Sermon Questions
- Read Acts 11:1-18. Why did Peter originally begin “eating with Gentiles?” What led him to stop?
- What do you think Paul meant when he said that Peter was not “acting in line with the truth of the gospel?”
- Why was Peter being particularly “hypocritical” in his attitudes toward Gentile Christians?
- How can we make the same kind of mistake that Peter did? How can we focus on non-essentials? How can we fail to “eat” with other Christians?
- How is nationalism/racism “not in line with the gospel?” What difference does it make that Paul takes this approach rather than simply saying that it is wrong?
- In verses 15-16, he begins to talk of being "justified" by Christ. How does the discussion with Peter shed light on the meaning of the word “justification?”
- What do you think it means that he “died” to the law? What do you think it means that he died to the law through the law? Though he was a law-keeping Pharisee, why was it only after “dying to the law” that Paul began to live for God?
- What seeming contradiction is there between the two sentences of verse 20? What mistakes does this “tension” help us avoid in the Christian life?
