29th Floor Sunday School

Discussion of the general epistles of John and Jude. I begin with a follow-up on last week’s discussion on the importance of establishing a Gospel framework that is workable for each of us individually and isn’t overburden with indefensible positions, while at the same time remembering that we walk by faith in this life and thus won’t have answers to all of our questions now. Discussion on the importance of light, which is a source of truth, life, and God’s power, and as we are brought into the Light of Christ, our own darkness will become illuminated and we greater recognize our own need to repent and the radiance of Christ. John also reminds us of the importance of the physical elements, as Christ came to resurrect His body, and total salvation requires saving both our spirits and our bodies. Also a brief discussion of the important of love in counteracting fear, and a thought from the Epistle of Jude, who was likely the half-brother of the Savior.

Discussion of the first and second general epistles of Peter. Sorry, but this lesson is a bit long as there is a lot of great material to cover! Peter teaches that we are not redeemed by the things of the world, but by the precious blood of Christ. We are to be the “lively stones” used to build the temple of God in which we offer our sacrifices, and a royal priesthood through which we help others approach God. We are to always be ready to defend the faith, and I discuss how before we can defend the faith we should consider our own assumptions through which we frame our understandings of the Gospel. 2 Peter also discusses the beautiful process through which we progress from faith to charity.

Discussion of the General Epistle of James, who was the half-brother of the Savior. He admonishes the reader to rejoice when temptations and trials come because those lead to the chance to develop patience, or the type of testimony that is able to endure. We are also famously taught to ask God and pray in faith as we seek for wisdom, and James is more explicit that our prayers, learning and faith must be accompanied actions in order to lead to salvation. We also discuss the meaning of “true” religion and the importance of religion within a society, as well as the true purpose of prayer, which in addition to being our source of true wisdom, is also a type of atonement, and review James’s warning not to judge one another.

A second discussion on the epistle to the Hebrews. The main thesis of Hebrews is that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is superior to the Law of Moses and all other religions. Jesus Christ came to lead people back to the presence of the Father, while the Law of Moses was never intended to do this for the Jews. Priesthood power and the holy temple under the Law of Moses and the Gospel of Jesus Christ are contrasted in order to demonstrate the superiority of Christ. The importance of faith is also discussed in that it is critical for developing a relationship with Christ and the Father. In short, as we exercise faith in Jesus Christ, his more excellent way will lead us back to the presence of God where we can with Him enjoy eternal life.

Discussion of a letter to the early Jewish converts to Christianity that is typically attributed to Paul. The letter was written to convince readers that Jesus Christ is the Jehovah of the Old Testament and His Gospel is superior to the Law of Moses. Christ descended below all things so that He could save us from death and succor us in our temptations. He can reach down to our level and perfectly relate to our weaknesses and challenges, and through the things he suffered he became perfect and the author of our salvation.

Discussion of Paul’s epistles to Timothy and Titus (known as the Pastoral Epistles) and to Philemon. 1st Timothy contains profound consul on how we can become more like our Heavenly Parents and Savior by increasing in charity, giving thanks for all of our blessings, studying and meditating upon eternal truths, faithfully serving others through church callings, and bridling our desire for wealth and other earthly idols. 2nd Timothy gives warning for problems that will come in the latter-days while Titus teaches about the necessity of the grace of Jesus Christ. Philemon can be read as a beautiful analogy about the grace of Jesus Christ, who stands as a mediator between us and God, making it possible through His righteousness for all of us to be saved by faith in Him.

Discussion of Paul’s epistles to the Thessalonians. These epistles are some of the more personal that we have from Paul and he clearly cared deeply about these saints. While he was with them he labored for himself and went out of his way to express his love for them, and after he left them he never stopped worrying about them. This lesson includes a deep discussion about them meaning of the “living and true” God (1 Thes. 1:9) and what that might mean for our claims of being members of the only “true and living” church (D&C1:330). Paul also talks about the importance of acting on and being perfected by charity and emphasizes the importance of being clean and keeping the law of chastity, warning that if we do not we are guilty of exploiting others and God. Paul also warns about Satan, the “man of lawlessness,” and the spiritual importance of laboring to do good.

Discussion of Paul’s epistles to the Philippians and the Colossians. These two letters contain powerful teachings about Jesus Christ, the Atonement, and our relationship with Him. As members of the body of Christ, we have the privilege of carrying out His will on earth, and we do so as we come unto Christ through ordinances. We must desire to give our hearts to God by giving away all of our sins and allowing the Spirit to circumcise our hearts. As we do so, we will act with charity, which is “the bond of perfectness” and seals up our good works for our benefit, making us worthy vessels in carrying out God’s ultimate work, which is to save His children.

Discussion of Paul’s epistle to the saints in Ephesus. This letter contains powerful teachings about atonement and the purpose of the church. Through the grace made available by Jesus Christ, God gathers together all of His children, whether they be Jew or Gentile, into His church, which through their combined efforts and faith creates a temple that houses the Holy Ghost and serves as a safe haven for the Saints. The church is also an vehicle through which salvation is carried out, not only by providing authority to administer essential ordinances, but also by providing members the opportunity to carry out the principles that are taught through serving and loving others. For more on this, see Eugene England’s excellent talk titled “Why the Church is as True as the Gospel,” available here https://www.eugeneengland.org/why-the-church-is-as-true-as-the-gospel. Paul also teaches about how we should organize our homes to facilitate personal growth as we prepare to put on the full armor of God to participate in the battle that we all find ourselves in.

Discussion of Paul’s epistle to the saints in Galatia. Paul comes down hard on those that embrace false doctrine, especially the teaching that Gentiles must first accept Judaism before accepting Christ. He teaches that freedom comes from accepting the Gospel, because unlike the Law of Moses which restricts us from doing bad things, the Gospel of frees us to do the right thing for the right reasons. We may each take different paths, or spiritual journeys before we arrive at Christ, but once we do we put away those things of the past and become one with and in Christ. Paul talks of the law of adoption, which is a similitude for the way in which we are justified through the grace of God made available through Jesus Christ in that we become joint heirs with Christ despite our unworthiness. As we embrace Christ and let Him lead our lives, the Spirit changes us and we no longer desire the things of the flesh, but we become more like Christ and the Father.

Discussion of the final chapters of Paul’s final epistle to the saints in Corinth. In chapters 8 and 9 Paul asks the Corinthian saints to be generous in helping saints in Jerusalem who are impoverished, and from these teachings we learn about the atonement, and our relationships with Christ and others. Paul’s notion of equality is not that all are or have the same, but rather all contribute their talents to the body of Christ so that all can benefit. We must give of what we have cheerfully if we expect our actions to help us grow spiritually, and in this sense cheerfulness is the same as charity. Paul also defends his teachings as a true apostle, or missionary, of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and teaches the importance of enduring trials so that we remain humble and come unto Christ, who will then, through His grace, help us to change our hearts to become like Him.

Discussion of the first seven chapters of Paul’s second surviving epistle to the saints in Corinth (there were others that we no longer have). The two main themes of these chapters are Paul’s attempt to convince the saints that he is a legitimate messenger of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how to endure trials to draw closer to God and help others to do the same. Paul continues to preach against the Judaizers, those that would have Christian converts convert first to Judaism before accepting Christ, and tries to persuade the Corinthian saints that the Law of Moses and the Old Testament places a veil between us and God, whereas Christ came to remove that veil and reconcile us to God. He encourages the saints to have faith in “things which are not seen,” or things that are eternal, knowing that if we endure the temporary challenges of mortality God will cover our sins through Christ and turn our afflictions to our glory.

Final discussion of Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthian saints. Paul encourages the saints to prophecy, which is to share their testimonies of Jesus Christ using words that everyone can understand, so that all that hear them within the church will be edified. He reiterates the truthfulness and importance of the resurrection, teaching that if we don’t believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are missing the point of Jesus Christ. Christ is the only means of overcoming death, and unless we believe that He can defeat death we have no way to be truly happy in this life or in the next.

Second discussion of Paul’s first epistle to the saints in Corinth. In response to the problems that were plaguing the branch, Paul instructs the members to have greater charity for each other. Every member is important because each has spiritual gifts to contribute to the body of Christ, and so as members we should be careful that our actions are not offensive to other members, even if we don’t think we are doing anything wrong. Paul also teaches about the importance of charity and that we should give the pursuit of charity priority in our lives, even above the pursuit of knowledge, because in the end all other things will come to naught, but charity never fails and will endure forever.

Discussion of the beginning of Paul’s first epistle to the saints in Corinth (it was actually his second!). The Corinthian saints were struggling with a number of issues, foremost were dissensions caused by the members trying make place for differing philosophies that were not focused on, and in some cases were inconsistent with, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The philosophies he specifically calls out are those that try to justify sexual impurity. Paul compares the church to a building, a temple to be precise, and counsels the saints to keep the teachings of that temple pure so that the Holy Ghost will dwell within the church. These powerful teachings are applicable to the Church of Jesus Christ today, as well as us individually.

Discussion of the final part of Paul’s epistle to the saints in Rome. Continuing where we left off in the last lesson, Paul continues to expound upon the need for grace in order for everyone to be saved, both Jew and Gentile. Once we accept Jesus Christ, our relationship with the law and commandments change and we no longer need live in fear that violating the law will disqualify us from the love of God, but rather we live in “the glorious liberty of the children of God” (8:21) and strive to keep the commandments because we love God. Once we are spiritually begotten of God, we are no longer servants to the consequences of our sins, but become heirs to all of the blessings of God. Paul also gives further counsel to the House of Israel before imparting final wisdom to the members of the church concerning their interactions among themselves.

Discussion of the beginning of Paul’s epistle to the saints in Rome. Paul’s letter is intended to help his listeners understand that everyone, both Jew and Gentile, is in need of salvation, and that salvation comes only by the grace of God as manifest through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We discuss the relationship between works, faith and grace in the context of Paul’s writing, concluding that faith does not mean a mere expression of belief, but faithfulness to Christ and the maintenance of one’s relationship with Christ. For an interesting analysis of the interplay between the law, faith, grace and works, see https://www.patheos.com/blogs/benjaminthescribe/2019/07/covenant-and-law-grace-works-and-faith/

Discussion of the final chapters of the Book of Acts, covering Paul’s trial before various Jewish and Roman leaders, his powerful testimony of the resurrection, as well as his unfortunate voyage by ship from Judaea to Rome

Come Follow Me lesson for the chapters in the title, covering Paul’s second and third missions, including his imprisonment and miraculous delivery from prison at Philippi, his teaching to the Greeks at Mars Hill in Athens, and conferring the Holy Ghost to members at Ephesus

Discussion as to what it means to have an eternal family and what happens when our families don’t live up to the standard of the perfect family that we sometimes assume we have to obtain.

Come Follow Me lesson for the chapters in the title, covering Peter’s vision, the baptism of the first Gentile converts and the Jerusalem Conference

Come Follow Me lesson for the chapters in the title, covering the ascension of Christ, the calling of Matthias, the Day of Pentecost, the beginning of the ministry of Peter and an in depth discussion of the Law of Consecration as practiced in the early church and its application today

Come Follow Me lesson for the chapters in the title, covering the resurrection of Jesus Christ, His appearance to various women, disciples and apostles, and the second calling of Peter

Come Follow Me lesson for the chapters in the title, covering the trial and crucifixion of Jesus

Come Follow Me lesson for the chapters in the title, covering Mary’s anointing, Judas’s betrayal, the Last Supper, the introduction of the sacrament, the Savior’s suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, His arrest and Peter’s denial. Special attention is given to the importance of His experience in the Garden.

Come Follow Me lesson for the chapters in the title, covering the Saviors intimate teaching to his apostles about our relationship with Him and His relationship with the Father. From this we gain important insights into the Atonement and the importance of loving one another.

Come Follow Me lesson for the lesson and chapters in the title, covering the story Widow’s Mites, prophecies concerning the Second Coming and the parables of the 10 virgins, the talents and the sheep and the goats

Come Follow Me lesson for the lesson and chapters in the title, covering the events leading up to the last week of the Savior’s life