Read 2 Peter 2:17-22 and Matthew 12:43-45. What are the dangers when a convert to Christianity returns to his/her former lifestyle? Peter was particularly concerned about the fate of those whom the false teachers entice back into their former sins (2 Pet. 2:18). The false teachers promise freedom, but as Peter points out, the freedom … Continue reading –>
“For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error” (2 Pet. 2:18, NIV). What is Peter warning about in this verse? What does he say in 2 Peter 2:19 that helps explain his concern? What … Continue reading –>
It’s sometimes easy to idealize the early church, to think of it as a time of great peace and harmony among the earliest believers in Jesus. That would be a mistake. Even from the days of Jesus the church faced struggles, often from within (think of Judas). As the New Testament epistles show, many of … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: Peter declares that God’s prophetic Word is more certain than personal experiences, because its origin is in the Holy Spirit. Lesson 10, June 3, 2017 1. Have a volunteer read 2 Peter 1:19. a. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is. b. What … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: 2 Pet. 2:1-22, John 8:34-36, Matt. 12:43-45, Jude 4-19, Gen. 18:16-33. Memory Text: “They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption; for people are slaves to whatever masters them” (2 Peter 2:19, NRSV). In his first epistle, Peter, with great pastoral concern, sought to encourage readers in … Continue reading –>
“It is the first and highest duty of every rational being to learn from the Scriptures what is truth, and then to walk in the light and encourage others to follow his example. We should day by day study the Bible diligently, weighing every thought and comparing scripture with scripture. With divine help we are … Continue reading –>
Last Sunday, at a graduation party, I visited with one of my former students from the Adventist school where I teach and give Bible studies. She is now attending a public high school in a different city, and she told me how sad she is that at least half of her school population is self-proclaimed atheist. … Continue reading –>
As mentioned in the last post, Adventism’s understanding of the covenants is not well known either to us, our inquirers or our critics. Some critics even go as far as to suggest that Adventism’s covenant progression is an unheard-of new heresy. Part of the difficulty in responding to these charges is that, while Adventists have historically written … Continue reading –>
You can view an in-depth discussion of “Prophecy and Scripture” 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 Sabbath School … Continue reading –>
As we have seen, Peter placed great emphasis on the Holy Scriptures. Second Peter 1:19-21 is a powerful affirmation of the importance of the Bible to our Christian experience and to the divine inspiration of the Scriptures. His point is clear in 2 Peter 1:21. The Bible is not the product of human will, human … Continue reading –>
Read 2 Peter 1:19-21. To what prophecies is Peter referring? What does he mean when he says that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation? In stressing that Christianity is not based on cunningly devised fables (2 Pet. 1:16), Peter offers up two lines of evidence: first, eyewitnesses (2 Pet. 1:16-18); second, the … Continue reading –>
Confidence personified. Is there anything at all about Peter speaking as a wholehearted disciple of Jesus that reminds us of Peter the indecisive one? If you said “No!” in a resounding way, how can you and I adopt his certainty in these troubled times? How can the “cunningly devised fables” that appeal to vast numbers of worldlings … Continue reading –>
