What does Paul mean by Justification by faith alone? What is faith? How should we understand justification? Why does Paul emphasize that no one is justified by the works of the law? What are the works of the law? What does this mean for Christians today? If we live by faith does it mean we don’t have to be obedient? Did Paul teach that we are saved to live immorally? What does it mean to live by the faith of the Son of God?
Topic: Grace
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How important was unity to the early church? How did Paul endeavor to keep unity? On what matters did he stick to principle? Why was the early church split over issues like circumcision and the customs of Moses? What can we learn from them about unity and dealing with conflict? Can the church always be united? Were the apostles always in agreement?
Amidst the accusations that Paul was a people pleaser, how did Paul establish the validity of his gospel message? How many gospels are there? What was Paul’s emphasis in the gospel? How could changing this emphasis lead to another gospel? What is the relationship between law and grace? What was the gospel for Paul? What do these things mean for Christians today? Should western culture push tradition on other cultures as we share the gospel?
This quarter we focus on the book of Galatians. What can the life of Paul, starting out as Saul of Tarsus, tell us about the context of Galatians? What were the historical circumstances under which the book was written? What happened in the early church between the Jewish and Gentile converts to Christianity? How can this help us to understand the themes of the book of Galatians?
As we conclude our study on the books of 1st and 2nd Peter, what are the major themes brought out in these epistles? What does Peter have to say about persecution, the suffering of Christ, the Second Coming, and the Judgment? What do these things mean for Christian faith and practice? Are Christians saved by grace to continue in sin? How did Peter view the importance of Scripture?
Peter continues to warn about scoffers, false prophets, and teachers. He talks about the misinterpretation of Paul’s writings to promote lawlessness. What are the dangers in losing faith in the second coming of Jesus? Should Christians continue to hope in the advent of Jesus even though it hasn’t happened in 2000 years? Is there a reason behind the apparent delay? Will the prophecies about the Day of the Lord really come to pass?
Peter warns of false teachers that would invade the early church. Does the church still struggle with false teachers today? What were they teaching in Peter’s time? What hints do we have about these individuals in the writings of Peter, Paul, and Jude? What does freedom in Christ really mean? Are we free to live in sin? What effect do false teachers have on the church?
What is true greatness? How did Jesus define what it means to be great? How did Jesus believe those who are great should treat people? How can we compare this with our society today and the way it treats people? What are the ways in which we still break the first and second commandments today? Do we still have images or other gods in our lives? What are the things we still idolize? The book of Matthew illustrates instances in which people, like the rich young ruler, put possessions before God. Many were not willing to surrender everything and entrust it to God.
How did Peter describe the Christian experience? What virtues of Christianity did he emphasize? Do Christians have a role to play in the salvation experience? What is the most important virtue of all? How did Peter view the life after death experience? What did he mean by putting off my tabernacle? As Peter writes his final letter before following Jesus to the cross, what can we learn and apply to our lives today?
What does it mean to be a leader? How are leaders to shepherd God’s flock? How does worldly leadership compare with spiritual leadership? What can we learn about leadership from God Himself? Is it really possible to have leadership without partiality? What is the role of an elder? What did Peter learn about leadership from Jesus? How does all this compare with Satan’s rebellion and counterfeit leadership?
Note: There was an audio problem toward the beginning.
What does it mean to live for God? What does dying to self really mean in the life of a Christian believer? What about a person changes when they become a Christian? How is the new life, in Christ, different from that of those who live in the world? In what way are we to crucify self? Does a Christian truly need victory over sin? How can Christians be of one mind?
Who was the Apostle Peter? What was he like before and after he met Jesus? How did Peter’s failures prepare him for his ministry? What were Peter’s strong points before his conversion experience? What lessons can we learn from the life of Peter as people who struggle, have flaws, and make similar mistakes? Was Peter perfect after his conversion?