Dear Student of the Word,
I am back from Kenya, having had a wonderful journey. I spoke to several thousand leaders and experienced the love and commitment of the Kenyan people that I have come to know and love. While I was away, I enrolled many new friends in my online programs and, if you are new to this study, I welcome you to these ongoing New Testament studies.
I am currently editing my study on the letter to the Hebrews. At the end of this email, I tell you how to access the rest of these New Testament. For now, here is an excerpt from this week's third installment, specifically part six of this seven-part study that you can access in full below. The writer was exhorting his readers not to return to Judaism, but to press on in the faith to full maturity:
Study Three, Part Six
6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so.
6:1&2 – The writer considered repentance, faith, baptisms, laying on of hands, the resurrection and eternal judgment to be elementary teachings. How much do you know about each of those six topics? Can you explain them? Can you point out biblical references that speak to those topics? It would make a good study and warrant investing time to study and know the basics of each item.
Often in sports, the most successful players are those who master the fundamentals, going on to outstanding performance. The same is true for those who are following Jesus. I went back to school in 1987 to earn my doctorate because I wasn’t happy with my lack of understanding of basic theological issues. That ignorance was not going to disappear unless I addressed it. What situation are you hoping will go away, but will not unless you take specific corrective steps?
6:3 – Remember, these Hebrews were considering abandoning the faith to return to Judaism. They would have had to turn their backs on these elementary teachings to embrace all kinds of acts that lead to death. Modern Christians can do the same thing and ‘return’ to their former way of life when faith in Christ becomes too uncomfortable. I urge you to continue to grow in the grace and the knowledge of God, not tiring of the journey or disillusioned by disappointments:
And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:10-14).
On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him." From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." (John 6:60-69).
As always, I welcome your comments to this week's study. For additional Bible studies, check out my website archive, which contains a complete collection of all my verse-by-verse New Testament studies, along with the unpublished daily devotional entitled A Daily Taste of Proverbs. Thank you and I hope you continue to enjoy this study of Hebrews from God's word!
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