I suppose most Christians around the world would agree that the Bible takes precedence over culture as far as deciding what is right and wrong. At the same time I think all of us are sometimes confused, thinking we are following the Bible instead of culture, not realizing that our culture heavily influences how we … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “What to Do With Doubt”, pages 105-113, in Steps to Christ, and from the document “Methods of Bible Study” Section 1: “Bible Study: Presuppositions, Principles, and Methods”, Section 2: “Presuppositions Arising from the Claims of Scripture” and Section 3: “Principles for Approaching the Interpretation of Scripture”. (Methods of Bible Study can be … Continue reading –>
Read Nehemiah 8:1-3, Nehemiah 8:8. Why is a clear understanding of Scripture so important for us, not only as individuals but as a church? The most important question in the Bible is the question of salvation and how we are saved. After all, what else matters in the long run? What good is it, as Jesus Himself … Continue reading –>
Read John 9:39-41 and John 12:42-43. What hindered the people in these passages from accepting the truth of the biblical message? What words of warning and caution can we take away from these incidents for ourselves? It’s easy to look back with scorn at the religious leaders who rejected Jesus despite such powerful evidence. Yet, we need to … Continue reading –>
The South Pacific Division (SPD) has produced a series of videos about the lesson studies this quarter. The speaker is Dr Kayle de Waal, a theology lecturer at Avondale University College. Week 6_ study this lesson for May 9 from SPD Discipleship on Vimeo. (4)
Continue reading -->Read Acts 17:16-32. In Acts chapter 17, Paul tried to deliver the gospel message in a new context: the philosophy of Greek culture. How do different cultural backgrounds impact how we evaluate the importance of various ideas? A background knowledge of Near Eastern culture is helpful for understanding some biblical passages. “For example, Hebrew culture attributed … Continue reading –>
Text or pretext. We can skew the words of the Bible just about any way we want to. Our lesson includes a startling example of how a woman was encouraged after her husband left her with the words, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman” (Gen. 3:15, NKJV). Have you ever been presented … Continue reading –>
The Bible was written in very ancient languages: the Old Testament was written mostly in Hebrew, with a few passages in Aramaic, while the New Testament was written in Koine Greek. The majority of the world population today does not speak and read those ancient languages. Hence, the Bible has to be translated into different … Continue reading –>
There are several hymn that could be used as a theme for this Second Quarter of 2020. Here are just two, the first being Hymn 272, Give Me the Bible, followed by Hymn 277, For Your Holy Book We Thank You. Thank you to the ladies who messaged in and suggested that we could also … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: Interpreters of the Bible cannot completely divest themselves from their own past, experiences, and preconceived notions and opinions. But the Holy Spirit can open up and correct our limited perspectives and presuppositions when we read with an open mind and honest heart. May 9, 2020 1. Have a volunteer read Luke 24:36-45.. Ask … Continue reading –>
