Promises

Some of the comments from today's session, concerning the promises that Messiah Jesus made to Peter.

1. Sal: You are ROCK, and on this rock, I build my Church.
2. Scott: He who believes in me has eternal life. I am the bread of life.
3. German: I will send the Paraclete.
4. Joe: the Lord promised the Eucharist. See John's gospel, chapter 6.
5. Someone mentioned the words of our Lord in Mark 8:33, "Get behind me, you satan," spoken to Peter, but Jim pointed out, no, that is not a promise. It is more like a 2×4.
6. Sal: just think of the prayer after communion, or St. Thomas Aquinas' Anima Christi

   Soul of Christ, be my sanctification.
   
   Body of Christ, be my salvation.
   
   Blood of Christ, fill all my veins.
   
   Water of Christ's side, fill all my veins...

7. German: the Paraclete and the Eucharist promises are linked. Just look at John 6:63.

So when Peter the Apostle talks about the promises he passes on, they are some great promises! Thanks, Peter!

A few study questions for 2 Peter

We will also be studying 2 Peter, chapter 1 this Thursday. Here are a few study questions:

1. In verse 4, Peter refers to the powerful promises. What were some of the Messiah's promises to Peter?
2. In verses 5-7, Peter builds a large progression of the effects of grace. What is the first building block he mentions?
3. Peter expects his flock to be fruitful, as he mentions in v. 8. What is the primary fruit that an apostle wants to cultivate and grow?

This letter is LOADED with powerful concepts for us. To start, we will look into these three questions plus maybe a few more, early this Thursday morning.

Final exam

This Thursday we will have our final exam on 1 Peter. It will be one page of multiple choice and regular questions, so bring a pen or pencil. As always, it is "open book" and this includes the Nordonia translation if necessary.

Questions for Thursday

We still have a few questions to tackle from last Thursday. Here are some additional questions:

3. In verse 1 of chapter 5, Peter refers to himself as a witness of Christ's suffering. When did Peter observe the Messiah suffering?
4. In verse 1 of chapter 5, Peter refers to himself as a partaker in glory, one who has a share in glory. When did Peter observe glory?
5. We know that Peter knew Paul and John well. Can you detect any trace of Paul's or John's teaching in Peter's short letter? (This is an open-ended question.)

Tomorrow morning we will discuss these and other questions as we gaze into the perfect law of freedom, God's Word.

A river rises in Eden.

From Genesis, at the creation.

The LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being. Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and he placed there the man whom he had formed.

A river rises in Eden to water the garden.

The LORD God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it.

Cf. Genesis 2:7-15

It is interesting that, in this account, God creates man before the garden. This rhymes with our comments Thursday morning, that to be a faithful steward over God's manifold grace, we must include our own heart: faith, humility and so forth.

It also parallels some of our thoughts about the fig tree, the faith of Israel, and our own faith, when we were studying Mark's lecture notes from Peter's school of evangelism -- i.e., the gospel of Mark.

Good detective work, everybody.

Stewards of God's manifold grace

Here are some of the comments of the men this morning, concerning the requirement to be a good steward of God's manifold grace.

1. Sal: humility is needed. You acknowledge God and what He has given us.
2. Dave: Faith is a gift over which to be a good steward.
3. Jim: mentioned a sign he had seen in England, "Love your enemies. YOU made them!" It is a gift from God if you can do this.
4. Dave: Everything God has given you, even life, is something over which to be a faithful steward.

We also discussed the recent television advertisement with a college football player advocating to be a steward over life: "Choose family. Choose life."

We also discussed the deacons, priests and bishops, with their huge responsibility to be a faithful steward over God's word. Unfortunately, no deacons were present this morning!

Some questions to work with today

We will read into chapter 4 of Peter's first letter today. Here are some questions to work with:

1. In verse 1, Peter writes that we should arm ourselves with the same attitude, the same mind as the Messiah. Where is another place in the New Testament that enjoins us to do the same thing?
   
2. How does a believer act if he wants to be rated a good steward of God's manifold grace?
   
3. What kind of "trials by fire" did Peter and the Church experience? How do they compare to our trials today?
   
4. Where does Peter refer to the apocalypse? How does he ask us to prepare for it?
   
5. Have you ever
   1. suffered simply because you are a Christian
   AND
   2. simultaneously had a heart of praise glorifying God?
   
   
6. Peter's statement in verse 17, that judgement begins in the household of God -- how does this affect your evangelistic attitude?

Let's look into these and other questions today at Thursday Morning Men's Bible Study.

One question for this morning

There is one good question for studying 1 Peter 3:

1. Does Peter write about any of the works of mercy in this chapter?

The corporal works of mercy are as follows:

1. To feed the hungry;
   
2. To give drink to the thirsty;
   
3. To clothe the naked;
   
4. To harbour the harbourless;
   
5. To visit the sick;
   
6. To ransom the captive;
   
7. To bury the dead.

The spiritual works of mercy are:

1. To instruct the ignorant;
   
2. To counsel the doubtful;
   
3. To admonish sinners;
   
4. To bear wrongs patiently;
   
5. To forgive offences willingly;
   
6. To comfort the afflicted;
   
7. To pray for the living and the dead.