The New Testament uses several images to describe what baptism means. First, baptism symbolizes a spiritual union with Christ (Rom. 6:3-8), involving participation in His suffering, death, and resurrection, as well as the renunciation of one’s former lifestyle. In this way, baptism is linked with repentance and the forgiveness of sin (Acts 2:38); the new birth and … Continue reading –>
During the early stages of the Christian church, believers in the eastern part of the church, where Greek was the common language, used the word mysterion, ‘mystery’, to describe Christian sacred rites. In the West, where Latin predominated, the term employed was sacrament (Latin, ‘sacramentum”). A sacramentum was an oath that a Roman soldier swore, declaring his obedience to the commander’s … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Matt. 28:19-20; Rom. 6:3-8; Matt. 26:26-28; John 13:1-17; 1 Cor. 11:24-26. Memory Text: “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:38, NKJV). Key Thought: God has instituted ordinances that, … Continue reading –>
Read Raoul Dederen, “The Church,” pp. 538-581, in Raoul Dederen (ed.), Handbook of Seventh-day Adventist Theology; Ellen G. White, “‘Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me,’” pp. 361-364, in Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers; “The Church the Light of the World,” pp. 455-467, in Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5. “If a man is sanguine of his … Continue reading –>
Fourteen-year-old Veresa [veh-REH-sah] listened as the doctor spoke to his parents. “Veresa has a hole in his heart. But surgery can repair his heart and help him live a normal life.” Veresa tried not to worry about the surgery; he just wanted to be well. Veresa’s surgery was a success. His parents couldn’t stay with … Continue reading –>
[Thought questions for The Church: In Service to Humanity November 21, 2012] 1. The essence of church. When did you go to church last? Were you blessed by being there? Were you able to share Christian love with someone who was there? What is church? Do you think Satan goes to church every week? According to … Continue reading –>
Governance means getting things done. This is true of general social life, and it is also true of church life. Governance also involves organization, which means the organizing of things into a functioning, coherent whole with rules, regulations, and structures designed to facilitate a task at hand. Authority is also critical to governance. At the … Continue reading –>
The church-depicted as the “called out” of God, the “people of God,” the “body of Christ” and the “temple of the Holy Spirit” – is fitted for service or mission. Unity is essential to the church because without it the church cannot successfully accomplish its mission. It is no wonder that the issue of unity … Continue reading –>
Key Thought : The church is not a human invention; it was created by God for the purpose of bringing sinners into a saving relationship with Him. [Teaching plan for The Church: In Service to Humanity November 26, 2012] 1. Have a volunteer read I Timothy 3:14,15. A. Ask class members to share a short thought … Continue reading –>
The church as ‘the body of Christ’ means that the church is to do what Christ would do if He were still on the earth ‘bodily’. It is for this reason that the church as an ‘assembly’ has been called out. The church does not simply have a mission; the church is mission. Read Matthew 28:19-20. How does … Continue reading –>
