As one who attempts to lead an adult S Sch class I'm going to share some of this.
Here's the way that I'd suggest that you launch such a study and discussion in your class --
� Have the participants prepare beforehand by first taking a red-letter New Testament and reading
just the red print (the words of Jesus), noting especially
what He specifically identifies as requisites for the favor of the Father, His love, entry into the Kingdom of Heaven, forgiveness, etc.
The "secret" is to let His words speak for themselves, unalloyed with the base metal of later biases. After all, what counts first, last, and always is
what Jesus Himself says. What I've written is merely explanatory, clarifying notes on the meanings of His terms
as He and His hearers knew those concepts at that long-ago time.
Our understanding has to be brought across a gulf of misunderstanding and revisionism that didn't separate His clearly intended meanings from the existing understanding of His hearers. Through the centuries of language change and inadequate translations, we've been taught concepts that cripple our understanding
but didn't do the same damage to His hearers' understanding.
