Basic Facts from James (Part 2)
In James 3:1-12 the Holy Spirit inspired a warning (vs. 1) that actually introduces a lesson on the profound power of what we say! The commandment to “let not many of you become teachers,” along with the warning that those who do teach will be held liable for a “larger degree” of responsibility in judgement is NOT meant to discourage any Christian from sharing the gospel OR from ever becoming a “teacher” (one who shares knowledge of the gospel with…
Basic Facts from James (Part 1)
Although there were two men among the apostles who bore the name James, it is generally accepted that the inspired penman of the new testament book of James was one of our Lord’s four half -brothers (cf. Mark 6:3). The apostles who shared this name are James the son of Zebedee (and brother to John, Matthew 4:21), who was killed by the order of king Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:1 – Herod died in 44 A.D.), and James the son…
Basic Facts from Hebrews (Part 15)
The book of Hebrews concludes with a series of brief, pointed commandments – the summary of all the “proofs” meant to help these Jewish Christians remain committed to Christ instead of turning back to Judaism. These commandments form a simple, reasonable summary, rooted in the fact that Jesus and His church are the fulfillment of everything toward which the law of Moses had pointed Israel. There are eight distinct commandments, together with six statements of exhortation and instruction that should…
Basic Facts from Hebrews (Part 14)
If the book of Hebrews is basically a sermon in written form (as many scholars describe it), then chapter twelve is the “invitation” at the conclusion of the sermon. The Holy Spirit summarizes all that has been said to this point with a “call to action” that begins with the instruction for Christians to lay aside or take off everything that could prevent us from finishing the “race” we have begun (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27). The image is an athlete…
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…