hanks

Q3. Why is it so hard to take the gospel to different peoples without wrapping it in our own cultural practices? Can you think of examples of this in Church history? What is the danger? How can we avoid such cultural faux pas in our church's missionary enterprises? We have to remember that very often religion is a part of a person’s culture, and these cultural habits are most difficult to change. We of course see our own cultural practices as far superior to those of others. Besides the spread of the gospel often goes hand-in-hand with other teachings, like teaching people to read and write. This makes it easy for our culture to be wrapped up in teaching the Word. In Church history there are many examples of forcing Western cultures on the local inhabitants; especially in Africa. Many African tribes have been forced to forsake their own cultures for our Western way of life. Some with disastrous results. However, I must say in Southern Africa there have been many positives among the different tribes. We have to careful in thinking our culture is very much superior to others. Our own culture has become so entangled with a humanist philosophy that we often believe that current thinking is Christian at its core. Again, a Christians in today’s Western culture is often labelled as a fanatic, a hypocrite, a bigot, or worse.

Q2. (Galatians 2:14) Why do you think Paul confronted Peter publicly rather than privately? Do you expect Paul had talked with Peter about this previously? How did a public discussion of this benefit the Jewish Christians? How did it benefit the Gentile Christians? What kind of pressure do you think this put on Paul? Paul confronted Peter publicly because Peter had caused much anger amongst the Gentile Christians, and at the same time was leading others astray. This therefore called for an open confrontation with Peter. No, I don’t think Paul spoke to Peter privately as this was a public issue. I feel Paul could not tolerate any deviation from the true gospel he had received directly from Jesus, and was therefore determined to defend and uphold it at all costs. Both Jewish and Gentile Christians ultimately benefited from Paul’s action. God did not now differentiate between the two groups; both being justified on the same terms through faith in Christ crucified. Consequently, Paul’s action helped unify the Christian church and helped prevent a major split at the time. This must have put tremendous pressure on Paul as this whole issue could easily have crippled or even destroyed the church.

Q1. (Galatians 2:11-14) Why do you think Peter first embraced the Gentile believers in Antioch and later withdrew from them to eat only with Jews? What does this tell us about his character? Why should he have known better? What does this tell us about Barnabas? What does it tell us about the political clout of the visitors from Jerusalem? Have you ever acted like a hypocrite to impress others? What should you do when you recover your senses? Peter at first embraced the Gentile believers because as we read in Matthew 15, Mark 7, and Acts 10, that Peter has many lessons on food, and that he had learnt that the Gentiles food and eating habits were not unclean. Furthermore, this truth had been accepted and approved by the conference of leaders at Jerusalem (Acts 15). So Peter knew there was to be no discrimination and he could enjoy fellowship with all the believers, Jews and Gentiles alike. To "eat with the Gentiles" meant to accept them, to put Jews and Gentiles on the same level as one family in Christ. However, he later withdrew and I think that Peter having been raised as an orthodox Jew, must have had a difficult time learning these lessons. For we know that the Law of Moses acted as a wall between the Jews and the Gentiles, and therefore it was impractical for them to eat together. Fortunately this wall was broken down at the Cross (Eph 2:14-18), and there was to be no difference either in condemnation or salvation between Jews and Gentiles. The trouble started when a group of Jewish Christians arrived from Jerusalem and started preaching that unless you are circumcised you cannot be saved. At the same time they taught that it was improper for circumcised Jewish believers to eat with uncircumcised Gentile believers. We read in verse 12 that Peter’s reaction to this group was one of fear. Peter’s reaction could perhaps be explained by him being an impulsive person. In the Bible we read about Peter’s faith and courage and also about his failures. For example, in the Upper Room he boasted that he would willingly die with Jesus, and then a little later he denied his Lord three times. We must remember Peter was not perfect, and so are we. Unfortunately Peter led Barnabas astray. I think Barnabas was more of a gentle person and did not want conflict of any sort by offending the visitors from Jerusalem. These visitors were all professing Jewish Christian believers, and according to Acts 15:5, they were strict Pharisees. Also, James, the leader of the Jerusalem church had sent them. This does not mean that they had his authority. Nevertheless they must have had tremendous political clout. No wonder Peter was intimidated. Many years ago as an immature Christian I must have acted as a hypocrite to impress others. I cannot remember any such occasion, but thankfully today I’m a more mature Christian, much closer to my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and not ashamed of Him!

Q4. (Galatians 2:1-10) Why do you think Paul seems to distance himself from the leaders of the Jerusalem church (2:2, 6, 9)? Why does he at the same time write of their approval of his ministry? How does this further his argument to the Galatians in this letter? Paul seems to distance himself from the leaders of the Jerusalem church to make a point that they were not superior to him as an apostle; their status did not diminish Paul's status as an apostle. The Judaizers possibly claimed that Paul did not have as much status as the Jerusalem apostles and wanted him to go to Jerusalem for ‘that is where you can find truth’. As the most astute student of God's Word in the first century, he made a clean-cut break with Judaism. The Judaizers did not make a clean break, and this showed their lack of discernment of the principle of grace on their part. They followed him around the Roman Empire trying to undermine his message. They did everything they could to destroy him. Peter, however, held Paul in high esteem. Paul knew his gospel was the true gospel, having received it directly from Jesus Christ. So he did not need to get the approval from the other apostles. Rather, he did not want them to undermine his evangelistic work. He wanted his converts to be recognised as genuine Christians and members of the Church. Also he did not want the one Church to split into two branches – Jewish and Gentile Christianity. Paul met with these leaders to demonstrate to the Galatians that although he was not dependent on anyone but God for his message and ministry, he preached the same gospel the other apostles did.

Q3. (Galatians 2:1-3) Paul is arguing that the Jerusalem leaders support his position on circumcision, rather than that of the Judaizers. What is the significance of Paul's mention that Titus was not required to be circumcised? The Judaizers had wanted the Gentiles to be circumcised. But, of course, by being circumcised, this was actually a way to seek salvation by adherence to the law and therefore was to deny that salvation is only by grace. So Paul brought Titus to Jerusalem to openly confront the legalists. Although there was pressure on Titus to become circumcised as part of becoming a Christian; yet Titus was a living example of someone who became a Christian without circumcision. The Council concluded that circumcision was not a requirement, and this affirmed Paul’s position on the gospel of grace. This decision was a crucial to the Christian faith because the Council affirmed Gentile converts as being truly Christian. We see that Paul’s success at the Jerusalem Council opened the gospel to the Gentiles.

Q2. (Galatians 1:13-16) What factors in Paul's background made him an ideal apostle to the Gentiles? How did God use his being different from others? To ponder: How has your unique background fitted you for ministry? What uniqueness has God given you? What will it take to see that uniqueness as a God-given strength rather than as an embarrassment? Paul attended the rabbinical school of Gamaliel, and by his own admission, had become a fanatical persecutor of Christians. This thorough training coupled with the revelation he received from Jesus helped him rapidly absorb and understand Christian doctrines. Our Lord had also set him apart to be a missionary to the Gentiles. Of all the apostles he was the most grace-oriented; admitting that he was the least deserving to be an apostle. “For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God (1 Cor 15:9. We also note that he was also the most productive because of grace. “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them - yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me (1 Cor 15:10). All I know is that I am a sinner saved by grace, and I can only praise Him for electing me before creation. Without Him I am nothing.

Q1. (Galatians 1:11-12) What is the source of Paul's gospel? How do we know that it is a true revelation? How does it conform to our other foundational sources of Christian teaching? What is the danger of taking the teaching of contemporary leaders as our doctrinal basis without checking it with the Scripture? Paul received this gospel directly, by revelation, from Jesus Christ. This is the highest authority and being divinely revealed it can only be the absolute truth. It was not based on any human reasoning or human logic, which can be a danger if we accept these teachings without first checking and verifying them carefully with Scripture. We do this because we know that “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, (2 Tim 3:16).

Q1. (Galatians 1:11-12) What is the source of Paul's gospel? How do we know that it is a true revelation? How does it conform to our other foundational sources of Christian teaching? What is the danger of taking the teaching of contemporary leaders as our doctrinal basis without checking it with the Scripture? Paul received this gospel directly, by revelation, from Jesus Christ. This is the highest authority and being divinely revealed it can only be the absolute truth. It was not based on any human reasoning or human logic, which can be a danger if we accept these teachings without first checking and verifying them carefully with Scripture. We do this because we know that “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, (2 Tim 3:16).

Q2. Paul called the Judaizers' message as a "different gospel," a perversion of the true gospel. How is this dangerous to the Galatian believers? How do twisted gospels (or an unbalanced interpretation of the gospel) affect Christians in our day? Paul cannot believe that the Galatians had so suddenly deserted the true gospel, and put themselves under the curse of the law. By abandoning it for a different gospel they exposed themselves to a perverted message of grace and law; a mixture that unsettles them and causes confusion and turmoil. The same damage is done today when twisted gospels and doctrines are preached. We see the tendency to minimise Christ’s death on the cross. People try to find favour with God by observing certain rituals, instead of accepting that all believers have the Holy Spirit through faith. Some try to find favour with people for financial gain, and preach what people like to hear, not what God has said. We must know that we cannot be saved by keeping laws; the only way of salvation is through faith in Christ. There is only one true gospel and many false teachings that are spreading like a cancer through our churches.

Q2. Paul called the Judaizers' message as a "different gospel," a perversion of the true gospel. How is this dangerous to the Galatian believers? How do twisted gospels (or an unbalanced interpretation of the gospel) affect Christians in our day?Paul cannot believe that the Galatians had so suddenly deserted the true gospel, and put themselves under the curse of the law. By abandoning it for a different gospel they exposed themselves to a perverted message of grace and law; a mixture that unsettles them and causes confusion and turmoil. The same damage is done today when twisted gospels and doctrines are preached. We see the tendency to minimise Christ’s death on the cross. People try to find favour with God by observing certain rituals, instead of accepting that all believers have the Holy Spirit through faith. Some try to find favour with people for financial gain, and preach what people like to hear, not what God has said. We must know that we cannot be saved by keeping laws; the only way of salvation is through faith in Christ. There is only one true gospel and many false teachings that are spreading like a cancer through our churches.

Q1. (Galatians 1:4) According to verse 4, for what purpose did Jesus give Himself? How does Jesus rescue people today? How does He keep people from falling back into their old ways? Jesus gave Himself as a sacrifice for our sins. The righteousness and justice of God requires payment for sin, and as an act of grace Jesus died on the cross so that we could have eternal life. By turning to Christ as our Saviour we can be rescued from this present evil world. He rescues us from drugs, alcohol, and any number of sins, proving that even today there is power in the gospel. We tend to try and earn our salvation – trying to gain God’s approval, not realising that it has all been done for us and we need only put our trust in the work of Christ. I think it is only through His Word and His power that we can be saved from the present evil age. It is also this power of God that will keep us as Christians until the day we die. We know from John 6:39 that Jesus does the will of the Father, which is that He should “lose none of all that He has given me, but raise them up at the last day.” In John 10:27-29 Jesus says that those that follow Him, those who are His sheep are given eternal life. He also says (v.28) that “no one can snatch them out of my hand.” From these and other passages of Scripture we have the assurance that Jesus will keep us from falling back into our old ways.

Q4. (2 Corinthians 13:12) What is the equivalent of a “holy kiss” in your congregation and culture? Why is a warm familial greeting so important in a healthy congregation? Why do people sometimes resist being greeted warmly? The men greet each other with a handshake, and men and ladies, as well as ladies with each other, with a kiss on the cheek. Yes, in our congregation it helps us realise we belong to God’s family and as such are brothers and sisters in Christ. It also helps to “break the ice” promoting love, peace, and harmony in the church. I would think some people resist being greeted warmly because they are very reserved by nature and do not want to draw attention to themselves. Perhaps they are new to the church and do not yet feel part of the church as such. Thanks Pastor Ralph for an excellent Bible study!! I learn so much from them and have found them to be a blessing in my walk with the Lord. I periodically go over all your previous Bible studies that I have completed, giving me an even greater understanding of the Word. I truly appreciate all the hard work that goes into each Bible study. Once again many thanks. God Bless.

Q3. (2 Corinthians 12:20) How do you “cure” a church of these kinds of behaviours and sins? How can a “love offensive” begin to change the spirit of a dysfunctional congregation? What is the role of church discipline in a dysfunctional congregation? I would think there has to be discipline in the church. The true word of God must be taught – not only what people like or want to hear. Also there has to be a fear of the Lord. We read in Acts 9:31, “Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.” The congregation has got to change their lifestyle and thinking from worldly behaviour to a Christ centred living with godly conduct. There has to be the love of Jesus in their heart, and a love for their fellow Christians. A less selfish outlook is called for. Unfortunately those who are disruptive cannot be allowed to jeopardise the whole church and will have to be changed with love.

Q2. (2 Corinthians 12:10) What was the life-changing lesson that Paul learned from God when God denied his prayer? How does our self-sufficiency limit God’s power through our lives? Can we become dependent upon God without having to experience some “thorn in the flesh” ourselves? God answered Paul’s prayer not in the way Paul had hoped for but in His perfect way. Instead of removing the ‘thorn’, God gave Paul something better, the grace to bear it. At the same time God promised to give him something that Paul needed most – the power and strength to help him in revealing Christ to the Gentiles. And the best way for this to happen, was for Paul to be kept in a place of weakness. Today it is no different. God's answer to His suffering people throughout the world is that we should rather have Christ in our hearts, and the assurance of His strength and enabling grace than the removal of trials and sufferings. It is when we are aware of our own weaknesses that we are strong, as we come to depend mostly on the power of God.

Q1. (2 Corinthians 12:7) Why was this “thorn in the flesh” given to Paul? What purpose did God want to achieve through this in Paul’s character? How can something be both used by God and be caused by Satan’s destructive work? How does this verse relate to Romans 8:28 and Genesis 50:20? The ‘thorn’ kept Paul pinned close to the Lord, both in trust and confidence. At the same time it kept him humble, preventing him getting an inflated opinion of his importance, and revealed to him the reality of his human mortality and weakness despite his extraordinary revelations. We can trust God. He uses people’s evil intentions, their sinful natures, and Satan’s destructive work to bring about His intended results. God is working all things together for good to those who love Him. All our suffering, heartbreak, tragedy, disappointments, frustrations, and bereavement that God permits to come into our lives is designed to conform us to the image of His Son. At the time we may wonder what good can come out of it. However, later we may see that our lives are not controlled by impersonal forces such as chance, luck, or fate, but by our wonderful, personal Lord, our Heavenly Father, who is “too loving to be unkind and too wise to err.” So we note that God uses all things to fulfill His purposes and even uses evil for His glory and for our good. Thus when evil comes into our lives to trouble us, we can have this assurance “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). This kind of conviction enabled Joseph to say to his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Gen 50:20).

Q4. (2 Corinthians 11:23-28) How do Paul’s sufferings help authenticate his claim to be an apostle? What do these sufferings tell us about Paul’s commitment? How does this account inspire you – or convict you? How will you be different from having pondered it? Jesus Christ met Paul and commandeered him to become an apostle of the very gospel he had sought to extinguish. But God had another surprise in store for Paul, the strict Jew. He was to go to the people he had been brought up to despise, the Gentiles, and declare to them the love of God in Christ. Paul’s sufferings proved his dedication and commitment. We read that the false teachers avoided any ill-treatment or unpleasantness. Paul, on the other hand, in discomfort and great danger, travelled widely to make Christ known. During these journeys he suffered greatly. As a true apostle he loved and cared for the Lord’s people. During his sufferings he relied on God; knowing that He is always faithful and that He will be by Paul’s side helping him get through any difficult times. Any trials and tribulations I’ve had to endure pale in comparison with what the great apostle had to go through. I thank our Heavenly Father for that. It does however make me think that there is a great deal more I could and should be doing for the Lord.

Q3. (2 Corinthians 11:7-9) Why do you think Paul refused to require the Corinthians to support him? How did this help his ministry? How did it contribute to them taking him for granted? How can we honour Christian workers, clergy and lay, who give of their time sacrificially to minister for Christ? How will Christ honour them? The Corinthians were supercritical of Paul; it did not matter what he did, they would still criticise whatever he did. If he had taken money they would have accused him of only preaching for the money; and by not accepting any payment they said he did not love them. At the time there was a social custom for the wealthy (which the Corinthians were) to put others under obligation by gifts. The wealthy gave money to travelling philosophers, and Paul in declining was in breach of this social custom. Whereas the visiting money-hungry false teachers and philosophers expected, demanded, and received money from the Corinthians. I doubt they would have been interested in the Corinthian church unless it paid them financially. Thus, Paul was determined to continue his policy of not receiving money from the believers in Corinth. By doing this Paul was not obligated to them in anyway and was free to preach the true gospel, and not what the Corinthians wanted to hear. We can honour all those that serve our Lord Jesus with prayer and financial support. Christ will honour them by rewarding them abundantly!

Q2. (2 Corinthians 11:1-5) What does it feel like when a congregation loses its pure devotion to Jesus Christ, and instead takes on other motivations for its religious observance? In what ways is this like the church at Ephesus losing its “first love” (Revelation 2:4)? How can this purity of devotion be restored? If great care is not taken to preserve the pure gospel of Christ, confusion can take place. Very often the congregation is manipulated to meet the ego of a false teacher. Or there might even be subtle changes that occur, and the gospel of love and forgiveness is replaced by the gospel of fear and suspicion. False doctrines can sound so spiritual that members can easily be led astray. False teachings might not even be that subtle, they might teach another Jesus - denying the virgin birth and even His resurrection. I would think that purity of devotion can only be restored if the true Word is taught and Jesus Christ is the centre of all, and there must be the renewed love for Jesus with heart, soul, and mind.

Q1. (2 Corinthians 10:3-6) Why does Paul liken his dealing with his opponents in Corinth with reducing a city wall by siege and then taking its citizens captive? Is Paul talking about a victory by the use of incisive logic or is there a spiritual stronghold here, one that derives its power from Satan’s kingdom? I think Paul means that the gospel message penetrates any man-made walls. This is done when believers armed with wisdom, courage, dedication, and faith enters Satan’s strongholds and demolishes this opposition. Satan knows that his time is coming to an end, and so he uses every available weapon to resist defeat. In his arsenal he has the weapons of deceit, lies, intimidation, compulsion, and force. But nothing on earth can stop the march of the gospel, for “we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Rom 8:37). So, we not only triumph over these demonic forces but at the same time we bring glory to God. But, as we all know, all of this is not through our own strength, but only through Him who loved us. Only the power of Christ can bring sweetness out of bitterness, strength out of weakness, triumph out of tragedy, and blessing out of heartbreak.

Q4. (2 Corinthians 9:12-15) Why should our giving prompt thanksgiving? How is our giving a demonstration of God’s grace? Why is God’s gift of Jesus termed “surpassing”? Why is God’s gift of Jesus termed “indescribable”? Our giving will not only supply the needs of people but will also result in people giving thanks to our Lord. It is by His grace that we have been saved, and it is only because we are new creatures that we give generously without a hidden motive. We give out of gratitude for what our Lord Jesus has done and means to us. God’s gift of Jesus is termed ‘surpassing’ because that is what it is: there is nothing else like it, it surpasses everything in its excellence. The same with the term ‘indescribable’. It defies expression or description! Here, on earth, we will never be able to fathom the depth of God’s love for us, the infinite value of our salvation, and the gift of eternal life. It indeed is indescribable! Thank you Lord Jesus!

Q3. (2 Corinthians 9:10-11) According to these verses, what is the purpose of God increasing your “store of seed”? How do greed and generosity differ from each other? What is God’s promise here to generous givers? By increasing our ‘store of seed’ God is enabling us to sow more so that we will have more resources for doing good works - more for us to give for His purposes. He will multiply the seed we have sown. That is, He will give us greater opportunity and there will be more abundant results from showing kindness to His people. Furthermore, He will increase the fruits of our righteousness. It is not about the accumulation of personal wealth - wealth for our own use. Here greed is all about ME while giving and being generous is all about GOD. We can never impoverish ourselves by giving to the Lord. God’s promises us that if we give generously He will always see to our personal needs and will provide more than we personally need - so that even more can be given. We must also remember that the results of our kindness will endure forever (v 9) – we will be laying up for ourselves treasures in heaven (Mat 6:20).

Q2. (2 Corinthians 9:7) Why do you think pastors or other church leaders use guilt to try to compel people to give more? Can greed be behind their pressure? Why is pressure incompatible with worship? What does cheerfulness while giving say about the condition of a person’s heart? It is sad to say but unfortunately true, greed is the motivating factor. I’ve seen it time and again on our so called Christian TV channels, and it is embarrassing to watch them virtually begging. I know some are doing wonderful work for our Lord but it is the lifestyles some of these TV evangelist live that says it all. It is out of gratitude for what our Saviour has done and continues to do for me, that I give. Jesus is the centre of our lives, of all things; He sustains and upholds all things (Heb 1:3), He is before all things (Col 1:17).

Q1. (2 Corinthians 9:6) Does the Scripture teach that material blessing results from giving generously to God’s work? Why are we so careful to reinterpret this as referring mainly to spiritual blessing? If you compared your own actual giving to God’s work to a tithe (10%) of your income, would it look generous? Yes, God takes great pleasure in giving us both spiritual and material gifts, and He wants us to follow His example to be generous in our giving. We read in James 1:17: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father…”. God is unsparing in His giving, besides sending His Son, the gifts God makes available to His children are good and perfect. We can never outdo God in His giving no matter how open-handed we are; we will experience God’s greater generosity. I feel, however, our motive in giving should not be to give much in order to get much more in return. It must be out of love and gratitude to our Lord. Looking at my own giving, I’m ashamed to say, does not look generous at all.

Q4. (2 Corinthians 8:21-22) What is the balance between living our lives wholly before God without being men-pleasers, and doing what is right in the sight of men? I don’t think there is a balance as such to be kept. All things have to be done honestly whether before God or in the sight of men. There cannot be two ways of doing things. We are all required to lead lives that are morally upright, and praiseworthy. To avoid being branded as hypocrites we have got to be honest and right before God and men.

Q3. (2 Corinthians 8:9) What riches did Christ have according to this verse? How did he become poor? In what way were we poor? In what way have we become rich? Jesus Christ was all that God was – eternally rich. By coming to earth He made Himself nothing, taking on the very nature of a servant. He humbled Himself and then by dying on the cross became even obedient to death. Jesus Himself said in Luke 9:58, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." We were once sinful paupers and only through grace have we become rich in the righteousness of God.