Hebrews

927. The Word of God Is Alive (His Name Is Jesus)

September 10, 2023 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

The problem with taking lengthy passages of scripture and chopping them into individual Bible verses is the frequent attempt to interpret the meaning of each verse. Context gets missed, which can have a domino effect on other interpretations regarding the writings. We give an example from Hebrews 4:12, which states the word of God is living and powerful. Many of us were taught this is a reference to "the Bible." Keep in mind, these people who were receiving this message would have had no idea what a Bible was ... and most of their knowledge about the law and the prophets came from hearing it in the synagogues or other sources not associated with their bookshelf.

We take a closer look at not "what" the writer was referencing ... but "who" they were highlighting in this passage and throughout the letter.

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851. The Blood of the New Covenant

March 20, 2022 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Blood was a big deal in the Old Covenant which came by way of Moses. The entire law and everything that came with it was dedicated with blood. It turns out it was just symbolic for something far superior that would come later—the blood of Jesus. The writer of Hebrews points out the contrasts in how the first covenant was incapable of bringing what the people needed. The New Covenant established with the blood of Jesus would remedy everything necessary that the first covenant could not. And it would be available for the entire world.

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843. The One and Only True Promise Keeper

January 23, 2022 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

There are thousands of works-based religions which will put an emphasis on people making promises to God and trying hard to keep them. This turns the gospel inside-out, because the good news is not based upon our good actions or our sorrows for sins. The New Covenant is based upon God’s promise to us. A promise that will never be broken by God … and a covenant that can never be broken by us.

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832. Things Seldom Heard in Church: The 10 Commandments Not Written on Our Hearts

November 7, 2021 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

In the 8th chapter of Hebrews, the writer was looking back at a prophetic statement from the book of Jeremiah. He was explaining how the previous covenant containing the law was not the same as the New Covenant which was established by Jesus, our new High Priest. God declared to Jeremiah the New would not be like the Old when it was given to Israel at the time they were delivered from Egypt!

When God spoke about His laws being put in our minds and written upon our hearts in this better covenant, the assumption by many church folks is that this is a reference to the Ten Commandments. But why would God want to write something on the hearts of His people which brought condemnation, resulted in sin increasing, and wasn’t based upon faith? In the previous chapter, the writer had just declared that old ministry as one that became nullified or cancelled because it was weak and unprofitable, unable to bring a required spiritual perfection. Our hearts now contain and reflect something new and better than a law of sin and death—it’s “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.” It’s based upon the ministry of God’s Spirit in us, the gift of righteousness, faith, love and liberty.

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808. The 800 Club: Looking Back – The Book of Hebrews – New Covenant Explained

May 23, 2021 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

One of the books in the New Testament that is often misunderstood is the letter to the Hebrews. A while back, we spent many weeks doing an entire series sifting through the chapters and addressing some misinterpreted “verses” that are sometimes used to scare people, leaving them in a place of fear which God never intends for His children. The letter to the Hebrews was written to address the Jewish community as they were trying to sort out the massive change of going from a covenant of stone tablets and animal sacrifices to something completely different regarding the ministry of the Spirit and the one sacrifice of Christ that brought that old way to an end. It is easy for us to underestimate the change of mind that they were transitioning into.

Some will say the book of Hebrews was meant only for Israel, but the revelation brought forth will be profitable for Gentiles of today because it shows the bigger picture of the Bible itself, and how we got to where we are in the New Covenant today and the perfect forgiveness brought by the blood of Jesus. After reaching over 800 programs, we’re looking back at past conversations and this week, it’s the book of Hebrews.

On the podcast we mention a previous series we did on the entire book of Hebrews. You will find the first episode of that 21-part series here, and then click on Newer Post at the end of each post to listen to the entire series.

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758. Hebrews 12-13: Grace: The Author and Perfecter of Faith

June 7, 2020 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

In our final program of our Hebrews series, the writer takes the last couple chapters to exhort and encourage believers to live in grace and allow it to be our motivation and teacher.

He finishes with the good news of: “Grace be with you all.” A big change from what would’ve been said if they were still under the previous covenant of law and commandments.

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757. Hebrews 11: Past Giants of Faith Didn’t Receive What Was Promised

May 31, 2020 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Hebrews 11 is often referred to as the faith chapter, or the hall of faith. The writer lists a bunch of people from the Old Testament who had performed great acts of faith—many who had never been under the law of Moses. We see a diverse group with everyone from Abel to Rahab the harlot. But the writer is making a bigger point… as he has through the letter written to his Jewish audience.

After describing the faith of these people, at the end of the chapter he explains that none of them were able to receive what was originally promised. They were not able to be made perfect through their actions. But we have received the promise through something better—the New Covenant of Jesus Christ. He is our faith, our assurance and our guarantee. It surpasses the faith of those who could perform righteous acts without ever attaining righteousness, which could only come through the person of Jesus.

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756. Sins Forgiven and Taken Away (Unless You Sin?) Hebrews 10:26 – Part 2

May 24, 2020 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

There’s just something about those numbered Bible verses that seems to cause people to hone in on them and miss the surrounding context. One of these that we get asked about frequently is Hebrews 10:26-27. Christians who have been gifted with the righteousness of God suddenly become very fearful when looking at such a verse without taking into account all that was said leading up to it.

Chapters 7-10 in the book of Hebrews contain some of the most powerful information within the pages of Scripture as it relates to the finished work of Christ and the once for all forgiveness that came through His blood. He became the guarantee of a better covenant. We can add nothing to it because it’s based upon what He did … not what we do or don’t do. Faith places trust that what He did, and it was more than enough for those who don’t reject the one sacrifice for sins that God provided through His Son.

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755. “But What About Hebrews 10:26!” (Sinning Willfully and No Longer a Sacrifice for Sins)

May 17, 2020 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

“For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins …”

The problem with looking at a few Bible verses by themselves is that context gets lost and it can cause unnecessary fear and a misunderstanding of the good news. Our program this week tackles the last part of Hebrews chapter ten, where legalists and others have completely missed the point of what the writer has been saying throughout the book, leading up to this passage.

The main focus here isn’t about being in danger for sins committed (because everyone has done this), but it’s about rejecting the one sacrifice for sins which Jesus provided with the sacrifice of Himself, resulting in sins being taken away. The unbelief or rejection of this is what causes one to trample the Son of God underfoot, and regards as unclean the blood of the covenant by which He was sanctified, thereby insulting the Spirit of grace. Only Jesus is the guarantee of a better covenant (Hebrews 7:22).

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754. Hebrews 10: Confidence to Enter Through a New and Living Way

May 10, 2020 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

It’s because of what Jesus did for us with the shedding of His blood that we now have a boldness to enter into the Holy Place. This boldness or confidence literally means we have acquired a freedom of speech before the living God. It has nothing to do with us, our behavior or our commitment to God. It’s all based upon Jesus opening a path that was not previously available through an imperfect and faulty ministry of death and condemnation (the law). This would be called a new and living way.

And what about Hebrews 10:25? In the middle of all this great news being given to Jewish people about the New Covenant replacing the Old Covenant … Are these believers being scolded not to skip going to a church building? That might be what religion has taught us, so let’s look at this in context.

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753. Hebrews 10: No More Offerings = No More Forgiveness Required

May 3, 2020 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Under the old law of commandments which Israel had been under for many years, we discover that ministry could make nothing perfect or take away sins. It was considered by God to be faulty and that law (or laws) is not what is written on our hearts within a new and better covenant. The Old way brought a reminder of sins, but in the New Covenant Jesus established after His death, God declared He would no longer remember sins.

The removal of sins and the end of sacrifices brought a complete forgiveness, once for all. No more forgiveness is being offered because the offerings stopped and no further blood is being shed. Blood no longer needs to be poured out when sins have been thrown as far as the east is from the west.

On this podcast we referred to a blog post written by Joel a few years ago called Instant and Permanent Sanctification, as well as a previous podcast in our current Hebrews series, Hebrews 8: One Bible - Two Different Covenants (Not to Be Mixed).

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752. Hebrews 10: Forgiven and Sanctified (Jesus Sat Down)

April 26, 2020 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

When the commandments which came through Moses were still in effect during the first covenant, every priest under the law stood daily while offering the same sacrifices over and over which could never take away sins. The only time a priest would be allowed to sit is if there were no further forgiveness needed for sin … of course, that never happened.

But Jesus offered one (1) sacrifice for sins resulting in forgiveness … and not just up until that moment … but all sins for all time. Afterwards, we find His offering was more than enough as our new High Priest sat down at the right hand of God. The job was truly complete, and the work of forgiveness was finished, once for all. It also gifted us with instant sanctification and perfection—something the law could never do, no matter how hard one tried to keep it.