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About ‘Senior (& other) Saints’ (Good News Bible Version used here)
— The GNB does greatly simplify our understanding of some of these verses so I will quote it here.

Let’s dive into the quiz, starting in the Old Testament book of Leviticus 19:32-34… “Show respect for old people and honor them. Reverently obey me; I am the LORD.  (33)  “Do not mistreat foreigners who are living in your land.  (34)  Treat them as you would an Israelite, and love them as you love yourselves. Remember that you were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

— Q1. God uses repetition in His Word to emphasize a matter, what is emphasized here…

a/ Mistreating of foreigners.     b/ Disrespecting people.     c/ These are God’s commands.

— These commands are repeated by Jesus at various times, as found in Matthew 19:19… (where Jesus answered a young man) “respect your father and your mother; and love your neighbor as you love yourself.”

— Q2. Who are the elders involved in this command?

a/ your neighbor.     b/ your mother and father.     c/ nobody, age has no bearing here.

Next some negativity in the elders…

Luke 9:18-22… One day when Jesus was praying alone, the disciples came to him. “Who do the crowds say I am?” he asked them.  (19)  “Some say that you are John the Baptist,” they answered. “Others say that you are Elijah, while others say that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”  (20)  “What about you?” he asked them. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are God’s Messiah.”  (21)  Then Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell this to anyone.  (22)  He also told them, “The Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law. He will be put to death, but three days later he will be raised to life.”

— Q3. Jesus’ prophecy is sadly acted out by the religious elders, up to and even after the crucifixion of Jesus on the cross, why did these elders deny Jesus as the Messiah?

a/ He was not what they expected.     b/ They feared a loss of control.     c/ Both a & b

— Q4. As we read of the religious elders and leaders of that day, what lesson can we learn?

a/ to let God’s Holy Spirit define our reactions.     b/ to crave control.     c/ to resist change.

Acts 4:18-23… So they called them back in and told them that under no condition were they to speak or to teach in the name of Jesus.  (19)  But Peter and John answered them, “You yourselves judge which is right in God’s sight—to obey you or to obey God.  (20)  For we cannot stop speaking of what we ourselves have seen and heard.”  (21)  So the Council warned them even more strongly and then set them free. They saw that it was impossible to punish them, because the people were all praising God for what had happened.  (22)  The man on whom this miracle of healing had been performed was over forty years old.  (23)  As soon as Peter and John were set free, they returned to their group and told them what the chief priests and the elders had said.

— Q5. Here we find the chief priests and elders of that day also acted against…

a/ the government.     b/ the Romans.     c/ the early church.

If you do a Bible search, you will find so much resistance by those elders…
— However, let’s look ahead to the CHURCH ELDERS after the Day of Pentecost.

Acts 15:4-6… When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, the apostles, and the elders, to whom they told all that God had done through them.  (5)  But some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and told to obey the Law of Moses.”  (6)  The apostles and the elders met together to consider this question.

— Q6. We find here that the elders were important ________ ________ in the early church…

a/ trouble makers.     b/ decision makers.     c/ evil forces.

(Quiz continues on Pg.#2)

About ‘Senior (& other) Saints’ (Pg.#2)

As we read through this debate in the early church, (Acts 15:1-39) we come to the verses which tell us of the final decisions made by the Apostles and the elders…

Acts 15:27-29… We send you, then, Judas and Silas, who will tell you in person the same things we are writing.  (28)  The Holy Spirit and we have agreed not to put any other burden on you besides these necessary rules:  (29)  eat no food that has been offered to idols; eat no blood; eat no animal that has been strangled; and keep yourselves from sexual immorality. You will do well if you take care not to do these things. With our best wishes.”

— Q7. If you have read about this debate, you find that the chief question was if new believers…

a/ had to attend Bible school.     b/ had to be baptized.     c/ had to be circumcised.

— Q8. Their answer went against the demands that the ___________  _______ made.

a/ apostles wanted.     b/ circumcision group.     c/ elders wanted.

— Q9. The elders came to an agreement in their decision with the aid of the…

a/ religious leaders.     b/ the government.     c/ the Holy Spirit.

Again let us let God’s Word draw us to a close…

Titus 2:1-8… But you must teach what agrees with sound doctrine.  (2)  Instruct the older men to be sober, sensible, and self-controlled; to be sound in their faith, love, and endurance.  (3)  In the same way instruct the older women to behave as women should who live a holy life. They must not be slanderers or slaves to wine. They must teach what is good,  (4)  in order to train the younger women to love their husbands and children,  (5)  to be self-controlled and pure, and to be good housewives who submit themselves to their husbands, so that no one will speak evil of the message that comes from God.  (6)  In the same way urge the young men to be self-controlled.  (7)  In all things you yourself must be an example of good behavior. Be sincere and serious in your teaching.  (8)  Use sound words that cannot be criticized, so that your enemies may be put to shame by not having anything bad to say about us.

— Q10. If elder saints in the church want to gain Godly obedient respect, we must behave in a manner that…

a/ dictates a dress code.     b/ deserves it.     c/ condemns change.

— Q11. In Vs. 7 elder saints are to teach the younger Christians by…

a/ constantly scolding them.     b/ repeating the scriptures.     c/ being an example of good behavior.

— Q12. Vs.8 continues to tell the elder saints to ‘use sound words’ so that…

a/ we hinder criticism.     b/ we don’t give the enemies of the church any ammunition.     c/ both a & b.

If you examine Titus 2:1-8 carefully, you find that it is not just dealing with the respectful treatment of elders, it is speaking to the witness of every stage of adulthood.

— Therefore… We all are required to hold a careful watch over our behaviors, for they WITNESS to those around us of what a follower of Jesus is about.

I pray that as we all age we may live up to and learn what Titus 2:1-8 has to teach us, so we may indeed, be sober, sensible, and self-controlled, and to be sound in faith, love, and endurance… In the same way, the elders should be an example of people who live a holy life. (KK)

(Click here for PDF copy of Pg.#1)

(Click here for PDF copy of Pg.#2)