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
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
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
Saturday, September 24, 2011
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
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
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.
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.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
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
Salutation and thanksgiving (1:1–15).
Doctrinal (1:16–11:36).
a. His main thesis, the doctrine of righteousness by faith (1:16–17).
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).
d. Jew and gentile shown from scripture to be alike under sin (3:9–20).
e. Righteousness by faith now made possible and all boasting excluded (3:21–31).
f. Illustration of the doctrine from the case of Abraham (4:1–25).
g. Joy through the Lord Jesus (5:1–11).
h. The first and the second Adam (5:12–19).
i. The moral consequences of our deliverance, namely, union with Christ, release from sin, and life in the Spirit (5:20–8:39).
j. Israel’s rejection, the reason for it (9:1–10:21), yet not final (11:1–36).
Practical exhortations.
a. The duty of holiness of life and the law of love (12:1–13:14).
b. The treatment of weaker brethren (14:1–15:13).
Personal.
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.
Monday, September 19, 2011
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
Sunday, September 18, 2011
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.
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.
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