This is one of my first ever posts here on WordPress, from October of 2011, I hope you like it.
When I was a kid growing up in Los Angeles, I always looked forward to the Fall; it has been my favorite season for as long as I can remember. There’s so much about it to like: pumpkins,
changing leaves,
football,
the World Series,
seasonal cuisine
and all of this is in spite of the fact that we had to go back to school!
When I was a kid, I always wanted to go somewhere that had the fall colors in nature…
kind of like this:
there aren’t many scenes like this in LA!
Gotta love this one…
I always thought of Fall as the beginning of the holidays; lots of fun to look forward to. There’s just something about this season; it’s sort of the culmination of the entire year… it even smells good! There’s only one thing about it that isn’t great: It’s followed by winter!
If you didn’t know that winter was followed by spring and summer, that would really put a damper on things, at least for me. You could say that Fall is a time when the world seems to be dying away in a blaze of glory… and then everything will be dormant for a season.
After a season of dormancy, there is rebirth!
There’s a lot we can learn from the seasons: there’s a time to live, a time to die, and a time to rise again.
Isn’t it amazing how God teaches eternal truth in nature? It’s no wonder that Paul wrote:
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
Hebrews 13:1-3
Chapter 13 is largely made up of exhortations, and from these, we can fill in any blanks we might have in our understanding of chapter 12. Notice how it begins: “Keep on loving…” As we saw at the end of the last chapter, this is really what the book is trying to teach us, to keep on doing the things we are supposed to do as Christians, no matter what happens in this life. Obviously, this should have had a powerful impact on the original recipients of the letter who were having such a rough time in Rome, but let’s not think it doesn’t apply in our time as well. Loving one another is one of the commands of Jesus that is repeated over and over again in the New Testament, and frankly it deserves more than lip service from us.
Showing hospitality to strangers is another common theme in the New Testament; have you ever wondered about it? Does it mean showing hospitality to dangerous persons on the run from the police? Does it mean only for other believers? Different people are led in different ways here… and for the record, I wouldn’t advise harboring fugitives from the law… I can only suggest that we all follow the Lord’s leading. Some, especially those who have the spiritual gift of hospitality, will be led more than others. Certainly, however, those who habitually refuse hospitality might not seem like people who are sharing God’s love very freely.
Taking this verse in a broader cultural context sheds a better light on its meaning. In that context, it would seem most likely that the author is referring to people who are believers, such as those sent from another church congregation. A travelling preacher or messengers might qualify more than just anyone who looks lost…
Finally, those in prison. I doubt the author is talking about random thieves and violent criminals. It seems more likely to me that he is referring to people being held in prison for their faith, as were many at the time of his writing. This would fit more clearly into the first verse and its injunction to keep on loving one another.
Whatever our personal views may be on these topics, it is clear that these three verses are all about sharing the love of Christ with others.
Acts Chapter 10 tells the story of the conversion of Cornelius, the first recorded Gentile to be saved through Christ. This event was to have great consequences in the early church. The central question became: does a person need to become a Jew before becoming a Christian?
When the news concerning Peter and Cornelius reached Jerusalem, a conference was held in which Peter was called to account. Many of the brothers there insisted that Cornelius be circumcised and follow the Law, even though they had already been baptized into Christ, for it was almost unthinkable to them that anyone other than a Jew could actually be saved. Peter recalled the events in Acts 11:1-18 and ended his account with this question: “So if God gave them the same gift that he gave to us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God? (Acts 11:17) This question put the matter to rest in the First Jerusalem Conference, but not for very long!
Second Jerusalem Conference: Crisis of Covenant
Paul and Barnabas were reaping great results for the Gospel in Antioch and the Eastern Mediterranean area, and the old question soon arose: Must a Gentile become a Jew in order to receive Christ? Paul returned to Jerusalem to once again put the question to the Apostles. It is interesting, in light of the outcome of the previous Conference, that so many still struggled with it.
Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.”
Acts 15:5
Those Christians who had been of the party of the Pharisees had believed that Jesus was the Lord of Israel, and that the Torah was Christian Law. But Paul pointed out:
He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are
Acts 15:9-11
The assertions of Peter and Paul make it clear that not only can Gentiles be saved though faith in Christ without becoming Jews, but this is also the way Jews are to be saved. James was next to speak:
When they finished, James spoke up: “Brothers, listen to me. Simon has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself. The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written: ”‘After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things’ that have been known for ages.
Acts 15:13-18
Finally, the Conference determined once and for all (minus some naysayers who gave Paul problems later) that neither circumcision nor the Law of Moses were necessary for Salvation.
In this determination, backed up by the accounts of Peter and Paul, and discussed later, the matter was put to rest. What followed was the emergence of a very interesting Theology of two covenants. Is the Old Covenant still in effect? The answer is clearly “no”. Does being a Jew result in Salvation? Again, the
answer is “no”. If the Law cannot save you, and being a Jew cannot save you, then is Abraham’s covenant still in effect?
To answer this question, consider this: why did the Apostles determine that circumcision was not necessary? After all, circumcision is the sign of the Old Covenant, right? Wrong! It is the sign of the Abrahamic Covenant! If that Covenant were effective, then wouldn’t it be necessary to circumcise all males? If you say “no” because the Covenant only passed through Abraham’s seed, you would only be half right. Was anyone else, other than Abraham and his physical descendants in that Covenant? Remember that Abraham and his entire household were circumcised. A Christian is a member of the household of Christ. If the former covenant were in effect, then one could enter it through circumcision… but it wasn’t, because it had been entirely fulfilled through Christ.
At this time there was only one Lord, one faith, and one baptism for all (Eph. 4:1-2) As Paul would later write, and we will study next time, the true Israel was according to the Spirit, not according to the flesh. Jesus was the true seed of Abraham.
To prepare for next time, read the following: Romans 7, 10; 2Corinthians 3; Galatians 2, 34; Ephesians 2; and Hebrews 7.
See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
Hebrews 12:25-27
This is a powerful passage, one of amazing awe and wonder to ponder. The author begins it with an imperative, “See to it…” Who is speaking, the one we aren’t supposed to refuse? The answer is in the next sentence: Who warned the people from earth, and warns us from heaven? God then, is the one who is speaking.
Go back to verses 18-21, and you can get an idea of what the author is referring to here. He recounted Mount Sinai, the fire, the darkness the smoke and shaking… Yes, there was warning for the people in all of that: They were to take the Law that was given to Moses seriously. Did they? Well, some of the time. Did those people get into the promised land?
No, they didn’t.
We have the reality that was to come, and yet we are being told not to turn away from Him. Yes, that warning was for the Jewish Christians of Nero’s Rome, and it is for those who followed them as well. The author continues his thought in the rest of this passage by making a comparison between God’s warnings on Sinai, and the judgment that is to come. When that day arrives, all of creation will be stripped away, and only that which is entirely of God will remain, and the very strong implication is that those who are left standing will be the ones who remained faithful to God.
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”
Hebrews 12:28-29
Here the chapter draws to a close. Look carefully and you see that it ends on an optimistic note. Preachers over the centuries have often quoted verse 29 “for our God is a consuming fire.” to strike fear into the hearts of their congregations, and that is a pity. They often left out verse 28 entirely, and verse 28 gives verse 29 its rich significance, for it reminds the readers of this letter that we have a great inheritance, that we are a heavenly kingdom and that we shall indeed stand on that day. Yes, we will stand for we will never turn away from Him. No! We will worship Him properly, with reverence and awe in loving and faithful trust.
To wrap up the chapter, I just want to mention one final thought about judgment day. What we have just read is not a literal description of the day. It is told here in figure, as an illustration of the reality that is to come; sound familiar? It probably won’t be a great earthquake that shatters everything except God’s people, but of course it will accomplish the same thing. For us today, it is simply important to understand that no matter what the future may hold, we simply need to remain faithful to our Lord, to love Him, to trust Him and to share His love with one another… and not worry about the details of the great day. We’ll come out just fine if we do that, and that is the point of the chapter.
The other day, I was suddenly and unexpectedly called away, and that had an adverse impact on my posting here: Sorry about that. I am back at my computer now and we resume normal activity today. I hope that that you all have a great Monday and a great week!
You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”
Hebrews 12:18-21
We’re in the home stretch now on our tour of Hebrews, and it begins with two mountaintops. In these verses, we see Mount Sinai in quotes from both Exodus and Deuteronomy. Notice that the author is speaking in the negative: “You have not come to a mountain that…” See it? He is about to describe a place we have moved away from…
Read the passage slowly, try to picture the terror the people felt when they came to Mount Sinai. Fire, darkness, gloom; everything about the place was intimidating and terrifying; they were in the presence of God, and that was not a place you wanted to be. Poor Moses had to climb up there and receive the Law from a God who was unapproachable. Yes, He was a God of love, but He was dealing with a people who were in rebellion against Him, yet He had taken the initiative to build a relationship with them. These were the descendants of Abraham, now grown to the size of a small nation. This was not a negotiation; it was a truce being offered by the stronger side: Take it or leave it. If they took it, God was willing to be their God, as long as they kept His Law. If they left it, well, let’s not think about what might happen. What is really important for us to understand is that God, the party in the stronger position, was offering the truce, and this was an act of mercy.
Oh, yes… and it wasn’t the end of the story; it was just the beginning!
But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Hebrews 12:22-24
Now, the second mountaintop, and what a contrast; this is the mountain we have come to, Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem. This is the reality that was only pictured in the old earthly city. Joyous angels, the spirits of the righteous, the presence of God… without the fear and the dread, for now we are made perfect in His sight by the blood of Jesus. No longer are we at war. This is not just a truce, this is a Treaty of Alliance, of Fellowship: We are now members of the Family!
Here’s a little bonus for you: notice the terms that are used here as one: Mount Zion, city of the living God, Heavenly Jerusalem, church of the firstborn. These are combined with the descriptive comments; thousands of angels, spirits of the righteous, the presence of God and Jesus the mediator of a better covenant. You see, they all refer to what we would call the heavenly church or heaven. Remember this when you read the prophets and the Psalms and you will find them easier to understand.
Finally, that sprinkled blood, the blood that was brought by the mediator of the New Covenant, His own blood. It speaks a better word than the blood of Abel, for it speaks not of senseless hatred and violence, it does not cry out for vengeance, it speaks of redemption and life; what an awesome picture this is.
Several years ago, I read a book on railroads called “The Modern Railroad” by Edward Hungerford; you should check it out on Kindle… it’s a freebie. In this book, Mr. Hungerford tells of the amazing uses of technology by modern railroads, technology that allows railroads to keep track of trains, hundreds of them, all at one time. They use signals on the lines to keep the trains safe as they rumble across the land, they can operate huge yards that serve hundreds of trains per day. In fact, he goes into great detail about how three men in the control tower of a major passenger terminal such as Washington, DC’s Union Station, can maintain a smooth and on-time flow of from 600 to 800 trains each day, controlling dozens of switches simultaneously with a single flip of a switch…
Did I mention that the book was published in 1910?
To be honest, I never realized how technologically advanced railroads were in 1910.
I also couldn’t help but notice that reading “The Modern Railroad” sounded very much like listening to people today discuss the wonders of modern science and technology, only the modern speakers and writers would all say that 1910 technology wasn’t much more advanced than the stone age. Mr. Hungerford made about the same observations about mid 19th century technology.
To be fair to science and technology in general, I must acknowledge that amazing strides have been made, and hopefully will continue to made, but we need to keep some perspective on the subject of such things. The day will come soon, when the things we gush about today will seem primitive to us… like mobile phones that used to weigh several pounds for instance, or monochrome monitors, or my old Kaypro 2 computer, or a Commodore 64.
There are many things today that some folks claim that science has “proven” that haven’t been proven at all, but even so, science and technology are great and have provided us with many useful tools, like the internet, for example. Yet where can we place our trust? In scientific findings that have a way of changing over time? Let’s not forget that “modern” science proved the theory of spontaneous generation, that the world was flat, and that some ethnic groups were superior to others: Those guys aren’t looking all that brilliant now.
As I sit here and look forward to the next great discovery about how something God has created works, and the next great innovation that our God-given intelligence can devise, I must stop and reflect upon the Creator of everything that science investigates, and as I do, I am struck anew with the awesome majesty of our God.
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.
Hebrews 12:14-17
This is a particularly interesting little paragraph; look at it carefully, and let’s see what riches are in store for us…
First, the author exhorts us to live in peace with everyone, and to strive to be holy (set apart) for without that, no one will see God. Living at peace with everyone seems to be referring to a lifestyle that is not engaging in controversy and discord; things that the New Testament teaches in many places, as we have seen. Living holy lives is also a common theme in the New Testament, and keeping in mind that holy means “set apart” it isn’t too difficult to follow what that means. We are to be set apart from the world we live in, set apart for God and not partakers in every crazy thing that comes along. We are to be willing to undergo God’s discipline and to stand for the Truth of His Word; these things would be very consistent with the 11 chapters of Hebrews that we have been through so far, and would make sense considering the historical context that we have seen so many times.
We’ve been told before in this letter to help and encourage one another to hold onto our faith, and so to be told here not to let anyone “fall short of the grace of God” and to allow no “bitter root” in our midst to defile others, would also seem to make sense. That sexual immorality is mentioned right after this is interesting… but the most interesting little piece of the entire paragraph comes right after that. “Godless like Esau” is a very interesting thing; the author goes on to remind his readers that Esau sold his birthright for a dinner, and could not get it back.
His birthright, or inheritance, is a covenant reference, for he was to inherit his right as a patriarch of old, as a direct descendant of Abraham. Remember that Esau didn’t really take that inheritance as seriously as he should have, and traded it to his younger brother, Jacob, for a bowl of stew, and thus Jacob inherited upon Isaac’s death. So, what will we take away from this?
What has Hebrews been all about so far? It was written to the Jewish Christians in Rome in a time of severe persecution, to urge them not to give up their faith under severe trial. The message has been that in the New Covenant relationship with Christ, we have a superior high priest who brought a superior sacrifice to establish a superior covenant based upon superior promises. We have just been warned not to be like Esau who lost his place in Abraham’s covenant when he valued a bowl of stew more that his birthright. Once again, in a slightly different way than before, the author is telling his readers, including you and me, to place our highest priority on our New Covenant birthright as co-heirs with Christ to everything, lest we should lose everything.
Interesting, isn’t it? So, I must ask…
Is God speaking to us in this passage? I sure “hear” Him. What’s He saying to you?
The great Commission had been given, and the plan of Ages was being revealed… the Apostles waited in Jerusalem until they received “power from on high”. God wanted it to be clear that the Apostles had the authority to speak for Christ.
I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.
John 17:14-20a
The Apostles understood that they had the authority to speak for Christ, that to lie to them was to lie to the Spirit, that to disobey them was to disobey the Spirit, and that to listen to them was to hear what the Spirit was saying.
Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.”
Acts 5:4
…but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
1Cor. 2:10-13
And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.
1Thess. 2:13
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
1John 4:1-6
Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
1Thess. 4:8
So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.
2Thess. 2:15
He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
James 1:18-25
There are two basic assumptions at work here: First that the Apostles spoke with authority. Second, the Apostles were not only men who understood what Jesus wanted, but that they were faithful in doing what Jesus wanted. If we accept these assumptions, we can then also understand their message: the church and the Great Commission. In addition, we can look at the activities of the Apostles, and see what Jesus wanted. The Apostles established local churches and nurtured their growth: Therefore, that is what Jesus wanted.
Acts and the New Covenant People
When Jesus returned to Heaven, the “last age” began. (Acts 2:17) By the Spirit, the sad events of the Tower of Babel were reversed, and all men heard the same message; the Gospel of Christ. They declared Him to be risen: Messiah…Christ.
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:37-38
Jesus had given to the Apostles the authority to set the terms of entry:
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
Matt. 16:19
The new church was organized by the Apostles into local assemblies that were devoted to “the Apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42) and the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:47)
Two Philosophies of Mission
In the book of Acts, we see two methods of mission. They were not necessarily in conflict, both were successful, and they both fulfilled prophecy relating to the period. Both of them have huge theological implications…
1. The centripetal theology of mission was practiced first. This is an inward theology. In the early days, the Apostles, except for Paul, remained in Jerusalem, and seldom left the city. Even when Peter eventually did so, at the express instruction of the Spirit, he was called to account by the Jerusalem church for having done so. (Acts 11:1-4) Later, of course, Paul would begin the process of openly taking the good news to the Gentiles. The Apostles would go daily to the Temple to instruct the people concerning the Lord, and such prophetic passages as Isaiah 2:2, Micah 4:1 ff., and Isaiah 66:18-19 demonstrate this era. Luke, in Acts, took pains to show parallels between passages describing the glorious reign of Messiah and what was happening at the time:
Isa. 65:25
The wolf and the lamb will feed together
Acts 6:1-7
Isa. 66:12
I will extend peace to her…
Acts 9:31
Isa, 66:12
And the wealth of nations like a flowing stream
1Cor. 16:1-4
Jer. 31:19
And I will add to her numbers
Acts 2:47
Jer. 33:17
David will never fail to have…
Acts 7:56
Isa. 49:6b
I will make you a light to the Gentiles
Acts 10-11
Isa. 42:7
Free captives from prison…to release from the dungeon… darkness
Acts 5:19Acts 16:26
Isa. 42:6
To be a covenant to the people
Acts 3:25
Isa. 42:1
I will put my Spirit on him…
Acts 7:55
Isa. 42:7
To open the eyes of the blind…
Acts 9:18
Isa. 44:18
Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past…
Acts 17:34
Isa. 44:25
And remember your sin no more
Acts 3:19-21
Isa. 56:4
To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths…
Acts 8:38
Amos 9:11-12
And Gentiles that bear my name
Acts 11:26
Amos 9:11-12
I will rebuild the fallen house of David
Acts 15:14-16
Isa. 2:4
And settle disputes for many peoples
Acts 15:1-8
Isa. 2:17
Ananias heard this he fell down and dies
Acts 5:5
While there are many more examples, this should suffice to see the Apostles’ thinking. The Gentiles flowed into Jerusalem and brought their wealth with them which they laid at the Apostles’ feet, and the Word flowed out to the entire world when they returned home: Isaiah’s prophecies came true.
2. The other philosophy of mission is called centrifugal, meaning that it flowed out from the center. When Paul, on his journeys, went out to the ends of the known world and took the Gospel to the nations, this is what he was doing. After the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, this has become the mainstay of Christian Missions.
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