Weekly Bible Study Review

Weekly Bible Study Review

June 12, 2011

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In This Issue

Cafe Class

Read-to-Believe Class

Class Schedule
Go to www.theocentrix.org click on the "Events" tab
for maps and more information.

Cafe Class
Culture Cafe
1359 N Altadena Drive
Pasadena CA 91104
Wednesdays 10:00 am

Read-to-Believe Class
Lake Avenue Church
Family Life Room 201
309 N Lake Avenue
Pasadena CA 91101
Thursdays 6:30 pm

Arbo Class
LA County Arboretum
301 N Baldwin Ave
Arcadia CA 91007
Saturday 12:00 noon
Once per month

January 22

February 26

March 26

April 30

May no class

June 4

July 9
August 13
September 17
October 15
November 12
December no class

PCC Class
"How to Read the Bible with Confidence"
Pasadena City College
Extended Learning Center
www.pcclearn.org
July 19 and 26, 2011

Greetings!

This newsletter is sent to everyone who attends Sandy's weekly Bible studies. The left column has a table of contents and the current class schedule. Be sure to watch for the links in each article. Clicking on them will lead you to charts, diagrams and additional articles related to your class.

Anyone can subscribe to this free newsletter by using the link in the upper left corner. If you would like to forward this issue to a friend all you have to do is click on the link below.

Wednesday Cafe Class
Romans

Romans 8:18-39

Last time Paul told his readers that believers are children of God and this makes them His heirs. They are also co-heirs with Christ. As such they share in everything; not only in Christ's glory but also in His suffering. What did Christ suffer? He was rejected by His own people, mocked, slandered, falsely accused of sin, and many other things. His suffering involved much more than the hours He spent on the cross. Christ was described by the prophets as a man of many sorrows, acquainted with grief. Those who hated Jesus would hate the believers and those who loved Him would love them.

v. 18 The readers' current sufferings are not specified but Paul assures them that the coming glory will far exceed their pain. Paul says this glory is to be revealed "in" them. It's not something far away.

v. 19-21 The physical "creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed." God subjected creation to "frustration" for a certain length of time. The land was cursed when Adam sinned (Genesis 3:17-18). But this was done in the hope that creation would eventually be "liberated from its bondage to decay." Creation itself will be brought into the freedom experienced by the sons of God.

v. 22 Creation has been groaning, waiting for its release from this bondage to decay.

1. Creation was subjected to frustration. (past)

2. Creation groans waiting for the sons of God to be revealed.

(present)

3. Creation will be liberated and brought into the glory of the

children of God. (future)

v. 23-25 Believers groan inwardly while they wait for their adoption and the redemption of their physical bodies. That is their hope. Therefore, they wait for it patiently.

v. 26 "In the same way" (patiently) the Spirit helps believers in their difficulties and intercedes even when they don't know how to pray. Paul says "the Spirit intercedes with groans that words cannot express." There's a beautiful sense of unity between the creation, the believers, and the Spirit of God expressed here.

1. The creation groans while waiting for the sons of God.

2. The believers groan while they're waiting for their adoption.

3. The Spirit groans as He intercedes for the believers.

v. 27 This unity also exists between the Father and the Spirit, for the Father who searches their hearts knows the mind of the Spirit. And the Spirit knows the will of the Father.

Click to read more...

Thursday Read-to-Believe Class Acts

Acts 15:1-17:34

15:1-5 Some Jews came from Judea to Syrian Antioch teaching that Gentiles must be circumcised in order to be saved. Paul and Barnabas disagreed with them strongly. They decided to go to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders to settle this issue. When they arrived in Jerusalem they were greeted warmly. "Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, 'The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.'" Notice that these were not unbelieving Jews saying this. They were believers-- Jewish Christian converts.

v. 6-9 The apostles and elders met for what we now call the Jerusalem Council. Peter reminded everyone of his experience with Cornelius the Gentile who was given the Holy Spirit (displayed by speaking in tongues) without having to be circumcised. Peter emphasized that God knows the heart and He makes no distinction between Jews and Gentiles when it comes to faith in Christ.

v. 10-12 Peter was adamant that they must not put a yoke (burden) on the Gentile believers that their own fathers (Jewish ancestors) could not bear. Whether one is a Jew or a Gentile, salvation comes solely through faith in Christ.Cornelius was not an isolated case. Paul and Barnabas got up and told of all the signs and wonders done by God among the Gentiles.

v. 13-30 James got up and quoted Amos 9:11-12 to show that the prophets had always said Gentiles would bear the name of the Lord (not just Jews). He said that they should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. They wrote a letter to the Gentile churches telling them to:

1. abstain from food sacrificed to idols

2. abstain from blood

3. abstain from the meat of strangled animals

4. abstain from sexual immorality

Circumcision was not even mentioned. There was neither a requirement to be circumcised nor any prohibition against it.

These four practices were not presented as a way to be saved or to maintain one's salvation. They were given so that the Jewish and Gentile Christian converts would be able to be together as one cohesive group. The first three deal with foods that would have been acceptable to Gentiles but detestable to Jews. The Gentiles were being asked to avoid certain foods for the sake of unity. Obviously all of them must abstain from sexual immorality.

v. 31-41 The letter was sent with Paul, Barnabas, Judas and Silas. The Gentiles were encouraged by what it said. Then Judas and Silas went back to Jerusalem but Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch. Later on Paul wanted to visit the churches that were planted on his first missionary journey. He and Barnabas disagreed about whether to take John Mark who had abandoned them earlier (Acts 13:13). Paul chose Silas but Barnabas chose John Mark and went to Cyprus. This is the last time Barnabas is mentioned in Acts.

Click to read more...

Since ancient times the Bible has been read aloud to groups of people who were eager to hear the words of Life. We're really no different today. Believers still look to the Bible for wisdom and instruction. We belong in the Word together. Thank you for your participation in these classes. I hope you will pass this email on to others and invite them to attend a Bible study.

Grace and peace,

Sandy Blank

Wednesday Cafe Class (continued)

Romans 8:18-39

v. 28-30 God has called people according to His own purpose. He works for the good of those who love Him. Paul says that God foreknew them and predestined them to something very special-to be conformed to likeness of Jesus, His Son. Jesus was the firstborn but there will be many who are called to be His brothers. In other words, Jesus will not be an only child. Whomever God predestined He also called and justified (made them righteous in His sight) and glorified. Paul speaks of glorification in the past tense as though it is already done.

v. 31 There is only one appropriate response to this situation. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" The answer is obvious. If God foreknew, predestined, called, justified and glorified those who have faith in Jesus, then there is no one of higher authority who can do anything to change their status as sons of God. Notice that it is God doing all this. People cannot foreknow themselves, predestine themselves, call themselves, justify themselves, or glorify themselves.

v. 32 And how can the readers be certain that God has really done all this or that He will not change His mind? Because He "did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all." Sending Jesus proves that God will do what He says He will do.

v. 33-36 Now Paul goes through a series of rhetorical questions. Who will bring any charge against them? God justifies them. Who can condemn them when Christ, who lives forever, is interceding for them? Who shall separate them from the love of Christ? Nothing can do that. Psalm 44:22 is quoted here.

v. 37-39 In all things they are "more than conquerors through Him who loved" them. Nothing can separate them from the love of God that is in Christ. Not death or demons, nothing in the future, no powers, no highs or lows, or anything else in all creation. This must have been very comforting to people who were enduring persecution and the ordinary sufferings of life. As usual Paul looks far beyond their present circumstances and takes them to a place high above it all to give them a more God-centered perspective. Knowing the power and purpose of God would give them strength to endure any and all hardships.

Next time we'll begin chapter 9. Keep reading!

--Sandy Blank

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Thursday Read-to-Believe Class (continued)

Acts 15:1-17:34

16:1-4 Paul and Silas went to Lystra and decided to take Timothy with them. Paul circumcised Timothy "because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew his father was a Greek." It may seem strange that Paul circumcised a man after all that had happened at the Jerusalem council. However, Timothy's circumcision was not a matter of his salvation or personal growth as a believer. Rather it was a sacrifice he was willing to make so that he could travel with Paul and minister among both Jews and Gentiles.

v. 5-10 The churches were strengthened as Paul traveled and delivered the letter from Jerusalem. The Spirit of God would not allow them to enter the province of Asia (not what we know as Asia today) or Bithynia. (See Map #3) Paul had a vision of a man from Macedonia calling to him for help, so they immediately went to Macedonia.

v. 11-15 They traveled to Philippi (See Map #3) where they went outside the city to the river to pray on the Sabbath. There they met a Gentile named Lydia, a wealthy business woman who sold purple cloth. Lydia believed, was baptized along with her whole household, and invited Paul to stay at her house.

Note: Why did they meet at the river? Because the city probably did not have a synagogue. There must be at least 10 Jewish men to start a synagogue. It was typical for Jews and God-fearing Gentiles to go to the river to pray in towns where there was no synagogue.

v. 16-24 There was slave girl who had a demon that was able to predict the future. Her owners made a lot of money from her fortune-telling. The girl kept following Paul and shouting that he was a servant of God who was telling people the way to be saved. Of course this was true, but Paul did not want a demon-possessed person speaking for him like this. After "many days" Paul finally cast the demon out of her. The owners of the slave girl were furious because they could no longer make money so they dragged Paul and Silas off to the secular authorities. The charge was that Paul was "advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice." No mention of the girl, the demon, or money. The crowd joined in and the magistrates had Paul and Silas severely flogged and thrown in prison. The jailer put them in the inner cell with their feet in stocks.

v. 25-34 At about midnight Paul and Silas were singing and the other prisoners were listening. There was an earthquake that shook the foundation of the prison so hard that the doors all flew open and everybody's chains came loose. When the jailer woke up and saw the doors open he drew his sword to kill himself but Paul stopped him. The jailer became a believer. He and his household were baptized that night. He treated their wounds and fed them a meal in his own house.

v. 35-40 The next morning the magistrates (apparently unaware of the earthquake) decided to release Paul and Silas. But Paul decided to "play the Roman card" and demanded that the magistrates come to the prison themselves and escort them out of town. When the magistrates realized they had flogged and imprisoned a Roman citizen without even giving him a trial they were very afraid. Paul had grounds to report them to higher authorities within the Roman government and get them in big trouble. So the magistrates appeased them and escorted them out of the city. Paul stopped at Lydia's house to encourage the church there before he left.

17:1-5 Paul went to the synagogue in Thessalonica (See Map #3). He reasoned from the OT Scriptures for three Sabbaths, proving that the Christ had to suffer, die, and rise from the dead. Some of the Jews and many God-fearing Gentiles believed that Jesus was indeed the Christ. But some of the Jews became jealous and rounded up some "bad characters" from the marketplace to start a riot.

v. 6-12 When the mob couldn't find Paul at Jason's house they dragged Jason to the city officials accusing him of harboring men who defy Caesar by claiming there is another king called Jesus. Jason posted bond and they let him go. That night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. (See Map #3) The Bereans were at least willing to hear what Paul had to say. They examined the Scriptures every day to see if it was true. Many of the Jews believed and so did some Greeks.

v. 13-21 When the Jews back in Thessalonica heard that Paul was preaching in Berea they went there to stir up the crowd against him. Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea but some believers escorted Paul to Athens. Paul was upset that there were so many idols in Athens. He reasoned from the Scriptures in the synagogue and marketplace everyday with anyone who would listen. There were Epicurians (they believe pleasure is the greatest good) and Stoics (they advocate self-control and virtue) who debated with Paul. They took him to a meeting of the Areopagus to present his ideas.

v. 22-27 Paul spoke to them about the altar in Athens that had the inscription: "TO AN UNKOWN GOD." He used this as an opportunity to speak to them about Jesus. He said:

God made the world and everything in it.

God is the Lord of heaven and earth.

God does not live in temples.

God is not served by humans as if He needed anything.

God gives all men life, breath, and everything else.

God made every nation from one man (Adam).

God determined the times set for men.

God determined the exact places where they should live.

God did this so that men would seek Him, reach out for Him, and find Him.

God is not far from each person.

v. 28-30 Paul quoted one of their own poets by saying "For in him we live and move and have our being." The Greeks already believed in the concept of being "in God" and being children of God. Their own prophets said that "We are his offspring." Paul told them since people are God's "offspring" (or children) then they should not think God is like gold, or silver, or stone-- something made by men. In the past God overlooked that kind of ignorant thinking but now God commands people to repent (of such idolatry).

v. 31-34 God has set a day for judgment and He will judge the world with justice by the One He has appointed, Jesus. Jesus' resurrection proves that this is true. When these Gentile philosophers heard Paul talk about resurrection some of them sneered and others politely excused him. A few people became believers including Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus and a woman named Damaris.

Next Paul is going to Corinth.

--Sandy Blank

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This newsletter is maintained by Sandy Blank (Ph.D. Educational Studies, Biola; MA Biblical Studies, Grace University). If you would like further information about any of her classes or would like to know how to start a Bible study in your area please contact her at sandyblank@theocentrix.org. This newsletter is sponsored by Theocentrix, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting God-centered Bible literacy. Visit www.theocentrix.org for more information.