Read Matthew 5:17-20; Matthew 22:29; and Matthew 23:2-3. What is Jesus saying in these contexts? Jesus taught His disciples obedience to the Word of God and the law. There is never a hint of Him doubting the authority or relevance of Scripture. On the contrary, He constantly referred to it as the source of divine authority. And to … Continue reading –>
The baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist marked the beginning of the Savior’s ministry, following which Jesus was led by the Spirit into the Judean wilderness, where — in His weakest human condition — He was tempted by Satan. Read Matthew 4:1-11. How does Jesus defend Himself against Satan’s temptations in the wilderness? What should … Continue reading –>
Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study: Matt. 4:1-11; Matt. 22:37-40; Luke 24:13-35, Luke 24:44-45; Luke 4:25-27; Acts 4:24-26. Memory Text: “But He answered and said, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” ’ ” (Matthew 4:4, NKJV). Unfortunately, in this post-modern age, the Bible has been largely reinterpreted … Continue reading –>
3 Filipino Baptisms in Cyprus – European Division By Andrew McChesney, Adventist Mission Yolanda Malla, a Filipino domestic worker in Cyprus, saw that her friend Beatrise had tagged her in a Seventh-day Adventist sermon on Facebook. Yolanda had met Beatrise, a Filipino domestic worker in Israel, several years earlier when they both worked as domestic … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Read the following pages from the document “Methods of Bible Study”: “2. Presuppositions Arising From the Claims of Scripture”, part a. Origin, and part b. Authority. (“Methods of Bible Study” can be found at www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/materials/bible-interpretation-hermeneutics/methods-bible-study). As essential as the Bible is to our faith, it alone would be of no real spiritual value to … Continue reading –>
Read Hebrews 11:3, Hebrews 11:6. Why is faith so essential in understanding God and His Word? Why is it impossible to please God without faith? All true learning takes place in the context of faith. It is the implicit faith of the child toward his or her parents that enables the child to learn new things. It … Continue reading –>
Read John 1:14; John 2:22; John 8:31-32; and John 17:17. Which parallels do you see between Jesus, the Word of God made flesh, and Scripture, the Written Word of God? There is a parallel between the Word of God, who became flesh (i.e., Jesus Christ), and the Written Word of God (i.e., Scripture). Just as Jesus was supernaturally conceived … Continue reading –>
“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Write these words, for according to the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel’” (Exod. 34:27, NKJV). Why would the Lord have Moses write down these words as opposed to having Moses recite them to the people only? What is the obvious advantage … Continue reading –>
Because God uses the medium of language to reveal His will to man, divine revelation is capable of being written down. Yet, as we already have seen, the Bible is the result of God’s revealing truth to us through the work of the Holy Spirit, who transmits and safeguards His message through human instruments. This … Continue reading –>
Read 2 Peter 1:19-21. How does Peter express his conviction about the origin of the biblical prophetic message? The Bible is not like any other book. According to the apostle Peter, the prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit in such a way that the content of their message came from God. They did not invent … Continue reading –>
