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 …]
1. Paul’s wish. Our lesson begins with this stunning question, after extolling the value of harmony in God’s church: Should unity be preserved at the cost of truth? Do we sometimes debate issues on the basis of who agrees with us (or them) rather than on the merits of a given position? 2. The importance … [Click to read more …]
Do I please men? What puzzling question does Paul pose to the Galatians in the first chapter of his epistle to them? Do you agree with Paul that it is indeed a puzzle to determine whether to seek to please God or men? How did that puzzle fit into the apostle’s ministry to the believers … [Click to read more …]
The Gospel in Galatians. According to the introduction to this 12-week series on the apostle Paul, the teaching threatening the early church was the false teaching that we are saved by faith and works. Wait a minute. Don’t our works have a key role to play in our salvation? What about the statement by the … [Click to read more …]
The end of this study. What are two or three blessings that you have experienced in our twelve weeks of study of the two epistles of Peter? Besides studying these two messages, have you also considered aspects of the life of Peter as he mentored his fellow disciples and the early church? Although as Protestants … [Click to read more …]
The Line of Authority. On what authority did Peter give his audience strict warnings about obeying God’s commands? Do you agree with Peter that he was an apostle of Jesus? Why? Did Peter consider the Old Testament to be valid even in Jesus’ time and later? Why do you think many religious groups and denominations today are so eager … [Click to read more …]
The threat from within. Are the two prongs of Satan’s attack on the Christian church (outside persecution and inside deception) equal in force? If not, which one does Peter believe that Satan finds more effective in destroying faith in Jesus? What about the church you attend? Do you ever observe Satan’s success in drawing believers away from … [Click to read more …]
Confidence personified. Is there anything at all about Peter speaking as a wholehearted disciple of Jesus that reminds us of Peter the indecisive one? If you said “No!” in a resounding way, how can you and I adopt his certainty in these troubled times? How can the “cunningly devised fables” that appeal to vast numbers of worldlings … [Click to read more …]
A precious faith. What is precious about the faith that Christ gives us? How long could we survive without that faith? For how much of that time would we be happy? How do we learn to love God? What are the elements of faith that make it possible to love Him? Can you and I, sinful … [Click to read more …]
Peter’s Love for Jesus. No doubt you remember reading in the Bible the story of Peter’s reprehensible attitude when he spat out the words (NIV), “I don’t know Him,” and, a little later when he grumped, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” in reference to his association with Jesus. Now, centuries later, we remember … [Click to read more …]
