What danger threatens the Christlike maturity of the church? Ephesians 4:14. Paul perceives an environment not unlike our own in which various ideas, such as “every wind of doctrine” and “deceitful schemes” (ESV), are thrust upon believers. He uses three sets of images to describe the dangers of wayward theology: (1) the immaturity of childhood, “so that … Continue reading –>
Drawing on Psalm 68:18, Paul has just described the risen, exalted, conquering Jesus as giving gifts to His people from on high. What “gifts” does the exalted Jesus give, and for what purpose? Ephesians 4:11-13. Paul identifies four groups of “gifted” people as part of the treasure trove of the exalted Jesus that He gives to His church: … Continue reading –>
“However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. That is why the Scriptures say, ‘When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people.’” “Notice that it says ‘he ascended.’ This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly … Continue reading –>
The book of Ephesians shows us “How to Follow Jesus in Trying Times”: Hymn 623 – I Will Follow Thee, My Saviour so that our actions will always speak louder than our words. Paul encourages us to ask Come, Holy Spirit – Hymn 269 to help us Be Like Jesus – Hymn 311, all because The Church … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: One way we foster unity is by being active parts of the body and contributing to its health and growth. August 12, 2023 1. Have a volunteer read Ephesians 4:1-10. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage. How does Paul encourage believers … Continue reading –>
Lesson 7 *August 5-11 The Unified Body of Christ SABBATH AFTERNOON Read for This Week’s Study: Ephesians 4:1-16 ; Philippians 2:3 ; Psalm 68:18 ; Acts 2:1-47 ; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 1 Corinthians 12:27-30 ; Isaiah 5:4 . Memory Text: “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip … Continue reading –>
What seven “ones” does Paul cite in support of his theme of the unity of the church? What point is he seeking to make with this list? (Ephesians 4:4-6). Paul’s list of seven “ones” has a poetic feel to it and may echo a hymn of affirmation used in Ephesus. The list begins by mentioning two “ones” … Continue reading –>
Read Ephesians 4:1-16. How does Paul encourage believers to nurture the unity of the church? Paul begins the second half of Ephesians (chapters 4-6) with a stirring call to unity, but in two major parts. First, in Ephesians 4:1-6 he asks believers to nurture “the unity of the Spirit” by exhibiting unity-building virtues (Ephesians 4:1-3), a call he supports … Continue reading –>
Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study: Ephesians 4:1-16; Philippians 2:3; Psalm 68:18; Acts 2:1-47; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 1 Corinthians 12:27-30; Isaiah 5:4. Memory Text: “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12, ESV). One of Aesop’s fables is called “The Belly … Continue reading –>
The Mission program of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is an opportunity for us to understand the needs of others and share in supporting them. Please click on the image below to watch the Mission Spotlight presentation for this week: (2)
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