Hebrews 10:26 has struck fear in many a heart over the years. Some say it proves Jesus’s sacrifice only covers sins committed before we convert. After that, salvation depends on us not sinning. Ironically, this leads us back into a system where our consciences can never be clean because sin remains uncovered. Such thinking is…
Category: Theology
Escha-whatzit & Herme-whozit? (Part 2)
In my last post, I talked about the connection between eschatology (the study of last things or end times) and hermeneutics (how scripture is interpreted). A person’s eschatology will flow from how they interpret scripture so when people talk about eschatology, they’re also (perhaps unconsciously) talking about how to interpret scripture. Given that the integrity…
Escha-whatzit & Herme-whozit? (Part 1)
Over the years, I’ve learned how connected eschatology and hermeneutics are. “Eschatology” is a fancy word for “last things.” When we talk about the end times, we are talking about eschatology. “Hermeneutics” refers to how a person or group interprets the Bible. A person’s hermeneutic is the lens through which they look at scripture. The…
Out from a Second
In chapters eight through 10, the writer of Hebrews continues contrasting the old and new covenants, also discussing them as the first and second covenants. The first covenant had continual sacrifice. Not only did the repeated sacrifices fail to remove sin, they actually reminded people of their sinfulness and kept their consciences from being clean….
Out with the Old, in with the…Older?
“For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints a Son, who has been perfected forever” (Heb. 7:28). “The law” and “the word of the oath” are set up as contrasting covenants, contrasting approaches to God. “The word of the oath” connects…
Crucifying Jesus Again
“For it is impossible to renew to repentance those who were once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift, became companions with the Holy Spirit, tasted God’s good word and the powers of the coming age, and who have fallen away, because, to their own harm, they are recrucifying the Son of God and holding Him up to contempt”…
Sluggish in Hearing
“We have have much to say that is difficult to interpret since you have become sluggish in hearing” (Heb. 5:11). At the cusp of Hebrews five and six is a warning that seems to come out of nowhere. Since the writer has been talking about Melchizedek and resumes this subject in chapter seven, the warning seems to erupt mid-thought….
Marx My Words…
About 15 years ago, I found myself wondering why certain political causes flocked together. What connected environmentalism, LGBTQ issues, feminism, racial advocacy, and the like? I concluded these all divided the world into two categories: oppressor and oppressed; victimization was the common link. Men oppressed women, whites oppressed minorities, LGBTQ groups were oppressed by those…
Good Grip
Hebrews 5 continues talking about Jesus, our high priest, who sympathizes with our weaknesses. Other high priests could be compassionate since they were weak like those they ministered to; they also needed sacrifice to repair their relationship with God. Jesus was not fallen; He wasn’t subject to a nature that is prone to sin. He…
The Beast
I’m doing something a little different in this post. The picture above is from our church service on 2/7/21. If you click it, it will (hopefully) take you to a video of our service. Our church has been going through Revelation. Three of us are taking turns preaching. One is our pastor, Roger. Another is…
The Voice of One 