Hey all!
Isn’t it awesome that BSF has put all of its materials online for us?
This is definitely God since He knew Bible Study Fellowship would need it for coronavirus outbreak.
You can find them here: http://www.mybsf.org
If you haven’t already, follow the instructions to create an account.
Once you have an account, you will be able to download all of BSF’s lessons and notes, as well as view the lecture.
Christ is the power and wisdom of God. Man is foolish for man did not know God (which God allowed). The foolishness of God (which is non-existent) is wider than man’s wisdom. The weakness of God (which is non-existent) is stronger than man’s strength. God is that much higher than man.
God chose those deemed foolish by human standards (we’re all foolish in comparison to God) to shame the wise and the weak to shame the strong. chose the lowly so that no one will boast before him. It is because of God that we are in Jesus who had become for us wisdom from God. So if you boast boast in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 2: Paul says he came to the people in weakness and fear. Paul’s message of wise and persuasive words were from the Spirit’s power so your faith could rest on God’s power.
Now, they speak of God’s secret wisdom (Jesus). One that has been destined since before time began. God has revealed it to us by His Spirit. No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God so we have received the Spirit of God so that we man understand God’s gift (Jesus and grace). This is the message Paul speaks.
The man without the Spirit does not understand things that come from the Spirit of God. The spiritual man is not subject to man’s judgments. But we have the mind of Christ.
6) It seems foolish to those who are perishing (unbelievers). God has purposely destroyed the wisdom of the wise and frustrated them. God has made the wisdom of the world foolish.
7a) The foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom. The foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom. God has made foolish man’s wisdom when man did not know Him. God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise–to prove they were foolish. The Spirit–or God–that indwells in man is what makes him wise. Otherwise, he’s a fool.
b) To shame the world and the strong. In this way, no one can boast before Him.
8a) Personal Question. My answer: The Spirit allows us to understand what God has given us — eternal life, wisdom, grace, and mercy. We have the mind of Christ.
b) Personal Question. My answer: In all things, specifically in the balance in my life.
We often think we are wise when so often we are foolish because we are not acting out of the Spirit. We are blind to the Spirit within due to pride and every other fault/sin of mankind. We only have a glimpse of wisdom, which God has given us through His grace.
In 1 Corinthians 1:17, Paul declared the idea that the cross could be made of no effect if it were presented with the wisdom of words. Paul now will show why this is true of the cross and the message of the gospel.
To those who reject the salvation of the cross, the idea of being saved through the work of a crucified man is foolish.
The hearing and trusting of the true gospel will bring the power of God into your life.
In this quotation from Isaiah 29:14, Paul shows that in spiritual matters, God opposes the wisdom of man.
Human “wisdom” is constantly rejecting God and opposing Him, and ultimately showing itself foolish and perishing in doing so.
In Paul’s day, the Jewish world was looking for a sign. Specifically, they wanted the sign of a miraculous Messianic deliverance. They were not looking for the message of the cross.
Instead of giving the Jews and Greeks what they demanded in deliverance and wisdom, God gave them something unexpected: a crucified Messiah.
Christ (Messiah) meant power, splendor, and triumph. Crucified meant weakness, defeat, and humiliation. Christ crucified was the ultimate oxymoron, and this was what Paul preached!
ii. If the cross doesn’t seem strange to you, then you either don’t understand how the cross was seen in Jesus’ day, or you don’t understand who Jesus is. You don’t understand the tension between Christ and crucified.
But our expectations of what God should do keep us from receiving that power and wisdom.
many of the Corinthian Christians were beginning to think of themselves in high terms because of God’s work in them. Paul will not allow this. They have not been chosen because they are so great, but because God is so great.
God has called the weak and ignorant first, but not exclusively; shepherds first, then wise men; fishermen first, then the educated (like Paul, who was himself an educated man).
iii. “The ancient Christians were for the most part slaves and men of low station; the whole history of the expansion of the church is in reality a progressive victory of the ignorant over the learned, the lowly over the lofty,
Jesus is our wisdom.
Paul uses this reference to Jeremiah 9:23-24 to show that God did it all this way so that God would get the glory. The path for God’s glory is Christ crucified; the evidence of God’s glory is His choice of the lowly.
Paul came as a witness. If a preacher is not careful, he will get in the way of the gospel instead of being a servant of the gospel. They can obscure Jesus by their preaching, either in the presentation or the message
Paul is rejecting any reliance on the preacher’s ability to persuade with human wisdom.
there is a vast wealth of wisdom sealed off to everyone except the Christian.
1 Corinthians 2:10 tells us God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. This glorious thing has been revealed by the gospel.
Paul is communicating much the same message as Ephesians 3:1-7, where he writes about the mystery of the church, and how the church in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets. (Ephesians 3:5)
Only the Holy Spirit can tell us about God and His wisdom. This knowledge is unattainable by human wisdom or investigation.
Every believer can understand the basics of the Christian message, which is unattainable (and undesirable) by human wisdom.
The natural man doesn’t want the things of God because he regards them as foolishness. What is more, he can’t understand the things of God (even if he wanted to) because they are spiritually discerned. It would be wrong to expect the natural man to see and value spiritual things, just as it would be wrong to expect a corpse to see the material world.
Isaiah 40:13 refers to the mind of Yahweh (translated here as LORD); but Paul has no trouble inserting mind of Christ for mind of the LORD, because Jesus is Yahweh!
You (the people who are doubting whether to choose Christianity or Judaism) are slow to learn and need to be taught the elementary truths of God’s word again. You live on milk and thus are not acquainted with righteousness. Those on solid food are able to distinguish good from evil.
Let us go on to maturity in Christ’s teachings and truly understand the foundations of repentance from acts that lead to death, faith in God, baptisms, the laying of hands, resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.
6) Repentance and faith go together. Baptisms and laying on of hands go together. Resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment are paired together. When you have faith, you repent because you have a sense of guilt and wrong-doing. Baptism is an outward sign that you accept Jesus as your Savior. You will be judged eternally, and believers will be resurrected.
The point of this list is that these are elementary understandings of Christ. Having faith, confessing sins, going to heaven, etc. The writer wants us to go deeper than this.
7) By constantly studying God’s word and using it in life. By deeply desiring to know God and not being superficial in your prayer life, God life, Bible study, etc.
8 ) Personal Question. My answer: Sin, indifference, apathy, temptuous thoughts.
This was a difficult passage for me to understand and put into practice. We need to fight every day to learn more about God, and not be complacent in our learnings.
The writer of Hebrews feared the discussion of Aaron and Melchizedek and Jesus would sound too academic and theoretical to his readers. At the same time, he recognized this said more about his dull hearers than it did about the message. It wasn’t that the message was too complicated; it was that the hearers were dull of hearing.
Hebrews is a book filled with warnings, and here we see the warning of the consequences of departing from Jesus.
Being dull of hearing is not a problem with the ears, but a problem with the heart. The hearer isn’t really interested in what God has to say.
Every Christian must be a teacher because we can all help disciple others. We really only master something after we have effectively taught it to someone else. Teaching is the final step of learning.
Milk corresponds to the first principles of Hebrews 6:12. Solid food is the “meatier” material such as understanding the connection between Jesus and Melchizedek. It isn’t that milk is bad; but these Christians should have added solid food to their diet. Peter reminds us all as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby (1 Peter 2:2).
There is nothing more irritating and depressing than someone who should be mature but who has become a babe.
Elementary principles: This has the idea of “rudiments” or “ABCs.” They are basic building blocks that are necessary, but must be built upon – otherwise has only a foundation and no structure.
The specific ancient Greek word here translated baptisms (baptismos) is not the word regularly used in the New Testament to describe Christian baptism (baptizo). Baptismos is the word used on three other specific instances to refer to Jewish ceremonial washings (Hebrews 9:10, Mark 7:4, and Mark 7:8).
“Part of the problem facing the Hebrews was the superficial similarity between the elementary tenets of Christianity and those of Judaism, which made it possible for Christian Jews to think they could hold on to both.” (Guthrie)
“If God permits” expresses the believers’ complete dependence on God. If we do press on to maturity, we realize that it only happens at God’s pleasure.
We have a great high priest (Jesus Christ) who has gone through the heavens and who has been tempted in every way, just as we have–but remained without sin. He can sympathize with out weaknesses.
4:14-5:10: Jesus is our great high priest who has gone through the heavens who can sympathize with our weaknesses for he has been tempted in every way just as we are–and remain without sin. Let us hold firmly to our faith, approach God with confidence so we may receive mercy and grace to help us in our time of need.
Every high priest is selected among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for our sins. He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and going astray and offer sacrifices for our sins.
Priests must be called by God. Jesus was called to be a High Priest by God in the order of Melchizedek. Jesus prayed to God and he was heard because of his submission. He was obedient and made perfect for our eternal salvation for all who obey him.
3a) Can sympathize with our weaknesses, who has been tempted in every way, he has to be able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray so he has to offer sacrifices for his own sin and for the people’s. And he must be called by God.
b) He was sinless, perfect, and became the source of our eternal salvation for all who obey him, and he was designated by God to be the high priest in the order of Melchizedek. He was great, he passed through the heavens, and he is the Son of God.
4a) Jesus used scripture to fight the devil. He knows how we feel, how weak we can become, how helpless we feel. He helps us because he himself has been through it.
b) Personal Question. My answer: Every day sins, sinning when others aren’t around, indulging in sin when I know it’s wrong at times, fighting the devil at times. To know Jesus faced our same sins and overcame. So, too, can I.
5) Part Personal Question. My answer: Obedience. To obey as well to be like Jesus.
We studied this same passage in the study of Genesis as well!
The idea that Jesus is our High Priest was mentioned before (Hebrews 2:17 and Hebrews 3:1). But now the idea will be developed more extensively.
Seeing then: The writer to the Hebrews calls attention to the specific, unique character of Jesus as our High Priest:
Thus far the writer to the Hebrews was careful to document both the deity of Jesus (Hebrews 1:4-14), while careful to also remember His compassionate humanity (Hebrews 2:5-18). It means that Jesus, God the Son, enthroned in heaven, our High Priest, can sympathize with our weaknesses.
To the ancient Greeks, the primary attribute of God was apatheia, the essential inability to feel anything at all. Jesus knows and He feels what we go through. The ancient Greek word translated sympathize literally means “to suffer along with.”
Jesus added humanity to His deity, and lived among us. You can’t truly understand a pain unless you have been there.
Jesus faced temptation much more severely than we ever have or ever will. The Sinless One knows temptation in ways we don’t, because only the one who never gives into temptation knows the full strength of temptation.
Jesus can sympathize with our weakness and our temptation, but He cannot sympathize with our sin.
Boldly means: without pride, constantly, without reservation, without fancy words, with confidence, and with persistence.
The throne of God is a throne of grace. When we come, we may obtain mercy (this is not getting what we deserve) and find grace (this is getting what we don’t deserve) in our time of need.
Ancient Jewish Rabbis taught that God had two thrones, one of mercy and one of judgment. They said this because they knew that God was both merciful and just, but they could not reconcile these two attributes of God. They thought that perhaps God had two thrones to display the two aspects of His character. On one throne He showed judgment and on the other throne mercy. But here, in light of the finished work of Jesus, we see mercy and judgment reconciled into one throne of grace.
Thankfully, God provides help in our time of need. No request is too small, because He wants us to be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer… let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6)
God established both the priesthood and the office of high priest in the days of Moses, as described in Exodus 28 and following. The writer to the Hebrews summarizes the work of the high priest, in saying “that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.” The primary job of the high priest was to officiate, either directly or indirectly through lower-ranking priests, sacrifices unto the Lord.
The phrase “gifts and sacrifices for sins” reminds us that not every sacrifice offered a blood atonement for sin. Many of the ritual sacrifices were intended as simple gifts to God, expressing thanks and desiring fellowship.
On the Day of Atonement, the high priest had to sacrifice for himself first, to remind he and the nation that he had sin to atone for, just like the rest of the people of Israel (Leviticus 16:1-6).
He was appointed by God for His people. The principle is that no man takes this honor to himself. It was given by right of birth, and therefore chosen by God. It was an honor no man could take to himself.
The true priesthood and high priest came from a specific line of descent. Every priest came from Jacob, Abraham’s grandson, whose name was changed to Israel. Every priest came from Levi, one of Israel’s twelve sons. God set the tribe of Levi apart as a tribe to serve Him and represent Him to the whole nation of Israel (Exodus 13:2 and Numbers 3:40-41). Levi had three sons: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. Each of these family lines had their own duties. The family of Gershon had care of the tabernacle’s screen (veil), fence, and curtains (Numbers 3:25-26). The family of Kohath had care of the tabernacle’s furnishings, such as the lampstand, altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant (Numbers 3:31-32). The family of Merari had care of the boards and pillars of the tabernacle and the fence (Numbers 3:36-37). These families were not properly priests, though they were Levites.
The priesthood itself came through Aaron, the brother of Moses, of the family of Kohath. Aaron’s family and their descendants made up the priests and the high priest, those able to serve in the tabernacle itself and to offer sacrifice to God. The high priest was generally the eldest son of Aaron, except if they disqualified themselves by sin (as Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10:1-3) or according to the regulations of Leviticus 21. In this sense, the priesthood was not popularly elected but chosen by God. Man did not appoint the high priest.
In Jesus’ day, the priesthood became a corrupt institution. The office was gained through intrigue and politicking among corrupt leaders.
Jesus’ resurrection demonstrated that He was not a priest like Aaron, who had to atone for his own sin first. The resurrection vindicated Jesus as the Father’s Holy One (Acts 2:24 and Acts 2:27), who bore the wrath sinners deserved without becoming a sinner Himself.
Jesus’ priesthood (like Melchizedek’s) is unending, but no High Priest descended from Aaron ever had a forever priesthood.
Hebrews 7 will more fully develop the theme of Jesus as a High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
The ancient Greek word for supplications is hiketeria. This word means “an olive branch wrapped in wool” (Clarke) because that is what the ancient Greek worshipper held and waved to express their desperate prayer and desire. Significantly, this supplication of Jesus took place in a garden of olives – and He supplied the “wool,” being the Lamb of God.
Jesus asked that the cup be taken away from Him (Luke 22:42), yet the cup was not taken away. Nevertheless, His prayer was heard because His prayer was not to escape His Father’s will, but to accept it.
Though Jesus was God and is God, yet He learned obedience. God, enthroned in heaven’s glory, can only experience obedience by casting off the glory of the throne and humbling Himself as Jesus did. Jesus learned the experience of obedience, and He part of that learning was enduring suffering.
Suffering was used to teach Jesus. If suffering was good enough to teach the Son of God, we must never despise it as a tool of instruction in our life.
Peter went to the house of Mary mother of John to tell them he was okay. Many people were there praying for him. The servant girl, Rhoda, was shocked as was everyone else at Peter’s escape. He told his tale and told them to tell James and the others. Then Peter fled for safety.
8 ) Personal Question. My answer: Simply, prayer is powerful.
9a) Personal Question. My answer: You can’t ever give up hope in the power of prayer and the power of others praying for you.
b) Personal Question. My answer: It doesn’t really. Just keep praying for others.
It’s cool that Luke recorded the servant girl’s name.
Rhoda was so excited to hear from Peter that she left him out at the gate! The natural, true-to-life feel of these accounts show the reliable historical character of the Book of Acts.
We are comforted (and amused) by the little faith of these Christians. Even while they prayed for Peter, they found it hard to believe God actually answered their prayer.
Their prayer was earnest (Acts 12:5), but their faith was not overwhelming. Little faith can accomplish great things if it is placed in the great God.
The Jews believed in the idea of guardian angels, and it seems that some among them may have believed that one’s guardian angel bore some kind of resemblance to the human it was assigned to.
The James that Peter told others to report to was not the James who was just martyred. It was probably James, the brother of Jesus, who was a prominent figure in the church at Jerusalem.
Fun Fact: Except for a brief mention in Acts 15, this is the last Luke speaks of Peter. We know that Peter later met Paul in Antioch (Galatians 2:11-14), and later he wrote his two letters.
Peter’s actions shocked the Jewish community and he was questioned when he went to Jerusalem. Peter retold the story of his meeting with the Centurion, explaining who was he to oppose God who blessed these Gentiles with the Holy Spirit. (Great explanation by the way!).
Finally, it began to dawn on the Jewish leaders that God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life and given everyone the gift of Heaven.
9) Because this changed thousands of years of Jewish tradition. We’d all ask the same questions.
My answer to this question back in 2012:
For centuries God’s chosen people has been only Jewish. God himself has said do not marry foreigners or associate with them. Jews were accustomed to only thinking God’s words were for them (which it was–they were the chosen ones). For only 3 short years, Jesus taught otherwise and then overnight, with his death, everyone was made equal and included in God’s kingdom.
This was a MAJOR paradigm shift. This could be akin to the Equal Rights Movement in the US. When people grow up with a culture and a thought so ingrained in their mind it takes a while for it to change–usually a long while.
So for the Jews to accept the Gentiles would be a process. We are human after all. Most can’t just flip a switch and get rid of past prejudices that have been ingrained in us since childhood.
10) Peter recounted exactly what happened.
11) Personal Question. My answer: It’s okay to follow God even when you don’t fully understand. In time, God will reveal all to you. Unsure what “situation” I’m in, but it encourages me to just listen and be open to God at all times.
I liked how once Peter explained it all to the Jews, they praised God for accepting the Gentiles into eternal life. This would be rare to see in this day and time.
This reaction of the Christian Jews shows how significant the change was that God initiated in Acts 10. Gentiles no longer had to become Jewish to be saved, and they were equal to the Jews.
When we see what the reaction of the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem, we can see how wise it was of Peter to take six witnesses with him to Caesarea and his meeting with Cornelius (Acts 10:23 and 11:12).
God emphasized the importance of these events by repeating the story.
The sheet could represent the church, having both “kosher” (Jews) and “unkosher” (Gentiles) on it, with no distinction or dividing line between the two (Ephesians 2:11-18).
If it was permitted for an angel of God to go into Cornelius’ house, it must be permitted for Peter also.
The Holy Spirit was God’s stamp of approval was on this work towards the Gentiles.
These Christians would see this was all in accord with the Scriptures. They had both the word of the Lord Jesus, recorded in Mark 1:8, and the Old Testament promises that Gentiles would come to the Lord through the Messiah (in passages such as Isaiah 49:6).
Activity alone isn’t enough to validate a work of God. It must also be in line with God’s Word. This work among the Gentiles passed both tests.
The Jewish believers in Jerusalem (those of the circumcision, Acts 11:2) first reacted with a stunned silence. But then they glorified God, because they saw He was now at work among the Gentiles.
This is a powerful passage, demonstrating that the hearts of the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem were soft enough to be guided and corrected by God. It is a glorious thing when God’s people will allow their prejudices and traditions to be overcome by God’s Word and God’s work.
The church in Jerusalem embraced these Gentile believers at first, but it would be a long time until all the objections of those of the circumcision were answered. This acceptance is only temporary, as prejudice will continue for centuries.
The priests and the Sadducees arrest Peter and John because they were teaching people Jesus rose from the dead. But many heard and more were converted.
The next day the pair was brought before the Sanhedrin (a group resembling the group Jesus was brought before) and asked by what power they healed. Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, speaks the truth, “It is by the name of Jesus Christ whom you killed that this man is healed. Salvation is found only in Jesus.
The learned men were astonished these so-called unschooled, ordinary men could heal. They could do nothing since everyone had seen the man healed. The Sanhedrin want to stop them from speaking in Jesus’ name but when they asked Peter and John to stop, they refused. Reluctantly, the two were let go since they could not deny a miracle had taken place.
10) Peter proclaimed that Jesus alone has the power to raise the dead and that salvation is found in no one else but Jesus. It makes a difference if you are saved and go to heaven or not. Believers are saved; unbelievers in Jesus Christ as the Savior are not.
11a) Even more people believed, now numbering 5000. Those who arrested them took note as well of Jesus’ power. All the people were praising God for what had happened so they were set free.
b) Personal Question. My answer: The power of Jesus can overcome anything so give my troubles to him.
When we did Acts before, Lesson 3 covered Acts 3-7. I’m wondering where we’re going this year. It’s cool to see how the authorities can’t do anything because they can’t refute the power of Jesus.
The captain of the temple is the police force of the temple. Boice says that the emphasis in the original indicates that they stopped and seized Peter and John suddenly.
The Sadducees were disturbed that Peter and John taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead; they did not believe in the afterlife or the resurrection at all.
This was a scare tactic on the part of the authorities to get Peter and John to stop preaching about Jesus. Acts 4:21 mentions further threats. Boice notes that Acts 4:1-6 lists no less than 11 different groups or individuals opposing these followers of Jesus.
This was a scene of power and intimidation. This same group of leaders had recently condemned Jesus to death, and they wanted them to know that they had the power to do the same thing to Peter and John.
Peter’s logic was piercing – why are we on trial for a good deed?
The quotation from Psalm 118:22 was appropriate. Jesus was rejected by men – by those leaders – but was exalted by His Father.
God uses both educated and uneducated men for His purpose. It’s just as wrong to think that formal education disqualifies someone for effective service as it is to think that it automatically qualifies someone for effective service.
It is interesting to note what the Jewish leaders did not do: they did not make any attempt to disprove the resurrection of Jesus. If it were possible to do, this was the time to do it; yet they could not.
Luke probably found out what the Sanhedrin discussed among themselves because a member of that Sanhedrin later became a Christian: Saul of Tarsus. Acts 26:10 gives us reason to believe Paul (Saul) was a member of the Sanhedrin to cast his vote against the early Christians.
If this is true, then Peter and John had no idea they were preaching to a future apostle and the greatest missionary the church would ever see. We have no idea how greatly God can use us.
