None of the 4 gospels in the New Testament list the name of is author, nor are they listed anywhere in the bible. So, is it okay to question the traditional authorship of the gospels? Or is that a doctrinally off limits thing to do? Like, is someone who questions these authorship traditions to be considered someone who doesn't really have a high vi…

Are humans dualistic beings – two part beings, composed of a material body plus an immaterial soul? The reason some have this idea is the belief that matter cannot be organized to think, and therefore, the thinking ability of humans must be attributed to something immaterial. This is then used as a basis for the belief in the soul's naturally immor…

Can matter be organized so that it can think? Or is there an immaterial part of humans that is responsible for thought, reason, and emotion? The SDA doctrine of the non-immortality of the soul is very well known among SDAs today, but what is less well known is the core reason behind this doctrine. This core reason is really the foundation on which …

Who is benefited by Jesus' priesthood in the Heavenly Sanctuary? Many are under the impression that people are benefited by just professing Him as their lord and savior, or accepting that He is the savior of the world. But is this the case? In this study we are going to take a look at a book which has Jesus' priesthood as the central theme – the bo…

As SDAs, we all know about the Great Controversy. We all have this idea in mind that there is this controversy between Christ and Satan going on in the background. At least Satan wants us to think it's just that—a background scenario that's mainly independent from our every day lives. In light of the Great Controversy between Christ and Satan, our …

Today we are going to look at a key aspect of what brings about successful reformation, because one thing we all know about the Protestant Reformation was that although many great truths were restored, it didn't finish the gospel work. And in fact, as Adventists, we know that while the Protestant Reformation was a good thing, the churches it produc…

You know the bible verse that says no prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation, (2 Peter 1:19-21)? Well, it's the subject of one of Friday's discussion questions in the SDA Sabbath School Quarterly this week, and it's also the subject of *our* study today. We'll find out what the deal is with private interpretation, and we'll also learn h…

As you might know, the full title of the first edition of Ellen White's book, "The Great Controversy" was "The Great Controversy, Between Christ and His Angels, and Satan and His Angels." By this longer title, we can see that the angels have taken either one side or the other. These two sides operate by two completely different sets of principles. …

Satan has long been keen on misconstruing the words of God's messengers, and Ellen White is no exception. Ellen wrote that Kellogg was misconstruing the meaning of her words to mean something almost opposite of their intended meaning, and as we know by the state of confusion about her writings today, this problem has only worsened since her death. …

There seems to be a lot of confusion over what Ellen White taught about the duration of Jesus' existence. Did she teach that Jesus had a beginning at some point in eternity past? Or did she teach He has always existed with the Father as a co-eternal member of the Godhead? Is there anything Ellen White said that let's us know what she taught on this…

There seems to be a lot of confusion over what Ellen White taught about Jesus. Did she teach he had a beginning at some point, or that he always existed with the Father as a co-eternal member of the Godhead? So, for the next two episodes we'll be going off topic from the Sabbath School Quarterly to address this issue. In this study we focus on one …

This week's lesson is called "Blessed Is He Who Comes in the Name of the Lord." This is from Psalm 118 and was applied to Jesus by the crowds who welcomed him into Jerusalem at his triumphal entry, as recorded in Mark 11. So, Jesus is said to have come *in the name* of the Lord. And Jesus also said this about himself. So, what does it even mean to …

Today's lesson is about Psalm 1, and as you'll see, there are important lessons to learn here that you probably haven't noticed before. If you don't remember what Psalm 1 is about, Thursday's lesson in the Sabbath School Quarterly expresses it really nicely by saying that it depicts the righteous by a simile of a tree planted by streams of water. A…

You know the line, "for His *mercy* endures forever"? Most likely, you've heard it many times since it's repeated in several Psalms. But here's the thing, not all translations use the word "mercy" here. So, in this study, we'll be considering whether God's *mercy* really does last forever, and also what these psalms are really saying when they say …

Most SDAs are aware that the judgment commenced in the sanctuary in heaven on October 22, 1844. As we know, the Millerites got the date right, but the event wrong. When they came to understand that the sanctuary would be cleansed on that day, they thought the sanctuary was the earth. But, as God soon showed, it was the sanctuary in heaven. Okay, so…

In our study this week, we are going to deal with issues addressed in both of the two latest Sabbath School lessons from the quarterly on Psalms for this quarter – and that is, what are we to think about the times of adversity we experience in this life, even with all the wonderful promises in the scriptures about God’s protection and deliverance f…

In this study, we build on last week's study on prayer. What we showed in last week's study, ("Is Merely Mental Prayer Scriptural?" linked below) is that Scripture contains many examples and admonitions to pray audibly with our mouths while it contains no admonitions or examples to pray merely mentally. Even though the idea of merely mental prayer …

In our study today, we're going to look at what Scripture has to say about whether prayer should be spoken out loud or merely thought in our minds. Even though the idea of merely mental prayer is popularly practiced today, does scripture portray it as a means of communication with God? For further study, see our series, "Before Spirit Was Spiritual…

By Mary Zebrowski

As SDAs we are called to proclaim the present truth, but what preset truth has the denomination accepted since Ellen's death over 100 years in the past? Given that Ellen spoke so much about the importance of keeping up with new light and advancing truth, it seems strange that there has not been any in over 100 years. Basically the things that have …

In this study we look at the story of Esther and Mordecai and the turn of circumstances that occurred for the Jews and for those who attacked them under Haman's decree. Esther found a way to turn the King against Haman and to petition the King to revoke the decree. But since no decree of the King could be revoked according to Persian law, they had …

In Galatians 2:11-14, clearly, there is some tension here between Paul and Peter - and Barnabas. But what exactly is going on? The way some people see it, there are 2 sides: the circumcision faction on one side and Paul on the other. In this view, James, Peter, Barnabas, and however many other Jewish followers of Jesus were part of the circumcision…

How would we approach people whom the scriptures mean nothing to? If that common ground simply isn't there, then what? The Apostle Paul encountered people in the Athens marketplace. Among them were certain philosophers of the Epicureans and Stoics – people who did not share the common ground of the scriptures with Paul. Ellen White wrote that Paul …

This week’s Sabbath School Lesson looks at examples of God reaching powerful people, such as Nebuchadnezzar, Naaman, and Nicodemus. In our study, we look at Naaman's request to take two mule-loads of dirt from the land of Israel back to Syria with him so he could worship YHWH instead of the other gods. This might seem a little strange to us today. …

The Sabbath School lesson discusses the topic of refugees and immigrants that have been displaced by war, natural disasters, or the hope of a better future. In our study today, we look into what Micah has to say about a kingdom that is coming on the earth that people will flow into rather than be displaced from because of war or famine or lack of h…

How are we saved from eternal death? Jesus said it was by loving your neighbor as yourself. Paul said the same thing. But often, people think the main thing we need to do to inherit eternal life is to accept as truth that Jesus came to die for us, and that by merely accepting this as truth, we thereby receive Jesus' righteousness vicariously, witho…

In Acts chapter 2, we see that Peter was speaking to a Jewish audience that had come from far and wide to celebrate Pentecost, or the Feast of Weeks. Peter confronted their incorrect beliefs and offered new explanations for what people were seeing and experiencing. These incorrect beliefs being confronted were the incorrect beliefs of God's denomin…

In this study, we going to look at the worldview mentioned by the Quarterly, or at least the part of the worldview that suggests various gods rule over various lands and their inhabitants. Is this idea only a traditional pagan worldview, or was it a view also held by the ancient Israelites, and particularly, the writers of scripture? To find this o…

Today we focus on something the lesson mentions, and that is what is said in Amos 3:7, which reads, "Surely the Lord Yahweh will do nothing, unless he reveals his secret to his servants the prophets." Amos 3:7 (WEB) From this key text, we not only learn that the role of prophets is to reveal the secret things of God, but also that the Lord won't ca…

How exactly Jesus is the solution to the sin problem? Some think Jesus solves the sin problem by changing the way God looks at the sinner, while leaving the sinner still committing sin in their hearts and lives. But if sinners still sin, is that really a solution to the sin problem? No. When you think about it (and you can even see it with your own…

How is the concept of judgment linked to the “everlasting gospel” in the first angel’s message? Why must the gospel be central to the idea of judgment? Some might say that the gospel is central to the idea of judgment because it is thought that acceptance of the gospel equals salvation from judgment, and if we don't have to be judged, there is noth…

In this study, we focus on what scripture has to say about God's nature, and by "nature" we mean the essential qualities of God that make Him what He is. In other words, our focus in this study isn't on God's actions or His character but on his *being.* Now some might think it is unnecessary to know what God is, and some might think it is off limit…

Ephesians 4:14 says that we should no longer be children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by trickery of men. From this statement we know that obviously the early church struggled with internal struggles from the "trickery of men." How about the end-times remnant church? Does it face internal struggles from the "tric…

Ellen White wrote of a future state of the church in which its members are all clad in this armor – the armor of Christ's righteousness. She wrote, "Clad in the armor of Christ's righteousness, the church is to enter upon her final conflict. 'Fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners' (Song of Solomon 6:10), she is to…

The strength of the Lord is linked with the armor of God. The way we become strong in the Lord is by wearing 6 pieces of armor, and when each piece is put on and used correctly, we will be able to stand in the evil day. Having on the armor gives us the same strength God has. Not only does it personally equip us, but it identifies us as part of God'…

In this study, we talk about slavery in New Testament times, with a special focus on the principles promoted by Jesus and his early followers regarding how to deal with slavery, and examine the incredible wisdom involved in their approach. For further study, see: "Are You Minding What Matters?" by Trent Wilde https://www.bdsda.com/are-you-minding-w…

This week's study investigates the merits of arbitrary headship based on gender, or any other factor other than truth. The writings of Genesis 1 and Galatians convey the fact that God doesn't distinguish between men and women as far as having dominion over the earth or being Abraham’s offspring and heirs according to promise goes, but do we have an…

According to Ephesians 5:1-2 we are to be imitators of God by walking in love. But what does that mean? How do we do that? In this study, we look back at Ephesians 4, the chapter Paul was building on, to find the answer, and additionally discuss Ellen White's admonitions against "making flesh your arm," and the ad hominem fallacy. For further study…

What's up with the Holy Spirit? Is the Spirit a person? Or is the Spirit a power or influence? As you probably know, this is a hot debate right now at least among some Seventh-day Adventists. Many SDAs today assume that there was no diversity of views about the personhood of the Holy Spirit among the SDA pioneers. It is thought that since the pione…

Does the Bible validate the functioning of the gift of prophecy in the church only during the time of the apostles? Or does the gift continue until the return of Christ? The early Adventists found their answer in Ephesians 4:13 and shared it through a story by Uriah Smith about the captain of a ship who was bound to follow the instructions provided…

This week's Sabbath School lesson notes that in Ephesians 3:1-6, Paul receives new light on the mystery of the gospel, that is – that it is to go to the Gentiles. Paul tells us that this mystery was made known to him, and also to the other apostles and prophets, and that this mystery was something that was not known to previous generations. In othe…

People sometimes say that in order to have reconciliation, one of the two parties must decide to just let go of their position solely for the sake of unity – one party needs to suck it up. But all of us know that this method really doesn’t bring true reconciliation or true peace. How could it? We would just be saying, "'Peace! Peace!' when there is…

Many know Ephesians 2:8-9 by heart: "“for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast." (WEB) Saved from what? The very next verse (10) tells us, saved from bad works, or wrong-doing. So, we are saved from sinning through faith. People often assume that what we…

This week’s Sabbath School study is called, “The Power of the Exalted Jesus.” One of the things it considers is the “now” and “not yet” statements in scripture in relation to the scope of the reign of Jesus. Fridays first discussion question reads, “Ponder the ‘now’ and ‘not yet’ of the exaltation of Jesus. In what sense is Jesus already the Lord o…

Wednesday's Sabbath School study is entitled, "The Holy Spirit: Seal and Down Payment." First, we look at what it means to be sealed with the Holy Spirit. Then, we take a look at something Ellen White said about being sealed. She wrote, “The 144,000 were all sealed and perfectly united. On their foreheads was written, God, New Jerusalem, and a glor…

The memory text for this week is Ephesians 1:9-10. It speaks of a mystery that has been revealed by Jesus before He went to the cross. When we understand what the mystery is by comparing Ephesians with John 14 and 17, we will recognize that Satan has done everything he can to shroud it again in mystery, and thereby frustrate God's plan for all of u…

Ellen says that the message from the Revelation 18:1 angel is an *addition* to the third message, joining it as the Midnight Cry joined the second angel's message. The Midnight Cry was a message that came in the summer of 1844. It built upon the 1st and 2nd angel's message, but it was distinct from them and had content of its own. It was a new mess…

Last week, we focused on the "faith of Jesus," since this is an imperative distinction for the saints who are allowed to proclaim the third angel's message. We learned that Jesus' faith was ultimately in truth - that Jesus had faith in His Father, not merely because He was His Father, but because of the way His father lives – the way His father con…

Having the "faith of Jesus" is an imperative distinction for the saints who are allowed to proclaim the third angel's message (see Revelation 14:12). In Desire of Ages, Ellen White writes about the extreme feelings Jesus experienced while on the cross of despair, that He had no hope of ever being resurrected, and thought that He would never see His…

It is true that "The belief that the soul continues its existence after the dissolution of the body is . . . nowhere expressly taught in Holy Scripture." But, even though scripture does not teach that the soul continues its existence after the dissolution of the body, does scripture teach that there is a separate entity in the body called a "soul" …