Biblical Missionaries Paul: Mission and Message

Lesson #12 for September 19, 2015

Scriptures: [1 Corinthians 1:22-24; 15:12-22; 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:7; Acts 15:38-41[i]].

1.    With his incredible background in Greco-Roman society and Pharisaic Judaism and then Christianity, Paul put together what he believed was the correct form of Christian salvation history. Could anyone have been more qualified? He believed that the prophecies of the Old Testament pointed forward to the life, teachings, and death of Jesus Christ. But, with his background, he was able to distinguish clearly between Jewish civil, ritual, as well as moral practices and those essential biblical truths that remain in force not only for Jews but also for Christians.

2.    Could you correctly distinguish between the necessary components of the gospel and the culturally-determined civil, ritual, and moral practices of the Jewish life? A careful consideration of Paul’s 13 New Testament letters will demonstrate clearly that Paul took a definite interest-a very personal interest-in every detail of the lives of his church members. He was not only focused on their conversion but also in every aspects of church life.

3.    But, foremost in his concerns was the teachings about Jesus Christ and Him crucified. (1 Corinthians 2:2ii) What did he specifically have in mind? Does it seem like Paul was focusing on “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” instead of focusing on the resurrection as most modern Christians do? Paul met people where they were from Palestine to Italy and possibly as far as Spain. He established churches in at least four provinces of the Roman Empire. His mission was to establish well-founded Christian companies and churches in major cities so the gospel could spread out from those centers.

4.    Read 1 Corinthians 1:22-24iii. Keep in mind that Jesus was crucified as a traitor against the Roman government. It was considered to be the worst kind of torture and death that a person could suffer in order to prevent others from followed the “traitor’s” example. Try to imagine yourself in Paul’s footsteps going to major cities and convincing the people that someone who had been crucified as a traitor against the Roman government was the Savior of the world! What approach would you take? Paul discovered fairly quickly that Jews who demanded miracles and Greeks who wanted logical explanations required very different approaches to the gospel. For those who were set in their ways and only wanted to ask more and more questions, there is little that one can do. However, for those who are willing to consider new ideas, thinking outside the box, Christianity brought them salvation. What evidence do you think Paul produced to prove that Jesus was no longer in the grave?

5.    In Deuteronomy 18:15iv, Moses had predicted that the Messiah who came would be a prophet like himself. This led many Jews to think that the Messiah would come to free them from the Romans and that there would be many miracles similar to the plagues on Egypt.

6.    Don’t you think the miracles and signs that Jesus performed should have been enough to convince people? What was different about the miracles and signs that Jesus produced versus those that Moses performed? As Paul approached these different groups of people, he found one way or another to bring them to an understanding of Christ, His life, His violent death, and His resurrection. To the Jews, he began with the stories of the Old Testament, pointing out how he believed prophecies from the Old Testament foretold what had happened to Jesus Christ. (Acts 13:16-41[v]) To Gentiles Paul spoke about the Creator God, One who upholds everything and sustains lives and ultimately will be the Judge of all mankind. He spoke about sin’s entry into the world and the salvation which had come through Jesus. (Acts 14:15-17; 17:22-31vi) How did Paul convince them that Jesus was alive? When they got back to Rome, did the Roman soldiers who had guarded Jesus’s tomb tell the truth about what had happened? Remember that they were bribed by the Jewish leaders to keep quiet!

7.    Why do you think the message of the cross did not appeal to traditional Jews? And what about Greeks? And Romans?

8.    Upon what is your faith based? Do you have a solid, biblical explanation for what you believe? Do we all need to have exactly the same explanation for what we believe? Or, can we have individual paths to light and righteousness?

9.    As we know, Paul used the familiar as a stepping stone to talk about the unfamiliar. He used illustrations from common Greco-Roman society as well as Jewish society. He talked about athletes and their various contests. Like modern-day peoples around the world, the Greeks and the Romans were very interested in athletic games. Paul also sometimes used the ever-present Roman soldier to illustrate a point or two. The Greeks and the Romans were especially fond of foot races. Wrestling was also popular. Sometimes, foot races were carried out in full military armor! Athletic skill was what mattered, not ethnicity, nationality, or social class.

10.    Read [1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Galatians 5:7; 1 Timothy 6:12; and 2 Timothy 2:5]vii. What can we learn from these passages about Paul’s use of illustrations with which his readers were familiar? Christians must run the best race we can, but we are running for an eternal prize; everyone who runs faithfully can win-not just one person. From the days of the Roman consul Marius who ruled on three different occasions starting in 107 B.C. and ending in 86 B.C., the Roman government replaced temporary soldiers with full-time career warriors. These were stationed in Roman outposts throughout the empire. People were recruited from all kinds of backgrounds and were accepted if they were willing to totally pledge their loyalty to the ruling emperor. They were given handsome rewards at the end of their terms of service. (See 2 Corinthians 10:4-5; Ephesians 6:10-11; 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 2:3-4.)viii

11.    From these passages, Paul concluded that Christians should use the weapons of truth and persuasion. We are not fighting a war using the military weapons that soldiers use; we are fighting against the Devil and his evil angels, and we need to use weapons that work against their false claims and arguments. And we must not allow ourselves to be distracted by worldly matters.

12.    Paul applied many of these metaphors to himself. He said in 2 Timothy 4:7, GNB: “I have done my best in the race, I have run the full distance, and I have kept the faith.” Some translations say, “I have fought the good fight.” The original Greek suggests a “conflict” or a “contest” of some kind. It uses the word agon from which we get agony.

13.    In what ways do we struggle in the battle against false ideas and claims? Do we struggle against the constantly advancing arguments of evil forces? Are we in a contest with them? Is there ever a time when we are free to sit back and relax based on what we have done already?

14.    Paul condemned pagans in Romans 1 and condemned Jews in Romans 2. Read Romans 3:31ix. After mentioning how we are to be saved apart from law, Paul suggested in Romans 3:19-20[x] that true Christianity upholds the law. Which law was he talking about? To an educated Pharisee like Paul, no doubt, he included all of the books of Moses when he spoke about the law. Of course, that included the Ten Commandments. Paul spoke about the law at least 130 times in his writings. And in Acts of the Apostles written by his friend Luke, law is mentioned 20 more times. Paul wanted his hearers-both Jews and

Gentiles-to understand the implications of the Ten Commandments and the other cultural, civil, and moral laws in the books of Moses. Is it completely clear in your mind which of the laws in the books of Moses are still applicable to us? Is there any benefit from studying the Old Testament in our day? Can one have a government without any laws?

15.    Being under the law might seem like a contradiction to those who believe they are free in Christ. What are we supposed to learn about or from the religious ceremonies, civil laws, health laws, and laws of purification that applied to the ancient Jews? Paul suggested that he was still under the law. (Romans 3:19xi) But, he also said that he was released from the law. (Romans 7:6xii) He talked about a law of sin (Romans 7:25xiii) and a law that is holy. (Romans 7:12,25xiv) He mentioned the law of Moses (1 Corinthians 9:9xv) but also the law of God. (Romans 7:25xvi) To non-Jews all of these discussions were probably confusing. But, to Jewish believers who had grown up with a rabbinic education, they understood what all that meant.

16.    Read [Romans 13:8-10; Romans 2:21-24; 1 Corinthians 7:19; Ephesians 4:25, 28; 5:3; 6:2xvii]. Is it clear in your mind from these verses that Paul is telling us that the Ten Commandments are still binding on Christians today? Does anyone really want to do away with any of the Ten Commandments except the Sabbath commandment? Did Paul clearly realize that the ceremonial laws connected to the sanctuary, the details about relating to the priesthood, and all the details of the sacrifices ceased to be relevant after the crucifixion and especially after the temple was destroyed in A.D. 70? Are we supposed to learn anything from all that Old Testament material? Is it relevant to us in our day?

17.    On the other hand, the Ten Commandments are laws describing the way that moral, intelligent, thinking people will live their lives. There is no reason for those commandments ever to be eliminated.

18.    Read 1 Corinthians 2:2xviii, GNB. What was Paul thinking when he said: “I made up my mind to forget everything except Jesus Christ and especially his death on the cross.” Would the cross mean anything without the resurrection? Would an ordinary death followed by a resurrection have meant anything? There have been many of those. So, why was the way Christ died and why He died and the way He arose so crucial for the Christian message?

All His life Christ had been publishing to a fallen world the good news of the Father's mercy and pardoning love. Salvation for the chief of sinners was His theme. But now with the terrible weight of guilt He bears, He cannot see the Father's reconciling face. The withdrawal of the divine countenance from the Saviour in this hour of supreme anguish pierced His heart with a sorrow that can never be fully understood by man. So great was this agony that His physical pain was hardly felt.

Satan with his fierce temptations wrung the heart of Jesus. The Saviour could not see through the portals of the tomb. Hope did not present to Him His coming forth from the grave a conqueror, or tell Him of the Father's acceptance of the sacrifice. He feared that sin was so offensive to God that Their separation was to be eternal. Christ felt the anguish which the sinner will feel when mercy shall no longer plead for the guilty race.

It was the sense of sin, bringing the Father's wrath upon Him as man’s substitute, that made the cup He drank so bitter, and broke the heart of the Son of God.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 753.1-2.

When the voice of the mighty angel was heard at Christ’s tomb, saying, Thy Father calls Thee, the Saviour came forth from the grave by the life that was in Himself. . . John 10:17-18; 2:19.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 785.2. [Bold type is added.]

19.    Read 1 Corinthians 15:12-22xix. The life and death of Jesus is the absolute core of the gospel. What are we supposed to learn from those events?

20.    The resurrection of Christ-proving as it does that He was God and thus that His life teaches us about God-is an essential part of the gospel. But, if people are actually immortal and go straight to their reward at the time of the first death, then Jesus who lived the best life of any human that has ever lived on planet earth would have gone straight to heaven and there would not have been that great struggle/fear of losing His relationship with the Father or of being forever separated from Him. To prove that it is possible to live a good life as a human being here on this earth, Jesus did not use His divine power in any way for His personal benefit. However, after His death, when the demonstration was over, He was able to use His divine power to raise Himself from the dead.

Again [in Gethsemane] Christ went away, and prayed that if it were possible this cup might pass from him. His soul was filled with an overpowering fear of separation from God in consequence of sin. Satan told him that if he became the substitute and surety for a sinful world, he would nevermore be one with God, but would be under his control.—Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, June 3, 1897 par. 6. [Bold type and content in brackets are added.]

21.    But, as we know, the majority of Christians tend to believe that the human soul is immortal and that we go directly to heaven or hell when we die. That is contrary to what Paul taught:

1.    Only God has immortality. (1 Timothy 6:16xx)

2.    Immortality is a gift from God to the saved. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17xxi)

3.    Death is a sleep until Christ returns. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-15; 1 Corinthians 15:6,18,20xxii)

22.    As we know, beliefs in almost all religions include many false ideas based on the immortality of the soul, beliefs like reincarnation, praying to saints, veneration of ancestral spirits, and eternally burning hell, and many of the beliefs and practices of the New Age including channeling. This is why a correct understanding of the nature of man and his state in death is absolutely essential to a correct understanding of the gospel.

23.    Our loving and gracious God would never commit lost souls to an eternally burning hell. The dead are asleep; after the third coming, they will cease to exist. That is the most merciful thing that God can do for those who do not want to be with Him and do not want to have anything to do with Him.

24.    Paul was a very forceful person with a strong personality. Yet, he found it possible to work with a lot of associates. A number of them (Barnabas, Silas, Aquila and Priscilla, Luke, Timothy, Aristarchus, etc.) are mentioned by name: [Acts 13:2; 15:22,37; 16:1-3; 18:2; 19:22; Colossians 4:7,10-11; Philemon 24]xxiii. Paul also mentioned 24 others in Romans 16.

25.    But, not everything was always smooth between Paul and his co-laborers. Read [Acts 15:38-41, and Acts of the Apostles pp. 169.3-170.1]xxiv. Mark, being somewhat inexperienced, turned back when they faced difficulties and trials in Pamphylia. At first, Paul did not want to forgive him for that; however, later, he was reconciled to Mark. (2 Timothy 4:11xxv)

26.    Why do you think it is that these 13 relatively short letters from Paul have probably had more influence on the world than any other document in Greek literature? When the Jews in Macedonia were determined to capture Paul and kill him, he escaped by fleeing to Athens. There he met with the intelligentsia of the city and gave them a very convincing sermon, parts of which are recorded in Acts 17:16-31xxvi.

27.    Do you find it difficult to speak to associates, friends, or casual contacts about the truth? Especially truths which are in contradiction to the common beliefs of other Christians?

28.    The Jews wanted miracles and signs. What is a sign? Is it different from a miracle? Are miracles good evidence to prove the correctness of some belief? What role does logic play in our evaluation of religious claims? (See Steps to Christ 105xxvii.)

29.    Most of us live among and associate with people who are of other Christian persuasions or not Christian at all. What is the best way to open up a conversation with them about things that are really important? First, get to know them personally.

30.    Read 1 Corinthians 1:22-24xxviii. Paul apparently struggled with knowing how to relate to people of different backgrounds. How are we supposed to know which method God wants us to use with any given individual with whom we may come in contact? The Seventh-day Adventist Church has traditionally used evangelistic meetings, individual Bible studies, and printed lessons as typical ways to reach out to the public. Is it time for us to think of some creative, new ways, perhaps some untraditional and untried methods to reach out? Are we prepared to be all things to all people so that by all means we might win some? (1 Corinthians 9:19-23xxix)

31.    Do you find speaking to people about the death of Christ to be a stumbling block in 2015? Do you know how to make it sound important and interesting? What steps can we take to make our approach to people more sensitive to cultural differences and beliefs? Surely, we would agree that God wants us to share the good news of salvation in ways that will be attractive and meaningful to different peoples.

32.    The experience of pioneer missionaries Fernando and Ana Stahl might be a good example. At first, they tried to sell literature door-to-door in South America in the Peruvian Andes. They soon discovered that was not a very effective method because 95% of the population were illiterate. So, they rethought their approach and started up schools, clinics, and even markets. As a result, they transformed the society of the indigenous Indians and brought them up out of the vices of coca and alcohol and helped them to rise above superstition and ignorance.

33.    One of the remarkable metaphors that Paul used in describing the Christian community is its similarities to a human body. Not all can be eyes or ears or arms or legs. But, if we all work together each using the skills which God has given us, we can be an effective tool in God’s hands. (Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-26xxx)

34.    Paul reached out into many areas of life to adapt metaphors while trying to explain the Christian experience.

35.    He likened salvation to the experience of being adopted (Romans 8:15xxxi), reconciled (Romans 5:10xxxii), justified (Galatians 2:16xxxiii), liberated (Romans 6:18), married (Romans 7:24xxxiv), redeemed (Ephesians 1:7xxxv), and the recipient of an inheritance (Romans 8:17xxxvi).

36.    Many Adventist Churches have tried to establish programs for making the church environment a more friendly one. Those ideas are excellent, but the time is surely here when we need not only to make the church friendly but also we need to reach out into the community.

37.    How can we know when it is the right time to share certain truths with people? How can we be sure that we are not watering down our message to try to make it more attractive?

Avoid a Rut.--God’s workmen must labor to be many-sided men; that is, to have a breadth of character, not to be one-idea men, stereotyped in one manner of working, getting into a groove, and unable to see and sense that their words and their advocacy of truth must vary with the class of people they are among, and the circumstances that they have to meet. -Ellen G. White, Letter 12, 1887; Evangelism 106.1. [Bold type is added.]

38.    “Be very careful not to present the truth in such a way as to arouse prejudice, and to close the door of the heart to the truth.”-Ellen G. White, Evangelism, p. 141.3. How do you respond when you have an opportunity to sit down with a friend and see if you can explain things in a convincing manner to him/her. How would you explain your belief in the soon return of Jesus to a group of educated professionals? How would you convince a group of young university students that God created the earth in six literal days?

39.    Try to imagine what Paul would do if he were alive today. Can you think of metaphors from current society that he might use to illustrate aspects of the gospel?

i-1 Corinthians 1:22 Jews want miracles for proof, and Greeks look for wisdom. 23 As for us, we proclaim the crucified Christ, a message that is offensive to the Jews and nonsense to the Gentiles; 24 but for those whom God has called, both Jews and Gentiles, this message is Christ, who is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

1 Corinthians 15:Our Resurrection

12 Now, since our message is that Christ has been raised from death, how can some of you say that the dead will not be raised to life? 13 If that is true, it means that Christ was not raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised from death, then we have nothing to preach and you have nothing to believe. 15 More than that, we are shown to be lying about God, because we said that he raised Christ from death—but if it is true that the dead are not raised to life, then he did not raise Christ. 16 For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is a delusion and you are still lost in your sins. 18 It would also mean that the believers in Christ who have died are lost. 19 If our hope in Christ is good for this life only and no more,[a] then we deserve more pity than anyone else in all the world.

20 But the truth is that Christ has been raised from death, as the guarantee that those who sleep in death will also be raised. 21 For just as death came by means of a man, in the same way the rising from death comes by means of a man. 22 For just as all people die because of their union with Adam, in the same way all will be raised to life because of their union with Christ.

1 Timothy 6:12 Run your best in the race of faith, and win eternal life for yourself; for it was to this life that God called you when you firmly professed your faith before many witnesses.

2 Timothy 4:7 I have done my best in the race, I have run the full distance, and I have kept the faith.

Acts 15:38 but Paul did not think it was right to take him, because he had not stayed with them to the end of their mission, but had turned back and left them in Pamphylia. 39 There was a sharp argument, and they separated: Barnabas took Mark and sailed off for Cyprus, 40 while Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the care of the Lord's grace. 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

ii-1 Corinthians 2:2 For while I was with you, I made up my mind to forget everything except Jesus Christ and especially his death on the cross.

iii-1 Corinthians 1:22 Jews want miracles for proof, and Greeks look for wisdom. 23 As for us, we proclaim the crucified Christ, a message that is offensive to the Jews and nonsense to the Gentiles; 24 but for those whom God has called, both Jews and Gentiles, this message is Christ, who is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

iv-Deuteronomy 18:15 Instead, he will send you a prophet like me from among your own people, and you are to obey him

v-Acts 13:Good News Translation (GNT)

16 Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and began to speak:

“Fellow Israelites and all Gentiles here who worship God: hear me! 17 The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors and made the people a great nation during the time they lived as foreigners in Egypt. God brought them out of Egypt by his great power, 18 and for forty years he endured[a] them in the desert. 19 He destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan and made his people the owners of the land. 20 All of this took about 450 years.

“After this[b] he gave them judges until the time of the prophet Samuel. 21 And when they asked for a king, God gave them Saul son of Kish from the tribe of Benjamin, to be their king for forty years. 22 After removing him, God made David their king. This is what God said about him: ‘I have found that David son of Jesse is the kind of man I like, a man who will do all I want him to do.’ 23 It was Jesus, a descendant of David, whom God made the Savior of the people of Israel, as he had promised. 24 Before Jesus began his work, John preached to all the people of Israel that they should turn from their sins and be baptized. 25 And as John was about to finish his mission, he said to the people, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not the one you are waiting for. But listen! He is coming after me, and I am not good enough to take his sandals off his feet.’

26 “My fellow Israelites, descendants of Abraham, and all Gentiles here who worship God: it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent! 27 For the people who live in Jerusalem and their leaders did not know that he is the Savior, nor did they understand the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. Yet they made the prophets' words come true by condemning Jesus. 28 And even though they could find no reason to pass the death sentence on him, they asked Pilate to have him put to death. 29 And after they had done everything that the Scriptures say about him, they took him down from the cross and placed him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from death, 31 and for many days he appeared to those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now witnesses for him to the people of Israel. 32-33 And we are here to bring the Good News to you: what God promised our ancestors he would do, he has now done for us, who are their descendants, by raising Jesus to life. As it is written in the second Psalm,

‘You are my Son;

today I have become your Father.’

34 And this is what God said about raising him from death, never to rot away in the grave:

‘I will give you the sacred and sure blessings

that I promised to David.’

35 As indeed he says in another passage,

‘You will not allow your faithful servant to rot in the grave.’

36 For David served God's purposes in his own time, and then he died, was buried with his ancestors, and his body rotted in the grave. 37 But this did not happen to the one whom God raised from death. 38-39 All of you, my fellow Israelites, are to know for sure that it is through Jesus that the message about forgiveness of sins is preached to you; you are to know that everyone who believes in him is set free from all the sins from which the Law of Moses could not set you free. 40 Take care, then, so that what the prophets said may not happen to you:[c]

41 ‘Look, you scoffers! Be astonished and die!

For what I am doing today

is something that you will not believe,

even when someone explains it to you!’”

vi-Acts 14:15 “Why are you doing this? We ourselves are only human beings like you! We are here to announce the Good News, to turn you away from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven, earth, sea, and all that is in them. 16 In the past he allowed all people to go their own way. 17 But he has always given evidence of his existence by the good things he does: he gives you rain from heaven and crops at the right times; he gives you food and fills your hearts with happiness.”

Acts 17:22 Paul stood up in front of the city council and said, “I see that in every way you Athenians are very religious. 23 For as I walked through your city and looked at the places where you worship, I found an altar on which is written, ‘To an Unknown God.’ That which you worship, then, even though you do not know it, is what I now proclaim to you. 24 God, who made the world and everything in it, is Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands. 25 Nor does he need anything that we can supply by working for him, since it is he himself who gives life and breath and everything else to everyone. 26 From one human being he created all races of people and made them live throughout the whole earth. He himself fixed beforehand the exact times and the limits of the places where they would live. 27 He did this so that they would look for him, and perhaps find him as they felt around for him. Yet God is actually not far from any one of us; 28 as someone has said,

‘In him we live and move and exist.’

It is as some of your poets have said,

‘We too are his children.’

29 Since we are God's children, we should not suppose that his nature is anything like an image of gold or silver or stone, shaped by human art and skill. 30 God has overlooked the times when people did not know him, but now he commands all of them everywhere to turn away from their evil ways. 31 For he has fixed a day in which he will judge the whole world with justice by means of a man he has chosen. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising that man from death!”

vii-1 Corinthians 9:24 Surely you know that many runners take part in a race, but only one of them wins the prize. Run, then, in such a way as to win the prize. 25 Every athlete in training submits to strict discipline, in order to be crowned with a wreath that will not last; but we do it for one that will last forever. 26 That is why I run straight for the finish line; that is why I am like a boxer who does not waste his punches. 27 I harden my body with blows and bring it under complete control, to keep myself from being disqualified after having called others to the contest.

Galatians 5:7 You were doing so well! Who made you stop obeying the truth? How did he persuade you?

1 Timothy 6:12 Run your best in the race of faith, and win eternal life for yourself; for it was to this life that God called you when you firmly professed your faith before many witnesses.

2 Timothy 2:5 An athlete who runs in a race cannot win the prize unless he obeys the rules.

viii-2 Corinthians 10:4 The weapons we use in our fight are not the world's weapons but God's powerful weapons, which we use to destroy strongholds. We destroy false arguments; 5 we pull down every proud obstacle that is raised against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey Christ.

Ephesians 6:The Whole Armor of God

10 Finally, build up your strength in union with the Lord and by means of his mighty power. 11 Put on all the armor that God gives you, so that you will be able to stand up against the Devil's evil tricks.

1 Timothy 6:12 Run your best in the race of faith, and win eternal life for yourself; for it was to this life that God called you when you firmly professed your faith before many witnesses.

2 Timothy 2:3 Take your part in suffering, as a loyal soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 A soldier on active duty wants to please his commanding officer and so does not get mixed up in the affairs of civilian life.

ix-Romans 3:31 Does this mean that by this faith we do away with the Law? No, not at all; instead, we uphold the Law.

x-Romans 3:19 Now we know that everything in the Law applies to those who live under the Law, in order to stop all human excuses and bring the whole world under God's judgment. 20 For no one is put right in God's sight by doing what the Law requires; what the Law does is to make us know that we have sinned.

xi-Romans 3:19 Now we know that everything in the Law applies to those who live under the Law, in order to stop all human excuses and bring the whole world under God's judgment.

xii-Romans 7:6 Now, however, we are free from the Law, because we died to that which once held us prisoners. No longer do we serve in the old way of a written law, but in the new way of the Spirit.

xiii-Romans 7:25 Thanks be to God, who does this through our Lord Jesus Christ!

This, then, is my condition: on my own I can serve God's law only with my mind, while my human nature serves the law of sin.

xiv-Romans 7:12 So then, the Law itself is holy, and the commandment is holy, right, and good. 25 Thanks be to God, who does this through our Lord Jesus Christ!

This, then, is my condition: on my own I can serve God's law only with my mind, while my human nature serves the law of sin.

xv-1 Corinthians 9:9 We read in the Law of Moses, “Do not muzzle an ox when you are using it to thresh grain.” Now, is God concerned about oxen?

xvi-Romans 7:25 Thanks be to God, who does this through our Lord Jesus Christ!

This, then, is my condition: on my own I can serve God's law only with my mind, while my human nature serves the law of sin.

xvii-Romans 13:Duties toward One Another

8 Be under obligation to no one—the only obligation you have is to love one another. Whoever does this has obeyed the Law. 9 The commandments, “Do not commit adultery; do not commit murder; do not steal; do not desire what belongs to someone else”—all these, and any others besides, are summed up in the one command, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” 10 If you love others, you will never do them wrong; to love, then, is to obey the whole Law.

Romans 2:21 You teach others—why don't you teach yourself? You preach, “Do not steal”—but do you yourself steal? 22 You say, “Do not commit adultery”—but do you commit adultery? You detest idols—but do you rob temples? 23 You boast about having God's law—but do you bring shame on God by breaking his law? 24 The scripture says, “Because of you Jews, the Gentiles speak evil of God.”

1 Corinthians 7:19 For whether or not a man is circumcised means nothing; what matters is to obey God's commandments.

Ephesians 4:25 No more lying, then! Each of you must tell the truth to the other believer, because we are all members together in the body of Christ. 28 If you used to rob, you must stop robbing and start working, in order to earn an honest living for yourself and to be able to help the poor.

Ephesians 5:3 Since you are God's people, it is not right that any matters of sexual immorality or indecency or greed should even be mentioned among you.

Ephesians 6:2 “Respect your father and mother” is the first commandment that has a promise added:

xviii-1 Corinthians 2:2 For while I was with you, I made up my mind to forget everything except Jesus Christ and especially his death on the cross.

xix-1 Corinthians 15:Our Resurrection

12 Now, since our message is that Christ has been raised from death, how can some of you say that the dead will not be raised to life? 13 If that is true, it means that Christ was not raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised from death, then we have nothing to preach and you have nothing to believe. 15 More than that, we are shown to be lying about God, because we said that he raised Christ from death—but if it is true that the dead are not raised to life, then he did not raise Christ. 16 For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is a delusion and you are still lost in your sins. 18 It would also mean that the believers in Christ who have died are lost. 19 If our hope in Christ is good for this life only and no more,[a] then we deserve more pity than anyone else in all the world.

20 But the truth is that Christ has been raised from death, as the guarantee that those who sleep in death will also be raised. 21 For just as death came by means of a man, in the same way the rising from death comes by means of a man. 22 For just as all people die because of their union with Adam, in the same way all will be raised to life because of their union with Christ.

xx-1 Timothy 6:16 He alone is immortal; he lives in the light that no one can approach. No one has ever seen him; no one can ever see him. To him be honor and eternal power! Amen.

xxi-1 Thessalonians 4:16 There will be the shout of command, the archangel's voice, the sound of God's trumpet, and the Lord himself will come down from heaven. Those who have died believing in Christ will rise to life first; 17 then we who are living at that time will be gathered up along with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.

xxii-1 Thessalonians 4:The Lord's Coming

13 Our friends, we want you to know the truth about those who have died, so that you will not be sad, as are those who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will take back with Jesus those who have died believing in him.

15 What we are teaching you now is the Lord's teaching: we who are alive on the day the Lord comes will not go ahead of those who have died.

1 Corinthians 15:6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred of his followers at once, most of whom are still alive, although some have died. 18 It would also mean that the believers in Christ who have died are lost. 20 But the truth is that Christ has been raised from death, as the guarantee that those who sleep in death will also be raised.

xxiii-Acts 13:2 While they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said to them, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul, to do the work to which I have called them.”

Act 15:The Letter to the Gentile Believers

22 Then the apostles and the elders, together with the whole church, decided to choose some men from the group and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose two men who were highly respected by the believers, Judas, called Barsabbas, and Silas, 37 Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them,

Acts 16:Timothy Goes with Paul and Silas

16 Paul traveled on to Derbe and Lystra, where a Christian named Timothy lived. His mother, who was also a Christian, was Jewish, but his father was a Greek. 2 All the believers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of Timothy. 3 Paul wanted to take Timothy along with him, so he circumcised him. He did so because all the Jews who lived in those places knew that Timothy's father was Greek.

Acts 18:2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, for Emperor Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them,

Act 19:22 So he sent Timothy and Erastus, two of his helpers, to Macedonia, while he spent more time in the province of Asia.

Colossians 4:Final Greetings

7 Our dear friend Tychicus, who is a faithful worker and fellow servant in the Lord's work, will give you all the news about me. 10 Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have already received instructions to welcome Mark if he comes your way.) 11 Joshua, also called Justus, sends greetings too. These three are the only Jewish believers who work with me for the Kingdom of God, and they have been a great help to me.

Philemon 24 and so do my co-workers Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke.

xxiv-Acts 15:38 but Paul did not think it was right to take him, because he had not stayed with them to the end of their mission, but had turned back and left them in Pamphylia. 39 There was a sharp argument, and they separated: Barnabas took Mark and sailed off for Cyprus, 40 while Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the care of the Lord's grace. 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Acts of the Apostles It was here that Mark, overwhelmed with fear and discouragement, wavered for a time in his purpose to give himself wholeheartedly to the Lord’s work. Unused to hardships, he was disheartened by the perils and privations of the way. He had labored with success under favorable circumstances; but now, amidst the opposition and perils that so often beset the pioneer worker, he failed to endure hardness as a good soldier of the cross. He had yet to learn to face danger and persecution and adversity with a brave heart. As the apostles advanced, and still greater difficulties were apprehended, Mark was intimidated and, losing all courage, refused to go farther and returned to Jerusalem. {AA 169.3}

This desertion caused Paul to judge Mark unfavorably, and even severely, for a time. Barnabas, on the other hand, was inclined to excuse him because of his inexperience. He felt anxious that Mark should not abandon the ministry, for he saw in him qualifications that would fit him to be a useful worker for Christ. In after years his solicitude in Mark’s behalf was richly rewarded, for the young man gave himself unreservedly to the Lord and to the work of proclaiming the gospel message in difficult fields. Under the blessing of God, and the wise training of Barnabas, he developed into a valuable worker. {AA 170.1}

xxv-2 Timothy 4:11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he can help me in the work.

xxvi-Acts 17:In Athens

16 While Paul was waiting in Athens for Silas and Timothy, he was greatly upset when he noticed how full of idols the city was. 17 So he held discussions in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentiles who worshiped God, and also in the public square every day with the people who happened to come by. 18 Certain Epicurean and Stoic teachers also debated with him. Some of them asked, “What is this ignorant show-off trying to say?”

Others answered, “He seems to be talking about foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching about Jesus and the resurrection.[a] 19 So they took Paul, brought him before the city council, the Areopagus, and said, “We would like to know what this new teaching is that you are talking about. 20 Some of the things we hear you say sound strange to us, and we would like to know what they mean.” (21 For all the citizens of Athens and the foreigners who lived there liked to spend all their time telling and hearing the latest new thing.)

22 Paul stood up in front of the city council and said, “I see that in every way you Athenians are very religious. 23 For as I walked through your city and looked at the places where you worship, I found an altar on which is written, ‘To an Unknown God.’ That which you worship, then, even though you do not know it, is what I now proclaim to you. 24 God, who made the world and everything in it, is Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands. 25 Nor does he need anything that we can supply by working for him, since it is he himself who gives life and breath and everything else to everyone. 26 From one human being he created all races of people and made them live throughout the whole earth. He himself fixed beforehand the exact times and the limits of the places where they would live. 27 He did this so that they would look for him, and perhaps find him as they felt around for him. Yet God is actually not far from any one of us; 28 as someone has said,

‘In him we live and move and exist.’

It is as some of your poets have said,

‘We too are his children.’

29 Since we are God's children, we should not suppose that his nature is anything like an image of gold or silver or stone, shaped by human art and skill. 30 God has overlooked the times when people did not know him, but now he commands all of them everywhere to turn away from their evil ways. 31 For he has fixed a day in which he will judge the whole world with justice by means of a man he has chosen. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising that man from death!”

xxvii-Steps to Christ Many, especially those who are young in the Christian life, are at times troubled with the suggestions of skepticism. There are in the Bible many things which they cannot explain, or even understand, and Satan employs these to shake their faith in the Scriptures as a revelation from God. They ask, “How shall I know the right way? If the Bible is indeed the word of God, how can I be freed from these doubts and perplexities?” {SC 105.1}

God never asks us to believe, without giving sufficient evidence upon which to base our faith. His existence, His character, the truthfulness of His word, are all established by testimony that appeals to our reason; and this testimony is abundant. Yet God has never removed the possibility of doubt. Our faith must rest upon evidence, not demonstration. Those who wish to doubt will have opportunity; while those who really desire to know the truth will find plenty of evidence on which to rest their faith. {SC 105.2}

It is impossible for finite minds fully to comprehend the character or the works of the Infinite One. To the keenest intellect, the most highly educated mind, that holy Being must ever remain clothed in mystery. “Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?” Job 11:7, 8. {SC 105.3}

xxviii-1 Corinthians 1:22 Jews want miracles for proof, and Greeks look for wisdom. 23 As for us, we proclaim the crucified Christ, a message that is offensive to the Jews and nonsense to the Gentiles; 24 but for those whom God has called, both Jews and Gentiles, this message is Christ, who is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

xxix-1 Corinthians 9:19 I am a free man, nobody's slave; but I make myself everybody's slave in order to win as many people as possible. 20 While working with the Jews, I live like a Jew in order to win them; and even though I myself am not subject to the Law of Moses, I live as though I were when working with those who are, in order to win them. 21 In the same way, when working with Gentiles, I live like a Gentile, outside the Jewish Law, in order to win Gentiles. This does not mean that I don't obey God's law; I am really under Christ's law. 22 Among the weak in faith I become weak like one of them, in order to win them. So I become all things to all people, that I may save some of them by whatever means are possible.

23 All this I do for the gospel's sake, in order to share in its blessings.

xxx-Romans 12:4 We have many parts in the one body, and all these parts have different functions. 5 In the same way, though we are many, we are one body in union with Christ, and we are all joined to each other as different parts of one body.

1 Corinthians 12:One Body with Many Parts

12 Christ is like a single body, which has many parts; it is still one body, even though it is made up of different parts. 13 In the same way, all of us, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether slaves or free, have been baptized into the one body by the same Spirit, and we have all been given the one Spirit to drink.

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.

xxxi-Romans 8: 15 For the Spirit that God has given you does not make you slaves and cause you to be afraid; instead, the Spirit makes you God's children, and by the Spirit's power we cry out to God, “Father! my Father!”

xxxii-Romans 5:10 We were God's enemies, but he made us his friends through the death of his Son. Now that we are God's friends, how much more will we be saved by Christ's life!

xxxiii-Galatians 2:16 Yet we know that a person is put right with God only through faith in Jesus Christ, never by doing what the Law requires. We, too, have believed in Christ Jesus in order to be put right with God through our faith in Christ, and not by doing what the Law requires. For no one is put right with God by doing what the Law requires.

xxxiv-Romans 7:24 What an unhappy man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is taking me to death?

xxxv-Ephesians 1:7 For by the blood of Christ[a] we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven. How great is the grace of God,

xxxvi-Romans 8:17 Since we are his children, we will possess the blessings he keeps for his people, and we will also possess with Christ what God has kept for him; for if we share Christ's suffering, we will also share his glory.

Table of Contents

i

ii

iii

iv

v

vi

vii

viii

ix

x

xi

xii

xiii

xiv

xv

xvi

xvii

xviii

xix

xx

xxi

xxii

xxiii

xxiv

xxv

xxvi

xxvii

xxviii

xxix

xxx

xxxi

xxxii

xxxiii

xxxiv

xxxv

xxxvi

i-

ii-

iii-

iv-

v-

vi-

vii-

viii-

ix-

x-

xi-

xii-

xiii-

xiv-