OVER DEZE AFLEVERING
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Matt. 16:13-16, Eph. 2:20, Rev. 22:6, Luke 2:36-38, Acts 21:9, Eph. 6:10-18
Memory Text: "There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all" (1 Corinthians 12:4-6, NKJV).
As a father was driving, his son scanned the cars passing by in order to spot those that were the same as his dad's. The father then pointed to a car and exclaimed, "Son, that was the same as my first car!" When they got home, the father pulled out the owner's manual to his first car, along with the manual to the current car. He carefully showed his son the features of each vehicle, highlighting things that were alike and what had been changed. However, when the father compared the two engines, everything was identical. Much had changed, but not the engine.
God spoke through prophets in the Old and New Testaments, and the continuity and harmony in their messages is because the Holy Spirit—the Source, or "Engine," of divine inspiration—has remained the same. The Holy Spirit always empowers true prophets through the gift of prophecy. He also places Christ at the center of the prophets' messages, as Hebrews makes clear (01:1-3&version=NKJV&src=tools">Heb. 1:1-3).
This week we will examine the gift of prophecy in the New Testament, looking at what prophets did, who functioned as prophets, how prophets compared to apostles, and the danger of false prophets, as well.
*Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 24.
