Read Mark 9:38-41 and John 10:16. What does Jesus’ response to the apostle John teach us about exclusivism and quick judgments about who is a true follower of Jesus? Seventh-day Adventists have tended to understand Jesus’ prayer in John 17:1-26 as directly applying to the unity of their church denomination. We must be united as a church to … Continue reading –>
After Jesus prayed for His disciples, He broadened His prayer to include “those who will believe in Me through their word” (John 17:20, NKJV). Read John 17:20-26. What was Jesus’ greatest wish for those who would later believe in the Gospel message? Why is it so important that this prayer be fulfilled? As the Father and Son … Continue reading –>
Read John 17:9-19. What is Jesus praying specifically about in regard to His disciples? Jesus prays next for His disciples, who are in grave danger of losing their faith in Him in the days ahead, when He, Jesus, will no longer be with them in the flesh. Thus, He commits them to the care of His … Continue reading –>
The high-priestly prayer is divided into three parts. First, Jesus prays for Himself (John 17:1-5), then for His disciples (John 17:6-19), and finally for those who would later believe in Him (John 17:20-26). Read John 17:1-5. What is the essence of His prayer, and what does it mean for us? Jesus intercedes first for Himself. In preceding events in … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: John 17:1-26, 1 John 5:19, John 13:18-30, John 5:20-23, Mark 9:38-41, Rev. 18:4, 1 John 2:3-6. Memory Text: “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Ellen G. White, “The Rending of the Kingdom”, pages 87-98, in Prophets and Kings; “A Message of Warning and Entreaty”, pages 298-308, in The Acts of the Apostles. “The Lord desires His chosen servants to learn how to unite in harmonious effort. It may seem to some that the contrast between their gifts and the gifts of a … Continue reading –>
By Elvis Dumitru I am a pastor because my grandfather, a lifelong Orthodox believer, endorsed the Seventh-day Adventist Church. As my grandfather was growing old, he spoke to my father in their home in Ratesti, a small village in Romania. “If you ever want to belong to the only true Christian church, you have to … Continue reading –>
Read Acts 20:25-31. What did Paul warn the Ephesian elders about? What were they to do to prevent this from happening? During his ministry Paul often faced opposition, and he knew that it would be difficult to preserve the purity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In his farewell to the Ephesian elders he drew from … Continue reading –>
Unfortunately, the issue of disunity among God’s people didn’t end even in New Testament times. For example, the first four chapters of Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians are an appeal for unity. While in Ephesus Paul heard that various divisions had erupted in the church at Corinth. Thus, he begins his letter with a … Continue reading –>
The path of apostasy, and its dire consequences, didn’t happen overnight. But the wrong choices and decisions that accumulated over the long centuries finally led to some terrible consequences for God’s people. Read the story of King Rehoboam in 1 Kings 12:1-16. What caused this terrible division among God’s people? “Had Rehoboam and his inexperienced counselors understood … Continue reading –>
