Christian Education
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Winter 2026: Enduring Beliefs of the Church
Unit 3: The Church and It’s Teachings
The Church and Its Teachings
The final unit focuses on the church as the one body of Christ, spiritually gifted for ministry and mission (see Ephesians 1:22–23; 4:4–6; see also lesson 9). Each member is essential to the function of the body (Romans 12:4–8; 1 Corinthians 12:12). Together, all parts work to build each other up for the edification and growth of the body that is the church.
Christ gave the church two ordinances vital for its mission and witness. Baptism serves as the ritual entry to the life of faith and a way to follow the example of our Savior, who himself was baptized (Matthew 3:13–17; see lesson 10). The Lord’s Supper invites us to a time of self-examination as we remember Christ’s sacrifice and anticipate his bodily return (1 Corinthians 11:23–29; see lesson 10). Through these ordinances, the church receives spiritual nourishment and empowerment for its mission: calling people to repentance and proclaiming the reign of Christ “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8; see lesson 12).
The church’s mission flourishes when we obey God and proclaim the gospel and its transforming power. One way we can contribute to this mission is through our generosity and hospitality, reminiscent of the practices of the burgeoning first-century church (see 2 Corinthians 8:3–9; see also lesson 12). When the church remembers and obediently follows its mission, we learn to love God and our neighbors, thus fulfilling the two greatest commands (Mark 12:28–34; see lesson 13).
Lesson 9 The Christian Church. Mark 4:26–32; Ephesians 4:4–6, 11–18
Jesus is known for his use of parables when teaching. While Jesus’ parables are unique, this teaching method was well-known in the ancient world. For Jesus, a parable is usually an illustration that compares something well-known in the experience of the hearers to less understood spiritual truths. His illustrations were drawn from the everyday lives of his audience. Many parables teach about the “kingdom of God” (in Matthew, “kingdom of heaven”). We see their comparative nature in their introduction, “The kingdom of heaven is like . . .” (example: Matthew 13:24). Some parables are narratives, telling a little story (example: Luke 15:4–7). Others are observational, giving spiritual application to an easily pictured scenario (example: 6:39). The kingdom parables often have applications regarding Jesus’ intentions for the church. This lesson looks at two such parables in Mark.
Lesson 10 Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Matthew 3:13–17; 28:19–20; 1 Corinthians 11:23–29
From its beginning, the church has observed two practices that mark its identity: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Both practices have antecedents in the first-century Jewish world. Christian baptism has its roots in ritual cleansing practiced by Jews, a tradition that predates the first-century church. The Law of Moses prescribes cleansing with water for religious and physical purification (examples: Leviticus 14:8–9; 15:5–13; 17:15). But the Old Testament prophets promised a new baptism, a cleansing from impurity and sin (Ezekiel 36:25; Zechariah 13:1). In the Second Temple period, washings for purification were a part of Jewish life (compare Mark 7:1–4; John 2:6; etc.). During this time, it is thought that converts to Judaism underwent a “proselyte baptism” for joining the Jewish community. Mark 14:12–26; Luke 22:7–23; John 13:1–30). Although the apostle Paul was not present at that dinner, he shares an account of the same meal (1 Corinthians 11:23–26). Ritual washing was necessary because Gentiles were considered unclean; rules prevented them from entering the inner courts of the temple or participating with Jews in local worship. The second practice in today’s lesson is the Lord’s Supper, also called Communion. The Gospels record the events of a “Last Supper”— the meal Jesus shared with his disciples the night before his crucifixion (Matthew 26:17–30;
Lesson 11 The Lord’s Day. Exodus 20:8–11; Romans 14:4–6; Revelation 1:10
The giving of the Sinai covenant comes at a key point in the history of Israel. The Ten Commandments or Decalogue (which means “ten words”) convey wisdom from God. By following these commands, the Israelites were invited to live at peace with one another and with the God who had just freed them from servitude in Egypt (Exodus 19:4–6). The fourth of these commandments, Sabbath, describes a practice of refraining from work on the final day of each week. It is without any precise equivalent in other ancient Near Eastern cultures. The distinctiveness of Sabbath practice became especially apparent when inhabitants of Judah went into exile and later returned to the land after it had been repopulated with other groups (sixth century BC). Alongside infant circumcision (Leviticus 12:3) and restrictive food laws (Leviticus 11; Deuteronomy 14), Sabbath became a mark of Jewish identity in the Persian, Greek, and Roman periods and the centuries before the birth of Jesus. But as Christianity, which began as a Jewish movement, grew to include many Gentiles, a question that the earliest of churches had to answer was, When shall we meet? Christian “voluntary associations,” which is how churches were seen by Romans, chose to meet before dawn on the first day of the week (Sunday rather than Saturday). Outsiders noticed the habit of Christians to gather on Sunday mornings. For instance, Pliny the Younger—a second-century Roman authority trying to root out the Christians in his region—reports to the emperor Trajan that Christians gather before dawn on a particular day, when they sing hymns to Christ.
Lesson 12 Stewardship and Mission. Acts 1:6–8; 2 Corinthians 8:3–9
The two texts for today’s lesson are dated almost three decades apart. Jesus was crucified during the Passover observance of AD 30, rose from the dead, and appeared physically to his followers for some 40 days thereafter (Acts 1:3) before his ascension. A few years later, Saul (also named “Paul”; see 13:9) met the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus (9:1–19). That interaction led to Paul’s mission trips across the Roman Empire as an apostle of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13; Galatians 2:8; 1 Timothy 2:7).
Paul was a native of the commercial hub of Tarsus of Cilicia. That city was the capital of a Roman province; therefore, Paul was a Roman citizen by birth (Acts 22:22–29). At some point in his younger days, he decided to move to Jerusalem to study under Gamaliel (22:3). After Paul’s experience on the road to Damascus, he founded churches in various Roman cities. As people responded to his gospel message, Paul found himself continually needing to bridge the cultural gap between Christ-followers of Gentile background and those of Jewish descent. We might say, then, that as the first chapter of the book of Acts features the apostles being given their mission and preparing for it, the chapters that follow reveal how that mission was carried out. There were issues regarding aspects of the Law of Moses concerning doctrine and practice as Jews and Gentiles came together. This struggle is most evident in the famous Jerusalem Council in about AD 51 (Acts 15).
The consensus reached at that council served to welcome believers of Gentile background into the church on the basis of the grace of Jesus Christ, not on adherence to the Law of Moses (Acts 15:5–11). This acknowledgment of God’s plan was vitally important for establishing the inclusive nature of the church. The importance of that acknowledgment became apparent as certain events unfolded over the following years. One such event is the subject of today’s lesson.
BIBLE STUDY
Adult Bible Study | Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom. To join virtual Bible Study please visit Zoom.us and enter Meeting ID: 802 973 031 To join by phone, dial 312-626-6799 and enter Meeting ID: 802-973-031
We all long for a full, rich, satisfying life. But how do we fill up the empty places in our souls? How can we quench our thirst for something deeper, more lasting, more meaningful?
This 13-week study on the second half of John urges you to take a fresh look at Jesus. Here is the opportunity to establish (or renew) your faith in the One who offers true meaning, true belonging, and true life.
This bible study is January 7th – April 1, 2026.
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