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Lesson 2 We Are His Chosen People

Worship Read responsively (Ephesians 2:8-10,19-22). For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith— and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works. You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. Prayer: Lord, you have called me by the gospel and made me your child by grace. In your mercy you have also called others to be your children and gathered us together to be your holy Christian church. Help me to treasure all those you have called together to be your people here and now. Give us all strength to carry out your will as your church, and keep us faithful to you until we join the host of believers in heaven to praise your glorious name. Amen.

Introduction Luther wrote: “All Christians are truly of the spiritual estate, and there is no difference among them except that of office (1 Corinthians 12:12-13)” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 44, p. 127). The church bulletin announced a special forum for all the members of the congregation. The church had received an offer from a local business for their property. The meeting was to share all the information with the members of the congregation and listen to what the members thought. What would the offer mean to the ministry of the congregation? What were the issues at stake? All the members were asked to come. The involvement of all the members in the work of the church is one part of the legacy that comes with the understanding of the priesthood of all believers, another of the truths that Luther fought to protect.

The gospel calls us to faith and unites us in the one true church. 1. Read Acts 2:1-11. Why was the Jewish festival of Pentecost the ideal time to introduce the world to the message of Christ? List the many different places represented by the people in attendance. (If you have a map of the Mediterranean world, how many of these places can you find?)

2. List several facets in God’s plan to insure that the gospel would have as broad an audience as possible during this special Pentecost celebration.

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3. Then Peter stood and spoke to the crowd. Read Acts 2:29-40. God touched the hearts of those in the crowd. God worked through the message of law and gospel in Peter’s message. 

Identify the part of Peter’s message that was law.

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What effect did the law have on the crowd?

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Identify the part of Peter’s message that was gospel.

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What effect did the gospel have on the crowd?

4. Why is it important to share both the law and the gospel with people today?

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5. Read Acts 2:42. On the left of the table below, write down the four things to which the church in Jerusalem was devoted. On the right side, write down ways your church shows it is devoted to the same things.

The Church in Jerusalem

My Church

Additional Thoughts

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The church is united to do the Lord’s work. 6. Years later Peter wrote, “To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia” (1 Peter 1:1). Read 1 Peter 2:4,5. Explain in your own words how Peter’s description of the church as living stones built together captures the essence of the holy Christian church and the communion of saints.

7. How does this description apply to your congregation?

8. Luther’s newfound understanding of how we become part of the church was especially freeing for him and a part of what he was defending at Worms. Read 1 Peter 2:9,10. This is another description of the church of Christ. What do you see in this description that is particularly comforting?

9. What does Peter say God’s chosen people normally do because they have come to faith in the light?

10. The apostle Paul also wrote to Christians throughout the Roman world. Look through the letters of Paul and identify the places where Christians received his letters. List them here.

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11. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul describes those who believe. Read Galatians 3:26-28. Using Paul’s thoughts, describe what your congregation of believers should look like.

12. What barriers keep us from thinking of other Christians as our brothers and sisters?

13. Luther could say, “There is no difference among them except that of office,” because he understood the scriptural teaching of the universal priesthood of all believers. How was that teaching opposed by the church in his day both in teaching and practice?

14. Paul gives us another picture of the church in his letter to the Romans. Read Romans 12:4-8. Demonstrate that Paul’s illustration of the church balances the unity of the church with its composition as individual believers.

15. How does this illustration help you understand your own congregation?

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16. Read Acts 6:1-7. Here is an example of how the body of Christ made use of the differences in gifts to help the church grow. What did they do?

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How does this apply to us today in our congregations?

Supplemental Questions: 1. In your own words explain what you think Luther meant when he wrote, “All Christians are truly of the spiritual estate, and there is no difference except that of office.”

2. Is the church a democracy or a hierarchy? Explain your answer.

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3. List four applications of our biblical understanding of the universal priesthood in the ministry of our congregations.

4. How do our procedures for calling a congregation’s servants (pastors, teachers, etc.) demonstrate that we follow the biblical principle of the universal priesthood of all believers and follow Luther’s expression of it: “Because we are all priests of equal standing, no one must push himself forward and take it upon himself, without our consent and election, to do that for which we all have equal authority. For no one dare take upon himself what is common to all without the authority and consent of the community” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 44, p. 129).

5. What factors should be remembered if it becomes necessary to correct false teaching by called workers or admonish them for sinful behavior?

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6. This Bible study deals with the church we confess in the Apostles’ Creed, “the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints.” Luther’s treatise, To the Christian Nobility, also dealt with the mixing of church and state. Read Romans 13:1-7 and 1 Peter 2:13-17. Discuss where the division between church and state should exist.

Additional Reading: Church—Mission—Ministry: The Family of God, by Armin Schuetze. A volume of the NPH People’s Bible Teaching series. God So Loved the World, by Lyle Lange, pp. 536-586. Grace Abounds: The Splendor of Christian Doctrine, by Daniel Deutschlander, pp. 445-485. Civil Government: God’s Other Kingdom, by Daniel Deutschlander. A volume of the NPH People’s Bible Teaching series.

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Acts 2:1-11 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the rushing of a violent wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw divided tongues that were like fire resting on each one of them. 4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, since the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak fluently. 5 Now there were godly Jewish men from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 When this sound was heard, a crowd came together and was confused, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 They were completely baffled and said to each other,[a] “Look, are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them speaking in his own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, and of Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya around Cyrene; visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes; 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring in our own languages the wonderful works of God.” Acts 2:29-40 29 “Gentlemen, brothers, I can speak confidently to you about the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath that he would seat one of his descendants[g] on his throne,[h] 31 he saw what was coming and spoke about the resurrection of Christ, saying that he[i] was neither abandoned to the grave nor did his flesh see decay.[j] 32 “This Jesus is the one God has raised up. We are all witnesses of that. 33 So, after he was exalted to the right hand of God and after he received the promised Holy Spirit from the Father, he poured out what you are now seeing and hearing. 34 “For David did not ascend into heaven, and yet he says: The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, 35 until I make your enemies a footstool under your feet.’[k] 36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” 37 Now when the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Gentlemen, brothers, what should we do?” 38 Peter answered them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your[l] sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call.” 40 He testified solemnly with many other words and was appealing to them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” Acts 2:42 42 They continued to hold firmly to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of the bread, and to the prayers.

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1 Peter 2:4-5 4 As you come to him, the Living Stone, rejected by men but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, like living stones, are being built as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, in order to bring spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:9-10 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, the people who are God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 At one time you were not a people, but now you are the people of God. At one time you were not shown mercy, but now you have been shown mercy. Galatians 3:26-28 26 In fact, you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 Indeed, as many of you as were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ. 28 There is not Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, for you are all one and the same in Christ Jesus. Romans 12:4-8 4 For we have many members in one body, and not all the members have the same function. 5 In the same way, though we are many, we are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace God has given us. If the gift is prophecy, do it in complete agreement with the faith.[b] 7 If it is serving, then serve. If it is teaching, then teach. 8 If it is encouraging, then encourage. If it is contributing, be generous. If it is leadership, be diligent. If it is showing mercy, do it cheerfully. Acts 6:1-7 In those days, as the number of disciples was increasing, a complaint arose from the Greek-speaking Jews against the Hebrew-speaking Jews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve called together the whole group of disciples and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers, carefully select from among you seven men with good reputations, who are full of the Holy[a] Spirit and wisdom. We will put them in charge of this service. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and the ministry of the word.” 5 This proposal pleased the entire group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas, a proselyte from Antioch. 6 They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 The word of God kept on spreading, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly. Also a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.

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Romans 13:1-7 Everyone must submit to the governing authorities. For no authority exists except by God, and the authorities that do exist have been established by God. 2 Therefore the one who rebels against the authority is opposing God’s institution, and those who oppose will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to evil. Would you like to have no fear of the one in authority? Do what is good, and you will receive praise from him, 4 because he is God’s servant for your benefit. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because he does not carry the sword without reason. He is God’s servant, a punisher to bring wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore it is necessary to submit, not only because of wrath, but also because of conscience. 6 For this reason you also pay taxes, because the authorities are God’s ministers, who are employed to do this very thing. 7 Pay what you owe to all of them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, and honor to whom honor is owed. 1 Peter 2:13-17 13 Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the king as the supreme authority 14 or to governors as those who have been sent by him to punish those who do what is wrong and to praise those who do what is right. 15 For this is God’s will: that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. 16 Do this as free people, and do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but use it as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood.[f] Fear God. Honor the king.

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