By Sam E. Stone Someone has said the book known as “The Acts of the Apostles” could more accurately be titled, “Some of the Acts of Some of the Apostles.” Philip was not an apostle, yet he was a key figure in the early days of the church. He first appears in Acts […]
Simon wants to buy power–The Uniform Lesson for October 21, 2012
By Sam E. Stone The church of Jesus Christ began in Jerusalem (Acts 2), but it did not stay there. Just as Jesus had directed, the early believers moved out of the city, bearing witness to their faith “in all Judea and Samaria” as well (Acts 1:8). Today’s text focuses on the ministry of […]
Stephen is faithful to death–The Uniform Lesson for October 14, 2012
By Sam E. Stone In last week’s lesson Luke introduced Stephen (Acts 6:8-15; 7:1, 2a, 22, 44a, 45b-49). Today’s text follows that passage immediately. After summarizing key parts of the Jews’ history, Stephen confronted his accusers with what they had done to the Messiah. Rather than defending himself against their accusations, he warned […]
Faith instills love–The Uniform Lesson for September 30
By Sam E. Stone The book of Hebrews teaches us a number of things about true faith. In this unit’s final lesson, a familiar text—1 Corinthians 13—is added to show how the believer’s faith is expressed in love. Consistency of Love Hebrews 13:1-3, 6 Although brotherly love was not a common virtue in […]
Faith inspires gratitude–The Uniform Lesson for September 23, 2012
By Sam E. Stone The supremacy of the new covenant over the old is the theme of today’s text. Thomas Hewitt explained, “The author’s aim in this is to show that higher privileges carry with them greater responsibilities.” He makes his point by contrasting two mountains, Mount Sinai (also called Mount Horeb) and […]
