New Testament #14: Paul’s Fate

HIGHS AND LOWS: (13 minutes)
Write down one high and one low from your week in your prayer journal and share them with the group.  Pastor Breen or another student will gather them in prayer as we light our candles.

REVIEW: (2 minutes)
What sticks with you from last class?  You may refer to your one sentence summary if you are stumped.  What questions remain about Paul preaching in Athens?

INTRODUCTION: (5 minutes)
This is our final lesson about Acts and Paul for the year.  As we have learned in the past few lessons, Paul had a habit of entering a city and preaching the good news about Jesus quite forcefully.  Some would believe, and others would be offended, and Paul was often jailed, stoned, or driven out.  Then, he would travel to the next town (often with a shipwreck in between), and the cycle would repeat itself.  Eventually, the authorities tired of him, and he was arrested once and for all in Jerusalem.  The Jewish authorities wanted to put him to death, but when the Romans found out that he was a Roman citizen, they took custody of him.  After some time, and a lot of paperwork, Paul was finally sent to appeal his case in Rome (with another shipwreck along the way).  Today, we will learn of his days in Rome.

EXPERIENCE THE WORD: (5 minutes)
To see the story today, we turn to this resource from youtube:  https://youtu.be/yjlyUNAi7Oc

DWELLING IN THE WORD: (25 minutes)
Read Acts 28:16-31 from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (take turns reading aloud, verse by verse).  Answer the following questions about the whole story as completely as possible (group activity:  do this with your parents):

Comprehension Questions:

1. Where did they come to? (verse 16)
2. Where did Paul live? (verse 16)
3. Who lived with him? (verse 16)
4. Who did Paul call together? (verse 17)
5. What did he say happened to him? (verse 17)
6. What did the Romans think of his case? (verse 18)
7. To whom did Paul appeal his case? (verse 19)
8. How did the Jews reply? (verse 21)
9. To where did the crowd come? (verse 23)
10. What did Paul do from morning until evening? (verse 23)
11. What was the reaction of the crowd? (verse 24)
12. Who did God tell Paul would listen to the good news about Jesus? (verse 28)
13. How long did Paul live there? (verse 30)
14. What did he continue to do? (verse 31)

Content Questions:

1. What scares, confuses, or challenges me in this text?
2. What is my favorite part of this text?  Why?
3. What stories or memories does this text stir up in you?  You might remember a time when you were brave enough to speak up, for example.
4. What is God doing in this text?  What is God up to?

HOW DOES IT END?
The Book of Acts concludes before the end of Paul’s life.  What happened, in the end?  We are not entirely sure, although historical sources written around or just after this time indicate that Paul was martyred, or killed for his beliefs.  Tradition says that he was beheaded, like John the Baptist, and that he was buried outside the walls of Rome, along a road called the Ostian Way.  There is a church that marks the spot, and there is some evidence that his remains were discovered there in recent years.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_the_Apostle#Death

Paul lived, preached, and died, as a fierce advocate for the good news in Jesus Christ.  He remains one of the Bible’s fieriest characters; a man of faith who lived out his calling in the most full way possible.

TAKING IT HOME (5 minutes)

1. During this week, in your prayers, try using “Saving God” as your title for God.
2. Write a one sentence summary in your prayer journal. In this sentence, describe your answer to the question “What did you learn about in Confirmation class this week?” in as much detail as possible.

OUT LOUD PRAYER: (5 minutes)
Crescendo Prayer
Just like Paul preached on the front steps of his house until the end of his days, let’s conclude our study of Paul by standing on the front steps and praying the Lord’s Prayer together.  We will start with a whisper and end with a shout of “Amen!”