Adult Bible Class Summer Quarter 2018 SUMMER QUARTER For Adults Ages 26 & Up
Vol. CIV No. 3 Adult Bible Class SUMMER QUARTER June, July, August 2018 Editorial... 2 Justice in the New Testament UNIT I: Our Just and Merciful God June 3 Justice and Sabbath Laws Matt. 12:1-14... 4 June 10 Parables of God s Just Kingdom Matt. 13:24-33... 9 June 17 Teachings on Justice Matt. 15:1-9... 14 June 24 Reaping God s Justice Luke 16:19-31... 19 UNIT II: Calls for Justice and Mercy July 1 Parable of the Unforgiving Servant Matt. 18:21-35... 24 July 8 Unjust Leaders Matt. 23:1-8, 23-26... 29 July 15 The Widow and the Unjust Judge Luke 18:1-8... 34 July 22 Entering God s Kingdom Luke 13:22-30... 39 July 29 Parable of the Great Dinner Luke 14:15-24... 43 UNIT III: New Life in Christ Aug. 5 God s Justice Rom. 2:1-12... 47 Aug. 12 Sharing with Those in Need II Cor. 8:7-15... 51 Aug. 19 Practicing Genuine Love Rom. 12:9-21... 55 Aug. 26 Practicing Godly Virtues Col. 3:5-17... 59 Paragraphs on Places and People... 63 Daily Bible Readings... 64 Editor in Chief: Todd Williams Edited and published quarterly by THE INCORPORATED TRUSTEES OF THE GOSPEL WORKER SOCIETY UNION GOSPEL PRESS DIVISION Rev. W. B. Musselman, Founder Price: $2.50 per quarter* $10.00 per year* *shipping and handling extra ISBN 978-1-59843-694-5 Lessons based on International Sunday School Lessons; the International Bible Lessons for Christian Teaching, copyright 2014 by the Committee on the Uniform Series and used with permission. Edited and published quarterly by The Incorporated Trustees of the Gospel Worker Society, Union Gospel Press Division, 2000 Brookpark Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44109-5812. Mailing address: P.O. Box 6059, Cleveland, Ohio 44101-1059. www.uniongospelpress.com
EDITORIAL Justice and Mercy JOHN LODY The Scriptures have much to say about both justice and mercy. As Christians, we know that our God is both just and merciful and both righteous and forgiving. But many Christians tend to see these attributes of God as opposed to each other as if somehow God s justice must give way to His mercy in order for anyone to be saved. Surprisingly, nothing could be further from the truth, as we shall see. God s justice and mercy are essentially and inseparably linked. Psalm 19:9 tells us that the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. John asserted in his first letter that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all (1:5). Gerard Van Groningen wrote, God is holy; he totally and completely distances himself from sin, evil, corruption, and the resultant filth and guilt. He maintains his purity and rejects, fights against, and destroys that which would offend, attack, or undo his holiness and love. Hence, God s anger and wrath must always be seen in relation to his maintaining and defending his attributes of love and holiness, as well as his righteousness and justice. The emotion or passion that moves God to this maintaining and defending is expressed by the terms displeasure, indignation, anger, and wrath. A consequence of his wrath is vengeance, punishment, and death (Elwell, ed., Baker s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Baker). It is with this understanding of God s perfect holiness and justice, 2 especially His unquenchable wrath against human sin, that we must view God s mercy. Without this fully developed understanding of God s justice, His grace and mercy do not exist. Because of God s perfect holiness and justice, it was necessary for Jesus to die for our sins. In supreme, divine love, God chose to assuage His own holy, righteous wrath against sinners by sacrificing His own precious Son to pay the price for our sin. If God were not wholly just, there would have been no need for a propitiation of His wrath against our sin by the atoning blood of Christ (cf. I John 2:2). The Greek word translated propitiation is related to the Greek word for the mercy seat on the ark of the covenant, and it is used here to signify the appeasement of, or the soothing of, wrath. Another common misapprehension about justice and mercy that many Christians assume is seeing God the Father as the source of justice, judgment, wrath, and punishment but Jesus, in contrast, as the One who represents love, grace, and forgiveness. Often this finds further expression in the idea of an Old Testament God of judgment and a New Testament God (that is, Jesus) of love, compassion, and forgiveness. Once again, nothing could be further from the truth as revealed in Scripture. We can begin to refute these ideas biblically by starting with the Bible s most well-known verse about God s love and salvation, John 3:16: For
God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. Notice who is loving here; it is none other than God the Father Himself, who so love[s] the world. Jesus is characterized as the Agent of His Heavenly Father s abundant love, not the originator of it. God the Father initiated the mission of His Son to appease His own righteous wrath against the sins of the world by sending Jesus as the Lamb of God (1:29) to take away our sins. So much for the notion that love and mercy are the unique characteristics of Jesus rather than the Father. As for the notion that the old and new covenants somehow represent two distinct Deities, one of wrath and judgment and the other of love and mercy, we need only heed the words of Jesus Himself: But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him (Luke 12:5). Jesus called the religious leaders a generation of vipers who would not escape the damnation of hell (Matt. 23:33). Jesus also said, The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth (13:41-42). For further proof that the New Testament God is no less just and judgmental than the God of the Old Testament, consider also these passages: John 3:35-36, Revelation 20:15, 21:8, Mark 9:45, and James 3:6. The Old Testament God is the same God of love and mercy as the One revealed through Jesus Christ in the New Testament. Remember that the two greatest commandments extolled by Jesus about loving God and your neighbor are from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. Then consider these additional affirmations of love and mercy from the Old Testament: Deuteronomy 7:9, Jeremiah 31:3, Psalms 103:8, 116:5, and Jonah 4:2. Make no mistake every attempt to minimize, de-emphasize, or ignore God s justice and wrath against human sin also minimizes, devalues, and cheapens the mercy, grace, and forgiveness offered in the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. The justice of God is the cause and the foundation of salvation in Christ, and mercy and forgiveness in Christ mean nothing unless God s perfect justice first calls for His judgment and wrath against all sin. Adult Bible Class 3
LESSON 1 JUNE 3, 2018 Scripture Lesson Text MATT. 12:1 At that time Je sus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. 2 But when the Phar i-sees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. 3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what Da vid did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; 4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? 6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. 7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. 9 And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: 10 And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. 11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? 12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. 13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. 14 Then the Phar i-sees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. NOTES 4
Justice and Sabbath Laws Lesson: Matthew 12:1-14 Read: Matthew 12:1-21 TIME: A.D. 28 PLACE: Galilee GOLDEN TEXT If ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless (Matthew 12:7). Lesson Exposition SABBATH COMPLAINT Matt. 12:1-8 Concern (Matt. 12:1-2). The Sabbath was the Jewish day of rest, beginning at sundown Friday and ending at sundown Saturday. It was to be a day of rest and worship. Since breaking the Sabbath could be a capital offense (cf. Exod. 31:15; Num. 15:32-36), we can understand the concern of the Pharisees about a possible breach of the Sabbath. Through the centuries, Christians have debated the relationship between the Sabbath and the Lord s Day. The New Testament is clear that the early church met on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; I Cor. 16:1-2), called the Lord s Day (Rev. 1:10). Many believe that the Sabbath principle of rest and worship continues for the Lord s Day, although it should not be applied legalistically (cf. Rom. 14:5-6). Jesus disciples became hungry as they walked through a grainfield; so they plucked and ate some of the grain. When the King James Version uses the word corn, as it does in Matthew 12:1, it can mean any kind of grain, not just maize, which is native to the New World. Concerned that they not break the Sabbath law, the Pharisees had come up with a lengthy list of actions that were said to violate this holy day. Jewish tradition listed 39 major kinds of work which were forbidden on the sabbath, including the plucking and rubbing out of grain (Allen, ed., Broadman Bible Commentary, Broadman). As far as the Pharisees were concerned, the Saviour s disciples were working as they walked along. In actuality, what the disciples did was permissible according to the Mosaic Law. While walking through a vineyard or grainfield, a traveler was permitted to eat as he went (Deut. 23:24-25). He was not allowed to gather more than he could consume, however. The Pharisees, with their manmade restrictions, did not see this as permissible on the Sabbath. Concession (Matt. 12:3-4). Jesus responded to the Pharisees charge by referring to an incident recorded in I Samuel 21:1-6. Fleeing from King Saul s murderous rage, David came to Nob, the city of the priests at that time. So urgent was David s departure that he did not have time to secure any food for his journey. When he asked for Adult Bible Class 5