DAY 1: Acts 15:1-3—Back to Jerusalem “For by grace you have been saved through faith.

And this is not

1. What were the men from Judea teaching? How did Paul and Barnabas respond to this
teaching?

o The men from Judea were teaching that unless the Gentiles were circumcised according
to the custom of Moses, they could not be saved (Acts 15:1).

o Paul and Barnabas strongly disagreed and argued against this teaching (Acts 15:2).

2. How did the church at Antioch respond to the difficulty?

o The church at Antioch decided to send Paul, Barnabas, and some others to Jerusalem to
consult the apostles and elders about this question (Acts 15:2).

3. What brought great joy to all the brothers?

o As Paul and Barnabas traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they reported the
conversion of the Gentiles, which brought great joy to all the brothers (Acts 15:3).

4. How does hearing accounts of what God is doing in others’ lives encourage you?

o Hearing how God is at work in the lives of others can strengthen faith, bring
encouragement, and remind us of God's power and goodness.

DAY 2: Acts 15:4-11—At the Council

5. What additional requirement (besides circumcision) did some believers want to add for the
Gentiles?

o Some believers, who belonged to the party of the Pharisees, wanted to require the
Gentiles to obey the law of Moses in addition to being circumcised (Acts 15:5).

6. According to Peter’s speech, how did God show His acceptance of the Gentiles?

o Peter explained that God showed His acceptance of the Gentiles by giving them the Holy
Spirit, just as He did to the Jews, without making any distinction (Acts 15:8).

7. What did Peter identify as the real issue at stake?

o Peter identified the real issue as whether they should test God by placing a yoke on the
Gentile believers that neither the Jews nor their ancestors had been able to bear. He
emphasized that both Jews and Gentiles are saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus (Acts
15:10-11).

Learn the TRUTH! The mark of a believer has nothing to do with race, gender, social class, education, or
ethnic background. It has to do with a heart cleansed by faith and a life transformed by the Holy Spirit.
What do you see when you look at believers who are different from you? Do you have a difficult time
seeing past the differences? Do you see all the things that you have in common or all the ways you are
different? This week ask God to help you see their hearts and make no distinction between them and
you—just like He does. Plan on sharing your experience with your small group.

DAY 3: Acts 15:12-21—James’s Guidelines for Believers

8. How do you think Paul and Barnabas’s accounts of signs and wonders helped to support
Peter’s defense of the Gentiles?

o The accounts of signs and wonders performed among the Gentiles by Paul and Barnabas
served as evidence that God was actively working among the Gentiles, just as He was
among the Jews. This supported Peter’s argument that God had accepted the Gentiles
without requiring them to follow Jewish customs (Acts 15:12).

9. On what did James base his argument for fully accepting the Gentiles?

o James based his argument on Scripture, specifically citing the prophet Amos, which
predicted that God would call the Gentiles by His name, showing that it was God’s plan
to include the Gentiles without requiring them to become Jewish (Acts 15:15-17).
 10. What guidelines for the Gentiles did James recommend?

o James recommended that the Gentiles should abstain from things polluted by idols,
from sexual immorality, from eating strangled animals, and from blood (Acts 15:20).

11. What leadership qualities do you see in James?

o James showed wisdom, discernment, respect for Scripture, and the ability to mediate
and find a solution that maintained unity within the church while respecting cultural
differences.

DAY 4: Acts 15:22-35—The Delegation to Antioch

12. Who was chosen for the delegation to Antioch?

o The delegation included Judas (called Barsabbas), Silas, Paul, and Barnabas (Acts 15:22).

13. What qualities did Judas and Silas have that suited them for this assignment?

o Judas and Silas were leaders among the believers and were also prophets, meaning they
could teach and encourage the church in Antioch. Their position as trusted leaders
added authority to the message they delivered (Acts 15:22, 32).

14. What are some ways the early church showed sensitivity in handling this problem?

o The church showed sensitivity by sending a delegation with trusted leaders to deliver
the decision personally, writing a letter to explain the decision clearly, and addressing
the specific concerns of the Gentile believers, which helped maintain unity and avoid
unnecessary burdens (Acts 15:23-29).

DAY 5: Acts 15:36-41—Partners Separate

15. Why did Paul want to go on the second missionary journey?

o Paul wanted to revisit the believers in all the towns where they had preached the word
of the Lord to see how they were doing and to strengthen the churches (Acts 15:36).

16. What was the basis for Paul and Barnabas’s disagreement?

o The disagreement arose because Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them, but
Paul did not want to take him because he had deserted them on a previous journey (Acts
15:37-38).

17. What did each man’s position show about what he valued?

o Barnabas valued giving John Mark a second chance, showing his encouragement and
belief in people’s potential. Paul, on the other hand, valued reliability and the mission's
effectiveness, preferring not to risk taking someone who had previously abandoned the
work (Acts 15:39-40).

18. Why john mark deserted them during their first journey

o The specific reason why John Mark deserted Paul and Barnabas during their first
missionary journey is not explicitly stated in the Bible. The event is recorded in Acts
13:13, where it simply says that John Mark "left them and returned to Jerusalem."
Various reasons have been speculated, such as homesickness, fear of the challenges
ahead, disagreement with Paul’s leadership, or discomfort with the mission's direction.
However, the Bible does not provide a clear explanation for his departure.

19. Did Paul and Barnabas have separated and did not get along?

o Paul and Barnabas did indeed separate over their disagreement about John Mark, as
recorded in Acts 15:36-41. The disagreement was sharp enough that they parted ways,
with Barnabas taking John Mark and sailing to Cyprus, while Paul chose Silas and
continued his missionary work in Syria and Cilicia.
However, despite their separation, there is no indication in the Bible that they harbored
ongoing animosity or failed to get along after the split. The separation appears to have
been a practical decision rather than a personal rift that led to long-term hostility. Later,
 in Paul's letters, there are positive references that suggest some level of reconciliation or
mutual respect:
1. Colossians 4:10: Paul mentions Mark (John Mark) and instructs the church to
welcome him if he comes, indicating that Paul had come to see Mark as a
valuable co-worker.
2. 2 Timothy 4:11: Paul specifically asks for Mark to come to him, stating, "he is
helpful to me in my ministry," showing that any previous issues had been
resolved.
20. Did Paul and Barnabas meet again?
o The Bible does not explicitly record a reunion between Paul and Barnabas after their
separation in Acts 15. However, there are some indications that their relationship may
have remained positive or at least neutral:
o 1 Corinthians 9:6: Paul mentions Barnabas in a way that suggests respect and
recognition of his ministry. Paul refers to Barnabas as his fellow worker, implying that he
still views Barnabas as a partner in spreading the gospel.
o Galatians 2:9: Paul mentions working with Barnabas in the past and refers to their
shared ministry with a sense of camaraderie. Although this refers to an earlier time, it
shows that Paul valued their work together.
o While these references indicate that Paul and Barnabas respected each other’s
ministries, there is no biblical record of a direct meeting between them after their
separation. The Bible leaves the details of their relationship after the split largely
unaddressed.
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