During Saul’s encounter with Jesus, he was blinded and then instructed to go to the house of a man named Judas and to wait there for another man, Ananias. No doubt Saul’s physical blindness was a powerful reminder of the greater spiritual blindness that led him to persecute the followers of Jesus. The appearance of … Continue reading –>
“And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ Then the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads’ ” (Acts 9:5, NKJV). Although Saul’s persecution of the early church begins rather inconspicuously (as he only holds the coats of Stephen’s executioners), it quickly intensifies (see … Continue reading –>
Saul of Tarsus first appears in Acts as one involved in the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58) and then in connection with the more wide-scale persecution that broke out in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1-5). Peter, Stephen, Philip, and Paul play a significant role in the book of Acts because they were involved in events that led … Continue reading –>
Introduction to The Gospel in Galatians The Protestant world is getting ready to celebrate the 500thanniversary of the Protestant Reformation, when Martin Luther — guided by the Holy Spirit — brought to millions crucial biblical truths that were long hidden under centuries of superstition and tradition. One could argue that out of the pages of … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Acts 6:9-15, Acts 9:1-9, 1 Sam. 16:7, Matt. 7:1, Acts 11:19-21, Acts 15:1-5. Memory Text: “When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, ‘Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life’” (Acts 11:18, NKJV). It’s not that hard to understand Saul of … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Even amid the heavy theology, Peter’s letters put a strong emphasis on Christian life and how we should treat one another. In other words, yes, we need to know the truth as it is in Jesus. But even more important, we need to live the truth, too. Early on, we get these grand … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: Peter wrote about five areas of theology : 1. Christ’s sacrifice for our salvation 2. Godly conduct 3. The hope of Christ’s soon return 4. God’s plan for order in the church 5. The role of Scripture in our lives.. Lesson 13, June 24, 2017 1. Have a volunteer read 1 Peter 1:15-17. … Continue reading –>
You can view an in-depth discussion of “Major Themes in 1st and 2nd Peter” 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 … Continue reading –>
Read the following passages. What do they say about the Bible that could help us to understand today what its role should be in our lives and faith? 1 Pet. 1:10-12 2 Pet. 1:16-20 2 Pet. 3:2 2 Pet. 3:16 In his second letter, Peter confronts false teachers. He directs his readers to two sources … Continue reading –>
Occasionally, at church or the Adventist school where I teach Bible and evangelism, someone will ask me, “What do we believe about such and such?” My response has always been, “I don’t know what you believe, but here is what I, and many Seventh-day Adventists believe,” and I show them in the Bible what I … Continue reading –>
