The Book of Colossians

Colosse belonged to the Roman province of Asia,
in present-day Turkey.

Apostle Paul wrote this letter to a group of Christians who had been brought to faith by a man named Epaphras 

(Col 1:7–8, 4:12–13).
The purpose of the letter is to introduce corrections in the congregation. 

There were some wrong ideas in the congregation that Paul wanted to address. Although they had great faith in Jesus Christ, loved each other, and lived in the hope that was for them in Heaven (Col 1:4–6, 2:5). They had come to know the grace of God as it really is (Col 1:6b, Heb 12:15). We can't earn God's grace. 

Paul isn't specific about the problems they had, but he is specific about the solution,
getting to know Jesus better. He prayed for them that they would be as follows
(Col 1:9–12):

• Filled with knowledge of God's will (spiritual wisdom and understanding).
• Be able to walk in a way worthy of their identification with Christ.
• Be able to walk in a way that pleases God (Eph 5:8b–10)
• Be able to bear fruit in every good work.
• Be able to increase in the general knowledge of who God is.

"God the Father has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (Col 1:13–14). As Christians we belong to this kingdom (Phil 3:20, Col 1:13), it's within the kingdom of the world ruled by Satan
(1 John 5:19). There will come a day when Jesus will get that kingdom back
(Rev 11:15), see The Millennial Kingdom and the Great White Throne Judgement.

Jesus gives a picture of this when he heals the blind man in John 9,
see Blind People in Miracles of Jesus:

1. We are all born spiritually blind and unable to "see" (Psalm 51:5
   (51:7 in some translations), John 3:19, 9:39–41, Mat 6:22–23),
   see The Fall of Man in The Biblical Creation and the Fall of Man.
2. It's possible for someone who is spiritually blind to turn to the Lord and have that blindness removed. "When one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed."
   (2 Cor 3:16).
3. Jesus is the One who opens blind eyes (Psalm 146:8a).
   He gives us spiritual light and sight (John 8:12, 9:4–5), see Salvation.
4. We must respond by faith (John 9:6–7). Salvation is a free gift (Eph 2:8–9), but we must respond to it, receiving Jesus in our heart (John 1:12).
5. We are made a new creation (2 Cor 5:17, John 9:8–9). But because of
   our old nature, we sometimes mess things up and make mistakes
   (1 John 8, 10, Rom 7:15–20), see The Book of John.
6. We are given spiritual insight (John 9:25b, 30–33, 2 Cor 4:6, 1 Pet 2:9).
7. We will be persecuted by those who refuse to believe in Christ
   (John 9:22b, 34, 15:18–20a, 1 Pet 4:12–16, Acts 5:40–41).
   There will be a reward in Heaven for those who suffer for Jesus
   (Mat 5:10–12, 1 Pet 4:13, Rom 8:16–18, Col 1:24).
8. We understand that Jesus is worthy of our worship (John 9:35–38,
   Col 1:13–14, 1 Pet 2:9), see How should we worship God? in 
   The Woman's Place in the Congregation.

Jesus is the representation of God to mortal eyes (Col 1:15a). God the Father is invisible and can't be seen. Jesus, the Son of God, is the image of God the Father. Whoever has seen Jesus has seen God the Father (John 14:8–9). Jesus was God in the flesh as a man on Earth. Jesus is also the firstborn of all creation 
(Col 1:15b, 18b). Firstborn in this context means that he is in charge of the creation, see question 6 in The Trinity. God's essence is in Jesus (Col 2:9). Jesus is the creator of all things in heaven and on Earth (Col 1:16, Gen (1 Mos) 1:1),

Jesus is God. He is before all creation, he isn't created, he is eternal (Col 1:17a). In him all things hold together (Col 1:17b). Jesus is the head of the body of Christ, the church (Col 1:18a, 24b). We as believers are reconciled in his body of flesh through his death on the cross (Col 1:22), see The Atonement, if we continue in a stable and steadfast faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross (Col 1:23), see Sanctification.

Paul's goals for the Colossians as follows (these should also be the goals for today's churches) (Col 2:2–3):

• That their hearts may be encouraged
  (Heb 10:24–25, Acts 15:32, 16:40, 18:27, Rom 1:11–12).
• To be united in love (1 Pet 4:8), see Unity.
• To reach full assurance of understanding of their salvation (Rom 8:38–39).
• To reach the knowledge of the mystery of God which is Jesus
  (John 16:13, 2 Tim 3:16–17, Rev 22:18–19, Proverbs 30:6).

Paul proclaimed both warnings and teaching with all wisdom to make people mature in Christ (Col 1:28–29). A key to reaching spiritual maturity as a Christian is to learn to trust Jesus, to know that he is trustworthy. When we do, we begin to rest in him, which enhances our obedience to him. We know then that his way is best.

We must make sure that no one takes us captive to philosophy and empty deception according to human tradition, not based on Christ (Col 2:8). One such example
in our time is the Evolution theory, which is the atheistic version on how we got here, see Is the Theory of Evolution Proven?

Our focus should be on Jesus (Acts 17:28). Christianity is based on the relationship with the person Jesus Christ (Col 2:6–15). In Jesus we are complete (Col 2:10).

Paul also talks about legalism and asceticism/mysticism: These things don't make us holy or closer to God. Holiness is given through faith in Christ, see Sanctification.

Legalism: Requirements placed on individuals who have put their faith in Christ, but now have been settled with additional requirements to be accepted by God and to be more holy and righteous (Col 2:8, 20–23, Mat 15:8–9, Isaiah 29:13).
We shouldn't allow anyone to judge us because of the following rules which are part of the Mosaic Laws and examples of legalism (Col 2:16):

• Questions about food and drink (Heb 9:10, 13:9, Mat 15:11), see
  What does God think about Christians drinking alcohol?
  in The Woman's Place in the Congregation.
• Religious festivals, see Jesus and the Law.
• Sabbath regulations, see Disputable Matters in The Book of Romans
  and the 4th commandment in The Ten Commandments.

The reason is that these Laws are a shadow of Jesus Christ (Heb 10:1, Col 2:17)
who fulfilled these Laws (Mat 5:17). Jesus kept the Mosaic Laws perfectly. Jesus did it for us because it's not possible for us to keep these Laws. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Mosaic Laws, see Jesus and the Law. We keep the Laws by faith in Jesus 
(Rom 3:31, Gal 3:23–25, Rom 6:14).

Legalism is always just placing some kind of overemphasis on irrelevant details.
See also time 0:44–2:38 in Bible Q&A With Pastor Paul │ September 2023.

Asceticism/mysticism: Severe self-discipline and avoidance of all form of indulgence, usually for religious reasons. That isn't according to the Bible 

(Col 2:20–23, 1 Tim 4:1–4), see also The Danger with Gnosticism.

Instead, we should live according to the following:

(But we shouldn't try this in the power of the flesh (2 Cor 3:5–6).)

• Keep looking for what is above, with a desire to get it
  (Col 3:1, Eph 1:3, Mat 6:19–21). This includes spiritual blessings.
• Set your mind on things above (Col 3:2, 2 Cor 4:18).
  We should put our focus on these things.
• Therefore put to death the earthly within us (Col 3:5). Things that
  are against God's will for us to do, such as sexual immorality, see
  the 7th commandment in The Ten Commandments.
• Put off the old self (Col 3:8–9). It's the old sinful nature.
• Put on the new self (Col 3:10). It's the new Christlike nature with
  the Holy Spirit within us. We should step out in faith (Col 3:12–14).
• Let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts (Col 3:15a). 
  We shouldn't let our emotions rule.
• Let the word of God richly dwell in us (Col 3:16, Mat 7:24–25),
  see The Parable about the Wise and Foolish Builders.
• Do everything in the Name of the Lord Jesus (Col 3:17a).
  It means in the authority of Jesus.
• Give thanks to God (Col 3:15b, 16b, 17b).
  We ought to be thankful for what Jesus has done for us.

See also The New Testament of the Bible.

The Book of Galatians

Galatia was located in present-day Turkey.

What had happened in the region of Galatians
was that they had received teachers who preached that Jesus wasn't enough. Their message was that they also had to submit to Jewish circumcision and follow the Mosaic Laws to be saved. 

That wasn't the message that Apostle Paul preached and taught, and he addresses it in this letter. When people tried to discredit Paul's message, the most efficient way was to discredit the messenger, Paul himself. He also had to defend himself that his message comes from God (Gal 1:1, 11–12, 2 Pet 3:15–16, Acts 9:15, 13:1–3).
Paul's message is that Jesus is enough for salvation (Eph 2:8–9, Tit 3:5, 
Gal 1:1, 3–4, John 1:12–13, 1 Pet 1:3–5, Rom 1:17). Adding something to faith in Jesus Christ provides a different gospel. It's the same as saying that what Jesus did on the cross at Calvary is not enough.

The true gospel (meaning "good news") that Paul preached was as follows:
The message that Jesus paid the penalty of our sin when he gave his life on the cross, and that all we need to do to have eternal life in Heaven is to believe and trust that his sacrifice is enough to save us. That's the essence of the gospel. To preach another gospel is to abandon God (Gal 1:6–9).

We can't be justified by following the Mosaic Laws which only give knowledge of sin (Rom 3:20). We can't add our own work to our salvation. We have all sinned 
(Rom 3:23) and need the salvation that only Jesus can offer 
(John 14:6, Gal 2:16, 21), see Salvation.

God made several covenants with Israel in the Old Testament.
A covenant is usually an agreement between two or more parties. 

One covenant is the Abrahamic covenant. It means that God will bless those who bless Abraham and curse those who dishonor him, and in him all the peoples of the Earth will be blessed (Gen 12:3, 15:9–11, 17–20). The last part in bold is a prophecy about Christ who will bring salvation and who is an offspring of Abraham 
(Gen 22:18, Gal 3:8, 16). The Abrahamic covenant is unique in that it was made with only one person (God) stating his side of the covenant. It was an unconditional covenant, meaning there was no way for Abraham to violate it.
Abraham believed the Lord, and it counted to him as righteousness 
(Gen 15:6, Rom 4:3, Gal 3:6, James 2:23). 

See also The Confidence of Abraham in The Book of Romans.

Another covenant is the Mosaic Covenant (referred to as the "Mosaic Laws"). It was made between God and the nation of Israel and promised blessing, safety, and prosperity in exchange for obedience to the precepts of the Mosaic Laws. It was a conditional covenant between God and the nation of Israel. It was only temporary
(Heb 9:9–10) and has never been a covenant between God and Christians
(see Jesus and the Law), only between God and the Jewish people. 

The Mosaic Covenant contains Laws to follow and obey, but also animal sacrifices to be made once a year, where the blood of the animals is brought into the Most Holy Place in the temple as a Sin Offering (Heb 13:11). In these sacrifices there is a reminder of sin, for it's impossible for the blood of animals to take away the sins of men (Heb 10:3–4, 11). God forgave them when they confessed their sins and sacrificed the animals, but their sins weren't removed. The animal sacrifices must  therefore be repeated every year. Their sins were set aside, meaning that the Jewish people weren't punished because of their sins (Rom 3:25b). An animal can't die in a man's place. These animal sacrifices point to a greater sacrifice that comes in Jesus Christ. Jesus who was without sin had to physically die for our sins, because a holy God can't leave our sins unpunished, see God's Attributes.

Jewish teachers told the Galatians that they had to keep all the covenants that God made with Israel in the Old Testament to become true Christians. This is a false teaching and not what Paul taught (Gal 5:4, Phil 3:7–9), see time 11:01–12:14 in
Bible Q & A With Pastor Paul - June 2023. All who have faith in Jesus are children of Abraham (Gal 3:8–9, 29). Not those who keep the Mosaic Laws (Gal 3:10–14).
This is also called the New Covenant (Jer 31:31–34, Heb 10:15–18). It was officially created by Jesus when he distributed bread and wine to the disciples as a reminder of him (Luk 22:20). The bread represents Jesus' body, and the wine his blood, which he released for us when he died on the cross (Gal 3:24–26, 28). The covenant was activated when Jesus died on the cross, see The Crucifixion of Jesus. The
New Cabinet came first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles (Jer 31:31, 
Rom 1:16, 11:11b, 17–18, John 4:22). We can't merge the Mosaic Covenant and the New Cabinet, see The Parable of Putting New Wine into Old Wineskins, because the New Cabinet is a different cabinet compared to the Mosaic Covenant (Heb 8:6–7, 13,
Mat 9:16–17). Jesus sets aside the Mosaic Covenant to be replaced by the
New Cabinet (Heb 10:9b). We have been forgiven because Jesus gave his life 
physically once and for all on the cross as a punishment for our sins 

(Heb 10:10, 12, 14, 18). As Christians, we basically keep the Mosaic Laws by believing in Jesus who fulfilled these Laws, even if we don't keep them ourselves 
(Gal 4:4–5, John 6:28–29), see Jesus and the Law.

We shouldn't practice circumcision which is part of the Abrahamic covenant, 
because Jesus death on the cross will then be of no advantage to us (Gal 5:2, 6:15).

There is a risk of being influenced by some false system, some unscriptural teaching, if one fails to study God's word.

We should be led by the Holy Spirit and not gratify the desires of the flesh 
(Gal 5:16). It produces freedom (Gal 5:13, John 8:36). Freedom from the
Mosaic Laws. Freedom from condemnation (Rom 8:1). We should serve one another through love (Gal 5:13b), love our neighbor as ourselves (Gal 5:14, Rom 13:9b, 
Mat 19:19b, 22:39, James 2:8), and even love our enemies (Mat 5:43–44). We are under the Law of Christ (1 Cor 9:20–21) and under the Law of the Spirit (Rom 8:2):

• The Law is now internal, within us (Jer 31:31, 33–34).
• God now gives us the desire and ability to obey him through the Holy Spirit (Phil 2:13). We should live according to the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:5–6).
• The Holy Spirit is the moral compass.

We are born with a sin nature. When we became Christians we received the 
Holy Spirit who should lead us (Gal 5:18). But the sin nature is still within us.
There is a battle between the old sin nature (the flesh) and the new nature with the 
Holy Spirit (Gal 5:16–17). We can still yield to the flesh, even though we shouldn't (Gal 6:7–8). The works of the flesh are evident, activities outside the will of God 
(Gal 5:19–21a). If our whole aim is to live after the flesh, we won't inherit the kingdom of God (Gal 5:21b). If we then not repent, we're eternally lost 
(1 Cor 6:9–11). The fruit of the Holy Spirit should be seen in our lives (Gal 5:22-23),
see The Book of James. The fruit comes automatically when we yield to the 
Holy Spirit (Gal 5:24–26, Rom 6:1–4, 11), see Sanctification.

See also The New Testament of the Bible.

The Book of Hebrews

Content:

• Introduction
• General
• How we should be as Christians
• Jesus is compared to Moses
• Melchizedek
• Our attitude to God should be as follows
• Our attitude to other believers should be as follows
• The Christian life is a long-distance race
• God rebukes us to become more sanctified
• We should seek after sanctification
  
  

Introduction

The author is probably a "second generation Jewish believer", that is, a Jewish person who has come to faith in Christ through some other Christian believer
(Heb 2:3b). It's probably not Apostle Paul (Acts 9:3–5, 1 Cor 15:8, Gal 1:11–12). Paul also always presents himself as the author at the beginning of his letters.
The Book of Hebrews also has a different writing style than Paul's letters. 
Martin Luther and some modern scholars have suggested Apollos as the author. 

The Book of Hebrews was written before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, because the temple is still there (Heb 8:4, 10:1b), to Jews who had become believers in Christ. These Jews experienced persecution and public pressure to such an extent they began to fall back on the importance of Jesus' death on the cross as the only means of salvation (Heb 5:12–6:2). To a Jew raised with the Torah, it was highly offensive to preach a Messiah suffering on a cross, as a man hanged on a tree is cursed by God (Deu 21:22–23, 1 Cor 1:23).

We are justified by faith, not by works, not by living under the Mosaic Laws
(Eph 2:8–9). There was a risk for many Jews who had become Christians, a huge temptation to withdraw to live under the Mosaic Laws, which means starting to compromise (Rom 3:19–20, 28), see The Book of Galatians.

"It is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt." 
(Heb 6:4–6). This isn't about a believer backsliding and falling into sin, because
such a person can repent (James 5:19–20), see The Seven Churches in the Book of Revelation. It's a warning of an apostasy that goes so deep that it becomes final. But every apostasy isn't final (Luke 22:31–34). It's a warning not to 
compromise the gospel, by, for example reuniting elements from the
Mosaic Laws in the gospel of Jesus Christ (Gal 5:2) as a way to be saved, see
Jesus and the Law. See Heb 6:4–6/James 5:19–20 explained at time 26:46–28:50
in Bible Q&A with Pastor Paul │ November 2023.

The author wants to make an argument for why faith in Jesus Christ is superior and better than the Old Covenant in the Old Testament to keep rules, based on doing good works according to the Mosaic Laws (Heb 1:1–2, 7:27). In the New Testament it's revealed that the way to Heaven is by grace trough faith in Jesus Christ 
(Eph 2:8–9), see Salvation. The Law of the Old Covenant was never meant to give us knowledge of salvation. It's meant to give us a knowledge of sin (Rom 3:20).
We have come to Jesus who is the mediator of the New Covenant (Heb 12:22–24).
We can't add to Jesus payment on the cross or take away from him without rejecting him (Heb 12:25), see also Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life.

General

God created the world through Jesus, heir of all things (Heb 1:2b), through
his words (Gen 1:1, 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26). Jesus is the Word of God who is God (John 1:1, 14). See Jesus is the Creator in Jesus is God. By looking at Jesus we can know God the Father (John 14:9). Jesus is the exact representation of God the Father (Heb:1:3a), see The Order between Jesus and the Father in the Trinity.

Jesus is far superior to the angels (Heb 1:4), although for a little while on Earth he was made lower than the angels (Heb 2:7a, 9a). The essential nature of angels is to be servants to those who are to inherit salvation (Heb 1:14). All authority on Earth and in Heaven is given to Jesus (Mat 28:18). 

God the Father says of Jesus:

• "You are my Son, today I have begotten you" (Heb 1:5a, Psalm 2:7).
  It was a certain day when Jesus was conceived in the virgin Mary.
  Jesus has always existed as the Word of God, but then he became the 
  Son of God, see The Order between Jesus and the Father in the Trinity.
• "I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son"
  (Heb 1:5b, 2 Sam 7:14a). It happened when Jesus was conceived.
• "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
  (John 3:16 (NKJV)). The word begotten refers only to the incarnation
  when Jesus was conceived. Jesus is the only unique Son of God. 
  
• "Let all God’s angels worship him." (Heb 1:6b, Psalm 97:7b, Rev 5:6–14).
  It means that Jesus is God, because only God is worthy of worship.
• "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness
  is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God (Jesus), your God (the Father), has anointed you (by the Holy Spirit) with the oil of gladness beyond your companions."
  (Heb 1:8–9, Psalm 45:6–7 (7–8 in some translations)). See this explained at time 23:29–26:58 in Hebrews 1 (Part 2) :4-14 • The Son Superior to the Angels. It's the Father who speaks to the Son, see The Trinity.
• "You, Lord, laid the foundation of the Earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you  (Jesus) are the same, and your years will have no end." (Heb 1:10–12, Psalm 102:25–27
  (26–28 in some translations)). See A New Heaven and a New Earth.
• "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"
  (Heb 1:13b, Psalm 110:1). See this explained in Whose Son Is Messiah?

God validated his message and who he is through signs and wonders (Heb 2:4a), see Miracles of Jesus, and through gifts of the Holy Spirit (Heb 2:4b), see Spiritual Gifts. 

A high priest in the Old Covenant was chosen from among men to represent the people in matters concerning God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sin (Heb 5:1–3), see The Atonement. No one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was (Heb 5:4). 

Likewise, Jesus was appointed high priest by God the Father (Heb 5:5–6). Jesus had to be born as a man in order to represent all people, to offer salvation through his suffering, to provide atonement as the ultimate high priest, and to became a merciful and faithful high priest (Heb 2:10, 17, 5:5). Jesus was tempted as man in the same way we are (Heb 2:18, 1 Cor 10:13), even though Jesus was sinless (Heb 4:15). Jesus had to die for our sins, but in order to do that he had to be born as a man but without sin, see The Virgin Birth.

How we should be as Christians

1. We should strive to be like Jesus (Phil 2:5, Rom 8:29).
   Jesus did what God the Father wanted him to do (John 6:38).
2. Jesus didn't consider equality with God the Father a thing
   to be used to his own advantage (Phil 2:6).
3. He made himself a servant to others (Phil 2:7), see
   Who is the Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?
4. He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even to death
   on a cross (Phil 2:8, Mat 16:24–25), see 3) Blessed are the meek
   in The Sermon on the Mount.

Jesus is compared to Moses

• Jesus is greater in his person, because Jesus is God (Heb 3:3–6).
• Jesus is greater in his ministry (Heb 3:3–6). Jesus is the ruler of God's house, while Moses was faithful as a servant in the house. Believers are God's house (1 Pet 2:4–5), a house that is still under construction.
• Jesus is greater in the rest he gives. Moses couldn't bring the people into the Promised Land (Heb 3:7–11). It's not by the Mosaic Laws that we take hold of our inheritance in Christ.
• See also from time 14:17 in Herod and the Magi: Political Intrigue, Mass Murder, and the Birth of Jesus | Matthew 2:1-23, in The Christmas Star.

For examples of types, pictures, and shadows in the Old Testament, see Typology.

1. The Hebrews lived as slaves in Egypt. This is a picture of our slavery under sin.
2. Then the Passover occurred in Egypt, when God passed by the houses of the Hebrews during the last one of the ten plagues. This is a picture about trusting Christ for salvation.
3. That the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt is a picture of us as believers being freed from being bound in sin. This doesn't mean that we
   no longer sin. But we can choose to live for righteousness.
4. Moses is a picture of the Mosaic Laws. It's not through these Laws that we take hold of our inheritance in Christ. We shouldn't go back to living under them.
5. The crossing of the Red Sea is a type of water baptism, see
   Christian Water Baptism in The Book of Roman.
6. The two years spent in the wilderness after leaving Egypt, especially after receiving the Mosaic Laws and before the twelve spies were sent to the 
   Promised Land, is a picture about learning God's word and growing in Christ.
7. Coming to the border of the Promised Land after 40 years in the wilderness,
   is a picture on the promise of the inheritance given to believers,
   and to rest and trust in Jesus. See more below about rest.
8. It was Joshua who brought the people into the Promised Land. The Greek pronunciation of his name is Jesus. Grace comes through faith in Jesus Christ.
   The taken of the Promised Land is a picture of the following: 
• Our inheritance in Christ, and the rest which he gives. 
• Walking in God's victory, walking out of God's promises, coming out of the wilderness, trusting God. 
• About the struggle that we must take to change our lives, to decide to be Christians and to remain as Christians (Heb 3:12–13). We take that inheritance by faith. We need to encourage each other daily in faith, to give glory to God, to live a life that is pleasing to God.

The rest that Jesus gives is that he has done all the work for our salvation 
(Heb 4:1–3). We are called to rest in him. The first picture of this rest is when the Hebrews came to the border of the Promised Land (see 7. above), see time 6:59–13:05 in Hebrews 4:1-11 • The Rest of God. The second picture of this rest is the Sabbath day (Heb 4:4), see time 13:13–17:36 in Hebrews 4:1-11 • The Rest of God.
Jesus fulfilled all the ceremonies of the Mosaic Laws, including the Sabbath day.
In Christ, we basically hold these things (Col 2:16–17). It's those who believe in Christ who trust in him who enter this rest, but it's not by doing good works
(Heb 4:3a). We must rest in what Jesus has done for us on the cross, not in the
good works that we do (Heb 4:10). The Jews who didn't enter the Promised Land 
(or didn't come to rest), didn't because they didn't trust God (Heb 3:18–19).

God's word is alive and active (Heb 4:12). It separates soul and spirit, see 
Body, Soul, and Spirit in The Danger with Gnosticism. It helps us to distinguish
what comes from the soul and what comes from the spirit. In addition to the Bible, we also need the Holy Spirit to guide and direct our heart through our spirit
(Psalm 32:8). God knows everything about us (Heb 4:13).

Melchizedek

Jesus is priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek (Heb 5:6, 6:20, Psalm 110:4, 
Heb 7:20–21, 24). Jesus was designated by God the Father to be high priest in the
order of Melchizedek (Heb 5:10): Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of
the "Most High God" (Heb 7:1a). Both king and priest. Melchizedek means 
"king of righteousness", and "king of Salem" means "king of peace" (Heb 7:2b).

Salem will later be named Jerusalem. In a sense, Melchizedek has no genealogy, since the Bible says nothing about it (Heb 7:3), he had no recorded lineage.
Melchizedek met Abraham (Heb 7:1b). Abraham then gave him a tenth of everything once (Heb 7:2a, Gen 14:18–20). 

There are some similarities between Jesus and Melchizedek, although this doesn't mean that he was a pre-incarnated version of Jesus (Heb 7:4–10). Jesus said that he had met Abraham (John 8:56–58). It was when the Lord told Abraham about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18:1–2, 17–19) but not as being
Melchizedek. He is a foreshadow of Jesus Christ. He resembles the Son of God.

The reason for mentioning Melchizedek is to show that the old priesthood which was under the Mosaic Laws in the Old Covenant is replaced by the new high priest Jesus Christ who isn't under these Laws (Heb 4:14–16, 7:11–12, 18–19). But Jesus fulfilled these Laws (Mat 5:17). Jesus is the successor to the role of high priest,
not according to these Laws but in the order of Melchizedek. Neither Jesus nor
Melchizedek was a priest in the lineage of Levi, see The High Priest in the Bible.
Melchizedek was a priest of God as a symbol (a prefiguration) of the Messiah's priesthood, which is a different and better priesthood than the Levitical priesthood which had limitations. Melchizedek's priesthood without recorded lineage stood as a
prefiguration of the priesthood of Jesus Christ as Messiah which is an ever lasting priesthood (Heb 5:5–6), see The Atonement. See it in detail described at time
1:46–32:19 DAVID GUZIK SERMON ON Hebrews 7:11-28 – Jesus Our Perfect Priest.

Nor can Melchizedek be the same person as Shem, as many Jews believe. 
Shem was the ancestor of Abraham and Levi, but Melchizedek wasn't (Heb 7:5–6). Melchizedek's genealogy is unknown (Heb 7:3), but Shem's genealogy is known (Gen 10:1, 21–31, 11:10–26).

Jesus is a high priest who sits at the right hand of the throne of God the Father
(Heb 1:3b, 8:1, Rom 8:34b), see Whose Son Is Messiah? Right hand in the Bible always means power. Jesus represents us as high priest before God the Father and knows everything about us who live on Earth, what we have to do with (Heb 4:15).
Jesus is a mediator between us and God the Father (Heb 8:6, 9:15, 1 Tim 2:5). 
Jesus is also king (Zechariah 6:13). As king, he has the power to minister in our lives as much as he wants (Heb 8:2). He sent the Holy Spirit to strengthen us
(Acts 2:1–4). 

God never lies (Heb 6:18), but people do. When God makes a promise, we can be sure that he will fulfill it, even if it may take a long time for him to do so 
(Heb 6:14–15). God doesn't have to give an oath to seal a promise, but sometimes he does (Heb 6:13). The reason he sometimes makes an oath to a promise is to convince us that we can trust him him to fulfill it (Heb 6:17–18).

Our attitude towards God should be as follows

• Have confidence in God (Heb 10:19–20),
  see The Rending of the Curtain of the Temple.
• Have a sincere and true heart (Heb 10:22a).
• Having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience, free from our past shortcomings and trespasses (Heb 10:22b). The feeling of guilt and being unworthy holds us back in our relationship with God and with other people.
• We shouldn't pollute our body (Heb 10:22b, 12:14–16), see Sanctification. God forbids sexual activity outside of marriage (Heb 13:4), see the
  7th commandment in The Ten Commandments.
• We should hold fast to the confession of our hope in Jesus without wavering (Heb 10:23).

Our attitude towards other believers should be as follows

• We need a heart of willingness to serve in love (Heb 13:1). Jesus gave an example of how Christians should treat each other by washing the feet of his disciples (John 13:3–5, 13–15), see Who is the Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven? Washing feet in Jesus' day was a work done by the lowest in the household service.
• We should consider how we can incite one another to love and good works (Heb 10:24), see Dealing With Sin in the Church.
• We shouldn't neglect to meet (Heb 10:25a). We should remain in fellowship with God's people (Heb 13:2–3). The reasons are as follows:
• Obedience. 
• To be ministered in God's word. 
• We are different members of the body of Christ, who need each other (1 Cor 12:14–26, Rom 12:4–5).
• We should encourage one another (Heb 10:25b).

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, a certainty of things not seen 

(Heb 11:1). However, wishful thinking isn't the same as the biblical definition of hope. Faith is being sure of what we expect. Without faith it's impossible to please God (Heb 11:6). See Faith in Faith, Hope, and Agape Love.

1. We expect something to happen because God promises it in his word.
   An example is the second coming of Jesus, see
   Prophecies of Jesus' Second Coming.
2. We expect something to happen because God has specifically told us so.
   God can give the word of knowledge, prophesy, or the gift of faith
   (1 Cor 12:8–10), see Spiritual Gifts.

The Christian life is a long-distance race (Heb 12:1)

• We need to remember the testimonies of the faithful to be encouraged (Heb 11:4–34, 3:13, 10:25, 13:7, Acts 15:32, Eph 6:22, Col 4:8,
  1 Thess 3:2, 4:18, 5:11).
• Let's throw away all unnecessary baggage.
  It can be anything that pulls us down from following Jesus.
• Let us cast off the sin that entangles us (Gal 5:7–8).
• We should run with perseverance and resist the temptation to give up,
  see The Parable of the Persistent Widow.
• We should keep our eyes on Jesus (Heb 12:2).
  We should trust him (Heb 13:5–6, Psalm 118:6).
• Jesus is the Author and Perfecter of our faith.
• Jesus endured the cross.
• Jesus sits on the right hand of God's throne.
• We should avoid strange teachings that aren't biblical (Heb 13:9a), see Word of Faith Movement in the U.S. and The Roman Catholic Church.
• We should give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will
  (1 Thess 5:18).

God rebukes us to become more sanctified (Heb 12:10–11)

God can rebuke us so that we get on the right track, to get into a state of brokenness from pride and to repentance (1 Pet 4:1–3, Psalm 119:71).
Many times, as Christians, we can fight that very thing because we don't like
to be rebuked or disciplined. See also the beginning of The Book of James.

• We shouldn't make light of the Lord’s discipline (Heb 12:5a).
• We shouldn't despise it (Proverbs 3:11, 5:12).
• We shouldn't lose heart when he rebukes us (Heb 12:5b).
• We shouldn't be discouraged, for the Lord disciplines those he loves
  (Heb 12:6, Proverbs 3:12). It's always for our good (Heb 12:10–11),
  see The Confidence in God in The Book of Romans.
• God rebukes us to be more like Christ. God therefore allows discipline in our lives. We should endure hardship as discipline (Heb 12:7a, Job 5:17).
• When we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world (1 Cor 11:32, Acts 14:21–22, Rom 8:18).
• We should consider Jesus and how he suffered (Heb 12:3, 1 Pet 4:12–13).

"For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." (Heb 12:11). We learn obedience through our suffering. Jesus learned what is involved in obedience through his suffering (Heb 5:8). He was tempted, see
The Temptations of Jesus. He therefore knows perfectly what we go through when we suffer and are tempted (Heb 4:15, 5:9).  However, it's important not to 
become bitter when we suffer. We will also be persecuted because Jesus was persecuted (John 15:18–21), see more about this in these videos at these times:

• 1 Peter 4 • Arm yourselves with the same attitude as Christ (10:04–12:43)
• Bible Q & A With Pastor Paul │December 2023 (8:40–12:33)
• DAVID GUZIK SERMON ON Hebrews 5:1-11 (25:05–31:32) (Heb 5:8)

Some believers are called to suffer in patient endurance, especially during the
Great Tribulation (Rev 13:10, Jer 15:2). Apostle Paul, who was a chosen instrument of God, had to suffer for the sake of the name of Jesus (Acts 9:15–16). 

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all." (Psalm 34:19 (20 in some translations)).

See also The Sufferings of This Present Time in The Book of Romans.

We should seek after sanctification

• We should try to live in peace with everyone as far as possible
  (Heb 12:14a, Rom 12:18, 14:19).
• We should sanctify ourselves (Heb 12:10b, 14b), see Sanctification. We are called to be different from the people of the world, see time 14:30–17:31 in DAVID GUZIK SERMON ON Hebrews 10:1-18 – Jesus’ Perfect Sacrifice.
• We shouldn't miss God's grace and become bitter (Heb 12:15).
  We should treat other people in the same way, be able to forgive them
  and repent of our bitterness. We should ask God to change our heart.
• We should be careful not to be sexually immoral (Heb 12:16a,
  1 Cor 5:9–11), see the 7th commandment in The Ten Commandments.
  It corrupts good character.
• We shouldn't be godless (Heb 12:16b). We shouldn't treat the things of the Lord with contempt as if they mean nothing to us.

See also The New Testament of the Bible.