Bible Study - Sabbath School Podcast

Paul, a God-called Apostle of Jesus

Paul begins his letter to the Corinthians by identifying himself as an apostle of Jesus, called "through the will of God" (1 Cor. 1:1; compare with 2 Cor. 1:1). His conviction regarding who he is in relation to Jesus is so firm that, with a few exceptions, this is the way he opens all his letters.

Read 1 Corinthians 1:1 and Romans 1:1. What two elements of Paul's ministry are emphasized in these passages? (See also Gal. 1:1.)

Paul speaks of his calling and apostleship as fulfilling God's will. He is convinced that his calling is not from men, but from God (Gal. 1:1). Like Jeremiah, Paul was called by God from his mother's womb like Jeremiah (Jer. 1:5) as an act of God's grace (Gal. 1:15), and it happened so that He would proclaim the gospel of Christ among the Gentiles.

In 1 Corinthians 15:8, Paul includes himself among those to whom Christ appeared after the resurrection 1 Cor. 15:5-7). A few verses later, he implies that his calling to be an apostle resulted from that encounter with Jesus (1 Cor. 15:9-11).

The title "apostle of Jesus" encompasses a series of concepts. Primarily, it conveys the idea of one whom Jesus sends. Nevertheless, Paul also uses this phrase to identify himself as a servant of Christ (Rom. 1:1, Titus 1:1, Gal. 1:10), as well as a preacher and a teacher (1 Tim. 2:7, 2 Tim. 1:11). Whether he preaches or teaches, Christ is always in evidence. In short, Paul is an apostle of Jesus.

Jesus is not only the center of Paul's apostleship. He is the center of Paul's life. Paul's thoughts and feelings were filled with the presence of Jesus. Evidence of this fact is that he refers to Jesus repeatedly in the opening and the thanksgiving section of 1 Corinthians (nine times in nine verses). Paul loved Jesus so much that he couldn't stop thinking and talking about Him. He wanted to share Jesus with those under his care so that their lives would be Christ-centered, too. While he was called to be an apostle, they were called to be faithful followers of Jesus in whatever capacity to which the Lord called them.

Paul was called to be an apostle. What is your calling, and how do you know that it is your calling? If you don't think you have one, why not go right now to God and ask Him to show you the work He chose you to do?

Sabbath AfternoonRead for This Week’s Study: 1 Cor. 1:1, Gal. 1:1, Acts17:16–34, 1 Cor. 5:9–11, Acts 18:4–10, 2 Cor. 2:4.Memory Text: “One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, ‘Donot be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you,and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for there are manyin this city who are my people’ ” (Acts 18:9, 10, NRSV).

The great English missionary William Carey used to say that hecobbled shoes to pay his expenses, but his real business waswinning souls.Likewise, Paul worked as a tentmaker for a living (Acts 18:1–3), buthis real business was, of course, winning people to Christ.This week, we will get a glimpse of Paul’s ministry to the church inthe city of Corinth. The church, as we will see, was full of problems,many that were not unlike what our churches face today, almost twothousand years later. Indeed, anyone who has been in Christianity forany length of time, or who has been involved in church work, could askthe question: Have you ever found a Christian group that doesn’t haveany problems? The answer is, of course, obvious.Paul faces challenges in Corinth but does so with the message ofthe Cross (1 Cor. 2:2). Faithfulness to this message is also the way toface the challenges that we have today. As we will see this week andthroughout this quarter, the message of 1 and 2 Corinthians applies toour lives, as well.* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, July 4.

The Essence of Christian Life and Witness - an introduction

Writing letters is an age-old activity that has not become obsolete. We’ve merely changed the way that letters are written.

Yes, social media superseded paper. However, in their essence,

emails and other forms of electronic letters exert basically the same function: they

connect people by exchanging information, feelings, and thoughts.

Why do people write letters? A possible answer is that they have something to

say. So it was with the apostle Paul. Although he had so much to say, he did not

always have the chance to be face-to-face with those whom he wanted to talk.

So, he wrote letters instead—such as to the Corinthians, which contain some of

Scripture’s most profound truths. Among them are: “I decided to know nothing

among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2, ESV), and “For you

know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake

he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9, ESV).

And what about the stunning hymn to love in 1 Corinthians 13?

On the other hand, whoever reads Paul’s letters to the Corinthians will inevitably get perplexed, not only because of some substantial problems within the

church—such as sexual immorality—but also because of the nitpicking that results

from cheap factionalism among the members. If you think your church has challenging issues, get ready to see the avalanche of quarrelings Paul had to deal with

in Corinth. Perhaps your local church’s problems are not as significant as you imagine! Very likely, you will see that things in Corinth had been much worse.

As disturbing as the problems in Corinth had been, the letters to the Corinthians

capture our attention, not because of the problems but because of the remarkable

way Paul faces them. By exhorting the church members to evaluate themselves,

their behavior, and the surrounding culture in the light of the gospel of Jesus

Christ, he exalts the message of the Cross. To use the

words of Paul himself elsewhere, any standard lower

than the gospel message is to be seen as “anathema”

(Gal. 1:8, 9, ASV).

In Paul’s time, Corinth was famous for its wealth

and strong commerce, all thanks to its port, architecture, shipbuilding, and ceramics. The city was an

important financial center. Nevertheless, it was also

known for its sexual immorality, religious cacophony, and shrines dedicated to various gods. Indeed,

daily life in Corinth was marked by flagrant idolatry. This historical-cultural

background helps us understand Paul’s main concerns regarding the Christians in

that city and, consequently, his exhortations to them.

This quarter, we will survey Paul’s letters to the Corinthians. In these two

remarkable New Testament books, the apostle presents the gospel message as the

essence of Christian life and witness, the lens through which everything else is

to be judged. No matter the challenges each of us individually or the church in

general faces in our journey to heaven—the answer to the most puzzling issues

in our work for Christ is the same as for the Corinthians: “Jesus Christ and Him

crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2, NKJV).

Jesus is coming soon. This is a time for more unity in Christ, for an openness to

the Holy Spirit as never before, for diligent use of the spiritual gifts, and for a more

profound experience with our resurrected Lord. It is time for a genuine Christian

ministry, engagement in stewardship and mission, spiritual warfare against false

teachings, and growth in grace, love, and fellowship. This is a time to hold fast

and be faithful to the message of the Cross, and Paul’s letters to the Corinthians

teach us to do just that.

Adenilton Tavares de Aguiar, PhD, is a professor of Biblical interpretation

at the Theological Seminary at the Adventist University Center of São Paulo in Brazil.

Listen to Ellen G. White’s vision of heaven found in Early Writings, pp. 14-20. What is most striking to you in this description?

As God has shown me the travels of the Advent [14] people to the Holy City and the rich reward to be given those who wait the return of their Lord from the wedding, it may be my duty to give you a short sketch of what God has revealed to me. The dear saints have many trials to pass through. But our light afflictions, which are but for a moment, will work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory—while we look not at the things which are seen, for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. I have tried to bring back a good report and a few grapes from the heavenly Canaan, for which many would stone me, as the congregation bade stone Caleb and Joshua for their report. (Numbers 14:10.) But I declare to you, my brethren and sisters in the Lord, it is a goodly land, and we are well able to go up and possess it.

While I was praying at the family altar, the Holy Ghost fell upon me, and I seemed to be rising higher and higher, far above the dark world. I turned to look for the Advent people in the world, but could not find them, when a voice said to me, "Look again, and look a little higher." At this I raised my eyes, and saw a straight and narrow path, cast up high above the world. On this path the Advent people were traveling to the city, which was at the farther end of the path. They had a bright light set up behind them at the beginning of the path, which an angel told me was the midnight cry. This light shone all along the path and gave light for their feet so that they might not stumble. If they kept their eyes fixed on Jesus, who was just before them, leading them to the city, they were safe. But soon some grew weary, and said the city was a great way off, and they expected to have entered it before. Then Jesus would encourage [15] them by raising His glorious right arm, and from His arm came a light which waved over the Advent band, and they shouted, "Alleluia!" Others rashly denied the light behind them and said that it was not God that had led them out so far. The light behind them went out, leaving their feet in perfect darkness, and they stumbled and lost sight of the mark and of Jesus, and fell off the path down into the dark and wicked world below. Soon we [See Appendix.] heard the voice of God like many waters, which gave us the day and hour of Jesus' coming. The living saints, 144,000 in number, knew and understood the voice, while the wicked thought it was thunder and an earthquake. When God spoke the time, He poured upon us the Holy Ghost, and our faces began to light up and shine with the glory of God, as Moses' did when he came down from Mount Sinai.

The 144,000 were all sealed and perfectly united. On their foreheads was written, God, New Jerusalem, and a glorious star containing Jesus' new name. At our happy, holy state the wicked were enraged, and would rush violently up to lay hands on us to thrust us into prison, when we would stretch forth the hand in the name of the Lord, and they would fall helpless to the ground. Then it was that the synagogue of Satan knew that God had loved us who could wash one another's feet and salute the brethren with a holy kiss, and they worshiped at our feet.

Continue reading from this link: https://www.ellenwhite.info/books/ellen-g-white-book-early-writings-ew-02.htm

Further Thought: “If we do not receive the religion of Christ by feeding upon the Word of God, we shall not be entitled to an entrance into the city of God. Having lived on earthly food, having educated our tastes to love worldly things, we would not be fitted for the heavenly courts; we could not appreciate the pure, heavenly current that circulates in heaven. The voices of the angels and the music of their harps would not satisfy us. The science of heaven would be as an enigma to our minds. We need to hunger and thirst for the righteousness of Christ; we need to be molded and fashioned by the transforming influence of His grace, that we may be fitted for the society of heavenly angels…. “Then the nations will own no other law than the law of heaven. All will be a happy, united family, clothed with the garments of praise and thanksgiving…. Over the scene the morning stars will sing together, and the sons of God will shout for joy, while God and Christ will unite in proclaiming, ‘There shall be no more sin, neither shall there be any more death.’ “We want to get in the habit of talking of heaven, beautiful heaven. Talk of that life which will continue as long as God shall live, and then you will forget your little trials and difficulties. Let the mind be attracted to God.”--Ellen G. White, The Faith I Live By, p. 363.

Discussion Questions:

1. Listen or read Ellen G. White’s vision of heaven found in Early Writings, pp. 14-20. What is most striking to you in this description?
2. What aspect of this quarter’s lessons do you most want to remember in order to keep your relationship with God strong until you see Jesus face-to-face?
3. Who in your life needs to hear about the hope of heaven? Commit to sharing with them as soon as possible. Remember: you can’t share with them a hope that you yourself don’t personally have.

Summary: As we keep our eyes on the goal, may we be “confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6, NKJV). God initiated the relationship He has with you, and He will complete it. May we grow in love and in faith as we wait for that day, while always resting only in the righteousness of Christ, which is credited to us by faith.

“Come!”

The invitation is offered to us again, today: “Come.”

Read the following passages and notice His invitation for you to come to Him: Matt. 11:28-30, Isa. 55:1-3, John 6:44.

The Holy Spirit wants to draw you to Jesus today. Jesus invites you to come to Him, to abide in Him today, and every day, until He comes. When you respond and come to Him, when your heart is soft and your mind surrendered, you will feel peace because you know that, even if you die, He will raise you up, no matter how unworthy you may feel, on the last day of this earth. Jesus said, “Who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (John 6:37, NKJV).

We should sense the urgency to work with the Holy Spirit to call others to come into a saving relationship with Jesus. “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev. 22:17, NKJV).

The invitation is free, offered as a gift of grace. When we accept Him into our life and love Him with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength (Deut. 6:5), our life here and in the future will be changed forever.

Even as Jesus invites us to come to Him, the last words in the Bible promise this: “Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (emphasis added, Rev. 22:20, NKJV).

How quickly? From our perspective, as soon as we close our eyes in death, the next thing we know will be the return of Christ. Considering how quickly our lives pass, that’s how quickly Jesus is coming back for us. Perhaps our first thought at the resurrection will be “Wow, Lord, Your coming was soon after all!”

Truly, now we see but faintly, as in a mirror. But then we’ll see Him face-to-face. Don’t grow weary in waiting. Keep this desire alive, ever before you, in faith and in trust in the love and goodness of God. Lord Jesus, please come!

Pray right now for the faith to endure, for the faith to allow you to surrender wholly and completely to the One who died for you and is coming back quickly for you, too.

Follow the Lamb🐑

Have you ever been asked what you’re most looking forward to in eternity? If you ask a child, they might say, “Riding a tiger,” “Sliding down a giraffe’s neck,” or “Flying to different planets.” If you were to ask a teenager, they might say, “Not having to do any more schoolwork” or “Exploring heaven with my friends without getting hurt.” And if you were to ask a group of adults, they might say, “Being in a place where there’s no more pain, suffering, or death” or “Being reunited with loved ones.” All of these responses are good and true, and there is so much to look forward to in the new heaven and the new earth. Eternity burns within our hearts, and, intrinsically, we know there must be something more to life than the here and now.

What other blessings might we look forward to in eternity? Read Isaiah 25:8, Revelation 7:17, and Revelation 21:4.

Surely the greatest blessing of heaven will be to finally see Jesus and to thank Him, in person, for what He has done for us on this fallen earth. We will want to lavish our adoration and worship to Him for saving us, by His own suffering on the cross, from eternal death. “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” (Rev. 5:12, NKJV).

John the Baptist introduced Jesus as the “Lamb of God” (John 1:36). Two of John’s disciples heard this statement and followed Jesus (John 1:37), and Revelation 14:4 tells us we should do the same. “These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes” (Rev. 14:4, NKJV). However, if we want to follow Him in heaven, we must first follow Him here on earth.

Jesus, the Lamb, is also our Shepherd, and He guides our paths as no other can. This is so reassuring for us as we struggle through the hard times that we find ourselves in, but Jesus will never stop leading us, even in heaven. Revelation 7:17 says, “For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters” (NKJV). As His people, His sheep, we will follow Jesus in heaven, forever wanting to be in His presence. One defining characteristic of God’s people is that “His name shall be on their foreheads” (Rev. 22:4, NKJV). That is, we will be always thinking of Him.

Listen to the SDA gospel song “Follow the Lamb” at https://vimeo.com/1067821589 and make the words your personal prayer today.

The Bride👰🏻‍♀️

While exiled on the island of Patmos, the disciple John was given a vision of what it will be like when we are reunited with God for eternity.

Read Revelation 21:9-11. What analogy was given, and why do you think it was used?

The bride is beautiful, and on her wedding day, everyone wants to see her. A wedding day is a turning point of a new life together for the bride and groom, and this will also be true of our relationship with God upon His return.

Jesus has been preparing a place for us (John 14:1-3), a beautiful place that is too amazing to describe. In fact, “human language is inadequate to describe the reward of the righteous. It will be known only to those who behold it. No finite mind can comprehend the glory of the Paradise of God.”--Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 675.

Although we cannot really comprehend what the new heaven and new earth will be like, God shows John a vision of this place so that we look forward to the “wedding” that will soon happen. Indeed, we’re invited to “set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:2, NKJV).

God is carefully preparing for this event, and He doesn’t want this “wedding” to catch us by surprise (see Matt. 22:1-14, Matt. 25:1-13).

The universe is the congregation that will see this event take place, and we are some of the central figures in this story. We will join with the “bride,” this city that Jesus will take us to at His second coming. Interestingly, God’s people (the saints) are also called the bride (see Rev. 19:7, NASB), perhaps because they are in “the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Rev. 21:2, NKJV).

This beautiful description of the Holy City shows that there is an intimate connection between God’s people and the city, because both are called “the bride.” The Bible reveals a detailed description of “the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, which is the capital and representative of the kingdom, [and] is called ‘the bride, the Lamb’s

wife.”--Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 426.

Read Revelation 21:9-27. Why is this so hard for us now to imagine? How do we even begin to wrap our minds around what is promised to us here?

Finally, Face-to-Face

We were made to be close to God (Gen. 2:7). Ever since He created humankind, God has given everything to restore our broken relationship with Him (John 3:16). He has placed eternity in our hearts, yet human beings cannot fathom what God has done from the beginning to the end (Eccles. 3:11). We’re part of the great controversy raging around us--even in us--yet, too often we don’t pause long enough to consider the great cost of what has been given in order for us to be restored to the relationship God intends for us to have with Him. Too often, we find ourselves wrapped up in our earthly battles and trials, forgetting that “our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body” (Phil. 3:20-21, NKJV).

As the world plummets closer to the end, we know that a small black cloud will one day appear in the eastern sky. As it comes closer and closer, we’ll see that on that cloud sits “One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle” (Rev. 14:14, NKJV). Jesus will be accompanied by thousands upon thousands of angels (Matt. 25:31), and every eye will see Him (Rev. 1:7). As He descends, we’ll hear His shout, a trumpet call of God, and the tombs of those who fell asleep in Christ will open as they rise first (1 Thess. 4:16). They will know the voice of the One who calls them (John 5:28).

What will happen next? Read 1 Thessalonians 4:17. Ultimately, what Paul writes about in Philippians 2:10-11 will echo throughout the universe.

What an utterly incredible, magnificent thought! One day we will see Jesus--really, truly see Him. We will hear His voice, and we will confess that He is Lord. The One whom we’ve read about, prayed to, spoken of with others; the One whom our hearts have longed for … we will actually see Him face-to-face. We can be certain and sure of this, for God is faithful, and His promises are true (Rev. 22:6).

In that moment, when the trumpets sound and every human eye sees Jesus, we’ll know that it’s been worth the wait. Every persevering prayer, every moment we’ve prioritized time with Him, every time we’ve spoken boldly for Him, every trial--will be culminated in seeing His face (Rev. 22:4).

Living Today

When we look around, we see the world heaving and groaning, and the signs that Jesus told us about are playing out before our eyes. Wars and rumors of wars, nations rising against other nations, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, and persecution (Matt. 24:6-11) are happening all around us and seem only to be intensifying as time rolls on. Yes, we live in serious times--times when we need an abiding relationship with God.

We are told, “But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers” (1 Pet. 4:7, NKJV). If so then, even more so now is the time to fortify and strengthen your personal relationship with God. And regardless of how long time lasts, our individual lives are always short, no matter how long we live. “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:13-14, NKJV). We know how true that warning is. You who are reading these words now might not be alive before the day is out. This is part of the sad reality of living in a fallen world. How crucial, then, is it to make sure of our relationship with God and always to live in awareness of our need of Him and His saving grace?

Psalm 80 offers a beautiful appeal to God. Read the chapter and, in particular, consider verses 1-3, 14-17, 18, 19, and put the word “me” where it says “us.” Regardless of how different the time, place, and context of this psalm, in what ways can you personally relate to it?

We all need revival in our lives. It’s so easy to get complacent or even to be forgetful of what God has done and is doing for you. What faithful believer, even if struggling, could not pray something like this: “Cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved!” (Ps. 80:19, NKJV)? When you accept what Jesus has done for you, when you know that your sins have been forgiven and that you are covered by His perfect righteousness, credited to you by faith, you can know that you are saved in Him.

How do you understand what it means for God “to shine” His face on you, especially in the context of knowing that His righteousness alone saves you?