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Q3. (2 Corinthians 2:10-11; Ephesians 4:26-27) How do you think anger and unforgiveness give Satan an opportunity to damage you? For you, who is the most difficult person to forgive? Why is your unforgiveness more damaging to you than to the person who hurt you? Anger and unforgiveness provide Satan with a foothold to harm us spiritually and physically. He thrives when we are in a state of anger, despondency, despair, and darkness, and it is in this atmosphere that Satan is able to do his most damage to believers. He will quickly seize the opportunity of changing our anger, whether righteous or unrighteous, into a grievance, a grudge, a nursing of wrath, and an unwillingness to forgive. He must not be given any opportunity to take advantage of our anger or unforgiveness for his own sinister purpose; rather he must be resisted. Besides personal damage he is quick to undermine the church's spiritual health. If he can frustrate the work of Christ in His church here on earth, he is able to block the advancement of Christ’s church and kingdom. I would imagine if my wife ever betrayed me after we’ve been married for over 58 years; I think I would find it most difficult for me to forgive her. The same I suppose would apply to her. However, I realize that for my own health, I would have to pray for help in forgiving her.

Q2. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4; John 8:44) What are Satan's chief tools to keep people under his control? Why is the sharing and preaching of the gospel so threatening to him (John 8:31-32; Romans 1:16)? Why do you think it is so difficult to share your faith or preach in the world outside the church? Satan uses the attraction of money, power, and pleasure to blind people to the light of the gospel. He also places barriers between unbelievers and God. These may be pride, rebellion, self-righteousness, or any one of a hundred different things. This is like having a veil over the minds of unbelievers keeping them in perpetual darkness, and as long as he keeps people believing his lies, they remain blind. We see this in our world today. People are lost, they do not know where to turn or where the answers lie. They do not know where we are going. They are utterly blind, like men staggering around in a dark room, groping and feeling and trying to find their way through the course of history. This sense of lostness pervades our society. Two thousand years later we can see the truth of Jesus' words. He tells us the problem, "Because," He says, "they are under the power of Satan." Behind the darkness is the great enemy of mankind, who is twisting and distorting the thinking of men, clouding their eyes, and spreading abroad widespread delusions. He has loosed into this world a great flood of lying propaganda. And everywhere today men and women have believed these delusions and lies. Sharing and preaching the Word dispels this blindness – opens the eyes of unbelievers. Before they knew the truth they were in the bondage of ignorance, sin, and superstition. The gospel has the power to turn people from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to the power of God. The moment they get to know the Lord Jesus Himself, they are delivered from sin, walk in the light, and are led by the Holy Spirit. This is all so threatening to Satan as this exposes him for what he really is. He is a liar and the father of lies – there is no truth in him. He brings death to the whole human race. Satan keeps us focusing on our own inadequacy and we become ashamed or embarrassed to share our faith. We need to keep our minds focused on our Lord Jesus Christ and on what He is doing in the world today.

Q1. (2 Corinthians 4:4; Psalm 24:1) What is the difference between legitimate authority and usurped authority? Which kind of authority does Satan have? How can Satan be defeated at the cross (Colossians 2:14-15), but still be dangerous (John 10:10a, 44; 1 Peter 5:8-9)? Because He is God and Creator of the universes, God has sovereignty and dominion over all things. And, as the Creator, He has legitimate authority over man and all of creation. All other authority is solely derived from God the Father – the authority revealed in Jesus Christ the Son, and the authority manifested by the Holy Spirit. In Isaiah 45:18 we read: “For this is what the LORD says - He who created the heavens, He is God; He who fashioned and made the earth, He founded it; He did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited - He says: "I am the LORD, and there is no other”. Here, He reveals Himself in truth and righteousness as the absolute and supreme God. Usurped authority is to take possession and control, usually by force, without any legitimate authority. Clearly, Satan was not given any authority and God has allowed Satan significant amounts of power and influence over the earth, at least for now, and always within God’s sovereign control. Anyone who is not under the control of the sovereign God is under the control of the devil (Acts 26:18; 2 Corinthians 4:4). “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4)”. Satan is the power at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God (Ephesians 2:2). “In which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient (Ephesians 2:2)”. They follow the ways of the world which is deceit, immorality, ungodliness, selfishness, violence, and rebellion. Being led around by Satan, the chief ruler of evil spirits, whose realm is the atmosphere. “The LORD has kept the heavens for himself, but he has given the earth to us humans (Psalm 115:16)”. The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth He has given to mankind. The heavens were the Lord's, but God gave the earth to man. But man blew it and gave it to Satan. And Satan now possesses the earth. But Jesus came to redeem the earth back to God, and before long He's going to take and claim that which He purchased. And I can hardly wait. But, “we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). God’s perfect wrath and justice will be satisfied, and His perfect righteousness will be glorified. In the end, we will understand, and we will see His plan fulfilled, and we will praise and glorify Him as we see it unfold. “The LORD Almighty has sworn, "Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand (Isaiah 14:24)”. By His death on the Cross, His burial, His resurrection, and His ascension, the Lord Jesus conquered evil powers, making a public spectacle of them, and triumphing over them (Col 2:15). We have nothing to fear if we are in Christ, because He has disarmed principalities and powers. Born-again Christians are no longer enslaved to Satan or to sin (Romans 6:6-7), but this does not mean we are immune to the temptations that he puts before us. We should not worry about his evil schemes, but this does not mean we should not be vigilant. Satan is a powerful adversary, so there must be a constant vigilance and preparedness to meet every attack. Remembering that Satan sometimes he disguises himself as an angel of light, attempting to deceive people in the spiritual realm. On our own, we do not have the strength to oppose him - it is here that we have to be firm in our faith and resist him.

Q4. (2 Corinthians 1:8-9; Ephesians 6:18-20) What portion of Paul's "overwhelming pressure" was due to spiritual warfare, do you think? How much can be attributed to the "normal" struggles of life? Why is intercessory prayer for leaders and for one another so important? I think it’s a combination of both. As a Christian we will be attacked by Satan. The more obedient we are to our LORD, and the closer we are to Him, the greater will be these attacks. Satan will do all in his power to break up this relationship. Our struggle is with the sin in ourselves - we must not let sin control our lives. There is also the battle with self-control and temptation. If we know our personal weaknesses, we can then lean on God’s strength and grace. In both, Satan’s attack and our own struggles, our only protection is the Word of God and prayer in the power and will of the Holy Spirit. We need Jesus to hold our hand – to recognize our own powerlessness without Him and our need for His constant help in our lives, we come to depend on Him more and more. A reason God allows these struggles is to break the stubborn spirit of self-will within us that insists on doing it our way. Our intercessory prayer will only be effective if we seek God’s glory and not our own. We know that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us (1 John 5:14). And if we know that He hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of Him (1 John 5:15). We can now pray with confidence for leaders and for each other, knowing God will accomplish His plans.

Q3. (Acts 19:11-19) Why do so many contemporary churches expect to evangelize effectively in the 21st century without signs and wonders? What are we afraid of? How do we identify people in our congregations whom God has gifted with ministries of healing, faith, and miracles? What will it take to move in this direction for you? For your church? This is a large grey area for me. Living in South Africa, I’ve seen so much abuse of innocent people. There are so called churches opening up in shops all around CBDs. They promise so much from healing, to improved personal relationships, to great wealth and prosperity. The people are in a desperate situation which makes them so gullible, and they become prime targets for this type of scam. These “churches” are like powers of darkness who prey on their ignorance and superstitions, keeping people filled with wonder and delight, locking them into misery and heartache, fear, hostility and emptiness. I’ve seen these, so called, prophets, “faith-healers”, false teachers amass great wealth. I hope I’m not too cynical, but I cannot see our Lord’s name being used in such devious schemes. This is blasphemy of the worst kind. Our churches should be operating in the power of the Spirit, and by the authority of the Word.

Q2. (Acts 19:9-10) How did "all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia" hear God's Word from one apostle, who taught daily in Ephesus and didn't travel around? What do you think was going on that caused this kind of expansion? Why is it vital to evangelize in our great cities? As in Corinth, most of the Jewish people rejected the good news, and as a direct result of this stubborn opposition in the synagogue, Paul left them, taking the disciples with him. But the closed door again led to an open door of opportunity. Our Lord provided a lecture hall from which Paul would preach, Christ and the kingdom of God, daily for about 2 years, until every Jew and Gentile in Asia had heard the Lord's message. On his own Paul could never have travelled the whole province in two years, instead, by preaching daily, many became Christians and of course this multiplied his ministry. These new believers must have been filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit and they could not stop talking about what had happened to them – the result is that all of Asia Minor heard about Christ through them. What an impact Paul’s teaching had on an entire province with all the cities! There is power in the Word of God! With the high concentration of people, the loneliness, the poverty, and the crime that this all brings, there is an urgent need to evangelize in the large cities. Apparently our great cities can grow to double their size soon, bringing with it all the problems that will be exponentially worse.

Q1. (1 Corinthians 1:11-12; 2:1; 3:3-6) What seems to be the primary difference between Paul's ministry approach and that of Apollos? Why does this create competing allegiances at Corinth? How does Paul address the issue? Can you think of any divisions over style within the Christian community in your region? What should you do as a result of those divisions? Apollos was a well-educated Jew from Alexandria in Egypt, and we know that he was well acquainted with the Old Testament scriptures. He arrived in Ephesus and began to teach in the synagogue. Aquila and his wife Priscilla heard him speaking, but they soon realized that his teaching was incomplete, so they took him aside and brought him up to date with doctrinal teaching about Christ. The drawback was that “he was acquainted only with the baptism of John.” Meaning that he knew about how John had called the nation of Israel to repentance, in preparation for the coming of the Messiah. Apollos only taught about the repentance from sin, but the whole message was to repent from sin and then also to believe in Christ. Apollos had not yet learned about the indwelling and regeneration of the Holy Spirit at the time of conversion, however, once he knew the complete message he was used mightily by God. After this, Apollos went to preach in Achaia, especially at Corinth, where he was very effective in representing the claims of Christ to the Jews. With his natural gifts, he had attracted a following among the church in Corinth, and was very useful in "watering" the spiritual seed which Paul had planted earlier. Being a skilled teacher of Bible truth and much appreciated by the believers there, this unfortunately produced a schism in the church as many of the Corinthian believers became attached to him, with some taking Apollos' part, some Paul's, and some staying out of the conflict. Apollos never encouraged this to happen and Paul never blamed him for the situation. Paul had sought to glory God and not himself. He did not want to use big words that would sound wise and show him off as an orator or philosopher. All he wanted was to preach Christ Crucified. We know he must have been a brilliant scholar and could easily have given the Corinthians all sorts of intellectual arguments. Paul deals with this by stating that Christ is not divided, and neither should we be. Paul was deeply hurt and appeals for unity based on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ – on all that our Lord is and has done. He made a conscious and deliberate decision to abandon any worldly wisdom and rather rely on the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul knew that the gospel of God’s wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption cannot be obtained through human wisdom. So he made sure that the lives of the new Christians rested securely not in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. God’s Word edifies and unites, whereas human opinions only confuse and divide. We are to exalt His name which will result in unity, and not the name of men which can only lead to divisions. It is the same today; when we are not focused on Jesus Christ we have discord and disunity. It is only when our attention is focused on our Lord that we will have less time for thinking of our selves or others in the congregation and getting up to mischief. Like all over the world, there are churches in my community where it’s all about entertainment and the personalities of their leaders. Thankfully, most are about teaching the Word, the truth – about glorifying the Lord. It’s not about that which amuses, entertains, or generally appeals to the emotions. It is this selfishness that is at the heart of sinful behaviour and occurs were ever people congregate – a church or a sport club or whatever. Of course this selfishness is a characteristic behaviour of a child where their only concern is its own comfort and attention. So one of the ways to tear down barriers that divide us is to create mature Christians who are focussed on our Lord. This needs to be done with proper teaching of the Word – not a watered down version of the Word. Being over 80 years old, I have seen fighting, gossiping, criticism, hatred, and bitterness displayed in churches. Others again had elite cliques in the congregation. I would say the same problems we have today in our churches must have occurred in Corinth. Remembering that the church then, comprised of brothers and sisters new to Christianity; a lot of divisions must have been caused also by pure ignorance. Our own self-interest, and selfishness is the root cause of most of the problems in any church - wanting to have our own way. Like the church in Corinth, today we also have the problem of personality cults emerging and causing divisions. They were exalting the names of mere men and this could only lead to divisions. It is only when we exalt the name of the Lord Jesus that there will be unity in the church.

Q4. (1 Corinthians 15; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17) How important was belief in a bodily resurrection to the gospel that Paul taught? Why is Christ's resurrection foundational to our faith? What will happen when we die? When Christ comes? There were so many different views, at the time, on life after death, with some believing in the resurrection but most not in a bodily resurrection. Paul taught that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, and that He died for our sins, in fulfilment of Scripture. Also that He was buried, meaning that He actually died - not just appear to die, and that He was raised from the dead on the third day, in fulfilment of Scripture. Then Paul goes on to list the witnesses who had seen our Lord after the resurrection – including himself as a witness. So we notice that the foundation of the gospel is the resurrection of Christ – without this fact our religion is meaningless. The fact that Jesus was buried verified His death, and the fact that He appeared to others verified His resurrection. In 1 Cor 15:3, Paul states “according to the Scriptures” meaning that the fundamental facts of the gospel, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, were predicted in the OT. This is a fact as there are so many, well known, prophesies predicting His trial, His death, and His resurrection. Without our faith and belief in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, salvation cannot be received. We read in Romans 10:9, “That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” You will be saved! Therefore, it is not possible to be a Christian and not believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Today we can know beyond any reasonable doubt – He Has Risen! Hallelujah! When we die, death will not be the end. Jesus had taught that He must die, be buried, and rise from the dead in order that God might righteously save sinners. All believers will go immediately to be with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!, and we will be like Him, and will enjoy eternal life. Unbelievers are said to go to Hades (Luke 16:22-23), and suffer eternal punishment. When Christ comes all our bodies will be instantly changed into our resurrection bodies. Those still alive will not experience death, since their bodies will changed instantly. Those who have died will have their bodies reintegrated and then also changed instantly.

Q3. (Acts 18:7) How important are the economics of house-churches and bi-vocational ministry in the rapid spread of the first century church? What are the advantages of a house-church model? What are the weaknesses? Not being welcome in the synagogues and there being no other venues available, the obvious choice was to meet in homes. Besides this was a time of persecution by the Romans and any large gathering of hundreds would simply not be safe. There were no large congregations and thus no money to support full time ministers, and of course, no money to start building churches, in these early days. So out of necessity they use the house-church model and bi-vocational ministers. The main advantage was that it could be started very quickly, similar to home Bible Studies of today. We see this in larger churches today where believers meet in smaller groups at various homes. This allows them to get to know each other personally and form strong friendships. They not only meet for Bible Study, but will meet socially and often form prayer groups. The main weakness of the house-church model may be the lack of a well-educated teacher of the Word. Not everyone can be a teacher of the Word and this carries great responsibility and should not be taken lightly (James 3:1) – it is a most serious matter to teach the Lord’s Word. Since, not many of us, have the time to gain the skills and knowledge, to accurately teach the Word of God, it’s best to leave it to the professionals. Lack of knowledge or misunderstanding can have serious consequences and lead the home-church believers astray. In our normal church there is the protection from false doctrine as there are the ministers and elders who overseer the congregation.

Q2. (Acts 18:3; 20:34-35; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10; 1 Corinthians 4:12) Why does Paul earn his living by skilled labour rather than through offerings from the church? Why do you think Christians believe that "full-time Christian ministry" is better than bi-vocational ministry? What lessons did Paul teach the believers by his example of working for his living? Paul earned his way so as not to be a burden to anyone, at the same he was setting an example against idleness. Especially Christians that would use Jesus’ Second Coming as an excuse not to get involved in any work or planning as Jesus was due any moment. Paul was not motivated by the love of money or material things rather his prime reason for living was to preach the gospel as per instructions from Jesus Himself. I think that both full-time and bi-vocational ministries have their advantages and disadvantages and it really depends on individual circumstances. For example, the needs are different if a congregation cannot afford a full-time minister or if the church definitely must have a full-time minister to function properly. Bi-vocational ministers may be free to teach what is needed to be heard, and not perhaps controlled by certain elders. Besides financial and teaching restraints there may be certain circumstances that maximize the effect of a minister, or that might make them more effective in their ministry. Paul taught us that by working for his living he was able to set an example against idleness. Hard work never killed anyone and work is not a four letter word. Financial gain did not motivate him; he was a poor man, as far as material things are concerned, but he was rich toward God. He supported himself and his companions with his trade, and this also made him free from being dependent on anyone. He demonstrated his love for Christ by living out the message of the Cross – suffering deprivation and defamation the same way Jesus did.

Q1. (Acts 17:27-31; Romans 1:19-20; 2:14-15; Acts 4:12) How close is God to non-believers? Is He working in them? Since God shows forbearance for sins of non-believers, why do Christians act so judgmental? How should we act? Is faith in Jesus necessary for salvation? God created each living person, and He knows each one of us inside out; He knows our very words, deeds, motives, and even our thoughts. So He is close to all, including non-believers, the difference is that believers have this close personal relationship. Believers have put their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, have been sealed by the Holy Spirit, been forgiven of all sin, and now have this intimate relationship with their Heavenly Father. Sin is the barrier between God and non-believers. However, God is a God of love and He loves each one of us (John 3:16). Although He hates sin, still in His great mercy, He gives all unbelievers every opportunity to be saved. Not wanting any to perish, He purposely extends the time of grace so that we all might have every opportunity of being saved (2 Pet 3:9). However, being a God of justice, sin must be punished, but it is this delay in punishing evil that upsets Christians. In the world today we see evil flourishing and criminals, murderers, and what have you, getting away with all their evil deeds. They are living the high life. In my country where corruption is rife, we see this every day. No one is punished and plundering of state resources continues on a daily basis, with no end in sight. We should remember God is sovereign and He always keeps His promises, and it up to us to trust Him. He has promised to end the history of ungodly men with judgment. And when we get impatient and there seems to be a delay, it is not because God is unfaithful to His promise. It is because He is patient. There is no salvation without Jesus. No other name under heaven has been given among men for salvation, and it is by this name alone that we must be saved. The Lord Jesus is not just one of many ways - He is the only Way. No one comes to the Father except through Him. Those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are loved unconditionally, securely, and forever.

Q4. (Romans 3:25; 5:6-8; 8:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Mark 10:45; 1 Peter 3:18a) What is the Substitutionary Atonement? How is this such good news? How does it give us assurance in our struggles with sin? Our Lord Jesus Christ died as a substitute for our sins – past, present, and future. He did no sin (1Pet 2:22), He knew no sin (2Cor 5:21), and there was no sin in Him (1 John 3:5), yet, God made Him to be a sin-offering on our behalf. When we put our trust in Christ, we are reckoned righteous by God. At His crucifixion our sin is laid on Christ, He takes our sin and makes us right with God. His righteousness is given to us at our conversion. The claims of the law have been fully satisfied by our Substitute. What a blessed truth it is that the One who knew no sin was made sin for us, that we who knew no righteousness might become the righteousness of God in Him. This is what is meant by Christ's Substitutionary Atonement for sin. This is such good news because all we deserve is death, yet in His love, mercy and grace He made reconciliation possible. In Romans 6:23 we read: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Without Christ, we are going to spend eternity in hell as payment for our sins, but we see that eternal life is available through Jesus Christ. The only way God can receive guilty sinners is because the Lord Jesus has effectively dealt with the whole problem of our sins, so now we can be reconciled to God. In other words, God made Christ to be sin for us - Christ who knew no sin - that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. This gives us great assurance in our struggles with sin - the battle has been won - Jesus paid a ransom for us; that which we could not pay ourselves. His death released all of us from our slavery to sin. Thank You Lord Jesus!!

Q3. (1 Corinthians 1:18, 23-24; Romans 1:16; Acts 17:2-3) Why might Paul be tempted to underemphasize a "crucified Messiah" when preaching to the Jews? Why are we sometimes tempted to tell others how great it is to follow Christ while not telling them the other aspects of the gospel? Why is it so important that we are honest about the gospel? The Jews were expecting a mighty Messiah who would overthrow the Romans, and thereby liberate them from this evil yoke. To hear about a “crucified Messiah” goes against what they have believed for centuries. Paul showed convincingly, from the OT, that the Messiah had to suffer and rise again from the dead – declaring that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah. Some believed put in general this was not accepted, Paul might have been tempted to underemphasize this doctrine, but Paul had a mission to teach the gospel. I believed he called a spade a spade – whether they liked it or not. In the same way, we must only tell and explain the true and honest Biblical doctrines – nothing dollied up. The Holy Spirit will take over and to those who are being saved, the gospel is the power of God. They hear the message, they accept it by faith, and the miracle of regeneration takes place in their lives. To others it remains nothing more than foolishness.

Q2. (Acts 16:25; Philippians 4:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) Why do you think we are commanded to "Rejoice always"? What is our natural tendency when we're under stress? What does rejoicing and thanking have to do with faith? In what circumstance do you find difficulty praising God? Out of gratitude and thankfulness we should always be rejoicing. We put our faith in Christ and received eternal life (John 3:16). This is not all, there are many more eternal blessings that come when we put our trust in Him, including our inheritance kept in heaven for us (1 Pet 1:4). We rejoice always, knowing that “the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). Also, “in all things God works for the good of those who love Him” (Romans 8:28). We can never thank our Lord enough, and when we think about it, He is the source of our rejoicing, and this is reason enough to rejoice always and always. Although rejoicing is not just a suggestion, but a command, I feel we should always choose to praise the Lord. He is ever present always listening always answering, and it for us to rejoice in the Lord, in the presence of the Lord, remembering He is always with us. Our rejoicing should be in what the Lord has done, continues to do, and will do in the future, regardless of our circumstances or feelings. Our hope is in the Lord, for He is our rock and our salvation (Psalm 62:6). This alone is reason enough to rejoice always. Our circumstances and feelings should never stop us from rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks. Our inner attitudes do not have to reflect our inward circumstances. Paul was full of joy because he knew no matter what happens to him, Jesus was with him. Whatever happens to us Christ is in us and we are in Him. In Christ we should rejoice always as His suffering and resurrection have secured a joyous future for all who placed their faith in Him. It is easy to be discouraged about unpleasant circumstances or to take unimportant events too seriously. But all I have to do is look around at those people who are less fortunate than I am. This is enough for me to praise Him and thank Him; forgetting about my minor discomforts. We must reach out to others and help where we can because being self-centred makes you miserable – you cannot be a joyful person. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven. This eternal perspective helps us rejoice always.

Q1. (Acts 16:1-3) Why does Paul circumcise Timothy, even though his principles don't require him to? Why does Paul "become all things to all people" (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)? In what ways does the path of serving Jesus require humility rather than demanding our rights? Timothy was only half-Jewish - his mother was Jewish but his father was Greek. So, to avoid any conflict in the synagogues, Paul thought it best to have Timothy circumcised. There was also the possibility that if the Jews knew Timothy was not circumcised they might refuse them entry to the synagogues, thereby preventing him from witnessing for Jesus Christ. Paul’s aim was always to glorify God and bring people to Christ. To achieve this aim, he was prepared to accommodate people, as he put it, by making himself a servant to all. Becoming a servant to all required absolute humility, and being sensitive to the needs of others. Using the opportunities given him to serve Christ. However, this was always done without ever sacrificing divine truth.

Q4. (Ephesians 2:13-15; Galatians 6:16) In what sense are believers in the Messiah the "New Israel"? Who makes believing Gentiles one with believing Jews? Who makes believing Protestants one with believing Catholics? Previously God’s people were only the Jews, but now the Gentiles are also His people – combined, all true believers in Jesus Christ, make up the “New Israel”. Salvation was to be for all nations, and it was to be through the nation Israel, that the whole world would come to know Jesus as the Messiah. Our Lord broke the barrier that existed between Jews and Gentiles, so that the believing Jews and the believing Gentiles are made one in Christ. Our Saviour created His Church for all believers. Being a new creation, the church has a distinct calling and a distinct destiny, occupying a unique place in the purposes of God. The human created distinctions are all nailed to the Cross, so that believing Protestants and believing Catholics are made one in Christ. The cross is God's answer to racial discrimination, segregation, anti-Semitism, bigotry, and every form of strife between men.

Q3. (Acts 13:48; Romans 10:13-15) How does an understanding of God's pure grace fit together with the idea of predestination? How might a belief in predestination make us lazy with regard to evangelism? Does God "need" us to bring salvation to the world? God came in Christ to reconcile us to Himself by grace. We did nothing – it is all God’s work. All we deserved was God’s wrath, but yet in His great mercy He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. By His grace and love He predestined us for adoption as His children. We will never fully understand the doctrine of predestination. The reason being that God’s understanding is infinite, whereas ours is finite. We might think not act at all, and say that we are waiting for God to act; this would just be a lazy excuse to do nothing. It is for us to act. The doctrine of predestination does not encourage us to sit back and do nothing. It is up to us to trust Him and to act responsibly. In 2 Tim 2:10 Paul said “I endure everything for the sake of the elect”. The fact that God has chosen some to be saved does not mean that nothing has to be done. They still have to hear the gospel, so that God’s eternal plans might come about. God never “needs” us, rather He uses us to bring salvation to the world. God is the One who sends. We are the ones who are sent.

Q2. (Ephesians 2:8-9) What is a simple definition of "grace"? Why aren't legalism and "works" to please God compatible with grace? What part does our faith have to do with our salvation? Grace – God’s undeserved love. Since God’s grace is a free gift, it is not dependent on anything we do. In any case, all our righteous acts (works) are like filthy rags (Isa 64:6) to our Heavenly Father. The law was not given as a means of salvation but to show us our sinfulness. As Christians, we have put our trust in Jesus and are therefore, no longer under the law, but are under grace (Rom 6:14). God’s righteousness and holiness demanded that the penalty for our sin be paid, and this Christ did on the Cross. There are no works we can ever do that are good enough to bring to God, that can in some way even earn or deserve His favour or grace. In other words legalism and/or works are not part of grace – it is solely an unmerited favour we receive from God. Our behaviour is now based on our loving desire to please our Saviour, not by fear of punishment. Christ rules in our lives. The only part faith has to do with our salvation is that we use the faith God has given us. By accepting the finished work of Christ on our behalf, we act by the faith supplied by God's grace. This is the supreme act of human faith, the act which, though it is ours, is primarily God's - His gift to us out of His grace. The only thing we can do is to apply the faith we have received from God. John MacArthur explained it well: “that our faith is simply breathing the breath that God’s grace supplies us.” So faith is an act of trust and thereby excludes any idea of merit or works. The whole grace-faith experience is God’s gift to us. None comes from us, if it did we would have something to brag about.

Q1. (Acts 15:1,5) What is the essential demand of the Judaizers? How does that contradict the idea of salvation by grace? What is the danger of excessive legalism in our Christian congregations? Essentially, they demanded that Gentiles be circumcised in order to be saved. Saying that belief in our Lord Jesus Christ was not enough; they must also obey the Law of Moses. This is a direct attack on the doctrine of salvation by grace. We know that the true gospel teaches that Christ finished the work necessary for salvation on the Cross. As sinners all we need to do is repent and receive Him by faith. Once we start to bring human merit or works in, it is no longer by grace, and there is the danger of us boasting. Salvation is a gift and is not earned.

Q4. (Acts 13:43b) Why is "continuing" or "abiding" in the faith so important? What does Jesus' Parable of the Sower teach about "continuing" (Matthew 13:5-6, 20-21)? Why do new believers need basic instruction and discipling before the task of evangelism is complete? (Acts 14:21b-22) Jesus speaks about those that hear the Word and respond with joy, but with the first trial they lose interest, or they are too involved with the busyness of life and haven’t time. Finally there is those who truly believe and have received the God given hunger for the Word. They want to continue in the faith and are willing to study and meditate on the Scriptures. This reminds me of Joshua 1:8, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” They do this to get to know their Heavenly Father better, so that they are careful to live in obedience to Him. Those who are truly born again will persevere until the end. Jesus says, “I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me; and this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I should lose nothing of all that He has given Me, but raise it up at the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:38-40).

Q3. How do Paul's gospel presentations to pagans in Lystra (Acts 14:16-17;) and Athens (Acts 17:16-34) differ from his typical message in the synagogues? What common ground does Paul build on with pagan audiences? How will you need to contextualize the gospel in your particular area to build on common ground? In preaching in synagogues, he knows they believe in the God of Abraham and in the Scriptures, but in this area, the pagans believed in a multitude of gods; so Paul had to get through to them that there is only One true God. In seeking common ground, he therefore preaches to the pagans about the Creator. He teaches them about a Living God who is active in creation and in their lives, in comparison to their idols of wood and iron, which are worthless. Living in a Third World country one may have to rely, to a certain extent, on signs and wonders. Where I live there is a strong belief in ancestor worship. They believe in our Lord Jesus but at the same time they have this strong belief that the spirits of their ancestors live on in the natural world and are able to influence the futures and fortunes of living relatives – believing that these spirits act as mediators between the them and the Creator. So they pray to them, and make offerings to satisfy them in the hope of gaining their favour. Seeking common ground, yes there is a mediator between God and man, but it is only our Lord Jesus Christ, as God’s Son, that can fill this role. We find that Satan has always sought to replace God, and he uses lies about worshipping other gods and even ancestors to try to lead people away from the truth of God’s existence. Ultimately, we have to proclaim the gospel and then rely on our Lord to summon the people to Himself in such a way that they respond by putting their trust in Jesus Christ. Unless the Holy Spirit works in people’s hearts there will be no genuine saving response. Jesus Himself said "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him" (John 6:44).

Q2. In evangelizing people, how does God use power encounters (in Paphos, Crete, Acts 13:6-12) and signs and wonders (Acts 14:3 in Iconium)? Are miracles enough to produce saving faith on their own? If not, what else is needed? Have you seen signs and wonders with evangelism? If not, why do you think that is? Getting people away from their belief in their gods and putting their faith in the One true God is often very challenging. They had always trusted these gods for their daily survival and are very aware of the presence and power of spirits. A test of their ancestral gods against that of the Christian God is often needed – they need to witness the obvious victory of our Lord. Involved here are power encounters – the power of the true God is tested against the power of Satan. In our example, the power of Jesus and His kingdom, demonstrated His authority over darkness. This resulted in Sergius Paulus, the proconsul, placing his faith in the Lord. Similarly, signs and wonders demonstrate the presence and power of God. They are used to validate the reality of the gospel, and to display the mighty power of the Holy Spirit. On their own they are not enough to produce saving faith. Only faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ can do this. I believe that before creation our Heavenly Father elected certain people to be His children. All that is needed is for them to hear the gospel which will happen. I have never witnessed it personally. With so many false churches starting up in my country and the way they are exploiting innocent people, one has to be very wary. Add to this the so called Christian channels we see on TV, I get the feeling that so called Christianly is a way to get rich quickly.

Q1. (Acts 13:14-41) What "common ground" does the gospel of Jesus have with Judaism? How does Paul's approach in the synagogues reflect building on this common ground? What is the essence of the gospel? (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) Paul used Old Testament history as the foundation and common ground for his message about the gospel of Jesus Christ. To get their attention Paul starts off with God’s choice of Israel as His chosen nation. He then moves from Egypt and their 40 years in the wilderness to their victory in taking possession of the land of Canaan. Eventually he mentions king David (Acts 13:23) and this is his opportunity to mention that it was from this line that the Messiah came. He explains that Jesus was the offspring of David, and that He was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies of the coming Messiah. Paul cleverly points out all the things God has done for them, and finally mentions the fact that God has brought a Saviour, Jesus Christ, to Israel. John the Baptist was regarded as a great prophet, so he also mentions John's testimony to the greatness of Jesus. But their leaders did not recognize Jesus as the long-sought Messiah, and that He was the One of whom the Prophets had written. And this, even though they had heard these predictions concerning the Messiah, read to them at each Sabbath. He tells them that they even fulfilled the Scriptures by rejecting the Messiah (v 29). To Paul the gospel was very clear. It consisted of the great acts of God in history - the coming of the Lord Jesus, His ministry among men, His crucifixion because of the sins of men, and His resurrection as the Scriptures had promised. Here we have the timeless facts of the gospel: the ministry, the crucifixion, and the resurrection of Jesus. The essence of the gospel as explained in 1 Cor 15:3-4 is that Christ died for our sins and was raised. The fact that He was buried verified His death, and then also the fact that He appeared to many verified His resurrection.

Q4. (1 Corinthians 9:16-17) How does Paul view his call to preach? How much choice is involved for him? How much honour? How should this understanding affect our understanding of God gifting and calling us for ministry? What is the opposite of faithfulness when it comes to using God's gifts? Jesus had told Paul to preach the gospel to the Gentiles and to the people of Israel (Acts 9:15). He understood this was a command from the Lord, and if he was disobedient, “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Cor 9:16), he would bring the greatest misery upon himself. He does not have much choice. He knows what happened to Jonah, and like Jonah, Paul was compelled to preach. He must preach the gospel of salvation - in his own words to Timothy, “in season and out of season” (2 Tim 4:2). Paul is a servant of Jesus Christ, as he often notes in his epistles, and as such he faithfully executes his task (Luke 17:10). He would preach, and all the honour and glory would all be God’s. By obeying Jesus, he had only done his duty and he regarded it as a privilege. In the same way each one of us have been gifted with spiritual gifts and it is our bound duty to use them to the glory of our Lord. They are all used to strengthen the body of Christ, the church. This not an option – not using them can be seen an act of disobedience.

Q3. (Acts 13:1-3) Why are the church leaders in Antioch seeking God through corporate prayer and fasting? How does God respond to their seeking? Why do you think we don't do more of this sort of thing today? What was the importance of this to the church at large? To the chosen missionaries? There was a great need at this momentous occasion – they needed to recognise the will of the Lord, His directions for the church going forward. They were actively seeking the help of the Holy Spirit in spreading the gospel into the Gentile world, and corporate prayer and fasting is a special time in seeking this guidance. Through the prophets that were in the church at the time they received guidance for the future. For example, we read that while they were worshipping and fasting, the Holy Spirit set apart for Him, both Barnabas and Paul. Fasting was done when there was an important decision to be made, and we note that the Holy Spirit was very active in this early church. Our Lord Jesus, before He ascended into the heavens, told His disciples that after they had received power from the Holy Spirit “you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Here we read about the beginning of the last phase, going into the then known ends of the earth. Their most important function was letting the world know about our Saviour Lord Jesus Christ, and the spreading and understanding of the Word. The church at Antioch was the first NT church and was functioning on God’s pattern. This was no user-friendly church, functioning on man’s pattern, that we often see today. This is a spirit-filled church. They took many years to get them to the point where they were ready to explode upon the pagan world. Antioch sent missionaries into the Gentile world, initially to Cyprus, and Asia Minor, and later to Macedonia and Greece. They were successful in the task of proclaiming the Good News to the known world.