Let us do good to everyone. Was Paul grinning or was there a tear in his eyes when he wrote these words: “But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!” Galatians 5:15. Have you ever been attacked by a member of your church? Instead of that, have … [Click to read more …]
Living by the Spirit. Did you notice the introduction’s account of how the words of the Christian hymn, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” by Robert Robinson were changed? I was relieved to see that in the Adventist church hymnal the author’s words in the third stanza remain intact: “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, … [Click to read more …]
Christ has set us free. This is a billboard by Paul, your lesson guide states. What was Paul’s urgent message in Galatians 5:1? Energized as he was to warn early believers not to give up their freedom in Christ, why did Paul believe so earnestly that they needed such a warning? Who would even think … [Click to read more …]
The common view of law and grace. Many Christians accept only the New Testament as the basis for their belief in the gospel of Jesus. How do these Christians view the giving of the law on Mt. Sanai? What is wrong about this approach to salvation? The two covenants, your lesson declares, are not linked … [Click to read more …]
The heart of Paul. In the nine verses starting with Galatians 4:12, why does Paul say at the end of his discourse, “I have doubts about you”? How could it be that the members of the early Christian church in Galatia have already lost their first love? Does the church you attend show the character … [Click to read more …]
From slaves to heirs. Read the short description at the beginning of the lesson and consider how Martin Luther learned to understand Galatians and obtain from this book the hope he craved for his own soul. How can you and I obtain the same blessing from studying this book? Our condition in Christ. Once we … [Click to read more …]
The road to faith. Does your faith ever falter when you face hard times? Are you ever bewildered by the experiences that confront you in your Christian life? Do doubts ever strike you as you try to wrestle with issues that seem too vast to comprehend? Are you ever stricken with doubt and agonize for … [Click to read more …]
Memory text or quandary? The memory text for this week is “For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.” (Galatians 3:18 ESV). Based on this text, does our inheritance as Christians come to us by law or by promise? Explain … [Click to read more …]
Old Testament faith. Was faith in the Old Testament different from faith in the New? Are you, a commandment-keeping follower of Christ, a works-oriented Christian? Or can commandment keeping be acts of faith? What makes the difference? Paul seems just a bit upset with Christians in Galatia and he told them they were under “the curse … [Click to read more …]
Strife in the church? Things are getting tense. What does Paul find in Peter’s experience in Antioch that trouble him? What would it have been like if you had been at that “potluck” as a friend of Peter’s? Imagine that you are an invisible guest in that church as you go through the issues and answers we … [Click to read more …]
