TABLE OF CONTENTS Lesson 1 Introduction to the Bible......................... 9 Lesson 2 How to Study the Bible......................... 31 Lesson 3 Who Was Jesus?................................. 39 Lesson 4 What Is Salvation?.............................. 45 Lesson 5 Understanding Grace........................... 57 Lesson 6 Dealing With Sin................................ 63 Lesson 7 Faith and Hope.................................. 69 Lesson 8 Making the Angels Rejoice..................... 75 Lesson 9 Discovering God s Will.......................... 81 Lesson 10 Bearing Fruit.................................... 87 Lesson 11 Spiritual Growth................................ 93 Lesson 12 Worship in Spirit and in Truth................. 97 Lesson 13 Judgment Day.................................. 101 5
INTRODUCTION This book is designed to supplement classroom or small group instruction. Effort should be made by students to work through the material before coming to class so they come as educated learners. In this way their questions may be answered and deeper levels of learning achieved. The better prepared students are the more they will be able to participate and learn, and most importantly, to understand God s will for their lives. Encourage students to keep their Bibles open as they work through these lessons so they may see and learn God s Word from the source. It is through God s Word that we learn His will and grow to become who He wants us to become, Christ-like. Also note at the beginning of each lesson the objective for the lesson and theme verse. This is provided to help students organize their thoughts and to determine if they are achieving the goals of the study. 7
FOUNDATIONS OF OUR FAITH L E S S O N 1 INTRODUCTION TO THE BIBLE OBJECTIVE The objective of this lesson is for students to identify (1) what the Bible is; (2) why the Bible is important; (3) and how the Bible is organized. KEY VERSE All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 KEY LESSON POINTS The Bible is God s Word. Jesus is the center of the Bible story. The Bible shows how we are saved. 9
LESSON 1 What the Bible Is The Bible is the Word of God. There are many Scriptures stating this or implying this. Perhaps the most common is the theme text for this lesson, 2 Timothy 3:16-17. The Bible was written by approximately 40 different men living in several different countries and different time periods. It was written between 1400 B.C. and A.D. 90. The Bible was written in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Today we have several translations in many different languages, but all are based on the three original biblical languages. Despite these differences, God inspired, or moved, the writers to keep focused on a primary message: man s redemption through one central figure Jesus, the Son of God. Why the Bible Is Important The Bible is a book God uses to show us what He is like, who He is, and what He likes and dislikes. So it is through God s Word that He speaks to us today. It is important to our eternal salvation that we understand and obey the Bible. We will explore in later lessons what specifically those things are. But be comforted in knowing that we serve a loving God who wants to show us His will and His love. How the Bible Is Organized The Bible is divided into two primary parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. Both have a purpose in and of themselves but also focus on Jesus as the central purpose. The Old Testament points to Jesus as the savior of mankind. The New Testament gives us the history and teachings of Jesus on earth, the start of the church, and how the church spread to all the world. 10
FOUNDATIONS OF OUR FAITH ACTIVITY The Bible is the of. In your own words, state why you think the Bible is important. The Bible was written by different men between B.C. through A.D.. What are the three original languages in which the Bible was written? The Old Testament points to as the savior of mankind. The New Testament gives us the: 11
LESSON 1 The Pentateuch The Old Testament The Old Testament has 39 books divided into five sections, each with a specific purpose. It is also known as The Old Law. The first five books of the Old Testament were written by Moses around 1400 B.C. They are referred to the Five Books of Moses or the Pentateuch. You may also hear them referred to as the Torah. It is in this part we learn how God created man, man s sin, and how God began to put His plan in place to save man. In this part we also learn how God gave Moses the Ten Commandments and how to live according to His will. ACTIVITY The first five books of the Bible were written by and are called the. List the books of the Pentateuch in the order you find them in your Bible. 1. The book of beginnings where we read of creation, man s fall, and how man will be saved. 2. God delivers His people from Egyptian slavery and establishes His people as a nation. 3. God gives rules to His people that show atonement for their sins, how to live holy lives, and rules for worship and sacrifice. 12
FOUNDATIONS OF OUR FAITH 4. The story of God s people wandering in the wilderness for 40 years because of their disobedience and lack of faith. 5. Moses great teaching to prepare Israel to finally enter the land promised to the people by God. 13
LESSON 1 The Books of History The next part of the Old Testament is known as the books of history. There are twelve books, which cover a large part of the history of Israel. They also contain some of the most important information of the entire story of the Bible. They tell of how Israel was formed and how it rose to power in the ancient world. It also tells of how Israel was punished by God for turning from God and to sin in many forms. But it also tells of God s faithfulness in restoring Israel. Many of the famous characters of the Bible such as David, Elijah, Solomon, Esther, and others are found in this section. Even people unfamiliar with the details of the Old Testament know many of these stories. ACTIVITY What is the purpose of the Books of History? They tell how Israel List some famous Bible characters with whom you are familiar who are found in the Books of History. Which is your favorite? 14
FOUNDATIONS OF OUR FAITH List the 12 Books of History in the order you find them in your Bible. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 15
LESSON 1 The Books of Poetry The next five books of the Old Testament are called the Books of Poetry. These are not the only poetical writings in the Bible but are classified as such as a group. These books of poetry describe the relationship man has with God and how God deals with man. ACTIVITY List the five books of poetry in the order in which they are listed in your Bible. 1. Describes the suffering and trust of a man who loved God in spite of severe suffering and testing. 2. Contains songs of praise and instruction. 3. Shows God s practical wisdom for daily life. 4. Teaches us the emptiness of a life without God, no matter how good it might seem to be. 5. Celebrates the joy of God s plan for marriage between a man and woman. 16
FOUNDATIONS OF OUR FAITH The Prophets Early in man s existence God spoke directly to the leaders of families. These were called the patriarchs. But then God began to speak to man through his prophets. A prophet was someone God used to communicate His message to the world. There were many prophets used by God other than those that wrote books of the Bible. The books named for the prophets in the Old Testament can be divided into two types: Major Prophets and Minor Prophets. The difference was the length of their writing, not their message. The Major Prophets wrote long books on what God gave them to say. The Minor Prophets wrote shorter books, but their messages were just as important. The prophets came from a variety of backgrounds and spoke to different groups, often for different reasons. Sometimes they spoke to individuals as well as groups. Most of their message was to Israel, but sometimes it involved other nations God was using for His purposes. The Major Prophets wrote their books approximately 750 and 550 B.C. The Minor Prophets wrote their books approximately between 840 and 400 BC. ACTIVITY How did God speak to man in the earliest days? For what did God use prophets in the Old Testament? 17
LESSON 1 What is the difference between the two types of prophets in the Old Testament? List the Major Prophets in the order you find them in your Bible. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. List the Minor Prophets in the order you find them in your Bible. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 18
FOUNDATIONS OF OUR FAITH The New Testament There was a period of approximately 400 years between the last book of the Old Testament and the events we find in the life of Jesus. This period was a time of war with different nations ruling over Israel. It was also a time when we have no recorded direct communication from God to man. All of this brought about a time when God decided it was right for Jesus to come to complete the plan He had put in place in Genesis 3:15 when God cursed Satan. The Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 4:4-5, But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. So now, in God s time (fullness of time), the world was ready for Jesus to come to earth. That is where the New Testament starts. The New Testament, or New Covenant (promise), reveals Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of man. In it we find three parts, each with a specific purpose. The life of Jesus (The Gospels) The beginning of the Church and the spread of Christianity (Acts) Instructions for Christian Living (The Epistles, including Revelation) ACTIVITY How many years, approximately were between the last of the Old Testament books and the gospels? 19
LESSON 1 Read Galatians 4:4-5. What does it say about when it was time for Jesus to come to earth? Where does the New Testament start? 20
FOUNDATIONS OF OUR FAITH The Gospels The detail of the life of Jesus is found in the first four books of the New Testament. These are also referred to as the Gospels. The word gospel means good news. So these books are the good news of Jesus coming to save mankind from sin. Basically, salvation means to reconcile man back to God. To reconcile something means to bring it back into balance. Salvation means that Jesus gave His life so that those who believe and obey His commands will be saved from their sins. Our lives and God would be back in balance. In a later lesson, we will study more about salvation and how we are saved. Each Gospel was written to different people and emphasized different things. The Gospels do not conflict with one another. They bring out different views of events and teachings of Jesus. Some of the Gospels give more detail about the events, while others might not even mention that same event. Although the order of events might differ slightly among the gospels, the teachings are consistent. ACTIVITY Where do we find details of the life of Jesus? What does the word gospel mean? Who is the key figure in all four of the Gospels? 21
LESSON 1 The Gospels The Book of Matthew was written by the Apostle Matthew. An apostle is someone who speaks on behalf of the one he follows. Jesus selected 12 men, including Matthew, to be His apostles who would later teach all the world about Jesus. We know Matthew was a tax collector. He was a Jew who wrote to Jews, about Jesus, who was a fellow Jew. The book of Matthew was specifically written to show that Jesus was the Jew s long-awaited Messiah. Messiah means promised deliverer, or savior. The people were looking for a savior to take them back to the days of glory found in the old times when Israel was a powerful nation feared and respected by the world. This was a misunderstanding of the nature of the promised Messiah and the purpose and teachings of Jesus. Jesus came to establish an eternal, spiritual kingdom, not a physical kingdom that passes away. The Book of Mark was written by a disciple named Mark, sometimes called John Mark. Disciple means one who is a student or follower, so a disciple of Jesus is one who studies and follows His teachings. Although not one of the original 12 apostles, Mark was a faithful follower of Jesus and a close friend of Peter. He wrote the Gospel of Mark as Peter told him the events that Peter witnessed as an apostle. Mark s intended audience were Romans who were the leading power of the day, ruling much of the civilized world. He emphasized the faithful, obedient service and sacrifice of Jesus. The Book of Luke was written by a historian Luke. He also was not an apostle but faithful disciple of Jesus and a friend of Paul. Luke was careful to write down the history of Jesus life as told by eyewitnesses. This would have included the apostles as well as others who traveled and learned from Jesus. Luke was not Jewish, 22
FOUNDATIONS OF OUR FAITH so he was referred to as a Gentile or Greek. The words gentile and Greek are used in the Bible to refer to anyone not a Jew. So Luke s Gospel was written by a non-jew to other non-jews to tell the story of a Jewish man, Jesus. Luke emphasizes the historical facts of Jesus and shows the humanity of Jesus. The Book of John was the last of the four Gospels. John was not only an apostle, but he was also a close friend of Jesus. John was with Jesus at important events such as his arrest, trial, and crucifixion. But he was also present at times when Jesus needed a close companion such as the time in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus was preparing to be arrested. John wrote his gospel to appeal to everyone teaching that Jesus was the Son of God. ACTIVITY Written especially to Jews revealing Jesus Christ as their long-awaited Messiah. Written primarily to Roman citizens and shows Jesus as a faithful and obedient servant and sacrifice. Written to a gentile world and emphasizes the historical accuracy of the life of Jesus as well as the humanity of Jesus. Written to mankind in general showing Jesus as the true Son of God. 23
LESSON 1 Acts ~ The Beginning of the Church The beginning and growth of Christianity is recorded in the Book of Acts. Acts was written by Luke, the same author of the Gospel of Luke. The book was intended as a second volume and was addressed to a man named, Theophilus. It is thought that Theophilus was a Roman official that Luke had taught about Jesus. Acts is divided into two major parts and has two main characters, Peter and Paul. The first part is from chapters 1 to 12. These tell the beginning of the church and the role Peter played in it. It includes many teachings by Peter and the other apostles. The second part of Acts begins in Chapter 13 and goes through to the end of the book in Chapter 28. During this period, we see Paul and his role in spreading the gospel to the world. ACTIVITY Who are the two main characters in the book of Acts? What are the two major parts of the book of Acts? Acts 1 12 Acts 13 28 24
FOUNDATIONS OF OUR FAITH The Beginning of the Church Acts begins with the period of time when Jesus was preparing to return to heaven. In the first chapter, He gives the apostles final instructions and then returns to heaven. Following this event, the apostles return to Jerusalem and wait for the promise Jesus had made. The apostles didn t know what to expect. They thought Jesus would return soon, so they continued in prayer. During this time, they selected a man named Matthias to replace Judas (you ll find out why he had to be replaced in another chapter) so that they had 12 men to be apostles, just as Jesus had done originally. As the apostles were waiting, a great event happened. We call this the Day of Pentecost. On this day the apostles and others were gathered together, and the Holy Spirit appeared over each of them looking like small flames of fire. The apostles began to speak in other languages as the Holy Spirit gave them the ability. This was so that everyone would understand what was being said in their own language. This event drew a large crowd. Peter then stood before the crowd and began to tell them what had happened and why. He told the crowd about Jesus and how they were guilty of having put Jesus, the Son of God, to death. As a result, the crowd cried out to Peter asking what they had to do to be forgiven. Peter responded by telling them to repent and be baptized to gain forgiveness of their sins. That day more than 3,000 people obeyed what Peter told them to do. Following the events of Pentecost, we begin to see the Church growing but remaining in Jerusalem. Acts goes on to tell how many, many other people came to learn about Jesus and obeyed the command given to repent and be baptized. A period of much trouble followed for the Christians in the early church that included some being killed and punished in other ways. As a result, many of the early Christians were driven 25
LESSON 1 out of Jerusalem. Eventually they went into all the known world and taught about Jesus wherever they went. ACTIVITY The beginning of the Church is found in Acts 2. What major event occurred in this chapter? What did the people do who heard Peter s sermon? 26
FOUNDATIONS OF OUR FAITH Instructions for Christian Living The Epistles Acts shows us the beginning of the Church and how it was spread throughout the world. As you can imagine, as the early Christians began to return to their homes in many parts of the world, they faced many problems that would challenge their faith in God. As much as they could, the apostles tried to prepare them by teaching all that Jesus had taught them. Many of these problems faced by the early Christians would be expected due to the difference of the Church and their role in it. But this would be even harder because of the persecution they would face from many who resisted the teachings of Jesus. The early Christians did not have the New Testament as we have it today. In fact, they were in the process of writing it. It wasn t until sometime later that they would have had elders, church leaders, to help them. Unlike many of our elders today, they didn t have a lifetime of teaching and experience. They did have the apostles who would write letters to them about the problems and how to deal with them. They would also write to encourage and continue to teach them about Jesus. These letters are also known as the Epistles. The word epistle means letter. Most of these letters were written by Paul, but others also wrote them, including Peter, James (the half-brother of Jesus), Jude (also a half-brother to Jesus), and John. We don t know for certain who wrote the book of Hebrews, but many believe it was Paul. 27
LESSON 1 Instructions for Christian Living The Epistles Epistles written by Paul: Romans 1 & 2 Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians 1 & 2 Thessalonians 1 & 2 Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews (possibly) General Epistles and Revelation: James 1 & 2 Peter 1, 2, 3 John Jude Revelation Revelation is also a letter written by John to Christians throughout the area known as Asia (Revelation 1:4). It is considered by some to be a book of prophecy about the return of Jesus and the final judgment. It is often misunderstood and misused. The key to understanding Revelation is that Christians are to remain faithful, even under severe persecution. The book uses coded or symbolic language that shows that Christians would face persecution but that Jesus had already won the victory and would reward those who remained faithful, even unto death. Many people try to use Revelation to predict the return of Jesus and judgment day. This is not a correct way to understand Revelation. We will study more about judgment in a later lesson. Conclusion One way we know that God loves us is that He wants us to know how to be saved from our sins and live as He would like for us to live. That is the main purpose of the Bible. We should try to learn as much as we can about God s Word and how to grow in our faith. 28
FOUNDATIONS OF OUR FAITH ACTIVITY The epistles were written to early Christians to help them with problems they faced in their effort to remain faithful. Who wrote most of the epistles? What was the purpose of the book of Revelation? In the spaces below, list the epistles in the order you find them in the Bible. The epistles probably written by Paul. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. The general epistles and Revelation. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 29
LESSON 1 PENTATEUCH Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy HOW THE BIBLE IS ORGANIZED The Old Testament (39 Books) HISTORY Joshua Judges Ruth I & II Samuel I & II Kings I & II Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Esther POETRY Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Solomon PROPHECY MAJOR MINOR PROPHETS PROPHETS Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations * Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi Time Between The Testaments (Approximately 400 Years) The New Testament (27 Books) GOSPELS HISTORY LETTERS Acts Matthew Mark Luke John Romans I & II Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians I & II Thessalonians I & II Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews ** James I & II Peter I, II & III John Jude Revelation *** God used 40 different men over approximately 1,500 years (1400 B.C. to A.D. 90) in writing the Bible. * Lamentations was written by Jeremiah to express his grief over the destruction of Jerusalem. ** Although not known for certain, many consider Hebrews to have been written by Paul. *** Some consider Revelation to be a Book of Prophecy in a section by itself. 30