Presenting a Biblical response by concerned former Seventh-day Adventists to the Sabbath School Bible Study Guide.

This website is NOT connected to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The offical Seventh-day Adventist Church website is linked here.

HOME | 2010 | FOURTH QUARTER | WEEK 12 | DAY 1 | DAY 2 | DAY 3 | DAY 4 | DAY 5 | DAY 6 | DAY 7

BibleStudiesForAdventistsHead

Commentary on "Gehazi: Missing the Mark"

RICHARD PEIFER

 

Day 5: Wednesday, December 15, 2010 - Gehazi's Fall

 

Overview

“The battle against greed requires constant attention. We continually have to adjust our thoughts toward our possessions and surrender them to God. We can keep our perspective by consistently giving not only material possessions but also time.” (Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide, Oct. Nov. Dec. 2010, page 144)

 

Problems

I appreciate the author’s approach to Gehazi’s failure, with the exception of the last sentence quoted above.

Our attitudes are not shaped by our behavior. They are shaped by our thinking. All of us probably know someone who is generous when the cameras are rolling, but is miserly and critical when he or she thinks no one is looking.

This is why, with the exception of Jesus’ criticism of the Pharisees and the writer of Hebrews explanation of Melchizedek’s superiority to Abraham, tithing is not mentioned in the New Testament. Tithing is not part of the New Covenant. The grace of giving is, and Paul explains it in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9.

The only way to overcome a greedy attitude is to allow the Holy Spirit to renew your mind while He pours God’s agape love into you to the point of overflowing. Greed turns to contentment, and contentment responds to God’s leading in the area of giving.

Godly contentment is also the solution to materialism. Learning from God Himself the overwhelming value of our Spiritual inheritance compared to the momentarily shiny things of this world cures the desire to obtain more and more and more.

Being changed by God from the inside out is the only logical approach.

 

Summary

  1. The author does a good job of following Gehazi’s faulty logic from temptation to self-deception to sin to ruin.
  2. The solution offered, giving both time and money, is an example of behavior modification, and it will fail. Allowing the Holy Spirit to renew our minds is the only means of true attitude change.

 

GO TO DAY 6

 

Copyright 2010 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. November 15, 2010. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.

The Sabbath School Bible Study Guide and the corresponding E.G. White Notes are published by Pacific Press Publishing Association, which is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist church. The current quarter's editions are pictured above.

 

Official Adventist Resources

Standard Edition Study Guide Week 12

Teacher's Edition Study Guide Week 12

Easy Reading Edition Study Guide Wk 12

Search the Complete Published Ellen G. White Writings

EGW
quarterly