Forgiven in Prison, Part 1 By Andrew McChesney The volunteers chose slips of paper with the names of inmates who had signed up for Bible studies at a prison in Spain. But nobody took one slip of paper. “Doesn’t anyone want to meet with this man?” asked Dante Marvin Herrmann, a 36-year-old theology student at … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Consider the connection between “the tree of life” and “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” This relation is already suggested through the fact that they are both located “in the midst of the Garden” (Genesis 2:9). But there is more between the two trees than just a geographical relation. It is … Continue reading –>
Read Genesis 3:15-24. As a result of the Fall, what happened to Adam and Eve? While God’s judgment of the serpent is explicitly identified as a curse (Genesis 3:14), God’s judgment of the woman and of the man is not. The only time where the word “curse” is used again, it applies only to the “ground” (Genesis 3:17). … Continue reading –>
“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:15, NIV). What did the Lord say to the serpent here, and what hope is implied in these verses? God begins His judgment with the serpent because he is … Continue reading –>
Read Genesis 3:7-13. Why did Adam and Eve feel the need to hide before God? Why did God ask the question “Where are you?” How did Adam and Eve seek to justify their behavior? After they sinned, Adam and Eve felt naked because they lost their garments of glory, which reflected God’s presence (see Psalm 8:5, compare with Psalm … Continue reading –>
Read Genesis 2:16-17, and Genesis 3:1-6 (see also John 8:44). Compare the words of God’s commandment to Adam with the serpent’s words to the woman. What are the differences between the speeches, and what is the meaning of these differences? Note the parallels between God’s conversation with Adam (Genesis 2:16-17) and Eve’s conversation with the serpent. It is as if the serpent … Continue reading –>
Read Genesis 3:1, 2 Corinthians 11:3, and Revelation 12:7-9. Who is the serpent, and how does he deceive Eve? The text begins with “the serpent.” The syntax of the phrase suggests emphasis: the word “serpent” is the first word of the sentence. Also, “the serpent” has the definite article, indicating that this is a well-known figure, as if … Continue reading –>
Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study: Genesis 3:1-24; 2 Corinthians 11:3; Revelation 12:7-9; John 8:44; Romans 16:20; Hebrews 2:14; 1 Timothy 2:14-15. Memory Text: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Genesis 3:15, NKJV). Amid all that God had given our first … Continue reading –>
Mocked for the Sabbath By Andrew McChesney Students mocked the Laissa Samila Yassine for skipping classes on Saturdays in Mozambique. “You came here to this university to study, not to follow your church’s teachings,” said one. “You’re crazy,” said another. It all began when Laissa was struggling with her mechanical engineering studies during her first … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “Science and the Bible,” Pages 128, 129, in Education; “The Creation,” in The Story of Redemption, Pages 21, 22. “Since the book of nature and the book of revelation bear the impress of the same master mind, they cannot but speak in harmony. By different methods, and in different languages, they … Continue reading –>
