The Authority of the Prophets

Sabbath School Class—Life as Discovery and Hope

http://ssclassnotes.blogspot.com 

February 21, 2009
Larry R Evans 

Introduction 

Hardly a week goes by without the news telling us that a compromise has been worked out between different parties whether they be political, organizational or religious. Is it possible have both authority and a compromise?  How do we relate to different voices claiming to speak words of counsel, warning or instruction for the church today?  Do they have authority to speak?  What gives someone authority and when should we listen?  These are not new questions but how we go about answering them is critical.  How do we use the Bible, Ellen White or any other inspired writing when counsel or thoughts seem to contradictive?  Not all answers will be found in this week’s study but hopefully we will find a foundation from which we can draw some helpful principles. 

Reflective Quiz

1.      Rejecting the words or counsel of a prophet is the same as rejecting Christ.  True or False?  [Isa 5:1-6:9; Matt 21:33-46]

2.    Prophets serve as God’s mouthpieces, His spokespersons.  True or False?   [Ex 4:12,15]

3.    When it comes to authority it is not the position or role one has that gives authority to what is said or done.  True or False?  [Mk 1:21-27 but also Matt 7:21-23]

4.    There are no consequences for disobeying God if what is done is done out of ignorance.  True or False? [Acts 17:30; 2 Ki 22:10-13; Jer 36:22-31]

5:    The spoken word, not just the written word, has played a significant role throughout redemptive history.  True or False?  [Jer 38:1-4; Jn 3:1-10; Acts 16:25-34]

6.    The Bible gives support to prophecies not found in the Bible.  True or False?  [2 Cor 9:29]

7.    Once a manuscript is determined to be authentic and inspired it is added to the Bible’s appendix.  True or False?  [Jn 21:25]

8.    Inspired writings outside the Bible should be minimized as a safety precaution to protect from false teachings.  True or False?  [1 Thess 5:19; 1 Cor 5:9-11]

9.    Seventh-day Adventists believe that the writings of Ellen White are less inspired than the Holy Scriptures.  True or False?

10.   Seventh-day Adventists do not believe that the writings of Ellen White may be used as the basis of doctrine.  True or False?

11.   Seventh-day Adventists believe that it is wrong to see more in a biblical text as far as meaning is concerned than what Ellen White has expressed.  True or False?

12.   Seventh-day Adventists believe that Ellen White’s writings should be limited to devotional readings and therefore carry similar weight or authority to a pastor’s inspired sermon.  True or False?

Conclusion

[ Conclusion to Follow on Friday With Teaching Notes and Answers to the Quiz—No Doubt the Quiz Will Be Shortened to Accommodate Class Time]

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Lessons From Would-be Disciples . . . OR . . . How to Flunk While Getting "A's"

Sabbath School Class—A Life of Discovery January 26, 2008 Larry R Evans Quiz for Reflection 1. Commitment was so important to Jesus that He taught His disciples that they must put His mission over that of attending a funeral for a loved one. [Mt 8:21,22] True or False? 2. If we keep the commandments as Jesus instructed the rich young ruler, we will meet the criteria Jesus was stressing with this would-be disciple. [Mk 10:17-23] True or False? 3. True seekers of truth will, unlike Nicodemus, come to Jesus whether it be day or “night.” [Jn 3:2, 19-21] True or False? 4. Truth is truth. Disciples of Christ need to remember that how it is packaged is less important than making sure it is “truth” we share. [See Counsels to Writers and Editors , p.72; The Desire of Ages , p.353] True or False? Introductory Reflections Is it possible to get “A’s” and still flunk the class? Today’s study suggests that it is. We are introduced to some “would be disciples”
Read more

Aug 11 -- Class Notes-- Samson & His Women

Samson & His Women: The Folly of Passion or How Self-Centeredness Leads to Self-Destruction Sabbath School Lesson August 11, 2007 Teacher: Larry R Evans Quiz for Reflection [Based on Judges 13-16 ] When a minister makes a serious/moral mistake it is an indication that he/she was not called in the first place. True or False God’s special endowments upon a person end once he or she intentionally parts from God’s counsel. True or False The example of Samson suggests we should avoid people and circumstances which have a strong influence upon us. True or False Samson’s core problem was his lust for women. True of False Scripture portrays Samson as a man of faith. True or False Introduction C.S. Lewis wrote, "A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is.... A man wh
Read more

Preparing a People

[ There will be no additional study notes this week.] October 10, 2009 Larry R Evans Reflective Introduction It has been said that “A society of sheep must in time beget a government of wolves.” (Marcus Aurelius Antonius). Think about that a moment in the context of our lesson for this week. God in His infinite wisdom knew precisely what unbridled human nature is capable of doing. With this large desert-wandering congregation now freed from slavery, He sought to establish a sense of community among His people—a kind of community that would stick together in the coming promised land. Wolves would arise among the sheep. He knew that. He anticipated this happening so rules were created to protect the sheep though even then His rules were open to abuse. The family unit was the foundation for this new community yet it was the very object of attack. Infidelity and distrust within the family happened and still happens today. Is there any hope? The lesson today is f
Read more