The largest units in Scripture are books of the Bible. Biblical books were written for different purposes and in different settings. Some served as prophetic messages; others were compilations, like the Psalms. There are historical books like 1 and 2 Kings, and there are letters to various churches, such as those written by Paul and … Continue reading –>
In Hebrew thought, there are a number of ways to express ideas that reinforce meaning and emphasize the importance of concepts. Unlike European languages, Hebrew contains no punctuation marks in the original language, so the language structure developed other ways to communicate such ideas. Read Genesis 1:26-27; and Isaiah 6:1-3. What words are repeated in these passages? … Continue reading –>
In every language there are words that are so rich and deep in meaning that they are difficult to translate adequately with a single word into another language. Such words require a wide study of their usage in the Bible to understand the breadth of meaning. Read 1 Kings 3:6, Psalm 57:3, Psalm 66:20, Psalm 143:8, and Micah 7:20. How … Continue reading –>
Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17. For what purpose was the Bible given to us? The Bible was written as a witness to God’s work in history, His plan for redeeming the fallen race of humanity, and to instruct us in all ways of righteousness. The Lord chose to do this in human language, making His thoughts and … Continue reading –>
Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study: Deut. 32:46-47; 1 Kings 3:6; Num. 6:24-26; Gen. 1:26-27; Gen. 2:15-23; Gen. 15:1-5. Memory Text: “Take this Book of the Law, and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there as a witness against you” (Deuteronomy 31:26, NKJV). More than 6,000 languages are spoken among the … Continue reading –>
Losing Four Sons in Poland By Andrew McChesney, Adventist Mission God blessed Wieslawa Winiarska with four sons in Lodz, Poland. Then her son Grzegorz died in a freak accident when he was 26. He had taken up running and, while jogging near railroad tracks, was sucked onto the tracks by the wind of a fast-passing … 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 –>
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 –>
