Lesson 5 (Oct 28-Nov 3), The Faith of Abraham

The Law

1. Which persons in the Old Testament were considered to be good examples of keeping the law? Is there any evidence that any might have been absolutely without sin?
2. Why would anyone teach that those under grace, saved by faith, need not to keep the law?

Debt or Grace

1. Are there some people who do not deserve grace? Are there some who deserve grace?
2. Was Abraham a Jew or Gentile? Does it make any difference?
3. Is it easier to accept a loan or a grant? Is pride involved?

The Promise

1. How much of God's promise to Abraham was fulfilled before the patriarch died? How much benefit was the promise to Abraham?
2. Were the Jews ignorantly and innocently trying to earn salvation by obeying the law? Since that is what they were taught, will God hold it against them if they were sincerely trying to earn salvation by works?

Law and Faith

1. Which is practically easier to accept, salvation by faith, or salvation by works?
2. Do Catholics believe in salvation by faith or salvation by works?
3. What is the difference in "salvation by grace," and "salvation by faith?"

The Law and Sin

1. Why are some Christians anxious to say that the law has been done away with?
2. Can a penalty exist without a law? Can a law exist without penalty for breaking it?
3. Do all peoples acknowledge the same things as right and wrong?

Lesson 4 (Oct 21-27), Justification by Faith

The Deeds of the Law

1. What was God's intention in giving humans the Ten Commandments? 
2. What kind of obedience might parents not want from their children?
3. How can home or school rules be presented to children so that they will not resent them?

The Righteousness of God

1. Why do people have problems accepting the righteousness of Christ as free?
2. How do I accept righteousness by faith? Is believing and wanting it enough, or does one need to do something?

By His Grace

1. Why could not a sinless angel have accomplished our salvation?
2. Why are people reluctant to accept things that are free? 

The Righteousness of Christ

1. What does "remission" mean? Is it related to the word "remit?" What does that word mean?
2. How can it be legal for One's person's righteousness to be credited to another? How can it be credited to so many people?

Without the Deeds of the Law

1. Is there any credit whatsoever for keeping the Ten Commandments? Why or why not?
2. Is trying to keep the law good or bad?
3. How can parents teach Salvation by Grace to children?

Lesson 3 (Oct 14-20), The Human Condition

The Power of the Gospel

1. Can God transform a person so that he or she is not tempted (interested) to do wrong even though Satan tries hard to tempt the person?
2. Is it appropriate to pray that God will remove temptations? Or should we pray for strength to overcome them? What does "Lead us not into temptation" mean?

All Have Sinned

1. Have all really sinned? What about Enoch whom God took to heaven, and Job, whom God upheld to Satan as blameless and upright?
2. Are humans basically good or basically bad; righteous or wicked? Deep in one's heart is there a desire to be good or bad? 
3. When we look around do we see more persons worse than we are or better than we are? 
4. What is self-righteousness? 

Progress

1. In what ways, if any is the world getting better? In what ways, if any, is the world getting worse?
2. Is it possible that the world is not getting better or worse but we tend to look back at the "good old days," or focus on the bad things of the past?
3. In general, are people getting closer to God or getting further away?

What Jews and Gentiles Share in Common

1. Would you as an individual consider yourself closer to God now than ten years ago?
2. Are you more strict with such issues as Sabbath keeping now or ten years ago?
3. Are Christians better people than non-Christians?

The Gospel and Repentance

1. If a person fails to repent what does it mean? Do some people repent more easily than others? What can one do to make repentance easier?
2. Can I forgive one who does not repent? Does it benefit the person who has wronged me? Why or why not?

Lesson 2 (Oct 7-13), The Controversy

A Better Covenant

1. Did Jesus start a new religion or was it a continuation of the Hebrew religion?
2. How much of Christianity did the Old Testament anticipate? 
3. How does the fourth commandment find a place in the Decalogue?

Jewish Laws and Regulations

1. Would it be wrong for someone to follow the Mosaic/Ceremonial laws today?
2. What benefits might there be in observing the Old Testament festivals? Are there any reasons why one should not observe them?
3. Are the laws on clean and unclean foods health laws or religious laws?

As the Custom of Moses

1. Should people have to surrender membership in such organisations as "Pharisees" when they become Christians? Why did Paul not inform them that Phariseeism was not valid any longer?
2. Why did the Pharisees call circumcision a rite of Moses rather than one given by God?
3. Did Paul have authority to tell members what to do?

The Gentile Believers

1. After the council decided that the Gentiles need not be circumcised, why were the Jewish believers permitted to continue following the custom? How did that affect the unity of the church?
2. On what basis did the leaders decide that circumcision was not essential to membership in the church? What are the essentials for salvation?
3. Which would have been a bigger obstacle to Jewish believers, making circumcision optional or ordaining women?
4. Why did fornication need to be included in the list of things that could not be compromised? Didn't the Ten Commandments cover that?
5. Why was it necessary to include "meat offered to idols" as banned when Paul thought it was not a problem? Was it a "give and take" situation?

Paul and the Galatians

1. How did Paul deal with churches that continued to insist on circumcision ignoring the decision of the church? 
2. How can we determine what practices of the Jews were culturated and can be laid aside for Christians?
3. When Jesus told the disciples that whatever they bound on earth would be bound in heaven how much authority was He giving them? How infallible was the Jerusalem council? When Paul wrote that "eating meat offered to idols" was not a problem for him, was he non-compliant? Can council decisions be changed from time to time and still be the voice of God? Matt 16:19

Lesson 1 (Oct 1-7), The Apostle Paul in Rome

The Apostle Paul's Letter

1. If it is helpful to know the date and place of the writing of an epistle does it mean that the document may not apply in all ways to other places or other periods of history?
2. What was so wrong about circumcision that Paul wanted to warn believers before they were "misled" by conservatives to undergo the practice?
3. Why does religion need clergy to guide the members if we believe in the priesthood of all believers?

Paul's Desire to Visit Rome

1. Which is harder, to establish a new church or to retain the members?
2. Which is a better motive for evangelism, (1) obeying the command of Jesus to teach and baptize or (2) interest in people and their salvation?

Paul in Rome

1. If things don't work out easily for a person to travel to a mission field should one understand (1) that it is not God's plan or (2) that the devil is trying to block what God wants done? How can we know the difference?
2. How can one develop the kind of perseverance in mission that Paul demonstrated?

The Saints in Rome

1. What does it mean to be a "saint?" Does one have to be a saint in order to be taken to heaven?
2. What is the difference in "called saints" and "called to be saints?"
3. Is it wrong to address a person as "Saint?"

The Believers in Rome

1. Why are people so anxious to preserve the history of a local church?
2. Is it dangerous to take pride in one's church having been established by a famous person?
3. What are best ways in which a local church can be described or known for?