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Post by Admin on Jan 23, 2024 11:08:25 GMT -5
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Post by Admin on Jan 23, 2024 11:09:03 GMT -5
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Post by Admin on Jan 23, 2024 11:10:18 GMT -5
12-18 NOV 2018 MW 1. Why is Jesus called “the Chief Agent of life”? ( Acts 3:15) "Hence, as the “chief leader” or “pioneer of Life” (Mo), Jesus Christ introduced a new and essential element for gaining eternal life in the sense of being an intermediary or go-between, but he is such in an administrative sense as well. He is God’s High Priest who can effect full cleansing from sin and liberation from sin’s death-dealing effects (SaulHeb 3:1, 2; 4:14; 7:23-25; 8:1-3); he is the appointed Judge into whose hands all judgment is committed, so that he judiciously administers his ransom benefits to individuals among mankind according to their worthiness to live under his kingship (Joh 5:22-27; Ac 10:42, 43); through him the resurrection of the dead also comes. (Joh 5:28, 29; 6:39, 40) Because Jehovah God so ordained to use his Son, “there is no salvation in anyone else, for there is not another name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must get saved.”—Ac 4:12; compare 1Jo 5:11-13." [it-2 61 par 1] 12-18 NOV 2018 MW 2. How does this verse describe the way Jehovah forgives repentant wrongdoers? ( Acts 3:19) "Jehovah’s forgiveness is further described at Acts 3:19: “Repent, therefore, and turn around so as to get your sins blotted out.” That last phrase translates a Greek verb that can mean “to wipe out, . . . cancel or destroy.” According to some scholars, the image expressed is that of erasing handwriting. How was this possible? The ink commonly used in ancient times was made of a mixture that included carbon, gum, and water. Soon after working with such ink, a person could take a wet sponge and wipe the writing away. Therein is a beautiful picture of Jehovah’s mercy. When he forgives our sins, it is as though he takes a sponge and wipes them away." [cl 265 par 14] 19-25 NOV 2018 MW 3. In what way is Jesus “the chief cornerstone”? ( Acts 4:11) "Psalm 118:22 discloses that the stone rejected by the builders would become “the head of the corner” (Heb., roʼsh pin·nahʹ). Jesus quoted and applied this prophecy to himself as “the chief cornerstone” (Gr., ke·pha·leʹ go·niʹas, head of the corner). (Mt 21:42; Mr 12:10, 11; Lu 20:17) Just as the topmost stone of a building is conspicuous, so Jesus Christ is the crowning stone of the Christian congregation of anointed ones, which is likened to a spiritual temple. Peter also applied Psalm 118:22 to Christ, showing that he was “the stone” rejected by men but chosen by God to become “the head of the corner.”—Ac 4:8-12; see also 1Pe 2:4-7." [it-1 514 par 4] 19-25 NOV 2018 MW 4. Why did Ananias and Sapphira sell some of their property? ( Acts 5:1) "Ananias and his wife sell some property to get money to help the newly baptized ones. When Ananias brings the money to the apostles, he says it is the total amount from the sale. But it is not! He keeps some money for himself! God lets Peter know this, so Peter tells Ananias: “You have played false, not to men, but to God.” At that, Ananias falls down dead! About three hours later, his wife comes in. Not knowing what has happened to her husband, she also tells a lie and falls down dead." [w13 3/1 15 par 4] 26-02 DEC 2018 MW 5. In what sense was Stephen’s face “like an angel’s face”?? ( Acts 6:15) " Angels bear messages from Jehovah God and thus have reason to be fearless, serene, and peaceful. So it is with Stephen—even those hate-filled judges can see that. How can he be so calm?" [bt 45 par 2] |
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Post by Admin on Jan 25, 2024 20:02:30 GMT -5
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Post by Admin on Mar 19, 2024 4:35:17 GMT -5
26-02 DEC 2018 MW 6. In what way are Christians today privileged to share in work like that done by Philip? ( Ac 8:26-30) "Christians today are privileged to share in work like that done by Philip. Often, they are able to present the Kingdom message to those they meet in informal settings, such as when traveling. In many cases, it is apparent that their meeting up with an honesthearted individual is no coincidence. This is to be expected, for the Bible makes clear that the angels are directing the preaching work so that the message reaches “every nation and tribe and tongue and people.” (Rev. 14:6) Angelic direction in the preaching work is precisely what Jesus foretold. In his illustration about the wheat and weeds, Jesus said that during the harvesttime—the conclusion of the system of things—“the reapers are angels.” He added that these spirit creatures would “collect out from his Kingdom all things that cause stumbling and people who practice lawlessness.” (Matt. 13:37-41) At the same time, the angels would gather prospective heavenly heirs of the Kingdom—and later “a great crowd” of “other sheep”—whom Jehovah wants to draw to his organization.—Rev. 7:9; John 6:44, 65; 10:16." [bt 58 par 16] 03-09 DEC 2018 MW 7. Why did Jesus ask Saul: “Why are you persecuting me? ( Acts 9:4) "When Jesus stopped Saul on the road to Damascus, He did not ask: “Why are you persecuting my disciples?” As noted above, he said: “Why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4) Yes, Jesus personally feels the trials experienced by his followers.—Matt. 25:34-40, 45.
6 If you are being oppressed because of your faith in Christ, be assured that both Jehovah and Jesus are aware of your situation. (Matt. 10:22, 28-31) At present, the trial may not be removed. Remember, Jesus watched Saul’s involvement in Stephen’s death and saw Saul drag faithful disciples from their homes in Jerusalem. (Acts 8:3) Yet, Jesus did not intervene at that time. Even so, Jehovah, through Christ, gave Stephen and the other disciples the strength they needed to remain faithful." [bt 60-61 par 5-6] 03-09 DEC 2018 MW 8. Why is it significant that the apostle Peter lodged with a tanner ? ( Acts 10:6) "This man is staying as a guest with* Simon, a tanner who has a house by the sea.” - Acts 10:6
Acts 10:6
Simon, a tanner: A tanner worked with the hides of animals, using a lime solution to remove any fur or traces of flesh and fat. Then he treated the hide with a potent liquor so that it could be used to make articles of leather. The tanning process smelled bad and required a great deal of water, which may explain why Simon lived by the sea, likely on the outskirts of Joppa. According to the Mosaic Law, a person who worked with the carcasses of animals was ceremonially unclean. (Le 5:2; 11:39) Therefore, many Jews looked down on tanners and would hesitate to lodge with one. In fact, the Talmud later rated the tanner’s profession as lower than that of a dung collector. However, Peter did not let prejudice keep him from staying with Simon. Peter’s open-mindedness in this case makes an interesting prelude to the assignment that came next—visiting a Gentile in his home. Some scholars consider the Greek word for “tanner” (byr·seusʹ) to be a surname of Simon." [study note - nwtsty] 10-16 DEC 2018 MW 9.What do we learn from what happened to Herod ? ( Acts 12:21-23) "Herod readily accepted glory that should be given only to God. How that differed from the immediate and emphatic rejection of undue praise and honor by Paul and Barnabas! We should not desire glory for whatever accomplishments we may have in Jehovah’s service." [w08 5/15 32 par 7] 10-16 DEC 2018 MW 10. Why was Saul “also called Paul”? ( Acts 13:9) "Saul, also called Paul: From this point on, Saul is referred to as Paul. The apostle was born a Hebrew with Roman citizenship. (Ac 22:27, 28; Php 3:5) It is therefore likely that from childhood, he had both the Hebrew name Saul and the Roman name Paul. It was not unusual for Jews of that time, particularly among those living outside Israel, to have two names. (Ac 12:12; 13:1) Some of Paul’s relatives likewise had Roman and Greek names. (Ro 16:7, 21) As “an apostle to the nations,” Paul was commissioned to declare the good news to non-Jews. (Ro 11:13) He apparently decided to use his Roman name; he might have felt that it would be more acceptable. (Ac 9:15; Ga 2:7, 8) Some have suggested that he adopted the Roman name in honor of Sergius Paulus, which seems unlikely, since Paul retained the name even after leaving Cyprus. Others have suggested that Paul avoided using his Hebrew name because its Greek pronunciation sounded similar to a Greek word that referred to a person (or an animal) who swaggered when walking.—See study note on Ac 7:58.
Paul: In the Christian Greek Scriptures, the name Pauʹlos, from Latin Paulus, meaning “Little; Small,” is used 157 times when referring to the apostle Paul and once when referring to the proconsul of Cyprus named Sergius Paulus.—Ac 13:7." [study note - nwtsty] |
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Post by Admin on Jun 12, 2024 10:16:35 GMT -5
17-23 DEC 2018 MW 11. What can we learn from this account about expanding our ministry? ( Acts 16:6-9) "What can we learn from this account? Note that only after Paul set out for Asia did God’s spirit intervene. Then, only after Paul neared Bithynia did Jesus step in. And finally, only after Paul reached Troas did Jesus direct him to Macedonia. As Head of the congregation, Jesus may deal with us in a similar way. (Col. 1:18) For example, you may have been thinking about serving as a pioneer or moving to an area where the need is greater. But it may be only after you take steps to reach your goal that Jesus, by means of God’s spirit, will guide you. To illustrate: A driver can direct his car to turn left or right but only if the car is moving. Likewise, Jesus may direct us in expanding our ministry but only if we are moving—if we are putting forth effort to reach our goal." [w12 1/15 10 par 8] 13. How did the apostle Paul use his Roman citizenship to advance the good news? ( Acts 16:37) "we are Romans: That is, Roman citizens. Paul and apparently also Silas were Roman citizens. Roman law stated that a citizen was always entitled to a proper trial and was never to be punished in public uncondemned. Roman citizenship entitled a person to certain rights and privileges wherever he went in the empire. A Roman citizen was subject to Roman law, not to the laws of provincial cities. When accused, he could agree to be tried according to local law; yet, he still retained the right to be heard by a Roman tribunal. In the case of a capital offense, he had the right to appeal to the emperor. The apostle Paul preached extensively throughout the Roman Empire. He made use of his rights as a Roman citizen on three recorded occasions. The first is here in Philippi when he informed the Philippian magistrates that they had infringed on his rights by beating him.—For the other two occasions, see study notes on Ac 22:25; 25:11." [STUDY NOTE Ac 16:37] 24-30 DEC 2018 MW 14. What can be said about the vow Paul made? ( Acts 18:18) "Some scholars suggest that Paul had taken a Nazirite vow. (Num. 6:1-21) However, the Bible does not state what Paul’s vow was. Moreover, the Scriptures are silent as to whether the vow was made before or after Paul’s conversion or if he was starting or ending the vow. Whatever was the case, the taking of such a vow was not sinful." [w08 5/15 32 par 5] 15. How should we imitate Paul as we pursue spiritual goals? ( Acts 18:21) |
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Post by Admin on Oct 26, 2024 9:58:27 GMT -5
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