Come
on down to Adult Sunday School in February
What's Happening in Adult Sunday School
If you have been wanting to get back to the Bible, but haven’t
found the time to do so, here’s a great opportunity to give it a
whirl. The adult Sunday school class has just begun a study of
First Peter. This is a New Testament book that is not frequently
studied or even quoted, but packs quite a punch in terms of its
content, particularly with respect to our attitude and behavior.
It is a short book, five chapters in length, so your time
commitment is not great. Why not give it a try? I’ll lay out
some of the background of the book, so you can begin with a bit
of knowledge of who wrote the book, who was the audience, and
when it was written.
DIDN’T PETER WRITE IT?
Was it the fellow who stepped out of the boat and tried to walk
to Jesus on the water? Was it the chap who cut off the Roman
soldier’s ear in the garden? Was it the disciple to whom Jesus
gave the keys to the kingdom? Probably not. That Peter, that
magnificent, impetuous leader of the Apostles, was crucified
(some say upside down) in Rome around 68AD. It is probable that
someone else, using Peter’s influential name, wrote the book
toward the end of the first century, perhaps around 95AD. Don’t
be alarmed. That was frequently done in the early days of the
church. Another reason for not believing it was the work of the
Apostle Peter was that it was written in exquisite Greek, not in
the language or style of a rough-hewn former fisherman.
TO WHOM WAS IT WRITTEN?
Just open your Bible to Chapter 1, verse 1, and you’ll see
exactly to who it was written. Never heard of those places? See
if your Bible has a set of maps in the back. A map of Paul’s
missionary journeys will show you where those places are. It was
written to the early Christians to encourage them and to ask
them to remain true to their faith. You have probably heard of
the terrible persecution that Nero brought upon Christians in
Rome around 68 AD. Nero’s persecutions were confined to Rome. At
the end of the first century, another Roman emperor named
Domitian persecuted Christians throughout the empire. Those are
the folks to whom this book is addressed. During this era,
Christians were treated like aliens, like second-class citizens,
not worthy of fair treatment. Some say that 1st Peter was
written as an antidote to the Book of Revelation, which was a
revolutionary book that attempted to get a downtrodden people to
rise up. Peter’s words were words of reconciliation and peace
and encouragement.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
When you read, do not be in a hurry. See what you can see in
each verse. For example, in Chap. 1, verse 2, do you see the
concept of predestination? How does that fit in with your
concept of how God foreordains? Verse 8 speaks of an
inexpressible glorious joy through belief in Jesus Christ. Hmmmm!
Do you ever see that emotion within and among Christians? Does
that sound like our Sunday morning worship to you? Makes one
think, doesn’t it?
BETTER STILL,
Why don’t you roll out of bed and join the adult Sunday school
class next week as we pursue the study of 1st Peter. I am always
amazed at how much I can learn from the comments and remarks and
experiences of others. When it comes to Bible , group study is
such a help. We start at 9:30am each Sunday in the basement
Sunday School Room.
Robert T. Bridges Adult Sunday School Leader
Adult Sunday School