Read Ellen G. White, “The Impending Conflict,” pp. 582-592, “The Scriptures a Safeguard,” pp. 593-602 and “The Time of Trouble” pp. 613-634 in The Great Controversy. Ellen G. White advocated that Seventh-day Adventists be good citizens and obey the law of the land. She even told people not to openly and flagrantly disobey local Sunday … Continue reading –>
Despite knowing that human organizations and governments are flawed and sometimes sinful, and despite their bad experiences with governments and religious leaders, both Paul and Peter urged early Christians to submit to human authorities (1 Pet. 2:13-17, Rom. 13:1-10). Christians, they say, should pay taxes and contribute to compulsory labor obligations. As far as possible, … Continue reading –>
Read Romans 13:1-7; Ephesians 5:22-33; 1 Corinthians 7:12-16; and Galatians 3:27-28. How does what Paul says compare to what Peter says in 1 Peter 2:11-3:7? Paul addresses some of the issues raised in 1 Peter 2:11-3:7 in several places. What he says is remarkably consistent with what is found in 1 Peter. For example, like … Continue reading –>
You can view an in-depth discussion of “Social Relationships” 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 Sabbath School Site. … Continue reading –>
Read 1 Peter 3:1-7. What special circumstance is Peter addressing in this passage? How is what is said relevant to marriage in today’s society? There is one significant clue in the text that enables the careful reader to work out the issue that Peter deals with in 1 Peter 3:1-7. In 1 Peter 3:1, Peter … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: Peter describes God’s will in the ways Christians are to relate to various levels of authority, doing what is right and good to bring glory to God. Lesson 4, April 22, 2017 1. Have a volunteer read I Peter 2:13-17. a. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important … Continue reading –>
The Memory Text for this week stirred my heart with the first hymn-singing thoughts for this week; Hymn 191, “Love Divine all loves excelling”. 1 Peter 2:18 in Monday’s lesson and Romans 13:4 on Wednesday’s lesson suggested Hymn 256 “Ye Servants of God”. In Tuesday’s lesson study, our family foundation of the husband and wife … Continue reading –>
1. Fervent Love. It’s not enough to tolerate or get along with or even to like our brothers and sisters in Christ. What do we need in our relationship with fellow believers? What does Peter suggest we need when dealing with difficult people? Do the principles of “getting along” translate as agreeing with everything the government … Continue reading –>
Read 1 Peter 2:18-23. How do we today understand the difficult content of these verses? What principle can we take from them for ourselves? A careful reading of 1 Peter 2:18-23 reveals that rather than an endorsement of slavery, the texts give spiritual counsel on how to think about difficult circumstances that, at the time, … Continue reading –>
Though written long ago, the Bible nevertheless touches on issues very relevant today, such as the relationship between Christians and their government. In some cases, it’s pretty obvious. Revelation chapter 13 talks about a time when obeying the political powers would mean disobeying God. In such a case, our choice is clear. (See Thursday’s study.) … Continue reading –>
