Key Learnings from Wednesdays
June 2025
Wednesday Bible Study
In Peter's Letters (Epistles) the Apostle encourages us to endure in faith. To live a life of faith secure in our identity as God's a chosen people. There are also warns against false teachers, and encouragement to own your God given faith through knowledge and grow faith into maturity to love your neighbor. Meets in the Cafe.
⁃ Characteristics of Sheep
• Dumb and yet must have enough decrement to identify false shepherds?
• Social, flocking, need for fellowship
• Followers
• Recognition - are able to recognize the shepherd
• Fallen sheep need help to get backup (that’s a new one)
⁃ Shepherds lead sheep (congregation) to God
• Feed the sheep (congregation)
• Protects the sheep (congregation)
• Gathers the sheep (congregation)
⁃ False Shepherds lead us away from God
• Deception can be subtle (even the devil can quote scripture)
• Charismatic can be problematic
• Prosperity Gospel Preachers
⁃ Peter’s Doxology (1Peter 4:11; 1Peter 5:11) no apparent connection to the Lord’s Prayer Doxology which some sources contribute to 1Chronicles 29:11
• The 1st century Didache has a short version of the doxology
• The 4th century Apostolic Constitutions has a longer version of the doxology.
• The 6th century Textus Receptus manuscript includes the doxology.
• The 7th century Book of Common prayer included the doxology
• Henry VIII (1491-1547) contributions to the Lord’s Prayer dealt with other variations and not the doxology
⁃ Christians will be misunderstood
⁃ Faith must influence our actions, and not for superficial results (Hosea 6:6)
⁃ Expectations of a life of faith;
• Do not be surprise when tested
• Rejoice in Christ
• Do not be ashamed
• Glorify God
• Remain faithful
• Do good.
⁃ Good and Gracious Will of God
• Name Kept Holy
• Word Taught Correctly
• Sinners brought to faith
• Lead godly lives
⁃ Men and women are codependent
• Men are to reflect the image of God to their wives
• Women are to reflect the image of God to their husbands
• Marriage not seen as hierarchy or Master/Slave analogy would have been used
⁃ Wives and Husbands are brought up in connection with suffering - LOL
⁃ Do good no matter what; Do not repay evil for evil
• Only God defines good. Only God can define good
⁃ “Descended into Hell” a 5th century addition to the Apostle’s creed based on 1Peter 3:18 and Colossians 2:15 (Both used in an expose about Baptism)
• No explanation as to why the church chose to included it in the creed.
• Purpose of Christ’s desertion was to proclaim to the spirits in prison
• Part of Christ’s exaltation not His humiliation which was finished on the Cross
⁃ Our suffering is not comparable to Christ’s suffering. Christ suffering brought us salvation. Let our suffering point others to Christ
⁃ Christ, the cornerstone rejected by man used by God for us and our salvation
⁃ Honor Authority (An argument can be made that the American Revolution did not uphold this principle)
⁃ Authorship is contributed to Peter
• Message very similar to Paul
• Peter’s scribe and assistant is likely Silvanus who also traveled with Paul (2Corinthians 1:19, 1Thessalonians 1:1; 2Thessalonians 1:1)
⁃ Christ refining you for a greater purpose