Classes in Tuguegarao (Monday & Tuesday)

11/5/18

Our classes finally got started between 9:30 and 10am. When we conducted these classes in other places, most of the students arrived the previous night, making an early start possible.  That was not possible here, so we had to wait for brethren to make their way, some from distant provinces, and we lost about half of the morning for studies. This left us far behind what I intended to do in the classes and made rescheduling necessary.

We began by introducing the book of 1^st Peter. Internal and external evidence was given to identify the writer, the recipients, the time and place of writing, the theme and other factors. We spent some extra time talking about the difference between Peter, as he is seen in the Gospels, and the growth evident in him by the time he wrote the two epistles. We took a little extra time at the start of the afternoon session and got through the first chapter, noting both the teaching and application contained therein. We discussed at length how our faith and hope should help us endure the trials of life as our focus is fixed on an eternal hope in heaven, trusting that the Lord will bring us to that eternal home.

The morning session ended with Rody Gumpad and Jonathan Carino discussing the material covered by summarizing it in the dialect as well as answering any questions the students had from the material covered. In previous studies, Lordy Salunga has also joined us to help in this effort, but since he will host next week’s studies, we must do without his help this week. We all miss his input to the studies.

The later part of Monday afternoon’s session dealt with the subject of “Premillennialism.” The need for the study is evident here in the fact that the vast majority have been taught Premillennialism in the denominations from which they came out, mostly Pentecostal. I began by addressing Adventism, that is, the false concept that the Bible gives time clues showing that Christ’s coming at the end of time is near. The fact is that the Bible teaches it will occur like a thief in the night – at a time we cannot know.

During the afternoon discussion period, led by Rody and Jonathan, it was obvious that several of our class participants had some concepts that needed clarification as a result of their backgrounds. Many were still holding to the mistaken belief that Matthew 24:27-31 was speaking of the future coming of Christ at the end of time, rather than an event fulfilled in that generation (the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70) as Jesus plainly declared in Matthew 24:34. We went far over the allotted time for the discussion period to discuss and further teach on that point.

11/6/18

We began the Tuesday morning study with 1 Peter 2:1 and ended by finishing chapter 3. The bulk of that section deals with how we are to live as Christians in the various relationships of life. The fact that we are to live as “sojourners and pilgrims” in this present world suggests it is not our home. Heaven is our true country as children of God. After noting that fact, the text shows us how being sojourners and pilgrims in this life ought to change of conduct in the various relationships of this life.

We concluded with the study of 1 Peter 3:18-22 that some have used to construct a theory of Jesus going to Hades at His death and continuing to preach there to lost souls until He was raised the third day. We showed that Jesus preaching in Hades is nowhere found in the text. The passage shows that Jesus inspired the message given in the time of Noah, and so preached to lost souls then. A separation took place at that time between the obedient and disobedient based of their reaction to the message of inspiration. The separation was made apparent by the water separating the eight saved and the rest who were lost. Having lived without sin and offering the perfect sacrifice, Christ now teaches us through His message of the gospel. Water also makes clear the distinction between those who are saved and those who are lost in this time, namely through water baptism into Christ whereby we are saved in appealing to God for a clean conscience and raised to a new life by the power of His resurrection.

After lunch, we covered 1 Peter 4:1-6 for a little over an hour. We examined in detail the words used in condemnation of the sins of a sexual nature and those involving the use of intoxicants. We noted that the Bible condemns, not only the end effect of these evils, but also the start or initial step into that path. We noted the parallel in this regard to the teaching of Romans 13:11-14.

For the remainder of our time in the afternoon, we again examined the doctrine of Premillennialism. We dealt with the fulfillment of the land promised to Abraham’s descendants. We showed that God completely fulfilled the promise to give the full amount of land promised during the time of Joshua. It is verified that they again had possession of it in the time of David and Solomon. God also fulfilled the promise to bring them back in to the land as the books of Ezra and Nehemiah demonstrate. However, Israel did not continue to possess the land because that was conditioned on their obedience and they repeatedly disobeyed God.

The discussion periods in the afternoon continued to bear fruit. The points being covered are new to many of these students and both Rody and Jonathan have done great work in further helping the students to understand the points be made from Scripture. I am thankful for their help and glad for their part.