Major Texts: Isa. 41:10; Luke 19:41-44; Matt. 23:37, 38; Heb. 11:35-38; Rev. 2:10; Acts 2:44-47; John 13:35.

Opening Question: “Should we regard persecution as something good for the Church, or bad?”

The lesson this week picks up the story of the Great Controversy as it played out in the very early stages of the Christian era. It is widely known that the first few centuries after which Christianity appeared in Jerusalem, were very difficult years. The church faced a lot of adversity as did individual Christians. Some periods of time were truly grim featuring the execution of Christians because they would ...