Bible Lesson Questions (version 2.04)

The answers to all of these questions can be found (1) in the Bible Lesson itself, (2) in the Bible Lesson Study Aid at http://www.bibletexts.com/bl.htm, or (3) in other webpages on the BibleTexts.com website, the homepage of which is at http://www.bibletexts.com.

1. How does "Teach me, LORD, what you want me to do, and I will obey you faithfully" (Responsive Reading citation #2) differ in intent and result from our efforts to search the Bible or other religious writings to find justification for the way we already are acting, speaking, and thinking?

1. What are the practical results of knowing that the one and only God is everywhere, all-knowing, and all-powerful at every moment?
2. How available is God to you?
3. How available are you to God?

1. How was Abraham's faithfulness illustrated in Bible citation #6?
2. How was God faithful to Abraham?
3. According to Bible citation #9, how does our belonging to Christ benefited by God's faithfulness to Abraham?

1. What does it mean to "live in union with God -- in union with his Son Jesus Christ," as described in Bible citation #10?
2. What did Jesus mean when he said, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father"?
3. After the ten men with leprosy were healed, whom does Bible citation #12 say one of the men praised? Whom did he thank?

1. How does Paul's athletics analogy ("Every athlete in training submits to strict discipline") in Bible citation #14 relate to being faithful to God -- and to the rewards of being faithful to God?

For another example of Paul's using an athletic analogy with a very similar meaning, see Phi 3:12-14.

1. Paul in Bible citation #15 tells us, "Whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God." How does our being faithful to God in this way help promote genuine fellowship and unity with others?

1. As illustrated in Bible citation #16, why wasn't Jesus satisfied with teaching merely legalistic morality, as did many of the Jewish religious and political authorities of his day and as do many of modern religious and political authorities of our day?
2. Why did Jesus consider divorcing a spouse to be a form of adultery, except maybe in the case of the other spouse's unfaithfulness (which would include abuse)?

• To further explore "Divorce as understood by Jesus and the earliest Christians," browse http://www.bibletexts.com/terms/divorce.htm.
• To explore "Adultery: the physical act, the thought, and divorcing one's spouse -- the three forms of adultery described by Jesus in the gospels -- and one's means of defense against, rescue from, and salvation from adultery," browse http://www.bibletexts.com/terms/adultery.htm.
• To further explore many topics regarding "marriage," browse http://www.bibletexts.com/topics/marriage.htm.

1. What is the relationship between faithfulness to one's spouse and faithfulness to God?
2. As described in Bible citations #17 and 18, what does love and forgiveness as a faithful Christian have to do with love and forgiveness as a faithful spouse?

1. What are the responsibilities of Christian parents?
2. What is the value of parents who are faithful Christians, faithful spouses, and faithful parents?

1. How does the Reverend Irving Tomlinson's explanation of the composition of the Bible Lesson apply to this week's Bible Lesson?

"The Golden Text may be said to contain the fundamental thought with which the sermon deals.... The responsive reading, while entirely separate from the sermon, deals with the same subject... Usually, the first Science and Health reference in each section hints the leading thought in that section, which the Bible selections and the other Science and Health selections in the section develop." (TCSJ, Vol 40, p 483-487.)

SOME NOTES ON THE HISTORY OF THE BIBLE LESSON

In 1898 when Mary Baker Eddy chose the 26 subjects for an entirely new Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lesson format, the Reverend Irving Tomlinson was one of the original members of the newly constituted Christian Science Bible Lesson Committee.

From 1888 to 1899 the Christian Science Bible Lesson Committee simply had directly copied to the Christian Science Quarterly the Bible citations that had been prepared by the multi-denominational International Lesson Committee [ILC] for the weekly International Sunday School Lessons used by Protestant churches. (The Church of Christ, Scientist, had no representation on that committee.) To those Bible Lessons the Christian Science Bible Lesson Committee added correlative citations from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, which provided explanations of the Bible texts chosen by the ILC. Until 1898 the ILC-based Bible Lessons were a key component of both Christian Science church services and Christian Science Sunday School, which until 1895 included adult Sunday School classes.]

To read the Rev. Tomlinson's complete article, browse http://www.bibletexts.com/articles/j040p483.htm. To read more about the history of the Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lessons, including the official use of other translations in addition to -- and for one entire year replacing -- the King James Version, browse http://www.bibletexts.com/bl-ver.htm.)]