During the time of the Old Testament patriarchs and prophets, we saw a people chosen by God but vacillating between obedience and great sin and apostasy. Throughout this time, to the present, God has preserved a remnant of faithful servants. Four hundred years mark what is called the “Intertestamental Period”, the period of time from the end of the canonized Old Testament writings to the New Testament beginnings. In this interim period, other writing, termed apocrypha and pseudepigrapha, bring light to historical and cultural history but are not considered inspired Scripture by much of Christendom.
As we begin the pages of the New Testament personalities, we see a people who are looking intently for the restoration and blessings God promised throughout the Old Testament.
Lesson 1 - John the Baptist
Various Scriptures will be explored to learn of the life of this special man.
1. According to Malachi 4:5-6, the last words of the Old Testament, whom did God say He would send before His coming judgment?
2. Read Luke 1:5-17 and answer the following questions.
a. What was Zachariah to name his son?
b. How did this fulfill God’s words in Malachi 4, and Jesus’ in Luke 7:27?
3. According to Luke 1:7, why is John’s birth remarkable from a human perspective?
4. What special instructions did Gabriel give to John’s parents in Luke 1:14-17?
5. Read Luke 3:1-16 and answer the following questions.
a. What did John do with the message God gave him?
b. What prophecy from Isaiah did this fulfill?
6. According to Luke 3:15, what were the people expecting and wondering about John?
7. How did John answer them in Luke 3:16-18?
8. Read Matthew 3 and answer the following questions.
a. What did John preach?
b. How was John described in verse 4?
c. Who came to hear his message?
d. From John’s message to the Pharisees and Sadducees, what were they relying on for salvation?
e. Who came to John for baptism in verse 13?
9. How do you think some today are living like the Pharisees and Sadducees?
10. Why was John put in prison, according to Luke 3:19?
11. Read Matthew 11:2-19 and answer the following questions.
a. As John was in prison, what errand did he send his disciples on?
b. What was Jesus’ answer to them about who He was?
c. As Jesus continued to speak of John, what did He say about John’s greatness and how does this compare to those in the Kingdom of God?
d. What do you think is the point Jesus is making in verses 16-19?
12. Read Mark 6:14-29 and answer the following questions.
a. Who did Herod think that Jesus was, according to verse 16?
b. What had John the Baptist been telling Herod?
c. What did Herod think of John the Baptist, according to verse 20?
d. What were the circumstances that led to the beheading of John the Baptist?
13. In what way, if any, do you think those who reject the gospel today are like Herod?
Lesson 2 - Joseph and Mary
Here we examine the lives of a faithful couple whom God used to bring the Messiah to the world.
1. According to Jeremiah 23:5-6, whose ancestry was the Savior to come from?
2. Both Matthew 1 and Luke 3 give the genealogy of Jesus. How does Joseph fit into Jeremiah’s prophecy?
3. What designation does Matthew 1:16 give to Joseph, in contrast to Mary?
4. According to Matthew 1:18-19, what was the relationship between Joseph and Mary?
5. What caused Joseph to want to divorce Mary?
6. What does Matthew 1:19 reveal about Joseph’s character?
7. Read Luke 1:26-38 and answer the following questions.
a. Who appeared to Mary and what did he tell her in verse 28?
b. What was Mary’s reaction to the angel’s greeting?
c. What was the angel’s message to Mary inverses 30-33?
d. What was the angel’s response to Mary’s question of how it would happen?
e. What was Mary’s response in verse 38?
8. How do you think you would have responded to the angel in this situation?
9. According to Luke 2:1-6, what caused Joseph and Mary to be in Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus?
10. Read Matthew 2:13-23 and answer the following questions.
a. Why did Joseph and Mary flee to Egypt after Jesus’ birth?
b. What prophecy of Jeremiah was fulfilled as a result of this?
c. After returning from Egypt, where did Joseph take his family to live and why?
11. From Luke 2:39-40, what indication do we have that Joseph and Mary continued to be faithful to God?
12. Read Luke 2:41-52 and answer the questions below.
a. What was Jesus doing as his parent’s found Him in the Temple?
b. How did they react?
c. If you came upon your twelve year old in a deep discussion with some Bible scholars, what would
your reaction be?
The Temple incident recorded in Luke 2 is the last we hear of Joseph and it is assumed that he died sometime after that, before we see Jesus as a grown man.
13. Read John 2:1-11 and answer the following questions.
a. In this account Jesus is a grown man. How does his mother’s view of Him seem to have changed from the Temple incident?
b. Why do you think Mary would have known that her son could resolve the problem of the lack of wine?
14. Where do we find Mary in Matthew 12:46-47?
15. Read John 19:25-27 and answer the following questions.
a. Where was Mary?
b. How did Jesus respond to Mary?
16. Where do we find Mary in Acts 1:12-14?
17. As you consider Mary, the mother of Jesus, what are your observations and thoughts about her life?
Lesson 3 - Jesus’ Disciples and Nicodemus
We will look more closely at the call of the men that Jesus mentored during His time on earth. Nicodemus represents one who was seeking truth.
Jesus’ disciples
1. Read Luke 6:13 and answer the following questions.
a. Who did Jesus call to come to Him?
b. What did Jesus designate the twelve to be?
c. What were the names of the twelve?
2. Read Matthew 10:1-4 and answer the following questions.
Note: The list of disciples differs slightly as recorded in the gospels, most likely due to name variations.
a. List the parenthetical or additional information given about each disciple.
b. What powers were given to these 12 men?
c. Who were they to go to and what was their message to be?
3. Read Matthew 4:18-22 and answer the following questions.
a. Where did Jesus first encounter Peter and Andrew and James and John, and what were they doing?
b. What did Jesus ask them and how did they respond?
4. Read Mark 2:13-14 and describe Levi’s (Matthew) encounter with Jesus.
5. What response did those Jesus called have in common?
6. How do you think we hear Jesus’ call today and what should our response be? In what ways have you been faithful to His call on your life?
7. What does it take to be Christ’s disciple, according to Luke 14:25-35?
8. What does Jesus say about true disciples in John 8:31-32?
9. What evidence is there in your life that you are a true disciple of Christ?
Nicodemus
1. According to John 3:1, who was Nicodemus?
2. What do we know about the Pharisees and Jewish religious leaders from these verses?
Matthew 12:9-10
Matthew 12:24
Matthew 19:3
Luke 15:1-2
Luke 16:14
Luke 22:2
3. What do you think the Jewish religious leaders would have done differently if they really wanted to know if Jesus was the promised Messiah they said they were expecting to come?
4. How was Nicodemus’ approach different, according to John 3:1-9?
5. Read John 7:40-52. If the Pharisees had heeded Nicodemus’ recommendation to give Jesus a hearing, what might they have learned about their view that Galilee was Jesus’ birthplace?
6. Read John 19:38-42. Why do you think Nicodemus would show up to help with Jesus’ burial? (The burial participation is the last time we hear of Nicodemus.)
7. What recommendations do you have for someone who is searching for the truth about Jesus?
Lesson 4, Peter, John, and James
Here we take a closer look at the lives of several of Jesus’ closest disciples.
Peter
1. Read John 1:35-42. How did Simon Peter first meet Jesus and why were he and his brother interested in meeting Him?
2. Read Luke 5:1-11, a more detailed account of Jesus calling Peter and others, and answer the following.
a. What is Simon Peter’s first response to Jesus after the miracle Jesus performed?
b. What did Jesus call him to do?
3. According to Matthew 16:15-16, who did Simon Peter proclaim Jesus to be and how was it revealed to him?
4. What do you think the account in Matthew 14:22-32 reveals about Peter?
5. According to Matthew 26:31-35, what did Jesus predict His disciples would do? What was Peter’s response?
6. What did Peter do in Matthew 26:69-75?
Not long after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension back to heaven, He left the future of the church in the hands of the apostles, who were empowered by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
7. Read Acts 2:14-41 and answer the following.
a. What does Peter do and what difference do you see in him versus when he denied Christ and hid from authorities behind closed doors?
b. What is the response to Peter’s sermon?
8. In Acts 4, Peter and John were arrested, jailed, and threatened against speaking or teaching in the name of Jesus.
a. What did Peter and John proclaim in Acts 4:11-12?
b. In Act 4:19, what was their response to the warning to stop speaking out?
9. What did Peter learn and proclaim in Acts 10:28-48?
10. What are some ways your life has changed after you accepted Jesus as Messiah and Lord?
John
1. Review Luke 5:8-10. What do we learn about John in these verses?
2. How does John’s action in Matthew 4:21-22 contrast with others in responding to Jesus’ call (see Luke 9:59)?
3. Who were the disciples who appeared to have a very close relationship with Jesus, as demonstrated in Mark 5:37 and 9:2?
4. The apostle John is thought to be referring to himself in the following verses: John 13:23; 20:2; and 21:20. What phrase does he use to describe himself and what do you think he wants his readers to know?
5. What role did Jesus assign to John in John 19:25-27?
6. What might Jesus’ nickname for John in Mark 3:17 imply about his character?
7. What do you think John’s reaction to the situation in Luke 9:51-56 reveals about him?
8. What do you think about someone who would make the request of Jesus, as John did in Mark 10:35-37?
9. Besides being the only male disciple named at the foot of Jesus’ cross with the women, where do we find John, according to John 18:15-16 and John 20:1-10, where he refers to himself as the “other” disciple?
10. Who did John team up with as the early church began to form, according to Acts 4:1-2?
11. What task did God entrust John with, according to Revelation 1:1-2?
12. Where was John at this time and why was he there, according to Revelation 1:9?
13. Despite the fact that John had been exiled to an island, and was advanced in age, God still used him for the very important task of writing the Book of Revelation. Do you think we can ever reach an age or circumstance in life that excludes us from God’s call? Explain your answer.
James
1. According to Galatians 1:19, who was James and who was he associated with in Jerusalem when Paul went there?
2. Who was the brother and father of the other prominent disciple named James (see Mark 3:17) and what was his fate according to Acts 12:2?
3. When Jesus was alive, what was James’s (His brother) attitude towards Him, according to John 7:2-5?
4. How might this have changed after Jesus’ death, according to Acts 1:12-14?
5. Where do we find James and with whom is he working in Acts 21:17-18?
6. What do you think could account for this dramatic change in James, from mocking his brother to referring to himself as His slave in James 1:1?
Lesson 5 - John Mark, Timothy, and Luke
Here we examine the lives of several who had significant roles in working with the disciples later to spread the gospel and encourage the church.
John Mark (Also known as Mark)
1. After Peter was released from prison by an angel, where does he go, who was there, and what was everyone doing, according to Acts 12:11-12?
2. Who did Barnabas and Saul (later Paul) take with them on their mission, according to Acts 12:25 and 13:4-5?
3. What caused the disagreement and split of Barnabas and Saul on their subsequent mission, according to Acts 15:36-40?
4. What does Colossians 4:10 reveal about Barnabas’s relation to Mark that may have contributed to his support for him?
5. Since Paul is the author of Colossians, how does his relationship with Mark seem to have progressed? Also see 2 Timothy 4:11.
6. From 1 Peter 5:13, how does Peter view Mark?
7. According to Mark 1:1, what is the focus of this book, written by John Mark?
8. What progression do you see in the Christian maturity of John Mark’s life?
9. How do you think Christian maturity should guide Christian service? How can you relate to this?
Timothy
1. According to 2 Timothy 1:5, who were the early influences on Timothy’s life?
2. How had Timothy’s ministry been initiated, according to 1Timothy 4:14-15?
3. From 2 Timothy 1:1-4, how would you describe the relationship between Timothy and Paul?
4. How would you describe Timothy and his ministry from the following verses?
a. 1 Corinthians 4:15-17
b. Philippians 2:19-23
c. 1 Thessalonians 3:5
5. To whom does Paul attribute help in writing the following books (see verse 1:1 of each book)?
2 Corinthians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
Luke
1. What was Luke’s profession, according to Colossians 4:14?
2. How might this have prepared him to write the books of Luke and Acts?
3. Luke began to use the pronoun “we” in Acts 16:10, having used “they” in the earlier verses. What do you think this implies?
4. How does Paul refer to Luke in Philemon 1:24?
5. In 2 Timothy, Paul writes that his death is near. Who is with him at this time, according to 2 Timothy 4:9-11?
6. It appears that Luke’s life was completely changed after coming to faith in Christ and then partnering with Paul in his ministry. What changes have you seen in your own life after coming to faith in Christ?
Lesson 6 - Priscilla and Aquila, Apollos, and Barnabas
These personalities provide great examples for our lives of faithful servants of God.
Priscilla and Aquila
1. Read Acts 18:1-3 and answer the following questions.
a. Where did Paul become acquainted with Priscilla and Aquila?
b. Where did Priscilla and Aquila come from and why had they left that place?
c. What did they have in common with Paul according to verse 3?
2. Read Acts 18:18-26 and answer the following questions.
a. Where did Priscilla and Aquila go with Paul?
b. Who did Priscilla and Aquila meet in Ephesus and what happened when they heard him preach?
c. How is their interaction with Apollos an example to us?
3. What does Paul commend Priscilla and Aquila for in Romans 16:3-5?
4. How did Priscilla and Aquila use their home wherever they lived, as reflected in Romans 16:5 and 1 Corinthians 16:19?
5. From these examples of Priscilla and Aquila, what advantages can you see from a husband and wife working together for the cause of Christ?
Apollos
1. Read Acts 18:24-28 and answer the following questions.
a. Where had Apollos come from when he met Priscilla and Aquila in Ephesus?
b. What are some of the positive attributes mentioned about him?
c. Why did Priscilla and Aquila have to take him aside after hearing him preach?
2. What problem was Paul addressing in 1 Corinthians 1:12 and 1 Corinthians 3:4? What are some ways you see this same thing happening today?
3. Read 1 Corinthians 3:5-8. What are the steps of sharing the gospel with others and what part did Apollos have in Corinth?
4. Give an example from your own life of how seeds of faith can be planted or watered.
Barnabas
1. Read Acts 4:34-37 and answer the following questions.
a. What was Barnabas’ legal name and what did his nickname mean?
b. What was Barnabas’ origin?
c. What generous act of Barnabas is described?
2. How did Barnabas defend Paul in Acts 9:26-27?
3. Read Acts 11:24-26. How is Barnabas described in verse 24?
4. What did Barnabas do in verses 25-26?
5. What was the work that Barnabas and Paul were dedicated and anointed to do, beginning in Cyprus, according to Acts 13:2-5 and Acts 13:46-47? (You might want to read Acts 13-15 to learn the specifics of where they went.)
6. What finally caused them to go separate ways, according to Acts 15:36-40?
7. How might you be an encouragement to believers today?
Lesson 7 - Stephen and Paul
Paul provides an example of what happens when God takes control of an enemy to use them for His purposes.
Stephen
1. Read Acts 6:1-15 and answer the following questions.
a. How is Stephen described?
b. What is he selected to do?
c. What ability did Stephen have according to verse 8?
d. What did some men accuse Stephen of doing contrary to religious law?
2. Read Acts 7:51-60 and answer the following questions.
a. What did Stephen accuse the Jews of doing?
b. What happened to Stephen as the Jews raged at him?
c. What did the Jews finally do to Stephen?
d. What did Stephen do and say in response?
3. Who was standing by watching as all this happened, according to Acts 7:58 and 22:20?
Paul (Saul)
1. What was Paul’s background according to Acts 22:1-5 and Philippians 3:5-6?
2. What is Paul (Saul) doing in Acts 8:1-3?
3. Read Acts 9:1-19 and answer the following questions.
a. Who was it who confronted Saul on his way to Damascus and what was the result?
b. What had God chosen Saul to do?
4. Read Galatians 1:11-24 where Paul shares much of his story. What does it result in, according to verse 24?
5. Share something of your own story that has, or will, cause God to receive glory.
6. Read Romans 3:21-31. Paul points out two differences between his current and former views regarding who could be saved and how. What are the current truths he points to?
7. What was the plot against Paul described in Acts 23:12-25, and who was involved?
8. What was the conclusion of the authorities regarding Paul’s guilt and what precluded him from being set free, according to Acts 26:30-32?
9. After an eventful journey, Paul arrived in Rome. How long was he there and what did he do, according to Acts 28:30-31?
10. According to 2 Corinthians 5:9, what was Paul’s goal in life, and what could he be counted on to do wherever he went?
11. Can you identify with Paul in Philippians 1:21? If so, what does that look like? If not, are there changes you would like to make?