While I was away on a brief vacation this summer, a friend covering a family Bible study in my place called. Apparently the family was reading through Genesis on their own. After learning what circumcision is, the family’s young daughter asked my friend a question the family could not answer. “God wanted boys to be … Continue reading –>
Read Acts 15:28-29. What four prohibitions did the council decide to impose on Gentile converts? The main issue for which the council had been convened was satisfactorily resolved. Because salvation is by grace, believing Gentiles were exempted from circumcision when they joined the church. Yet, they should abstain from four things: (1) meat offered in sacrifice … Continue reading –>
The memory text for this week brings our first hymn to mind: Hymn 511, “I Know Whom I Have Believed”. With the troubles in the new church in Jerusalem in the study on both Sunday and Monday, the people did not see that: “Jesus Paid It All” – Hymn 184 and that He was our salvation: … Continue reading –>
Read Acts 15:7-11. What was Peter’s contribution to the debate in Jerusalem? Luke, of course, does not report all the proceedings of the meeting. It would be interesting to know, for example, the supporting arguments of the Judaizers (Acts 15:5), as well as Paul’s and Barnabas’s responses (Acts 15:12). The fact that we have only Peter’s and James’s … Continue reading –>
What group of early Christians arrived on the scene in Antioch and caused immediate problems in the early church? Where did they come from? Were they circumcised or not? Do you think they were just Pharisees who accepted Christ or did they have some other religious background as well? True or false: Paul, being the strong … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: We should always strive to keep in step with Christ to fulfill His will. Egos must be put aside for the sake of the Spirit’s saving activity. Lesson 8, August 25, 2018 1. Have a volunteer read Acts 15:1-5. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in … Continue reading –>
One of the great issues in this conflict was circumcision. This was not a human institution (contrast Matt. 15:2, Matt. 15:9). Rather, it had been commanded by God Himself as a sign of His covenant with Abraham’s descendants as His chosen people (Gen. 17:9-14). Read Exodus 12:43-49. In addition to born Israelites, who else was supposed to be circumcised? The … Continue reading –>
From the beginning, the church at Antioch consisted of both (Hellenistic) Jews and uncircumcised Gentiles (Acts 11:19-21, Gal. 2:11-13) who apparently lived in peaceful fellowship with each other. That fellowship, however, was shattered by the arrival of a group of believers from Jerusalem. Read Acts 15:1-5. What was the problem the church was facing? Traditionally called Judaizers, those individuals … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Acts 15; Gal. 2:11-13; Exod. 12:43-49; Rom. 3:30; Lev. 18:30; Rev. 2:14, Rev. 2:20. Memory Text: “We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are“ (Acts 15:11, NIV). After more than two years, Paul and Barnabas returned to Syrian Antioch. Because the whole church there had been involved in … Continue reading –>
Further Study: “During the life of Christ on earth he had sought to lead the Jews out of their exclusiveness. The conversion of the centurion and of the Syrophenician woman, were instances of his direct work outside of the acknowledged people of Israel. The time had now come for active and continued work among the Gentiles, … Continue reading –>
