What normally follows the opening greeting in Paul’s letters? How is Galatians different? Compare Gal. 1:6 with Rom. 1:8, 1 Cor. 1:4, Phil. 1:3, and 1 Thess. 1:2. Although Paul addresses all kinds of local challenges and problems in his letters to the churches, he still made it a practice to follow his opening greeting with a word of prayer or thanksgiving … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: Paul opens his letter to the Galatians with reference to God’s gifts of grace and fought against teachings of error in Galatia.. Lesson 2, July 8, 2017 1. Have a volunteer read 2 Peter 3:15,16. a. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is. … Continue reading –>
Do I please men? What puzzling question does Paul pose to the Galatians in the first chapter of his epistle to them? Do you agree with Paul that it is indeed a puzzle to determine whether to seek to please God or men? How did that puzzle fit into the apostle’s ministry to the believers … Continue reading –>
“Gospel” is the word that is frequently used for this weeks’ lesson studies. There are two hymns in the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal that reflect on this word: Hymn 368, “Watchman, Blow the Gospel Trumpet” and Hymn 378, “Go, Preach My Gospel”. These two hymns could end up being the theme hymns for this quarters lesson … Continue reading –>
In addition to defending his apostleship, what else does Paul emphasize in his opening greeting to the Galatians? Compare Gal. 1:3-5 with Eph. 1:2, Phil. 1:2, and Col. 1:2. One of the unique features of Paul’s letters is the way he links the words grace and peace in the greetings. The combination of these two words is a modification of the most characteristic greetings in … Continue reading –>
Though Paul’s epistles generally follow the basic format of ancient letters, Galatians contains a number of unique features not found in Paul’s other epistles. When recognized, these differences can help us better understand the situation Paul was addressing. Compare Paul’s opening salutation in Galatians 1:1-2 with what he writes in Ephesians 1:1, Philippians 1:1, and 2 Thessalonians 1:1. In what ways … Continue reading –>
Read 2 Peter 3:15-16. What do these verses tell us about how the early church viewed Paul’s writing? What does this teach us about how inspiration works? When Paul wrote to the Galatians, he was not trying to produce a literary masterpiece. Instead, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Paul was addressing specific situations … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: 2 Pet. 3:15-16; Galatians 1; Phil. 1:1; Gal. 5:12. Memory Text: “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10, NKJV). Students at a university built a center … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: Soul was zealous against the church, but was transformed to develop a strong ministry to the Gentiles.. Lesson 1, July 1, 2017 1. Have a volunteer read Acts 6:11-14. a. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is. b. How can we stand up … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: For the relationship between personal conversion and the church, read Ellen G. White, “Individual Independence”, pp. 430-434, in Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3. For a helpful map of the early life of Paul and commentary on his conversion, see The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, pp. 226-234. “Paul had formerly been known … Continue reading –>
You can view an in-depth discussion of “Paul: Apostle to the Gentiles” 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 –>
Of course, nothing human is perfect, and it wasn’t long before trouble began within the early community of faith. For starters, not everyone was pleased with the entry of Gentile believers into the early church. The disagreement was not over the concept of a Gentile mission, but over the basis on which Gentiles should be … Continue reading –>
