Christ Church Studies

Isaiah's twin themes of judgment against sin and comfort for sinners sit in unresolved tension with one another for much of the book. How can we reconcile these two messages? In Isaiah 52, we find the answer in a faithful servant who bore the holy judgment of God in our place.

Chapter 40 of Isaiah suddenly shifts in tone from critique to comfort. The people of God, despite their sins and failures, find a message of hope in restoration. In this session, we explore that message to understand its content and its basis in God's own unwavering determination and enabling speech.

Idolatry is a major problem. The people of God habitually compromise their worship and obedience by giving themselves over to rival gods. Especially during times of national crisis, idolatry manifests in the pursuit of powerful kings and political alliances. Isaiah has much to say about idolatry in the era of Jewish kings, and we have much to learn from his example.

Isaiah contains a series of prophetic oracles describing the impending judgment of God against many nations. We may balk at these severe depictions of divine justice, but from the perspective of Isaiah, these judgments are themselves good news. The Holy One of Israel is coming to set things to right. In this session, we consider what these ancient oracles have to teach us today, both about the nature of God and about his gospel.

The most often quoted or alluded to prophet in the New Testament is Isaiah, a book beloved by the church fathers, who sometimes referred to it as "the fifth gospel." Throughout history, Isaiah has helped Christians understand the good news of Jesus Christ. In this first session, we discuss what Isaiah "the evangelist" has to teach us about the tragic bad news of the human condition that precedes the gospel.

What work is God calling me to in this next season of my life? Vocation is one of the most pressing concerns of ordinary Christians. Many who desire to follow Jesus are unsure of what that means in the context of their own lives. In this session, Fr. Paul offers clear and succinct guidance that will help all believers to better discern what form their discipleship ought to take in their daily lives.

Self-control is widely admired, from the ancient world to our culture today. We are tempted to believe that through personal discipline, we can attain greatness. But the apostle Paul does not regard self-control as the cure to our unruly passions, but rather commends us to rely on the presence and work of the Holy Spirit. In this final session, we discuss how self-control is a result of the "means of grace."

Of all the fruits of the Spirit, perhaps the strangest to both ancient and modern cultures is that of gentleness. Gentleness sounds like weakness, and weakness is untenable in the rough-and-tumble "real world"—or so we hear. Nevertheless, Jesus is an exemplar of gentleness to all who disagreed with him, and he commends us as his followers to likewise be gentle.

Studies suggest that Americans today trust each other less and less. Yet, according to the apostle Paul, faithfulness is one of the key distinctives of a Christlike community. In this session, we discuss how God models faithfulness to his people, which in turn, makes it possible for his people to be dependable, trustworthy, and committed to one another.

Goodness can refer to so many things: a good car, a good meal, a good friend, a good man. But do we really understand what it means? In this lesson, we take up the question of "goodness" and discover how God is its one and only standard and definition. Christians can cultivate goodness through the practice of contemplating Christ and by studying the saints.