Sabbath School for Adults: Lesson 4:The Bible–the Authoritative Source of Our Theology

Friday April 24

Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “The Scriptures a Safeguard,” pp. 593–602, in The Great Controversy.

Tradition, experience, culture, reason, and the Bible are all present in our reflection on the Word of God. But we need to ask a decisive question: Which of these sources has the final say and the ultimate authority in our theology? It is one thing to affirm the Bible, but it is something else altogether to allow the Bible, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, to impact and change the life.

In one sense, culture, experience, reason and even tradition, in and of themselves, might not of necessity be bad. They become problems when they contradict what Scripture teaches. But that is, often, to be expected. What’s worse, however, is when these things take precedence over the Word of God. So much of the history of apostasy in both Old Testament and New Testament times is when outside influences took precedence over divine revlation.

Discussion Questions:

• Why is it easier to uphold details of some human traditions than to live the spirit of God’s law: tol love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and mind and our neighbor as ourself (see Matt. 22:37-40)?

•  In class, discuss your answer to Sunday’s final question. What role should tradition play in our church? Where do you see blessings and challenges in religious traditions?

•  How can we make sure that tradition, no matter how good it may be, does not supersede the Written Word of God as our final norm and authority?"

"•  Suppose someone claims to have had a dream in which the Lord spoke to him or her, telling him or her that Sunday is the true day of rest and worship for New Testament times. How would you respond to that person, and what does a story like this teach us about how experience must always be tested by the Word of God?

•  In class, talk about the culture in which your church finds itself immersed. How does that culture impact your faith? What examples can we find from history in which culture greatly impacted the actions of church members in a way that, looking back now, we see as negative? What lessons can we take from this for ourselves today so that we don’t make similar mistakes?

Inside Story

Surprise Package in Finland

By Andrew Mcchesney, Adventist Mission 

Six-year-old Timo Flink looked with awe at a picture of Jesus’ second coming in Arthur Maxwell’s The Bible Story. Unable to read, he stared at Jesus sitting on a cloud of angels. I want to be up with the angels, Flink thought.

As a young adult, he wanted to serve God but became distracted with computers. As he studied to become a software engineer, he joined a group of young adults who discussed the Bible every Friday evening with a pastor.

Soon the group became embroiled in a debate about infant baptism. Flink’s church practiced infant baptism, but several young people in the group belonged to another Sunday church that baptized by immersion. Flink was surprised that his pastor defended infant baptism but couldn’t support the practice biblically.

At that time, Flink joined a Revelation study group. He sensed that the book was important, but he couldn’t understand it. He prayed for understanding. At the height of his confusion, he visited his parents during spring break. Sitting down to eat, he was surprised to see a book. His father didn’t read much, and he wondered why he had the book. “What’s this?” he asked.

“The postman delivered it yesterday,” his father said. “It’s from a distant relative.”

Flink took a closer look at the book. Its title was The Great Controversy, and in smaller text he read the words “Ancient prophecies are coming true.” At that moment, he remembered the picture of Jesus’ second coming from his childhood. Three days later, he had finished the book. It answered all his questions about Revelation and infant baptism. This is what I have been looking for, he thought.

Flink read the book again that summer and a third time in the fall. Then he saw a newspaper advertisement for a Daniel seminar at the Adventist church. He had read about Adventists in The Great Controversy, and he went. He was baptized. An article about his baptism subsequently appeared in a church magazine, which publishes announcements about all baptisms. Across Finland, the distant relative who had mailed the book rejoiced at the news.

Flink, pictured, gave up computers to become a pastor and now is 45 and communication director for the Adventist Church in Finland. He doesn’t know how The Bible Story ended up in his grandmother’s house. She found the Finnish-language edition, and he looked at it when he visited her. The Great Controversy also holds a special place in his heart. Every Friday evening, he reads from the book for family worship. “My wife thought we needed to teach our children the more serious side of what we are facing now,” he said. “So we decided to do The Great Controversy.” Finland is part of the Trans-European Division, which will receive the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering this quarter.