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Many Sabbath School class teachers either preach a sermon to their class or deliver a monologue on the whole lesson, going through it "day-by-day." The most rewarding sessions involve the members in discussion. These questions here are intended to stimulate the active participation of the members in your class. Of course pertinent information imparted by the teacher is also very valuable, for which there are many resources in print and on the internet. This site seeks to provide a resource for discussions.

If you are a member and not a teacher and your class is boring, try asking questions such as these in your class.

Sunday, 22 January 2017

Lesson 4 (Jan 21-27), The Personality of the Holy Spirit

Jesus' Description of the Holy Spirit

  1. Does the Holy Spirit speak and hear (smell and taste) like we do or are these anthropomorphic descriptions? 
  2. Can a Spirit comfort, help and teach as well as a material being? 
  3. Why is the Holy Spirit called a "spirit?" Are God the Father and the Son also spirits?
Personal Aspects of the Holy Spirit
  1. What is meant by "personality?" Do we mean concreteness or merely consciousness?
  2. What does it mean to "grieve" the Spirit? Can something that is only a force be grieved? Could it possible that it is actually God the Father whose 'spirit' is grieved, or does it necessitate a separate divine individual?
  3. Is love possible for a spirit that does not have personality?
  4. Does the Holy Spirit have a form? Does the Father have a form?
  5. What 'power' does the Spirit demonstrate?
  6. Why does the Bible refer to separate baptisms of water and of the Spirit?
  7. What is the necessity of baptizing in the name of all three members of the godhead? Isn't it enough to be baptized in the name of Jesus?
The Spirit of Truth
  1. Can't the Spirit of truth not be a person? 
  2. Didn't Jesus say that He was the "way, the truth, and the life?" What does it mean for Jesus and the Spirit to be "truth?"
  3. How does the Spirit lead human beings? Does it differ from how Satan misleads us?
Why Does it Matter?
  1. Does it matter whether God is one, two, or three?
  2. Will the Spirit feel bad or neglected if we do not see Him as a separate person?
  3. Do we relate better to a person than to Spirit? Why do we have to be told that the third person of the godhead is a Spirit?
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Saturday, 14 January 2017

Lesson 3 (Jan 14-20), The Divinity of the Spirit

The Holy Spirit and God

  1. When Ananias tried to deceive the disciples into believing that he was donating the whole proceeds from the sale of his property, why did Peter accuse him of lying to the Holy Spirit?
  2. Why do you think Ananias and his wife didn't reveal that they were keeping a part back for their own use and donating only a portion?
  3. What could the Holy Spirit be other than "divine?"
The Holy Spirit's Divine Attributes
  1. Can God the Father know something without the Holy Spirit knowing it? Can the Holy Spirit know something which the Father does not know yet?
  2. Does the Holy Spirit go where the Father does not or chooses not to go to?
  3. What is the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?
Biblical Hints
  1. When the Israelites rebelled against God, Moses and Aaron after the ten spies brought a discouraging report why did Isaiah equate it with "grieving the Holy Spirit?"
  2. Why do we call the graces that come from God "gifts of the Spirit?"
  3. In our daily lives and experiences how is rejecting God actually rejecting the Holy Spirit?
Divine Work of the Holy Spirit
  1. What is the role of the Holy Spirit in the rebirth of an individual? Can a person change his or her life without the help of the Holy Spirit?
  2. Why does God communicate to human beings through the Holy Spirit instead of directly?
  3. What is the significance of Jesus being raised from the dead by the Holy Spirit?
The Importance of His Divinity
  1. Is God three in one by design or circumstance?
  2. What is the necessity of God including the Holy Spirit?
  3. Does the Holy Spirit make it easier for humans to relate to God or does it add one more step?

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Sunday, 8 January 2017

Lesson 2 (Jan 7-13), Working Behind the Scenes

The Elusiveness of the Holy Spirit

  1. Is the image of "wind" the best description of the Holy Spirit or does it diminish the personality of the Spirit?
  2. Does God the Father have a form or is he a Spirit too?
  3. How can we answer those who claim that the Spirit is not a separate person but is God the Father's spirit?
The Holy Spirit at Creation
  1. What was the role of the Holy Spirit at creation? Why was the Spirit hovering over the water?
  2. When God breathed his breath into Adam, was that breath the Holy Spirit?
  3. Is the role of the Spirit in re-creation the same as that in creation?
The Holy Spirit and the Sanctuary
  1. Why is it stated only in the case of Bezalel that he was "filled with the Spirit of God" in the ability to fashion the furniture of the Sanctuary? How is Oholiab, his assistant, for whom no such statement is made, different? How about the other workmen about whom it is said that they were "given ability to make all that they were commanded?"
  2. Would these workmen have exhibited the same skill if they were working on a different project?
The Holy Spirit in Glorifying Jesus Christ
  1. Was the Holy Spirit more active in the New Testament than in the Old Testament?
  2. Is it possible that anyone could elevate the Holy Spirit above Jesus and/or the Father?
  3. Should we address the Holy Spirit in prayer as we do the Father and Jesus?
The Holy Spirit and Christ
  1. How was the role of the Holy Spirit in the conception of Jesus? Why would the Spirit not be called the "Father?"
  2. What was the significance of the Holy Spirit descending upon Jesus at his baptism? Did it benefit him or was it for the benefit of the onlookers?
  3. Did the Spirit assist Jesus during his temptations?
  4. Did Jesus depend on the Spirit during his life on this earth as we do or did he manage on his own because he was God?
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Wednesday, 4 January 2017

Lesson 1 (Dec 31-Jan 6) The Spirit and the Word

The Holy Spirit and Revelation

  1. How does a prophet know whether a message is from God or from his own imagination? 
  2. How can we be sure which persons have been chosen by God to receive His revelations?
  3. Can a person be deluded as to the origin of his/her messages? Can Satan also pretend to the the Holy Spirit and give messages to humans?
The Holy Spirit and Inspiration
  1. If we discover dis-harmonies in supposedly inspired writings how do we know which one to discard?
  2. Are there some parts of the Bible which are not inspired and should not be quoted as authoritative?
  3. What is the difference in believing that the Bible is inspired or the Bible-writer is inspired? 
The Holy Spirit and the Truthfulness of Scripture
  1. How can we account for some factual errors in the Bible?
  2. Does the Holy Spirit supervise the making of copies of the Bible?
  3. Are there some parts of the Bible that are applicable only to certain cultures and times, or is it timeless and universal?
The Holy Spirit as Teacher
  1. Why is it necessary to have the Holy Spirit help us understand Scripture as we read it? Is the plain reading not the most reliable?
  2. How can we be sure that it is the Holy Spirit that is guiding our understanding of the Bible as we read it, and not our own imagination?
  3. Is it necessary to approach Scripture with an open mind, or are there some things that should be taken for granted?
The Holy Spirit and the Word
  1. Why is Jesus referred to as the "Word of God?" What are the similarities between Jesus and the Bible?
  2. Is the truths of the Bible conveyed in words or thoughts? What do we really mean by "word?"
  3. Is there such a thing as progressive revelation? How should we react to "new light?"

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