Online Sunday School

Life Truths – Family Bible Study ^Ó

Formally

Adult Life and Work Lesson^Ó

Comments

Totally Free To All

I am affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC)

These comments are presented as an independent study of the lesson to help teachers and students as in the realm of a Sunday morning lesson taught by teachers worldwide. It is meant to supplement and comment on the Hobbs Commentary and the Advanced Bible Study material of the LifeWay Christian Resources. This information is for educational purposes only.

By Marvin Ganote: Adult Bible and Sunday School Teacher / Discipleship Training Instructor

NOTICE: In August 1, 2000 the Life and Work Lessons was replaced with the Family Bible Study lessons.

Based upon the work of Dr. Herschel H. Hobbs, 1907-1995, and selected others as I am led to do so by the Holy Spirit. They provide an additional study look into the Life and Work and Life Truths studies for adults based upon Bible study and teaching under the direction of the Holy Spirit since 1960 in SBC churches. I am currently teaching an adult couples Sunday School class. This study or other comments from this web page does not necessarily reflect the views of the SBC, the Baptist Sunday School Board of the SBC, the church’s Sunday School, its staff or its pastor since we believe in the Priesthood of each Believer. I offer a combination book review of this commentary, the Advanced Bible Study commentary, and personal assessments to create a sample teacher's lesson from it. It is the same lesson material I use myself. I hold firmly to The Baptist Faith and Message as a faithful statement of what the Bible says. I agree with our seminaries. I reject Calvinism [See God’s Plan of Salvation below] except for eternal security. See what Dr. Hobbs said about Calvinism. I hold that God’s part of the Plan of Salvation is Grace and the convicting work of the Holy Spirit and the sinner’s part is Faith as defined in (Acts 20:21 RSV) "testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance to God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ."

Note: Occasionally circumstances cause me to forget to actually post the next lesson.

If this happens, please e-mail me and I’ll do it right away.

Lesson Material

BACKUP (This lesson is posted on two servers so that failure of one should not deny access to anyone who wishes to read it.)

NOTE: There is a source for many of Dr. Hobbs’ books. Check out Albris, Used and New books.

Special Studies

(To save space on this page, I will put these studies on separate web pages while putting the subjects here)

40 Days of Purpose

REVELATION SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT

REVELATION INFORMATION SOURCES

Comments and Thoughts

THE NEW WAR

Not Revenge But Justice in Times of War

Terrorists and Doctrine

Thoughts from an Afghani-American

Air Force Chaplain Defines Islam

Air Force Chaplain Explains True Jihad and Islam

To Our Military Families

Baptist Faith and Message

Please read: Stating Baptist Doctrine: When Is It Meddling?

The SBC has now turned the Baptist Faith and Message into a CREED! Woe to us!

Dr. H. H. Hobbs said that the Baptist Faith and Message (BF&M) comprises “basic elements of faith generally agreed upon by Southern Baptists.” Further the 1962 Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in San Francisco, adopted a motion to revise the 1925 BF&M and declared in item (5) of the statements in the BF&M “(5) That they are statements of religious convictions, drawn from the Scriptures, and are not to be used to hamper freedom of thought or investigation in other realms of life.”

In the Dallas Morning News of Saturday February 2, 2002 was an article that “Southern Baptist missionaries were asked this week to affirm the specifics of their beliefs with a signature.” These beliefs are defined by the 2000 BF&M. The Dayton Daily New, April 18, 2003 ran the Associated Press stating “The Southern Baptist Convention has told its overseas missionaries they have until May 5 to affirm the denomination’s revised statement of faith…Rankin sent letters to 25 missionaries asking them to affirm the statement, resign from their posts, or face possible dismissal.”

Dr. Hobbs wrote a book in 1971 entitled “THE BAPTIST FAITH AND MESSAGE” to help Southern Baptists understand more fully the BF&M. He stated then that Baptists have always solved the problem faith differences “by adhering to the principle of the competency of the soul in religion.” He wrote on page 11 about the state of the faith of Southern Baptists that it is “a living faith rather than a creedal one. The tensions created by these differences have kept their faith vibrant. In all likelihood the only thing that would divide Southern Baptists with regard to their faith would be for one group – to the right or left of center or even in the center – to attempt to force upon others a creedal faith. So long as they hold to the competency of the soul in religion they will remain as one body in faith. The very differences which disturb some will serve as counterbalances between extremes with the vast majority remaining in between as always.”

The SBC leadership has now done what Dr. Hobbs feared. They have turned the BF&M into a CREED to define whether a person, a missionary, and a group are proper Southern Baptists. Unless they immediately stop, and return to the long held Baptist belief of the competency of the soul in religion, the SBC will continue to go against John 17:21-23 and hinder the witness that is the core of the SBC. I am thoroughly Baptist, but the BF&M to me is not a creed and the 2000 version has some wrong doctrine. I cannot affirm it as a correct statement of my faith. I can do so with the 1963 statement.

Dr. Hobbs, in his book, page 13 wrote “Baptists have always shied away from anything that resembled a creed or a statement of beliefs to which people were forced to subscribe.” Then on page 16 he wrote: “No, the 1963 statement of the Baptist faith and message is not a creedal statement.” Unfortunately this is not the case today with the SBC leadership. [Dr. Hobbs was booed at the 1980 SBC Convention because he tried to call for a renewed commitment to evangelism and commitment (see First Baptist Church of Oklahoma City (FBC of OKC) Position Report).] The SBC today is doing this to our fine missionaries, WHERE WILL THEY STOP? Who will they go after next? It is overtime to get back to being Baptists who hold no creeds nor force a statement of subscription. The future of the SBC is in balance at this moment. It is extremely serious. The purging has begun: MASSACHUSETTS--IMB trustees terminate service of 13 for refusal to affirm BF&M.

Read the Position Report Dr. Hobbs’ former church (First Baptist Church of Oklahoma City) had to take to uphold the Historical Tenets of the Baptist Faith. Note that they used the work of Dr. Hobbs as a major resource. This is never easy or popular, but true doctrine must be upheld. I agree with their report, as a past member of the FBC of OKC and Bible teacher.

An Excellent Short Discussion of the Issue

A COUNTER WORD

The expected justification of this is revision of the BF&M is underway. As is the expected statements like “While dismissing the Baptist Faith and Message as a creed, critics likewise demean it for supposedly attempting to change Southern Baptist beliefs. In reality, the 2000 BF&M has not changed any beliefs at all. Recent revisions have simply spoken to contemporary issues by confessing what the Bible has always taught -- and Southern Baptists have always believed and practiced -- about the role of pastoral leadership and the spiritual order of the home and to affirm that the entire Bible is the inspired, infallible Word of God, not just that spoken by and with reference to Jesus, all of which have been under attack by postmodern thinking.” This is by Jerry Rankin, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board, at http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=16623.

The Word of God is infallible, but the ability of people to always read and understand it correctly is not. The holding of certain positions within the SBC does not give the holder any automatic stamp on what is pronounced as “thus says the Lord” any more than it does for the Pope. Nor does the majority automatically have it either. Again note Dr. Hobbs’ words above. The 2000 BF&M has been changed to enhance male authority and not to clarify what the Bible states. E.Y. Mullins did make it clear in 1925 that the original Baptist Faith and Message stated this was definitive confession of faith that was to be an instrument of doctrinal accountability for preachers, professors and those representing the denomination. But a confession of faith is not a creed. It is statements of religious convictions. It is valid only when it is Biblically correct. I hold to the 1925 BF&M with no reservation, as I do the 1963 revision. Dr. Rankin seems to ignore Dr. Hobbs’ statements as the chairman 1963 committee. Certainly there has to be definite statements of correct belief that positions sent out under the name of the SBC must hold. But any such statement must be Biblically correct for this testing to be valid.

The Baptist General Convention of Texas is the first state to get it right about the 1998 amendment about wives and husbands.

Bible Study by Books

Upon request I have started comments on whole books of the Bible. They will be done in random order as time permits.

List of Available Books

Listen to the Bible Read - Excellent (Click Listen to the Bible in the bottom box)

Here is a list of resources that give the correct view on Revelation, whether by Dr. Hobbs or others.

IMPORTANT ISSUES/TOPICS

MARRIAGE DEFINITION: Amen to the Vatican. Quotes: “the certainty that marriage exists solely between a man and a woman”; “Marriage is holy, while homosexual acts go against the natural moral law…. Under no circumstances can they be approved… Sacred Scripture condemns homosexual acts “as a serious depravity...”; “Nonetheless, according to the teaching of the Church, men and women with homosexual tendencies “must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided”.(7) They are called, like other Christians, to live the virtue of chastity.(8) The homosexual inclination is however “objectively disordered”(9) and homosexual practices are “sins gravely contrary to chastity”.(10)”

Justification by Faith - Lutheran World Federation and Roman Catholic Church Joint Position

MATERIAL on REVELATION

Here is a list of books that give this view, whether by Dr. Hobbs or others.

So get ready and stay ready! WITNESS DAILY! Show you want Jesus to come today.

HELPS:

Frequently Asked Questions from feedback to these lessons. I add to them as necessary. I hope they will help to further a dialog, which is part of a Sunday School experience. That way all of us can learn from each other.

Hebrew and Greek Notes

Best Study Guide: How to Study the Bible Principles with Bible Study Sources by Orin T. Binkley

Best Translation of the New Testament: THE NEW TESTAMENT in the Language of the People, Translated from the Greek by CHARLES B. WILLIAMS

The Scriptures and Understanding Them

Very Useful Bible Search and Matthew Henry’s Commentaries on the New Testament

God’s Plan of Salvation

My Position on Calvinism Growth in the SBC and the Baptist Faith and Message

See what Dr. Hobbs said about Calvinism

Minimum Requirements and the Plan of Salvation

SBC LifeWay Site lists Bible study resources. Now it includes the weekly help called EXTRA! It will help you customize Sunday morning Bible study to be timely and relevant to meet the needs of your adults.

The Baptist Faith and Message text on SBC site. I hold firmly to it as faithful statement of what the Bible says.

LifeWay Sermons (19) on the Baptist Faith and Message. I agree with these sermons. I reject Calvinism, except for eternal security. Note this extract from sermon 7: “Like most doctrinal error, this distorted version of the biblical doctrine of election is a result of magnifying certain Scriptures and ignoring others… It also obscures the truth that nowhere in all of Scripture is it said that God elects some to damnation. They already are damned [see John 3:18 my addition]

Most importantly, this erroneous doctrine ignores the fundamental truth that God endowed human beings with freedom of choice.”

Other Lesson Views

The LifeWay Christian Resources of the SBC has licensed the use of their LifeWay's NEW Family Bible Series curriculum outline to the author of Lesson Questions for Study. However, the lessons are not the Sunday series. They are topical.

Another view of the lesson material: Sunday School Help

Other Helps

Fine Low Cost Computer Bible Software: Power Bible CD

Interesting source on several avenues of life: Internet for Families

A family-safe site that also provides a variety of helps: QuestGems

Privacy:

Information

I don't collect or store information about anyone. If in the future this policy changes, readers will be notified on the home page and given the opportunity to Opt-out.

Cookies

A cookies is a piece of data stored on your hard drive. It contains information about you. I don't use cookies in any way to identify individuals who visit the site or for any other purpose. If you choose to set your browser to block cookies, you can still visit every area of this site.

Links

This site contains links to other web sites. Though I try to evaluate the information and practices of those sites, I cannot control what they do, or the information they post. I suggest you read the privacy policy of any site you visit, especially before giving any personal information. This statement applies only to this web site.

Copyright Notes:

The Lifeway's NEW Family Bible Series material is published and copyrighted by The LifeWay Christian Resources of the SBC.

The Herschel Hobbs Commentary is published and copyrighted by The LifeWay Christian Resources of the SBC.

The Advanced Bible Study material is published and copyrighted by The LifeWay Christian Resources of the SBC. This material usually does provide advanced Bible insight and significant points for study. It is highly recommended as an additional study aid.

Please use this e-mail address for comments directly from me:

Last Update April 15, 2008

Use Browser Back Button to Return

Life Truths – Family Bible Study Ó