Special Studies by the Monte Vista church of Christ

One of the things to pay close attention to in your Bible reading is geography. When the Lord came from heaven to this earth, He spent a lot of time in the region of Galilee in Israel. One of the main towns He spent a lot of time in was Capernaum. Usually, when people think […]

In Matthew 24:36, the Lord transitions from talking about the destruction of Jerusalem to talking about His second coming. This section addresses the second question asked by the apostles in Matthew 24:3. There appear to be at least three key differences between the Lord’s second coming and the destruction of Jerusalem. A difference in time […]

Our first lesson on Matthew 24 established how the overall topic being addressed is the destruction of Jerusalem. Several warning signs would proceed Jerusalem’s destruction in 70 A.D (Matthew 24:1-14). All of these things came to pass, just as the Lord predicted! In this lesson, we want to consider some of the more challenging verses […]

Matthew 24 is one of the most misunderstood and abused chapters in the Bible. Many believe that the signs being described in it are to be applied to our time today. Are they right? Is Jesus listing signs that will precede His second coming and the end of the world? What is the context of […]

Chapter Summary Unlike the book of 2 John (which seems to be addressed to a group of Christians), this book is written to one specific Christian (Gaius). John had a lot of love and respect for Gaius (3 John 1). Gaius is commended because he loved the truth and the church (3 John 1-6). Diotrephes […]

Book Summary John’s second inspired epistle contains both doctrinal and practical instructions. Like the book of 1 John, most scholars agree that this book was probably written between 80-90 A.D. It was addressed to “the chosen lady and her children.” This language could be symbolic of the church. The letter does seem to be written […]

Chapter 5 Summary In this chapter, John concludes his thoughts about how to maintain fellowship with God. Once again, he emphasizes that only those who practice love and obey God’s commandments are in fellowship with Him (1 John 5:1-3). In 1 John 5:4-10, John shares some important facts about our faith. Through our faith, we […]

Chapter 4 Summary In this chapter, the apostle revisits the topic of “antichrists” and false prophets (1 John 4:1-6). Remember, one of the goals of this letter is to warn the brethren against men who would deny the true nature of Jesus Christ (1 John 4:2-3). God expects His people to “test” teachers. We must […]

Chapter 3 Summary This chapter continues with the theme of maintaining fellowship with God. Part of being in fellowship with God includes becoming a child of God (1 John 3:1). Those who are “born of God” are adopted into God’s family and will receive eternal glory when the Lord comes again (1 John 2:29; 3:2). […]

Chapter 2 Summary God doesn’t want His people to sin. But when they do, they have “an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). Jesus is also described as the propitiation for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2). This means that He was the atoning sacrifice for our sins. […]