1. Unity in faith. How long ago was 1888? 130 years, and that’s long enough to stir up debates that went nowhere and hard feelings that traveled everywhere. How dangerous is a little squabbling or difference of opinion in a church? What can result? True or False: Ellen White saw the problems that were stirring and … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: Our common fundamental beliefs form our identity as a distinct church and are the foundation of our unity in Jesus. November 24, 2018 1. Have a volunteer read I Thessalonians 4:13-18. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is. What does this tell us … Continue reading –>
Another crucial biblical teaching that Seventh-day Adventists believe and uphold is the seventh-day Sabbath. This is a key doctrine that brings unity and fellowship among us. It is one that, with very few exceptions in Christendom, we alone follow. The Sabbath is God’s gift to humanity right from the Creation week itself (Gen. 2:1-3). At Creation, … Continue reading –>
In the Old Testament, God instructed Moses to build a tabernacle, or sanctuary, to serve as His “dwelling” here on earth (Exod. 25:8). Through its services, the sanctuary is where the people of Israel were taught the plan of salvation. Later, in the time of King Solomon, the portable tabernacle was replaced by a magnificent temple (1 … Continue reading –>
The apostles and early Christians considered Christ’s return “the blessed hope” (Titus 2:13, NKJV), and they expected all the prophecies and promises of Scripture to be fulfilled at the Second Advent. Seventh-day Adventists still hold firmly to this conviction. In fact, our name, “Adventist”, states it unequivocally. All who love Christ look forward with anticipation to the … Continue reading –>
Although as Seventh-day Adventists we have much in common with other Christian bodies, our set of beliefs form a unique system of biblical truth that no one else in the Christian world is proclaiming. These truths help define us as God’s end-time remnant. Read Acts 4:8-12, Acts 10:43. What importance does Peter give to the place of … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Acts 4:8-12; Acts 1:11; Matt. 25:1-13; Heb. 9:11-12; Exod. 20:8-11; 1 Cor. 15:51-54. Memory Text: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12, NKJV). In 1888 Seventh-day Adventists experienced a period of intense debate over the interpretations of some key … Continue reading –>
By Lloyd Perrin The church that I pastor in the U.S. state of Oregon has an official membership of 491 people. But only 38 percent of those members are active, a number that inches up to 44 percent if you include elderly members who are house-bound because of physical or mental disabilities. That means 56 … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Ellen G. White, “A Seeker for Truth”, pages 131-142; “Jew and Gentile”, pages 188-200, in The Acts of the Apostles. “The council which decided this case was composed of apostles and teachers who had been prominent in raising up the Jewish and Gentile Christian churches, with chosen delegates from various places. Elders from Jerusalem and deputies from … Continue reading –>
We have been avoiding discussing some issues within the church that are probably the reason why we are having this series of studies on unity in the first place. We have held back comments specifically on women’s ordination because we have seen discussions in other forums on this topic descend into very unchristian verbal battlegrounds. … Continue reading –>
It took some level of trust from the church at Antioch to send representatives to Jerusalem in order to seek the best solution to their conflict. However, after hours of discussion between the apostles and elders, James, the brother of Jesus, who appears to be the leader of the assembly, made a judgment about what … Continue reading –>
Read Acts 15:1-2 and Galatians 2:11-14. What are the two issues that caused serious conflict in the early church? The threat to church unity faced by early Christians was real and difficult. Some Jewish Christians thought that salvation was possible only for those who belonged to the covenant people of God, and this implied that circumcision was a … Continue reading –>
