the new self created in the likeness of God
"and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." Ephesians 4.24 God hasn't called us to be a little better than we were or even a lot better than the world. He's called us to be like Him! And in Christ, He has recreated us in His image. It's... Continue Reading →
Thus far, the author has stated several times that the Levitical system was insufficient to deal with man’s real problem: sin. Neither the Levitical priesthood or the Law could make man perfect (Hebrews 7.11,19) and while the blood of bulls and goats could “sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh” (Hebrews 9.13), they could not... Continue Reading →
In chapter 8 we focused on the better priesthood of Jesus and the associated better covenant, but there was one other matter introduced which shows the superiority of Jesus’ priesthood: He is “a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man” (Hebrews 8.2). The author returns to the... Continue Reading →
The superiority of Jesus’ priesthood was already evidenced by the fact that while the Levitical priesthood was comprised of mortals who could not continue as priests because of death, Jesus maintains His priesthood forever because He lives forever (Hebrews 7.23-25). Furthermore, the Levitical priests were required to offer sacrifices for their own sins, but Jesus... Continue Reading →
Jesus’ role as high priest has been a chief part of the author’s argument of the superiority of Jesus. In explaining why Jesus had to live as a man, the author stated that such was necessary so that “He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation... Continue Reading →
Recall that in chapter 1, the author provided evidence for Jesus’ superiority over the angels: “having become as much better than the angles, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they” (Hebrews 1.4). Having established this fact, the author this warning: “For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we... Continue Reading →
Having established that a “Sabbath rest remains for the people of God” (4.9), the author exhorted his audience to “be diligent to enter that rest” (4.10) knowing that not only is the “word of God… living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword” (4.11) but that no one is hidden from His sight (4.12).... Continue Reading →
After explaining how Jesus is better than Moses (3.1-6), the author introduced Psalm 95 (3.7-11). There, the Psalmist (David according to Hebrews 4.7) exhorted the people of his generation to praise and reverence the Lord, to listen to His voice “today” unless they repeat the failures of the wilderness generation, the people of whom God... Continue Reading →
The author of Hebrews had established Jesus’ superiority over the angels (1.5-14). Even Jesus’ becoming a man enhances His superiority, for by sharing “in flesh and blood” He was able to both render Satan powerless and be a merciful high priest (2.14-18). Recall that angels had a part in delivering the Law (2.2; cf. Acts... Continue Reading →
The author had demonstrated the superiority of Jesus to the angels by appealing to how the Old Testament Scriptures contrasted the nature of the Messiah with that of angels (Hebrews 1.5-14). And if Jesus is clearly superior, then we are under obligation to heed His word, words which were confirmed by His messengers and by... Continue Reading →
A study of Hebrews presents some challenges because there are several questions about the letter which we simply cannot answer. Let’s briefly note some of these questions: Who wrote the letter? There was a relatively early tradition in the church that Paul wrote the letter in Hebrew and Luke then translated it into Greek. However,... Continue Reading →