Posts by Fayetteville Church of Christ (Page 7)
Basic Facts from Hebrews (Part 13)
The eleventh chapter of Hebrews is often described as faith’s “hall of fame” because of its emphasis on faith and the long list of examples of those whose trust in God and His promises motivated them to live in hope. “Faith” is often depicted in the world as a belief in something without any evidence on which to base that belief (or even belief despite evidence that contradicts it). While that definition of “faith” might be appropriate for many religious…
Boldness
by Cory Waddell, Bear Valley church of Christ, Denver, CO (This article from the Bear Valley church’s Daily Bread email struck me as worthy of being shared and considered – DR) “To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel…” Ephesians 6:18b-19 On January 2, during the NFL’s Monday Night Football broadcast,…
Basic Facts from Hebrews (Part 12)
Christians enjoy a blessing no Jew ever experienced, according to Hebrews 10:19-25. We are permitted to directly enter God’s presence – to “go beyond the veil” (a reference to the veil of the temple, that separated everyone except the High Priest from the “Most Holy Place” where the ark of the covenant represented the presence of God). Under the law of Moses, even the High Priest was allowed to “enter” God’s presence only one day per year, on the day…
Basic Facts from Hebrews (Part 11)
Hebrews 10:1-18 presents one basic lesson that the Jewish Christians of the first century urgently needed to understand (and it’s the same lesson that most of modern Christendom needs to grasp as well). That lesson, stated in vs. 1, is that “the Law” – the one delivered to Moses on Mt. Sinai, the “ten commandments” law that had governed the people of Israel and Judah for ten centuries – was a figure, a “shadow” that had outlined what God planned…
Basic Facts from Hebrews (Part 10)
Among the denominations of Christendom, one of the most overlooked lessons of the book of Hebrews is the statement in chapter 9:8-9 to the effect that the first tabernacle (the one revealed to Moses on Mt. Sinai, and constructed under his supervision, Exodus 25-40) was intended to serve as a figure for the time of the church. (The Greek word for “figure” is para-bolay, a parable or comparison.) The tabernacle – or since the time of Solomon, the temple –…
Basic Facts from Hebrews (Part 9)
In many ways, Hebrews chapter 8 brings us to the focus of the “written sermon” that is the whole book of Hebrews. The foundational principle of this inspired lesson to Jewish Christians is that their conversion from Judaism to Christianity was a oneway move because Jesus had fulfilled everything Moses covenant had foreshadowed (cf. Matthew 5:17). The change in the priesthood that Jesus produced (by becoming THE High Priest for all who believe) stands as a stark contrast to the…
Basic Facts from Hebrews (Part 8)
In Hebrews 7, the Holy Spirit presents two basic facts that Jewish Christians who lived before the fall of Jerusalem needed to understand: First, that Jesus is a “better” high priest than any of those priests who had served under the authority of Moses’ law, and second, that His service as a priest definitively marked the end of that law’s authority for the people of Israel. In the Hebrew mind, there was NO ONE who was greater or “nearer” to…
Basic Facts from Hebrews (Part 7)
“The impossibility of apostasy” is a manmade doctrine that asserts that a person who has been saved from sin by the grace of God can never, ever, ever, once more become “lost” – separated from fellowship with God – no matter what that person does or believes after being saved. Hebrews 6:4-6 demonstrates that this doctrine – a “pillar” of John Calvin’s “T-U-L-I-P” summary of his beliefs – is exactly wrong. (Calvin’s theology is the doctrinal foundation of nearly ALL…
Basic Facts from Hebrews (Part 6)
One of the hardest ideas for many people to grasp is that Jesus – God in human form – CAN “relate to,” can “understand” the challenges, trials, and temptations we face every day. We read passages like 2 Corinthians 5:21 (“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”) and can be so overwhelmed by the idea that Jesus never sinned that we assume that He…
Basic Facts from Hebrews (Part 5)
In Hebrews 4, verse 11 forms the “backdrop” for verse 12’s description of God’s word (“living and powerful, sharper…a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart”). When we recognize the point the Holy Spirit is making in verse 11, then we can appreciate the actual lesson in verse 12: Christians are supposed to “be diligent” (NKJ) about entering the “rest” God has prepared for us! To the Jewish Christians who first read this letter, the word “rest” corresponded…
Basic Facts from Hebrews (Part 4)
Among the many titles and descriptions we find for Jesus throughout the scriptures, perhaps none were so vivid to the mind of first-century Jewish Christians as those found in Hebrews 3:1 – the Apostle and High Priest of our confession. The Holy Spirit urges these Christians to contemplate, gaze upon Jesus in these roles. He wants them to focus their attention carefully and seriously, taking in all the significance for them of Jesus, compared to Moses (as persecuted Jewish Christians…
Basic Facts from Hebrews (Part 3)
Hebrews 2 presents what is perhaps the most concise explanation and the most vivid illustration of God’s justice and mercy. After reminding us that history (the events mentioned in chapter 1) should motivate us to “pay special attention,” the Holy Spirit defines what justice actually means; “…every transgression and disobedience [receives] a just reward…”. The Greek word for just means “according to what is right” – a “just” reward (for sin) is exactly what is deserved by the sinner. Ezekiel…