Tag: Hebrews

The Priority of Our Questions

On By AaronIn Uncategorized5 Comments

             I have been reading a lot of posts lately by Christians in Christian groups on Facebook.  Great questions, and I am a firm believer that after the fear of the Lord it is our questions that lead us to wisdom.  A good question framed properly where the answer is diligently sought will always lead to a piece of knowledge that will augment our faith.  But we have also heard that there is not such thing as a dumb question, and I am not entirely convinced of the truth of that statement.

             Have you ever been in a conversation in which someone asked a question and although they were earnest in their desire for the answer the fact that they asked the question only revealed that the person still had much to learn?  I was sitting in my police car with a high school student who was taking advantage of our ride along program when he asked a question about how the radar worked.  We, as police officers, must be able to answer that question often as part of our testimony in court to demonstrate that we know how to correctly employ the device.  After about twenty minutes of explanation the young man pointed to a parked car and asked, “wouldn’t it be cool if the radar could detect that car?”  While it was clear that he genuinely wanted it to “be cool” he had not heard or maybe he had not understood, anything I had said in the previous twenty minutes about the functioning and purpose of the radar. A proper understanding would have alleviated the necessity of the question.

These are the kind of questions I have been seeing in the Christian Facebook posts.  Can god fix any kind of relationship; …even when it seems hopeless, can he restore it?  Is it okay for a Christian to listen to non-Christian music?  Is it normal to get sick and angry when people blaspheme the name of God?  All questions that need to be answered but all questions that may reveal that we do not have a firm grasp of the basics of Christianity.

“What would Paul have considered the basics of Christianity and would a proper understanding of these basics answer some of our other initial questions?”

I was reminded of a passage in which Paul told the Corinthians, “I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it (1Co 3:2).”  What is the milk that we need before we are given solid food?  What would Paul have considered the basics of Christianity and would a proper understanding of these basics answer some of our other initial questions?

             Where Paul was telling the Corinthians that they are not yet ready for solid food the writer of Hebrews expressed to the Hebrews that they were ready and that they needed to move off the elementary doctrines.  Here, I think the writer identifies what those elementary doctrines might be.  “Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.  And this we will do if God permits (Heb 6:1-3).”  I suspect that the elementary doctrines are the doctrine of repentance from dead works, the doctrine of faith in God, the doctrine of washings, the doctrine of laying on of hands, the doctrine of resurrection from the dead, and the doctrine of eternal judgment.

             Could you explain those doctrines to a new believer?  Do you understand each of these doctrines enough to use them to answer those other basic questions?  I suspect that the answers to the earlier question about repaired relationships could be found or at least better understood through an understanding of the doctrine of faith and resurrection.  I suspect that questions about what is appropriate and what is not appropriate for Christian behavior could be best deciphered through an understanding of the doctrine of dead works.  What produces life versus that which produces death?  Anger could also be better understood in a context of the doctrines of dead works and even eternal judgment.

“Where can we go to learn these things if we are not learning them in the church?  What hope do we have apart from these basic doctrines?”

             I guess what I am saying is that my experiences on Facebook in these Christian groups is that the church, and I include myself in that body, is failing to communicate and teach these basic doctrines.  Where can we go to learn these things if we are not learning them in the church?  What hope do we have apart from these basic doctrines?  Every question, asked earnestly, is a good question but what are the most important questions?  The priority for us as Christians should be those doctrines listed above.  If we cannot answer those questions then we don’t know the basics of our identity in Christ, we can’t communicate those basics to others, and as a generation of believers we can’t hope to move on to maturity. The good news is that the answers to these questions are not restricted to those in possession of a theology degree. If anything my theology education has only made me more confident in that which I already knew.

What does it mean to repent from dead works?

What does it mean to put your faith in God?

What does the bible teach about washings?

Why and when do we lay on of hands?

What does the Bible say about the resurrection of the dead?

What is the Biblical teaching on eternal judgment?

“To be a Christian is to know what Christ taught on these basic doctrines.”

             One final thought.  Adam Clarke writing on the passage in Hebrews that I cited above says that he is, “inclined to think that all the terms in this verse, as well as those in the former, belong to the Levitical law, and are to be explained on that ground (Clarke 1810-1826, Heb 6).”  It is not enough to know what you feel these things mean.  To know the answers to these questions we have to know what they are as Jesus and the Disciples would have understood them to be.  To be a Christian is to know what Christ taught on these basic doctrines.

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Clarke, Adam. Adam Clarke’s Commentary On The Bible. Public Domain, 1810-1826.

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Therefore…

On By AaronIn Uncategorized1 Comment

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,   not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near (Heb 10:19-26, ESV).”

It has been used so often that I cannot remember where I first heard the idea. Not to say that the idea is overused it is still truly relevant as we read God’s Word. The idea is usually expressed like this, “When ever you see a therefore in the text you have to ask the question, ‘what is it there for?’” Here the word is translated from the Greek οὖν and as a conjunction it means “and so” or “now then” and is being used to connect the first clause with a clause to come.

I love two things about this particular “therefore” in Hebrews. First, it is pointing back to a little over nine chapters of stuff; that is a big first clause. Because Jesus is the Son of God, because as the Son of God He is superior to Moses, Malchizedek and even to the angels, because Jesus is the founder of our salvation, because Jesus is the Great High Priests, because God’s promises are secure, because Jesus is the guarantor of a better covenant, because we are redeemed by the blood of Jesus, because of all these things, and more, all of which are found in Hebrews leading up to this “therefore” it is a big “therefore.” The first clause is so huge I am already anticipating the second clause. It is going to be equally huge!

Second, the writer of Hebrews sums up the first clause beginning with the word “since.” “…since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God… (Heb 10:19-21)” In other words, the blood of Jesus provides a way for you and I to enter into His presence in the holiest place where He resides as our atonement. Since all of this is true the writer of Hebrews is going to tell us that we ought to do something; that something is the second clause.

What ought we to do? How should we respond to what God has done for us? Are you sitting on the edge of your seat? Are you so awe struck by the selfless humility of the perfect and all-powerful God of the universe who has given all of Himself for you that your only desire is to know what you should do right now? Here it is… we are to draw near to God. We are to draw near to God and in that nearness, we are to be true in heart; true about ourselves, true about who God is, and true in our intentions towards Him. We are to trust, know, or have faith, that our consciences are clean, sprinkled with the blood of His sacrifice and our flesh purified through our baptism into His death. And, we are to encourage one another to the good works of love. I know, you probably thought that I was going to tell you that we ought to obey God’s commands or that we should live as better people. Nope, we are to abide in our faith, what we know about God, we are to abide in our hope, what we know God is going to do, and we are to abide in love, doing for others that which God has done for us (1Co 13:13). This is how we are to draw near to Him.

What is also astonishing is that is not a concept new to the New Testament and absent in the Old. The prophet Micah, writing to the Israelites around 750–700 B.C., writes, “[The LORD] has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God (Mic 6:8)?” Have faith in what is good, walk in the confidence of what God is going to do, and do justice and kindness from an attitude of love.

The men and women of the Old Testament knew that God was good and relied on His promises of redemption.  Today as men and women of the New Testament we know how God has redeemed us and we rely on His promises of eternal life, bodily resurrection, and ultimate glorification.  Adam Clarke writes that, “He is faithful that promised eternal life, which is the object of your hope, is promised to you by him who cannot lie; as he then is faithful who has given you this promise, hold fast the profession of your hope (Clarke 1810-1826, Heb 10:23).”  How wonderful is it that when we gaze into the heavens what we find is a God of love who is faithful first to His own word and then to the word He has given to His creation?  I shudder to think that we could gaze into the heavens and see anything else; anything less.

Thanks for reading and do not forget to subscribe to my e-mail below.  I am working on some great things and I would hate for you to miss out.

Clarke, Adam. Adam Clarke’s Commentary On The Bible. Public Domain, 1810-1826.

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The Perfected Conscience

On By AaronIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

What does it mean to have a perfected conscience?  The writer of Hebrews rights that the Old Covenant is inferior in that the gifts and sacrifices offered under it failed to, “perfect the conscience of the worshiper (Heb 9:9, ESV).”  What does that mean?

The central difference between the Old and New Testaments is that under the New Covenant the blood of Jesus is offered as a sacrifice on behalf of His people.  The Old Covenant, too, required a sacrifice of blood but that sacrifice was insufficient except that it pointed to the the necessity of the sacrifice of Christ.  The writer of Hebrews spends significant amount of time up to this point explaining how the New Covenant is better than the Old and one of his final arguments is that the Old Testament could not perfect the conscience.

Under the Old Covenant, The Law pointed to the guilt of sin.  When an Israelite failed, when he transgressed that law, a sacrifice was required; a sacrifice of blood.  Each time he failed or transgresses another sacrifice was required.  Over and over again the Israelite’s guilt was illustrated as illuminated by the law and specifically as he transgressed against it.  Our consciences are the mechanism or organ that recognizes that guilt; for the Israelite it was recognized specifically within the context of The Law.  When our conscience is functioning properly it is reminding us of our guilt for our own evil deeds and even our own evil desires.

But all the Old Covenant could do is remind of us that guilt.  It could not make the believer innocent and guilt by definition requires a punishment.

What is injustice without justice?  Dare We answer that it is another injustice.  I once watched a video of a sentencing hearing in which a man convicted of raping another man’s daughter was sentenced to a sentence so slight that the father in anguish leapt across a barrier in an attempt to get at the man who had offended against his daughter.  This man’s plea for justice on behalf of his daughter had gone unanswered and I had two thoughts.  First, that the justice which had been refused was in that refusal another injustice.  There was a “rightness” in wanting to see that father reach his intended target and deliver the justice owed.  Second, that the injustice of a failure of justice was directly tied to the love that the father had for his daughter.  Do we realize that in refusing to deal justice for sin God would be committing sin?  He can’t simply wave away our injustice.  And how often do we declare that a good God could not punish that which He loves?  Do we not recognize that not only is His perfect justice at stake but His perfect love if He were to pardon an offense against that which he loves?  When we appeal to God to right an injustice committed against us we are in part appealing to His perfect justice but we are also in part appealing to His love for us.  Why would He answer such an appeal if he was either unjust or didn’t care?

The Old Covenant is limited in that it can only point to our injustices.  Our consciences continually remind us of that guilt until we sear our conscience or deal with the guilt.  The Old Covenant was incapable of dealing with that guilt and so are we.  The power of the New Covenant is that it perfects our consciousness in that it deals with the guilt.  Jesus became the punishment.  When He says that you are forgiven he is not waving away the guilt by simply ignoring it.  He is taking on the punishment that guilt requires.  Justice was delivered on Him for your injustice.  You no longer need to feel the guilt.  Your conscience is perfect before God.

Later in verse 14 of that same chapter in Hebrews we find that the New Covenant not only perfects our conscience it liberates it from dead works.  When we commit an injustice our conscience tells us that we are guilty.  What are we to do?  When we offer any good work, any sacrifice, as payment for that injustice it fails.  It fails because perfection, The Law, requires that we are good all the time.  The good work of today can only pay for itself it can not pay for yesterday’s deed of injustice.  The penalty is still owed.  Every good work that you do is dead and meaningless because none of them remedy the guilt of the offense.  And all are guilty of more than that first offense (Rom 3:23).

However, the offering made to mediate the New Covenant (Heb 9:15) changes that.  It is first sufficient in that Christ’s sacrifice is not needed to atone for Himself.  But He offered it, none the less, as an act of love on your behalf.  He didn’t need to but He did and when you recognize the love that this act demonstrates and signifies you are not simply liberated from pursuing works that can not save but you are liberated to live your life as a response to His love for you.  Your good works do not need to liberate you and they are now free to testify of His love.  You are free to live a life that emulates that love for others.

“Today is the day”

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