There is No Bad News In The
The Way Things Were
Adam and Eve
Parts and Purpose of the Old Testament
The Law of God
The Prophets of God
Jesus’ Mission on Earth
Taking Away Sin
Bringing Salvation
Jesus as God’s Judge
Rebirth: Being Born Again
The Gospel According to Paul
More About Faith and Belief
Paul’s Take on the Law
Reconciliation
The Sin Issue
One Baptism and Burial
Redemption
God’s Will
All in All
Salvation of the Soul
One for All
Paul’s Position on Man’s Redemption: Romans 5
In Conclusion
The Way Things Were
There are some stories in the Bible that nearly everyone – whether they’re Christian or not – has heard at some point or another. Stories about Noah and the ark, Jonah and the whale, David and Goliath are relatively well known to the average person. Most people have also, at some point, heard about Adam and Eve. Let’s first look at this story a bit closer, to see what we can learn about the first humans.
Adam and Eve
The first mention we find in the Bible of Adam is in the creation story.
“And God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
Genesis 1:26-27, KJV[1]
Whose image was mankind created in?
Do you think that Adam would have known that he was created in God’s image?
“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”
Genesis 2:16-17 KJV
Which tree were Adam and Eve not supposed to eat from?
What were the consequences of eating from this tree?
“Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”
Genesis 3:1-5 KJV
Once again, whose image was man created in? Flip back to the first page if you don’t remember.
What did the serpent say would happen if Adam and Eve ate of the fruit?
“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”
Genesis 3:6 KJV
Did Adam and Eve believe what God had said: that they were already in the image of God, or did they believe what the serpent said: that they had to eat of the fruit in order to be like God?
From these verses does it make sense that the sin Adam and Eve committed was unbelief?
“And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, and after his image; and called his name Seth”
Genesis 5:3 KJV
God promised that Adam would die if he and Eve ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Did Adam die physically as soon as he ate from the tree?
Since Adam didn’t physically die that day, would it make sense that he died, spiritually?
The Bible says that God is a living God. If Adam died (spiritually) because of his sin, was he still in God’s image?
When Seth was born, whose image was he born in: God’s or Adam’s?
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned”
Romans 5:12 KJV
According to this verse, how did death enter the world?
To how many people did death pass?
Did these people have to know about Adam, or believe in him to become dead, or did they just become dead because of Adam?
“For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.”
Romans 5:13-14 KJV
According to this verse, did people have to make the same mistake as Adam in order to be spiritually dead?
The word sin here is a noun again. So when it says that death reigned even over the people who hadn’t done the same sin as Adam, what sin is it referring to?
Did people have a choice about whether they were considered sinners and unbelievers?
From these verses then, what can be concluded about people who believed but still had Adam’s sin imputed to them?
We’ll go back to these verses in Romans 5 later, but for now, let’s look a little closer at this “law” that was given.
Parts and Purpose of the Old Testament
In Jewish tradition, the ‘Hebrew Scriptures’ (the Christian Old Testament) is broken up into two, or sometimes three, major sections: the law, the prophets and the writings. When only two divisions are specified, they are the law and the prophets. We’ll take a brief look at both of these sections, and see how they apply to the human race, post-cross.
The Law of God
When most people think about God’s law(s), they usually think of the Ten Commandments and the sacrifices. The law, though, includes many more rules than just these few. Jewish scholars have determined that there are 613 separate laws that God told the Jews to follow. Not only that, but the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) are collectively referred to as “the law”.
“Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.”
Deuteronomy 27:26 KJV
“For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”
James 2:10 KJV
How much of God’s law did the people have to keep in order to be seen as innocent in God’s eyes?
What is the result of breaking one law?
So under the law, was any person better than another in God’s eyes, or were all equally guilty, no matter what they had done?
“What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.”
Romans 3:1-2 KJV
Who was the law – the oracles of God – given to?
Were the oracles of God ever given to anyone who was not a Jew?
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Galatians 3:28 KJV
According to this verse in Galatians, does the group “Jew” exist anymore, in God’s eyes?
So if the group “Jew” is no longer in existence, and the oracles of God were given only to the Jews, is there anyone on earth today to whom the oracles of God (the law) still applies?
“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
Romans 3:19-20 KJV
According to Romans 3:19, to whom does the law speak?
Whom does the law declare guilty before God?
What knowledge does the law give to people?
“But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
Galatians 3:24 KJV
According to this verse in Galatians, what was the law’s “job”?
From what we learned earlier, the law teaches us certain specific knowledge. This verse says that the law is the teacher. Which knowledge is it that the law teaches?
How long does the verse in Galatians 3 say that the law would be in effect?
This verse refers to faith “coming” and being “revealed”. Would you agree that this makes it sound like faith is being personified?
In Hebrews 12:2 we read “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…”[2] Without the added word, ‘our’ (see footnote), the verse would read “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of faith”.
Would you agree that from this verse, it sounds as though Jesus is the personification of faith?
So if Jesus is the personification of faith, when, according to Galatians 3:24 was the law to end?
We’ll talk more about this idea of Jesus being the personification of faith later on in the study, but for now, let’s continue our overview of the Old Testament. It’s time to move from the law on to the prophets.
The Prophets of God
When Jesus was on Earth, He said “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17). He also said, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
In this study guide, we won’t focus on proving, from the prophets, that Jesus is the Messiah; rather, we’ll look at some prophecies that talk about how Jesus’ death would change God’s relationship with man, forever - the prophecies of judgment.
“Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness. And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.”
Isaiah 1:27-28 KJV
What does Isaiah say will produce the redemption of Zion (Jews)?
How will Zion’s converts (non-Jews who are ‘chosen’ of God regardless of their heritage) be redeemed?
Does it make sense that Jesus brought both judgment and righteousness to the world?
Looking at this prophecy as a whole, does Isaiah ever say that only believers in Jesus would be redeemed?
Why do you think Isaiah distinguished between transgressors and sinners?
Does Isaiah say there will be a difference in the judgments of transgressors and sinners?
Do you agree that this is a prophecy about whatthat Jesus would coame to dofulfill?
Many times in his writings, Paul talks about being baptized into Christ (for example, he says in 1 Corinthians 12:13 that we are “all baptized into one body”). Did you know that the word “baptized” that Paul used means to be immersed or consumed in something?
Who does Isaiah say will be consumed?
According to Isaiah, then, how many people would be consumed (baptized) into Jesus?
“And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.”
Mark 14:27 KJV
How many did Jesus say would forsake Him at his death?
So how many people were baptized into Jesus’ death?
“Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.”
Romans 4:15 KJV
Remember, earlier we learned that Jesus took away the law. So is there such a thing as transgressions of the law?
Jesus came to remove the condition of sin from the world. Did he succeed or are there still people in the world with the condition of sin?
So if Jesus did what he came to do, and there are no more transgressors and no more sinners, would it be fair to say that transgressors and sinners had been destroyed?
“And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.”
Isaiah 25:6 KJV
According to Isaiah, for how many people was God going to make a feast?
“And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.”
Isaiah 25:7 KJV
“And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.”
2 Corinthians 3:13-15 KJV
According to Paul, in 2 Corinthians, when are people’s minds veiled?
So what is it that veils people’s mind?
What did God say, in Isaiah’s prophecy, would happen to the “covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations”?
What does Paul say blinded the Israelite’s minds, but is now abolished?
In whom does Paul say this veil was done away with?
At Jesus’ death, the temple veil was torn. This symbolized the removing of the separation between God and man. When did the doing away of the separation/veil take place?
“He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.”
Isaiah 25:8 KJV
Who is the “He” being spoken of in Isaiah’s prophecy?
Whose tears did Isaiah say God would wipe away?
What did Isaiah say would happen to God’s rebuking of His people?
For how many people did Isaiah say this would happen?
Assuming Jesus fulfilled this prophecy, how many people is God upset with – how many does He rebuke?
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
1 Corinthians 15:51-53 KJV
How many people did Paul say would be changed?
What does Paul say would happen to the corruptible and the mortal at the last trump?
“So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 15:54-57 KJV
What did Paul say would be swallowed up when the corruptible would put on incorruption, and the mortal would put on immortality?
When Jesus rose from the dead, did He overcome death?
Does it make sense that, in overcoming death, Jesus showed that death and the grave have no victory?
Paul, here, quotes from the prophet Isaiah, who foretold that death would have its sting taken away. What did Paul say was the sting of death?
And what did Paul say was the power of sin?
We learned earlier that Jesus took away the law. So if the law was taken away, does sin have any power?