In Galatians 2:15, Paul writes, “We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners” (ESV). What point do you think he was making? Paul’s words need to be understood in their context. In an attempt to win over his fellow Jewish Christians to his position, Paul starts with something they would agree with — the traditional distinction … [Click to read more …]
Read for This Week’s Study: Gal. 2:15-21; Eph. 2:12; Phil. 3:9; Rom. 3:10-20; Gen. 15:5-6; Rom. 3:8. Memory Text: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself … [Click to read more …]
Further Thought: For further study on the issue of unity and diversity in the church, read Ellen G. White, “Investigation of New Light,” pp. 45, 47, in Counsels to Writers and Editors; “An Explanation of Early Statements”, p. 75, in Selected Messages, book 1;“Tactfulness,” pages. 117-119, in Gospel Workers; and “Manuscript Release 898,” pgs. 1092, 1093, in 1888 … [Click to read more …]
The situation in Antioch surely was tense: Paul and Peter, two leaders in the church, were in open conflict. And Paul holds nothing back as he calls Peter to account for his behavior. What reasons does Paul give for publicly confronting Peter? Gal. 2:11-14. As Paul saw it, the problem was not that Peter had decided to … [Click to read more …]
You can view an in-depth discussion of “The Unity of the Gospel” in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris. (Adobe Flash Player version.) A Youtube version of this week’s lesson at Hope Sabbath School is below. You can download the video, the MP3 audio, and the lesson outline from the HopeTV … [Click to read more …]
Some time after Paul’s consultation in Jerusalem, Peter made a visit to Antioch in Syria, the location of the first Gentile church and the base of Paul’s missionary activities described in Acts. While there, Peter ate freely with the Gentile Christians, but when a group of Jewish Christians arrived from James, Peter — fearful of … [Click to read more …]
Read Galatians 2:1-10. Paul says that the false brothers “slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery” (Gal. 2:4, ESV). What are Christians free from? Read John 8:31-36; Rom. 6:6-7; Rom. 8:2-3; Gal. 3:23-25; Gal. 4:7-8; Heb. 2:14-15. How do we experience for ourselves the reality of this freedom? Freedom, as a … [Click to read more …]
Why was circumcision such a focal point in the dispute between Paul and certain Jewish Christians? See Gen. 17:1-22; Gal. 2:3-5; Gal. 5:2, Gal. 5:6; Acts 15:1, Acts 15:5. Why is it not that hard to understand how some could have believed that even the Gentiles needed to undergo it? Circumcision was the sign of the covenant relationship that God established with Abraham, … [Click to read more …]
Read 1 Corinthians 1:10-13. What does this passage tell us about how important Paul believed unity in the church was? Having refuted the allegations that his gospel was not God-given, Paul directs his attention in Galatians 2:1-2 to another charge being made against him. The false teachers in Galatia claimed that Paul’s gospel was not in harmony with … [Click to read more …]
Read for This Week’s Study: Gal. 2:1-14, 1 Cor. 1:10-13, Gen. 17:1-21, John 8:31-36, Col. 3:11. Memory Text: “Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind”(Philippians 2:2, ESV). Protestant reformer John Calvin believed that disunity and division were the devil’s chief device against the church, and he warned … [Click to read more …]
