John McVay, president of Walla Walla University, has written the Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guides for the third quarter of 2023. The quarter’s lessons will focus on the book of Ephesians and will be read around the world and translated into over 120 languages. 

McVay’s interest in Ephesians traces back to his doctoral research, which focused on metaphors for the church in Ephesians. His scholarship led him to write extensively on Ephesians, including his authorship of the forthcoming Seventh-day Adventist International Bible Commentary volume on Ephesians. “That I’ve had the privilege of studying with leading scholars of the letter has only whetted my interest in the letter,” said McVay. 

“John McVay is a New Testament scholar,” said Cliff Goldstein, editor of the Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guides. “His scholarship really came through in these lessons. Yet at the same time they are accessible to non-scholars. This study guide is going to be a treat for Sabbath School students everywhere; the lessons are logical, spiritual, and theologically sound. Dr. McVay knows the book, and when the quarter is finished, Sabbath School students will know it too.” 

According to McVay, the study guides were written with the intent that new aspects of the passages would be illuminated or seen from a different angle, guiding the reader to think about and apply the passages devotionally. “My hope is that we might be so inspired by what Paul says to Ephesus in the first century that we are able to discern how to be disciples in the 21st century,” McVay said.

To supplement the study guides, McVay will be leading a variety of online sessions to study Ephesians and teaching lessons for Sabbath School classes, the School of Theology, and camp meetings. 

McVay has also written “Ephesians,” a book published by Pacific Press that functions as a companion to the study guides. The book will soon be available in Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese in addition to English. Dale Galusha, president of Pacific Press, said, “‘Ephesians’ is valuable not only in conjunction with Sabbath School classes; it has been written in such a way that it can be used for small group study in a variety of settings.”

“Ephesians” is available in print at the Adventist Book Center in College Place. It is also available online at adventistbookcenter.com and as an eBook at adventistebooks.com. 

Posted April 4, 2023.