Proverbs Words of Wisdom

Lesson #8 for February 21, 2015

Scriptures: [Proverbs 20-22; 1 Corinthians 12:14-26; Jeremiah 9:23-24; Matthew 25:35-40][i].

1.    Philosophers have spent a great deal of time discussing the relative importance of heredity versus environment. Heredity sets certain boundaries in our lives such as our appearance, sex, skin color, stature, and genetic deficiencies. However, when talking about more intangible things such as wisdom, heredity is probably not the most important factor. To a great degree, we are a product of our environment. Our brains are filled with everything we see, hear, taste, smell, and touch throughout our lives.

2.    What we see and hear in our modern world is enormously impacted by the Devil. One can hardly turn on a television or drive down a major road without being accosted by something that is very much opposed to basic Christianity.

3.    Our only safety is in spending more time with Scripture and with the writings of Ellen White with the Holy Spirit as our Guide.

4.    Read Proverbs 20ii. How many factors can you identify in this chapter that are common to all human beings? Proverbs 20:12 makes it clear that we are all created by God. This makes us all part of one great family and also makes every one of us a brother or sister to each other and a son or daughter of God. This is not to imply that we are all exactly equal. Clearly, we are not. In several passages the apostle Paul discussed how different parts of the body work together for a common goal. In the same way, people with different talents and different gifts need to work together for the common goals of Christianity. (See 1 Corinthians 12:14-31iii.) We each have different gifts. And the glue that holds all Christians together is agape love which Paul called the most important gift of all. (1 Corinthians 13iv)

5.    A second factor that makes us all equal is that we are all sinners. Thus, we all need the salvation provided by Jesus Christ. (Proverbs 20:9) None of us has the capacity to earn our way to heaven. So, do we understand why Jesus had to die and what that should teach us about sin, evil, and the great controversy? That would make a tremendous difference!

If man cannot, by any of his good works, merit salvation, then it must be wholly of grace, received by man as a sinner because he receives and believes in Jesus. It is wholly a free gift. Justification by faith is placed beyond controversy. And all this controversy is ended, as soon as the matter is settled that the merits of fallen man in his good works can never procure eternal life for him.—Ellen G. White, MS 36, 1890, pp. 2, 3; Faith and Works, p. 20.0; 1888, 812.2. [Bold type is added.]

6.    Shouldn’t this prevent us from feeling either superior or inferior to any other person? Of course, we have never been given the task of comparing ourselves to others! Unfortunately, that is an all too common human tendency. But, none of us can be saved without the cross; and none of us will be lost if we clearly understand, appreciate, and live according to the teachings of the cross.

7.    Read Proverbs 20:6[v]. Compare [Ecclesiastes 12:13-14; Revelation 14:13; 20:12-13; Jeremiah 9:23-24; and Mark 9:35]vi. Ultimately, every one of us will be judged by our works. The same standards will be applied to us as will be applied to the people who drowned in the flood, the inhabitants who were burned up in Sodom and Gomorrah, and the people of Jesus’s hometown of Capernaum. (Matthew 11:21-24; Luke 10:13-14)vii This should make us humble and also prevent us from idolizing any other human being. The only thing of which we can honestly boast is what God has done for us. Look at the example of Ellen White.

8.    There are some individuals who have great ups and downs in their spiritual experiences. At times, they may seem to be the most saintly people around. But then, there may be long periods when they do not seem to care much about God or religion. Esau was like that with respect to his birthright. By contrast, other people are consistently patient and loving and seek every day to follow God’s will for their lives. They are more like Jacob. But, the truth is that it is more important and a greater challenge to live for God than to die for Him. Almost with reverence we look back to the experiences of the martyrs. And we are certainly not trying to belittle that experience. However, to live a consistent life like that of Enoch or even Elijah is what God is really hoping for. We praise God by doing what is right.

9.    Read Proverbs 20:17; 21:5viii. There are those people who believe that the only way to get ahead in life is to be dishonest or even to steal. Those people will ultimately lose.

10.    Read Proverbs 20:21ix. This verse seems to suggest that some children tried to gain premature access to their inheritance from their parents. This is certainly not consistent with the teaching of the fifth commandment. And in the end, such people will lose. Isn’t that what the prodigal son did? (Luke 15:11-32[x])

11.    Read Proverbs 20:22xi. Revenge is a terrible human tendency. But, it is so difficult for us to be patient long enough to let God work things out. The Bible is full of examples of people trying to run ahead of the Lord. Compare Proverbs 25:21-22xii, NKJV. This ancient Egyptian ritual expression is not to be taken literally. If we can learn to return love for hate, we might even save our enemies and overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21xiii) Of course, that would require that we ultimately die to self.

12.    Read [Matthew 25:35-40 and Luke 10:26-37]xiv. It is interesting to suggest that compassion for the poor may be a better measure of one’s true Christianity than piety or many other religious characteristics that people look up to.

13.    Read Proverbs 19:17; 21:13xv. How sensitive are we to the needs of the poor? How much do we do to try to help them? God suggested that what we do for the poor is as good as if we had done it for Him personally.

14.    But, we also need to do it for the sake of the poor themselves. Read Proverbs 22:2xvi. God intended for all human beings to be equal. So, the poor need our help not only because they are poor but also because they are our brothers and sisters. More than that, it is of enormous benefit to our characters to set aside our selfishness and in true Christian love reach out to those who are less fortunate. What better way is there to learn to die to self and reflect how Christ behaved when He was here on this earth?

15.    Read Proverbs 22:6xvii. This verse in various translations has been read and claimed by many parents down through the generations. What is it really saying? The word in this verse for educate or train is the same word that was used for dedication of the temple in 1 Kings 8:63. So, how are we to dedicate our children to the Lord through their early childhood education so that they will remain faithful to the Lord for the rest of their lives?

To parents is committed the great work of educating and training their children for the future, immortal life.—Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, June 24, 1890 par. 1; Child Guidance, p. 38.2.

16.    Remember that Paul himself may have had Proverbs 22:6 in the back of his mind when he commended Timothy with the words: “From childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:15, NKJV)

17.    Read Proverbs 22:8,15xviii. Does it look to you like these verses are related? Education is essential; and sometimes, it requires discipline. But, the most important education our children get is from our personal examples. What kind of legacy are we leaving?

Parents should be models of truthfulness, for this is the daily lesson to be impressed upon the heart of the child. Undeviating principle should govern parents in all the affairs of life, especially in the education and training of their children. . . . Parents, never prevaricate; never tell an untruth in precept or in example. If you want your child to be truthful, be truthful yourself.—Ellen G. White, Child Guidance, p. 151.1-3; compare The Health Reformer, January 1, 1880 par. 7; MS 126, 1897. (Contrast the advice in FE 68.3.)

Many fathers and mothers seem to think that if they feed and clothe their little ones, and educate them according to the standard of the world, they have done their duty. They are too much occupied with business or pleasure to make the education of their children the study of their lives. They do not seek to train them so that they will employ their talents for the honor of their Redeemer. Solomon did not say, “Tell a child the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” But, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” [Proverbs 22:6]—Ellen G. White, RH, June 24, 1890 par. 1; Child Guidance, p. 38.2. [Content in brackets is added.]

18.    Unfortunately, many parents have looked at this verse as if it was going to somehow rectify whatever problems they may have caused by their early education of their children. So, how do we give our children the best possible education? Do they understand the most important basic principles of Christianity and the truth about the great controversy? Do they see the loving, caring, obedient behavior of their parents?

19.    So many of the emphases in our world today are on immediate gratification. Even the media focus on sound bites. Where are the wise instructors that lead nations to stand up for principle and look to the long-term results of their behavior? Why is it so hard to recognize the intangible rewards of wisdom? How can we help emphasize to our children the importance of learning to do what is right because it is right rather than just because someone else is doing it or because of fear of punishment or hope for reward?

20.    If we are going to have successful Christian lives, it is essential to use wisdom and good judgment. All you have to do is look at the newspaper or watch the news to see the results of bad judgments or decisions made by others. But, just as automobiles and homes have very different values based on quality, excellence, safety, reliability, and even location, humans are also judged by similar standards.

21.    Think of Paul and Silas singing in the Philippian jail. (Acts 16:19-25xix) What did they have at that point that made them able to sing? Wasn’t it a relationship with their God?

22.    So, what are we supposed to learn from these three chapters in Proverbs? Proverbs 20 focuses on making wise decisions in life. The drinking of wine is discouraged because it clouds our decision-making capacity. Discipline is extolled in verse 30 because it tends to make people think more clearly. Throughout this chapter, we are encouraged to think clearly, to know when to start and when to stop a given activity, and even to know when to say, “No.”

We are to learn how to recognize good counsel and how to exercise common sense; and thus, as the Bible repeatedly emphasizes, we are to learn to be humble and aware of our own shortcomings and thankful for God’s watchcare over us while He searches our motives and our thoughts. True, faithful Christians will have lives marked by transparency, patience, and firmness.

23.    Proverbs 21 continues the lesson from the previous chapter but talks about habits that destroy judgment.

Proverbs 21 is a list of intellectual and emotional habits that, when indulged, cripple one’s judgment. The list is rather long, but the underlying principle is clear: you lose judgment when you indulge in vices. The people who love vices are proud (vss. 4, 24), hasty (vs. 5), dishonest (vss. 6, 7, 28), crooked (vs. 8), contentious (vss. 9, 19), desirous of evil (vs. 10), scornful (vs. 11), wicked (vss. 15, 18, 27), without compassion (vs. 13), corrupt (vs. 14), distracted (vs. 16), given to pleasure (vs. 17), wasteful (vs. 20), overconfident (vs. 22), loquacious (vs. 23), lazy (vs. 25), stingy and greedy (vs. 26), hypocritical (vs. 27), coldhearted (vs. 29), and against God (vss. 30, 31).

The underlying principle is that you cannot have good judgment if you enjoy vices. This is why a leader must be a person of character who has a compassionate heart (vs. 21). The problem, of course, is that humans have a natural bent toward vices. (Adult Teacher’s Sabbath School Bible Study Guide p. 99.)

24.    Why do people like to sin? Why does vice hold such a grip on some people? Why does vice seem to flourish in large cities?

25.    Proverbs 22 discusses the rewards of wisdom.

The reward of wisdom is significant and multifaceted. For example, wisdom helps you to recognize danger and avoid it (vs. 3), to be humble (vs. 5), to know how to educate a child (vs. 6), to be generous (vs. 9), to have a pure heart, to know how and when to speak (vs. 11), and to enjoy God’s protection (vs. 12). In stark contrast, folly brings only sorrow in its tow. By pursuing earthly riches, many find their lives filled with emptiness (vs. 8), contention (vs. 10), laziness (vs. 13), and lust (vs. 14), and discover that they have become oppressors (vss. 16, 22, 23). Solomon calls upon the reader to become wise by listening (vss. 17, 18), trusting God (vs. 19), seeking knowledge and truth (vss. 20, 21), and working hard (vs. 29). They are to avoid becoming like those who, as a result of hating wisdom, seek out the company of rich and powerful friends who have no judgment (vss. 22-28). (ibid. p. 99-100.)

26.    In light of all this, read Philippians 3:4-11xx. By any normal worldly standard, Paul was at the top of his game. He had an excellent education, he was a Roman citizen, and in every way he should have been considered a leader among men. But, he counted all that as nothing but dross in contrast with the value of getting to know and love Jesus Christ. What would happen if a group of Seventh-day Adventist Christians today were willing to commit themselves to spreading the gospel as Paul did in his day? Is that possible in our day?

© 2014, Kenneth Hart, MD, MA, MPH. Permission is hereby granted for any noncommercial use of these materials. Free distribution of all or of a portion of this material such as to a Bible study class is encouraged.

Info@theox.org

Last Modified: December 22, 2014

Z:\My Documents\W P\SSTG-Hart\Proverbs\SS-8-Proverbs-2015_02_21 - Non-Logos-Fin + .wpd

i-Proverbs 20:1 Drinking too much makes you loud and foolish. It's stupid to get drunk. 2 Fear an angry king as you would a growling lion; making him angry is suicide. 3 Any fool can start arguments; the honorable thing is to stay out of them. 4 A farmer too lazy to plow his fields at the right time will have nothing to harvest. 5 A person's thoughts are like water in a deep well, but someone with insight can draw them out. 6 Everyone talks about how loyal and faithful he is, but just try to find someone who really is! 7 Children are fortunate if they have a father who is honest and does what is right. 8 The king sits in judgment and knows evil when he sees it. 9 Can anyone really say that his conscience is clear, that he has gotten rid of his sin? 10 The Lord hates people who use dishonest weights and measures. 11 Even children show what they are by what they do; you can tell if they are honest and good. 12 The Lord has given us eyes to see with and ears to listen with. 13 If you spend your time sleeping, you will be poor. Keep busy and you will have plenty to eat. 14 The customer always complains that the price is too high, but then he goes off and brags about the bargain he got. 15 If you know what you are talking about, you have something more valuable than gold or jewels. 16 Anyone stupid enough to promise to be responsible for a stranger's debts ought to have their own property held to guarantee payment. 17 What you get by dishonesty you may enjoy like the finest food, but sooner or later it will be like a mouthful of sand. 18 Get good advice and you will succeed; don't go charging into battle without a plan. 19 A gossip can never keep a secret. Stay away from people who talk too much. 20 If you curse your parents, your life will end like a lamp that goes out in the dark. 21 The more easily you get your wealth, the less good it will do you. 22 Don't take it on yourself to repay a wrong. Trust the Lord and he will make it right. 23 The Lord hates people who use dishonest scales and weights. 24 The Lord has determined our path; how then can anyone understand the direction his own life is taking? 25 Think carefully before you promise an offering to God. You might regret it later. 26 A wise king will find out who is doing wrong, and will punish him without pity. 27 The Lord gave us mind and conscience; we cannot hide from ourselves. 28 A king will remain in power as long as his rule is honest, just, and fair. 29 We admire the strength of youth and respect the gray hair of age. 30 Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways.

21:1 The Lord controls the mind of a king as easily as he directs the course of a stream. 2 You may think that everything you do is right, but remember that the Lord judges your motives. 3 Do what is right and fair; that pleases the Lord more than bringing him sacrifices. 4 Wicked people are controlled by their conceit and arrogance, and this is sinful. 5 Plan carefully and you will have plenty; if you act too quickly, you will never have enough. 6 The riches you get by dishonesty soon disappear, but not before they lead you into the jaws of death. 7 The wicked are doomed by their own violence; they refuse to do what is right. 8 Guilty people walk a crooked path; the innocent do what is right. 9 Better to live on the roof than share the house with a nagging wife. 10 Wicked people are always hungry for evil; they have no mercy on anyone. 11 When someone who is conceited gets his punishment, even an unthinking person learns a lesson. One who is wise will learn from what he is taught. 12 God, the righteous one, knows what goes on in the homes of the wicked, and he will bring the wicked down to ruin. 13 If you refuse to listen to the cry of the poor, your own cry for help will not be heard. 14 If someone is angry with you, a gift given secretly will calm him down. 15 When justice is done, good people are happy, but evil people are brought to despair. 16 Death is waiting for anyone who wanders away from good sense. 17 Indulging in luxuries, wine, and rich food will never make you wealthy. 18 The wicked bring on themselves the suffering they try to cause good people. 19 Better to live out in the desert than with a nagging, complaining wife. 20 Wise people live in wealth and luxury, but stupid people spend their money as fast as they get it. 21 Be kind and honest and you will live a long life; others will respect you and treat you fairly. 22 A shrewd general can take a city defended by strong men, and destroy the walls they relied on. 23 If you want to stay out of trouble, be careful what you say. 24 Show me a conceited person and I will show you someone who is arrogant, proud, and inconsiderate. 25 Lazy people who refuse to work are only killing themselves; 26 all they do is think about what they would like to have. The righteous, however, can give, and give generously. 27 The Lord hates it when wicked people offer him sacrifices, especially if they do it from evil motives. 28 The testimony of a liar is not believed, but the word of someone who thinks matters through is accepted. 29 Righteous people are sure of themselves; the wicked have to pretend as best they can. 30 Human wisdom, brilliance, insight - they are of no help if the Lord is against you. 31 You can get horses ready for battle, but it is the Lord who gives victory.

22:1 If you have to choose between a good reputation and great wealth, choose a good reputation. 2 The rich and the poor have this in common: the Lord made them both. 3 Sensible people will see trouble coming and avoid it, but an unthinking person will walk right into it and regret it later. 4 Obey the Lord, be humble, and you will get riches, honor, and a long life. 5 If you love your life, stay away from the traps that catch the wicked along the way. 6 Teach children how they should live, and they will remember it all their life. 7 Poor people are slaves of the rich. Borrow money and you are the lender's slave. 8 If you plant the seeds of injustice, disaster will spring up, and your oppression of others will end. 9 Be generous and share your food with the poor. You will be blessed for it. 10 Get rid of a conceited person, and then there will be no more arguments, quarreling, or name-calling. 11 If you love purity of heart and graciousness of speech, the king will be your friend. 12 The Lord sees to it that truth is kept safe by disproving the words of liars. 13 Lazy people stay at home; they say a lion might get them if they go outside. 14 Adultery is a trap - it catches those with whom the Lord is angry. 15 Children just naturally do silly, careless things, but a good spanking will teach them how to behave. 16 If you make gifts to rich people or oppress the poor to get rich, you will become poor yourself. 17 Listen, and I will teach you what the wise have said. Study their teachings, 18 and you will be glad if you remember them and can quote them. 19 I want you to put your trust in the Lord; that is why I am going to tell them to you now. 20 I have written down thirty sayings for you. They contain knowledge and good advice, 21 and will teach you what the truth really is. Then when you are sent to find it out, you will bring back the right answer. 22 Don't take advantage of the poor just because you can; don't take advantage of those who stand helpless in court. 23 The Lord will argue their case for them and threaten the life of anyone who threatens theirs. 24 Don't make friends with people who have hot, violent tempers. 25 You might learn their habits and not be able to change. 26 Don't promise to be responsible for someone else's debts. 27 If you should be unable to pay, they will take away even your bed. 28 Never move an old property line that your ancestors established. 29 Show me someone who does a good job, and I will show you someone who is better than most and worthy of the company of kings.

1 Corinthians 12:14 For the body itself is not made up of only one part, but of many parts. 15 If the foot were to say, "Because I am not a hand, I don't belong to the body," that would not keep it from being a part of the body. 16 And if the ear were to say, "Because I am not an eye, I don't belong to the body," that would not keep it from being a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were just an eye, how could it hear? And if it were only an ear, how could it smell? 18 As it is, however, God put every different part in the body just as he wanted it to be. 19 There would not be a body if it were all only one part! 20 As it is, there are many parts but one body. 21 So then, the eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" Nor can the head say to the feet, "Well, I don't need you!" 22 On the contrary, we cannot do without the parts of the body that seem to be weaker; 23 and those parts that we think aren't worth very much are the ones which we treat with greater care; while the parts of the body which don't look very nice are treated with special modesty, 24 which the more beautiful parts do not need. God himself has put the body together in such a way as to give greater honor to those parts that need it. 25 And so there is no division in the body, but all its different parts have the same concern for one another. 26 If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it; if one part is praised, all the other parts share its happiness.

Jeremiah 9:23 The Lord says, "The wise should not boast of their wisdom, nor the strong of their strength, nor the rich of their wealth. 24 If any want to boast, they should boast that they know and understand me, because my love is constant, and I do what is just and right. These are the things that please me. I, the Lord, have spoken."

Matthew 25:35 I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you received me in your homes, 36 naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me, in prison and you visited me.' 37 The righteous will then answer him, "When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? 38 When did we ever see you a stranger and welcome you in our homes, or naked and clothe you? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?' 40 The King will reply, "I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these followers of mine, you did it for me!'

ii-Proverbs 20:1 Drinking too much makes you loud and foolish. It's stupid to get drunk. 2 Fear an angry king as you would a growling lion; making him angry is suicide. 3 Any fool can start arguments; the honorable thing is to stay out of them. 4 A farmer too lazy to plow his fields at the right time will have nothing to harvest. 5 A person's thoughts are like water in a deep well, but someone with insight can draw them out. 6 Everyone talks about how loyal and faithful he is, but just try to find someone who really is! 7 Children are fortunate if they have a father who is honest and does what is right. 8 The king sits in judgment and knows evil when he sees it. 9 Can anyone really say that his conscience is clear, that he has gotten rid of his sin? 10 The Lord hates people who use dishonest weights and measures. 11 Even children show what they are by what they do; you can tell if they are honest and good. 12 The Lord has given us eyes to see with and ears to listen with. 13 If you spend your time sleeping, you will be poor. Keep busy and you will have plenty to eat. 14 The customer always complains that the price is too high, but then he goes off and brags about the bargain he got. 15 If you know what you are talking about, you have something more valuable than gold or jewels. 16 Anyone stupid enough to promise to be responsible for a stranger's debts ought to have their own property held to guarantee payment. 17 What you get by dishonesty you may enjoy like the finest food, but sooner or later it will be like a mouthful of sand. 18 Get good advice and you will succeed; don't go charging into battle without a plan. 19 A gossip can never keep a secret. Stay away from people who talk too much. 20 If you curse your parents, your life will end like a lamp that goes out in the dark. 21 The more easily you get your wealth, the less good it will do you. 22 Don't take it on yourself to repay a wrong. Trust the Lord and he will make it right. 23 The Lord hates people who use dishonest scales and weights. 24 The Lord has determined our path; how then can anyone understand the direction his own life is taking? 25 Think carefully before you promise an offering to God. You might regret it later. 26 A wise king will find out who is doing wrong, and will punish him without pity. 27 The Lord gave us mind and conscience; we cannot hide from ourselves. 28 A king will remain in power as long as his rule is honest, just, and fair. 29 We admire the strength of youth and respect the gray hair of age. 30 Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways.

iii-1 Corinthians 12:14 For the body itself is not made up of only one part, but of many parts. 15 If the foot were to say, "Because I am not a hand, I don't belong to the body," that would not keep it from being a part of the body. 16 And if the ear were to say, "Because I am not an eye, I don't belong to the body," that would not keep it from being a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were just an eye, how could it hear? And if it were only an ear, how could it smell? 18 As it is, however, God put every different part in the body just as he wanted it to be. 19 There would not be a body if it were all only one part! 20 As it is, there are many parts but one body. 21 So then, the eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" Nor can the head say to the feet, "Well, I don't need you!" 22 On the contrary, we cannot do without the parts of the body that seem to be weaker; 23 and those parts that we think aren't worth very much are the ones which we treat with greater care; while the parts of the body which don't look very nice are treated with special modesty, 24 which the more beautiful parts do not need. God himself has put the body together in such a way as to give greater honor to those parts that need it. 25 And so there is no division in the body, but all its different parts have the same concern for one another. 26 If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it; if one part is praised, all the other parts share its happiness. 27 All of you are Christ's body, and each one is a part of it. 28 In the church God has put all in place: in the first place apostles, in the second place prophets, and in the third place teachers; then those who perform miracles, followed by those who are given the power to heal or to help others or to direct them or to speak in strange tongues. 29 They are not all apostles or prophets or teachers. Not everyone has the power to work miracles 30 or to heal diseases or to speak in strange tongues or to explain what is said. 31 Set your hearts, then, on the more important gifts. Best of all, however, is the following way.

iv-1 Corinthians 13:1 I may be able to speak the languages of human beings and even of angels, but if I have no love, my speech is no more than a noisy gong or a clanging bell. 2 I may have the gift of inspired preaching; I may have all knowledge and understand all secrets; I may have all the faith needed to move mountains - but if I have no love, I am nothing. 3 I may give away everything I have, and even give up my body to be burned - but if I have no love, this does me no good. 4 Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud; 5 love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs; 6 love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. 7 Love never gives up; and its faith, hope, and patience never fail. 8 Love is eternal. There are inspired messages, but they are temporary; there are gifts of speaking in strange tongues, but they will cease; there is knowledge, but it will pass. 9 For our gifts of knowledge and of inspired messages are only partial; 10 but when what is perfect comes, then what is partial will disappear. 11 When I was a child, my speech, feelings, and thinking were all those of a child; now that I am an adult, I have no more use for childish ways. 12 What we see now is like a dim image in a mirror; then we shall see face-to-face. What I know now is only partial; then it will be complete - as complete as God's knowledge of me. 13 Meanwhile these three remain: faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of these is love.

v-Proverbs 20:6 Everyone talks about how loyal and faithful he is, but just try to find someone who really is!

vi-Ecclesiastes 12:13 After all this, there is only one thing to say: Have reverence for God, and obey his commands, because this is all that we were created for. 14 God is going to judge everything we do, whether good or bad, even things done in secret.

Revelation 14:13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Happy are those who from now on die in the service of the Lord!" "Yes indeed!" answers the Spirit. "They will enjoy rest from their hard work, because the results of their service go with them."

20:12 And I saw the dead, great and small alike, standing before the throne. Books were opened, and then another book was opened, the book of the living. The dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. 13 Then the sea gave up its dead. Death and the world of the dead also gave up the dead they held. And all were judged according to what they had done.

Jeremiah 9:23 The Lord says, "The wise should not boast of their wisdom, nor the strong of their strength, nor the rich of their wealth. 24 If any want to boast, they should boast that they know and understand me, because my love is constant, and I do what is just and right. These are the things that please me. I, the Lord, have spoken."

Mark 9:35 Jesus sat down, called the twelve disciples, and said to them, "Whoever wants to be first must place himself last of all and be the servant of all."

vii-Matthew 11:21 "How terrible it will be for you, Chorazin! How terrible for you too, Bethsaida! If the miracles which were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, the people there would have long ago put on sackcloth and sprinkled ashes on themselves, to show that they had turned from their sins! 22 I assure you that on the Judgment Day God will show more mercy to the people of Tyre and Sidon than to you! 23 And as for you, Capernaum! Did you want to lift yourself up to heaven? You will be thrown down to hell! If the miracles which were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would still be in existence today! 24 You can be sure that on the Judgment Day God will show more mercy to Sodom than to you!"

Luke 10:13 "How terrible it will be for you, Chorazin! How terrible for you too, Bethsaida! If the miracles which were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, the people there would have long ago sat down, put on sackcloth, and sprinkled ashes on themselves, to show that they had turned from their sins! 14 God will show more mercy on the Judgment Day to Tyre and Sidon than to you.

viii-Proverbs 20:17 What you get by dishonesty you may enjoy like the finest food, but sooner or later it will be like a mouthful of sand.

21:5 Plan carefully and you will have plenty; if you act too quickly, you will never have enough.

ix-Proverbs 20:21 The more easily you get your wealth, the less good it will do you.

x-Luke 15:11 Jesus went on to say, "There was once a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to him, "Father, give me my share of the property now.' So the man divided his property between his two sons. 13 After a few days the younger son sold his part of the property and left home with the money. He went to a country far away, where he wasted his money in reckless living. 14 He spent everything he had. Then a severe famine spread over that country, and he was left without a thing. 15 So he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him out to his farm to take care of the pigs. 16 He wished he could fill himself with the bean pods the pigs ate, but no one gave him anything to eat. 17 At last he came to his senses and said, "All my father's hired workers have more than they can eat, and here I am about to starve! 18 I will get up and go to my father and say, "Father, I have sinned against God and against you. 19 I am no longer fit to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired workers." ' 20 So he got up and started back to his father. "He was still a long way from home when his father saw him; his heart was filled with pity, and he ran, threw his arms around his son, and kissed him. 21 "Father,' the son said, "I have sinned against God and against you. I am no longer fit to be called your son.' 22 But the father called to his servants. "Hurry!' he said. "Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. 23 Then go and get the prize calf and kill it, and let us celebrate with a feast! 24 For this son of mine was dead, but now he is alive; he was lost, but now he has been found.' And so the feasting began. 25 "In the meantime the older son was out in the field. On his way back, when he came close to the house, he heard the music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him, "What's going on?' 27 "Your brother has come back home,' the servant answered, "and your father has killed the prize calf, because he got him back safe and sound.' 28 The older brother was so angry that he would not go into the house; so his father came out and begged him to come in. 29 But he spoke back to his father, "Look, all these years I have worked for you like a slave, and I have never disobeyed your orders. What have you given me? Not even a goat for me to have a feast with my friends! 30 But this son of yours wasted all your property on prostitutes, and when he comes back home, you kill the prize calf for him!' 31 "My son,' the father answered, "you are always here with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be happy, because your brother was dead, but now he is alive; he was lost, but now he has been found.' "

xi-Proverbs 20:22 Don't take it on yourself to repay a wrong. Trust the Lord and he will make it right.

xii-Proverbs 25:21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; 22 For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the Lord will reward you.

xiii-Romans 12:21 If your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them a drink. 22 You will make them burn with shame, and the Lord will reward you.

xiv-Matthew 25:35 I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you received me in your homes, 36 naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me, in prison and you visited me.' 37 The righteous will then answer him, "When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? 38 When did we ever see you a stranger and welcome you in our homes, or naked and clothe you? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?' 40 The King will reply, "I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these followers of mine, you did it for me!'

Luke 10:26 Jesus answered him, "What do the Scriptures say? How do you interpret them?" 27 The man answered, " "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind'; and "Love your neighbor as you love yourself.' " 28 "You are right," Jesus replied; "do this and you will live." 29 But the teacher of the Law wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" 30 Jesus answered, "There was once a man who was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when robbers attacked him, stripped him, and beat him up, leaving him half dead. 31 It so happened that a priest was going down that road; but when he saw the man, he walked on by on the other side. 32 In the same way a Levite also came there, went over and looked at the man, and then walked on by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan who was traveling that way came upon the man, and when he saw him, his heart was filled with pity. 34 He went over to him, poured oil and wine on his wounds and bandaged them; then he put the man on his own animal and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. "Take care of him,' he told the innkeeper, "and when I come back this way, I will pay you whatever else you spend on him.' " 36 And Jesus concluded, "In your opinion, which one of these three acted like a neighbor toward the man attacked by the robbers?" 37 The teacher of the Law answered, "The one who was kind to him." Jesus replied, "You go, then, and do the same."

xv-Proverbs 19:17 When you give to the poor, it is like lending to the Lord, and the Lord will pay you back.

21:13 If you refuse to listen to the cry of the poor, your own cry for help will not be heard.

xvi-Proverbs 22:2 The rich and the poor have this in common: the Lord made them both.

xvii-Proverbs 22:6 Teach children how they should live, and they will remember it all their life.

xviii-Proverbs 22:8 If you plant the seeds of injustice, disaster will spring up, and your oppression of others will end. 15 Children just naturally do silly, careless things, but a good spanking will teach them how to behave.

xix-Acts 16:19 When her owners realized that their chance of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them to the authorities in the public square. 20 They brought them before the Roman officials and said, "These men are Jews, and they are causing trouble in our city. 21 They are teaching customs that are against our law; we are Roman citizens, and we cannot accept these customs or practice them." 22 And the crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas. Then the officials tore the clothes off Paul and Silas and ordered them to be whipped. 23 After a severe beating, they were thrown into jail, and the jailer was ordered to lock them up tight. 24 Upon receiving this order, the jailer threw them into the inner cell and fastened their feet between heavy blocks of wood. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

xx-Philippians 3:4 I could, of course, put my trust in such things. If any of you think you can trust in external ceremonies, I have even more reason to feel that way. 5 I was circumcised when I was a week old. I am an Israelite by birth, of the tribe of Benjamin, a pure-blooded Hebrew. As far as keeping the Jewish Law is concerned, I was a Pharisee, 6 and I was so zealous that I persecuted the church. As far as a person can be righteous by obeying the commands of the Law, I was without fault. 7 But all those things that I might count as profit I now reckon as loss for Christ's sake. 8 Not only those things; I reckon everything as complete loss for the sake of what is so much more valuable, the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have thrown everything away; I consider it all as mere garbage, so that I may gain Christ 9 and be completely united with him. I no longer have a righteousness of my own, the kind that is gained by obeying the Law. I now have the righteousness that is given through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God and is based on faith. 10 All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death, 11 in the hope that I myself will be raised from death to life.

Table of Contents

i

ii

iii

iv

v

vi

vii

viii

ix

x

xi

xii

xiii

xiv

xv

xvi

xvii

xviii

xix

xx

i-

ii-

iii-

iv-

v-

vi-

vii-

viii-

ix-

x-

xi-

xii-

xiii-

xiv-

xv-

xvi-

xvii-

xviii-

xix-

xx-