Tuesday was a long day of teaching for me. The morning class on Old Testament Survey covered the Psalms. We looked at the different kinds of psalms in the collection, taking a brief look at as many as we could within the time. We also looked at using the psalms in our meditations and devotional periods to bring our thoughts to focus on spiritual matters through the day. In the Old Testament Prophets class, I made a mistake and covered Zephaniah, Habakkuk and Obadiah which I had scheduled to teach on Wednesday. Though taken out of order, the students seemed to enjoy the look at material new to them.
What is normally the last class of the day turned out to be the next to last class for me on Tuesday. The Church History class focused on John Calvin’s part in the Reformation and the errors it popularized. We specifically examined the Bible’s teaching on God’s sovereignty, the free will of man, predestination (or foreordination), and the extent of Christ’s atonement. After that class, another one was added to teach the students how to use Bible lands maps. We looked at the different kinds of maps in their study Bible and Bible dictionary. I also had them go through some map exercises and they were very quick to catch on.
My Wednesday morning began as most have throughout the past week and a half. John and Nanette Carino met me at the restaurant in our hotel for the breakfast provided each morning. It has been a true joy to be with them each day!
The OT Survey class for the day examined the book of Proverbs. We noted the various types of proverbs and read an example or two of each type. We then saw the overall composition of the book. The OT Prophets class went back and overviewed the books of Hosea, Micah and Nahum. The study of the prophets has turned out to be of special interest to this group of young men and several preachers in the area have also come to take advantage of the studies. The Church History class surveyed the English Reformation. We looked at the part the English translations of the Scripture had in driving that Reformation as well as the martyrs blood that paved its path.
Our mid-week service immediately followed the end of the classes at 6pm. We had a lesson from one of the students and I gave a short lesson from Hebrews 11:17-19. It was good to see the local brethren again and tell them “goodbye” since we will not be here on Sunday. Many of them have become good friends in the 20 years I have been coming here.
Please know that I appreciate more than words can express your interest in this work and your prayers on our behalf. Please continue to pray that all will continues to go well with our studies.
