New Covenant Sanctuary

• Lesson 10 for the week of March 8 to March 15

Relevant Biblical Passages: Hebrews 8-9 New Covenant Sanctuary. In the official study guide, the lesson emphasizes Jesus mediatorial. role in the heavenly sanctuary, a focus which highlights the sacrificial aspects of Jesus’ death. Thus blood,...

Continue reading →

The New Covenant

• Lesson 10 for the week of March 1 to March 8

Relevant Biblical Passages: Jer. 31:31-34; Heb. 8; 2 Cor. 3 The New Covenant. When the topic of the New Covenant comes up, it is important to remember that the key passage is found first in...

Continue reading →

Covenant Sign

• Lesson 9 for the week of February 22 to March 1

Relevant Biblical Passages: Exod. 31:12-16 Covenant Sign. In Exodus 31:12-16, the Sabbath is explicitly identified as a “sign” that God makes his people holy. It is significant that this sign is embedded in the decalogue....

Continue reading →

Covenant Law

• Lesson 8 for the week of February 15 to February 22

Relevant Biblical Passages: Deut 7:9; Matt. 7:12; 22:35-40; Rom. 13:8-10 Covenant Law. In some Christian traditions, especially those which place a heavy emphasis on Pauline theology, law and grace are sometimes seen as being antagonists:...

Continue reading →

Covenant at Sinai

• Lesson 7 for the week of February 8 to February 15

Relevant Biblical Passages: Exodus 19-20, 24; 32-34 Covenant at Sinai. In popular Protestant thinking, the covenant at Sinai is often contrasted with the New Covenant which is realized in Jesus. Because of the strong emphasis...

Continue reading →

Abraham’s Seed

• Lesson 6 for the week of February 1 to February 8

Relevant Biblical Passages: Gen 35:12, Deut. 28-29; Ezek. 16; Gal. 3 Abraham’s Seed. One of the most divisive issues in Christianity today is whether or not the church is to be seen as a “spiritual”...

Continue reading →

Children of the Promise

• Lesson 5 for the week of January 25 to February 1

Relevant Biblical Passages: Genesis 12:2, Galatians 3:28-29 Children of the Promise: Israel, the Nations, the Messiah. Christians see themselves as the true inheritors of the promise to the Abraham. From the New Testament evidence, one...

Continue reading →

An Everlasting Covenant

• Lesson 4 for the week of January 18 to January 25

Relevant Biblical Passages: Genesis 12:1-2; 15:7-18; 17; 18:19 An Everlasting Covenant: God’s Covenant with Abraham. In traditional Christian interpretation, especially those systems which contrast the Sinai covenant with the new covenant, it has often been...

Continue reading →

“All Future Generations”

• Lesson 3 for the week of January 11 to January 18

Relevant Biblical Passages: Genesis 6:18; 9:8-17 “All Future Generations” – God’s Covenant with Noah. The idea of “covenant” is one which is especially important to those who are gripped by the idea of divine sovereignty:...

Continue reading →

Covenant Primer

• Lesson 2 for the week of January 4 to January 11

Relevant Biblical Passages: Genesis 6:18, 17:2; Exodus 19:5; Jeremiah 31:31-34 Covenant Primer: Noah, Abraham, Sinai, David, New Covenant. At several specific points in human history, God has established a “covenant” with His people: With Noah...

Continue reading →

What Happened?

• Lesson 1 for the week of December 29 to January 4

Relevant Biblical Passages: Genesis 1-3 What Happened? Our lessons for this quarter center on the idea of God’s everlasting covenant. Interestingly enough, the official Sabbath School study guide begins this new series of lessons on...

Continue reading →

Restoration

• Lesson 13 for the week of December 22 to December 29

Background and Literary Considerations The verses we study this week have occasioned significant debate as to their authorship. Some have argued that everything belongs to the eighth-century prophet who finally got around to some positive...

Continue reading →

Vision Five-No Escape

• Lesson 12 for the week of December 15 to December 22

Background and Literary Considerations Having come now to the last of the five vision reports, we need to ask how they connect with each other and the impact of the whole collection. What is the...

Continue reading →

Vision Four-Summer Fruit

• Lesson 11 for the week of December 8 to December 15

Background and Literary Considerations The fourth vision report in Amos brings us to another literary feature of the prophet’s preaching: puns. While we miss most of these in English translations, the Bible is replete with...

Continue reading →