ADULT SABBATH SCHOOL BIBLE STUDY GUIDE

TEACHERS EDITION: 
Final Publication Copy

AGENTS OF HOPE: GOD’S GREAT MISSIONARIES

by:
Gary Krause

July, August, September
2008

Contents
 1  For Such a Time As This: The Apostle Paul —June 28–July 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
 2  “All Things to All Men”: Paul Preaches to the World—July 5 –11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
 3  John the Baptist: Preparing the Way for Jesus—July 12–18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
	 4  The Son of God Among Us—July 19–25 . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
	 5  Matthew 10: Jesus and His Disciples—July 26–August 1 . . .60
	 6  The Compassionate Savior—August 2–8 . . . . . . . . . . . 73
	 7  The Apostle John—August 9–15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
	 8  From Folly to Faith: The Apostle Peter—August 16–22 . . . 97
	 9  A Pillar of Mission: The Apostle Peter—August 23–29 . . .109
	10  Women of Mission—August 30–September 5 . . . . . . . . . .121
11  Mission in a Pagan Land: Daniel and Company—September 6–12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  132 
	12  Gifted for Service: Philip—September 13–19 . . . . . . 145
13  “Here Am I; Send Me!”: The Prophet Isaiah—September 20–26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Come visit us at our Web site at
[http://www.absg.adventist.org] http://www.absg.adventist.org

Editorial Office:
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904

Principal Contributor:
Gary Krause

Editor:
Clifford R. Goldstein

Associate Editor:
Soraya Homayouni Parish

Publication Manager:
Lea Alexander Greve

Editorial Assistants:
Tresa Beard
Sharon Thomas-Crews

Pacific Press® Coordinator:
Paul Hey

Art Director and Illustrator:
Lars Justinen

Concept Design:
Dever Design

The following teachers edition components were written by the following:
1. The Lesson in Brief: James Zackrison, freelancer writer, Burtonsville, Md. U.S.A.
2. The Learning Cycle, lessons 1-4: Alan Hecht, librarian, Rebok Memorial Library, General Conference, Silver Spring, Md., U.S.A.
3. The Learning Cycle, lessons 5-8: Stephen Chavez, managing editor, Adventist Review, General Conference, Silver Spring, Md., U.S.A.
4. The Learning Cycle, lessons 9-12: Mark Kellner, news editor, Adventist Review, General Conference, Silver Spring, Md., U.S.A.
5. The Learning Cycle, lesson 13: Bettina Krause, special assistant to the president, General Conference, Silver Spring, Md., U.S.A.
The Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide is prepared by the Office of the Adult Bible Study Guide of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The preparation of the guides is under the general direction of a worldwide Sabbath School Manuscript Evaluation Committee, whose members serve as consulting editors. The published guide reflects the input of the committee and thus does not solely or necessarily represent the intent of the author(s).

Bible Versions Table

	Scripture references other than from the King James Version quoted by permission in this Bible study guide, for 
Standard Edition Third Quarter 2008, are as follows:
	The Message, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
	NEB. From the New English Bible, copyright © by the Delegates of the Oxford University Press and the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press, 1961, 1970. Used by permission.
	NIV. Texts credited to NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
	NKJV. Texts credited to NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
	NLT. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.	

Agents of Hope

	Swede Ingmar Bergman told a story about a knight named Antonius Block who kneels in front of a confessional to confess his sins. He does not realize until later that he is talking to Death—a shadowy, robed character—rather than a priest. Block declares that he is seeking not faith, not suppositions, but knowledge. 
	“I want,” he says, “God to stretch out His hand toward me, reveal Himself, and speak to me.” 
	Death says back that perhaps there is no God, that there is only nothing. 
	“Then,” says Block, “life is an outrageous horror. No one can live in the face of death, knowing that all is nothingness.”
	Today millions live in the face of such nothingness. They have no faith in God, no hope in anything past the world around them. No wonder, then, that so many focus on the comforts of this life, seeking solace in pleasure and the various worldly distractions. The Christian faith—which calls upon us to “fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18, NIV)—is foreign to them.
	As Christians, we are God’s agents to bring these people hope, to show that there is a God who loves and cares for them, to show that although life has many outrageous horrors, it is not ultimately an outrageous horror but that God will finally make all things right.
	The Bible gives us many inspirational stories of God’s agents of hope. In this quarter’s lessons we will focus on some of these outstanding missionaries; on whom they were and what they did in seeking to bring others to a saving knowledge of the Lord of salvation. 
	Ellen G. White tells the story of a man nearly chilled to death in deep snow. He was about to give up struggling for his life when he heard the moans from a fellow traveler nearby. His first impulse was to rescue the other man. When he found him, he rubbed the man’s frozen limbs. He finally got him to his feet and carried him through the drifts to safety. 
	Then “the truth flashed home to him that in saving his neighbor he had saved himself also” by quickening “the blood which was freezing in his own veins.”—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 319.
	The point? A healthy church is a church focused on mission to others. Sharing God’s love with the community brings fresh life and energy into the church. 
	It would be a mistake this quarter to study these biblical agents as interesting historical figures and leave it at that. Rather, we need to catch the inspiration of their lives and focus on our mission to this dying world. There is nothing more refreshing, or more life-giving, than reaching out to others. 
	Our prayer is that this quarter’s lessons on biblical agents of hope will lead us into a renewed commitment to share God’s love with our neighbors and friends and in mission fields around the world. In so doing, we may just find that we have entered into a whole new dimension in our Christian lives.		

Gary Krause, an Australian born to missionary parents in Fiji, is director of the Office of Adventist Mission at the General Conference. He is married to Bettina, and they have one daughter, Bethany Grace. 

TE-3Q-2008-01-The Lesson in Brief					

Key Text: Romans 15:17
The Student Will:

Know: Recognize that Paul was especially chosen and equipped for a special ministry.
	Feel: A desire to use the gifts and talents the Lord has given us for His service. 
	Do: Inspire each class member to build a discipleship program into his or her lifestyle that will allow time for developing and using their God-given gifts and talents.

Learning Outline:

I.		Paul the “Zealot” (Gal. 1:14, 1 Tim. 1:12–14). See also in Friday’s lesson a quote from Selected Messages, book 1, p. 214. 

A. How do you explain that Paul, before and after his conversion, was always a religious zealot? 
 B. Indicate some of the ways in which Paul’s
    conversion experience changed him from one kind of      zealot into another kind? 

II. Life and Salvation Through Christ (1 Cor.
   2:2)
		A. Why does this week’s lesson categorize Paul as a man of like passions” as ourselves?
		B. In your own words, summarize Paul’s concept on the role of Jesus in the Christian faith.

	III. Themes of Hope (1 Tim. 6:11)
	A. Why would a “zealot” Jewish-trained rabbi such as Paul be called to take the gospel to non-Jewish people?
	B. Read Revelation 14:6, 7. Do you see any parallels between Paul’s calling and this message?   

Summary: If Paul could do it, we can do it! His unique 
background prepared him for a unique mission. Our personal background prepares us for some unique mission as the Lord shows it to us. 

TE-3Q-2008-01-Learning Cycle	

STEP 1—Motivate
			
Have you ever felt that your inadequacies disqualify you to serve God in any meaningful way? Maybe it’s a personality defect that you struggle with. You have a short temper or you procrastinate. Perhaps you look at other people who seem to have more marketable talents. You’re not as smart as Stephen Hawking. You’re not as attractive as Angelina Jolie or Brad Pitt. Or perhaps your past life shames or embarrasses you. You’ve done things and been places that forever disqualify you from running for president or being successfully nominated for a high position in your nation’s government.
				As it turns out, none of these things matter to
God. God specializes in taking our weaknesses and making them into strengths. 
Based on this, ask class members to talk about 
things they have done or have happened to them that seemed to be negatives but became positives. (Alternative: If this is too personal or revealing, ask for examples from the Bible, history, or the news.)

STEP 2—Explore

	Bible Commentary

	I. Confidence in Christ
	(Review Rom. 15:17 with your class.)

Paul spends a large part of Romans systematically
	deconstructing any reasons his readers might have for
	faith in themselves and their future. Gentiles are
	almost uniformly pagans and degenerates dooming
	themselves to destruction. Jews are almost as bad,
	possibly worse because they fail to live up to their
	own standards and add hypocrisy to an already long
	list. What is there to hope for then?  
		“Paul’s glorying was not in himself but ‘through
	Christ Jesus. . . .’ He recognized that he has nothing
whereof to boast. . . . but that as a minister of the gospel he did all things in and through Christ”—The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p.645.

	Consider This: Why is it so natural for us to look to
	our own presumed personal qualities or external factors
	when we really should be focusing on God and the valid
	sense of confidence and self-worth that He wants to
	give us through Christ? How might one remind oneself of
	this in one’s daily life? 

	# How do the following verses elaborate on
	the confidence we are given in Christ?  2 Cor. 10:17,
	Phil. 4:13.

	II. Christ Here and Hereafter 
		(Review 2 Cor. 1:20-24 with your class.)

	Consider This:	Our faith in Christ and His plans for us
	are not some silly fantasy about an imaginary superhero
	in the sky. What has He already done for us to make
	Himself worthy of our trust?

	“That is, through Christ. All the promises of God
	became incarnate in Him, they met their fulfillment in
	Him. He is thus the evidence of the reliability of all
	the divine promises made to the fathers. . . . The
	Christian faith is an absolute certainty.”—The SDA
	Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p.832.
		“Through Christ the promises are proved reliable,
	and through His people are they proved efficacious.
	Through the life and ministry of Paul in particular the
	name of God was being glorified.”—The SDA Bible
	Commentary, vol. 6, p.833.

	III. The Cross
	(Review 1 Cor. 1:18 with your class.)

This verse indicates that what would have been regarded as most shameful and difficult about the Christian message Paul preached was really the most central fact of Jesus’ life and ministry.
	Consider This: To people who don’t understand Christ’s
ministry or what He came to save us from, the concept and image of the Cross might seem wholly depressing, but it’s also the only chance we have, because there the Lord did what was needed for us to have the hope of salvation.

	IV. Themes of Hope
	(Review Eph. 2:8–10 with your class.)

	Consider This: What is missing from many people’s
	experience of salvation in Christ?

	This verse teaches us that salvation does not mean that
	Christ saves us and simply walks off, leaving us to do
	whatever we were doing before. On the contrary, we are
	being sanctified, in a very real sense re-created to be
	what we were meant to be in the first place.  How do we
	experience this promise of sanctification in our lives
	on a daily basis?

	V. Themes of Truth
		(Review Thess. 4:13–15 with your class.)

Consider This: For all his emphasis on grace and the centrality of Christ, His perfect life, and His sacrifice, Paul apparently thought it was very important that his readers have precisely the correct information on what happens after death, the end of time, etc.  Why does Paul think these things are important? How do they fit in with our message to the world?

STEP 3—Practice
	
	Thought Questions:

Ø How was Paul’s background a hindrance or disadvantage to him in the path he later took? In what ways was it an advantage? A disadvantage?
  
Ù What false notions, cultural conditioning, and prejudices did Paul have to overcome? What about ourselves? In what ways has our background, education, and culture worked against us? How can we overcome these barriers?
	
	Application Questions:

Ø One thing most people know about Paul is that he changed his name from Saul. Why do you think he changed it?

Ù One thing that is often emphasized about Jesus is that He did not emphasize His rights, accepting unjust treatment and death. What example does Paul give us here? When is it legitimate for us to fight aggressively for our own rights?

	Witnessing
As we see how Paul allowed God to use his unique talents, personality, and life history, how can we make use of our own uniqueness, flaws and all, to call people to Jesus?

STEP 4—Apply

Consider This: Ask class members to share ways in which God has shown Himself to them in different circumstances.

Paul had a particularly interesting conversion experience. But it could be argued that all conversion experiences are interesting in their way. Write yours down. Be prepared to share it with others, either in group settings or one on one. How is it similar to, or different from, those you have heard about from other people? How was God uniquely preparing you for service to Him?  No matter how different the circumstance might have been, what things did the various experiences have in common with each other? 
Do you know yourself as well as you could? Which aspects of your personality and temperament help you in your Christian life, and which hinder you? Find out. 
	It goes without saying that Paul was a man of prayer. Pray for God’s guidance in your service to Him and mean it. Be prepared to follow it.
Paul’s path led him to join with the people he initially hated the most. Do you have any prejudices or negative first impressions of individuals or groups you might want to put aside? Think about it.

Invite a class member to close with prayer.

TE-3Q-2008-02-The Lesson in Brief

Key Text: 1 Corinthians 9:22				
The Student Will:
		Know: Indicate to the class some of the ways in which Paul adapted the Christian message to the contemporary culture. 		Feel: The importance of adapting the presentation of the message without changing the message itself. 		Do: Figure out some ways to do the same thing in presenting the Advent message to people.Learning Outline:
	I.  “All Things to All People” (1 Corinthians 9:22)A. How do you do that? B. Read Paul’s sermon in Acts 13:13-41 and his sermon in Acts 17:16-31. What’s the difference?			C. What happened in the new church in Antioch in Syria that had never happened before in the young Christian church?	II. Keeping the Message Intact (1 Timothy 4:16)			A. You heard someone present the Adventist message in an entirely different way than you learned it, and you didn’t like it! What made you feel that way? 			B. Discuss this question with the class: “Why is it important to keep the Advent message intact even if you present it in a unique way?”			III. Dealing with Athenian PhilosophersCase Study: Your friend is a secular person        indifferent to religion. “It’s fine for those				who like it, but you can take it or leave it.”      What do you say to this contemporary “Athenian      philosopher”?  	  Summary: If people don’t understand what’s being said, they 		won’t listen. Paul set an example of how to communicate Christianity in different settings and gave us some good ideas on how to make the Advent message understandable.	
	TE-3Q-2008-02-Learning Cycle

	STEP 1—Motivate

Jesus said that the truth would set us free. As Christians, we have found that the truth Jesus presented to us and the world did indeed set us free. But that doesn’t mean all our problems go away, and one of those problems arises from friends, relatives, or business associates who don’t like or appreciate our new lifestyle and worldview.
How did Paul overcome similar barriers in a culture in which much of his message was completely alien to many of his hearers? What can we learn from his experience? 
Based on this, ask the class members to describe a situation in which they had to stand up for their faith in an unfriendly environment. How did it go? What did they learn? What mistakes did they make? What might they do differently next time?

STEP 2—Explore
Bible Commentary

I. All Things to All People
(Review 1 Cor. 9:22 with your class.)
From what we can glean about Paul’s career elsewhere in
the New Testament, a tendency to compromise was not one       of his vices/virtues. It is quite clear that Paul did          not advocate any compromise on essentials, and that            smooth social interaction was not his primary interest.
     ”Everything that Paul did, his ready adaptation to        the particular society in which he found himself and           his willingness to be tolerant and patient toward all   
men had  but one objective—the saving of those who        		would believe his message.”—The SDA Bible Commentary,        	vol. 6, p. 734.

Consider This: What do such passages as Acts 9:19–22 or  
Acts 13:14–16 say to us about how this approach looks
when put into action?  
	
II. Witness to the Athenians
(Review Acts 17:18–33 with your class.)
Consider This: The following commentary explains why Paul’s approach to the Athenians differs so much from examples of his preaching and teaching recorded elsewhere in that it is one of the few that do not appeal to Scripture and in fact refers to other literature of the day. 
“By quoting from their own literature, Paul illustrated his policy of becoming ‘all things to all men’ (1 Cor. 9:22). They would recognize that they were not dealing with an uneducated Jew. . . ., but with a man possessed of a culture like their own, and familiar with the thoughts of their poets.”—The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 354.  
	Why do you think Paul took this approach? How might we need to do something similar in our attempts to reach out to those who don’t have a biblical background at all? What good is quoting the Bible to people who don’t pay any heed or attention to it? 

	III. The Sticking Point
	(Review Acts 17:34 with your class.)

Paul was able to convince his hearers that his “philosophy” was at least worthy of consideration, up until the point at which he had to bring up (so to speak) the resurrection of the dead. 
      It is instructive to note that even though Paul was quite willing to adapt his message to his audience, he was not willing to omit important pieces of information to make the parts that remained more palatable. How important that we learn to do the same thing; that is, to approach people where they are at but not to stop there. We need to bring them along to where they need to be.

Consider This: Acts 17:34 shows us very clearly that
the “all things to all people” approach does not
justify any effort to alter the truth either actively
or passively.

	IV. Building Churches and the Church
		(Review Rom. 15:18–23 with your class and compare
		with 1 Cor. 3:6–14.)

		Consider This: Paul is quite specific in this passage
		in regard to his method of spreading the message. Two
		things stand out: He avoided extraneous matters,
		speaking only of Christ and His qualities and
		accomplishments, and he avoided going to places where
		someone else had already preached Christ.
# What does this say to us today about, for example,
		our relationship to other Christian churches, or
		efforts to convince other Christians of our distinctive
		doctrines?
		
			In the light of his other writings, it is probably
		reasonable to assume that Paul is describing his form
		of evangelism and ministry, not prescribing it for all
		others in all times and places.

	V. Becoming an Example
		(Review 1 Thess. 1:6–8 with your class.)

Consider This: Being a witness to God is not just telling people about Him, but giving evidence that you yourself have experienced God.

“The Thessalonian believers were true missionaries. Their hearts burned with zeal for their Savior, who had delivered them from a fear of ‘the wrath to come.’ ”— Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 256.

   Consider This: Nowhere is it suggested that the      Thessalonians were such good examples because they      were perfect. In his letters to them, Paul makes his      share of corrections and suggestions. But the      Thessalonians were growing, learning, and sharing  their faith.

STEP 3—Practice
Thought Questions:
Ø Most of us have probably heard or been told that we should not study non-Christian philosophies and religions because it is better to become familiar with what we know is true rather than with what we know not to be true. Do you agree?
 
Ù What does the fact that Paul is able to find material to support his points in classical Greek literature suggest to you? 

	Application Question:
In many parts of the world, pastors and church members are departing from the traditions and habits that have defined church for centuries, creating megachurches, seekers’ churches, etc. While these have been wildly successful, at least in the sense of drawing big crowds, they also have drawn their share of criticism. How do we determine which church traditions are based upon 
principle and which are merely a matter of habit or taste? 

	Witnessing
How can Paul’s methods teach us how to reach out to the larger community in a multicultural, multiethnic society?

Consider This:	What aspects of Adventism do you think might particularly appeal to the non-Adventists you know?  What parts might that person find objectionable? How can help smooth out these potentially objectionable aspects of our faith without compromising it?

STEP 4—Apply

Consider This: Ask class members to describe ways in which they have engaged or could engage segments of society that they are unfamiliar with. Offer the 
following suggestions for bringing God’s message to a world where many people might not share our traditions and assumptions.

	Try This:
Ø Is there another culture or subculture that you are curious about? Learn about it. 
Ù Some of the divisions in our larger society are mirrored in the church. Try crossing these divides occasionally. Example: Why not visit a church that is primarily of another ethnic background?
Ú Develop a friendship with someone whose religious beliefs and/or lifestyle differs from your own. 
									
Invite a class member to close with prayer.

											
										
 TE-3Q-2008-03-The Lesson in Brief
 
Key Text: Matthew 11:11

The Student Will:

		Know: The content and validity of the comparison 		between John the Baptist and the remnant church. 
		Feel: A sincere assurance of belonging to God’s 		last-day people with a special mission to the 		world.
		Do: Develop a plan to spend time participating in 		a “John the Baptist” ministry. 
Learning Outline:

	I.  A Special Calling (Luke 1:76)
		A. What are the parallels between John’s “special 		calling” and the “special calling” of the Seventh-		day Adventist Church?
	II. Special Message (Matt. 11:14)
		A. As a class, review the historic Seventh-day 		Adventist understanding of the “Elijah message.”
		B. There are those who either do not understand 		this message’s importance or do not wish to 		recognize its importance. Why is the historic 		Seventh-day Adventist understanding still valid?
 
	III. Crucial Lessons (Matt. 3:2)
		A. What did Jesus refer to when He said that the 		“least” in the kingdom is “greater” than John? 		(Matt. 11:11)? 
		B. What are some of today’s answers to the 		people’s question to John in Luke 3:10  “What 		should we do then?” (NIV). 
		C. In Colossians 2:8 Paul talked about “hollow and 		deceptive philosophy, which depends on human 		tradition. . . .” What contemporary application 		might that have in your church or personal life? 
Summary: John the Baptist was called to prepare the way for 
Jesus’ first advent. His mission parallels that given God’s people at the end of time.  

TE-3Q-2008-03-Learning Cycle

STEP 1—Motivate

John the Baptist’s life was not an easy or pleasant one by ordinary standards. Not only did his message and way of life put him strongly at odds with much of society, but there was no ego gratification in it. His whole purpose was to prepare the way for Someone else. As far as he knew, when Jesus came he would be forgotten, or at most a footnote. And yet, John the Baptist was not forgotten. Not by his fellow humans, not by Jesus, and not by the Bible. 
Ask class members to describe any instances in which they felt that their efforts to serve God or follow God’s will seemed to be failing. What did they learn from these experiences that could be of value to others?

STEP 2—Explore

 Bible Commentary

	I. Preparing the Way
		(Review Matt. 11:11 with your class.)

In his time, John often was compared to Old Testament prophets. Jesus here points out that he was in fact much greater and more fortunate, in that his whole purpose was to announce the coming of the kingdom of heaven in the person of Christ. Any of the prophets of the Old Testament would have given anything for the certainty that they would not only be the ones to predict this happening imminently but would live to see it themselves.
Conversely, he was not quite as fortunate as those who actually would live to see Jesus’ ministry fulfilled in His death, resurrection, and ascension.
Consider This: We live in the time after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension and thus know things that completely eluded Jesus’ own apostles and followers when He walked the earth. Therefore according to Jesus Himself, we are “greater” (more privileged, actually) than John the Baptist or any of the others who didn’t live to know about the death and resurrection of Jesus. What do you think of this idea? Are we really more privileged than these people? 
Also, what advantages do we have over them in terms of seeing a lot of prophecy fulfilled that they, in their own time, didn’t?

	II. Responding to the Call 
		(Review Luke 1:80 with your class.)

Consider This:	The Gospels make clear that John was called to his ministry long before he even existed. But he didn’t merely wait for things to “fall into place.” Look at Luke 1:15, Luke 1:80, and Matthew 3:2.
	
“God does not force the will of His creatures. . . . It remains for us to choose whether we will be set free from the bondage of sin, to share the glorious liberty of the sons of God.”—Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, pp. 43–44.

	III. The Elijah Message
		(Review Matt. 11:14 with your class.)

Elijah is one of the most compelling prophets in the Bible. Like John the Baptist and Jesus, he wasn’t much of a writer. All the surviving material concerning him is about—not by—him. Yet, his message didn’t require much writing. It was the message of the whole Bible before and after his time, stripped to essentials: “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.” 

Consider This: Out of all the prophets, Elijah was the one most associated as an individual with the hope for the end of days. Why do you think this is the case?

	IV. Repent and Change
(Review Matt. 3:2 with your class.)

Consider This: In John’s message, it could be suggested that the repentance was to be followed by action. How is our faith revealed by our behavior?
				
“James contends that ‘faith’ which does not result in good ‘works’ is worthless. Genuine faith is obvious to others from the ‘works’ it produces; its existence does not rest on mere personal testimony.”—The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, pp. 520–521.

	V. Tradition 
	(Review Col. 2:8 with your class.)
Consider This: What exactly is tradition, and why might it be harmful to one’s spiritual life? 

When we speak of tradition, it might help to know exactly what we mean by the term. According to the online Wikipedia, “the word tradition comes from the Latin word tradition which means ‘to hand down’ or ‘to hand over.’ However, on a more basic theoretical level, tradition(s) can be seen as information or composed of information. For that which is brought into the present from the past, in a particular societal context, is information. This is even more fundamental than particular acts or practices even if repeated over a long sequence of time. For such acts or practices, once performed, disappear unless they have been transformed into some manner of communicable information.”— “Tradition,” Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Tradition.

Consider This: It is clear that tradition in Jesus’ time was much more than “things we do over and over” as we tend to think of it today. As such, it became a substitute for God for many people, especially as it touched upon the relationship between human beings and God. We can assume that this was the major point of the antipathy to “tradition” we find in the New Testament.

STEP 3—Practice

	Thought Questions:

Ø John and his message were obviously attractive to many people. What was it about him and his teaching that drew some and repelled others? 

Ù Can justification by faith be found in John’s message?  If so, where?

	Application Questions:
Ø John was sure of his calling. Can we be sure that God does have a distinct calling for each of us? How might we find it? 

Ù Is there anything in our lives/society today that exerts a force comparable to that exerted by the “traditions of men” in the New Testament era?

	Witnessing
How can we call people to make the changes necessary in their lives? Is it enough to introduce them to Jesus and allow the rest to follow?

STEP 4—Apply

Consider This: Ask class members to share ways in which God has guided them in their spiritual lives. Offer the following suggestions for claiming God’s help in becoming the people He intends for them to be and to act on what they learn.
• Take a day, a weekend, or an hour to shut out the
distractions and listen to God’s voice. Set aside a special time and—ideally-a place to communicate with God and have Him communicate with you.
			• The next time you are tempted to indulge in
instant gratification, maybe you should skip it just this once. Do something else with the money: for example, like give it to a person or cause who really needs it.
		• Reconcile with somebody. If you were in the wrong,
			admit it and fix it.
• Inform yourself. Take action or speak out on a
social issue that concerns you. Pray for the situation and people involved. 

Invite a class member to close with prayer.

TE-3Q-2008-04-The Lesson in BriefKey Text: 1 John 1:1			The Student Will:
Know: Have the absolute assurance that what is said about Jesus in the Bible is true and accurate. 	Feel: An admiration and attachment to Jesus as the only Savior of humanity, and a true Hero to be emulated.	Do: Make a list of ways in which you feel you are “imitating” Jesus and compare it to what we learned in this week’s lesson. Learning Outline:
	I. A well-known European theologian made the following statement. Discuss this statement in your class. What are its implications?  “Our system [calendar dating] does not proceed from an indicial point, but from a center; . . . It takes as the mid-point an event that is open to historical investigation and can be chronologically fixed. . . .  This event is the birth of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.” John 1:1-14.——Oscar Cullmann, Christ and Time, The Primitive Christian Conception of Time and History, Rev. Ed. (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1964) p. 17.	II. How do you explain the titles of Wednesday’s and Thursday’s lessons, “Exposing the Hypocrites,” and “Loving the Hypocrites”? What does that have to do with a lesson about Jesus? Matthew 23:13, 23:37.  	III. How do you explain Ellen White’s statement in Friday’s lesson “We may do much in a short time. . . .”  Summary: Even the most commonly used secular calendar systems divide time by the birth of Jesus. His ministry and plan of salvation are the only true hope of humanity. 

TE-3Q-2008-04-Learning Cycle
	
STEP 1—Motivate

Who was Jesus Christ? Was He just a great teacher? Just a prophet?  The Son of God? Divinity in the flesh? Most important, what is He to you? Is Jesus your Savior? Is he your example? Is He your Lord? What evidence do our lives give that reveal just how we view Jesus?
Ask your class members to describe how their understanding of and relationship to Jesus has changed or progressed over the years. 

STEP 2—Explore

	Bible Commentary

	I. God With Us
	(Review 1 John 1:1 with your class.)
	
When humankind was first created, we walked with God; that is, God was able to manifest Himself to us in ways that He doesn’t now. Sin caused alienation from God, which over the centuries and millennia became deeper and more pronounced, until it was assumed to be the natural order of things. Sin, death, alienation, sickness, unhappiness, fear, instability, war, and so forth are so common we just assume that’s the way things are supposed to be. But that’s not how it was supposed to be.  No, not at all. 
And Jesus came to change all this. He was God in the flesh, here, once again,  so we could see Him, talk to Him, and know what He is like. Most important, He came in order to give us all a chance to start over, and to have a new beginning how and for eternity.
   
Consider This: How do the following verses assure us of Christ’s continuing love and care for us? John 14:18–20, Luke 1:11.

	II. Who Was Jesus?
	(Review Luke 24:7 with your class.)

Consider This:	How did Jesus’ life and teachings find their fulfillment in His death?

	“As the inspired apostle John beheld the height, the depth, the breadth of the Father’s love toward the perishing race, he was filled with adoration and reverence. . . . Through transgression the sons of man became subjects of Satan. Through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Christ, the sons of Adam may become the sons of God.”—Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 15.

	III. In the Beginning Was the Word
	(Review John 1:1–14 with your class.)

John 1:1–14 leaves no room to doubt that Jesus was God in every sense imaginable. He was eternal and was the means by which the universe and the earth were created.
“John 1:1 is probably the clearest assertion of the deity of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. It contains three brief but profound statements that complement each other by correcting the misunderstandings that would arise if any one of the three were examined in isolation from the others. . . .”—Jon Paulien, John, (Nampa, Idaho: Pacific Press® Publishing Association, 1995) p. 42.

Consider This: John 1:1–11 is, it cannot be denied, an astounding series of statements. Look at John 1:14–18. What do these texts add?
	IV. The Human Jesus
		(Review Luke 15:1–2 with your class.)

Consider This: In Jesus’ time, people who considered themselves or aspired to be “holy” associated only with other holy people. This was a matter of ritual purity, and to do otherwise was nearly unthinkable. While we as Christians do not have formal ritual purity standards today, are there places or people we regard as too dangerous or damaged to bother with? 

“Shepherds, the scribes ruled, could never really purge themselves from ritual pollution because they handled animals continually, and were thought to rob their masters. Women had dubious value as religious examples, despite the scriptural mention of Deborah, Miriam, and others. Yet a shepherd and a woman are the very ones whose desperate search, and exuberant joy upon finding, display God (Luke 15:4–6, 8, 9).”—Walter Scragg, The God Who Says Yes (Hagerstown, Md.: Review and Herald® Publishing Association, 1987), pp. 86–87.

	V. Hypocrisy and Hypocrites
	(Review Matt. 23:13 with your class.)

Consider This: Jesus, as the above text suggests, didn’t take hypocrisy lightly. Why do you think He was so uncompromising in regard to it?

“This hypocrisy [of the Pharisees] Christ declared would bring them the greater damnation. The same rebuke falls upon many in our day who make a high profession of piety. Their lives are stained by selfishness and avarice, yet they throw over it all a garment of seeming purity, and thus for a time deceive their fellow men. But they cannot deceive God.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 614.

Consider This: Who is actually harmed the most by hypocrisy? Hypocrisy is a deadly sin that by definition is hidden, unlike those committed by “decent, honest” publicans and sinners. 

In spite of that, God loves hypocrites too much to want them to stay hypocrites. Ask for God’s help to become the real thing. 

STEP 3—Practice
				
	Thought Questions:

Ø People want to make Jesus into their own image. How do we sometimes try to squeeze Jesus into a mold we’ve created for Him? Why is that easier to do than we often think?

Ù How do you think people can claim to admire Jesus while ignoring or discounting the things He said, including the things the Gospels record him saying about Himself? 

	Application Questions:
Ø Jesus was known for associating with society’s outcasts. As humans, we tend to associate with those most like ourselves, and as Christians we tend to associate with other Christians. How do we reconcile these impulses? 

Ù The Pharisees seemed to hope to achieve perfection and “godliness” without the direct intervention of God. Are we ever guilty of a similar attitude? If so, how so?

	Witnessing
There has never been more information about Jesus available, but much of it is incorrect or misleading.  How can we help those to whom we witness better understand the truth about Jesus, about who He was, what He was like, and what He has done for us?  Why is it so important that we, individually, know Jesus?  How much better our witness would be if we truly knew the One in whom we were talking about!

	Consider This:	Paul stated in Philippians 1:18 that
	“The important thing is that in every way, whether from
	false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because
	of this I rejoice” (NIV).

STEP 4—Apply

Consider This: Ask class members to share those aspects of Jesus Christ’s teachings, life, and ministry that speak most to them personally. Offer the following 
suggestions for renewing or rediscovering the freshness of their relationship with Jesus and possibly conveying it to others.
• Rewrite a favorite story from the Gospels about Jesus, with yourself in the place of the individual that Jesus is interacting with. How would you feel? What would it motivate you to do?
• The next time you pray, really talk to Jesus. Say
         	what is on your mind. How would the Jesus you know
				from the Gospels respond?	
• Don’t be a hypocrite. Ask for help from Jesus and
			others to admit and overcome your faults.
		• Asking “What Would Jesus Do?” seemed like a really
good idea, until people started wearing it on their T-shirts and not doing it. Try actually doing what Jesus would do. How would your actions be radically different from what they are now?
	
Invite a class member to close with prayer.

TE-3Q-2008-05-The Lesson in Brief		
Key Text: Matthew 10:31

The Student Will:
		Know: The essentials of witnessing.
		Feel: A desire to witness.
		Do: Develop a plan of action for personal witnessing.

Learning Outline:	
	I. The “Kingdom of God”
		A. Here are some statements from well-known sources. How do these concepts of “kingdom” relate to what Jesus was talking about?
			• Martin Luther King: “I have seen the promised land.”
			• John the Baptist: “The kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15).  
			• The “Kingdom Age”—the rule of God on earth defined as control of all social institutions (a contemporary Pentecostal viewpoint).

	II. Witnessing Instructions (Matthew 10)
		A. As a witnessing methodology, what does “wise as serpents and harmless as doves” mean (Matt. 10:16)? 
		B. Monday’s lesson states that based on Matthew 10:8 these first disciples had “powers” we don’t have. How are we to understand that? Did these powers stop with the original disciples? 

	III. Whom to Witness to? (Matt. 10:5,6; 28:19)
		A. How can you correlate these three verses that seem to contradict each other?
		B. What is a “cultural sensitivity” and why is it important? (See Tuesday’s lesson.) 

	Summary: The original disciples received witnessing 			instructions based on timeless principles. They work
		just as well today when properly understood and
		applied.  

TE-3Q-2008-05-Learning Cycle