ST NICOLAS, NEWBURY

HOME GROUP QUESTIONS

WEEK BEGINNING 22 APRIL 2007

ACTS 2:1-17a - TOO MUCH WINE?

1. Before he ascended into heaven, Jesus made his disciples a promise. What was this promise, and why do you think he made it? See Acts 1:8.

2. What was their response to his promise? Read Acts 1:12-26. What sort of a group were these first disciples? How did they operate?

3. Now read Acts 2:1-17a. How far do you think the activity of chapter 1 was important to the coming of the Holy Spirit in chapter 2? Do you think our activity makes any difference to the coming of the Holy Spirit, or is the work of the Spirit entirely up to God?

4. What were the hallmarks of this coming of the Holy Spirit as Jesus had promised? What was the effect on the believers themselves? And on the community around them?

5. Pentecost is the Greek name for an OT festival - the Feast of Weeks, a celebration for the end of the grain harvest. (See Leviticus 23:15; Deuteronomy 16:9) The word means fifty and refers to the fifty days that have elapsed since the wave offering of Passover. How might this link in with the Holy Spirit coming in power at Pentecost? See Acts 2:5. Also, Acts 2:16-17, 41 alongside Matthew 9:37.

6. The Holy Spirit is here associated with wind. This speaks of God's power, but also of his life - in Hebrew, 'breath' is the same word as 'wind'. See Gen 2:7 and John 20:22. What is the significance of this for Christians today?

7. In this passage, the Holy Spirit is also associated with fire. In the Bible, fire is often associated with God's holiness. How does this image link the Holy Spirit with the other members of the Trinity? See Exodus 3:2; 13:21-22; 24:17; Malachi 3:2; Hebrews 12:29; Revelation 1:14, 19:12.

8. Why do you think they received the gift of tongues - the ability to speak in different languages? What did it involve? Acts 2:11-12. Do you have any experience of this? Is it a relevant gift for the church today? If so, why? If not, why not?

9. The gift of tongues was used in the early church. In what ways was it helpful? Was it ever harmful? See especially 1 Corinthians 12, 13, 14. How far do the same things happen today? Are there lessons we can learn from these first Christians?

10. The NIV translates Acts 2:11, 'we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues'. The Greek literally says, 'speaking the great deeds of God'. Using the gift of tongues is only one way in which we can praise God. How might we 'speak the great deeds of God' to one another: a) at church; b) to those outside church?

11. How do you praise God? Share some ways that you have found helpful.

12. Spend some time as a group praising God together, as well as praying.

Helen Wilkinson
24 April 2007