Know: Sense the controversial, theological background that inspired the book of Romans.
Feel: Anchor his or her thoughts with the central importance of how the law of God relates to personal salvation for all—both Jews and Gentiles.
Do: Spend time in prayer concerning the issues of law and grace, as related to salvation by faith alone in Christ’s merits.
Learning Outline:
Know: The “Controversy” That Provoked the Writing of Galatians and Romans Vitally Informs Our Theology of Atonement and Salvation by Faith.
What were the claims of those advocating circumcision and other law observances?
How is justification by faith alone related to the foundation for salvation?
Feel: A Proper Sense of Urgency to Incorporate Paul’s Theology Into Our Daily Witness
Why did the Jewish believers feel such a sense of urgency to turn Gentiles into Jews before they could become Christians?
What is it that should really motivate Christians to reach out urgently to non-Christians?
Do: Develop a Burden for Sinners and Their Need for God’s Grace.
When we, as Christians, think about those outside of Christ, how should we think about the proper relationship between their being saved, and what moral expectations should be laid on them?
When we think of those outside of Christ, what would be some motivating benefits that the gospel of free grace could offer to them?
Summary: In order to be a “true believer,” one’s doctrine must be biblically based, genuinely spiritual, and ethically sound to be credible.
Learning Cycle
STEP 1—Motivate
Spotlight on Scripture: John 1:17
Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: In order to mature spiritually, we must grasp the importance of the right relationship between law and grace, both theologically and ethically.
Just for Teachers: Lead the class to understand both the “controversy” between law and grace as well as what Paul suggests for its resolution.
Opening Discussion: Ask class members to share personal experiences regarding their efforts to grasp properly the controversial debates over law and grace that have arisen in Seventh-day Adventist history. These experiences could include their personal attempts to share a balanced perspective. They also may include Adventist internal discussions, as well as attempts to share with other non-Seventh-day Adventist Christians and non-Christian seekers.
Questions for Discussion:
Historically, why has it been so challenging for Seventh-day Adventists to come to a consensus on the right relationship between law and grace? An equally important question is: Why has it been difficult to come to a consensus on how the experience of justification and sanctification by grace through faith interrelate with each other? What should it mean to us that other churches as well have struggled with this same question?
How does the debate over Christian perfection relate to the roles of forgiveness (justification) and character change (sanctification)? In the context of this debate, how do justification and sanctification relate to the Bible teaching that there will be a series of cosmic judgments according to works?
STEP 2—Explore
Just for Teachers: Let us keep in mind that the debates concerning law and grace have more than just great doctrinal import. They also have enormous potential to bring practical spiritual, ethical, and witnessing clarity to our lives and witness. Remember, the issue is not just our experience of law, grace, and the questions over them. Rather, the issue centers on law and grace as they lead to three things: (1) a genuine experience of saving faith, (2) holy living, and (3) a winning witness.
Bible Commentary
I. A Better Covenant—The New Covenant and the Old (Review Hebrews 8:6 with your class.)
The covenant issue is not simply salvation by works of the law in the Old Covenant versus salvation by grace in the New Covenant, a false distinction anyway. The real issue has to do with “types” of the Old Covenant pointing to the atoning work of Christ in the New Covenant. The Old Testament believers looked forward, via types and promises, to the work of Christ. In contrast, the New Testament believers can see by faith what God has accomplished in the coming of Christ for their salvation.
And yet, tragically, it must be noted that a perversion seeped insidiously into the thinking of the people of God in the time of the apostle Paul. Some began to believe that salvation was based on works of the law, not by faith.
Consider This: Clearly, change had come about: the ritual and ceremonial laws of the Old Covenant were discontinued, and the work of Christ was transitioning from Judaism to Christianity. With this change in mind, what is the right relationship between the roles that law and grace play in theology and in the experience of salvation?
II. The Purpose of Old Testament (Jewish) Laws and Regulations (Review Leviticus 12, 16, and 23 with your class.)
The standard quarterly provides a superb summary or overview of the Old Testament laws: (1) moral law, (2) ceremonial law, (3) civil law, (4) statutes and judgments, and (5) health laws. Admittedly, such classification is a bit “artificial.” Nonetheless, it is useful in helping us to clarify the right relationship between law and grace.
Discussion Question: What is the proper role for Old Testament law(s) in relationship to the New Covenant experience of salvation through the atoning work of Christ?
III. Acts 15: Controversial Background to the Debates Reflected in Galatians and Romans (Review Acts 15 with your class.)
In Acts 15 we find the context of the debates over the proper role of Old Testament law in the New Covenant theology of personal salvation. Here is the essence of the controversy: the Judaizers claim that unless the Gentiles are circumcised, they will not be saved. After all, isn’t salvation the point of God’s command to Abraham in Genesis 17:10?
The answer of both the church at Jerusalem and of the apostle Paul is that none are saved by obedience to the ceremonial law. But having made this proclamation, Paul makes it clear that the moral law is still the standard for Christian ethics. Furthermore, there are other laws that should be obeyed, lest the sensibilities of Jewish believers be scandalized—such as not eating “blood.” Thus, this whole situation raises some interesting challenges, which we shall consider in the questions that follow.
Consider This: Why does Paul, even with his prophetic authority in play, turn to a church council to settle this issue of the proper relationship of the salvation of the Gentiles and obedience to the law?
What principle seems to come into play in the council’s decision that some practices required by the law should be required of the Gentiles? (For example, one of these practices included not eating blood or the meat of animals that had been strangled.)
What is the role of the moral law in Christian experience?
STEP 3—Apply
Just for Teachers: The lesson makes it very clear that the moral law has not been done away with for New Covenant believers. This fact raises the whole question of the proper role of the moral law in the New Covenant experience, which is salvation by faith alone in Christ and His righteousness.
Application Questions:
Paul stressed that salvation was by faith alone. However, as the lesson points out, that belief isn’t the same thing as saying that the moral law shouldn’t be kept. For Paul, obedience to the Ten Commandments was never an issue. Yet, in what ways is obedience to the law a pressing issue for Seventh-day Adventists today? How should it be addressed?
Probably one of the most pressing ethical and theological questions that challenges Seventh-day Adventists has to do with the Sabbath commandment of the Ten Commandments. (This issue assumes that most Christians will admit that all the rest of the Ten Commandments are appropriate for the observance of New Covenant believers.) Central to the issue is the following question: How can we, as Seventh-day Adventists, make a biblically based case for Sabbath keeping that is grace- and faith-oriented? Furthermore, what would be some of the key components that would go into such a grace- and faith-based response?
An anti-Sabbatarian challenge often put forth by evangelical Christians goes like this: “Some say that because Sabbath keeping wasn’t specifically mentioned (in Acts 15), it must not have been meant for the Gentiles.” One response to this challenge is to dismiss the argument on the grounds that the commandments against lying and murder weren’t mentioned specifically either. While this is certainly true, we must take care in approaching the argument from this angle of silence. Making arguments from silence can be a double-edged sword. Such an argument could also be used to make of none effect the most obvious requirements of the Ten Commandments— such as those that prohibit lying, theft, and murder. How might following such arguments from silence to their logical conclusions potentially lead to the mistaken assumption that grace enables believers to ignore the most obvious requirements of God’s law?
Activity: Share some experiences in which you have been challenged with tough questions that seemed to undermine a key component of your beliefs and ethics. Tell how you found satisfying answers.
STEP 4—Create
Just for Teachers: Encourage the class to reflect intentionally on the issue of law and grace by thinking further about what sin has inflicted on humanity and the Godhead.
Activities:
Discuss with the class the temptations to go to one of two extremes: either legalism or “cheap grace.”
Why is it impossible for humans, apart from special revelation, to come naturally to moral clarity on the controversial issues and painful ethical conundrums now confronting us?
A major concern of many church leaders today is a growing laxness when it comes to traditional lifestyle standards. This decline in standards spans not only dietary guidelines but also modesty in dress, adornment, and the frequenting of entertainment venues once thought to be off-limits (theaters, dance halls, and so forth). At the same time, where do standards end and legalistic attitudes begin? How do we maintain a balanced approach in our thinking on these issues?
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Key Text: John 1:17
The Student Will:
Learning Outline:
Summary: In order to be a “true believer,” one’s doctrine must be biblically based, genuinely spiritual, and ethically sound to be credible.
Learning Cycle
STEP 1—Motivate
Spotlight on Scripture: John 1:17
Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: In order to mature spiritually, we must grasp the importance of the right relationship between law and grace, both theologically and ethically.
Just for Teachers: Lead the class to understand both the “controversy” between law and grace as well as what Paul suggests for its resolution.
Opening Discussion: Ask class members to share personal experiences regarding their efforts to grasp properly the controversial debates over law and grace that have arisen in Seventh-day Adventist history. These experiences could include their personal attempts to share a balanced perspective. They also may include Adventist internal discussions, as well as attempts to share with other non-Seventh-day Adventist Christians and non-Christian seekers.
Questions for Discussion:
STEP 2—Explore
Just for Teachers: Let us keep in mind that the debates concerning law and grace have more than just great doctrinal import. They also have enormous potential to bring practical spiritual, ethical, and witnessing clarity to our lives and witness. Remember, the issue is not just our experience of law, grace, and the questions over them. Rather, the issue centers on law and grace as they lead to three things: (1) a genuine experience of saving faith, (2) holy living, and (3) a winning witness.
Bible Commentary
I. A Better Covenant—The New Covenant and the Old (Review Hebrews 8:6 with your class.)
The covenant issue is not simply salvation by works of the law in the Old Covenant versus salvation by grace in the New Covenant, a false distinction anyway. The real issue has to do with “types” of the Old Covenant pointing to the atoning work of Christ in the New Covenant. The Old Testament believers looked forward, via types and promises, to the work of Christ. In contrast, the New Testament believers can see by faith what God has accomplished in the coming of Christ for their salvation.
And yet, tragically, it must be noted that a perversion seeped insidiously into the thinking of the people of God in the time of the apostle Paul. Some began to believe that salvation was based on works of the law, not by faith.
Consider This: Clearly, change had come about: the ritual and ceremonial laws of the Old Covenant were discontinued, and the work of Christ was transitioning from Judaism to Christianity. With this change in mind, what is the right relationship between the roles that law and grace play in theology and in the experience of salvation?
II. The Purpose of Old Testament (Jewish) Laws and Regulations (Review Leviticus 12, 16, and 23 with your class.)
The standard quarterly provides a superb summary or overview of the Old Testament laws: (1) moral law, (2) ceremonial law, (3) civil law, (4) statutes and judgments, and (5) health laws. Admittedly, such classification is a bit “artificial.” Nonetheless, it is useful in helping us to clarify the right relationship between law and grace.
Discussion Question: What is the proper role for Old Testament law(s) in relationship to the New Covenant experience of salvation through the atoning work of Christ?
III. Acts 15: Controversial Background to the Debates Reflected in Galatians and Romans (Review Acts 15 with your class.)
In Acts 15 we find the context of the debates over the proper role of Old Testament law in the New Covenant theology of personal salvation. Here is the essence of the controversy: the Judaizers claim that unless the Gentiles are circumcised, they will not be saved. After all, isn’t salvation the point of God’s command to Abraham in Genesis 17:10?
The answer of both the church at Jerusalem and of the apostle Paul is that none are saved by obedience to the ceremonial law. But having made this proclamation, Paul makes it clear that the moral law is still the standard for Christian ethics. Furthermore, there are other laws that should be obeyed, lest the sensibilities of Jewish believers be scandalized—such as not eating “blood.” Thus, this whole situation raises some interesting challenges, which we shall consider in the questions that follow.
Consider This: Why does Paul, even with his prophetic authority in play, turn to a church council to settle this issue of the proper relationship of the salvation of the Gentiles and obedience to the law?
STEP 3—Apply
Just for Teachers: The lesson makes it very clear that the moral law has not been done away with for New Covenant believers. This fact raises the whole question of the proper role of the moral law in the New Covenant experience, which is salvation by faith alone in Christ and His righteousness.
Application Questions:
Activity: Share some experiences in which you have been challenged with tough questions that seemed to undermine a key component of your beliefs and ethics. Tell how you found satisfying answers.
STEP 4—Create
Just for Teachers: Encourage the class to reflect intentionally on the issue of law and grace by thinking further about what sin has inflicted on humanity and the Godhead.
Activities: