Announcing 2020 Adult Quarterly Series

Greetings Dear Readers,

I’m excited to announce a brand new Adult Quarterly series for 2020 on “The Ministry of Reconciliation” from 2 Corinthians 5. Have a look at the four newly designed covers and find out more details from the series introduction below. In more exciting news, in addition to English and Spanish, the Bible Advocate Press is now offering the adult quarterlies in French.

Series and Quarterly Introductions

This year’s quarterlies are dedicated to what the apostle Paul called “the ministry of reconciliation.” What is reconciliation and this essential ministry? The exciting truth is revealed in one of the Bible’s most profound passages: 2 Corinthians 5:14 — 6:2 (see “Passage Prologue” on opposite page). We will take our time this year exploring it and learning how to participate in it.

The ministry, message, and ministers of reconciliation Paul writes about correspond to the three central agents addressed in the text. These form the basis of the first three quarterlies, each focusing on one agent and their role in reconciliation and the divine relationship in which they all partake.

The Author of the ministry of reconciliation is our heavenly Father. The first quarter seeks to praise and exalt Him: for “all things are of God” (v. 18). We will learn who God is as our loving Father, the ground and source of all good relationships.

The Center of the message of reconciliation is Jesus Christ. The second quarter focuses on what God has done through Christ: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us . . .” (v. 21). There’s no reconciliation apart from Him. We will learn what Jesus accomplished as the Prince of Peace, the healer of all relationships.

Remarkably, we are the ministers of reconciliation — God’s priests! The third quarter surveys our role “in Christ.” No longer living for ourselves, we are compelled by love to be “ambassadors for Christ,” bringing reconciliation on His behalf (v. 20). We will learn how the church is to be a joyous family, modeling relationship.

Finally, in the fourth quarter we stress that the purpose of God’s ministry of reconciliation is nothing less than the new covenant and a new creation: “old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (v. 17). We’ll learn how as workers together with God, salvation dawns every day (6:1, 2).

– Jason Overman