Jesus Christ, The Author & Finisher of our Faith

Reading Assignment for Gospel Doctrine Lesson 37


What do you learn about Jesus Christ from Hebrews 1?


Why must a priesthood holder be “called of God” rather than “[take] this honour unto himself”? (Hebrews 5:4).


Paul gave many examples of people who accomplished great things through faith in Jesus Christ. Whom did he mention? (See Hebrews 11:4–12, 17–34.)


Paul said that faith can help us during times of adversity or opposition (Hebrews 11:32–38). How has faith helped you deal with adversity? What other blessings have you (or someone you know) received by exercising faith in Jesus Christ?

Suggestion for Family Discussion

Plant a seed. Read Hebrews 11:1 and Alma 32:21, and ask how planting a seed is an act of faith. Then read James 2:17. Ask what works are necessary to help a seed grow. In the coming weeks, care for the seed you have planted and check it regularly to see how your faith and works help it grow.

As part of this family discussion, you may want to sing together “Faith” (Children’s Songbook, 96–97).
Scripture Chain: Faith

Hebrews 11:1–6

James 2:14–18

1 Nephi 7:12

Alma 32:21

Ether 12:6

D&C 63:10–11

Beloved of God, Called to Be Saints

Lesson 36: “Beloved of God, Called to Be Saints”, New Testament Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, (2002)

1.      Introduction

a)      Paul’s letter to the Romans differs from many of his other letters

i)        Focused on doctrine

ii)      Other letters more focused on correcting errors in understanding and bringing wayward members back to the faith.

b)      The letter was probably written sometime early in the spring of A. D. 57 while Paul was on his third mission.  It appears that Paul was at Corinth when he wrote this letter.  He wrote this epistle in advance of his coming to Rome as part of his future mission to Spain (Rom. 15:24, 28).

c)      Paul is very focused on taking the gospel to the Gentiles at this point

i)        Rome was the center of the Gentile world

(1)   Huge population – over 1 million in Rome

(2)   Governed an empire that stretched from Israel, Syria, Turkey on the East, across Northern Africa, including most of Egypt all the way to the Atlantic, All of Southern Europe, Spain, modern France and part of Germany and Southern Britain.

(a)    Shortly before Paul wrote his letter, in 50 AD, Rome founded the city of Londinium in Great Britain.

(3)   At the height of the Roman Empire, it ruled at least 65 million people, about 22% of the world population

(a)    That would be like one country ruling 1.5 billion people in two dozen countries today.

d)     The early Church in Rome was a combination of Jews and Gentiles

i)        Large population of Jews in Rome – 40-50,000 – and many joined the Church

ii)       

e)      Paul would not be able to come to Rome as he planned when he wrote the letter (Acts 21-28).

i)        He went to Jerusalem where he was arrested.

ii)      Exercising his rights as a Roman citizen, he demanded to be tried before Caesar and went to Rome under house arrest and probably went to Spain after being released.

f)       If this is Paul’s most doctrinal letter, what doctrine does he focus on? The Atonement of Christ.

2.      We are justified by faith in Jesus Christ

a)      Paul recognizes that many of the Saints in Rome are strong in the gospel.

b)      His purpose is to teach them more of the gospel.

i)        Reading 1 – Romans 1:15-16

15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

c)      Sets forth the fundamental problem the Atonement is designed to remedy

i)        Reading 2 – Romans 3:10-12

10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

d)     Consequences of Sin

i)        Reading 3 – Alma 7:21

21 And he doth not dwell in unholy temples; neither can filthiness or anything which is unclean be received into the kingdom of God; therefore I say unto you the time shall come, yea, and it shall be at the last day, that he who is filthy shall remain in his filthiness.

e)      Justification

i)        Reading 4 - Romans 3:23-24,28

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

SKIP

28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

ii)      We are justified by the grace of Jesus Christ and our faith in him.

iii)    Reading 5 – Bible Dictionary – Grace, page 697

Grace. A word that occurs frequently in the New Testament, especially in the writings of Paul. The main idea of the word is divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ.

It is through the grace of the Lord Jesus, made possible by his atoning sacrifice, that mankind will be raised in immortality, every person receiving his body from the grave in a condition of everlasting life. It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts.

Divine grace is needed by every soul in consequence of the fall of Adam and also because of man’s weaknesses and shortcomings. However, grace cannot suffice without total effort on the part of the recipient. Hence the explanation, “It is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do” (2 Ne. 25:23). It is truly the grace of Jesus Christ that makes salvation possible. This principle is expressed in Jesus’ parable of the vine and the branches (John 15:1–11). See also John 1:12–17; Eph. 2:8–9; Philip. 4:13; D&C 93:11–14.

iv)    ASK – Are we saved by Grace?

v)      How is grace made available to us?

(1)   Reading 6 – Romans 5:8-10

8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

f)       Justification and Sanctification

i)        Two related and fundamental elements of the Atonement  - Justification and Sanctification

ii)      Elder Christofferson explained these two concepts in an Ensign article in 2001

iii)    Some who write and speak about these two elements sometimes combine them under Justification, but there’s a difference as Elder Christofferson explains

iv)    Justification

(1)   Reading 7 – Elder Christofferson explains justification: With nothing more, by virtue of the Fall and our own disobedience, the law condemns us to temporal and spiritual death. Law, or justice, is not a pleasant concept when one is condemned by it and “miserable forever.” Worldly philosophies attempt to resolve this misery and guilt by endeavoring to erase divine law or define it out of existence. As we have already observed, if we could get rid of the law, there would be no such thing as sin and thus no misery.

. . . .

There is a better way. That better way is not to deny the law, but to come out from under its condemnation. The righteous are supported by law, a pleasant position to be in. But to achieve that status, we need more than the law alone. We need a Savior. We need a Mediator.

. . . .

Because of “the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice,” Jesus Christ can satisfy or “answer the ends of the law” on our behalf. Pardon comes by the grace of Him who has satisfied the demands of justice by His own suffering, “the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God” (1 Pet. 3:18). He removes our condemnation without removing the law. We are pardoned and placed in a condition of righteousness with Him. We become, like Him, without sin. We are sustained and protected by the law, by justice. We are, in a word, justified.

Thus, we may appropriately speak of one who is justified as pardoned, without sin, or guiltless.

(Elder D. Todd Christofferson, Justification and Sanctification, Ensign, June, 2001)

v)      Sanctification

(1)   Reading 8 - Elder Christofferson explains sanctification: “And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot” (Moro. 10:33; emphasis added).

To be sanctified through the blood of Christ is to become clean, pure, and holy. If justification removes the punishment for past sin, then sanctification removes the stain or effects of sin. The Prophet Joseph Smith testified:

“And this is the gospel, the glad tidings, which the voice out of the heavens bore record unto us—

“That he came into the world, even Jesus, to be crucified for the world, and to bear [justify] the sins of the world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness” (D&C 76:40–41).

(Elder D. Todd Christofferson, Justification and Sanctification, Ensign, June, 2001)

(2)   READ – Elder Christofferson continues: Thus, it is not that we earn these gifts, but rather that we choose to seek and accept justification and sanctification. Since the Savior paid for our sins and satisfied justice for us, we become debtors to Him rather than to justice. We must therefore meet the stipulations He has established for forgiveness and cleansing. Otherwise, He withdraws His proffered mediation, and we are left to deal alone with the demands of justice, lacking the means to become pure. One must choose Christ to receive what Christ offers.

How does one choose Christ? We noted earlier Lehi’s declaration that it requires “a broken heart and a contrite spirit” (2 Ne. 2:7). Nephi elaborates: “Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost” (2 Ne. 31:17).

. . . .

Justification and sanctification are accomplished by the grace of Christ, which grace is a gift to man based on faith. But our moral agency is also a necessary element in this divine process. We must will to repent and act to repent. We must elect to be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost, and we must elect to remain loyal to our covenants thereafter. To receive the gift we must act in the manner He has ordained.

(Elder D. Todd Christofferson, Justification and Sanctification, Ensign, June, 2001)

vi)    Saved by faith alone

(1)   Reading 9 - The Prophet Joseph Smith said: “To be justified before God we must love one another: we must overcome evil; we must visit the fatherless and the widow in their affliction, and we must keep ourselves unspotted from the world: for such virtues flow from the great fountain of pure religion, strengthening our faith by adding every good quality that adorns the children of the blessed Jesus. We can pray in the season of prayer; we can love our neighbor as ourselves, and be faithful in tribulation, knowing that the reward of such is greater in the kingdom of heaven. What a consolation! What a joy!” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 76).

3.      We can be reborn and become joint-heirs with Christ.

a)      Paul compared baptism to death, burial, and resurrection.

i)        Reading 10 – Romans 6:3-8

3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

(1)   Verse 6 – Old man = Natural man

b)      After baptism

i)        Reading 11 – Romans 8:5-6

5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

ii)      READ – When he was President of Ricks College, Elder David A. Bednar spoke about being carnally minded or spiritually minded: "The precise nature of the test of mortality, then, can be summarized in the following questions: Will my body rule over my spirit, or will my spirit rule over my body? Will I yield to the enticings of the natural man or to the eternal man? That, brothers and sisters, is the test." (Elder David A. Bednar, "Ye are the Temple of God" Ricks College Devotional, January 11, 2000)

iii)    READ – Brigham Young described this contest more succinctly: “When we receive the Gospel, a warfare commences immediately. We have to fight continually, as it were, sword in hand to make the spirit master of the tabernacle, or the flesh subject to the law of the spirit.” (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol.9, pp.287‑288.)

c)      Why can we become joint-heirs with Christ?

i)        Reading 12 – Romans 8:16-17

16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

d)     Enduring the trials of this world

i)        READ Romans 8:18,28,31,35-39

18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

SKIP

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

SKIP

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

SKIP

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

4.      We should live as becomes Saints.

a)      Reading 13 – Romans 12:1-2

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Conclusion

Lesson 36: “Beloved of God, Called to Be Saints” – Scriptures and Quotes

Reading 1 – Romans 1:15-16

Reading 2 – Romans 3:10-12

Reading 3 – Alma 7:21

Reading 4 - Romans 3:23-24,28

Reading 5 – Bible Dictionary – Grace, page 697

Reading 6 – Romans 5:8-10

Reading 7 – Elder Christofferson explains justification: With nothing more, by virtue of the Fall and our own disobedience, the law condemns us to temporal and spiritual death. Law, or justice, is not a pleasant concept when one is condemned by it and “miserable forever.” Worldly philosophies attempt to resolve this misery and guilt by endeavoring to erase divine law or define it out of existence. As we have already observed, if we could get rid of the law, there would be no such thing as sin and thus no misery.
. . . .
There is a better way. That better way is not to deny the law, but to come out from under its condemnation. The righteous are supported by law, a pleasant position to be in. But to achieve that status, we need more than the law alone. We need a Savior. We need a Mediator.
. . . .
Because of “the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice,” Jesus Christ can satisfy or “answer the ends of the law” on our behalf. Pardon comes by the grace of Him who has satisfied the demands of justice by His own suffering, “the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God” (1 Pet. 3:18). He removes our condemnation without removing the law. We are pardoned and placed in a condition of righteousness with Him. We become, like Him, without sin. We are sustained and protected by the law, by justice. We are, in a word, justified.
Thus, we may appropriately speak of one who is justified as pardoned, without sin, or guiltless.
(Elder D. Todd Christofferson, Justification and Sanctification, Ensign, June, 2001)

Reading 8 - Elder Christofferson explains sanctification: “And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot” (Moro. 10:33; emphasis added).
To be sanctified through the blood of Christ is to become clean, pure, and holy. If justification removes the punishment for past sin, then sanctification removes the stain or effects of sin. The Prophet Joseph Smith testified:
“And this is the gospel, the glad tidings, which the voice out of the heavens bore record unto us—
“That he came into the world, even Jesus, to be crucified for the world, and to bear [justify] the sins of the world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness” (D&C 76:40–41).
(Elder D. Todd Christofferson, Justification and Sanctification, Ensign, June, 2001)

Elder Christofferson continues: Thus, it is not that we earn these gifts, but rather that we choose to seek and accept justification and sanctification. Since the Savior paid for our sins and satisfied justice for us, we become debtors to Him rather than to justice. We must therefore meet the stipulations He has established for forgiveness and cleansing. Otherwise, He withdraws His proffered mediation, and we are left to deal alone with the demands of justice, lacking the means to become pure. One must choose Christ to receive what Christ offers.
How does one choose Christ? We noted earlier Lehi’s declaration that it requires “a broken heart and a contrite spirit” (2 Ne. 2:7). Nephi elaborates: “Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost” (2 Ne. 31:17).
. . . .
Justification and sanctification are accomplished by the grace of Christ, which grace is a gift to man based on faith. But our moral agency is also a necessary element in this divine process. We must will to repent and act to repent. We must elect to be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost, and we must elect to remain loyal to our covenants thereafter. To receive the gift we must act in the manner He has ordained.
(Elder D. Todd Christofferson, Justification and Sanctification, Ensign, June, 2001)


Reading 9 - The Prophet Joseph Smith said: “To be justified before God we must love one another: we must overcome evil; we must visit the fatherless and the widow in their affliction, and we must keep ourselves unspotted from the world: for such virtues flow from the great fountain of pure religion, strengthening our faith by adding every good quality that adorns the children of the blessed Jesus. We can pray in the season of prayer; we can love our neighbor as ourselves, and be faithful in tribulation, knowing that the reward of such is greater in the kingdom of heaven. What a consolation! What a joy!” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 76).

Reading 10 – Romans 6:3-8

Reading 11 – Romans 8:5-6

When he was President of Ricks College, Elder David A. Bednar spoke about being carnally minded or spiritually minded: "The precise nature of the test of mortality, then, can be summarized in the following questions: Will my body rule over my spirit, or will my spirit rule over my body? Will I yield to the enticings of the natural man or to the eternal man? That, brothers and sisters, is the test." (Elder David A. Bednar, "Ye are the Temple of God" Ricks College Devotional, January 11, 2000)

Brigham Young described this contest more succinctly: “When we receive the Gospel, a warfare commences immediately. We have to fight continually, as it were, sword in hand to make the spirit master of the tabernacle, or the flesh subject to the law of the spirit.” (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol.9, pp.287‑288.)

Reading 12 – Romans 8:16-17

Romans 8:18,28,31,35-39

Reading 13 – Romans 12:1-2

Grace

From the Bible Dictionary:

Grace. A word that occurs frequently in the New Testament, especially in the writings of Paul. The main idea of the word is divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ.

It is through the grace of the Lord Jesus, made possible by his atoning sacrifice, that mankind will be raised in immortality, every person receiving his body from the grave in a condition of everlasting life. It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts.

Divine grace is needed by every soul in consequence of the fall of Adam and also because of man’s weaknesses and shortcomings. However, grace cannot suffice without total effort on the part of the recipient. Hence the explanation, “It is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do” (2 Ne. 25:23). It is truly the grace of Jesus Christ that makes salvation possible. This principle is expressed in Jesus’ parable of the vine and the branches (John 15:1–11). See also John 1:12–17; Eph. 2:8–9; Philip. 4:13; D&C 93:11–14.

Paul's Epistle to the Romans

From the Bible Dictionary:

Epistle to the Romans, written from Corinth toward the end of the stay recorded in Acts 20:3. Paul was then contemplating a visit to Jerusalem, which was certain to be dangerous (Rom. 15:31). If he escaped with his life he hoped afterwards to visit Rome. The letter was meant in part to prepare the Church there to receive him when he came. It may also be regarded as containing a statement of those doctrines which had been in dispute with the Judaizing Christians, and which Paul now regarded as finally established.

Analysis of Romans

1. Salutation and thanksgiving (1:1–15).

2. Doctrinal (1:16–11:36).

   1. a. His main thesis, the doctrine of righteousness by faith (1:16–17).

   2. b. Such a doctrine met a crying need of the whole world, for God’s wrath against sin was only too evident, and this included both Jew and gentile (1:18–2:29).

   3. c. The Jew’s position of privilege (3:1–8; see also ch. 9).

   4. d. Jew and gentile shown from scripture to be alike under sin (3:9–20).

   5. e. Righteousness by faith now made possible and all boasting excluded (3:21–31).

   6. f. Illustration of the doctrine from the case of Abraham (4:1–25).

   7. g. Joy through the Lord Jesus (5:1–11).

   8. h. The first and the second Adam (5:12–19).

   9. i. The moral consequences of our deliverance, namely, union with Christ, release from sin, and life in the Spirit (5:20–8:39).

   10. j. Israel’s rejection, the reason for it (9:1–10:21), yet not final (11:1–36).

3. Practical exhortations.

   1. a. The duty of holiness of life and the law of love (12:1–13:14).

   2. b. The treatment of weaker brethren (14:1–15:13).

4. Personal.

   1. a. His reasons for writing (15:14–33).

   2. b. Greetings (16:1–23).

   3. c. Benediction and doxology (16:24–27).

Characteristics of the Second Group. These four epistles [1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Romans] illustrate a new stage in the apostolic teaching. A great controversy had arisen as to the necessity of obedience to the Mosaic law. Although the matter had been settled theologically at the Jerusalem conference in about A.D. 50 (Acts 15; Gal. 2:1–10), it took a long time to settle the matter culturally in the lives of many Church members. Many still looked upon the Church as a subdivision or an outgrowth of Judaism, and they saw no need to discontinue the ordinances of the law of Moses when they became members of the Christian Church. To them Christianity was something new, while the law was undoubtedly of divine appointment, and approved by the example of generations of faithful Israelites. In the controversy Paul took a leading part, and in these four epistles he points men to the cross of Christ as the only source of eternal life (cf. Mosiah 12:27–16:15). The epistles to the Romans and Galatians were the inspired writings most appealed to by the Reformation of the 16th century because they emphasize the spirit over legal formalism.

Beloved of God, Called to Be Saints - Study Guide

Lesson 36: “Beloved of God, Called to Be Saints”," New Testament Class Member Study Guide, (1997)

Romans

· We are justified when we are reconciled to God, pardoned from punishment for sin, and declared righteous and guiltless. Why do we need to be justified? (See Romans 3:10–12, 23; see also Alma 7:21.) What did Paul teach about how we are justified? (See Romans 3:24, 28; 5:1–2; see also 2 Nephi 2:6.)

· How does baptism represent death, burial, and resurrection (new birth)? (See Romans 6:3–4; D&C 76:50–52.) How was baptism a new birth for you?

· How have you seen “all things work together for good to them that love God”? (Romans 8:28).

· What attributes of true Saints are listed in Romans 12:9–21? Which of these attributes is the hardest for you to develop? What can you do this week to further develop this attribute?

Suggestion for Family Discussion

Read the passages in this section’s scripture chain, and have family members identify members of the ward or branch who have some of the qualities listed in those passages. Challenge each family member to do something in the coming week to follow the examples of those people.

Scripture Chain: Qualities of Saints

Romans 1:7–8

Romans 12:9–21

Ephesians 4:1–3

Mosiah 3:19

D&C 4:5–6

D&C 88:74–77, 81

Lesson 35 - Be Ye Reconciled (2 Corinthians)

Scripture Application

This lesson is divided into four sections that focus on important topics in 2 Corinthians. Prayerfully select which of these topics to discuss with your family.

1. Overcoming tribulation

Read 2 Corinthians 1:3–11; 4; 6:1–10; 11:21–33; 12:1–10. Invite class members to read selected verses aloud.

• Paul’s letter to the Corinthians was written after a time of great persecution when Paul and Timothy “despaired even of life” (2 Corinthians 1:8). Why were Paul and Timothy able to avoid despair despite being troubled, perplexed, persecuted, and cast down? (See 2 Corinthians 1:3–5; 4:5–15.) Why are Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ our best sources for comfort?

Elder Neal A. Maxwell assured us that Jesus Christ will help us through our afflictions:

“When we take Jesus’ yoke upon us, this admits us eventually to what Paul called the ‘fellowship of [Christ’s] sufferings’ (Philippians 3:10). Whether illness or aloneness, injustice or rejection, … our comparatively small-scale sufferings, if we are meek, will sink into the very marrow of the soul. We then better appreciate not only Jesus’ sufferings for us, but also His matchless character, moving us to greater adoration and even emulation.

“Alma revealed that Jesus knows how to succor us in the midst of our griefs and sicknesses precisely because Jesus has already borne our griefs and sicknesses (see Alma 7:11–12). He knows them firsthand; thus His empathy is earned. Of course, we do not comprehend it fully any more than we understand how He bore all mortal sins, but His Atonement remains the rescuing and reassuring reality” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1997, 13; or Ensign, May 1997, 12).

• How have Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ helped you during adversity?

• Paul expressed a desire to help others receive the same comfort he had received from God (2 Corinthians 1:4). How can we help others receive comfort from God?

• Paul thanked the Saints who had prayed for him and Timothy in their time of adversity (2 Corinthians 1:11). Why is it important for us to pray for each other? How have the prayers of others blessed you or someone you know? How are we blessed when we pray for others?

• How can the teachings in 2 Corinthians 4:17–18 help us during tribulation? (See also D&C 121:7–8.) Why is it helpful to see our trials from an eternal perspective? How can we learn to look at our trials from an eternal perspective?

• Paul told the Corinthians of the trials that he and many of the Saints endured because of their belief in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 6:4–5; 11:23–33). What characteristics did Paul teach that we should develop to help us endure trials? (See 2 Corinthians 6:4, 6–7.) How has one or more of these characteristics helped you during a time of trial?

• Paul said that the Lord gave him an infirmity—a “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7). Why did the Lord give Paul this infirmity? (See 2 Corinthians 12:7.) What did Paul learn when the Lord did not take away his “thorn in the flesh” as he had asked? (See 2 Corinthians 12:8–10.) How can our weaknesses help us receive strength from Jesus Christ? (See Ether 12:27.) How have you seen the truth of Paul’s statement that “when I am weak, then am I strong”?

2. Forgiving others

Read 2 Corinthians 2:5–11.

• Paul admonished the Saints to forgive each other (2 Corinthians 2:5–8). Why is it important that we forgive others? (See Matthew 6:14–15; 2 Corinthians 2:7–8; D&C 64:9–10. Discuss how we—and others—are affected when we are forgiving and when we are unforgiving.)

President Gordon B. Hinckley said:

“We see the need for [forgiveness] in the homes of the people, where tiny molehills of misunderstanding are fanned into mountains of argument. We see it among neighbors, where insignificant differences lead to undying bitterness. We see it in business associates who quarrel and refuse to compromise and forgive when, in most instances, if there were a willingness to sit down together and speak quietly one to another, the matter could be resolved to the blessing of all. Rather, they spend their days nurturing grudges and planning retribution. …

“If there be any who nurture in their hearts the poisonous brew of enmity toward another, I plead with you to ask the Lord for strength to forgive. This expression of desire will be of the very substance of your repentance. It may not be easy, and it may not come quickly. But if you will seek it with sincerity and cultivate it, it will come. …

“… There is no peace in reflecting on the pain of old wounds. There is peace only in repentance and forgiveness. This is the sweet peace of the Christ, who said, ‘blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.’ (Matt. 5:9.)” (“Of You It Is Required to Forgive,” Ensign, June 1991, 2, 5).

• What can we do to become more forgiving?

3. Feeling godly sorrow for our sins

Read and discuss 2 Corinthians 7:8–10.

• After hearing that one of his epistles had “made [the Corinthians] sorry,” Paul rejoiced (2 Corinthians 7:8–9). Why did Paul respond this way to the Corinthians’ sorrow? (See 2 Corinthians 7:9–10.) What does it mean to have “godly sorrow” for our sins?
Watch the video presentation “Godly Sorrow."

• What is the difference between godly sorrow and “the sorrow of the world”? Why is godly sorrow an important part of repentance?

President Spencer W. Kimball explained: “If one is sorry only because someone found out about his sin, his repentance is not complete. Godly sorrow causes one to want to repent, even though he has not been caught by others, and makes him determined to do right no matter what happens. This kind of sorrow brings righteousness and will work toward forgiveness” (Repentance Brings Forgiveness [pamphlet, 1984], 8).

4. Becoming reconciled to God

Read 2 Corinthians 5:17–21.

• Paul and Timothy counseled the Corinthians to “be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20). What does it mean to be reconciled to God?

Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught: “Reconciliation is the process of ransoming man from his state of sin and spiritual darkness and of restoring him to a state of harmony and unity with Deity. … Man, who was once carnal and evil, who lived after the manner of the flesh, becomes a new creature of the Holy Ghost; he is born again; and, even as a little child, he is alive in Christ” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [1965–73], 2:422–23).

• How can we become reconciled to God? (See 2 Corinthians 5:17–19, 21; 2 Nephi 25:23; Jacob 4:10–11.)

Conclusion

We testify of the truths you have discovered in this lesson.. Encourage your family to remember and follow Paul’s counsel in 2 Corinthians.

Reading Assignment Lesson 35 "Be Ye Reconciled"

"Lesson 35: “Be Ye Reconciled to God”," New Testament Class Member Study Guide, (1997)

2 Corinthians

• Why were Paul and Timothy able to avoid despair despite being troubled, perplexed, persecuted, and cast down? (See 2 Corinthians 1:3–5; 4:5–15.) How have Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ helped you during adversity?
• Paul admonished the Saints to forgive each other (2 Corinthians 2:5–8). Why is it important that we forgive others? (See Matthew 6:14–15; 2 Corinthians 2:7–8; D&C 64:9–10.) What can we do to become more forgiving?
• What does it mean to have “godly sorrow” for our sins? (2 Corinthians 7:9–10). Why is godly sorrow an important part of repentance?

Suggestion for Family Discussion

Read 2 Corinthians 1:3–4, giving special attention to Paul’s efforts to comfort others “by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” Arrange to visit a local hospital, shelter, or care center. Help serve a meal, entertain residents, or donate food, clothing, or other needed items.

As part of this family discussion, you may want to sing together “Because I Have Been Given Much” (Hymns, no. 219).

Scripture Chain: Characteristics of Disciples of Christ
2 Corinthians 1:3–5

2 Corinthians 1:11

2 Corinthians 2:5–8

2 Corinthians 4:5–10

2 Corinthians 5:17–21

2 Corinthians 7:9–10

Keep the Ordinances, As I Delivered Them - Lesson Outline

Lesson 34: “Keep the Ordinances, As I Delivered Them”," New Testament Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, (2002)

1. Introduction

a) Continue with Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians

b) Remember, Paul is dealing with some significant doctrinal problems, apostasy of the type he will battle over and over

c) As we consider the problems he identifies and the advice he gives, we should remember that these are time-tested mistakes that lead us away from the Gospel.

i) We can point to many ways in which our society is more advanced than that of early Christians in Corinth,

ii) Human nature never changes.

iii) Human weaknesses never change

iv) Satan is the same today as he was during Paul’s time

(1) He is happy to re-use all the tricks that worked before.

d) READ 1 Corinthians 11:2

2 Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.

2. The purpose of the sacrament

a) Reading 1 – 1 Corinthians 11:17-20, 23-29

17 Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.

18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.

19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper.

NOTE: Footnote A: Is it not to eat the Lord’s supper?

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23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

i) Paul is asking, “How can you come together on the sabbath and have division among you? How can there be divisions when you take the sacrament if there are not apostate doctrines as well?

(1) If this was the case, some of the Corinthians were unworthy to take the Sacrament – another apostasy

(2) The Corinthians are not keeping the ordinances as Paul delivered them

ii) Why was Christ’s body broken and His blood shed? Was it for Christ’s benefit?

iii) It was for us this happened, because of Christ’s pure love for us.

iv) The Sacrament is an ordinance that includes a powerful reminder of how much Christ loves us.

v) When Christ was visiting the Nephites, he repeatedly lead them in the Sacrament

b) Reading 2 – Doctrine and Covenants 59:8-9

8 Thou shalt offer a sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in righteousness, even that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

9 And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day;

c) Reading 3 – Elder Jeffrey R. Holland taught: “With so very much at stake, [the sacrament] should be taken more seriously than it sometimes is. It should be a powerful, reverent, reflective moment. It should encourage spiritual feelings and impressions. As such it should not be rushed. It is not something to ‘get over’ so that the real purpose of a sacrament meeting can be pursued. This is the real purpose of the meeting” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1995, 89; or Ensign, Nov. 1995, 68).

d) Reading 4 – President David O. McKay wrote: "The partaking of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper is one of the most sacred ordinances of the Church of Jesus Christ. Associated with it are principles fundamental in character building and essential to man's advancement and exaltation in the kingdom of God. Too few communicants attach to this simple though sublime rite the importance and significance that it merits. Unfortunately, the form of worship is frequently an outward—compliance without the true soul acknowledgment of its deep spiritual significance." (Gospel Ideals, p71)

3. The importance of all spiritual gifts

a) The Saints in Corinth may have placed too much importance on the gift of tongues

i) In some instances, the baptism of the Holy Ghost was accompanied by the gift of tongues

(1) Pentecost

(2) Baptism of Appolos

ii) The Saints somehow placed this gift above other gifts of the spirit

b) Reading 5 – 1 Corinthians 12:1,7-11

1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

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7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

i) The gifts of the spirit are many and varied

ii) Reading 6 – Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote: "If the saints are to be saved, they must accept, understand, and experience the gifts of the Spirit. Since religion itself is of the Spirit, and deals with spiritual things, it can be received and known only by the power of the Spirit. Thus where the gifts of the Spirit are manifest, there is true religion; and where the gifts of the Spirit are not manifest, there true religion is not." (DNTC, 2:366)

“These gifts are infinite in number and endless in their manifestations because God himself is infinite and endless, and because the needs of those who receive them are as numerous, varied, and different as there are people in the kingdom. All saints are commanded to seek earnestly the best gifts.” ((Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.270 – p.271)

c) ASK: Is it wrong to seek for spiritual gifts? Is this like seeking for a sign?

i) READ Doctrine and Covenants 46:8-9

8 Wherefore, beware lest ye are deceived; and that ye may not be deceived seek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given;

9 For verily I say unto you, they are given for the benefit of those who love me and keep all my commandments, and him that seeketh so to do; that all may be benefited that seek or that ask of me, that ask and not for a sign that they may consume it upon their lusts.

d) ASK: With all the spiritual gifts, is there one that is placed above all others?

i) Reading 7 – 1 Corinthians 13:1-3,8,13

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

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8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

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13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

e) ASK: If Charity is the greatest of all the gifts of God, who possesses more of it than any other mortal who ever walked the earth?

f) READ – 3d Article of Faith: We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

i) The ordinances of the Gospel are expressions of the Savior’s love for us. Each ordinance bestows on us one of the blessings of the Atonement that He made possible for us. Through each ordinance we accept His expression of love and covenant to return His love by obeying his commandments.

(1) Baptism

(a) Water for repentance

(b) Gift of the Holy Ghost

(2) Sacrament

(a) Renew baptismal covenants

(3) Temple Ordinances

(a) Initiatories

(b) Endowment

(c) Sealing

4. The Resurrection and the degrees of glory

a) Many of the Corinthians had begun to dispute the reality of the Resurrection

b) READ 1 Corinthians 15:12

12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

c) Paul teaches the Resurrection in detail

i) Reading 8 – 1 Corinthians 15:3-8

3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:

6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

(1) Many witnesses to the resurrection

ii) Reading 9 – 1 Corinthians 15:20-23

20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

(1) The necessity of a Savior and a resurrection

iii) READ Romans 6:3-6

3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

iv) READ: 1 Corinthians 15:29,32

29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?

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32 If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.

(1) Paul cites baptism for the dead as evidence of the resurrection

(2) Paul’s own courage in going in with the beasts in Ephesus is evidence of his belief in resurrection

d) Three Degrees of Glory

i) As Paul teaches of the Resurrection, he teaches what happens after the resurrection as well

ii) Reading 10 – 1 Corinthians 15:35-44

35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?

36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:

37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:

38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.

40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption [mortality]; it is raised in incorruption [immortality]

43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.