‘He will guide you into all truth’  

MEMORY VERSE: ‘Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come.’ John 16:13.

STUDY HELP:  Early Writings, pages 258-261.

LESSON SCRIPTURE: John 17:17-22.

LESSON AIM: To study how truth is a system where every piece interacts with other aspects of truth, and the dangers of changing even one aspect of truth.  

Introduction  

‘The divine Sower scattered grains of precious seed, which we cannot see until a skilful labourer, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, gathers them together and presents them to us as a complete system of truth, unfolding the depths of divine love. For all ages Jesus, the author of truth, through prophets and people, had presented truth upon truth to the Jews, from the pillar of cloud and fire. But the truth He had given had become mingled with error, and it was necessary to separate from the companionship of heresy and evil. It was necessary to readjust it in the framework of the gospel, in order that it might shine forth in its original lustre and illuminate the moral darkness of the world. Wherever He found a gem of truth that had been lost from its setting, or had been marred with error, He reset it, and stamped upon it the signature of Jehovah. He proved Himself to be the word and the wisdom of God.’ Lift Him Up, page 259.

‘Christ, His character and work, is the centre and circumference of all truth. He is the chain upon which the jewels of doctrine are linked. In Him is found the complete system of truth.’ Our High Calling, page 16.  

Compiler’s note: You will find that this lesson is constructed rather differently from the others in this series. In order to understand the interconnectedness of the various aspects of truth, you will be asked to consider how changing one aspect of truth affects one’s understanding of other aspects of truth. Each section is only an introduction; you will probably see other effects from changing one aspect of Bible truth. This lesson is to encourage you to delve into the ‘complete system of truth, connected and harmonious.’  

Links between death, judgement and the Second Coming  

1.        What does the Bible teach about the state of man in death? Ecclesiastes 9:5-6. Compare Psalm 146:4.

NOTE: ‘In the very day when the silver cord is loosed and the golden bowl broken (Ecclesiastes 12:6), man’s thoughts perish. They that go down to the grave are in silence. They know no more of anything that is done under the sun. Job 14:21. Blessed rest for the weary righteous! Time, be it long or short, is but a moment to them. They sleep; they are awakened by the trump of God to a glorious immortality. “For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible. . . . So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.” 1 Corinthians 15:52-54. As they are called forth from their deep slumber they begin to think just where they ceased. The last sensation was the pang of death; the last thought, that they were falling beneath the power of the grave. When they arise from the tomb, their first glad thought will be echoed in the triumphal shout: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” Verse 55.’ Darkness before Dawn, page 17.  

2.        If you accept the teaching that man’s soul is immortal and that the soul goes to heaven, hell or purgatory at the time of death, what other aspects of truth are affected? ·           

The judgement. Consider Acts 17:31, Revelation 14:6-7, Daniel 7:9-12. Do these verses teach that each man is judged at the time of his death or at some future time? ·           

The Second Coming of Christ. Consider 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, 1 Corinthians 15:51-53. Do these verses teach that immortality is already ours? Do these verses teach that the dead in Christ already have immortality? Or do they teach that all the righteous, living and resurrected, receive immortality together?

NOTE: ‘Nowhere in the Sacred Scriptures is found the statement that the righteous go to their reward or the wicked to their punishment at death. The patriarchs and prophets have left no such assurance. Christ and His apostles have given no hint of it. The Bible clearly teaches that the dead do not go immediately to heaven. They are represented as sleeping until the resurrection. 1 Thessalonians 4:14; Job 14:10-12.’ Darkness before Dawn, page 17.