“And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith” (Phil. 3:9, NKJV). We should not assume Jewish Christians were suggesting that faith in Christ was not important; after all, they were all believers in … Continue reading –>
Paul says three times in Galatians 2:16 that a person is not justified by “works of the law.” What does he mean by the expression “works of the law”? How do these texts (Gal. 2:16-17; Gal. 3:2, Gal. 3:5; Gal. 3:10; Rom. 3:20; Rom. 3:28) help us to understand his meaning? Before we can understand the phrase “the works of the law,” we first need … Continue reading –>
In Galatians 2:15, Paul writes, “We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners” (ESV). What point do you think he was making? Paul’s words need to be understood in their context. In an attempt to win over his fellow Jewish Christians to his position, Paul starts with something they would agree with — the traditional distinction … Continue reading –>
The King James version of the Bible is often considered the gold standard for modern translations, but few of us are familiar with its history, mandate, publication and early printing. This article provides a brief glimpse in the hope that we will understand it and its historical context a little better. The Bibles in Use … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Gal. 2:15-21; Eph. 2:12; Phil. 3:9; Rom. 3:10-20; Gen. 15:5-6; Rom. 3:8. Memory Text: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: For further study on the issue of unity and diversity in the church, read Ellen G. White, “Investigation of New Light,” pp. 45, 47, in Counsels to Writers and Editors; “An Explanation of Early Statements”, p. 75, in Selected Messages, book 1;“Tactfulness,” pages. 117-119, in Gospel Workers; and “Manuscript Release 898,” pgs. 1092, 1093, in 1888 … Continue reading –>
The situation in Antioch surely was tense: Paul and Peter, two leaders in the church, were in open conflict. And Paul holds nothing back as he calls Peter to account for his behavior. What reasons does Paul give for publicly confronting Peter? Gal. 2:11-14. As Paul saw it, the problem was not that Peter had decided to … Continue reading –>
Monday’s lesson, mentions circumcision, and if the Gentiles ever needed to be circumcised. Some have wondered why in the world God wanted the penis involved in a sign of loyalty. Some atheists have made fun of Christianity and the Bible over this topic. What we need to understand is, the penis was the part of … Continue reading –>
You can view an in-depth discussion of “The Unity of the Gospel” in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris. (Adobe Flash Player version.) A Youtube version of this week’s lesson at Hope Sabbath School is below. You can download the video, the MP3 audio, and the lesson outline from the HopeTV … Continue reading –>
Some time after Paul’s consultation in Jerusalem, Peter made a visit to Antioch in Syria, the location of the first Gentile church and the base of Paul’s missionary activities described in Acts. While there, Peter ate freely with the Gentile Christians, but when a group of Jewish Christians arrived from James, Peter — fearful of … Continue reading –>
1. Paul’s wish. Our lesson begins with this stunning question, after extolling the value of harmony in God’s church: Should unity be preserved at the cost of truth? Do we sometimes debate issues on the basis of who agrees with us (or them) rather than on the merits of a given position? 2. The importance … Continue reading –>
Our Sabbath afternoon introduction to this weeks’ lesson has: Hymn 518, “Standing on the Promises”, and Hymn 610, “Stand Like the Brave” ringing in my ears. To these we may add: Hymn 618, “Stand Up! Stand Up for Jesus!”. Martin Luther stood firm and as Ellen White says “his unwavering firmness was the means of … Continue reading –>
