Adult Bible Fellowship

I just started a new Bible Study in my Adult Bible Fellowship class at Fellowship Baptist Church in Watertown, WI. The topic of study is The Weaknesses of Men. Actually, it's more The Weaknesses of Humanity, but the first title has a better ring to it. The first lesson was an overview of the specific Bible references that explicity refer to something as being an example. For example, Jesus said he washed the disciples' feet as an example to them; Paul exhorted Timothy to be an example to the believers in his church; etc. Then we also looked over Bible references that explicitly indicate an example that should not be followed: Jude said that the punishment of the Hebrews and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah were examples to us; Paul indicated something similar in I Corinthians 10.

We'll be studying various weaknesses of men mostly from the Old Testament. We'll be using a series of questions I developed. Here they are:

• What is the weakness being evidenced in this person’s character? (may require some sanctified speculation)
• What is the first evidence we see that the weakness is there?
• At what point do we see them taking a specific action that exposes their weakness? What action provides the most specific evidence of their weakness?
• To what sin or sins did giving in to their weakness lead?
• How did they (intentionally or unintentionally) draw others' into their sin?
• What were the immediate and long-term consequences of their sin?
• Do they give evidence of dealing with their weakness and with their sin? Do they show repentance? Do they show evidence of a change of behavior?
• How would you have advised this person to deal with their weakness before it turned into sin? Use a Bible verse to support your advice if appropriate. What first action might have headed off the entire situation?
• What situations in our own time can lead to exposure of this weakness and consequent falling into sin? What should be our first action to help avoid falling?

Those questions will guide our analysis.

The first one we looked at partially today was Adam and Eve. How would you answer those questions based on the passage: Genesis 2:15-3:7?