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Points to Ponder

The following questions are intended as a study aid to spur further thought on the concepts discussed in this lesson and help you personally apply them. We suggest you take the time to write out your answers to these questions and compare them to the scriptures cited. Please feel free to write us with any comments or suggestions, including questions about the course or this lesson.

• What did the physical nation of Israel—God’s "Church" in Old Testament times—lack that God promised to the New Testament Church? (Jeremiah 31:33; Deuteronomy 5:29; Acts 7:51).

• Why was the giving of the Holy Spirit necessary, not only to start the Church but to benefit every member of the Church since that time? (Romans 8:7-9).

• Has the Church continued to exist, in spite of persecution from without and division from within? (Matthew 16:18).

• How do Church members prepare for roles in God’s future Kingdom? (Revelation 5:10; 20:4; Daniel 7:27; Luke 16:10-12; 19:16-17; Jeremiah 17:10; 1 Peter 4:12-13; James 1:2-4; Mark 10:42-45; Malachi 2:7).

• How is the Church organized? (1 Corinthians 12:27-28; Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:11-13, 15-16; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, 24-26).

• In what ways is the Church like a bride? (Ephesians 5:25-27; Revelation 19:6-8).

• What fruit does the Church strive (imperfectly) to produce? (Galatians 5:22-23; John 13:34-35).

• What commission has God given the Church, and how is it to be carried out? What message will the Church preach? (Matthew 28:19-20; 24:14; 9:37-38; 5:14-16; Mark 4:2-20).