Adult Sunday School Study Guide
Six Investigations into Faith, Scripture, Evidence, and the Holy Spirit
Companion to the Six-Part Biblical Investigation
Introduction for the Instructor
This study began with a question: If I had lived in first-century Judea or Galilee and encountered Jesus of Nazareth, would I have recognized Him as the Messiah?
That question opens the door to others. How do we know whether the testimony concerning Jesus is trustworthy? Where does faith come from? Who received the Holy Spirit? What did Gabriel mean when he announced that John the Baptist would come in the spirit and power of Elijah? And if the Spirit was already active throughout Israel’s history, what changed at Pentecost?
These sessions are not meant to defend a predetermined theological position or challenge participants to abandon their beliefs. It is to examine Scripture carefully, recognize its historical setting, distinguish explicit statements from interpretation, and encourage thoughtful discussion.
An investigation follows the evidence and does not impose a verdict.
Suggested Class Format
Each session lasts about 45–60 minutes. Begin with the opening question, read the principal Scripture passages aloud, examine the historical or original-language observations, and then allow participants to discuss the questions.
The instructor should resist the temptation to answer every question immediately. Sometimes the most productive response is to ask, “Where does Scripture say that?” or “Is that what the passage states, or is it our interpretation?”
Throughout the study, encourage participants to distinguish four categories: what Scripture explicitly states, what the context supports, what interpreters infer, and what later tradition teaches.
Scripture references use the Christian Standard Bible (CSB) as the principal English reference. Participants are encouraged to compare other translations.
Session One — Would I Have Recognized Jesus?
Central Question: If I had encountered Jesus during His earthly ministry, would I have recognized Him, or would my expectations have influenced my judgment?
Primary Scriptures: Mark 6:1–6; Matthew 16:13–23; John 7:40–52; John 12:37; John 5:39–40.
Additional Scriptures: John 3:1–21; Luke 23:8; Matthew 24:23–26; Deuteronomy 13:1–4.
Opening Discussion
Imagine living in Galilee approximately two thousand years ago. You hear reports about a Jewish teacher from Nazareth who heals people, challenges certain religious practices, and speaks about the kingdom of God.
You have not read the New Testament. You do not know how His ministry will end. You have only the Scriptures available in your community, reports from others, and whatever you personally witness.
What evidence would you need before you could accept His claims?
Examining the Witnesses
Mark 6:1–6 — Familiarity and Unbelief
Jesus teaches in His hometown synagogue. The people are astonished by His wisdom and the reports of His works, yet His familiar background becomes an obstacle.
Discuss whether familiarity can prevent people from recognizing something important. What assumptions did the people make about Jesus because they knew His family?
Matthew 16:13–23 — Recognition Without Complete Understanding
Peter identifies Jesus as the Christ, yet shortly afterward objects to Jesus’ announcement concerning His suffering and death.
What does this reveal about the difference between recognizing Jesus’ identity and understanding His mission?
John 7:40–52 — Conflicting Conclusions
The crowd reaches different conclusions about Jesus. Some identify Him as the Prophet, others as the Christ, while others question His origins.
What role did expectations concerning Scripture play in these disagreements?
John 5:39–40 — Knowing Scripture but Missing Its Testimony
Jesus challenges people who search the Scriptures yet refuse to come to Him.
Can a person study Scripture extensively and still misunderstand its testimony?
Original-Language and Historical Note
The Greek word Christos, translated “Christ,” means “anointed one” and corresponds to the Hebrew concept of the Messiah.
In the first century, Jewish expectations concerning the Messiah were not uniform. Different groups emphasized different aspects of Israel’s scriptural promises.
Recognizing Jesus as the Christ therefore involved more than identifying a religious title. It involved understanding how His life and ministry related to God’s promises.
Discussion Questions
- Why did people who encountered the same Jesus reach different conclusions about Him?
- Were miracles sufficient to convince everyone? What does John 12:37 indicate?
- Why might religious knowledge become an obstacle rather than an aid to understanding?
- What distinguishes examining a claim from accepting it because others believe it?
- If someone today claimed to be Jesus, how would Matthew 24:23–26 guide our response?
- What assumptions about Jesus have we inherited without personally examining their biblical foundations?
Instructor’s Notes
The Gospels record different responses to Jesus, but they do not reveal every individual’s motives. Avoid portraying all religious leaders as hostile or all ordinary people as receptive.
Also distinguish the historical question of recognizing Jesus during His earthly ministry from evaluating a modern claim to be Jesus. The latter must be considered in light of the New Testament’s subsequent testimony.
Closing Reflection: Do I recognize Jesus through what Scripture records, or primarily through what others have taught me about Him?
Session Two — How Do I Know What to Believe?
Central Question: How can we evaluate the biblical testimony when the original events occurred centuries before our time?
Primary Scriptures: Luke 1:1–4; John 21:24; 2 Timothy 3:14–17; Acts 17:10–12.
Additional Scriptures: Mark 16:9–20; John 7:53–8:11; Luke 24:44–47.
Opening Discussion
Suppose two English Bibles contain different wording, or one includes a passage that another places in brackets.
Does that difference automatically mean one translator has deliberately changed Scripture?
What information would we need before reaching that conclusion?
Examining the Evidence
Luke 1:1–4 — Investigation and Eyewitness Testimony
Luke describes earlier accounts, eyewitness testimony, and his own careful investigation.
What does Luke claim about his method? What does he not claim?
John 21:24 — The Witness and the Written Account
This passage identifies a disciple associated with the testimony preserved in the Gospel and affirms its truthfulness.
How does a written account relate to the testimony of an eyewitness?
2 Timothy 3:14–17 — Scripture and Inspiration
Paul describes Scripture as God-inspired and useful for teaching, correction, and training.
Does this passage define how later manuscript copying and translation would operate? Does it claim that every reader’s interpretation is inspired?
Acts 17:10–12 — Examining the Message
The Bereans examine the Scriptures to evaluate Paul’s proclamation.
What does their example teach about the relationship between receiving instruction and investigating its accuracy?
Manuscript Investigation
The original physical manuscripts of the New Testament are not known to survive. Scholars examine surviving Greek manuscripts, early translations, and quotations preserved in ancient Christian writings.
Two passages provide useful examples.
Mark 16:9–20 has a disputed textual history because some early manuscripts end Mark at 16:8.
John 7:53–8:11, the account of the woman accused of adultery, is absent from many early witnesses and appears in different locations in some manuscripts.
These differences do not establish that every biblical passage is unreliable. They demonstrate why individual textual questions must be examined using manuscript evidence.
Original-Language Note
The Greek word theopneustos in 2 Timothy 3:16 is commonly rendered “inspired by God” or “God-breathed.”
The word concerns Scripture’s character. It does not itself supply a detailed theory of manuscript transmission, translation, or the correctness of later interpretations.
Discussion Questions
- What is the difference between eyewitness testimony and an account based on investigated testimony?
- What can historical corroboration establish, and what are its limits?
- Why do manuscript variations exist?
- What is the difference between a textual variant and a translation choice?
- Can two translations differ without either being intentionally deceptive?
- What is the difference between the inspiration of Scripture and the interpretation of Scripture?
- How can believers investigate difficult textual questions without assuming an answer beforehand?
Instructor’s Notes
Explain that manuscript evidence, translation, and interpretation are three different stages of inquiry.
A textual variant concerns differences among surviving textual witnesses. Translation concerns how a selected source text is expressed in another language. Interpretation concerns what that text means.
Historical corroboration can support particular details but does not automatically verify every reported event.
Closing Reflection: Am I willing to examine the evidence even when it challenges a familiar translation or interpretation?
Session Three — Where Does My Faith Come From?
Central Question: What relationship exists between hearing Scripture, believing the gospel, personal conviction, and the work of the Holy Spirit?
Primary Scriptures: Romans 10:14–17; Acts 17:10–12; Matthew 16:13–23; John 14:25–26; John 15:26–27; 1 John 4:1–6.
Additional Scriptures: John 16:7–15; 1 Corinthians 12:3; Hebrews 11:1–40.
Opening Discussion
Think about how you first learned about Jesus.
Was it through your family, a church, a teacher, personal reading, or another experience?
How much of your present understanding comes directly from examining Scripture, and how much comes from explanations you received from others?
Examining the Witnesses
Romans 10:14–17 — Faith and Hearing
Paul connects faith with hearing the message concerning Christ.
Does everyone who hears the message necessarily believe it? What does the surrounding passage suggest?
Matthew 16:13–23 — Peter’s Confession
Peter correctly identifies Jesus but misunderstands His approaching suffering.
What does this reveal about faith and incomplete understanding?
John 14:25–26 — The Promise of Remembrance
Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will teach His disciples and remind them of His words.
Who is being addressed? Why is that important?
John 15:26–27 — Two Forms of Testimony
Jesus connects the Spirit’s testimony with that of the disciples who were with Him from the beginning.
How should we distinguish the original witnesses’ responsibility from the experience of later believers?
1 John 4:1–6 — Testing Spiritual Claims
John instructs believers to test the spirits.
Why would testing be necessary if every claimed spiritual experience were reliable?
Original-Language Note
The Greek word pistis is commonly translated “faith” or “faithfulness,” depending on context. The related verb pisteuōcan express believing or trusting.
These words should be understood within their sentences rather than reduced to a single modern definition.
Discussion Questions
- What is the difference between hearing a message and believing it?
- Can someone have genuine faith while misunderstanding portions of Scripture?
- Does emotional certainty establish that an interpretation is correct?
- How should a claim that “the Holy Spirit told me” be evaluated?
- Are Jesus’ promises to His original disciples automatically identical in application to every later believer?
- Can a church tradition help preserve understanding while also requiring periodic examination?
Instructor’s Notes
Do not dismiss personal religious experience. Instead, distinguish the experience itself from a person’s explanation of its source or meaning.
The immediate audience of John 14–16 matters. Later applications may be reasonable, but they must be distinguished from the original setting.
Closing Reflection: Is my confidence grounded in the biblical witness, or have I confused confidence in my interpretation with confidence in God?
Session Four — Who Received the Holy Spirit?
Central Question: Was the Holy Spirit given only to the apostles, and does receiving the Spirit mean receiving identical gifts or authority?
Primary Scriptures: John 20:19–23; Acts 1:4–8; Acts 2:1–39; Acts 8:14–17; Acts 10:44–48; Acts 19:1–7.
Additional Scriptures: Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:4–30; Acts 4:8, 31.
Opening Discussion
When someone says a person has “received the Holy Spirit,” what do you understand that to mean?
Do you associate it with conversion, baptism, spiritual gifts, extraordinary power, personal assurance, or something else?
Where did that understanding originate?
Examining the Accounts
John 20:19–23 — The Resurrection Evening
Jesus breathes on His disciples and tells them to receive the Holy Spirit.
What does the text explicitly record? Does it explain the event as symbolic?
Acts 2:1–39 — Pentecost
The disciples are filled with the Holy Spirit, and Peter announces the Spirit’s promise to his listeners.
Does Peter restrict that promise to the apostles?
Acts 8:14–17 — The Samaritans
The Samaritans have been baptized before receiving the Spirit through the ministry of Peter and John.
What sequence does Luke record?
Acts 10:44–48 — Cornelius’s Household
The Gentiles receive the Spirit before water baptism.
How does this sequence compare with Acts 8?
Acts 19:1–7 — The Ephesian Disciples
Paul encounters people acquainted with John’s baptism and instructs them concerning Jesus.
What makes this situation distinct from the others?
1 Corinthians 12 — One Spirit, Different Gifts
Paul describes diverse gifts and functions within the community.
Does he teach that everyone possesses identical spiritual gifts?
Original-Language Note
Acts 2:38 uses the expression tēn dōrean tou hagiou pneumatos, commonly translated “the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
The word dōrea means gift. The context of Acts 10–11 strongly supports understanding the Holy Spirit Himself as the gift, although the grammatical relationship should still be examined carefully.
The word dynamis in Acts 1:8 means power or ability. It does not by itself identify apostolic office.
Discussion Questions
- What differences appear in the order of baptism and reception of the Spirit in Acts?
- Do the narratives explicitly instruct every believer to reproduce the same sequence?
- Is receiving the Holy Spirit identical to receiving a particular spiritual gift?
- What does Paul’s discussion in 1 Corinthians 12 establish about diversity?
- Can believers share in the same Spirit without possessing identical authority?
- How should John 20:22 be understood alongside Acts 1–2?
Instructor’s Notes
Distinguish narrative description from universal instruction.
The events in Acts 8, 10, and 19 occur in different historical circumstances. The text does not explicitly establish one mandatory sequence for every later Christian.
Also distinguish the Spirit’s presence, particular manifestations, and the apostles’ historical commission.
Closing Reflection: Have I assumed that one account of receiving the Spirit must explain every other account?
Session Five — The Spirit and Power of Elijah
Central Question: What did Gabriel mean when he announced that John the Baptist would minister in the spirit and power of Elijah?
Primary Scriptures: 2 Kings 2:1–15; Malachi 4:5–6; Luke 1:13–17; Matthew 11:7–15; Matthew 17:10–13; John 1:19–23.
Additional Scriptures: 1 Kings 18:20–39; 2 Kings 1:8; Matthew 3:1–6; John 10:40–42; Numbers 11:16–30.
Opening Discussion
If someone says a modern teacher has “the spirit of” a well-known historical figure, what might that mean?
Would it necessarily imply that the historical person’s actual spirit had entered someone else?
Does the biblical expression concerning Elijah carry a more specific meaning?
Examining the Witnesses
2 Kings 2:9–15 — Elijah and Elisha
Elisha requests a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. Later, the sons of the prophets recognize Elijah’s spirit resting on Elisha.
What does the narrative establish? What does it leave unexplained?
Malachi 4:5–6 — The Coming of Elijah
The prophet announces that Elijah will come before the day of the Lord.
What would a reader encountering this promise without the New Testament naturally wonder?
Luke 1:15–17 — Gabriel’s Announcement
Gabriel says John will be filled with the Holy Spirit before birth and will go before the Lord in Elijah’s spirit and power.
How do these two statements relate?
Matthew 11:14 and Matthew 17:10–13 — Jesus’ Identification
Jesus identifies John with the expected Elijah.
What does Jesus explicitly affirm?
John 1:19–23 — John’s Denial
John denies being Elijah when questioned.
How might we understand John’s denial alongside Jesus’ statements without ignoring either?
John 10:41 — John’s Ministry Without Signs
People observe that John performed no sign.
If John came in Elijah’s power, why is this observation important?
Original-Language Note
The Hebrew word rûaḥ can mean spirit, wind, or breath, depending on context.
Luke 1:17 uses the Greek expression en pneumati kai dynamei Ēliou, meaning “in the spirit and power of Elijah.”
The words pneuma and dynamis should not automatically be reduced to mere outward resemblance, but the passage also does not explicitly describe the transfer of Elijah’s personal soul into John.
Discussion Questions
- What does Elisha’s request for a double portion suggest about succession?
- Does 2 Kings 2 explain precisely how Elijah’s spirit rests upon Elisha?
- What connections exist between Elijah’s ministry and John’s ministry?
- How can Jesus identify John as Elijah while John denies being Elijah?
- Why is John’s lack of recorded miracles important?
- What is the difference between a conclusion supported by context and an explanation explicitly stated in Scripture?
Instructor’s Notes
Avoid introducing reincarnation as though it were taught by these passages. The narratives do not state that Elijah’s soul was reborn as John.
At the same time, avoid reducing Gabriel’s wording to a casual comparison without examining its prophetic setting.
The question is how Scripture connects prophetic calling, fulfillment, and divine empowerment.
Closing Reflection: Am I allowing the biblical language to retain its significance without adding explanations Scripture does not provide?
Session Six — What Changed at Pentecost?
Central Question: If the Spirit was already active throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, what was new about Pentecost?
Primary Scriptures: Genesis 1:1–3; Numbers 11:16–30; Jeremiah 31:31–34; Ezekiel 36:25–27; Joel 2:28–32; Acts 2:1–39.
Additional Scriptures: John 20:19–23; Acts 1:4–8; Acts 10:44–48; Acts 11:15–18; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:13.
Opening Discussion
Many Christians speak of Pentecost as the arrival of the Holy Spirit.
But if the Spirit was already active through Moses, the elders, the prophets, and John the Baptist, what exactly arrived or changed?
Was it the Spirit’s presence, the extent of His activity, the nature of His relationship with God’s people, or something else?
Examining the Scriptural Pattern
Genesis 1:1–3 — The Spirit and Creation
Genesis introduces the expression rûaḥ ʾĕlōhîm in the opening account of creation.
What does this establish about the biblical presentation of God’s Spirit before Pentecost?
Numbers 11:16–30 — Moses and the Elders
The Spirit rests upon the elders, and Moses wishes that all the Lord’s people might receive His Spirit.
How might this passage prepare readers for later prophetic promises?
Jeremiah 31:31–34 — The New Covenant
God promises a new covenant with Israel and Judah, including His instruction written upon their hearts.
What is new in the relationship described?
Ezekiel 36:25–27 — A New Heart and God’s Spirit
God promises cleansing, inward renewal, and His Spirit within His people.
How does this differ from accounts emphasizing particular prophetic assignments?
Joel 2:28–32 — The Promised Outpouring
God promises to pour out His Spirit across distinctions of age, sex, and social position.
What is the significance of that broadened language?
Acts 2:1–39 — Peter’s Explanation
Peter identifies Pentecost with Joel’s prophecy and connects the outpouring with Jesus’ exaltation.
What does Peter explicitly say happened?
Original-Language Note
The Hebrew word tôrâ in Jeremiah 31:33 commonly means instruction or law.
The passage describes God’s instruction written upon the heart. It does not simply say that divine instruction disappears.
In Acts 2:33, the outpouring of the Spirit is connected with the exalted Jesus and the Father’s promise.
Discussion Questions
- Why is it inaccurate to say that the Holy Spirit first became active at Pentecost?
- What similarities connect Numbers 11 and Joel 2?
- How do Jeremiah and Ezekiel connect God’s promises with inward transformation?
- What does Peter identify as the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy?
- How does the Spirit’s reception by Gentiles in Acts 10 expand the investigation?
- What is the relationship between Pentecost and the New Covenant? Which connections are explicit, and which require interpretation?
- Can Pentecost be understood as part of God’s restorative work without assuming that every detail of restoration was completed that day?
Instructor’s Notes
Keep the original audiences of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Joel in view. Their promises arise within Israel’s history.
Then examine how the New Testament connects those promises with Jesus, Pentecost, and the inclusion of Gentiles.
Distinguish what Acts explicitly identifies as fulfillment from broader theological conclusions concerning the New Covenant.
Closing Reflection: Does Pentecost represent an isolated supernatural event, or does it belong to a developing scriptural pattern of God’s work among His people?
Final Class Discussion — Returning to the First Question
After completing the six investigations, return to the question that began the study.
Would I have recognized Jesus?
Invite participants to consider how their answers may have changed after examining the evidence.
We cannot know with certainty how we would have responded in first-century Galilee. But we can examine how we respond to the testimony about Jesus today.
Ask the class to consider these final questions:
- What have I discovered in Scripture that I had previously overlooked?
- Which familiar explanations now deserve further examination?
- Have I learned to distinguish Scripture’s statements from interpretation and inference?
- Am I more willing to investigate claims made in sermons, commentaries, and religious traditions?
- What questions remain unresolved, and what evidence would help us investigate them?
A Closing Principle
Throughout this study, we have examined the relationship between biblical testimony, historical evidence, manuscript transmission, translation, interpretation, faith, and the Holy Spirit.
The purpose has not been to establish a new doctrinal system.
It has been to encourage a more careful examination of the scriptural witness.
We must be careful not to read past what Scripture says or read into it what Scripture does not say.
A responsible investigation recognizes the difference between revelation, translation, interpretation, and inference.
And when the evidence does not settle a question, we should be willing to say so.
An investigation follows the evidence and never offers a predetermined verdict.
Scripture and Research Resources
Primary English Reference: Christian Standard Bible (CSB).
Additional English Comparisons: New King James Version (NKJV), New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB95), English Standard Version (ESV), and New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVue).
Original-Language References: Hebrew Masoretic Text, Septuagint, and Greek New Testament.
Historical and Theological Resources: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia and Theopedia, alongside appropriate academic biblical commentaries and textual studies.
All Scripture quotations used during instruction should identify the biblical book, chapter, verses, and translation. This guide primarily references and paraphrases passages rather than reproducing extended copyrighted quotations.
Companion Reading: Would I Have Recognized Jesus? An Investigation into Faith, Scripture, Evidence, and the Holy Spirit — Parts One through Six.