“Acts 16–21,” New Testament Institute Teacher Manual (2025)
Acts 16–21
Acts 16–21 contain a record of Paul’s second and third missions. Being led by the Spirit, Paul journeyed throughout the areas now known as Turkey and Greece. Here he found people prepared to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ, and he established many churches. Paul gave an important sermon on Mars’ Hill in Athens (see Acts 17). In Ephesus, Paul encountered opposition from local merchants and worshippers of the goddess Diana. He warned Ephesian Church leaders about impending dangers and apostasy in the Church.
Additional Resources
Scripture Helps: New Testament, “Acts 16–21”
Note: The “Introduction to the Course” provides guidance on how to use the four standard lesson elements that follow.
Encouraging Personal Study
Before class, consider sending students one or more of the following messages or some of your own:
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As you read Acts 16–21 this week, look for ways Paul’s actions remind you of Jesus Christ. Consider marking or tagging the references you find so you can share them in class.
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How do you let God prevail in your life? Read Acts 16:6–15, 22–40; 18:5–11 to see how Paul and others were blessed by the Lord’s influence in their lives.
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How can you share the gospel of Jesus Christ with people who have different beliefs from your own? Read Acts 17:16–34 to learn how Paul shared the gospel with the Athenians.
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Have you ever wondered what to share about the gospel with those who already follow the Savior? What do you learn in Acts 18:24–28; 19:1–7 from the actions of Aquila, Priscilla, and Paul?
Questions and Sharing
Provide time for students to ask questions and share insights and truths they discovered in their personal study of Acts 16–21.
Skill Training
Acts 20–21 might be a helpful place to use the skill “Focusing on Jesus Christ in the Scriptures” in Scripture Study Skills.
Learning Activity Options
Multiple learning options are provided for you and your students. Prayerfully choose which option or options will be most meaningful for your class.
How do I let God prevail in my life?
You could display the following self-assessment and invite students to complete it on their own:
Using a scale of 1 to 10, rate each statement (1 = almost never; 10 = almost always).
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God is the most important influence in my life.
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God’s voice takes priority over all other voices.
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I am willing to let whatever God needs me to do take precedence over every other ambition.
Explain that we can learn from Paul and others how we can do God’s work as we allow His will to prevail in our lives. To help students see this truth in action, provide them with the handout “Letting God’s Influence Prevail in Our Lives.” Invite students to select the topic they want to study. They could then form small groups with those who selected the same topic.
To deepen students’ understanding of this truth, you could display the following statement from President Russell M. Nelson. Give students time to reflect on his questions and to record their thoughts and feelings. Encourage students to act on any promptings they receive.
Are you willing to let God be the most important influence in your life? Will you allow His words, His commandments, and His covenants to influence what you do each day? Will you allow His voice to take priority over any other? Are you willing to let whatever He needs you to do take precedence over every other ambition? … My dear brothers and sisters, as you choose to let God prevail in your lives, you will experience for yourselves that our God is “a God of miracles” [Mormon 9:11]. (“Let God Prevail,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 94, 95)
How can I share the gospel of Jesus Christ with those who have different beliefs from my own?
Invite students to briefly share some examples of beliefs people have that are different from their own. Explain that when Paul went to Athens, he met people who had very different beliefs from his own. (It may help to review “Acts 17:15–32. What beliefs did Paul encounter in Athens?” in Scripture Helps: New Testament.)
Invite students to read Acts 17:16–31, looking for how Paul prepared the way to teach important truths about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ to the Athenians. (For those using the Latter-day Saint edition of the King James Bible, point out the meaning of “too superstitious” in verse 22 [see Acts 17:22, footnote a].) After giving students time to search the scriptures, you could ask:
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What impresses you about Paul’s approach to teaching those with different beliefs from his own?
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How did Paul establish beliefs he had in common with the people in Athens? (Students may identify things like the following: [1] Paul affirmed the Athenians’ interest in religion, [2] he was aware of how they approached religion, [3] he connected the “unknown god” to the true God, and [4] he quoted a truth from an Athenian poet and built on that truth.)
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After finding beliefs he had in common with the Athenians, what truths did Paul teach about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ? (Students may identify truths such as the following: God created the world. God gives life to all living things. God determined the times and places where nations of people would live. If we seek the Lord, we can find Him. We are the offspring of God. God commands everyone to repent. God will judge us at the last day. Jesus Christ was resurrected.)
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How might learning these truths change someone’s life? How might they change your life?
To help students practice and apply what they are learning, you could have them form small groups and discuss the following scenario. Invite students to think of common beliefs they have with Lucia and how they might address her concern.
Lucia was raised in a secular (nonreligious) home. She has little understanding of the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Recently, she attended a temple open house and felt peace. While at the temple, she heard two people talking about the importance of knowing we are children of God. She found this idea confusing. She thought that God was an invisible force in the universe. She wonders how we could be His children.
After giving students time for group discussion, invite them to share how they would establish common beliefs with Lucia. Have students share how they could then teach her that she is a child of God. Or you could have students role-play how they would respond to Lucia.
Then invite students to consider someone they know who may not understand their true identity as a child of God. Students could record some ways they could help this person better understand this truth. Encourage them to think about how they could follow Paul’s example of teaching and testifying of Jesus Christ through the Spirit.
Why might it be important to share my beliefs with those who already follow the Savior?
Invite students to think of any Christian friends or acquaintances who are sincerely seeking to follow the Savior. Students might share something they admire about how their friends live their lives.
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Why might it be important to share our beliefs with other Christians?
Explain that Aquila and Priscilla were a married couple. They assisted Paul temporally and spiritually in his missionary efforts. Aquila, Priscilla, and Paul provide examples of how to share our beliefs with those who already believe in the Savior. Invite students to read Acts 18:24–28 and Acts 19:1–7, looking for what Aquila, Priscilla, and Paul did to strengthen the faith of other believers.
Consider asking the following questions:
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What impresses you about Apollos? What impresses you about the disciples Paul taught?
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What can we learn from the examples of Aquila, Priscilla, and Paul? (Students may identify a truth like the following: As we share the fulness of the gospel with other followers of Jesus Christ, they can better understand how the gospel can bless their lives.)
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How can sharing your love and testimony of Jesus Christ with other believers strengthen your faith in Christ?
Students could share experiences they have had talking about the gospel with other Christians. Students could discuss what went well or what they could have done better.
Invite students to write down truths, opportunities, and blessings unique to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. You could write their answers on the board. Students could work in pairs or small groups and discuss how they can share these truths with other Christians.
What can I learn about Jesus Christ from the life of Paul?
Improving Our Teaching and Learning
Focus on truths that lead to conversion and build faith in Jesus Christ. Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught, “The central purpose of all scripture is to fill our souls with faith in God the Father and in His Son, Jesus Christ” (“The Blessing of Scripture,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2010, 34). As you prepare to teach, ask yourself, “What will students learn in this passage of scripture that can help them draw closer to the Savior?”
You could begin by displaying the following image of Paul teaching. Then ask the following questions.
Illustration by Dan Burr
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How did Paul feel about the Savior?
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What can we learn about the Savior from Paul’s life?
Explain that we can learn more about the Savior not only through the teachings of His Apostles and prophets but also through the way they lived their lives. You could display the following statement by Elder Bruce R. McConkie:
No doubt there are many events in the lives of many prophets that set those righteous persons apart as types and shadows of their Messiah. It is wholesome and proper to look for similitudes of Christ everywhere and to use them repeatedly in keeping him and his laws uppermost in our minds. (The Promised Messiah: The First Coming of Christ [1978], 453)
To help students learn about the Savior from the attributes, actions, and example of Paul, they could use the skill “Focusing on Jesus Christ in the Scriptures” in Scripture Study Skills. Display the following questions and scripture passages. Invite students to read each passage and to use the questions to guide them in their study.
What do Paul’s actions teach you about Jesus Christ, His life, and His mission?
What can you learn about Jesus Christ’s character and attributes from Paul’s example?
After giving students sufficient time to study, invite them to share what they discovered about the Savior through the attributes, example, and actions of Paul. Students could also share what they learn about the Savior through the lives of both ancient and modern prophets.
To help students see how they can share the gospel of Jesus Christ through their own examples, consider asking:
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Who do you know who reminds you of the Savior?
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What traits do you have that are like the Savior’s?
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What could you do to make your life more like the Savior’s?