November 23, 2022

Introduction The book of Nehemiah is a historical writing. Nehemiah is a record of his deep dependence on God and his frequent prayer to God. Nehemiah means “Yahweh has comforted. Nehemiah was the son of Hacaliah of Judah. He was not a prophet. He was exiled to Babylon. Persians captured Babylon and improved the living condition of the Israelites. They were allowed religious freedom but had to pay tributes. Learning outcomes. By the end of this topic you should be able to; Describe the historical, religious and social background to Nehemiah Identify occasions when Nehemiah prayed Explain the importance of prayer in Christian life Describe leadership qualities of Nehemiah and relevance to Christians today.   LESSON ONE. BACKGROUND TO NEHEMIAH Learning outcomes. After reading this lesson, Describe how the people of Judah lived and worshipped. Explain the conquest of Israel and Judah by foreign forces Give reasons why God allowed Judah and Israel to be conquered and exiled. Political and historical background. From 587 BC to 538 BC, Israelites were in exile. In 538 B.C., the first group of Israelites was set free and returned to Judah. Cyrus the Great, of Persia ruled his subjects through governors. They were led out of Babylon by Joshua the high priest and Zerubbabel who became the first governor of Judah. Some Jews remained in Babylon. They were referred to as Jews in Diaspora or dispersion. Other Jews remained in other lands including Egypt, and Mediterranean lands Nehemiah. He was a cupbearer in the palace of the Persian king Artaxerxes I. He later became a governor of Judah. Even after the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem, Israelites remained subjects of the Persian king. The Wall of Jerusalem was important to Israel and Judah. The Wall represented a sense of pride, ownership, privacy, independence and Security. The Greeks conquered the Persians; who were later conquered by Romans. Social background The Jews in foreign lands retained their Jewish way of life. The land of Israel was partly occupied by foreigners. The foreign cultures of neighboring rulers influenced Israelites who returned. They for example, intermarried with foreigners, a custom that God did not allow. Israelites were not to intermarry with other people according to the Mosaic Law. In spite of this however, Jews maintained their separated identity. Some of the foreigners despised Jews. The wealthy Jews oppressed the poor Jews. In Jerusalem there was starvation. Nehemiah condemned oppression of the poor. Religious background Jews returned to rebuild the temple of Jerusalem and the altar of God for sacrifices. While in exile, Jews were allowed by the Babylonian king to practice their religion. They worshipped Yahweh, practiced circumcision, obeyed dietary laws and observed the Sabbath. The exiles could not however observe all the religious practices for example offering animal sacrifices. Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem to rebuild it’s the wall. The temple of Jerusalem was rebuilt, cleared and dedicated to God.   LESSON TWO. Prayers by Nehemiah and modern Christians Learning outcomes. After reading this lesson the learner should be able to: Outline occasions when Nehemiah prayed to the Lord. Discuss the importance of prayer Nehemiah prayed, mourned, and fasted. He prayed often and for all actions, keeping God’s law, forgiveness, punishments, human relations, Jerusalem, good works, contributions and offerings, observance of Sabbath day, and preparing duty allocations for priests and Levites. . When he learnt about the suffering of Jews who remained in Judah and the ruined state of Jerusalem; He prayed for forgiveness on behalf of his people (Neh.4: 1 – 11). Making a request to King Artaxerxes to be permitted to return to Judah (Neh.2: 4 – When his enemies ridiculed the Jews and planned to discourage them from rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. Tobiah in particular said that the wall was poorly constructed and it could be brought down by; a fox jumping on it. Nehemiah requested God to punish the enemies who were mocking temple builders (Neh.4: 4 – 5). When he learnt that his enemies were conspiring to attack Jerusalem to stop the construction work, he prayed and organised people to provide a 24-hour guard of the wall (Neh.4: 7 – 9). For his good work, he prayed for his works (Neh 5:19). When his enemies plotted to destroy him, he prayed God for strength and courage to overcome his enemies (Neh 6: 19). When Shemaih attempted to frighten him to hide in the temple claiming that there was a plot to kill him, Nehemiah prayed and asked God to punish his enemies (Neh 6:14). When he organized contributions for Levites and musicians; and people to distribute them. He asked God to remember his work for the house of God (Neh 13:14). He stopped trade on the Sabbath day, and organised rest on the Sabbath day. He warned traders against violating the Sabbath law. He asked Lord to remember him for these actions (Neh.13: 22). Nehemiah prayed for punishment of the son of Joiada. The son of Joiada had brought disgrace to the priest hood by marrying a foreigner, the daughter of Sanballat from the town of Beth Horon, (Neh 13:29). After cleansing the Israelites of foreign influence, he forbade mixed marriages He prepared duty regulations for priests and Levites. He allocated them duties. He then organised Jews to bring offerings for maintaining priests and Levites. He prayed God to remember his work for the temple, priests and Levites (Neh 13:31). Importance of prayer in Christian life Through prayers, Christians express their faith in God and praise God for his greatness, goodness, holiness, and majesty. Prayer brings Christians closer to God; it strengthens their relationship with God. Through prayer Christians request for their needs, blessings, success, good health, and protection among other requests. Prayers help Christians to listen to God and to seek his will. Prayer is a source of strength. It gives Christians courage to face and overcome life’s challenges. Christians seek guidance, comfort and support in times of trials. In prayer, Christians intercede for the sick, poor, hungry, prisoners,

Introduction. Israel had not taken heed to Amos’ prophecies. This was especially on idolatry. So, God sent another prophet to continue with the same work. Jeremiah was therefore appointed as a prophet. Jeremiah is one of the Old Testament Major Prophets. He was called to a prophet at around 627 B.C. He was called as a young man, probably 20 years old. He prophesied in the southern kingdom- Judah, for a period of 40 years. His prophetic ministry took place before and during the exile of Judah. Outcomes. By the end of this topic, you should be able to: – Describe the political, Social, and religious background of prophet Jeremiah. Describe the personal life and call of Jeremiah. Explain the evils condemned by Jeremiah. Explain the contents of the temple sermon. Highlight the relevance of Jeremiah’s teaching on evils, false prophets and Christians today.   LESSON ONE: THE CALL JEREMIAH Learning outcomes. After reading this lesson, you should be able to: – Describe the situation of the people of Judah Identify religious, political and socio classes of Judah Describe the call of Jeremiah Explain lessons that modern Christians can learn from the call of Jeremiah   The Kingdom of Judah Social background The people of Judah were divided into three social classes. At the top were the (i) Aristocrats. These were the ruling class, which consisted of the king, his family, royal officials, princesses, priests, and professional prophets. This class of the rich oppressed the poor. Below them was the class of technical professional such as stonecutters, carpenters, builders, masons, blacksmiths, masons, and others craftsmen (2 Kings 12:12). Below them was class made up of poor people such as slaves, widows, orphans, and foreigners. All these poor people were mistreated. In terms of ethics, there was moral degradation. They committed adultery, prostitution, murder, false witness, and corruption. Religions background. The Kings and people of Judah worshipped idols. They practiced human sacrifice, divination and magic, and listened to false prophecies. They abandoned their covenant with God and their way of life and practiced syncretism, which is worshipping God and other false gods like Baal. King Josiah tried to restore true worship by carrying out several reforms. Prophetess Huldah prophesied that Judah would be punished after Josiah’s death since he humbled before Yahweh. Political Background. Prophet Jeremiah lived in the 7th century BC and prophesied when Judah was ruled by King Josiah, and later his sons Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah; and king Jehoiachin. Judah was conquered and ruled by Assyrians who were conquered by Egyptians who ruled Judah up to 605 BC. Egyptians; were conquered by Babylonians under King Nebuchadnezzar. This was according to the prophecies of Jeremiah. The Call of Jeremiah. Read Jer 1: 19. Jeremiah’s father was a priest called Hilkiah. He was born in the territory of Benjamin; at a place called Anathoth, He was well educated. Jeremiah was called to be a prophet in 627 B.C during the reign of King Josiah. He received his call in form of a dialogue with Yahweh. God told him that he had appointed him to be his messenger; even before he was formed in his mother’s womb, God had selected him to be a prophet. Jeremiah said he was too young and did not know how to speak. Jeremiah was forewarned of the hostility he would encounter in his prophetic career. God told him that He would protect him and not to fear. God touched Jeremiah’s mouth. This symbolized that God is the one who shall put words in his mouth. Jeremiah responded to God’s call in faith and obedience. He was given a message that God was going to bring judgment upon the Kingdom of Judah. God promised to make him a fortified city, an iron pillar and bronze wall for protection. He was commanded by God not to marry, neither have children and not to attend social gatherings, weddings, and funerals. His mission made him isolated and lonely. As a result, his own family and relatives rejected him and plotted to kill him. But he had few friends like Ebed- melech, Ahikam who helped him to get out of a pit. Jeremiah was persecuted by; the kings of Judah. Priests including priest Pashhur opposed him, and false prophets like Hannaniah. He prophesied that God shall punish wicked Kings, priests, and ordinary people. He suffered spiritually and emotionally. At the fall of Jerusalem in 587 B.C, the army officers of Nebuchadnezzar released him from prison. He went to Egypt where he died at an old age and as a faithful servant of God. His life was symbolic to the people of Judah. During his call, Jeremiah saw two visions. Vision one was the vision of a “branch of an almond tree”. The tree seemed dead, bare, yet life was in it. This vision was telling Judah that although God seemed to be ‘sleeping’, He was watching over them if they obey Him. Vision two was “a pot boiling in the north, and it is about to tip over this way” (1:13). The boiling pot tilted away from the north signified that the destroyers of Judah would come from the north. The pot was ready to boil over and spill its contents. This meant that Judah was soon going to have trouble. Babylon would pour horrifying disasters on Judah.  Lessons from the call of Jeremiah God has a purpose for each person and He can call anybody to do His work. He calls the unborn, the young, old, rich, and poor. God prepares people for His work, through specific experiences at family level, in school, and church. A person who is called to serve God should be ready to meet opposition. God protects His servants and promises to be with them. Jeremiah felt inadequate to speak. Christians should not let their human weakness hinder them from performing their tasks. Christians should respond to God’s call in obedience.   LESSON TWO. EVILS ADDRESSED BY JEREMIAH. Read Jeremiah 2, 3, 4, 5,7, 9,

Introduction Amos is one of the prophets God sent to Israel to warn the people because of their evil life. Politically, the Nation of Israel had become rich. There grew classer, the rich and the poor. The rich started oppressing the poor. Socially, there was still the rich – poor gap. The rich exploited the poor. Merchants sold bad food, expensive and used false measurer. Religiously, the Israelites had turned away from God and were worshiping false gods. Syncretism was practiced. Priests were paid and God’s prophets were rejected. It is in this situation that Amos was called. He is called through visions. Amos is one of the canonical or writing prophets. The book of Amos is a temptation of oracles spoken by the prophet on different occasions. Note that after the death of King Solomon, the kingdom of Israel was split into two and rules by Rehoboam and Jeroboam. The northern Kingdom; called Judah was ruled by Rehoboam and was inhabited by two tribes. The southern kingdom called Israel was ruled by Jeroboam and was inhabited by 10 tribes. Amos came from Judah and prophesied in Israel. Topic Learning Outcomes. By the end of this topic, you should be able to: Analyse Prophet Amos work in Israel Describe the call of Amos Explain the teaching of Amos Relate relevance of Amos teaching to Christianity today   LESSON ONE: Prophet Amos work in Israel Read Amos 1:1 Learning outcomes. After reading this lesson, you should: Describe the call of Amos Describe the socio, political and economic situation in Israel during the time of Prophet Amos Explain religious situation in Israel   The call of Amos (AMOS 1:1,3:8,7:10 – 15) Prophet Amos was born in a village called Tekoa in Judah, the southern kingdom. Before his call, Amos was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamore trees. He was not a professional prophet. But God called him to be a prophet. He received his call in form of a vision around 758 BC. Amos responded to God’s call with obedience. He felt a deep compulsion to prophesy (Amos 3:8). God directed him to give his message to the people of Israel, the northern kingdom (Amos 7:15). He was asked to speak the will of Yahweh. He was also to fore tell punishment if Israelites did not repent their sins. His message was opposed, and challenged by Amaziah the priest of Bethel. Religion. Israelites worshipped Yahweh and other gods. Idolatry was also present. This form of worship is called Syncretism . There was religious hypocrisy. Like today, there was an emphasis on external observances of religious practices and less concern for internal observances. The priests were paid for religious work. Those who couldn’t pay did not have religious ceremonies. They were offered at the expense of the poor. The prophets of God were rejected. Social – economic – political situation. When Amos prophesied, King Jeroboam ruled Israel, the northern kingdom while King Uzziah ruled Judah. Amos was sent to prophesy to the people of Israel in the northern kingdom. He concentrated his work mainly in Bethel and Samaria – the capital city of Israel and the main centres of worship. When Amos started his prophesy, there was peace and prosper in Israel and Judah. Both kingdoms were wealthy. However, the wealth did not reach the poor. This was because the wealth and power were in the hands of the king, his family, his officials, and wealthy merchants. As a result, Israel citizens were divided into two classes; the rich and the poor. Unfortunately, the rich people owned big luxurious houses. They drunk wine, and used the most expensive perfumes. They acquired their wealth at the expense of the poor. They oppressed and exploited the poor. The merchants of trade for example, were dishonest in their trade businesses. They sold bad wheat to unsuspecting customers and overcharged customers by measuring with false scales. Because of the inflated prices, the poor borrowed money from the rich at high interest rates to buy basic things like food. Hence, there was massive bribery and corruption in society and law courts. As a result the poor lacked basic necessities or needs like food, shelter, and clothing. It was at this time when God sent Amos to give prophesy to Israel. SAQ. How did the rich oppress the poor in Israel?   LESSON TWO: VISIONS OF AMOS Read AMOS 7: 1 – 9, 8:1 – 3. 9:1 – 4) Vision is a picture we have in our mind. It is a future to come. Amos was shown many visions by God. Lesson outcomes. After reading these verses in Amos you should be able to: – Analyse all the visions and State the message of each vision Summaries things that God condemned through Amos   The vision of the locusts (Amos 7:1 – 3 ) Amos saw a swarm of locusts being sent by God to destroy all plants and food crops in the land. The locusts were, a sign of disaster, which God was going to send to Israel as a punishment for their disobedience. Amos cried to God to forgive the people. God heard and changed his mind.   The vision of a great fire (Amos 7:4 – 6) Amos saw a vision of a supernatural fire that burnt up the land. He asked God to forgive the people and God listened. The punishment was stopped.   The vision of a crooked wall/ the plumb line (Amos 7:7 – 9) Amos saw the Lord standing beside the wall checked it with a plumb line. The wall represented the Israelites. They stopped observing the laws of their covenant with God. God found Israelites disobeying the covenant. God promised to destroy holy places of Israel..   The vision of a basket of ripe fruits (Amos 8:1 – 3) In this vision, Amos saw a basket of ripe fruits. Fruits are harvested at the end of the summer. This meant that Israel was ripe for punishment for her refusal

PROPHETS INTRODUCTION This chapter introduces one to the work of prophets in the Old Testament. In Form One, some prophets were taught e.g. Moses, Elijah, Nathan and Samuel. Traditional African prophets were also taught. In Form Three, we compare true and false prophets and the Traditional African prophets. Learning outcomes. By the end of the topic, you should be able to: Define a prophet, and prophecy Identify categories of prophets Explain the importance of prophets in Israel. Describe the characteristics of prophets. Explain how prophetic messages were written. Compare the relationship between prophesies in the Old Testament and the New Testament   LESSON ONE: PROPHETS Learning outcomes. After reading this lesson, you should be able to: – Give a correct definition of a prophet, and prophecy List prophets in categories Definitions of a prophet, and prophecy The word prophet comes from a Hebrew word “Rabii’ meaning ‘one who is called or one who announces God’s message. A prophet is also referred to as a seer. A prophet is a person sent by God to teach and give people messages about things to come in future from God. Prophets received divine messages from God and communicated them to the people. A prophet is therefore a person who foretells events as revealed to him or her by God. Examples of prophets include Samuel, Elijah, Jeremiah and prophetesses (female prophet) Deborah, and Huidah. Prophecy is a statement, a message of something that is going to happen in the future. The action of giving future messages is called prophecy. Categories of prophets There were many categories of prophets. These were: Major Prophets. These were Prophet’s whose messages covered a long period of time. Their messages were long and detailed. For example Prophet Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. Minor prophets. There are 12 books of the Minor Prophets examples They are called minor because their messages are short, brief and do not contain detailed information. The Minor Prophets are Amos, and Hosea, Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. Canonical prophets the term canon means law. Canonical prophets are law prophets. The individual utterances of these prophets are laws. Both minor and major prophets are canonical prophets, The early prophets are Moses, Nathan Elijah, and Elisha. These prophets belonged to guilds schools. Their prophecies are not recorded under their names. Their prophecies are written in books, which do not bear their names. Cultic prophets like Hannah (N.T.) served in the places of worship. They assisted the priest officiating worship Professional / court prophets like Samuel, Micah, and Gad lived together in the temple and in groups. They earned their living through their work. They did not work elsewhere False prophets are pretenders to speak in the name of Yahweh but God did not call them. They spoke lies in accordance with the messages people wanted to hear. Characteristics of true prophets There were two (2) major categories of prophets in the Old Testament, (1) true prophets and (2) false prophets. True prophets are those whose prophecies occurred and were fulfilled. Prophesies of false prophets did not occur. True prophets distinguished themselves from false prophets and ordinary people. They experienced God dramatically when He called them and in their ministry. They were God’s spokesmen and women. They responded in faith to their call. God gave them specific tasks in their commission and God’s assurance and support in their ministry. They urged people to repent and turn back to God. In their messages, they taught that God demands sincere worship and not elaborate rituals. They understood God and taught about God righteousness, goodness, mercifulness, and loving care. They condemned evil in the society and proclaimed God’s judgment and punishment to those who failed to keep the covenant. They spoke with authority and acted with courage. They upheld God as a universal God for all nations. They talked of a remnant that shall remain after punishment or those that have continued to worship God sincerely. Their utterances were true because they were fulfilled They spent a lot of their time in prayers. They prayed regularly. At such times they withdrew from people in order to have a quiet time to seek God. All the true prophets received opposition from their audiences and they were ready to suffer for telling God’s word. The Characteristics of false prophets. Some of the prophecy of false prophets contradicted prophesies of the true prophets. False prophets followed their own imaginations, and gave false hopes. They told people what they wanted to hear. They had no personal knowledge of God. Hence, their prophecies were not in line with the divine revelations. They used evil forces such as magic, and divinations to call upon the spirits of the dead. They were paid for prophesy and benefits materially from their clients. They served Baal and were mainly immoral. They committed crime. Review questions How can we know true and false prophets today?   LESSON TWO: IMPORTANCE OF PROPHETS IN ISRAEL Introduction Learning outcomes. After reading this lesson, you should: Describe the work of prophets in Israel Explain how God communicated with prophets and Israelites Analyse the content of the Prophetic messages   Work of prophets in Israel Prophets kept Israelites in communication with God. They communicated God’s will to the people of Israel. They foretold God’s judgments and punishment for sinners. They condemned the behaviour of the rich towards the poor. Through their messages, people reformed their lives since they condemned all forms of social evils and ritual sins. They contributed to the writing of their messages leading to the compilation of the Bible. Prophets guided and gave people hope. They taught people the laws of God. They warned people of dangers to come. They condemned idolatry and stressed the worship of one true God, Yahweh. They anointed the Kings in Israel. Kings consulted the prophets before any major undertaking such as war among others. They acted as conscience of kings. They advised them and challenged Kings when they went wrong.   God’s

LESSON ONE: TEACHINGS OF THE UNITY OF BELIEVERS IN SELECTED NEW TESTAMENT TEXTS Unity of believers refers to oneness of those who have faith in Jesus Christ. Learning outcomes. By the end of this lesson you should be able to: – Describe activities of early Christians Describe characteristics of the people of God Explain the meanings of these symbolic expressions The body of Christ The Vine and the Branches The Church / Assembly of God The Bride    Early Christians The early Christians in Jerusalem demonstrated their unity by. Holding joint prayer sessions Sharing the Lords supper, that is Eucharist. Sharing their possessions with the poor. The showed oneness and unity as believers. They expressed their oneness using various terms, images, metaphors and symbols. They regarded themselves as the people of God, the church and an Assembly of God. When they celebrated the last supper, eating of bread was a symbol of the body of Christ. They saw themselves as belonging to one tree with the vine and branches. As followers of Christ, the early Church saw itself as the Bride of Christ. Discussion of Symbolic Expressions The people of God Read 1 PETER 2: 9-10. Peter has outlined the characteristics of the people of God. He says that the people of God are Believers in God: through faith in Jesus Christ. The ‘Chosen race’, ‘a royal priesthood’, a holy nation’ ‘a chosen people’ Those who stand out from the rest because they live a holy and righteous life. Form a Holy nation chosen to proclaim the works of God. Not just the descendants of Abraham but people who follow Jesus Christ and His teachings.   The body of Christ Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, and Ephesians’ 4:1-12. The Holy Spirit is the one who brings Christians together as one body of Christ to serve the church. Christians are given gifts for the purpose of sharing the body of Christ. Jesus Christ is the head of the church. And just as the body has many parts, playing different roles, so has the Church. Every member of the church plays a vital role because different members have different spiritual gifts and callings. Some are Apostles, Teachers, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Miracle performers, Administrators and those who show mercy to others and encourage (exhort) others. All church activities should be directed to the welfare of the church, just as the function of each part of the body is necessary for the well being of the whole body. To have a united body, members should be meek, and patient in order to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit. For a church to be united, or to be considered as one body, Christians should have faith in God the father, one Lord Jesus Christ, one Holy Spirit and have faith in God through Jesus Christ. The Vine and the Branches Read John 15:1-10 The vine represents Jesus. Vine tree was a tree that bore grapes. The vine tree was a symbol of prosperity and peace. Jesus is the vine and the Father is the vinedresser. Christians/ believers are the branches. They are expected to produce good fruits by remaining faithful and united in Christ. Faithful branches bear fruit like good Christians while unfruitful branches are like unfruitful Christians. Christians should remain united to Christ who is the vine so as to bear fruits. The teachings of Jesus purify the Christians. The dead branches of the Vine trees are cut off and the livings ones are trimmed or pruned. This is done so that the vines may produce high yields. Likewise unfaithful Christians, believers are rebuked and corrected so as to bear high yields.   The Church or Assembly of God. Read Ephesians 5: 21 – 32 Church is a Greek word “““ekklesia””, which means people. People who belong to the Lord. Assembly of God is the coming together of people of diverse social and cultural backgrounds who recognize lordship of Jesus. The church is likened to the relationship between a husband and a wife. Christians (the church) are expected to be united with Christ just as a husband and wife are united in marriage. Just as husbands and wives are expected to love one another, so too, are Christians called upon to express love to one another and to love God. A husband is the head of a family; Jesus is also the head of the church.    The Bride. Read 2 Corinthian 11: 2, and Revelations 21: 1 – 12 In the Old Testament, God calls Israel a bride. In the New Testament, Christians are referred to as “a bride’ in the New Jerusalem’. God or Jesus Christ is the bridegroom. Christians are reminded that the life on earth is a temporary home. Their real home is in heaven, the Holy city of God. Just as a bride is expected to be faithful to her husband, so are Christians expected to be faithful to God by observing the covenant way of life. Deviation from the covenant was portrayed as adultery. John, who wrote the book of revelations, sees a vision of a new heaven and a new earth in which faithful Christians will be rewarded. Christ will come to take His bride to eternity to live there forever. The relationship between Christians and Jesus/ God is like a marriage. It is a covenant. It is a relationship where the church (bride) is expected to submit to God. Jesus died for the church, a show of His or God’s love. Likewise Christians should be committed in their relationship to God.   SAQ. 1. Discuss in twos who is a bride and what takes place in a wedding. Discuss the significance of the symbols used to express the unity of the believers. These are “The people of God”, “The body of Christ”, “The vine and the branches” “The church or assembly of God” and “The bride”.   LESSON TWO: CAUSES OF DISUNITY IN THE EARLY CHURCH The early church experienced some challenges, which led

LESSON ONE: TEACHINGS OF JESUS ON THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Read JOHN 14:15-26, 16: 5-15, and ACTS 1: 7- 8 Introduction The Holy Spirit is the third person in the trinity. There is the power of Christ, the power of God, and the Holy Spirit who gives gifts such as prophecy and healing. The Holy Spirit is mentioned several times in the Bible; (1) during creation in Genesis, (2) at the annunciation of the birth of Jesus, (3) at the beginning of the ministry of Jesus, (4) during baptism, (5) revelation of Jesus in the temple (6) Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit during his mission or ministry, after resurrection and before ascension Learning outcomes. By the end of this lesson: State the role of Holy Spirit in the church and in Christian lives today Enumerate the gifts of the Holy Spirit Analyse the Manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the church and Christians today Give the role of love in church and in Christian lives today The role of Holy Spirit in Church and in Christian lives today. Read JOHN 14:15-26 and JOHN 16: 5-15, ACTS 1: 7- 8 The Holy Spirit has many roles in the church and in Christian lives today. These roles are to: Teach Christians on a daily basis messages of Jesus Live in the hearts of believers of Christ Be an advocate, a counselor, helper and a comforter to those who love Jesus Christ and obey God’s commandments. He would remind the disciples the words said by Jesus Christ and introduce them to their deeper meanings. Interpret the deeper meaning of the messages of Jesus Christ. Reveal the truth and mysteries of and about God. Affirm the right of Jesus as the Son of God. Reveal the glory of Jesus death. Reveal what is right and wrong Give the disciples of Jesus power to become witnesses of Christ. Give courage to the disciples of Jesus and modern Christians to face prosecution on the account of following Jesus. Enable the disciples to expose the secret lives and heart of sinful people. Guide Christians; help believers to cast away evils spirits, to heal, to preach the word of God, to encourage, and to condemn evil in the society.   Paul teaching about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Read 1 Corinthians chapters 12, 13, and 14. Spiritual gifts are extra-ordinary favors, talents, abilities, and dispositions given to Christians by God for the benefit of all believers. The gifts are used for the service of others and not for self-glorification and gratification. The message of Peter on the day of the Pentecost Peter told the disciple that what was happening was the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy. He said that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God. He said that the suffering and death of Jesus was according to God’s plans. Death was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy.  Gifts of the Holy Spirit Gift of wisdom: – having deep understanding of issues- ‘seeing far’, being perceptive. Gift of knowledge: – ability to understand the basic facts about Jesus, His mission and knowledge about spiritual issues. The gift of faith: – refers to the confidence in God’s help. It is deep trust in God. The Gift of healing: – ability, and power to heal all forms of sickness by calling upon the name of Jesus Christ. The gift of performing miracles: – gift of healing miracles, creative miracles for example, dead legs becoming alive. The gift of preaching The gift of prophecy: – the ability to interpret God’s word. The ability to foresee what will happen in the future as revealed by God. The gift of distinguishing spirits or discernment: – the ability to know whether a spiritual gift is from God, the Holy Spirit or from the evil spirit The gift of speaking in tongues. The ability to utter, speak in a tongue, language unknown to the believer. Tongues are used when addressing God for self-edifications. It is personal growth. The gift of interpretation of tongues: – the ability to understand and interpret the messages of those speaking in tongues. The gift of love. (Read 1 Corinthians 13) Paul stressed that all the gifts of the Holy Spirit are to be demonstrated with love. He stressed that love, a fruit of the Holy Spirit is supreme over other spiritual gifts possessed by Christians. It’s the greatest of all. Speaking in tongues, preaching, and martyrdom without love is useless. Components of Love Love is patient, kind, not jealous or boastful, not arrogant or rude, is not ill mannered or selfish, and does not insist on its own way. It is not disrespectful. It is not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice at wrong but rejoices in truth. It bears all things. Love believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love is eternal. Love never fails. The other gifts are temporary but love, faith and hope are eternal. Manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the church and Christians today Gifts of the Holy Spirit have been manifested in churches today. We see this manifestation through people possessing the gifts of the Holy Spirit. For example, leaders in church have displayed the gift of wisdom. Preachers, and Christian’s ministers have been casting out demons and performing healing. There are reported cases of interpretation of tongues and gift of prophecy in churches today. When Christians display the gifts of the Holy Spirit such as speaking in tongues the Holy Spirit is manifested. Other manifestations of the Holy Spirit are: Through healing, prophecy, gifts of discernment, boldness in preaching, and casting out demons among others Christians helping the poor by giving generosity and in kindness. Through singing, dancing, shouting (fruit of joy) Through unity of believes and fellowships. Through praying, Christian’s persecutions/temptations. Criteria for Discerning the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Christians who have the Holy Spirit and are guided by Jesus have certain characteristics. These are: They will confess that Jesus is

TOPIC 1 : GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT – Click to view TOPIC 2 : THE UNITY OF BELIEVERS – Click to view TOPIC 3 : TEACHINGS FROM SELECTED OLD TESTAMENT – Click to view TOPIC 4 : PROPHET AMOS – Click to view TOPIC 5 : PROPHET JEREMIAH – Click to view TOPIC 6 : NEHEMIAH – Click to view