Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called? If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors (James 2:7-9, NKJV). There is only … Continue reading –>
John is second to Paul in the number of books contributed to the New Testament. This is the same John who wrote the Gospel, three letters, and the book of Revelation. Like Peter, he was among the first disciples Jesus chose, and he also had a special relationship with Jesus. Because of his closeness to … Continue reading –>
(1 Pet. 2:9) Peter was one of Jesus’ closest apostles. Among the first selected, Peter was present at many of the major events in the ministry of Jesus. It was he who, at Caesarea Philippi, made the declaration that Jesus was the Messiah; and Peter followed his Savior to the house of Caiaphas on the … Continue reading –>
Paul, it has been said, was the true founder of Christianity. That is wrong, of course. Though Paul contributed much to our theological understanding of Christian doctrine, including 13 of the 27 New Testament books, practically all the teachings in his writings can be found elsewhere in Scripture. The main reason why some claim that … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Rom. 3:31, Rom 6:15, Acts 10:9-14, John 15:1-11, James 2:1-26, Heb. 3:7-19, Jude 5-7. Memory Text: Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good (Romans 7:12, NKJV). With so much evidence for the continued validity of God’s law, why do so many Christians argue against … Continue reading –>
While sitting in class in his Papua New Guinea high school, young Willie Siso noticed that he was having difficulty hearing. A doctor told him he had an inflammation in his ear. But Willie’s hearing continued to fail. Why is God allowing this? he wondered. As his hearing deteriorated, Willie began learning sign language. He … Continue reading –>
Further Study: For more information on this week’s topic, read Ellen G. White, The Covenant of Grace, p. 131-137, in God’s Amazing Grace. “This same covenant was renewed to Abraham in the promise, In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. Gen. 22:18. This promise pointed to Christ. So Abraham understood … Continue reading –>
(Eph. 2:6) In many instances people can experience the promises of a covenant before all the terms are even met. For instance, a person purchasing a home has the opportunity to live in the home before it is paid for. Or a citizen enjoys the public services offered by the government before he has even … Continue reading –>
(Heb. 9:15-22) There were strong consequences for violating certain biblical covenants. Yahweh warned Abraham that any male who was not circumcised would be cut off from the chosen (Gen. 17:14), and a litany of curses was directed toward those who refused to abide by the terms of the Sinai covenant (Deut. 27:11-26). Ultimately, those who … Continue reading –>
Although a covenant is based on promises, there are usually conditions to meet before the promises are fulfilled. The Abrahamic covenant involved the circumcision of all males who were either born to Abraham or his descendants. When Yahweh covenanted with Israel, He personally engraved the requirements for the relationship on tablets of stone (Deut. 9:8-11). … Continue reading –>
