As explained in the New Testament, we Christians are the new royal priesthood of God. Therefore, it should not surprise us to find that special rules for the high priest and the other priests point to aspects of Christ, and to the Christian life. Subjects addressed include things that can defile us, distinctive Christian teachings on marriage, […]
In Leviticus we are introduced to one of the most important themes of the Bible: the Lord is a holy God who calls His people to be holy. The Hebrews writer tells us that without holiness, no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). John Wesley considered that challenging statement as perhaps the most unpopular verse to preach on […]
Peter calls slaves to submit to their masters. How do we grapple with this disturbing counter-cultural teaching, and how might its principles apply to Christians today? Peter also calls wives to submit to their husbands. Can we dismiss this commandment as a relic from a backward, unenlightened era; or does it still apply in Christian […]
God gives Moses the special formula for the anointing oil and sacred incense, both of which are holy to the Lord. In this account we find a practical illustration of what it means for something (or someone) to be holy: to be set apart for God. In connection with that we look at other inspiring passages about the way […]
The Lord tells Moses of three extraordinary procedures to ordain the high priest and other priests, all of which point to different aspects of Jesus Christ. One of them is that Aaron, the first high priest, is to be anointed with oil. This act points to the meaning of the term Christ or Messiah (a […]
John tells us that the acid test of whether we love God is if we keep His commands. Yet over the centuries, Christians have invented many ways to try to get around this plain teaching. This lesson includes a significant portion of an 18th century sermon by John Wesley entitled Holiness is Not Legalism. Wesley tackles this […]
In this third of three foundational lessons on the Holy Spirit, we build upon Old Testament stories (introduced in the previous lesson) to explore what it means to live a life that is led by the Spirit today. We review the Spirit’s role in leading the apostles to “all truth” and inspiring the Scriptures; and […]
The Holy Spirit (Pt. 3 of 3): Walking in the Spirit View Lesson
When Jesus states that He and the Father are one, his Jewish hearers want to stone Him for blasphemy. Jesus defends Himself by pointing to an obscure passage in Psalm 82 where God tells people, "you are gods." Then Jesus challenges his hearers, "…and the Scripture cannot be broken." In this lesson we explore the […]
[Our apologies! We forgot to hit the record button today. Attached are the notes from our study. May they serve as a starting point for your study on the Temple of God!] In the book of 2 Samuel, God tells David that from David's seed will come a king who would build a house for God's […]
This lesson will focus on one of the most pivotal days in the history of the world. From this Old Testament example, we will address four of the eight reasons discussed in our last lesson as to why Christians should read the Old Testament: Seeing the heart and character of the God of the Scriptures […]