Adult Sunday School Study - Paul’s Letters
Introduction to Paul's Letters to the Corinthians
First Corinthians was probably written from Ephesus during Paul's extended stay (Acts 19:8–10) there during his third missionary journey... That would date the letter about 53 or 54... Some commentators believe that the letter was written from Ephesus during Paul's short stay (Acts 18:18 – 22) there on his way home during his second missionary journey... That does not seem likely because Paul had time to send an earlier letter which is now lost (1 Corinthians 5:9) and the church in Corinth had time to develop the difficulties that Paul addresses in this letter...
It seems clear that Paul wrote the Corinthian letters in response to questions raised by the Christian churches in that city… For us today, they respond to the question, “OK… You’re saved… Now What?” Salvation happens in the instant we accept Jesus Christ by faith… Sanctification (the dollar word for our growth in Christian living) takes the balance of our lifetimes… We hope you enjoy our in depth study of these wonderful letters…
As this letter unfolds, we will see that Corinth was a major transit point for shipping traveling from the east to Rome... It had the full array of problems that go with a cosmopolitan city... Those problems are full seen in the church there...
You can download and print the handouts for our lessons in PDF format… Please click the appropriate button below for either our current study in Paul’s letters or our previous study in the Book of Revelation… You can also check out the resources that have been consulted to prepare our lessons…
The Olivet Discourse
Matthew Chapter 24 & 25
In Matthew Chapters 24 and 25 Jesus spoke to four of His disciples on The Mount of Olives... Our Lord had told His disciples that He would be leaving them soon... They were anxious to know both what would be the signs of His return and the signs of the end of the age... Matthew records the beginning of that conversation this way:
Matthew 24:3 – 14
English Standard Version (ESV)
As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Mark in the parallel passage in his Gospel account is more specific that it was Peter, James, John and Andrew who came to Jesus privately:
Mark 13:3 – 4 ESV
So while he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that all these things are about to take place?”
On Sunday, January 22, 2023 we began a new, short series
on the Olivet Discourse in Adult Sunday school, Room 11 at 9 AM...
This study of Jesus' reply to His disciples will “set the table” for our in-depth study of the Book of Revelation which will start, Sunday, March 19, 2023... Even though the Apostle John did not include this conversation in his Gospel, we will consider how he might have remembered it when he saw much of it unfold before his eyes as he recorded the scenes in Revelation half a century later on the Island of Patmos...