When I was a child, my family lived near the Adventist church in our town in northern Namibia. Mother took us to church, though we weren’t Adventists. I liked church. On Sabbath afternoon, we’d go to Himba villages to sing and talk to them about God. Then when I was 8 years old, we moved … Continue reading –>
Further Study: For more information on this week’s topic, read Ellen G. White, Tradition, pp. 395-398, Woes on the Pharisees, pp. 610-620, in The Desire of Ages. Also read Matthew 23. Let all who accept human authority, the customs of the church, or the traditions of the fathers, take heed to the warning conveyed in … Continue reading –>
Matt. 5:20 Read Matthew 5:17-20. In the context of the week’s lesson, what are some of the ways that Jesus’ admonition in Matthew 5:20 could be understood? See also Rom. 10:3. If read in isolation, Matthew 5:20 could be seen as an invitation to out-Pharisee the Pharisees; that is, do what they do, only do it … Continue reading –>
The substitution of the precepts of men for the commandments of God has not ceased. Even among Christians are found institutions and usages that have no better foundation than the traditions of the fathers. Such institutions, resting upon mere human authority, have supplanted those of divine appointment. Men cling to their traditions, and revere their … Continue reading –>
Key Thought : While tradition has its place in the church, no human has the authority to create religious traditions and elevate them to the level of Divine law. [Lesson plan for Christ and Religious Tradition April 14, 2014] 1. Have a volunteer read Matthew 15:8,9. a. Ask class members to share a thought on … Continue reading –>
As we saw, some of the rabbis paid so much attention to the rules and traditions created to assist in the keeping of the law of Moses that they failed to distinguish between the two. After a while, the words of the rabbis gained canonical status; people thought they were as binding as Scripture. In … Continue reading –>
Although the scribes and Pharisees sat in Moses’ seat, their source of authority for religious instruction extended beyond the Old Testament. The law that the Pharisees utilized consisted of biblical interpretations of leading rabbis. These interpretations were not intended to replace the Scriptures but to complement them. At first they circulated orally; later the scribes … Continue reading –>
While the scribes and Pharisees appear to be two separate groups who just happened to be lumped together, the scribes were likely a subset of the Pharisees (see Acts 23:9). The Pharisees became a visible group during the time of the Grecian Empire. They are believed to be the remnants of a pious Jewish sect, … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Matt. 23:1-7, Matt. 15:1-6, Isa. 29:13, Matt. 5:17-20, Rom. 10:3. Memory Text: “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the percepts of men ” (Matthew 15:8-9, RSV). John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist … Continue reading –>
Yesuvadian was in his 60s when he first met Jesus through a dream. God called him to serve Him, and Yesuvadian answered. He left his farm to his family and walked away to followed God’s leading. For several years he walked from village to village sharing his newfound faith in God with others. In the … Continue reading –>
