In the first chapter of Hebrews, the preacher showed how much superior to angels Jesus is. Then, in the second chapter he took on the question of why Jesus was for a little while made less than the angels, to offer us a way out of sin and death. Now he takes up the…
Wrap-up on Hebrews 2
What are three steps that led to current belief in Jesus as Savior by the preacher and this gathering of Christians? Are the steps different today? Effective today? Step one was Jesus himself, simply living his life, leading to his public ministry as a mature adult. To his living example, he then added direct…
Strolling through Hebrews 2
For simplicity’s sake, I will refer to the author of Hebrews as “the preacher” since we have no compelling evidence for a particular writer, and it may well have been originally delivered as a sermon or talk to a congregation. Twenty centuries have shown us how many different ways the good news of Christ can…
Quick wrap-up of questions on Hebrews 1
Consider the phrase “various and partial ways” in verse 1. Reading the “various ways” as we do in our Bibles, we tend to think of them all as “written” or literary ways. In terms of how they were originally communicated, though, they were really “various.” Name several of those different ways. Here are a few…
Strolling through Hebrews Chapter 1
Hebrews has a slightly ambiguous position in our New Testament. It is placed right after Paul’s letter to Philemon and just before the letter of James. Paul’s letters are organized (roughly) by length from the longest, Romans, to the shortest, Philemon. So Hebrews could be thought of as “with Paul’s letters” (which, at first,…
Quick roundup on “Titus is headed to Crete” questions
Compare and contrast what Paul reminds Titus to teach as exemplary behavior to different groups in the community. Which group are you in? Does the teaching apply? What things Paul writes likely send up red flags in our contemporary society? Do you have questions about them yourself? Two, in particular, raise questions/resistance today: Advice to…
Titus is headed to Crete
001 Listening to the Lord This week we consider the central portion of the Letter to Titus. We know from Acts and letters of the Apostle Paul that Titus was a trusted and dependable companion, often sent on missions. Scholars dispute whether this letter is something Paul himself wrote or if it was composed, as…
Begin a conversation…
In Scripture, we can hear God speak in human words. In addition to the ways God communicates with us in sacraments, prayer, beauty, acts of loving kindness, and official teachings, He speaks to us, individually, with leadings, challenges, and illuminations that strike us as we read the words of the Bible. Many are the heroes…