FORM THREE C.R.E NOTES
SELECTED TEACHINGS FROM THE NEW AND THE OLD TESTAMENTS
TOPIC ONE
GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
a) Discuss what Jesus taught about the role and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
b) Describe the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in Christianity today.
c) Identify the fruits of the Holy Spirit
d) Interpret the message of Peter on the day of Pentecost.
LESSON ONE: TEACHINGS OF JESUS ON THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Read
JOHN 14:15-26, 16: 5-15, and ACTS 1: 7- 8
Introduction
The Holy Spirit is the third person in the trinity. There is the power of Christ, the power of God,
and the Holy Spirit who gives gifts such as prophecy and healing.
The Holy Spirit is mentioned several times in the Bible;
1. During creation in Genesis, (Genesis 1:2)
2. At the annunciation of the birth of Jesus, (Luke 1:35)
3. At the beginning of the ministry of Jesus, (Luke 4:1)
4. During baptism, (Luke 3:22)
5. Revelation of Jesus in the temple
6. Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit during his mission or ministry, after resurrection and
before ascension
The following titles are used in the Bible to refer to the Holy Spirit
●The spirit of glory ( 1 Peter 4:14)
●The spirit of might and counsel ( )
●Holy spirit of promise (Ephesians 1:13)
●The spirit of truth ( John 14:17)
●The eternal spirit (Hebrew 9:4)
Learning outcomes
By the end of this lesson:
a. State the role of the Holy Spirit in the church and in Christian lives today
b. Enumerate the gifts of the Holy Spirit
c. Analyze the Manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the church and Christians today
d. Give the role of love in church and in Christian lives today
a. The role of the Holy Spirit in Church and in Christian lives today.
Read JOHN 14:15-26 and JOHN 16: 5-15, ACTS 1: 7- 8
The Holy Spirit has many roles in the church and in Christian lives today. These roles are
to:
●Teach Christians on a daily basis messages of Jesus
●Live in the hearts of believers of Christ
●Be an advocate, a counselor, helper and a comforter to those who love Jesus
Christ and obey God9s commandments.
●He would remind the disciples the words said by Jesus Christ and introduce them
to their deeper meanings.
●Interpret the deeper meaning of the messages of Jesus Christ.
●Reveal the truth and mysteries of and about God.
●Affirm the right of Jesus as the Son of God.
●Reveal the glory of Jesus' death.
●Reveal what is right and wrong
●Give the disciples of Jesus power to become witnesses of Christ.
●Give courage to the disciples of Jesus and modern Christians to face persecution
on the account of following Jesus.
●Enable the disciples to expose the secret lives and hearts of sinful people.
●Guide Christians; help believers to cast away evil spirits, to heal, to preach the
word of God, to encourage, and to condemn evil in the society.
b. Paul teaches about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Read 1 Corinthians chapters 12, 13, and 14
Spiritual gifts are extraordinary favors, talents, abilities, and dispositions given to
Christians by God for the benefit of all believers. The gifts are used for the service of
others and not for self glorification and gratification.
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
1. Gift of wisdom: – having deep understanding of issues- 8seeing far9, being
perceptive.
2. Gift of knowledge: – ability to understand the basic facts about Jesus, His
mission and knowledge about spiritual issues.
3. The gift of faith: – refers to the confidence in God9s help. It is deep trust in God.
4. The Gift of healing: – ability, and power to heal all forms of sickness by calling
upon the name of Jesus Christ.
5. The gift of performing miracles: – gift of healing miracles, creative miracles for
example, dead legs becoming alive.
6. The gift of preaching
7. The gift of prophecy: – the ability to interpret God9s word. The ability to foresee
what will happen in the future as revealed by God.
8. The gift of distinguishing spirits or discernment: – the ability to know whether a
spiritual gift is from God, the Holy Spirit or from the evil spirit
9. The gift of speaking in tongues. The ability to utter, speak in a tongue, language
unknown to the believer. Tongues are used when addressing God for
self-edifications. It is personal growth.
10. The gift of interpretation of tongues: – the ability to understand and interpret the
messages of those speaking in tongues.
11. The gift of love. (Read 1 Corinthians 13) Paul stressed that all the gifts of the
Holy Spirit are to be demonstrated with love. He stressed that love, a fruit of the
Holy Spirit, is supreme over other spiritual gifts possessed by Christians. It9s the
greatest of all. Speaking in tongues, preaching, and martyrdom without love are
useless.
COMPONENTS OF LOVE
Love is patient, kind, not jealous or boastful, not arrogant or rude, is not ill mannered or selfish,
and does not insist on its own way. It is not disrespectful. It is not irritable or resentful. It does
not rejoice at wrong but rejoices in truth. It bears all things. Love believes all things, hopes all
things, and endures all things. Love is eternal. Love never fails. The other gifts are temporary but
love, faith and hope are eternal.
c. Manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the church and Christians today
Gifts of the Holy Spirit have been manifested in churches today. We see this
manifestation through people possessing the gifts of the Holy Spirit. For example, leaders
in church have displayed the gift of wisdom. Preachers and Christian9s ministers have
been casting out demons and performing healing.
There are reported cases of interpretation of tongues and gift of prophecy in churches
today. When Christians display the gifts of the Holy Spirit such as speaking in tongues
the Holy Spirit is manifested. Other manifestations of the Holy Spirit are:
a) Through healing, prophecy, gifts of discernment, boldness in preaching, and
casting out demons among others
b) Christians help the poor by giving generosity and in kindness.
c) Through singing, dancing, shouting (fruit of joy)
d) Through unity of believers and fellowships.
e) Through praying,
f) Christian9s persecutions/temptations.
D. CRITERIA FOR DISCERNING THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Christians who have the Holy Spirit and are guided by Jesus have certain characteristics.
These are:
●They will confess that Jesus is Lord
●They cannot say a curse.
●They speak the truth.
●They worship God and behave in accordance with Jesus' teaching.
●They are led by the Holy Spirit and are known by the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
●These fruits are love, joy, peace, and patience.
●Such persons serve all Christians without discrimination and strife.
●They do not do sinful acts such as sexual immorality.
●They do not practice idolatry, and sorcery.
●They do not have in their hearts and minds hatred, and jealousy or any other negative
feelings and actions.
E. THE FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (GALATIANS 5:16-26)
Paul taught that the fruits of the spirit are: Love, Joy, Patience, Long suffering, Goodness or
Generosity, Faith and faithfulness, Peace, Meekness and kindness, gentleness, self- control and
temperance.
Answer these questions after reading – JOHN 14:15-26 and JOHN 16: 5-15, ACTS 1: 7- 8 and 1
Corinthians chapters 12, 13, and 14.
1. What is the role of the Holy Spirit among Christians?
2. Discuss the gifts of the Holy Spirit
3. Write a talk about the Holy Spirit
4. Define love?
5. Describe the different types of love
6. Why do Christians need the Holy Spirit today?
7. State the role of love in church and in Christian lives today.
8. How has the gift of the Holy Spirit been manifested in Christian lives?
9. Which activities show that the Holy Spirit is working among Christian in Kenya.
10. How have the gifts of the Holy Spirit been misused in the church today?
Answers are also in the text. Read sections with answers
1. The role of the Holy Spirit An advocate, a counselor and a comforter He would remind
and introduce the disciples to the deeper meaning of the word of Jesus Christ. To reveal
the myth and mysteries of God He would affirm the right of Jesus as the Son of God. He
would reveal the glory of Jesus9 death. He would enable the disciples to discern and
expose the secret heart of sinful men.
2. The gift of the Holy Spirit has been misused today by pride and public manifestation of
the gift as a way of show off. Some Christians have misused the gift of the Holy Spirit of
prophecy by prophesying for money.
LESSON TWO. PETER’S MESSAGE ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST (ACTS 2: 14-41)
Introduction
Jews commemorate Pentecost day. This is the day that God gave Moses his laws on Mount Sinai.
It is also referred to as the festival of weeks. Pentecost day was celebrated 50 days after the
Passover. It was compulsory for all Jews. On this day, Jews brought offerings, the first fruits of
harvest, to the temple in Jerusalem.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this lesson you should be able:
1. Describe Pentecost day
2. Narrate Peters9 Message.
3. Explain the relevance of the Pentecostal Experience
A. PENTECOST DAY
On the Pentecostal day, the disciples were gathered in Jerusalem awaiting the promise of the
Holy Spirit. And as promised, the Holy Spirit came in the form of a strong wind, and tongues of
fire. The Holy Spirit rested on the head of each disciple. The disciples received the gift of the
Holy Spirit. They spoke in new tongues. Some of the observers mistook this experience. They
thought that the disciples were drunk with wine. Peter stood up to explain what was happening
and defend the disciples. He told those who saw the experience that the disciples were not drunk.
It was in the morning.
B. PETER’S MESSAGE
Read Joel 2: 28 – 32
i. Peter told the onlookers that; what was happening was the fulfillment of Joel9s
prophecies about the outpouring of God's spirit.
ii. He said that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God. This was proved by the miracles
that Jesus performed.
iii. He emphasized that the suffering and death of Jesus was according to God9s plans.
iv. Jesus is a descendant of David.
v. Death and the resurrection of Jesus fulfilled prophecies in the Old Testament.
vi. God raised Jesus from the dead.
vii. He taught that Jesus had both the nature of God and Man.
viii. The apostles are the living witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus.
ix. Jesus has been exalted and sits on the right hand of God where He is Lord and Judge.
x. They holy Spirit is a gift from Jesus
xi. Peter then invited the listeners to repentance so that they could be forgiven and receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit.
xii. Three thousand souls accepted the salvation message and were added to the
fellowship of the disciples.
C. AFTER THE HOLY SPIRIT INFILLING
The disciples sold their possessions and goods and assisted the needy. They did many wonders
and signs. They continued to live in unity, worshiping God, fellowshipping together, and
breaking the bread.
D. LESSONS CHRISTIANS LEARN FROM LEADERSHIP OF PETER
Christians should be:
1. Courageous and stand up for Jesus Christ all the times.
2. Ready to spread the Gospel of Christ.
3. Win new converts to Jesus by inviting them to repentance.
4. Have faith in the risen Christ.
5. Pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit like Peter and those in church leadership should
take their roles seriously.
E. RELEVANCE OF THE PENTECOSTAL EXPERIENCE
i. Speaking in diverse tongues signified that Christianity is a universal religion.
ii. It pointed out the importance of all languages when communicating to God.
iii. There were no specific languages for speaking with God, as it was when Latin was the
language of literacy and Christianity.
iv. Christians should be bold in their preaching. They should not be afraid as they have
counsel and a helper, the Holy Spirit.
v. Christians should understand that God chooses anyone as a leader, preacher, and
witness of Christ.
vi. Pentecostal experience signifies that Christians need to receive and be filled with the
Holy Spirit
Topical Revision Questions
a) Explain the meaning of the Pentecost
b) Describe the manifestations of the Holy Spirit on the day of the Pentecost (Acts 2: 1-40)
(or narrate the events that took place on the day of the Pentecost)
c) Write down five teachings about Jesus from Peter9s speech on the day of the Pentecost
d) What were the qualities of Peter that made him a successful leader of the apostolic
church?
e) What lessons can Christians learn from the events of the day of the Pentecost?
f) State the teachings of Jesus on the Holy Spirit (John 14:14-26) (acts 1:7-8)
g) What is the role of the Holy Spirit according to Jesus?
h) What is the role of the Holy Spirit in the believers or the church or Christians?
i) Outline the fruits of the Holy Spirit
j) State the criteria for discerning the spiritual gifts
k) List down the gifts of the Holy Spirit
l) Explain why Paul taught that love is the greatest of all spiritual gifts
m) Explain how the Holy Spirit is manifested in the church today
n) State ways in which the gifts of the Holy Spirit are being abused in the church today
TOPIC TWO THE UNITY OF BELIEVERS
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
a) Explain teaching in selected New Testament texts of the unity of believers.
b) Identify the metaphors used to describe unity of believers.
c) Identify the causes of disunity in the early and modern church
LESSON ONE: TEACHINGS OF THE UNITY OF BELIEVERS IN SELECTED NEW
TESTAMENT TEXTS
Unity of believers refers to oneness of those who have faith in Jesus Christ.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this lesson you should be able to:
i. Describe activities of early Christians
ii. Describe characteristics of the people of God
iii. Explain the meanings of these symbolic expressions
- The body of Christ
- The Vine and the Branches
- The Church / Assembly of God
- The Bride
- The people of God
A. EARLY CHRISTIANS
The early Christians in Jerusalem demonstrated their unity by.
1. Holding joint prayer sessions
2. Sharing the Lord's supper that is Eucharist.
3. Sharing their possessions with the poor.
They showed oneness and unity as believers. They expressed their oneness using various terms,
images, metaphors and symbols. They regarded themselves as the people of God, the church and
an Assembly of God. When they celebrated the last supper, eating of bread was a symbol of the
body of Christ. They saw themselves as belonging to one tree with the vine and branches. As
followers of Christ, the early Church saw itself as the Bride of Christ.
B. DISCUSSION OF SYMBOLIC EXPRESSIONS/METAPHORS RELATED TO THE
UNITY OF BELIEVERS.
I. THE PEOPLE OF GOD
Read 1 PETER 2: 9-10. Peter read from the book of exodus 19:6. He outlined the characteristics
of the people of God and says that the people of God are Believers in God through faith in Jesus
Christ.
The 8Chosen race9, 8a royal priesthood9, a holy nation9 8a chosen people,9 those who stand out
from the rest because they live a holy and righteous life form a Holy nation chosen to proclaim
the works of God. Not just the descendants of Abraham but people who follow Jesus Christ and
His teachings. Christians are the new Israelites, they belong to the family of Christ and therefore
they are God9s people and they should live in unity and serve God.
II. THE BODY OF CHRIST
Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-31, and Ephesians9 4:1-12.
The Holy Spirit is the one who brings Christians together as one body of Christ to serve the
church. Christians are given gifts for the purpose of sharing the body of Christ.
Jesus Christ is the head of the church. And just as the body has many parts, playing different
roles, so has the Church. Every member of the church plays a vital role because different
members have different spiritual gifts and callings. Some are Apostles, Teachers, Prophets,
Evangelists, Pastors and Miracle performers, Administrators and those who show mercy to
others and encourage (exhort) others.
All church activities should be directed to the welfare of the church, just as the function of each
part of the body is necessary for the well being of the whole body. To have a united body,
members should be meek and patient in order to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit. For a church to
be united, or to be considered as one body, Christians should have faith in God the Father, one
Lord Jesus Christ, one Holy Spirit and have faith in God through Jesus Christ.
III. THE VINE AND THE BRANCHES
Read John 15:1-10
The vine represents Jesus. Vine tree was a tree that bore grapes. The vine tree was a symbol of
prosperity and peace. Jesus is the vine and the Father is the vinedresser.
Christians/ believers are the branches. They are expected to produce good fruits by remaining
faithful and united in Christ. Faithful branches bear fruit like good Christians while unfruitful
branches are like unfruitful Christians. Christians should remain united to Christ who is the vine
so as to bear fruits. The teachings of Jesus purify the Christians. The dead branches of the Vine
trees are cut off and the living ones are trimmed or pruned. This is done so that the vines may
produce high yields. Likewise unfaithful Christians, believers are rebuked and corrected so as to
bear high yields.
IV. THE CHURCH OR ASSEMBLY OF GOD
Read Ephesians 5: 21 – 32
Church is a Greek word <ekklesia=, which means people who belong to the Lord.
Assembly of God is the coming together of people of diverse social and cultural backgrounds
who recognize the lordship of Jesus. The church is likened to the relationship between a husband
and a wife. The wife loves the husband and the church must therefore love Jesus. The husband
cares for the wife and therefore Christ cares for the church. In marriage there is love, respect,
trust, obedience, and dependence. The church and Jesus should have the same thing.
A marriage is supposed to last forever, in the same way Jesus and the church remain together
forever. Christians (the church) are expected to be united with Christ just as a husband and wife
are united in marriage. Just as husbands and wives are expected to love one another, so too, are
Christians called upon to express love to one another and to love God.
A husband is the head of a family; Jesus is also the head of the church.
V. THE BRIDE
Read 2 Corinthian 11: 2, Revelations 21: 1 – 12
In the Old Testament, God calls Israel a bride. In the New Testament, Christians are referred toas
<a bride9 in the New Jerusalem9. God or Jesus Christ is the bridegroom. Christians are reminded
that life on earth is a temporary home. Their real home is in heaven, the Holy city of God. Just as
a bride is expected to be faithful to her husband, so are Christians expected to be faithful to God
by observing the covenant way of life. Deviation from the covenant was portrayed as adultery.
The bridegroom is jealous and cannot share his bride with another man and in the same way
Christ is jealous and he cannot share his people with the devil. John, who wrote the book of
revelation, sees a vision of a new heaven and a new earth in which faithful Christians will be
rewarded. Christ will come to take His bride to eternity to live there forever. The relationship
between Christians and Jesus/ God is like a marriage. It is a covenant. It is a relationship where
the church (bride) is expected to submit to God. Jesus died for the church, a show of His or
God9s love. Likewise Christians should be committed in their relationship to God.
SAQ
1. Discuss in twos who is a bride and what takes place in a wedding.
2. Discuss the significance of the symbols used to express the unity of the believers. These
are <The people of God=, <The body of Christ=, <The vine and the branches= <The church
or assembly of God= and <The bride=.
LESSON TWO: CAUSES OF DISUNITY IN THE EARLY CHURCH
The early church experienced some challenges, which led to divisions among the early disciples
and Christians.
Learning Outcomes
After reading this lesson,
i. Identify causes of disunity in the early church
ii. State causes of disunity in the modern church
iii. Compare the causes of disunity in the early and modern church
iv. Suggest possible solutions to disunity in modern church
A. CAUSES OF DISUNITY IN THE EARLY CHURCH
The early church experienced some challenges, which led to divisions among the early disciples
and Christians.
Learning Outcomes
After reading this lesson,
i. Identify causes of disunity in the early church
ii. State causes of disunity in the modern church
iii. Compare the causes of disunity in the early and modern church
iv. Suggest possible solutions to disunity in modern church
A. CAUSES OF DISUNITY IN THE EARLY CHURCH
After Jesus ascended to his Father and left the Holy Spirit to look after his followers, the
disciples established congregations or communities to spread the Word of God. As believers of
Christ met and prayed together, there were disagreements and divisions brought about by several
factors and issues.
These were:
1. Disputes among early Christians; concerning leadership of the Church Christians wanted
different leaders: Paul, Apollos, Cephas or Christ. Paul told them that Christ couldn9t be
divided (1 Corinthians 1:10 -21).
2. Sexual immorality was another cause of disunity in the early church. Some Christians
were doing or having irresponsible sexual behaviours. These were incest, fornication, and
prostitution. Paul condemned such behaviors and told Christians to stop sinning and
honor God with their bodies. The body of a Christian is the temple of the Holy Ghost (1
Corinthian 5: 1-13, 6:12 – 20).
3. Christians settling disputes in civil courts Paul advised they ought to talk over issues
among themselves and agree to solve problems on their own (1 Corinthians 6).
4. Dispute over marriage and divorce. Some Christians were opposed to marriage. Others
were encouraging divorce. Paul addressed these issues in 1 Corinthian, chapter 71-16.
Paul advised Christians that it was okay to marry or not to marry. But marriage was
needed to stop immorality.
5. Eating of meat offered to idols. Some Christians were eating meat offered to idols while
others were against it. Paul advised Christians not to eat anything that will cause their
faith to weaken or fail. (1 Corinthians 8 and10: 14 – 20.
6. There were disputes about dressing during worship. Should women cover their head
during worship? Should women shave hair? Should men wear long hair? (1 Corinthian
11:1-16).
7. Some Christians were overeating and over drinking during the Holy Communion –
misuse of the Lord9s Supper, (1 Corinthians 11:17 – 33).
8. Misuses of spiritual gift especially the gift of speaking in tongues. Paul taught that all
gifts are equal (1 Corinthians 12).
9. There was a misunderstanding about the resurrection of the body and the dead. Some
were saying there is no resurrection. Paul preached that if there is no resurrection then
their preaching was in vain as they were witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1
Corinthians 15).
B. CAUSES OF DISUNITY AMONG BELIEVERS IN KENYA TODAY
➔Leadership differences. Some Christians are struggling for power. This has led to
formation of splinter groups, divisions and enmity between these groups.
➔Cultural differences. Christians are divided by their African cultural beliefs from their
backgrounds. This culture is merged with Christianity and Western cultural practices
forming a unique mixture of beliefs.
➔Some Christians are permissive, while others are conservative. This has led to disunity,
for example in the areas of dressing.
➔Discrimination. There is inequality within the church between the rich and the poor, the
whites and blacks. Some Christians are viewed as more spiritual than others, on the basis
of the tribe, gender, wealth and social status among others.
➔Misuse of freedom of worship. Christians are starting sprinter churches, probably because
they want to control church finances without supervision by the wider church. To justify
their departure, they spread propaganda against the 8mother9 church, and other churches
in order to attract followers. The more followers a church has the more tithe it collects.
➔Misuse of church funds. Some church leaders and followers misuse church funds
➔Differences in the practice of baptism
➔Arrogance and pride by some Christians.
➔Sins: sexual immorality in the church, divorce and marriage issues.
➔Some Christian denominations reject the human nature of the person of Jesus Christ; that
Christ had both a human and divine nature e.g. Nomiya church.
SAQ. Can you think of factors that led to disunity among Christians in the early church that you
have noted in the Kenyan church?
C. REASONS WHY CHRISTIANS SHOULD WORK IN UNITY.
Christians face many problems and they therefore need to work together in unity to:
●Promote oneness of Christians in Jesus Christ.
●Promote the teachings of Jesus Christ.
●Achieve effective evangelism or ministry.
●Adopt a common attitude to the integration of African culture in worship.
●Prevent the formation of sprinter groups and cults.
●Reduce the internal wrangling.
●Have a common stand in dealing with issues affecting the society.
D. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO DISUNITY
i. The church should settle issues that divide its members by Christians:
ii. Learning to appreciate and respect the practices and beliefs of other Christian9s
denominations.
iii. Having or forming a common goal
iv. Striving to be guided by the principle of love in solving problems facing them.
v. Observing the teachings of disciples, prophets, apostles, God, laws of Moses, Jesus and
the Bible.
vi. Avoiding doing anything to their fellow Christians that would cause suffering and
disharmony.
Activities that the early church did in order to remain united were that they:
- Ate bread together.
- Held fellowships together.
- Shared with the needy.
- Prayed together for each other
In the current worldwide Church, there is disunity amongst believers or Christians. The most
common ones are due.
a) Leadership differences and wrangles for power.
b) Cultural differences amongst Christians
c) Some Christians are permissive while others are conservative.
d) Differences in the interpretation of the Bible
e) Misuse of church funds
f) Pride and arrogance
Revision questions
a. Write down terms used in the New Testament to refer to believers in Christ
b. Identify five causes of disunity in the church today
c. Identify factors which cause disunity among the Christians today
d. Discuss reasons why members of Christian families in Kenya find it difficult to
harmoniously live together
e. Explain how the church strengthens family relationships today
TOPIC THREE TEACHINGS FROM SELECTED OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter introduces one to the work of prophets in the Old Testament. In Form One some
Prophets were taught e.g. Moses, Elijah, Nathan and Samuel. Traditional African prophets were
also taught. In Form Three, we compare true and false prophets and the Traditional African
prophets.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the topic, you should be able to:
a. Define a prophet, and prophecy
b. Identify categories of prophets
c. Explain the importance of prophets in Israel.
d. Describe the characteristics of prophets.
e. Explain how prophetic messages were written.
f. Compare the relationship between prophecies in the Old Testament and the New
Testament
LESSON ONE: PROPHETS
Learning Outcomes
After reading this lesson, you should be able to:
1. Give a correct definition of a prophet, and prophecy
2. List prophets in categories
A. DEFINITIONS OF A PROPHET, AND PROPHECY
- The word prophet comes from a Hebrew word <Rabii9 meaning 8one who
is called or one who announces God9s message.
- A prophet is also referred to as a seer.
- A prophet is a person sent by God to teach and give people messages
about things to come in future from God.
- Prophets received divine messages from God and communicated them to
the people.
- A prophet is therefore a person who foretells events as revealed to him or
her by God.
- Examples of prophets include Samuel, Elijah, Jeremiah and prophetesses
(female prophet) Deborah, and Huldah, Anna, and Miriam etc
- Prophecy is a statement, a message of something that is going to happen in
the future.
- The action of giving future messages is called prophecy.
B. CATEGORIES OF PROPHETS
- There were many categories of prophets.
➔These were:
a) Major Prophets.
- These were the Prophet's whose messages covered a
long period of time.
- Their messages were long and detailed.
- For example Prophet Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel,
Isaiah, Lamentations
b) Minor Prophets.
- There are 12 books of the Minor Prophets
examples; they are called minor because their
messages are short, brief and do not contain detailed
information.
- The Minor Prophets are Amos, and Hosea, Joel,
Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk,
Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.
c) Canonical prophets, the term canon means law.
- Canonical prophets are law prophets.
- The individual utterances of these prophets are
laws.
- Both minor and major prophets are canonical
prophets,
d) The early prophets are Moses, Nathan Elijah, and
Elisha.
- These prophets belonged to guilds schools.
- Their prophecies are not recorded under their
names.
- Their prophecies are written in books, which do not
bear their names.
e) Cultic prophets like Anna (N.T.) served in the places of
worship.
- They assisted the priest officiating worship
f) Professional / court prophets like Samuel, Micah, and
Gad lived together in the temple and in groups.
- They earned their living through their work.
- They did not work elsewhere
g) False prophets are pretenders to speak in the name of
Yahweh but God did not call them.
- They spoke lies in accordance with the messages
people wanted to hear. N/B.
- However, there are two major categories of
prophets, these are:
1. True prophets:
- True prophets are those whose
prophecies occurred and were
fulfilled.
2. False prophets:
- Prophecies of false prophets did not
occur.
C. CHARACTERISTICS TRUE OF PROPHETS
i. They experienced God dramatically when He called them and in their ministry.
ii. They were God9s spokesmen and women. They responded in faith to their call.
iii. God gave them specific tasks in their commission and God9s assurance and
support in their ministry.
iv. They urged people to repent and turn back to God.
v. In their messages, they taught that God demands sincere worship and not
elaborate rituals.
vi. They understood God and taught about God righteousness, goodness,
mercifulness, and loving care.
vii. They condemned evil in the society and proclaimed God9s judgment and
punishment to those who failed to keep the covenant.
viii. They spoke with authority and acted with courage.
ix. They upheld God as a universal God for all nations.
x. They talked of a remnant that shall remain after punishment or those that have
continued to worship God sincerely.
xi. Their utterances were true because they were fulfilled
xii. They spent a lot of their time in prayers. They prayed regularly. At such times
they withdrew from people in order to have a quiet time to seek God.
xiii. All the true prophets received opposition from their audiences and they were
ready to suffer for telling God9s word.
D. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF FALSE PROPHETS.
i. Some of the prophecies of false prophets contradicted prophecies of the true prophets.
ii. False prophets followed their own imaginations, and gave false hopes.
iii. They told people what they wanted to hear.
iv. They had no personal knowledge of God. Hence, their prophecies were not in line
with the divine revelations.
v. They used evil forces such as magic, and divinations to call upon the spirits of the
dead.
vi. They were paid for prophecy and benefits materially from their clients.
vii. They served Baal and were mainly immoral.
viii. They committed crimes.
Review Questions
How can we know true and false prophets today?
LESSON TWO: IMPORTANCE OF PROPHETS IN ISRAEL
Introduction
Learning Outcomes
After reading this lesson, you should:
1. Describe the work of prophets in Israel
2. Explain how God communicated with prophets and Israelites
3. Analyze the content of the Prophetic messages
1) Work of prophets in Israel
a. Prophets kept Israelites in communication with God.
b. They communicated God9s will to the people of Israel.
c. They foretold God9s judgments and punishment for sinners.
d. They condemned the behavior of the rich towards the poor.
e. Through their messages, people reformed their lives since they
condemned all forms of social evils and ritual sins.
f. They contributed to the writing of their messages leading to the
compilation of the Bible.
g. Prophets guided and gave people hope.
h. They taught people the laws of God.
i. They warned people of dangers to come.
j. They condemned idolatry and stressed the worship of one true
God, Yahweh.
k. They anointed the Kings in Israel. Kings consulted the prophets
before any major undertaking such as war among others.
l. They acted as the conscience of kings. They advised them and
challenged Kings when they went wrong.
2) God9s communication with prophets and Israelites God communicated to
Prophets through visions, voices that were audible and clear, events,
prayers, dreams, signs, ordinary things, and words which came to their
minds with great power.
WRITING MESSAGES OF THE PROPHETS
The canonical prophets as mentioned earlier had their works and prophecies recorded under their
names. Canonical prophets are referred to as writing prophets. (Prophets whose writings are
recorded under their names)
It9s possible that some prophets wrote down their own prophecies. They wrote what God spoke
to them as He dictated. An example is Jeremiah who wrote what he was told …9Get a scroll and
write on it everything that I have told you about Israel, Judah and all nations. (Jeremiah 36:2,
Isaiah 30:8).
●Two, the prophet9s messages were probably written by other people.
●These were their assistant, secretary, scribe, and disciples or followers as the prophet
prophesied.
●Thirdly some of the prophetic messages could have been preserved as oral traditions and
later written as books. A good example is 2 Kings.
E. CONTENT OF THE PROPHETIC MESSAGES
Prophetic messages contained lessons from God to Israel. For example, the:
i. Prophetic sayings were and still are oracles or poetic passages spoken by God himself
through prophets. The prophecies were addressed to different nations. They carried specific
teachings to the people, for example predicting future occurrences
ii. Narratives in the first person give an account of the prophet9s testimony. They spoke of
their experiences with God, and responses to the call of God. They tell us about prophet9s
impelling compulsion to speak God9s word. The narratives are written in the first person. They
have a format 8The Lord said to me… The year that King Uzziah died, I was the Lord…=
iii. Narratives in the third 3rd person have messages written by a third party, i.e. not the
prophet but another person. For example, <Isaiah said to them, <Thus you shall say to your
master, thus says the Lord: <Do not be afraid of the words.= (Isaiah 37:6). The message recounts
the prophets9 personal life, and political background.
LESSON THREE: PROPHECIES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, NEW TESTAMENT
AND AFRICAN TRADITIONAL SOCIETY
Introduction
The Israelites and the African traditional societies as well as other world communities had
prophets who foretold the future. Among the Israelites, there were prophets chosen by God and
false prophets who told messages which communities wanted to hear. Among the African
traditional communities, there were wise men and women who prophesied about the future. In
this lesson, we shall compare these prophecies and learn what was similar and different about
these them. The Old Testament prophecies are compared with those from the African traditional
society and the New Testament
Learning Outcomes
After studying this lesson, you should be able to:
a. State relationships between Prophecies in the Old Testament New Testament and the
African Traditional Society
b. Discuss the similarities between prophets in the African traditional society and the Old
Testament
c. Identify differences between prophets in the African traditional society and the Old
Testament
A. RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT PROPHESIES
a. Several Old Testament (O.T.) prophecies were and are fulfilled in both the
old and New Testament (N.T) in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.
b. The Law of Moses is used in both the Old Testament and the New
Testament. However Jesus gave the law a deeper meaning.
c. The teachings and prophecies of the prophets provided the foundation for
the message in the New Testament. The prophecies of Prophet Nathan to
King David, that God would raise up an offspring from the lineage of
David was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the expected messiah.
d. Jesus' disciples in the New Testament referred a lot to messages in the Old
Testament.
e. The teachings of Jesus in the New Testament are based on the Old
Testament prophecies.
f. They are therefore similar to each other because the New Testament is a
continuation of the Old Testament.
g. The New Testament is the new covenant spoken of by Prophet Jeremiah
and other Prophets like Isaiah, Micah, and Nathan. Their prophecies about
the Messiah are fulfilled in the New Testament.
B. SIMILARITIES BETWEEN PROPHETS IN THE AFRICAN TRADITIONAL
SOCIETY AND THE OLD TESTAMENT. IN BOTH, PROPHETS:
- Were endowed with divine powers and they dealt with religious matters.
- Acted as intermediaries between God and people
- Warned people of impending dangers and disasters due to disobedience
- Had supernatural experiences
- Encouraged morality and discouraged evil ways
- In some cases, it could heal
- Withstood oppression and opposition by the political rulers
- Encouraged people to fight injustices in society
- Foretold future disasters such as drought and wars.
- They explained why they were going to occur.
- Were consulted when things were not well in the society.
- Received revelations through dreams, visions and thoughts were gender sensitive
male prophets and female prophetesses.
C. DIFFERENCES (O.T.) BETWEEN PROPHETS IN THE AFRICAN
TRADITIONAL SOCIETY AND THE OLD TESTAMENT.
i. The Old Testament prophets had a personal relationship with God. They
communicated God9s messages to Israelites. The prophets in the African traditional
society communicated and received messages from the ancestor spirits
ii. Old Testament prophets were God9s mouthpieces. They began their prophesies
with, 8thus says the lord9…. While the prophets in the African traditional society
predicted what would happen to individuals, and communities.
iii. The authority of prophets in the Old Testament came from God while the
authority of prophets in the African traditional society came from their ancestors9 spirits.
iv. In the Old Testament prophets were called directly by God while in some
African traditional communities the prophetic office was hereditary.
v. The African traditional prophets dealt with family and local community issues
while Old Testament prophets dealt with national issues, and crises.
vi. African traditional prophets were diviners while Old Testament prophets
consulted God.
D. RELEVANCE OF OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS TO CHRISTIANS TODAY
a) Christian should be ready to be messengers of God.
b) The call to be a Christian has a prophetic role.
c) Some Christians are called to the office of a prophet and should prophecy for the
glory of God and for the common good of the people.
d) As God9s spokesperson one should always stand for the truth. Christian should
proclaim God9s will even if the message is not pleasant to the people.
e) Once appointed as a prophet, one should pass the messages to whoever they are
sent to without fear or favor.
f) God9s messengers should always condemn the social political economic evils in
the society.
g) As God9s messengers Christians should live exemplary lives. They should stand
for what they preach and should expect persecutions because of their works as
God9s messengers. They should be ready to suffer for the sake of the gospel.
h) Christians should pray to God to give them guidance, wisdom, and inspiration to
be able to handle hardships in their lives. They should provide hope for the people
in times of suffering.
i) Christians should realize that God calls both men and women to His service. They
should be ready to obey Gods9 prophetic call and not run away e.g. Jonah. They
should be concerned and take care of the welfare of the poor community
members. Revision questions
1. Define the terms prophet and prophecy
2. List five categories of true prophets
3. State the difference between true and false prophets
4. In what ways were God9s prophets called?
5. Outline the similarities and differences between the Old Testament
prophets and the traditional African ones.
6. What is the relevance of prophets to Christians today?
TOPIC FOUR PROPHET AMOS
Introduction
After the death of King David, Solomon his son became the king of Israel and in an effort to
make peace with his neighbors, Solomon married very many foreign wives against the law of
God.
The foreign wives brought many false gods into Israel and many Israelites became idol
worshipers. God was not happy and he decided to break the kingdom of Israel into two when
king Solomon died, his son Rehoboam became the new king of Israel.
The people of Israel asked him not to be like his father but Rehoboam told them that he would be
worse than his father. The people in the northern kingdom (Israel) broke away with ten tribes and
formed the northern kingdom (Israel) under the leadership of Jeroboam. Rehoboam was left with
two tribes (Judah and Benjamin) in the south and his kingdom was called Judah.
The Prophecy was therefore fulfilled. Jeroboam cut all the links with Judah (south) and he built
altars and the temple and erected idols in them. The northern kingdom (Israel) became more
prosperous than Judah, because the new kingdom was very fertile.
This led people in Israel to forget the true worship of Yahweh. God started sending his prophets
in Israel and Amos is one of the prophets God sent to Israel to warn the people because of their
evil life.
Topic Learning Outcomes
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
a) Analyze Prophet Amos' work in Israel
b) Describe the call of Amos
c) Explain the teaching of Amos
d) Relate relevance of Amos teaching to Christianity today
LESSON ONE:
Prophet Amos work in Israel
Read Amos 1:1
Learning Outcomes
After reading this lesson, you should:
1. Describe the call of Amos
2. Describe the socio, political and economic situation in Israel during the time of Prophet
Amos
3. Explain religious situation in Israel
1) THE CALL OF AMOS (AMOS 1:1, 3:8, 7:10 – 15)
- Prophet Amos was born in a village called Tekoa in Judah, the southern
kingdom.
- Before his call, Amos was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamore trees.
- He was not a professional prophet.
- But God called him to be a prophet.
- He received his call in the form of a vision around 758 BC.
- Amos responded to God9s call with obedience.
- He felt a deep compulsion to prophesy (Amos 3:8).
- God directed him to give his message to the people of Israel, the northern
kingdom (Amos 7:15).
- He was asked to speak the will of Yahweh.
- He was also to foretell punishment if Israelites did not repent their sins.
- His message was opposed, and challenged by Amaziah the priest of
Bethel.
2. RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND
- Israelites worshiped Yahweh and other gods.
- Idolatry was also present.
- This form of worship is called Syncretism.
- There was religious hypocrisy. Like today, there was an emphasis on external
observances of religious practices and less concern for internal observances.
- The priests were paid for religious work.
- Those who couldn9t pay did not have religious ceremonies.
- They were offered at the expense of the poor.
- The prophets of God were rejected.
3. POLITICAL BACKGROUND
- When Amos prophesied, King Jeroboam 2 ruled Israel, the northern kingdom, while King
Uzziah ruled Judah.
- Amos was sent to prophesy to the people of Israel in the northern kingdom.
- He concentrated his work mainly in Bethel and Samaria – the capital city of Israel and the
main centers of worship.
4. SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC BACKGROUND
- When Amos started his prophecy, there was peace and prosperity in Israel and Judah.
- Both kingdoms were wealthy. However, the wealth did not reach the poor.
- This was because the wealth and power were in the hands of the king, his family, his
officials, and wealthy merchants. As a result, Israel citizens were divided into two
classes; the rich and the poor. Unfortunately, the rich people owned big luxurious houses.
- They drank wine, and used the most expensive perfumes.
- They acquired their wealth at the expense of the poor.
- They oppressed and exploited the poor.
- The merchants of trade for example, were dishonest in their trade businesses.
- They sold bad wheat to unsuspecting customers and overcharged customers by measuring
with false scales.
- Because of the inflated prices, the poor borrowed money from the rich at high interest
rates to buy basic things like food.
- Hence, there was massive bribery and corruption in society and law courts. As a result
the poor lacked basic necessities or needs like food, shelter, and clothing. It was at this
time when God sent Amos to give prophesy to Israel.
SAQ.
How did the rich oppress the poor in Israel?
LESSON TWO: VISIONS OF AMOS
Read AMOS 7: 1 – 9, 8:1 – 3. 9:1 – 4) Vision is a picture we have in our mind. It is a future to
come. Amos was shown many visions by God.
Lesson Outcomes
After reading these verses in Amos you should be able to:
1. Analyze all the visions and
2. State the message of each vision
3. Summaries things that God condemned through Amos
1) The Vision Of The Locusts (Amos 7:1 – 3 )
- Amos saw a swarm of locusts being sent by God to destroy all plants and
food crops in the land.
- The locusts were a sign of disaster, which God was going to send to Israel
as a punishment for their disobedience.
- Amos cried to God to forgive the people. God heard and changed his
mind.
2) The Vision Of A Great Fire (Amos 7:4 – 6)
- Amos saw a vision of a supernatural fire that burnt up the land. He asked
God to forgive the people and God listened.
- The punishment was stopped.
3) The Vision Of A Crooked Wall/ The Plumb Line (Amos 7:7 – 9)
- Amos saw the Lord standing beside the wall and checked it with a plumb
line. The wall represented the Israelites.
- They stopped observing the laws of their covenant with God.
- God found Israelites disobeying the covenant.
- God promised to destroy holy places of Israel.
4) The Vision Of A Basket Of Ripe Fruits (Amos 8:1 – 3)
- In this vision, Amos saw a basket of ripe fruits. Fruits are harvested at the
end of the summer. This meant that Israel was ripe for punishment for her
refusal to turn to God.
- Amos did not pray for forgiveness. God would no longer withhold His
judgment. Time for repentance was over.
5) The Vision Of The Destruction Of The Altar. Read Amos 9:1 – 4.
- Amos saw the Lord standing by the altar.
- The Lord ordered the destruction of the temple where the Israelites carried
out their religious activities.
- The shrines of Dan and Bethel were destroyed because they were the
centers of idolatry. No one would escape punishment no matter where they
hide. Amos did not intervene because the Israelites deserved to be
punished.
