Most Christians claim that the Ten Commandments are God’s universal moral code. This view is seen, for instance, in various legal battles in the United States, in which Christians have sought to have the Ten Commandments posted in various public places, especially public schools. Years ago, Alabama was involved in a legal battle involving a … Continue reading –>
The word torah is a commonly used Hebrew word in the Old Testament and is often translated as law. The New Testament uses the Greek, nomos, (law) to translate torah. Torah means ‘direction’ or ‘guidance’. Because the Bible is a record of God’s relationship with humans, law in the Bible generally refers to all of God’s instructions to His people. Because God Himself … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Ps. 19:7-8; Exod. 23:1-9; 1 John 5:3; Rom. 3:19-20;Exod. 20:11-12; Deut. 5:15. Memory Text: “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:3-4, NKJV). Key Thought: God’s entire moral law … Continue reading –>
Read The Ministerial Association of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, chapters 15-18, in Seventh-day Adventists Believe. “Baptism is a most sacred and important ordinance, and there should be a thorough understanding as to its meaning. It means repentance for sin, and the entrance upon a new life in Christ Jesus. There should be no undue … Continue reading –>
I was a troublemaker in my village in India. My father had introduced me to alcohol when I was 9 years old, and it became an overpowering habit. I quit school and stole money to buy liquor. My family, my health, and my friends all suffered because of me. I began spitting up blood. Frightened, … Continue reading –>
“For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come” (1 Cor. 11:26). What great hope is presented here? With these words we see how closely entwined the Second Coming and the Communion service are. That makes so much sense, too, because the Second Coming is, … Continue reading –>
Read Matthew 26:26-28. What meaning is evident in what Jesus is telling us to do here? Why is it important to see this in terms of symbols? The Lord’s Supper replaces the Passover festival of the old covenant era. The Passover met its fulfillment when Christ, the Paschal Lamb, gave His life. Before His death, Christ … Continue reading –>
It’s hard to imagine the pain that must have been going on in the heart of Jesus as He – about to face the Cross, the greatest humiliation possible – saw the jealousy and infighting among His own disciples over who would be the greatest in His kingdom. Read Luke 22:24-27 (see also Matt. 18:1, 20:21). What crucial truth … Continue reading –>
The New Testament uses several images to describe what baptism means. First, baptism symbolizes a spiritual union with Christ (Rom. 6:3-8), involving participation in His suffering, death, and resurrection, as well as the renunciation of one’s former lifestyle. In this way, baptism is linked with repentance and the forgiveness of sin (Acts 2:38); the new birth and … Continue reading –>
During the early stages of the Christian church, believers in the eastern part of the church, where Greek was the common language, used the word mysterion, ‘mystery’, to describe Christian sacred rites. In the West, where Latin predominated, the term employed was sacrament (Latin, ‘sacramentum”). A sacramentum was an oath that a Roman soldier swore, declaring his obedience to the commander’s … Continue reading –>
