First Quarter

Sovereignty of God

SEPTEMBER 4, 2016 — NOVEMBER 27, 2016

The theme for the fall quarter is God's sovereignty. During these thirteen weeks we will explore images of the authors of Isaiah, Hebrews, and Revelation to discern the sovereign nature of God.

The four lessons of Unit 1, The Sovereignty of God, examine Isaiah's rich images of God as the one who rules the whole universe. We will discover the world as a peaceful kingdom, a mountain of God, the foundations of the earth, and a new and everlasting covenant. This unit begins on September 4 with The Peaceful Kingdom, based on Isaiah 11:1-9, where we find a world filled with the peace, justice, and righteousness of God. On September 11 we turn to Isaiah 25 to catch a glimpse of The Mountain of God where there is no oppression. Foundations of the Earth, the session for September 18, considers God's ultimate power as seen in Isaiah 40. Isaiah 61, the background Scripture for Everlasting Covenant that we will study on September 25, spotlights promises that God makes and reliably fulfills.

Unit 2, The Sovereignty of Jesus, stretches over five weeks as we investigate images of the reign of the resurrected Christ found in the Letter to the Hebrews. During these sessions we will encounter images of Jesus as the imprint of God, the owner of a household, the great high priest, a priest forever, and the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. The Imprint of God, based on an image found in Hebrews 1, is the first lesson in this unit that begins on October 2. We turn on October 9 to two background Scriptures, Hebrews 3:1-6 and Matthew 7:24-29, to see how Jesus is portrayed as the Builder of the House. We encounter Jesus as The Great High Priest in the lesson for October 16 from Hebrews 4:14–5:10. Jesus is seen as The High Priest Forever in Hebrews 7, which we will delve into on October 23. This unit ends on October 30 with a lesson from Hebrews 12:1-13 as we learn about Christ as the Pioneer and Perfecter of Our Faith.

The final four lessons, which compose Unit 3, titled Alpha and Omega, look at the metaphors in Revelation of one who makes all things new, a vision of the New Jerusalem, a river of life, and the beginning and end of all things to explore how God reigns. The unit starts on November 6 with Everything Is Brand New, rooted in Revelation 21:1-8. I See a New Jerusalem, the session on November 13, examines the eternal beauty of the heavenly city as seen in Revelation 21:9-27. The Living Water, described in Revelation 22:1-7 in the lesson for November 20, brings life and healing. The unit concludes on November 27 with titles depicting Christ — Alpha and Omega — as found in Revelation 22:8-21.

Meet Our Writer

DR. JERRY L. SUMNEY

Dr. Jerry L. Sumney is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature and is past president for the Southeastern Region of the society. At the national level, he also served as the chair of the steering committee for the Theology of the Disputed Paulines Group from 1996 through 2001 and currently serves as the chair of the steering committee for the Disputed Paulines Section. He is also currently chair for the Pauline Epistles and Literature Section of the International Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. He was elected to membership in the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas (SNTS) in 2005.

Dr. Sumney has written six books: The Bible: An Introduction (2010); Colossians: A Commentary, New Testament Library Series (2008); Philippians, A Handbook for Second-Year Greek Students (2007);Servants of Satan, False Brothers, and Other Pauline Opponents (1999); Preaching Apocalyptic Texts (coauthored with Larry Paul Jones (1999); and Identifying Paul's Opponents (1990). He is editor of The Order of the Ministry: Equipping the Saints (2002) and coeditor of Theology and Ethics in Paul and His Interpreters (1996), Paul and Pathos (2001), and Romans in the Society of Biblical Literature Bible Resources series (2012). Dr. Sumney also has written more than thirty articles in journals and books. He also contributed entries to the New Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible and the Dictionary of the Later New Testament and Its Developments, and Dictionary of Scripture and Ethics. In addition, he is a contributor to The College Study Bible and the CEB Study Bible.

Prior to joining the faculty of Lexington Theological Seminary (LTS) where he is Professor of Biblical Studies, he taught in the religion department at Ferrum College from 1986 through 1997. He received his B.A. from David Lipscomb University in 1978, his M.A. from Harding University in 1982, and his Ph.D. from Southern Methodist University in 1987.

Dr. Sumney has presented papers at regional, national, and international academic conferences. He has also led numerous workshops for elders and deacons; Bible study workshops and series, including in the Lay School of Theology at LTS and in the school for licensed ministers sponsored by the Kentucky region of the Christian Church. He is the regular teacher of an adult Sunday school class in his home church, Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), in Lexington.

Jerry and his wife, Diane, have three daughters: Elizabeth, Victoria, and Margaret.

The Big Picture: God in Isaiah, Hebrews, and Revelation

This quarter's lessons come primarily from three different types of books of the Bible. Each represents a different kind of writing and addresses an audience facing very different questions. So we must look at each one individually.

The book of Isaiah was written over the course of some two hundred to three hundred years by three different prophets, all of whom are referred to as Isaiah. The original Isaiah, who lived in Jerusalem during the eighth century B.C., spoke to the kings and people of Judah. He prophesied during the time that the nation of Israel, also known as the Northern Kingdom, was attacked and defeated by the Assyrians. He saw the...