[countmeworthy]

[QUOTE=aron;82897]This begins to approach my thinking as well.

A couple of affirming points:

~The gospels and the Acts until Peter visited Cornelius in Acts 10 were all law-keeping Jews, and everything written and said was with that assumed. Even at the end of the book of Acts, Paul publicly confessed that he'd been baptised by a law-observing Jew (Paul was accused of teaching the Jews to ignore the law).

BINGO !!!

~The issue in the NT wasn't the Jews keeping the law (they did), but the newly-arrived, Jesus-believing gentiles, whether they had to keep the law (the answer was a resounding 'no').

But the converted Jews had a difficult time learning how to follow the Spirit. Jesus came to set them free from the law, the Mosaic law, the grain offerings, the animal sacrifices, etc. So when I would read Hebrews in particular chapter 10, I did not understand why I needed to know But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. 4 it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

I not only knew but experienced the Blood of Jesus wiping my slate clean when I got saved!


It now makes sense Hebrews for the most part is written to the converted Hebrews. They were still babes in Christ, learning but not sure on how to follow the Holy Spirit in them. They were considering going back and follow the LAW. But Paul was warning them that the blood of bulls and goats did not wipe their sins away. It was the BLOOD OF JESUS. It is the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purged theirs (and our) conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Imagine the mockery they would have made of the shed Blood of Jesus had they returned to 'the LAW'?!

Thus many scriptures in Hebrews apply to me/to us gentile believers, the church.

Hebrews 10 starts with:
the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near.

Then in vs 16 which btw is repeated several times throughout the bible both in the Old and New testament and applies to me and you says:

“This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, says the Lord:I will put My laws upon their heart, And on their mind I will write them,”

See how the converted Jews are reminded they were FREED from the Law? He told them again the only way we could/can keep 'the law' is by inscribing it (HIM) in their hearts and cementing JESUS through His Holy Spirit in their minds. (as He does us).

[B]He then says,

17 “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. [/B

Again, did we gentile believers ever offer any kind of sin offerings? Go to a priest year after year, continuously? In essence, the New Covenant is for the Jews as as pagan gentile believers never followed or knew anything about God's laws prescribed in the OT. However the New Covenant applies to us too. What a blessing our sins and our lawless deeds God remembers no more. !!!

~The fact that so many sects have arisen, seeing completely different messages from the exact same text (Holy Bible), makes one wary.

That's because they have not followed the instructions given in 2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent (study) to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling (dividing) the Word of Truth. Btw, it has only been in the last 6 months I have come to understand this scripture.

Context is needed, else you go somewhere funny. That includes the LC, who thought they were somehow immune!!

Yes!! And it brings on the spirit of confusion!!
In 1 Corinthians 10:32 (KJ) describes 3 classes of people. I never knew that until recently but here it is:
Give none offence, neither to (1) the Jews, nor to (2) the Gentiles, nor to (3)the church of God

Quoting Clarence Larkin:
While the bible was written for all classes of people, and for our learning it is not addressed to all people in general. Part of it is addressed to the JEWS, part of it to the GENTILES, and part of it to the CHURCH. (Why else would Paul make the distinction in 1 Corinthians 10:32?)

Larkin continues to write:

While the whole bible was written for the instruction of the church, it is not all written about the church. The church is not mentioned in the OT.

Jesus said in Matthew 15:24
I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

He came to the JEWS first. The church is not even mentioned in the gospels!

The church is alluded to only once to my knowledge in the gospel of John 10:16 where Jesus tells His disciples: other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

That other fold is US gentile believers!

Learning how to read and study the bible has made me excited to read and study like never before. My love for the Lord, for His Word, to live unto HIM, to encourage the saints, God's people have ignited my spirit.

Thanks again for reading my insights and thoughts.