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By Jesse Jenkins

Benchley, April 22, 2012

• Hebrews 12:22-24 – The writer here is telling the audience that they have come to the church of the New Covenant, not the Old Covenant. We as Christians are part of the “general assembly and church of the firstborn.” He was trying tos who them that they were under the New Covenant and should not forsake it for the Old Covenant despite what persecution they may have to deal with.

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By Jesse Jenkins

Benchley, February 26, 2012

• Hebrews 10:26 – This is not saying that if they gave up the New Covenant and went back to the Old Covenant, they could never come back to the New Covenant and be saved. We know from many other passages that God will accept those who repent and return to His ways.
• Hebrews 10:29 – Those who discount the blood of Christ and will not follow God’s commandments under the New Covenant have essentually trampled Jesus Christ under foot.
• Hebrews 10:30 – God is a God of love, but He is also a vengeful God and will punish those who do not obey Him. Modern religious teaching often downplays the vengeful aspect of God.
• Hebrews 10:32-34 – We are not likely to suffer persecution as these people did, but even if we do, we have a much grater reward waiting for us.
• Hebrews 10:36-38 – These verses seem to be talking about the destruction of Jerusalem, not the second coming of Christ. These verses refer back to Habakkuk 2:3-4.
• Hebrews 11:1 – This verse is not a definition of faith. Faith is “receiving testimony and believing it to be so”. This verse gives the function of faith.
• Hebrews 11:3 – God created the world from ntohing, thus His work is beyond the realm of science.

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By Jesse Jenkins

Benchley, January 29, 2012

• Hebrews 9:15-17 – The writer here is comparing old and new covenants – not the testaments. The translation in the King James Version obscures the meaning of this passage somewhat, but other translations make it clearer.
• Testament:
• Testator
• Gift
• Heirs
• Conditions
• Death of testator
• Executor
• Probated
• When conditions met and the gift received, it is not reversible.
• Covenant:
• Covenant maker
• Mediator
• Death of sacrifice
• Relationsip established
• Must continue in the conditions of the covenant to maintain this relationship.
• In this text:
• There is a covenant maker.
• There is a mediator.
• There is a blood sacrifice.
• There is a relationship established.
• This relationship must be maintained to be blessed under the conditions of the covenant.

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By Jesse Jenkins

Benchley, January 23, 2012

• Hebrews 9:1-5 – Under the New Covenant, all Christians are priests (I Peter 2:6). Jesus is our high priest.
• Hebrews 9:7 – See Leviticus 16:12-15. The high priest went into the Holy of Holies one day a year, but he went in three times on that day.
• Hebrews 9:10 – The “time of reformation” was the time when the New Covenant was put into place and the Old Covenant was done away with.

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By Jesse Jenkins

Benchley, January 15, 2012

• Hebrews 8:6 – This verse sums up the point of the writer of the entire book of Hebrews.
• Hebrews 8:8 – See Jeremiah 31:31-34.
• Hebrews 8:11 – Under the New Covenant, people would know the Lord before being in the kingdom. Under the Old Covenant, people were born into the covenant relationship and then taught about God. It is impossible to serve God without knowing Him.
• Hebrews 8:13 – When the New Covenant was introduced in Acts 2, the first covenant was made obsolete and it gradually disappeared.

By David Watson

Benchley, January 4, 2012

[Sorry, no audio for this lesson.  Sadly, the microphone died in the middle of class.]

• Galatians
• From the apostle Paul (Galatians 1:1)
• To the churches in Galatia (Galatians 1:2)
• They were deserting God and going to a different gospel (Galatians 1:6-9)!
• Galatians 5:1-13 – In what sense are Christians free?
• In this context, Christians are free from the law of Moses.
• Galatians 5:16-17 – Contrast between the flesh and the spirit.
• Galatians 5 – Is “spirit” here talking about man’s spiritual nature or the Holy Spirit?
• People disagree on this.
• If this is talking about a man’s spirit, is the passage teaching that a human’s spirit is allowed to follow its own path (cf. Jeremiah 10:23; Acts 26:9)? No!
• If this is talking about the Holy Spirit, is the passage teaching that a human’s spirit is not involved in serving God (cf. Romans 1:9; John 4:24)? No!
• Does a spiritually-minded person follow the Holy Spirit-inspired scripture? Yes!
• The Holy Spirit often uses the word “fruit” figuratively to mean the effect that God’s word has in one’s life. It might be a quality that is developed or an action that is taken.

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By Jesse Jenkins

Benchley, December 25, 2011

• Hebrews 5:12 – We must strive to study to get to the point that we can teach others and handle the more difficult parts of scripture. We must also put what we learn to use so that we will grow. Without study and use of the word, we will not grow.
• Hebrews 6:1-2 – Jesse Jenkins takes the position that this is talking about putting aside the old covenant and studying the new law from God and obeying that.
• Hebrews 6:3 – In context, this is referring to letting go of the old covenant. The phrase “if God permits” is referring to the people’s inclination to let go of the old law. We know from many other passages that this is what God wanted them to do.
• Hebrews 6:4-6 – Once they had experienced the blessings of the new law, it is senseless to return to the old law. Once you have learned the new law and forsaken it, there is nothing left to bring you back to repentance.

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By Jesse Jenkins

Benchley, November 20, 2011

• The writer is generally believed to be Paul. The author, of course, is the Holy Spirit.
• Chapter one contracts the work of the prophets and of Jesus.
• Hebrews 1:2-3 – Jesus is God’s spokesman, He is heir of all things, and He created all things. He is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His neighbor. He upholds all things by the word of His power. He purifies our sins and sits at the right hand of God.
• Hebrews 1:5 – See Hebrews 5:5; Acts 13:32-33; Psalms 2:7. This is referring to the resurrection. See also II Samuel 7:14
• Hebrews 1:8 – Scepter here is a metaphor for rule. God’s rule is one of complete righteousness.

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By Jesse Jenkins

Benchley, May 29, 2011

• Differences of the two laws:
  • Old:
    • Keep Sabbath
    • Animal blood
    • Mechanical music
  • New:
    • Meet on Sunday
    • Jesus’ blood
    • Vocal music
• This is all true, but if this was the only difference, we would still be under the same system but with different commands.
• System of law demands:
  • No man could fully follow the law as the system demanded and be made perfect in God’s eyes.
• System of faith demands:
  • No man can have faith enough to justify himself. He needs the grace of God to carry him the rest of the way.
• Philippians 3:13-14 – We must press on toward the goal!

By David Watson

Benchley, May 25, 2011

[Sorry, no audio for this lesson due to a technical glitch.]

• Mark 9:1 – The church would be established while some who were standing there were still alive.
  • Luke 24:45-53 – The apostles would be clothed with power.
  • Acts 2:1-4,41-42 – The gospel is preached in completeness for the first time.
• Mark 9:2-8 – The transfiguration.
  • II Peter 1:16-18
  • The appearance of Moses and Elijah with Jesus shows the transition to the New Covenant. Jesus was fulfilling the prophecies from the Old Testament, not contradicting them.
• Mark 9:11-13 – See Malachi 4:5. Here, “Elijah” is referring to John the baptist.
• Mark 9:14-29 – See Matthew 17:19-21 – Jesus casts a demon out of a boy. Apparently the faith of the disciples was not great enough to cast out the demon.