2. Presentation No. 7 Part One Section I “How to study the SROD Message”

3. Prayer Thought: Why Jesus Taught In Parables "And He had another reason for teaching in parables. Among the multitudes that gathered about Him, there were priests and rabbis, scribes and elders, Herodians and rulers, world-loving, bigoted, ambitious men, who desired above all things to find some accusation against Him. Their spies followed His steps day after day, to catch from His lips something that would cause His condemnation, and forever silence the One who seemed to draw the world after Him. The Saviour understood the character of these men, and He presented truth in such a way that they could find nothing by which to bring His case before the Sanhedrin. In parables He rebuked the hypocrisy and wicked works of those who occupied high positions, and in figurative language clothed truth of so cutting a character that had it been spoken in direct denunciation, they would not have listened to His words, and would speedily have put an end to His ministry. But while He evaded the spies, He made truth so clear that error was manifested, and the honest in heart were profited by His lessons...." {2TG2: 13.2} Prayer Thought: Why Jesus Taught In Parables "And He had another reason for teaching in parables. Among the multitudes that gathered about Him, there were priests and rabbis, scribes and elders, Herodians and rulers, world-loving, bigoted, ambitious men, who desired above all things to find some accusation against Him. Their spies followed His steps day after day, to catch from His lips something that would cause His condemnation, and forever silence the One who seemed to draw the world after Him. The Saviour understood the character of these men, and He presented truth in such a way that they could find nothing by which to bring His case before the Sanhedrin. In parables He rebuked the hypocrisy and wicked works of those who occupied high positions, and in figurative language clothed truth of so cutting a character that had it been spoken in direct denunciation, they would not have listened to His words, and would speedily have put an end to His ministry. But while He evaded the spies, He made truth so clear that error was manifested, and the honest in heart were profited by His lessons...." {2TG2: 13.2}

4. "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Tim. 2:15. "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: And be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." 1 Pet. 3:15. The commandment in the Bible is that a Christian must study, and that he also must give an answer to every man..... answer with meekness and fear. {SR1: 204.2}

5. If a father commands his son to do a certain thing and that son refuses to obey, he has dishonored his earthly father, and is become a transgressor of the fifth commandment. But if one is asked to do a certain thing by his heavenly Father and should refuse to respond to the call, such a person has dishonored his heavenly Father, and is become a transgressor of the first commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me." In fact, he is breaking the first four commandments which are honor to God, while the last six are love for man. "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." Jam. 2:10. {SR1: 184.1}

6. Isa. 28:9Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? [them that are] weaned from the milk, [and] drawn from the breasts. Isa. 28:10For precept [must be] upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, [and] there a little: Isa. 28:13But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, [and] there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. Isa. 28:9Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? [them that are] weaned from the milk, [and] drawn from the breasts. Isa. 28:10For precept [must be] upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, [and] there a little: Isa. 28:13But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, [and] there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

7. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary: Precept:1 : a command or principle intended especially as a general rule of action 2 : an order issued by legally constituted authority to a subordinate official synonyms see LAW Law: 3 : a rule of construction or procedure Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary: Precept:1 : a command or principle intended especially as a general rule of action 2 : an order issued by legally constituted authority to a subordinate official synonyms see LAW Law: 3 : a rule of construction or procedure

8. Isa. 28:9Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? [them that are] weaned from the milk, [and] drawn from the breasts. Heb. 5: 13-14: For every one that useth milk, is unskillful in the Word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Isa. 28:9Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? [them that are] weaned from the milk, [and] drawn from the breasts. Heb. 5: 13-14: For every one that useth milk, is unskillful in the Word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

9. The Jews before Christ's day, and ever since, thought they had all the truth there was to know. True, they had the Bible. But their consequent misunderstanding of the plan of God, and resultant over-confidence in themselves, led them to feel that they were rich and increased with goods and in need of nothing. It was this attitude that caused them to turn a deaf ear to the teachings of Christ the King of glory. Thus their misconception of the Truth, and their prejudice against light upon the Word of God, so robbed them of the knowledge and the wisdom of Jehovah that they were finally led, to their everlasting shame and condemnation, to commit the terrible crime of taking the life of the Son of God. {TN4: 6.3}

10. Precepts of Studying the Truth: Do not become over-confident in yourself – TN4: 6.3 Precepts of Studying the Truth: Do not become over-confident in yourself – TN4: 6.3

11. This fearful guilt, however, does not lie upon the hapless Jew alone. The Christian church as well, in each of her succeeding periods, has in effect crucified the Saviour afresh in rejecting His messages of Present Truth to them. So it was in the days of Luther, of Knox, of Wesley, of Campbell, of Miller and of Sister White. And so it is today with all who are failing to take special heed to avoid the enemy's ever-set snare. {TN4: 6.4}

12. Now the only safe and sane procedure is to read closely every page of the solemn message contained herein. Let not a line escape your attention. Study every word carefully and prayerfully. Be an earnest and diligent student of the Truth. "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." 1 Thess. 5:21. {TN4: 7.1} Now the only safe and sane procedure is to read closely every page of the solemn message contained herein. Let not a line escape your attention. Study every word carefully and prayerfully. Be an earnest and diligent student of the Truth. "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." 1 Thess. 5:21. {TN4: 7.1}

13. Precepts of Studying the Truth: Do not become over-confident in yourself – TN4: 6.3 Read closely every page of the solemn message – TN4: 7.1 Let not a line escape your attention – TN4: 7.1 Study every word carefully and prayerfully – TN4: 7.1 Be earnest and diligent in your study of Truth – TN4: 7.1 Precepts of Studying the Truth: Do not become over-confident in yourself – TN4: 6.3 Read closely every page of the solemn message – TN4: 7.1 Let not a line escape your attention – TN4: 7.1 Study every word carefully and prayerfully – TN4: 7.1 Be earnest and diligent in your study of Truth – TN4: 7.1

14. As their record shows, the Bereans made a thorough and unbiased investigation of the messages which came to them, that they might know whether "those things" were so. In so doing they were neither misled by the enemy nor reproved by Inspiration, but rather were led by their open-mindedness to keep pace with the Truth, and were honored for their noble course. But the priests, whom God had previously made recipients of the Word, upon learning that the common people were hearing the Truth gladly, came and confused them. For this, those dignitaries were condemned -- and all who gave heed to their voice rather than to the then unpopular one, were thus misled. {TN4: 7.2} These things being written for our "ensamples," let us not fail to emulate the "more noble" example of the Bereans! Only thus can we honestly exercise our judgment; otherwise we repeat the folly of the Jews who were led astray by the so-called wise teachers of Israel. {TN4: 7.3} As their record shows, the Bereans made a thorough and unbiased investigation of the messages which came to them, that they might know whether "those things" were so. In so doing they were neither misled by the enemy nor reproved by Inspiration, but rather were led by their open-mindedness to keep pace with the Truth, and were honored for their noble course. But the priests, whom God had previously made recipients of the Word, upon learning that the common people were hearing the Truth gladly, came and confused them. For this, those dignitaries were condemned -- and all who gave heed to their voice rather than to the then unpopular one, were thus misled. {TN4: 7.2} These things being written for our "ensamples," let us not fail to emulate the "more noble" example of the Bereans! Only thus can we honestly exercise our judgment; otherwise we repeat the folly of the Jews who were led astray by the so-called wise teachers of Israel. {TN4: 7.3}

15. Precepts of Studying the Truth: Do not become over-confident in yourself – TN4: 6.3 Read closely every page of the solemn message – TN4: 7.1 Let not a line escape your attention – TN4: 7.1 Study every word carefully and prayerfully – TN4: 7.1 Be earnest and diligent in your study of Truth – TN4: 7.1 Make a thorough and unbiased investigation of all messages that come to you – TN4: 7.2 Precepts of Studying the Truth: Do not become over-confident in yourself – TN4: 6.3 Read closely every page of the solemn message – TN4: 7.1 Let not a line escape your attention – TN4: 7.1 Study every word carefully and prayerfully – TN4: 7.1 Be earnest and diligent in your study of Truth – TN4: 7.1 Make a thorough and unbiased investigation of all messages that come to you – TN4: 7.2

16. "Do not read the Word in the light of former opinions; but, with a mind free from prejudice, search it carefully and prayerfully. If, as you read conviction comes, and you see that your cherished opinions are not in harmony with the Word, do not try to make the Word fit these opinions. Make your opinions fit the Word. Do not allow what you have believed or practiced in the past to control your understanding." -- Messages to Young People, p. 260. {TN5: 6.2}

17. Precepts of Studying the Truth: Do not become over-confident in yourself – TN4: 6.3 Read closely every page of the solemn message – TN4: 7.1 Let not a line escape your attention – TN4: 7.1 Study every word carefully and prayerfully – TN4: 7.1 Be earnest and diligent in your study of Truth – TN4: 7.1 Make a thorough and unbiased investigation of all messages that come to you – TN4: 7.2 Do not read the Word in the light of former opinions, but, with a mind free from prejudice. – TN5: 6.2 Do not try to make the Word fit your opinions. Make your opinions fit the Word. – TN5: 6.2 Do not allow what you have believed or practiced in the past to control your understanding. – TN5: 6.2 Precepts of Studying the Truth: Do not become over-confident in yourself – TN4: 6.3 Read closely every page of the solemn message – TN4: 7.1 Let not a line escape your attention – TN4: 7.1 Study every word carefully and prayerfully – TN4: 7.1 Be earnest and diligent in your study of Truth – TN4: 7.1 Make a thorough and unbiased investigation of all messages that come to you – TN4: 7.2 Do not read the Word in the light of former opinions, but, with a mind free from prejudice. – TN5: 6.2 Do not try to make the Word fit your opinions. Make your opinions fit the Word. – TN5: 6.2 Do not allow what you have believed or practiced in the past to control your understanding. – TN5: 6.2

18. Any explanation of a prophecy which adds to or takes from any part of relevant scripture in order to harmonize the interpretation, can only be false. When the Spirit of God interprets the Scriptures, He does not in any way need to alter any part of Them in order to make the explanation fit that which is being unfolded. When, moreover, the true interpretation of a prophecy is made, it always contains a lesson of present truth "adapted to the necessities of God's people" (The Great Controversy, p. 609) at the time the scripture is revealed. Knowing this, Satan is continually Paving the Way for Sinning Against the Holy Ghost. {TN5: 6.4}

19. Precepts of Studying the Truth: Do not become over-confident in yourself – TN4: 6.3 Read closely every page of the solemn message – TN4: 7.1 Let not a line escape your attention – TN4: 7.1 Study every word carefully and prayerfully – TN4: 7.1 Be earnest and diligent in your study of Truth – TN4: 7.1 Make a thorough and unbiased investigation of all messages that come to you – TN4: 7.2 Do not read the Word in the light of former opinions, but, with a mind free from prejudice. – TN5: 6.2 Do not try to make the Word fit your opinions, make your opinions fit the Word. – TN5: 6.2 Do not allow what you have believed or practiced in the past to control your understanding. – TN5: 6.2 Do not add to or take from, any relevant statement in order to harmonize it with your belief system or explanations - TN5: 6.4 Precepts of Studying the Truth: Do not become over-confident in yourself – TN4: 6.3 Read closely every page of the solemn message – TN4: 7.1 Let not a line escape your attention – TN4: 7.1 Study every word carefully and prayerfully – TN4: 7.1 Be earnest and diligent in your study of Truth – TN4: 7.1 Make a thorough and unbiased investigation of all messages that come to you – TN4: 7.2 Do not read the Word in the light of former opinions, but, with a mind free from prejudice. – TN5: 6.2 Do not try to make the Word fit your opinions, make your opinions fit the Word. – TN5: 6.2 Do not allow what you have believed or practiced in the past to control your understanding. – TN5: 6.2 Do not add to or take from, any relevant statement in order to harmonize it with your belief system or explanations - TN5: 6.4

20. “Moreover, whatever interpretation we may place on any statement in reference to any truth, must be in harmony with every other statement on the subject. …….…” {3SC1: 11.1.1}

21. Logical Precept: Understand each statement separately, then bring them all together, one by one in their chronological order, the reason for so doing is because we are studying a progressive revelation of truths. Our final understanding of the subject must be one in which all statements are in harmony. Expecting our understanding to change as we add each statement. Logical Precept: Understand each statement separately, then bring them all together, one by one in their chronological order, the reason for so doing is because we are studying a progressive revelation of truths. Our final understanding of the subject must be one in which all statements are in harmony. Expecting our understanding to change as we add each statement.

22. To illustrate thus getting a wrong idea of a thing from a wrong view of it: a child who accompanies his mother to a zoo, and who has never seen a peacock, suddenly comes upon one in full tail-spread going away from him, and creating to his uninitiated eyes the illusion of a large walking fan! {TN3: 103.3} Thrilled with the illusory wonder before him he excitedly exclaims the sight, only to have his mother disenchant him with the disillusioning assurance that it is only a peacock! On another occasion, however, when accompanying his father to the zoo, the child again sees a peacock, but this time in full front view presenting a sight apparently entirely new and different. Quickly he turns with excited questions to his father, who tells him that it is a peacock! {TN3: 104.1} To illustrate thus getting a wrong idea of a thing from a wrong view of it: a child who accompanies his mother to a zoo, and who has never seen a peacock, suddenly comes upon one in full tail-spread going away from him, and creating to his uninitiated eyes the illusion of a large walking fan! {TN3: 103.3} Thrilled with the illusory wonder before him he excitedly exclaims the sight, only to have his mother disenchant him with the disillusioning assurance that it is only a peacock! On another occasion, however, when accompanying his father to the zoo, the child again sees a peacock, but this time in full front view presenting a sight apparently entirely new and different. Quickly he turns with excited questions to his father, who tells him that it is a peacock! {TN3: 104.1}

23. Whereupon the argument begins, with the son protesting that the peacock which he and his mother had seen, looked nothing like this one. And unable to reconcile, as simply major and minor aspects of the same thing, that which he now sees from the front, or main point of view, and that which he before saw from the rear, or foreign point of view, his mind gropes in confusion wondering whether to believe Father or Mother. {TN3: 105.1}

24. So it is with the Bible when one looks at a subject from a standpoint foreign to the author's. He finds discrepancies in the position held by the one who sees the subject through the author's eyes. In order consequently, to maintain the false idea resulting from his foreign point of view, he is led to resort to outside sources: to one commentator or the other; to this version or to that; to technicalities and inferences of language: in the Greek, in the Hebrew, in this, in that, or in the other (languages, none of which it is likely he himself either reads or writes); or to referring to this or that so-called original manuscript (which in all probability he has never seen). {TN3: 106.1}

25. At the end of this long winding road, he has succeeded only in magnifying from a mole hill to a mountain one passage of scripture, and in reducing from a mountain to a mole hill, or entirely setting aside, another passage of scripture, all because the Bible, which the Lord has placed in his hands, does not support his idea. These pretentious procedures are calculated to demonstrate his scholarly attainments in the hope of lending to his false idea such an appearance of authority as to compel their acceptance by all who come in contact with his theory. {TN3: 106.2} Concretely: It is never fair when treating of the subject of the judgment, to give first and foremost consideration to any writing which deals directly with the subject of salvation, while only incidentally referring to the subject of the judgment. Take for example Paul's statement: {TN3: 106.3} At the end of this long winding road, he has succeeded only in magnifying from a mole hill to a mountain one passage of scripture, and in reducing from a mountain to a mole hill, or entirely setting aside, another passage of scripture, all because the Bible, which the Lord has placed in his hands, does not support his idea. These pretentious procedures are calculated to demonstrate his scholarly attainments in the hope of lending to his false idea such an appearance of authority as to compel their acceptance by all who come in contact with his theory. {TN3: 106.2} Concretely: It is never fair when treating of the subject of the judgment, to give first and foremost consideration to any writing which deals directly with the subject of salvation, while only incidentally referring to the subject of the judgment. Take for example Paul's statement: {TN3: 106.3}

26. Logical Precepts: 1.See the subject through the eyes of the author. 2.Do not magnify one statement while reducing another or entirely setting aside another, because the SROD do not support your idea. 3.Always give first and foremost consideration to statements dealing directly with the subject of study, over statements only incidentally referring to the subject. Logical Precepts: 1.See the subject through the eyes of the author. 2.Do not magnify one statement while reducing another or entirely setting aside another, because the SROD do not support your idea. 3.Always give first and foremost consideration to statements dealing directly with the subject of study, over statements only incidentally referring to the subject.

27. Subject: “Seven Last Plagues”

28. Rev: 15: 1-8 & 16: 1-21 Subject: “Seven Last Plagues” Rev: 15: 1-8 & 16: 1-21

32. Illustrate how to do a search on folio.