Hebrews 6 - Day 201 (link to reading plan)
Scripture: Hebrews 6:1-3 Commentary: Although the writer has accused the readers of immaturity and has insisted that solid food is for the mature (5:14), he intends to feed them solid food so that they might go on to maturity (lit. ‘be borne along to maturity’)! They need the insight and commitment that solid food can bring. When he says let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ, he does not mean ‘abandon completely the basic truths listed’. Progress is made by not laying again the foundation of elementary teaching but by building on this foundation. It is interesting to note that the elementary teachings mentioned here are not distinctively Christian. Practically every item could have been endorsed by orthodox Judaism. However, each item acquired a new significance in the light of Christian teaching about Jesus as Israel’s Messiah. So the impression is given that existing Jewish beliefs and practices were used as a foundation for expounding Christian truth. The solid food of Hebrews is a development of biblical themes such as repentance from acts that lead to death and faith in God, resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment, in the light of teaching about Jesus as Son of God and high priest of the new covenant. Peterson, D. G. (1994). Hebrews. In D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham (Eds.), New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 1334). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press. Application: It's important to understand what we believe and why. The basic tenets of Christianity mentioned here are repentance from our sins, faith in God, baptisms (plural not singular), laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. To be honest, I learned the essence of these doctrines in seminary, which does not mean that you need to go to seminary to learn about these "basic" teachings. Rather, the modern church needs to change our approach to teaching these basics, as well as, stressing the importance of taking the initiative to grow in our relationship with God. Prayer: Lord God Almighty, please give me a greater hunger for You. Reveal Yourself to me. Remind me why You love me... Comments are closed.
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January 2024
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