The Promised New Covenant
Hebrews 8 began with the affirmation that the priesthood of Jesus is now functioning (v. 1). The writer declared that Jesus has sat down on “the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens, is a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched, not man” (v. 2), and while […]
A New Priesthood Demands a New Law
Hebrew 7:11-28 contains and illustrates one of the most methodical examples of logic one will ever see. It is the statement of the need for a new law because a new priesthood was given. The writer addressed those whose heritage was following the law from God given through Moses at Mt. Sinai. But these ones […]
Is the Human Soul Mortal or Immortal?
In a recent discussion, a person who believed that the wicked soul is annihilated at death also brought up an interesting belief. They said that the soul isn’t eternal or immortal. They believe that “eternal life” (John 3:15) is granted to someone when they obey the gospel; i.e. the “new birth” (John 3:5). Otherwise, the […]
Truth and Time
In 1946, a group of children were shepherding in the desert and came across a small cave. One picked up a rock and threw it inside, and the others started to do the same until they heard breaking pottery. Intrigued, they went in and found one of the largest archaeological finds of this century: a […]
A Priest After the Order of Melchizedek
Psalm 110 is a short psalm of seven verses written by David which was well known among the Jews in the first century. Jesus referred to the first verse when He had been questioned by the Jewish teachers. He asked them, “What think ye of Christ? Whose son is he?” They responded, “The son of […]
A Crown for the Faithful
In Hebrews 5 the writer uttered a warning that the things he wrote to them were hard to understand because they had become “dull of hearing.” By this time they should have been able to teach others; they could not. They needed milk and were not able to eat solid food (Hebrews 5:11-12). He urged […]
It’s Impossible to Renew Them
Hebrews 6:4-6 reads, “For as touching those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit and tasted the good word of God, and the power of the age to come and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they […]
Are There Contradictions in the Bible?
A common charge that’s made against the Bible, especially the historical accounts of the gospels, is that they contradict one another. To the skeptic, and to the honest inquirer, this is a big question. A “contradiction” is a combination of statements, ideas, or features of a situation that are opposed to one another, or a […]
Keeping the Right Balance
A “tightrope” walker must be very careful to keep the right balance on the rope he is walking. If he leans too far to the left, he’ll fall off. However, if he learns too far to the right, he will still fall from the rope. Whether he falls on the left side or right side […]
The Priesthood of Christ
Among the many things the Hebrew epistle says of Jesus, one of the most prominent is His priesthood. Of the thirteen chapters in the book, at least ten of these speak specifically of His priesthood, or if there is no specific mention then there is obvious allusion to it. In chapter 3 we are asked […]