2nd Quarter 2017: Feed My Sheep: First and Second Peter

Here's the link:

http://www.ssnet.org/lessons/17b/

Memory Text: “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9, NKJV).

Immersed as he is in Jewish culture, religion, and history, Peter refers to the Christians he is writing to as a “holy nation, God’s own people.” By so doing, he is taking covenant language that the Old Testament uses to refer to ancient Israel, applying it here to the New Testament church.

And no wonder: Gentile believers in Jesus have been grafted into God’s covenant people. They are now partakers of the covenant promises, as well. “If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you” (Rom. 11:17, 18, NIV).

Interesting memory text in connection with this week's topic, Social Relationships with Sundays sub-topic being, Church and State and Monday's topic being, Masters and Slaves and how the Christian is to relate to each of these two sub-topics.

The early successes of the Christian church led to the arrest of Peter and John (Acts 4:1-4). They had been questioned by the rulers, elders, and scribes, and then let go with a stern warning that they should desist from preaching (Acts 4:5-23). Soon afterward they were arrested again and asked why they had not followed what the authorities told them to do (Acts 5:28). Peter replied, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

What crucial truth must we take from these words?