Paul, it has been said, was the true founder of Christianity. That is wrong, of course. Though Paul contributed much to our theological understanding of Christian doctrine, including 13 of the 27 New Testament books, practically all the teachings in his writings can be found elsewhere in Scripture. The main reason why some claim that … Continue reading –>
The story goes of a man who got a job chopping down trees. The first day his foreman noticed he had cut down only ten trees while the other men had cut down a hundred or so. “Oh well,” thought the foreman, “it was his first day,” But the next couple days went the same … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Rom. 3:31, Rom 6:15, Acts 10:9-14, John 15:1-11, James 2:1-26, Heb. 3:7-19, Jude 5-7. Memory Text: Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good (Romans 7:12, NKJV). With so much evidence for the continued validity of God’s law, why do so many Christians argue against … Continue reading –>
prom•ise: an express assurance on which expectation is based. From the moment man found himself in trouble, God has come beside humanity with a promise of remediation. No crime has been too large, no offence to great. It has always been about the promise. To Adam, who had unleashed the curse of death on mankind, … Continue reading –>
While sitting in class in his Papua New Guinea high school, young Willie Siso noticed that he was having difficulty hearing. A doctor told him he had an inflammation in his ear. But Willie’s hearing continued to fail. Why is God allowing this? he wondered. As his hearing deteriorated, Willie began learning sign language. He … Continue reading –>
[Joyce is the one who authors the Thought Starters posts each week for Sabbath School teachers.] I’m sorry I missed contributing to SSNET this week. My computer died. It was not a natural death but was caused by my moving it to a better part of the house. After a few days without a working … Continue reading –>
Further Study: For more information on this week’s topic, read Ellen G. White, The Covenant of Grace, p. 131-137, in God’s Amazing Grace. “This same covenant was renewed to Abraham in the promise, In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. Gen. 22:18. This promise pointed to Christ. So Abraham understood … Continue reading –>
Does the new covenant nullify all others? Are all nations no longer blessed through Abraham’s seed? Find out what the Sabbath School author has to say on this week’s edition of “Ask the Author.” [weaver_vimeo http://vimeo.com/94247244#t=0m30s autoplay=0 loop=0 portrait=1 start=0:10] You can view the same video on YouTube if you prefer. (6)
Continue reading -->(Eph. 2:6) In many instances people can experience the promises of a covenant before all the terms are even met. For instance, a person purchasing a home has the opportunity to live in the home before it is paid for. Or a citizen enjoys the public services offered by the government before he has even … Continue reading –>
(Heb. 9:15-22) There were strong consequences for violating certain biblical covenants. Yahweh warned Abraham that any male who was not circumcised would be cut off from the chosen (Gen. 17:14), and a litany of curses was directed toward those who refused to abide by the terms of the Sinai covenant (Deut. 27:11-26). Ultimately, those who … Continue reading –>
Key Thought : Both the Old and New Covenants are a restatement of the covenant of grace in which salvation is given to sinners through faith in Christ’s atoning sacrifice. [Lesson plan for Christ, the Law and the Covenants June 2, 2014] 1. Have a volunteer read Genesis 9:12-17. a. Ask class members to share a … Continue reading –>
Although a covenant is based on promises, there are usually conditions to meet before the promises are fulfilled. The Abrahamic covenant involved the circumcision of all males who were either born to Abraham or his descendants. When Yahweh covenanted with Israel, He personally engraved the requirements for the relationship on tablets of stone (Deut. 9:8-11). … Continue reading –>
