August 17, 2025

Luke 15:1–10 ESV

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’  Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Discussion Questions:

1)  What are the lessons of these two parables to the audience that heard them at the first advent?

2)  What are the lessons of these two parables throughout the Gospel Age?

Discussion Summary:

Jesus had given the parable of the invitation to the banquet in chapter 14:16-24.  These parables seem to be a further commentary on those who are asked to come to the banquet after the first ones have declined.  The religious leaders could not understand that they were rejecting God’s invitation through Jesus and that Jesus was extending that invitation to others who were less religious than they were (Matthew 9:9-13).  These who were far from God, who were lost, had a greater appreciation for the mercy being shown them (Luke 7:47).

In Ezekiel 34:1-10 we read of a prophesy against the false shepherds of Israel.  These were the religious leaders of Ezekiel’s day who preyed upon the people rather than caring for them.  This should have been a harsh warning to the religious leaders of his day.  Christian leaders should also heed this warning as they too are described as shepherds in 1 Peter 5:1-4.

Jesus calls the people of Israel the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:6).  He also tells his apostles that he has “other sheep that are not of this fold,  I must bring them also” in John 10:16.  We understand this to refer to the gentiles who in God’s eyes were also lost and needed to be recovered.

God’s mercy is extended to all (1 Timothy 2:4) and as his angels rejoice at repenting sinners, so should we.  We notice in verse 8 the effort the woman makes to find her lost coin and we must ask ourselves if we are making the same effort to preach the good news and support those whose faith is weak.  This is a privilege of service (Romans 10:14,15).

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August 13, 2025

1 Corinthians 5 ESV

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.  But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.  For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?  God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

Discussion Questions:

1)  What is the issue within the Corinthian church that Paul is calling out?

2)  What does Paul demand the Corinthian brethren do?

Discussion Summary:

Corinth was a very cosmopolitan city.  The society was rich and indulgent.  However, a brother in Corinth was engaging in a type of immorality that even the non-Christian society condemned.  It is said that “a man has his father’s wife.”  While we are unsure of the exact circumstances this refers to some commentators believe a Christian man had married his father’s second wife after his father had died.  This would have been against what is called the law of consanguinity.  It refers to the degree of blood and family relationships in marriage and inheritance rights.  These laws are made to protect family ties and to maintain societal cohesion.

Paul is demanding that the congregation of the Corinthian brethren address this problem.  He directs them to “put him away” in other words to shun him or disfellowship him.  This would involve not allowing him to meet in the congregation or partake of communal meals or the Lord’s supper with them.

While this is a difficult action for the brethren to take because no one wants to be unloving, too judgemental or have a “holier than thou attitude,” it is necessary to bring this brother back into a full relationship with God.  Disfelloshipping is mimicking God’s diminishing relationship with this brother because of sin.  This action says to the brother, if you feel the loss of our fellowship consider the loss of full fellowship you have with God.  Repentant and come back and be accepted back into the fold of God.

This action is also necessary on the part of the congregation because as leaven transforms the whole dough, so sin can infect a congregation.  Once the bar of sin is lowered, human nature will take advantage of that in many directions.  We can see how pride was taking hold of these brethren (verse 6 and chapter 4:18) even while this sin was being tolerated.  The Church of Christ has a standard to uphold (1 Timothy 3:15).

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August 10, 2025

Luke 14:25–35 ESV

Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them,  “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.  Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.  For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?  Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’  Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?  And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.  So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.  “Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?  It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Discussion Question:

In our previous study (verses 15-24) Jesus spoke about those who refused the invitation to God’s banquet.  However, Jesus now sets forth the details of what accepting that invitation means.

What are the conditions of discipleship?

Discussion Summary:

Jesus began his ministry with a call of discipleship to simple fisherman (Matthew 4:18-20).  He invited them to “leave all and follow me.”  He will reiterate this call to the rich young ruler in Luke 18:22.  This is the core condition of discipleship.

Hating our family and even our life is an obvious exaggeration designed to startle the hearer and make them understand that they must love God and his son supremely.  This is shown by the parallel scripture in Matthew 10:37.  Disciples must have unconditional love for God recognizing that he is more valuable than anything else.

As we begin this new life of discipleship we have no idea of what experiences we will be given.  We understand that they will involve sacrifice and suffering as represented in the cross that we bear (Romans 5:3-5).  However, we do have to consider whether we have given our full heart loyalty to God.  If we have we can give our “all” and trust in the power of God working in us.

Assessing our heart loyalty is an important first step.  The example of a tower builder gives us the idea that if we can put our trust in the architect, the blue print we will have the ability to construct the finished product.  The example of the battle shows us that even if we are outnumbered 2 to 1 by spiritual foes we will be the victor as long as we have remained loyal to God in our hearts.

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August 6, 2025

Today we had a meeting of praise to our Heavenly Father. We shared our testimonies of how the Lord has been evident in our lives.

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August 2 & 3, 2025

Today we cancelled our study so that we could join an online/in-person Bible Student convention. This was the theme text of the convention.

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July 30, 2025

1 Corinthians 4  ESV

This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God. I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men.  We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute.  To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things. I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I urge you, then, be imitators of me.  That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.  Some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you.  But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power.  For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?

Discussion Questions:

This chapter sets forth Paul’s relationship with the Corinthian ecclesia.

1)  (Verses 1-5) What does Paul say about their ability to assess him as a leader?

2)  (Verses 6-13) How are the Corinthian brethren to compare their Christian experience with Paul’s?

3)  (Verses 14-21) How does Paul establish his authority within the ecclesia?

Discussion Summary:

Verses 1-5:  Paul dismisses the Corinthian brethren’s assessment of him as a leader because God is the true judge of such matters.  Humans can only judge the outward appearance by God judges the motivation, the heart.  Paul’s work of ministry would be revealed in time in the hearts of the Corinthian brethren.  If he was a good apostle the brethren in Corinth would mature in Christ and prove faithful.

Verses 6-13:  The brethren in Corinth were not experiencing persecution in that city (verse 8).  Paul on the other hand was experiencing many hardships and suffering as he preached the gospel throughout the region (2 Corinthians 11:23-29).  This difference had developed in these brethren a pride and arrogance that their knowledge gave them a better, different Christian experience.  They began to be ashamed of Paul for his life and even appearance (2 Corinthians 10:10).

Verses 14-21:  Paul established his authority by the power of the Holy Spirit working through him (verses 17,18).  We read in Acts 19:6, 11, 12 that Paul was given the ability to work miracles.  Paul had his own assurance that his authority was from God as it was told to him at his conversion (Acts 9:15).

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July 27, 2025

Luke 14:15–24 ESV

When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”  But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many.  And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’  But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’  And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’  And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’  So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’  And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’  And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.  For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’ ”

Discussion Question:

What are the lessons of this parable to those hearing it at the first advent and for Christians throughout the Gospel Age?

Discussion Summary:

The exclamation by the Pharisee in verse 1 seems to be a sarcastic response to Jesus’ comment in Luke 14:13,14 to invite the blind and lame.  Jesus gives this parable to show that the invitation to become God’s children, part of Christ’s body was being spurned by the religious leaders and by the people (John 1:11,12).  The other part of the population who were spiritually blind and lame would have been happier to be invited but they were being hindered by the religious leaders themselves (Matthew 23:13).  So the invitation would have to go those who were not interested, those who needed to be compelled.  An example of this group can be found in Acts 17:16-34 when the Apostle Paul preached to the pagans of Athens on Mars Hill.  They were not looking for salvation or interested in Jehovah God, but listened out of curiosity.  Even so, some believed.

We also noted the odd excuses made to decline the invitation.  The feast was in the evening and yet one needed to look at oxen, another needed to look at this field.  The last excuse was not even said politely.  These all indicated the excuses were not true and valid.

For Christians we understand the invitation to be a time-limited offer.  Are we indifferent and preoccupied with other things instead of with our relationship to Christ?  We should enquire of ourselves, are these things that I am occupying myself with really more pressing than my Christian life?

July 23

1 Corinthians 3 ESV

But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.  According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.  For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.  If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.  If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.  Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?  If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.  Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.  For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”  So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

Discussion Questions:

In 1 Corinthians 3 Apostle Paul uses two pictures to correct and encourage the Corinthian brethren. 

1)  In verses 6 to 9 Paul likens the Corinthian brethren to a piece of cultivated land.  Describe this picture and what lessons were the Corinthians were to learn from it?

2)  In verses 10 to 17 Paul likens the Corinthian brethren to a building.  Describe this picture and what lessons were the Corinthians to learn from it?

Discussion Summary:

Question 1:  Those who plant water and tend a garden or filed are essential to producing a crop, but the growth of the plant from seed to fruitage is still a miracle from God.  Likewise, apostles, teachers, elders are essential to the life of a Christian, but the fruitage of character only comes from the miracle of the Holy Spirit in their heart.

Teachers should be viewed as cooperating with believers to produce growth in grace and knowledge.   If they are a cause for division they are being viewed through the lens of human wisdom and not God’s wisdom.  The Corinthian brethren were viewing them incorrectly because of their immaturity (verses 1-3).  See Isaiah 28:9.

Question 2:  The believer begins on a foundation that is their belief in Christ and in his power to save.  Everything that follows must fall in line with that belief.  The structure of our character and the structure of our faith should be in alignment with the foundation.  If leaders are teaching along this foundation line they are helping to build the Christian into the stature of a mature person in Christ.

An example from the Old Testament is the building of Solomon’s temple.  In 1 Chronicles 22:2-5 we read that Solomon’s father, David, prepared the building materials for his son, including the cut stones.  When we read of the temple’s actual construction in 1 Kings 6:7 it says the preparation had been so good that the stones slipped into place without the need of additional hammering.  This shows the help one can receive.

July 20, 2025

Luke 14:1–14 ESV

One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. And he said to them, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” And they could not reply to these things. Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place.  But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”  He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid.  But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

Discussion Questions:

This next section has many layers of understanding.  As we discussed last week, Jesus has just made a judgment pronouncement against Jerusalem.  Now, he is reaching out to those who thought they would have first place at the table in the kingdom.

1)  So continuing in this first advent context, what is the relationship between the healing of the man with dropsy and the teachings of verses 7 to 14?

2)  How do we apply the lessons of verses 7 to 14 to ourselves?

Discussion Summary:

Question 1:  The religious leaders ignored the loving miracle and instead focused on what they considered the weightier matter, the academic question of when is it proper to heal.  This revealed their heart condition which was motivated by pride (Matthew 23:4-7).

Jesus is still reaching out to these leaders and exhorting them to change course.  He gives them an example of an action that would reveal the beginning steps of repentance.  If they could  humble themselves at a feast they would begin the process of letting go of their pride which was clinging to power.

Question 2:  This lesson is applicable in many ways to Christians:

• As general advice on humility (Proverbs 25:6,7; James 4:6)
• As advice against looking on the outward appearance instead of the inward heart (James 2:1-7)
• As advice as to how within Christian congregations, those who are weaker and hindered by their problems are the very ones to be cared for and supported the most (1 Corinthians 12:23)

July 16, 2025

1 Corinthians 2 ESV

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—  these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who [which] is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.  The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.  The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.  “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

Discussion Questions:

1)  How was Paul’s preaching in Corinth different from the teachings of other Apostles and elders?

2)  How does Paul describe the activity of the Spirit in a Christian’s life?

Discussion Summary:

Paul describes his preaching style as weak.  He was not a gifted speaker.  He did not have a “presence” or outward boldness.  He did not rely on his own human abilities.  His success in preaching Christ were because of the power of the Spirit working in him.

In Chapter 3:1 he relates that he had to tone down his message because the people of Corinth were not spiritually minded.  Even the Christians were immature in their thinking.

Paul also does not refer to Jesus’ life or ministry as found in the gospels in his discussions throughout this letter.  His preaching was only about Christ’s death.  “I preach Christ crucified.”  He restricted his teaching to a narrow focus in order to appeal to those who recognized that they were in need of salvation.

Paul describes the activity of the spirit in a Christian’s life in the following ways:

• A transforming process in the heart of the believer
• The opening of the mind to view things from a spiritual instead of a human perspective
• A realization that what is important to humans is not important to God and therefore not important to Christians

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