Although the Bible does not explicitly tell us the issues involved in the controversy between God and Satan, they can be inferred from some pertinent scriptural passages, such as Isaiah 14:4-21 and Ezekiel 28:12-19. In their original settings, these passages represented pagan kings of Tyre and Babylon; but, when read carefully, they provide details that go beyond these … Continue reading –>
All throughout recorded history, people have sensed that humanity is in some sort of battle, a warfare, a struggle between competing forces. The poet T. S. Eliot wrote, In all of my years, one thing does not change. However you disguise it, this thing does not change: The perpetual struggle of Good and Evil.” -T. S. Eliot: The Complete Poems … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Gen. 3:15, Rev. 12:1-17, Isa. 14:4-21, Ezek. 28:12-19, Isa. 53:6, Rom.1:20-28, John 16:2. 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). Key Thought: The great controversy motif is the overarching concept that gives … Continue reading –>
“The Thessalonian believers were greatly annoyed by men coming among them with fanatical ideas and doctrines. Some were ‘disorderly, working not at all, but . . . busybodies.’ The church had been properly organized, and officers had been appointed to act as ministers and deacons. But there were some, self-willed and impetuous, who refused to … Continue reading –>
People living in the small West African country of Guinea Bissau lead lives of uncertainty and fear. Ongoing political unrest breeds fear for the future. But an even greater fear comes from the spirits which, they believe, control their lives. Throughout the country “devil trees” stand as a reminder that the devil and evil spirits … Continue reading –>
According to Matthew 18:15-17, how is the church supposed to treat a person who has been disfellowshiped? The matter of church discipline is one of the most difficult issues that a local church faces. Often an errant member is another member’s brother, mother, son, cousin, or best friend. Some members prefer never to discipline anyone; others prefer … Continue reading –>
What unique type of problem does Paul face in the Thessalonian church? 2 Thess. 3:9-12. In these verses Paul applies the tradition of what he did and said to a specific situation. A significant group of members were disorderly or out of order 2 Thess. 3:6-11). Paul had mentioned the problem in the previous letter, and addressed it … Continue reading –>
When Jesus walked this earth there was no New Testament. The Bible of Jesus was the “Old Testament.” But, from the start, obedience to Jesus’ spoken words was the wise thing that His followers did (Matt. 7:24-27). Jesus’ words and actions continued to be authoritative for the church in the years that followed (1 Thess. 4:15, Acts 20:35, 1 Cor. … Continue reading –>
In today’s world many people laugh at the idea of a literal Satan. In their mind, he’s a myth, a holdover from a superstitious and prescientific era. They feel that good and bad are simply the random consequences of cause and effect; or, in some people’s minds, good and bad are only culturally constructed concepts … Continue reading –>
The language of this section recalls the prayer at the beginning of 1 Thessalonians. It is almost as if Paul is returning to the place where he began, creating a natural conclusion to this pair of letters. Paul here expresses his concern that the believers in Thessalonica not deviate from the path on which he … Continue reading –>
