols. [1965–73], 2:149).
Supplemental Teaching Idea
Acts
15:36–18:22. Paul’s second missionary journey
To
help students understand the context of these chapters relating to Paul’s
second missionary journey, you may want to invite students to turn to Bible
Maps, no 13, “The Missionary Journeys of the Apostle Paul.”
Explain that Paul’s second missionary journey lasted about three years and
covered about 3,000 miles. This journey began in Antioch in Syria. Ask students
to find Antioch in Syria on the map. Ask them to follow Paul’s journey with
their finger until they reach Corinth. Explain that Paul likely wrote both
epistles to the Thessalonians after he arrived in Corinth. Invite students to
continue following his journey with their finger until they return to Antioch.
© 2016 by
Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
Right margin extras:
Small
group assignments
Dividing
the class into small groups can allow more students to participate. Provide
clear instructions regarding what students should do during the activity.
Assigning a time limit can also help students stay on task. Lengthy group
activities often result in groups finishing at different times and can lead to
disorder. Help students stay on task and gain the most from the assignment by
monitoring the activity as you move from group to group.
Lesson 94: Acts 17
Introduction
After
leaving Philippi, Paul and Silas taught the gospel in Thessalonica and Berea.
Persecution from unbelievers in these cities forced Paul to flee to Athens,
where, on Mars’ Hill, he taught the people about the true nature of God.
I.
Acts 17:1–15
Some
of the Jews in Thessalonica try to stop Paul from preaching the gospel
---Invite
students to explain what advice they would give to the people in the following
scenarios:
- A young man who is a member of the Church listens to a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speak about the importance of marriage and family in Heavenly Father’s plan. Some of the young man’s friends express their disagreement with the Apostle’s teachings. The young man wants to know for himself whether the Apostle’s teachings are true.
- A young woman questions the importance of keeping the Sabbath day holy. Most of her friends spend Sundays shopping and sleeping and they don’t bother going to church. Her mother explains the blessings that can come from honoring the Lord on Sunday, but the young woman still struggles to believe that keeping the Sabbath day holy is important.
---Look
for principles as we study Acts 17 that will help you know for
themselves the truthfulness of the messages we receive from the Lord’s
servants.
---Paul
and Silas traveled to Thessalonica, where they taught in the Jewish synagogue.
(You may want to invite students to locate Thessalonica on Bible
Maps, no. 13, “The Missionary Journeys of the Apostle Paul.”)
Invite a student to read Acts 17:1–3 aloud. Ask the class to follow along,
looking for what Paul used in order to teach the Jews.
- What did Paul use in order to teach the Jews?
---Alleging
(verse 3) means to show or declare. Paul used
scriptural passages to declare or show that Jesus is the Christ.
---Read
Acts 17:4–5 aloud, and ask the class to look for
how the people of Thessalonica responded to Paul’s teachings. You may want to
explain that consorted means gathered with or joined and that lewd means evil.
- How did the people’s responses to Paul’s teachings differ?
---Acts 17:6–9 says that a mob of unbelievers tried
to find Paul and Silas. When they could not find them, the mob went to the
rulers of Thessalonica and claimed that Paul’s teachings threatened Caesar’s
authority.
---Read
Acts 17:10–12 aloud. Ask the class to follow
along, looking for where Paul and Silas escaped to. Invite students to report
what they find.
- According to verse 12, how did the Jews in Berea respond to Paul’s teachings?
---Copy
the following incomplete equation on the board:
__________________________
+ _____________________________ = Belief
- According to verse 11, what did the people do first that led to their belief in Paul’s teachings? (After students respond, write the following statement on the board as the first part of the equation: They received Paul’s words with all readiness of mind.)
---To
help students understand what it means to “[receive] the word with all
readiness of mind,” bring a ball to class and invite two students to come to
the front of the class. Ask one of them to get ready to catch the ball, and
instruct the other student to toss the ball to the first student. Afterward,
ask the class how they could tell that the first student was ready to catch the
ball.
---Next,
invite the first student to demonstrate not being ready to catch the ball and
to remain that way while the other student tosses the ball again. Ask the other
student to toss the ball (being careful not to cause an injury). Ask the class
how they could tell that the first student was not ready to catch the ball.
Invite the two students to return to their seats.
---Invite
the class to demonstrate what it might look like to be ready to receive the
words of God’s servants. Then ask them to demonstrate what it might look like
if someone is not ready to receive the words of God’s servants. (For example,
students might close their scriptures, talk with a neighbor, or become
distracted by electronic devices.)
- Aside from his or her outward appearance, what might be happening in the heart and mind of someone who is ready to receive a gospel message?
---Draw
students’ attention to the second blank in the equation on the board.
- According to verse 11, what else did the people do that led to their belief in Paul’s teachings? (After students respond, write the following statement on the board as the second part of the equation: They searched the scriptures daily to understand Paul’s words.)
- What principle can we learn from Acts 17:10–12 that can strengthen our belief in the words of God’s servants? (Students may use different words, but make sure they identify the following principle: If we receive the words of God’s servants with all readiness of mind and search the scriptures daily, then our belief in their words will be strengthened.)
---Review
the scenarios described at the beginning of the lesson.
- How might this principle help the people in these scenarios?
- In what ways can daily scripture study influence our ability to believe truth?
---Invite
students to consider times when they witnessed the truthfulness of this
principle. You might invite a few of them to share their experiences.
---Encourage
students to receive the words of prophets, leaders, teachers, and parents with
“readiness of mind” and to read the scriptures daily.
---Acts 17:13–15 says that when the Jews in
Thessalonica heard that Paul was preaching in Berea, they came to provoke the
people of Berea. Paul again had to flee, so he traveled to Athens.
II.
Acts 17:16–34
Paul
preaches on Mars’ Hill
---Invite
students to turn to Bible Photographs, no. 29, “Athens,” in the Bible appendix. Point out that
this photograph shows one of several temples in Athens that were used for
worshipping false gods. Inside these temples were man-made statues of these
gods. Outside were altars on which sacrifices to these false gods were offered.
---In
Acts 17:16–21 Paul was deeply concerned about the
idolatry in Athens, and he taught in the synagogues and marketplaces there.
Philosophers then invited Paul to explain his “new doctrine” (verse 19) to the judicial council, which met
on Mars’ Hill.
---Read
Acts 17:22–23 aloud. Ask the class to follow
along, looking for what Paul noticed on one of the Athenian altars.
- What did Paul see on one of the Athenian altars?
---Verse 22 records that Paul complimented the
Athenians by saying they were “too superstitious,” meaning that they were “most
religious” or “careful in divine things” (Acts 17:22, footnote a). The altar “to the
unknown god” (verse 23) was the Athenians’ attempt to
appease an unknowable god or any god who was not known by name. They apparently
did not want to offend or neglect any god.
---Point
out the last sentence of Acts 17:23, and then ask:
- Why did Paul make reference to this altar “to the unknown god”? (He used it to introduce the idea of the true God, Heavenly Father, the God they did not know.)
---Divide
students into pairs or small groups. Invite each group to search Acts 17:24–31 for as many truths as they can find
about the God who was unknown to the people of Athens. While they are studying,
list each verse number (24–31) on the board. After sufficient time, invite
several students to come to the board to write a truth they found next to the
number of the verse in which they found it. (To help students identify a truth
in Acts 17:27, you may need to refer them to the Joseph
Smith Translation in Acts 17:27, footnote b.)
---You
might also suggest that students mark each of the truths in their scriptures.
Some of the truths they list on the board might include the following:
- Verse 24: God created the world.
- Verse 25: God gives life to all things.
- Verse 26: God governs all life.
- Verse 27: If we are willing to seek God, we will find that He is not far from us.
- Verse 28: We are God’s offspring.
- Verse 29: We were created in God’s image.
- Verse 30: God commands everyone to repent.
- Verse 31: God will judge us; God will raise all people from the dead.
---Invite
students to choose one truth on the board that is meaningful to them. Ask a few
of them to share which truth they chose and why it is meaningful to them.
---Point
to the doctrine “We are God’s offspring.”
- What does it mean to be God’s “offspring”? (We are spirit children of Heavenly Father.)
- Why is it so important to understand this doctrine? (It can help us recognize our infinite value to Heavenly Father and our potential to become like Him.)
- What problems or confusion could arise by not understanding this doctrine?
---Invite
a student to read aloud the following statement by Elder Dallin H. Oaks of
the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Ask the class to listen for why we must
remember to see ourselves first and foremost as children of God.
“Be careful how you characterize yourself.
Don’t characterize or define yourself by some temporary quality. The only single
quality that should characterize us is that we are a son or daughter of God.
That fact transcends all other characteristics, including race, occupation,
physical characteristics, honors, or even religious affiliation” (“How to Define Yourself,” New Era, June
2013, 48).
- Why is it important to remember that we are first and foremost children of God?
---Refer
to the principle “If we are willing to seek God, we will find that He is not
far from us.”
- In what ways can we seek to know and come closer to God?
- How can understanding our relationship to God affect our desire to seek Him?
- When have you felt Heavenly Father near you?
---Acts 17:32–34 says that the Athenians had mixed
reactions to Paul’s mention “of the resurrection of the dead” (verse 32). Some of them mocked Paul, others
wanted to hear more, and some people believed.
---You
may want to testify that students can come to know and understand God, even
though He is unknown to many people. Invite students to write To the Knowable
God on a piece of paper or a card and to list ways in which they will seek and
develop a relationship with God. Encourage them to place
this paper where it will remind them of their goals.
Commentary and Background Information
Acts
17:18. Epicureans and Stoics
“In
Athens, Paul encountered philosophers of the Epicureans and Stoics (see Acts 17:18). Epicureanism was named for Epicurus
(341–270 B.C.). According to his philosophy, the world came into existence by
chance and was without purpose or design. Epicureans believed that the gods, if
they did exist, did not involve themselves in the lives of humans and that
happiness was to be found in the absence of cares and pain and the enjoyment of
pleasures in moderation.
“Stoicism
began with the teachings of a man named Zeno (333–264 B.C.). Stoicism held that
all things were created, ordered, and set in motion by divine reason. Stoics
believed that man was endowed with a spark of reason and should seek harmony
with the divine order of things, overcome passions, and live a moral and
upright life” (New Testament Student Manual [Church Educational System manual,
2014], 315–16; see also Bible
Dictionary, “Epicureans,” “Stoics”).
Acts
17:11. “They received the word with all readiness of mind”
President
Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the First Presidency taught:
“The
more we incline our hearts and minds toward God, the more heavenly light
distills upon our souls. And each time we willingly and earnestly seek that
light, we indicate to God our readiness to receive more light. Gradually,
things that before seemed hazy, dark, and remote become clear, bright, and
familiar to us” (“Receiving a Testimony of Light and Truth,”
Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 22).
© 2016 by
Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
Right margin extras:
Deciding
what to teach
As
you decide which doctrines and principles to emphasize in a lesson, seek direction
from the Holy Ghost,
try to determine the intent of the inspired author, ponder which truths are
basic doctrines and converting principles, and consider students’ needs.
Help
students feel the truth and importance of doctrines and principles
After
students identify and understand gospel doctrines and principles in the
scriptures, they can feel the truth and importance of them through the Spirit.
One way to help students do this is to encourage them to reflect on and share
personal experiences related to the doctrine or principle.
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