Sabbath School

Adult Sabbath School Bible study guide.

Some scholars estimate that there are more than forty-five thousand Christian denominations in the world today. How could a faith that started with Jesus Christ have mushroomed into so many different systems of belief? The answer lies in the many different interpretations of Scripture developed over time. Obviously, they can’t all be correct because, after all, in so many cases, what one church teaches contradicts what others do.

From the start (see Gen. 2:16, 17; Gen. 3:1–5), confusion was one of Satan’s greatest ways of leading human beings away from God’s truth. As he did with Adam and Eve, Satan mixes just enough truth with error in order to pull men and women under his control. Satan has misled God’s people down through time (2 Chron. 36:14–16). He even attempted to mislead Jesus (Matt. 4:1–11), but Jesus met Satan’s entreaties with a clear “ ‘It is written’ ” (Matt. 4:4, NKJV).

Read 2 Timothy 4:1–5. What important advice does Paul give Timothy concerning God’s Word? Why was he so adamant that Timothy be spiritually prepared for what was to come?

With a prophetic eye, Paul foresaw a time that men and women would neither love God’s Word nor obey it. Instead, they would go in search of spiritual teachers to tickle their fancies with cunningly devised fables. To such, God sends strong delusions so that they should believe the very lies for which they search. “And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thess. 2:11, 12, NKJV).

But to those who were open, Jesus promised that they would “know the truth” (John 8:32). The prophetic gift is God’s means of separating truth from error, light from darkness.

In one sense, we can know the truth easily enough amid all these different denominations. If you are not going to give up the biblical seventh-day Sabbath, you have pretty much wiped out 99.5 percent of your options, as the vast majority of churches do not keep the fourth commandment.

If you are not going to believe that the dead either go immediately into heaven to be with Jesus or are burning now in hell and will for eternity, as well—then what?

You have eliminated most, if not all, of the .5 percent left.

To where else but the Seventh-day Adventist Church can you go?

Supplemental EGW Notes

The apostle was well qualified to speak of the purposes of God concerning the human race; for during the earthly ministry of Christ he had seen and heard much that pertained to the kingdom of God. “We have not followed cunningly devised fables,” he reminded the believers, “when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For He received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.” Yet convincing as was this evidence of the certainty of the believers’ hope, there was another still more convincing in the witness of prophecy, through which the faith of all must be confirmed and securely anchored. “We have also,” Peter declared, “a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” While exalting the “sure word of prophecy” as a safe guide in times of peril, the apostle solemnly warned the church against the torch of false prophecy, which would be uplifted by “false teachers,” who would privily bring in “damnable heresies, even denying the Lord” (2 Peter 2:1). These false teachers, arising in the church and accounted true by many of their brethren in the faith, the apostle compared to “wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.” “The latter end is worse with them,” he declared, “than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.” . . . Not all, however, would be ensnared by the enemy’s devices. As the end of all things earthly should approach, there would be faithful ones able to discern the signs of the times. While a large number of professing believers would deny their faith by their works, there would be a remnant who would endure to the end. . . . “Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.”—Reflecting Christ, p. 221.

The above quotations are taken from Ellen G. White Notes for the Sabbath School Lessons, published by Pacific Press Publishing Association. Used by permission.