Theology &amp; Bible

Lesson for September 15, 2013: Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 3)

By Sam E. Stone What a difference a day makes! When last week”s text concluded, everything was good in the Garden of Eden. God had evaluated all of his creation and pronounced it “very good.” The one remaining need was to create a suitable companion for Adam. God gave him Eve. All was well. It was not long, however, till things changed. Genesis 3 introduces a new character into the account””the serpent. “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made.” Although the serpent is not identified by name as Satan or

September 6, 2013

Their Witness, and Ours

By David Ray If only trees could talk . . . Outside the walls of Jerusalem, across the Kidron Valley and near the foot of a rising hillside, was a garden called Gethsemane. It held a grove of olive trees, perhaps privately owned and set off from public space, but graciously made available to Jesus and his disciples whenever needed. A place of quiet retreat, it was far enough away to escape the hectic press of the city, but still close enough to see the temple clearly. By day, the garden was a cooler place, with shade found under

September 2, 2013

Lesson for September 8, 2013: God”s Image””Male and Female (Genesis 1, 2; 5:1, 2)

By Sam E. Stone “First Things” is the theme that ties this quarter”s lessons together, using excerpts from both Genesis and Exodus. We will see not only the first days of creation, but also how God formed his people Israel as the first nation, and then how their first freedom came about. Moses wrote Genesis. Inspired by God, he recorded things that only the Creator could know. Because of this, Scripture gives the only definitive account of creation. Each day is described in Genesis 1. Today”s text provides more details about what happened on the sixth day, when the Lord

August 30, 2013

Communion . . . and Grace

By David Timms Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” Perhaps nothing hurts as much as betrayal. A wife discovers a string of e-mails and realizes her husband has been intimate with another woman. Or a man receives a note from his wife saying she and one of his longtime friends plan to start a life together. Or someone at work gives the boss information that was shared in confidence. Betrayal cuts deeply for all of us, and no less so for Jesus. That last night with his disciples, Judas sat close to Jesus. The plot was in place,

August 26, 2013

Lesson for September 1, 2013: God Creates (Psalm 104)

By Sam E. Stone During the next two months we will study highlights from the book of Genesis. Today”s lesson provides a helpful introduction to the creation account (Genesis 1). It leads the reader to praise God for his unimaginable greatness and goodness, shown when he made the world. The psalm has been described as “a poetical commentary upon the first chapter of Genesis.” It ranks with Job 38, 39, Psalm 8, 19, 29, and Habakkuk 3. This beautiful hymn praises God for the wonders of creation. The content parallels the creation account in Genesis 1. Some Bible students see

August 23, 2013

Communion . . . and Humility

By David Timms Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” Remember summer camp or church camp? Those late nights raiding other tents or dorms? Those camp meals that looked increasingly familiar as the week went on? The mosquitoes, bugs, and sunburn that made for some uncomfortable moments? But most of all . . . cleanup duties at the end. Remember the scramble not to be assigned the shower and toilet block? Remember the hair, the soap residue, and the scum? It was nasty, and nobody in their right mind would volunteer for that job. We were made for a

August 19, 2013

Lesson for August 25, 2013: Sabbath Reforms (Nehemiah 13:4-31)

By Sam E. Stone The conclusion of the book of Nehemiah emphasizes how reform happens. James E. Smith observes, “Once again the reading of Scripture had driven home to the Jews the obligation to be holy unto Yahweh. The prohibition here enjoined (Nehemiah 13:1-3) was not absolute. It was religious, not ethnic. Those who embraced in faith the God of Israel, like Ruth the Moabitess, could find a very different reception in Israel.” Nehemiah 13 describes a time somewhat removed from the first chapters. Nehemiah has now returned to Jerusalem from his homeland (v. 6-9). While some feel he had

August 16, 2013

Communion . . . and Unity

By David Timms Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” When we attend a football game or a baseball game, we remember far more than the score (if we even remember the score). The whole event comes back to mind; driving to the game, our parking spot, our seats, the noise of the crowd, peanuts in the shell, the $6 hot dogs, and so much more. We remember everything surrounding the event. So did the disciples. That last night with Jesus was indelibly imprinted on their minds. How could they forget? They gathered for the Passover meal. Jesus washed

August 12, 2013

Lesson for August 18, 2013: Dedication of the Wall (Nehemiah 12:27-43)

By Sam E. Stone The first part of the book of Nehemiah describes the rebuilding of the walls and gates of Jerusalem. This was completed. Today”s text tells about the dedication ceremony of the rebuilt walls that followed. Chapter 12 lists the priests and Levites who had returned to their homeland and now will participate in this joyful occasion. Likely both the Levites and the priests who lived outside Jerusalem were assigned a normal rotation of duties in the temple. On this special occasion, however, additional arrangements were made. Dedication Preparation Nehemiah 12:27-30 For years the Levites had been

August 9, 2013

Communion . . . and Service

By David Timms Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” We typically use the word remember in a rather abstract way. Do you remember your first car? Your first boyfriend or girlfriend? Your first job? The birth of your first child? We recall an event and the warm emotions attached to it. Or perhaps we were forced to remember information for school. Remember the list of presidents? Remember those algebraic equations? Remember participles, passives, and prepositions? That kind of recall can raise our blood pressure and stress all over again. Let”s not dredge up those memories! But remember Jesus

August 7, 2013

What”s New with the Standard Lesson Commentary?

By Jon Underwood It”s midsummer, but many people are already anticipating fall and the launch of a new year of church programs that come with it. That includes a new line of the Standard Lesson Commentaries and the new lineup of Standard Lesson Quarterly products. The Standard Lesson Commentary is the best-selling lesson commentary on the Uniform Series (International Sunday School Lessons), a system of Bible study that has been around since 1872. Standard Publishing has been involved with the Uniform Series since very near the beginning. The company”s founder, and Christian Standard”s first editor, Isaac Errett, served on the

August 5, 2013

Lesson for August 11, 2013: Community of Confession (Nehemiah 9:1-37)

By Sam E. Stone Today”s lesson comes immediately after last week”s text (Nehemiah 8:2, 3, 13-18). Following the observance of the Feast of Tabernacles, the people had a single day off. Then their feasting turned to fasting. James B. Coffman points out, “A very important revelation of this chapter is that it was the Levites, and not the priests, who led Israel in this penitential prayer of confession and praise to God . . . . There is not a word in this chapter that even hints of any priestly participation in this great repentance, confession and prayer.” The text

July 29, 2013

Lesson for August 4, 2013: Feast of Tabernacles (Nehemiah 7:73b”“8:18; Leviticus 23:33-43)

By Sam E. Stone Nehemiah went to Jerusalem in 444 BC. Ezra had been there 13 years at the time of today”s text. Ezra served as a priest, however, while Nehemiah came as the civil governor to rebuild the wall and restore Jerusalem as a fortified city. The opening chapters of the book that bears his name tell how he came to be sent there, and how he proceeded to rebuild the wall. Despite fierce opposition, Nehemiah led the people through this challenging time. Nehemiah”s list of those who had returned from Babylon became the basis he would use to

July 22, 2013

Lesson for July 28, 2013: Giving Gifts for the Temple (Ezra 8:24-36)

By Sam E. Stone Today”s lesson is the last of five studies in the life and ministry of the respected Old Testament leader Ezra. In the book that bears his name, he describes how the Jews came to return to Israel from their Babylonian captivity. Ezra includes seven official documents or letters, in addition to his own memoirs. Especially striking is the prominence of Levites and temple personnel. When Ezra realized that no Levites were among those committed to return with him, he sent a delegation to a nearby area (Kasiphia) to recruit some. They were to “bring attendants to

July 15, 2013

Lesson for July 21, 2013: Fasting and Praying (Ezra 7:1″“8:23)

By Sam E. Stone The book of Ezra is composed of two sections: chapters 1″“6 record how the Jews returned from captivity to rebuild the temple; chapters 7″“10 describe how Ezra came back to Jerusalem and led reforms. A period of some 57 years passed between the end of Ezra 6 (515 BC) and the beginning of Ezra 7 (458 BC). During this time, the events described in the book of Esther took place. Plans for the Trip Ezra 7:6-10 The second section of the book begins with a listing of Ezra”s credentials. Ruben Ratzlaff notes, “Like many of

July 8, 2013

Lesson for July 14, 2013: Dedicating the Temple (Ezra 6)

By Sam E. Stone Worship with both song and sacrifice was once again practiced by the people of Israel after their return to the promised land. Ezra, a famous priest and scribe, tells us of the event. In Ezra 4 he describes the opposition faced by the Jews as they worked to rebuild the temple. Chapters 5 and 6 record their eventual success. Today”s printed text highlights the dedication of the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem. Herbert Lockyer described Ezra this way: “He conducted the Jewish exiles back to Jerusalem in peace and safety, and establishing himself as their leader, reformed

July 5, 2013

Body Language

By Robert F. Hull Jr. The cup of blessing whichÂ we bless, is it not a sharing inÂ the blood of Christ? The breadÂ that we break, is it not aÂ sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread,Â we who are many are one body,Â for we all partake of the oneÂ bread (1 Corinthians 10:16,Â 17).* In some traditions, the person who hands the worshippers the Communion bread says, “This is the body of Christ.” This body language naturally leads us to think about the body of Jesus given in death on the cross. But perhaps we should also think about what Jesus

July 1, 2013

Lesson for July 7, 2013: Restoring the Temple (Ezra 3:8-13)

By Sam E. Stone This is the second week of studies from the book of Ezra. It describes the time when God”s people were able to worship in Jerusalem once again. Being released from Babylonian captivity was not enough. Now they needed not only to rebuild the altar but also to restore the entire temple, following God”s directions for worship. The books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther contain the inspired record of what took place at this time period. James E. Smith explains, “The first six chapters of the Book of Ezra cover a single generation, 538-515 BC. The major

June 27, 2013

Doctrinal Issues & Debates Theology & Bible

Questions about Our Sins and God”s Punishment

By Karen Rees Did God, in an effort to call America back to him, cause the severe drought that shriveled up crops in the Midwest last summer? According to a Christian”s well-written blog entry I stumbled across, the answer is “yes.” The blog writer quoted a few verses from Amos 4 to support her conclusion. In these verses, God said he caused a drought in the northern kingdom of Israel and struck their vineyards with blight, yet they had not returned to him. She ended by saying Christians need to do more to get abortion outlawed and bring our

June 24, 2013