Vessels of Mercy Vessels of Wrath Vessels of Honor Vessels of Dishonor HEAVEN HELL
THINK ABOUT IT Did God cast His chosen nation, Israel, aside? Whose volition is more free, yours or God s? Are divine love and hate mere anthropopathisms? Is God unjust for choosing some over others? Did God elect us or did we elect ourselves? Are you a vessel of honor or a vessel of dishonor? How does the election of Israel relate to individuals?
People Type Divine Purpose Result Action Elect Vessels of mercy Prepared beforehand Salvation Riches of His Glory Nonelect Vessels of wrath Fitted Reprobation Destruction
9:13 9:22 9:23 Destination Loves Jacob (the elect) Desires to reveal grace blessings Heaven requires advance preparation for future responsibilities and activities Hates Esau (the non-elect) Endures with patience Hell requires nothing but a body fitted for eternal punishment
What s the difference between imputed righteousness THINK ABOUT IT and righteousness from observing the law? Is there a difference between believe and confess? Are there different kinds of calling and salvation? Can an unbeliever call upon the name of the Lord? Can you believe in Christ without hearing the gospel? Which comes first: faith or regeneration?
Believe Mentality Resurrection Righteousness Justification- Salvation Confess Mouth Deity Salvation Sanctification- Salvation
Believe Acknowledge (confession) Thought (mentality of the soul) Actions (mouth) Imputed righteousness (justification) Sanctification- Salvation (deliverance) Positional Experiential Eternal Temporal
THINK ABOUT IT Did God abrogate His unconditional promises to Israel and give them to the Church? Does man save himself by his own volition? Do unbelievers harden themselves against God, does God harden them, or are both actions in play? Why did Paul have a weak ministry to the Jews? Are Church Age believers ever referred to as Jacob?
Grace God saves sinners Produces humility Grace reigns Works Man saves himself Produces self-righteous Grace nolonger exists by his own volition arrogance
ploutos abundant benefit positional Gentiles Church Age ploutos abundance benefit experiential Gentiles Church Age pleroma superabundance blessings experiential Jews Millennium
firstfruits Abraham, Isaac, Jacob Age of Israel lump Jewish believers Age of Israel root Jesus Christ Hypostatic union branches Jewish Christians Church Age
Gentiles Jews Dispensation of Israel Dispensation of Israel Wild olive tree Cultivated olive tree Not central to God s plan Special care in God s plan Proselytes Broken off
Gentiles Jews Church Age Church Age Believers grafted in Believers grafted in much more Contrary to nature Natural order Baptism of the Holy Spirit Baptism of the Holy Spirit
THINK ABOUT IT Does so-called charismatic activity fulfill the command to worship rationally? Are doctrinal principles and psychological practices compatible? Can unbelievers live by our honor code? What s the difference between a command and a prohibition? What is the good that conquers evil?
Private Responsibility Priority What In Progress Done Let your love be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; adhere to the good. With brotherly love be devoted one to another. With honor esteeming others of the same kind more highly than yourself, With reference to application, do not be negligent. With reference to the Spirit, be eager. When serving the Lord, maintain inner happiness associated with confidence. Stand fast during pressure. Persevere in prayer. Take an interest in the things that are lacking with reference to the saints. Pursue hospitality. Speak well of those who persecute you. Keep on speaking well and s top cursing. Be happy with those who are happy; weep with those who are weeping. Keep on having the same thoughts and opinions one to another. Stop thinking about snobbish and elitist things. Become accustomed to average, undistinguished people.
Stop becoming shrewd in your own estimation. Render to no one evil in exchange for evil. Respect honorable things in the presence of all men. If possible, that is, from within you, be at peace with all types of men. Stop avenging yourselves; instead allow an opportunity for His wrath. If your enemy hungers, feed him; if he thirsts, give him a drink. Stop being conquered by evil, but conquer evil by means of good.
THINK ABOUT IT Does the principle of subjection to authority mean unlimited submission without exception? Does evil authority have God s sanction? Is it our duty as Christians to embrace a totalitarian, Communist governing authority? Will every believer reign with Christ? What does Paul mean by armor of the soul?
Political Responsibility Citizens Officials Elected Obey the governing authorities Do not feel threatened by governing authorities Keep on producing good Respect civil servants from God If you continue to produce evil, be afraid Keep paying taxes Give financial support, honor & respect to your public officials You are placed in office under God Encourage good production, threaten evil production Recognize good production Operate for the citizen s benefit Avenge law-abiding citizens by punishing evildoers Serve as one of God s delegated representatives Tend to your public service duties with diligence
Civic Responsibility Priority What In Progress Done Owe no man anything Do not commit adultery Do not commit murder Do not steal Do not covet Love your neighbor with virtue love
Spiritual Responsibility Priority What In Progress Done You must have a thorough understanding of this dispensation You must be roused out of spiritual indolence (sleepwalking stupor) Cast off the works of darkness (production from the cosmic system) Clothe yourself with the armor of light (application of Bible doctrine in the filling of the Holy Spirit) Let us walk honorably in the light Let us not engage in wild behavior, drunkenness, illicit sexual activity, licentiousness, quarreling or envy Clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ Stop making provision for the flesh due to lust patterns
THINK ABOUT IT Is the common practice of attending church on Sunday taught in Scripture? Are vegetarians more or less spiritual in God s eyes than meat eating believers? What is the royal power of God? What is an edification structure in the soul? Can you identify a person engulfed in legalism?
Church Protocol Priority What In Progress Done Accept the person who is weak in doctrine without quarreling over opinions The strong believer may eat all things; the weak believer may eat vegetables The person who eats all things must not treat the person who does not eat all things with contempt ; the person who does not eat all things must not criticize the person who eats all things A person may distinguish a day over a day; a person may prefer all days Whether we are living or whether we are dying, we should be the Lord s Let us not judge fellow believers Let no one put an obstacle or a distraction in front of a brother Do not contribute to the spiritual ruin of a fellow believer Do not allow your spiritual privilege to be maligned
Living Advantage For the Lord Blessing to others by ass n Disadvantage For himself Cursing to other by ass n Dying Advantage For the Lord Blessing to others by ass n Disadvantage For himself Cursing to others by ass n
Spiritual Protocol Priority What In Progress Done Pursue (spiritually) prosperous things, especially those related to the edification complex Stop demolishing the work of God for the sake of food It is advantageous not to eat meat, nor to drink wine, nor by that which your brother might stumble Keep holding doctrine within yourself before God
THINK ABOUT IT Are there limits to Christian liberty? How do you obtain the thinking of Christ? How long does it take to be filled to the point of overflowing with every category of knowledge? Was Paul s trip to Jerusalem sanctioned by God? Can you obtain God s blessing without doctrine? What is the geographical will of God?
THINK ABOUT IT What is the role of a deacon? An elder? Does the word church refer to a building? What s the difference between a dissenter and a schismatic? Is it OK to be led by your emotions? What is more important, the message or the man?
Tier 1 Award Winners Phoebe Prisca Aquila Epaenetus Mary Andronicus Junia Ampliatus Urbanus Stachus Apelles Slaves Herodion Freed slaves Tryphena Tryphosa Persis Rufus His mother Business woman, administrative assistant, world traveler Tent-maker wife (mentioned before her husband) Tent maker husband Paul s first convert in Turkey Self-sacrificing laborer in the Lord Paul s missionary cousin, imprisoned with him Paul s missionary cousin, imprisoned with him One of Paul s beloved converts Freed slave, city bred Good friend of Paul Under lots of pressure, endured testing with honors Belonging to Aristobulus, the grandson of Herod A Jew named after Herod Once belonged to Narcissus whom Nero executed Twin sister who labored to the point of exhaustion Twin sister who labored to the point of exhaustion Multi-talented, mature Christian woman Loved hearing about the doctrine of election Rufus mother took Paul under her wing
Tier 2 Honorable Mention Asyncritus Philegon Hermes Patrobus Hermas Members of their local church Philologus Julia Nereus Nereus sister Olympas Members of their local church