ISSUE: Many Seventh-day Adventists (SDA) claim that Sunday worship only started because of "apostasy" supposedly driven by anti-Jewish feelings, pagan sun-cults, and the Roman Catholic Church. We’re going to look at the actual historical evidence, the Greek text, and sound Bible interpretation to see if these claims hold water.
THE SDA ARGUMENT
"Sunday worship only emerged because of Apostasy!"
To be fair, let's lay out their position clearly. The standard SDA apologetic stands on three main pillars:
Anti-Judaism: They claim post-apostolic Christians were embarrassed by their Jewish roots, so they ditched the Sabbath to distance the Church from Israel.
Sun-cult Syncretism: They argue Sunday was "borrowed" from Roman sun gods (like Sol Invictus). Constantine supposedly just made official what the pagan compromise had already started.
Roman Power: They believe the Bishop of Rome (the Pope) unilaterally forced Sunday on everyone, marking the start of the "Great Apostasy."
Each point sounds scary and impressive at first. But once you actually look at the history, these pillars don't just crack; they collapse.
POINT-BY-POINT REFUTATION
POINT 1: Anti-Judaism Was Not the Motive
The Claim: Sunday replaced Saturday because Gentile Christians hated Jews and wanted to cut ties.
The Refutation: This is what we call a Genetic Fallacy, trying to disprove a practice by attacking its supposed motive instead of looking at the theology. But the history actually says the opposite.
The very first Sunday worshippers weren't "anti-Semitic Gentiles." They were devout Jews like Mary Magdalene and the Apostles, people who had kept the Sabbath their whole lives. If gathering on Sunday is "anti-Jewish," were the Apostles anti-Jewish? Of course not.
The early believers gathered on the first day (Luke 24:1; John 20:19) because of Resurrection Joy, not ethnic hate. They met on the day the Lord conquered death. Acts 20:7 even mentions the "breaking of bread" (Communion) on the "first day of the week"(en dē tē mia tōn sabbatōn). Paul was there, and we know Paul still respected Jewish customs (1 Cor. 9:20). The "anti-Judaism" theory is demolished by the very men who walked with Jesus.
LOGICAL FALLACY: Genetic Fallacy + Ad Hominem
Even if some later Christians did have bad attitudes toward Jews, that doesn't change the fact that the Resurrection happened on Sunday.
POINT 2: Sunday Worship Wasn't Borrowed from Pagans
The Claim: The name "Sunday" (dies Solis) proves it’s just "baptized paganism."
The Refutation: This is the Post Hoc fallacy, assuming that because "A" happened before "B," then "A" must have caused "B." Just because the Roman calendar called it "day of the Sun" doesn't mean Christians were worshipping the sun.
Justin Martyr (A.D. 150) explained exactly why Christians met on Sunday:
"Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God... made the world; and Jesus Christ our Savior on the same day rose from the dead."
He doesn’t mention Helios or Mithras. He mentions Creation and Resurrection. Also, the cult of Sol Invictus wasn't even official until A.D. 274. Christians were already meeting on Sunday for over 200 years before that!
REDUCTIO AD ABSURDUM: If Sunday is pagan because it's named after the sun, then Saturday is pagan because it's named after the Roman god Saturn. By their own logic, Adventists are practicing a "Saturnian rite." You can't have it both ways!
POINT 3: Rome Did Not Force Sunday on the Church
The Claim: The Papacy used its power to change the day to fulfill the prophecy of "changing times and laws" (Dan. 7:25).
The Refutation: If Rome forced this, we should see people outside of Rome protesting. But we find the exact opposite. Christians all over the world, far away from Rome’s control, were already worshipping on Sunday:
The Didache (c. A.D. 100): Written in Syria.
Ignatius of Antioch (A.D. 107): In Syria.
Bardaisan (c. A.D. 154): In Mesopotamia.
Pliny the Younger (A.D. 112): In Bithynia (Turkey).
This wasn't a "Roman conspiracy." It was a universal apostolic tradition based on the Resurrection.
III. THREE QUESTIONS FOR SDA
If you’re talking to an SDA friend, ask them these:
1) Where is the protest? If Sunday was "forced" on the Church, can you show me a single historical document from the first three centuries where a group of Christians protested against Sunday worship? (Spoiler: It doesn't exist).
2) Why didn't John say anything? The Apostle John was the last one alive. His own disciples (like Polycarp) observed the "Lord's Day." If Sunday was a "Great Apostasy," why didn't the "Apostle of Love" warn us about it in his letters or Revelation?
3) Is Saturday pagan, too? If Sunday is pagan because of its name (Sun-day), why is Saturday not pagan when it is named after Saturn?
IV. SUMMARY: THE VERDICT
SDA Claim
The Reality (The Verdict)
Anti-Judaism drove it
Refuted: Jewish believers started it to celebrate the Resurrection.
Borrowed from sun cults
Refuted: Christian practice predates official sun cults by 200 years.
Rome imposed it
Refuted: Historically, it was practiced globally (Syria, Egypt, Asia) before Rome had power.
It's the "Change of Laws"
Refuted: This is "Begging the Question" assuming it's apostasy to prove it's apostasy.
THE FINAL WORD
Sunday worship wasn't a corruption; it was continuity. It wasn't about rebellion; it was about the Resurrection. Under New Covenant Theology, we see that the Sabbath was a shadow (skia) that pointed to Christ. Now that the Son has risen, we don't need to cling to the shadow.
The risen Lord doesn't ask us to stay at the tomb on Saturday. He invites us to celebrate the New Creation on the first day of the week every week until He returns.
What Matthew 23 Reveals About Why Jesus Pronounced
Judgment on the Temple
SESSION INFO
Duration:
45 Minutes Source: The
Olivet Discourse Made Easy, Ch. 2 Perspective: Partial Preterism
Big Idea: Ang Matthew 23 ay hindi lang basta random na listahan ng mga rebukes; ito talaga yung formal legal indictment na nagpapatunay at nagti-trigger sa judgment oracle sa Matthew 24. Kumbaga, hindi mo talaga ma-ge-gets nang buo ang Olivet Discourse kung hindi mo muna hihimayin itong Seven Woes.
LESSON TIMING OVERVIEW
0–5 min
OPENING & REVIEW Recap of Session 1 and the Bridge to Matthew 23
5–15 min
PART 1: Jesus’ Warnings to
the People: Matthew 23:1–12
15–30 min
PART 2: The Seven Woes:
Matthew 23:13–36
30–40 min
PART 3: The Bridge to
Olivet: Matthew 23:37–39 and 24:1
40–45 min
CONCLUSION, BRIDGE TO
SESSION 3 & DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
OPENING & REVIEW (0–5 MIN)
Quick Recap
of Session 1 (2 min)
•Last week, pinakita natin na ang buong Gospel ni Matthew ay parang tuloy-tuloy na build-up papunta sa isang climax: ang covenantal judgment ni God laban sa first-century Israel dahil ni-reject nila ang kanilang Messiah.
•Na-establish na natin na yung Olivet Discourse sa Matthew 24–25 ay hindi isang prophecy chart para sa atin sa 21st century. Sa totoo lang, isa itong judgment oracle para sa first century na talagang naka-direct sa generation na 'yun noon.
•Key anchor text from
Session 1: Matthew 24:34 “This generation will not pass away until all these
things take place.”
Today’s
Focus (1 min)
Today, zoom in muna tayo sa Matthew 23. Ito talaga yung pinaka-trigger ng Olivet Discourse. Isipin niyo, ito yung formal legal indictment o yung demandabago pa man ibaba yung sentensya. Kumbaga, sa Matthew 23, ipinapaliwanag kung bakit deserve yung judgment, tapos sa Matthew 24, yung mismong announcement o pag-pronounce ng hatol.
Anchor Text
for This Session
Matthew
23:36 (ESV)
“Truly, I
say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.”
Matthew
23:38 (ESV)
“See, your
house is left to you desolate.”
PART 1: JESUS’ WARNINGS TO THE
PEOPLE MATTHEW 23:1–12 (5–15 MIN)
A. The
Structural Flow of Matthew 23
Ang Matthew 23 ay may malinaw na three-part architecture na diretso ang daloy papunta sa Olivet Discourse. Hindi siya hiwa-hiwalay na rebukes; may flow, may structure, at siya mismo ang nag-set up ng stage para sa Matthew 24.
PASSAGE
AUDIENCE
CONTENT
Matt
23:1–12
The crowds
(v. 1)
Warning about
the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees
Matt
23:13–36
The scribes
and Pharisees directly
Seven Woes' formal indictment of Israel’s leadership
Matt
23:37–39
Jerusalem /
all Israel
Lament,
abandonment, and the bridge to Matthew 24
B. The
Chair of Moses (Matt 23:2–3)
•Kinilala ni Jesus na ang mga scribes at Pharisees ay may legit na formal authority bilang mga tagapagturo ng Kautusan ng Diyos.
•Pero yung sinabi Niyang "gawin niyo ang lahat ng sinasabi nila" (v. 3) ay actually biting sarcasm. Kasi sa totoo lang, sa buong ministry Niya, lagi namang kinokontra ni Jesus yung mga interpretasyon nila.(Matt 6:1–18; 12:1–8; 15:1–20;
19:3–9).
•Pero sa same verse, binasag din sila agad: “Pero huwag ninyong gagawin ang ginagawa nila, dahil nagsasalita sila pero hindi naman nila ginagawa.”
Matthew
23:2–3 (ESV)
“The
scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they
tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.”
C. The
Burden of Ostentatious Religion (Matt 23:4–12)
•Nagpapapasan sila ng mabibigat na burden sa ibang tao pero ayaw man lang nilang igalaw ang daliri nila para tumulong (v. 4). Kabaligtaran na kabaligtaran ito ng “easy yoke”ni Jesus (Matt 11:30).
•Mahilig silang mag-show off ng pagiging religious para lang palakpakan sila ng mga tao. Todo-display ng mga phylacteries, laging nakapuwesto sa mga places of honor, at gustong-gusto na tinatawag sa mga bonggang titles(vv. 5–7).
•Tinatawag ni Jesus yung mga disciples Niya sa radical humility, isang malaking contrast talaga sa kayabangan ng mga leaders nila (vv. 8–12).
• Yung warning na “ang sinumang nagtataas ng kanyang sarili ay ibababa” (v. 12) ay may eschatological weight din; pahiwatig na ito sa mangyayari noong AD 70. Kumbaga, yung mga mapagmataas na leaders ng Israel, talagang magugunaw o mababaligtad ang buong mundo nila.
Matthew
23:11–12 (ESV)
“The
greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be
humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
PART 2: THE SEVEN WOES MATTHEW
23:13–36 (15–30 MIN)
Preaching
Note
Teacher’s Tip
Daanan natin nang mabilis itong Seven Woes as a unit. Huwag na tayong masyadong mag-stuck sa bawat isa; ang mahalaga rito ay yung cumulative force, yung pitong sunod-sunod na matinding pagkondena laban sa mga spiritual leaders ng Israel.
Isipin niyo, para itong isang formal indictment o demanda na binabasa nang malakas sa loob ng korte. Bawat "woe," lalong bumibigat yung kaso laban sa kanila.
A. The
Seven Woes at a Glance
WOE 1
Matt 23:13
Hinaharangan nila ’yung mga taong makapasok sa Kingdom of Heaven, tapos sila mismo ayaw din namang pumasok.
WOE 2
Matt 23:15
’Yung mga nako-convert nila, mas nagiging "anak ng impiyerno" pa, as in, doble yung lala compared sa kanila mismo.
WOE 3
Matt
23:16–22
Mga bulag na guides na kung anu-anong fake na panunumpa ang ginagawa gamit ang templo at ang altar.
WOE 4
Matt
23:23–24
Nagtitiyaga silang mag-tithe kahit sa maliliit na spices, pero pinababayaan naman nila ’yung mas mahahalagang bagay: justice, mercy, at faithfulness.
WOE 5
Matt
23:25–26
Malinis ang tingnan sa labas, pero ang totoo, punong-puno ang loob ng pangungurakot at pagpapakasasa sa sarili.
WOE 6
Matt
23:27–28
Parang mga whitewashed na libingan: sa labas, ang linis at mukhang sobrang righteous, pero sa loob, punung-puno pala ng mga buto ng patay.
WOE 7
Matt
23:29–36
Todo-bigay sila sa pag-honor sa mga libingan ng mga propeta, pero sa totoo lang, sila rin naman yung mga anak ng mga pumatay sa kanila.
Matthew
23:13 (ESV)
“But woe
to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven
in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would
enter to go in.”
Matthew
23:15 (ESV)
“Woe to
you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to
make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice
as much a child of hell as yourselves.”
Matthew
23:23 (ESV)
“Woe to
you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and
cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy
and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the
others.”
Matthew
23:27–28 (ESV)
“Woe to
you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs,
which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones
and all uncleanness.”
B. The
Seventh Woe: The Point of No Return (Matt 23:29–36)
Pinakamabigat itong ikapitong woe pagdating sa teolohiya. Dito pinagsama-sama yung tatlong elements na naging mitsa o nag-seal na talaga sa magiging fate ng Israel:
ELEMENT 1: Israel’s History of Killing the Prophets
Kinonek ni Jesus yung mga scribes at Pharisees sa mga tatay o ninuno nilang pumatay sa mga propeta (vv. 29–31). Actually, ito rin yung indictment o paratang na makikita natin sa 2 Chronicles 36:15–16, Nehemiah 9:26, at Jeremiah 7:25–26. Isipin niyo, yung unang templo noon ay nawasak dahil sa mismong kasalanang ito. Kaya ngayon, history repeats itself: yung second temple naman ang haharap sa parehong kapalaran.
ELEMENT 2: The Measure of Guilt Is Being Filled (v. 32)
“Punuin niyo na, kung gayon, ang sukat ng inyong mga ninuno.” Parang sinasabi ni Jesus na, “Sige, ituloy niyo na hanggang dulo.” Ito na yung divine decree of finality yung huling hatol.
Ganitong-ganito rin yung wording na makikita natin sa Genesis 15:16, Daniel 8:23, at 1 Thessalonians 2:14–16. Kumbaga, sagad na sagad na yung pasensya ng Diyos sa Israel. Pag pinako na nila si Jesus at inusig yung mga followers Niya, talagang aapaw na yung baso.
ELEMENT 3: The Verdict ‘This Generation’ (v. 36)
Tinapos ni Jesus yung Seventh Woe sa isang seryoso at binding declaration: “Truly I say to you, lahat ng ito ay mangyayari sa henerasyong ito.”
Malinaw tayo rito, ha? Hindi ito prophecy para sa panahon natin ngayon. Isa itong first-century verdict para sa mga tao noong panahon na ’yun. Itong verse na ito, Matthew 23:36, ang nagsisilbing “hinge” o yung pinaka-kawit na nagdurugtong sa Seven Woes papunta sa Olivet Discourse.
Matthew
23:32 (ESV)
“Fill up,
then, the measure of your fathers.”
Matthew
23:33–35 (ESV)
“You
serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?
Therefore, I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will
kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute
from town to town, so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on
earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of
Barachiah...”
Matthew
23:36 (ESV)
“Truly, I
say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.”
C. Logical
Fallacy Alert for Counter-Apologetics
FALLACY: Illegitimate Totality Transfer
May mga interpreters na nagki-claim na yung "this generation" sa Matthew 23:36 ay hindi raw literal na generation noong first century, at naghahanap sila ng ibang meanings para sa salitang genea.
Pero ang labo nun kasi yung immediate context, yung mismong harapang pakikipag-usap ni Jesus sa mga scribes at Pharisees na nandoon mismo sa harap Niya, ay nagre-require ng literal at contemporaneous referent. Kumbaga, yung mga tao mismong kaharap Niya ang tinutukoy Niya.
Yung pagpilit na humugot ng ibang meaning mula sa ibang contexts ay tinatawag na Illegitimate Totality Transfer fallacy. Kaya sa totoo lang, nasa mga taong gustong ilayo ang meaning nito sa obvious first-century context ang burden of proof.
PART 3: THE BRIDGE TO OLIVET MATTHEW 23:37–39 & 24:1 (30–40 MIN)
A. The
Lament Over Jerusalem (Matt 23:37)
•Dito, nag-shift na si Jesus mula sa parang formal na demanda sa korte papunta sa isang pusong-sawi na lament. Hindi lang ito basta galit ng Diyos na parang walang emosyon; ito talaga yung matinding lungkot ng isang Savior na ni-reject.
•Yung phrase na “how often I wanted to gather your children” ay nagpapakita na marami nang beses na bumisita si Jesus sa Jerusalem dati pa. Sinadya lang talaga ni Matthew na i-omit o hindi isama yung mga previous visits na ’yun sa narrative niya para mas maging matindi yung dramatic impact. Mapapatunayan natin sa Gospel of John (cf. John 2:23; 5:1; 7:25; 10:22–23) na pabalik-balik talaga si Lord sa Jerusalem bago pa man itong huling climax ng kwento.
•Yung image ng inahing manok na tinitipon ang kanyang mga sisiw ay isang napaka-tender na Old Testament metaphor para sa protective love ng Diyos (cf. Deut 32:11; Ruth 2:12; Ps 91:4).
•Pero yung pagtanggi ng Israel, decisive na talaga: “you were not willing!” Malinaw na volitional rejection ito; ibig sabihin, choice talaga nilang i-reject Siya, at hindi dahil sa wala silang alam o dahil sa ignorance.
Matthew
23:37 (ESV)
“O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who
are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a
hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!”
B. The
Abandoned Temple: “Your House” (Matt 23:38)
•Kamakailan lang, tinawag ni Jesus yung templo na “My house” o “Bahay Ko” (Matt 21:13), kung saan kinu-quote Niya yung Isaiah 56:7 at Jeremiah 7:11.
•Ngayon, ang shift ay sobrang dramatic at final na: “ang inyong bahay ay iiwan sa inyong desolate.” Kumbaga, umaalis na talaga yung divine Presence.
Yung pananalitang ito, nag-eecho sa Jeremiah 12:7 “Iniwan ko na ang Aking bahay; pinabayaan ko na ang Aking pamana.” Kumbaga, yung Shekinah glory ay umaalis na, katulad nung nangyari bago ang Babylonian destruction (Ezek 10–11).
•Note also: the term
“desolate” (Gk. eremos) in 23:38 is deliberately picked up again in 24:15 as
“abomination of desolation” (eremoseos). Matthew is weaving a verbal thread.
Matthew
23:38 (ESV)
“See, your
house is left to you desolate.”
Jeremiah
12:7 (ESV)
“I have
forsaken my house; I have abandoned my heritage; I have given the beloved of
my soul into the hands of her enemies.”
C. “Until
You Say’ — Is This a Future Hope for Israel? (Matt 23:39)
This verse is frequently
misread as a promise of Israel’s future national repentance. In context, it is
not. Here is why:
•The opening word “for” (Gk.
gar) connects this directly to the desolation pronouncement of v. 38. It
explains the judgment; it does not soften it.
• “Until you say” is a
condition of indefinite possibility, not a guarantee. It does not affirm that
Israel will bless Christ.
•The entire flow of Matthew
23–24 is unrelentingly negative: filled measure of guilt (v. 32), persecution
of followers (v. 34), righteous blood (v. 35), abandoned temple (v. 38),
fleeing from Judea (24:16), abomination of desolation (24:15).
•The “seeing” of Christ here
is the forced recognition of his lordship under the cloud-judgment of AD 70, the same kind of “seeing” in Matthew 26:64 when Jesus warns the high priest:
“from now on you will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds.”
Matthew
23:39 (ESV)
“For I
tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord.’”
Matthew
26:64 (ESV)
“Jesus
said to him, ‘You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the
Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of
heaven.’”
D. Jesus
Leaves the Temple — Forever (Matt 24:1)
•Alam mo, isa sa pinaka-significant na verse sa buong Passion narrative ay itong Matthew 24:1.Sobrang bigat ng moment na ito: lumabas si Jesus sa templo at tuluyan nang lumayo. Parang ito na 'yung malinaw na sign na may matatapos na at may bago nang ginagawa ang Panginoon.
•Hindi lang ito basta simpleng pag-alis. Matapos Niyang i-declare na "iiwanang desolate ang inyong bahay," lumabas na si Jesus sa templo for the very last time. Hinding-hindi na Siya babalik doon as in, final na 'to.
•Tapos, ipinakita ng mga disciples 'yung mga building ng templo sa Kanya siguro dahil hindi sila makapaniwala o baka sinusubukan lang nila Siya. Pero ang sagot Niya, talagang nakaka-shock: "Walang matitirang bato rito na nakapatong sa isa pa; lahat 'yan ay gigibain" (Mateo 24:2).
•Ito na 'yung nag-set up sa tanong ng mga disciples sa Matthew 24:3: ang simula ng buong Olivet Discourse. Sabi nila, “Sabihin Mo sa amin, kailan ba mangyayari ang mga ito? At ano ang magiging tanda ng Iyong pagdating at ng katapusan ng 'age' na ito?”
Matthew
24:1–2 (ESV)
“Jesus
left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to
him the buildings of the temple. But he answered them, ‘You see all these, do
you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon
another that will not be thrown down.’”
CONCLUSION & BRIDGE TO SESSION
3 (40–45 MIN)
Summary of
Lesson 2
* Alam mo, ang Matthew 23 hindi lang 'yan basta random na listahan ng mga "Rebukas." Para 'yang formal legal indictment isang opisyal na sakdal na nagpapaliwanag at nagbibigay ng matinding rason kung bakit darating ang judgment na binabanggit sa Matthew 24.
* 'Yung Seven Woes? Para 'yang crescendo sa isang kanta, pabigat nang pabigat 'yung pitong bilang ng spiritual failure laban sa mga leaders ng Israel noon.
* Pagdating sa Seventh Woe, nandoon na 'yung binding verdict: "ang lahat ng ito ay darating sa henerasyong ito" (23:36). Ito 'yung "historical clock" na nagpapatakbo sa buong Olivet Discourse. Hindi ito para sa malayong future, kundi para sa kanila noon.
* Kitang-kita sa lament sa verses 37–39 na ang judgment ni Lord ay hindi dahil sa "power trip" o pagiging vengeful. Puno ito ng lungkot. Ilang beses silang binigyan ng pagkakataon, pero mas pinili nilang i-reject Siya.
* Kaya 'yung pag-alis ni Jesus sa templo sa 24:1, ito 'yung physical enactment ng sinabi Niya sa 23:38. Ibig sabihin, ang presence ng Diyos ay tuluyan nang lumabas at lumayo sa "bahay" nila.
* Dahil dito, logical lang 'yung tanong ng mga disciples sa 24:3: "Kung gigibain na ang templo, kailan at paano ba 'yan mangyayari?"
Bridge to
Session 3
Sa susunod nating session, hihimayin na natin ang mismong Matthew 24. Pag-uusapan natin 'yung tanong ng mga disciples sa verse 3 pati na rin 'yung sagot ni Jesus tungkol sa "signs of the times" 'yung mga birth pangs, false prophets, mga giyera, at ang simula ng mga paghihirap (Mateo 24:4–14).
Assignment bago ang susunod na Sabado:
Basahin muna ang Matthew 24:1–14 (ESV) para "ready" tayo sa diskusyon!
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Give 5–10 minutes for open
group discussion. These questions are written for Filipino audiences who have
come from an Adventist or Evangelical background.
Discussion Question 1
Itong Seven Woes ni Jesus sa Matthew 23 ay talagang para sa mga scribes at Pharisees; sila ‘yung mga religious leaders ng Israel noon. Pero kung ikukumpara natin sa panahon ngayon, sa anong paraan mo kaya nakikita ‘yung ganitong klaseng religious hypocrisy sa ilang leaders ng SDA Church, o kahit sa ibang Christian denominations? At ang pinaka-importante, paano natin maiiwasang maging mga “whitewashed tombs” mismo sa sarili nating spiritual life?
Discussion Question 2
Napansin niyo ba 'yung shift? Sabi ni Jesus sa Matthew 23:38, “your house is left to you desolate.” Grabe 'yung transition mula sa pagiging “My House” (Bahay ng Ama ko), biglang naging “your house” na lang. Parang sinabi ni Lord, “Inyo na ‘yan; wala na Ako dyan.”
Para sa ating mga lumaki o galing sa Adventism, alam nating core identity ang heavenly sanctuary at ang Investigative Judgment (IJ). Pero heto ang reality check: kung sa Matthew 23 pa lang ay idineklara na ng Diyos na abandoned at rejected na ang earthly temple system noong first century, ano na ngayon ang epekto nito sa mga theology na pilit pa ring nagkakabit ng saving significance sa mga temple rituals, kahit sa langit pa ‘yan?
Kung ang judgment sa "house" na 'yan ay binigkas na ni Jesus noon pa, paano nito binabago ang pag-unawa niyo sa Investigative Judgment doctrine ng SDA? Kung kay Christ tayo nakayuko at hindi sa isang ongoing ritual, hindi ba’t mas kampante tayo sa Kanyang tapos na gawa?
Discussion Question 3
Grabe ’yung puso ni Jesus dito. Sinabi Niya, “how often I wanted to gather your children together… and you were not willing.” Pinapakita lang nito na bago pa man dumating ang divine judgment, laging may nauunang paulit-ulit na alok ng grace ang Panginoon. Hindi Siya basta-basta nagpaparusa; sinusuyo muna Niya tayo para mapunta sa tama.
Isipin mo ’yung journey mo noong palabas ka pa lang ng Adventism o mula sa kahit anong maling turo na kinalakihan mo. May mga moments ba na naramdaman mong parang "tininitipon" ka na ni Lord at unti-unting dinala sa katotohanan? Ano ’yung naging turning point na naging "willing" ka na sa wakas? At paano mo nare-realize ngayon na ’yung mga babala Niya tungkol sa paghuhukom ay hindi lang pananakot, kundi expression talaga ng Kanyang pag-ibig?
APPENDIX: ALL BIBLE TEXTS
REFERENCED IN THIS LESSON (ESV)
All quotations from the English
Standard Version (ESV), listed in canonical order.
Genesis
Genesis
15:16 (ESV)
“And they
shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the
Amorites is not yet complete.”
Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy
32:11 (ESV)
“Like an
eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its
wings, catching them, bearing them on its pinions…”
Ruth
Ruth 2:12
(ESV)
“The LORD
repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the LORD,
the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!”
1 Kings
1 Kings
19:10 (ESV)
“The
people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and
killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they
seek my life, to take it away.”
2
Chronicles
2
Chronicles 36:15–16 (ESV)
“The LORD,
the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers,
because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. But they
kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his
prophets, until the wrath of the LORD rose against his people, until there
was no remedy.”
2
Chronicles 36:19 (ESV)
“And they
burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem and burned all
its palaces with fire and destroyed all its precious vessels.”
Nehemiah
Nehemiah
9:26 (ESV)
“Nevertheless,
they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their
back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back
to you, and they committed great blasphemies.”
Psalms
Psalm 91:4
(ESV)
“He will
cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his
faithfulness is a shield and buckler.”
Isaiah
Isaiah
56:7 (ESV)
“…these I
will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for
my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” (Quoted by Jesus
in Matt 21:13)
Jeremiah
Jeremiah
7:4, 11, 14–15 (ESV)
“Do not
trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the LORD, the temple
of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.’… Has this house, which is called by my
name, become a den of robbers in your eyes?… I will do to the house that is
called by my name, and in which you trust, and to the place that I gave to
you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh.”
Jeremiah
7:25–26 (ESV)
“From the
day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt to this day, I have
persistently sent all my servants the prophets to them, day after day. Yet
they did not listen to me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck.
They did worse than their fathers.”
Jeremiah
12:7 (ESV)
“I have
forsaken my house; I have abandoned my heritage; I have given the beloved of
my soul into the hands of her enemies.”
Ezekiel
Ezekiel
10–11 (ESV)
The
departure of the glory of the LORD from the temple and from Jerusalem (see
especially Ezek 10:18–19; 11:22–23). This Old Testament precedent foreshadows
Jesus’ departure from “your house” in Matt 23:38–24:1.
Daniel
Daniel
8:23 (ESV)
“And at
the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their
limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise.”
Daniel
9:24 (ESV)
“Seventy
weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the
transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in
everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a
most holy place.”
Matthew
Matthew
3:7 (ESV)
“But when
he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to
them, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?’”
Matthew
11:30 (ESV)
“For my
yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew
15:14 (ESV)
“Let them
alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall
into a pit.”
Matthew
21:13 (ESV)
“He said
to them, ‘It is written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer,” but
you make it a den of robbers.’”
Matthew
23:2–3 (ESV)
“The
scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they
tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.”
Matthew
23:4 (ESV)
“They tie
up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they
themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.”
Matthew
23:11–12 (ESV)
“The
greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be
humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
Matthew
23:13 (ESV)
“But woe
to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven
in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would
enter to go in.”
Matthew
23:15 (ESV)
“Woe to
you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to
make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice
as much a child of hell as yourselves.”
Matthew
23:16–22 (ESV)
“Woe to
you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing,
but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ You
blind fools!”
Matthew
23:23–24 (ESV)
“Woe to
you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and
cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy
and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the
others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!”
Matthew
23:25–26 (ESV)
“Woe to
you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup
and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.”
Matthew
23:27–28 (ESV)
“Woe to
you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs,
which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones
and all uncleanness.”
Matthew
23:29–31 (ESV)
“Woe to
you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the
prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, ‘If we had
lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in
shedding the blood of the prophets.’ Thus you witness against yourselves that
you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.”
Matthew
23:32 (ESV)
“Fill up,
then, the measure of your fathers.”
Matthew
23:33–35 (ESV)
“You
serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?
Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will
kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute
from town to town, so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on
earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of
Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.”
Matthew
23:36 (ESV)
“Truly, I
say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.”
Matthew
23:37 (ESV)
“O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who
are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a
hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!”
Matthew
23:38 (ESV)
“See, your
house is left to you desolate.”
Matthew
23:39 (ESV)
“For I
tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord.’”
Matthew
24:1–2 (ESV)
“Jesus
left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to
him the buildings of the temple. But he answered them, ‘You see all these, do
you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon
another that will not be thrown down.’”
Matthew
24:3 (ESV)
“As he sat
on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, ‘Tell
us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and
of the end of the age?’”
Matthew
24:15 (ESV)
“So when
you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel,
standing in the holy place (let the reader understand)…”
Matthew
26:64 (ESV)
“Jesus
said to him, ‘You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the
Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of
heaven.’”
John
John 2:23
(ESV)
“Now when
he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when
they saw the signs that he was doing.”
John
11:47–48 (ESV)
“So the
chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, ‘What are we
to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this,
everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our
place and our nation.’”
John 18:40
(ESV)
“They
cried out again, ‘Not this man, but Barabbas!’ Now Barabbas was a robber.”
Acts
Acts
7:52–53 (ESV)
“Which of
the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who
announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now
betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and
did not keep it.”
1
Thessalonians
1
Thessalonians 2:14–16 (ESV)
“For you
suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews,
who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and
displease God and oppose all mankind by hindering us from speaking to the
Gentiles that they might be saved — so as always to fill up the measure of
their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last!”
1 John
1 John 5:3
(ESV)
“For this
is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are
not burdensome.”
END OF SESSION
2 — FORMER ADVENTISTS PHILIPPINES BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINAR
Next Session: April 19, 2026 |
Lesson 3: The Beginning of Birth Pangs — Matthew 24:4–14
