At Creation, the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. As a result, man became a living being (Gen. 2:7, NKJV). As long as God maintains the breath of life in the living creatures, they are alive. But when He takes away their … Continue reading –>
Old Testament writers consistently held that humanity is an indivisible living being. The various Hebrew terms usually translated as flesh, soul, and spirit are just alternative ways to describe, from different points of view, the human person as a whole. In harmony with this perspective, the Scriptures use different metaphors to describe death. Among them, … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: John 11:11; John 1:1-4; Luke 8:54-55; John 5:28-29; Matt. 5:22, 29; John 11:38-44. Memory Text: Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live (John 11:25, NKJV). Humans have an innate repulsion toward death because we … Continue reading –>
Teresa was well known in her community in western Bulgaria as a witch. She worked magic, casting spells and removing spells. She told people’s fortunes and predicted their future. People respected her for the power she had. Teresa’s little granddaughter, Sara, came to visit. How Teresa loved her! On Sabbath Sara asked her grandmother to … Continue reading –>
Further Study: Ellen G. White, The Sabbath, p. 281-289, in The Desire of Ages. Wherefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath. These words are full of instruction and comfort. . . . It [the Sabbath] points to Him as both the Creator and the Sanctifier. It declares that He who created … Continue reading –>
Many Christians keep Sunday instead of the Sabbath, offering a host of reasons, the main one being the resurrection of Christ. Besides the minor detail that nothing in the New Testament, including the passages on the resurrection, teaches that Sunday is to replace Sabbath, the New Testament shows that Christ intended for His Sabbath to … Continue reading –>
The Gospels mention numerous miraculous healings that Jesus carried out on the Sabbath day. It is interesting to note that, in most cases, the healing came by Jesus’ initiative, as if He purposely wanted to heal on the Sabbath, though He could have done it any other day. Jesus was trying to make a point: … Continue reading –>
What does Luke 4:16 tell us about Jesus’ attitude toward the Sabbath? Why is this so important for us today? See John 14:15, 1 Pet. 2:21. The word Luke used in verse 16, custom, comes from a Greek word related to habits constant in time and practice. In other words, Jesus regularly attended synagogue every … Continue reading –>
Read Matthew 12:1-2. What is going on here? Why would the Pharisees consider this action as not lawful ? Deuteronomy 23:25 states: When you come into your neighbor’s standing grain, you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you shall not use a sickle on your neighbor’s standing grain (NKJV). The problem, therefore, was … Continue reading –>
What do the following texts indicate about Jesus’ role in Creation? Why is this so important, especially when considering the origin of the Sabbath? See John 1:1-3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:1-2. John begins his Gospel with the famous statement: In the beginning was the Word. . . . All things were made through Him, and … Continue reading –>
