My purpose in this brief article is to outline Paul’s understanding of justification, at the same time pointing out some of the weaknesses in this quarter’s Adventist Bible Study Guide (BSG).

First, I would like to commend the Lesson author for a fine series of studies on the theme of Spiritual Fruit. The lessons were clearly written, biblically based, practical, and balanced theologically.

Sometimes even today we can see why the meaning of New Testament “faith” (pistis) has caused more division in the Christian church than any other subject. The same issues of whether faith is fundamentally objective or subjective or something else arise in many Spectrum articles and blogs and elsewhere.

Why did the Israelites offer millions of sacrificial victims in order to find forgiveness? How did the blood that was shed and applied to the sanctuary on a daily and yearly basis glorify God? With limited space to deal with this enormous topic, I have decided to devote it to one aspect—sacrificial blood.