in Hebrews
Hebrews 10:1-18: The Sacrifice that Makes Perfect
We reach the end of the doctrinal section of Hebrews, Nick says, the long argument for Jesus as a greater high priest offering a greater sacrifice under a greater covenant. He works through the crescendo...
in Hebrews
Hebrews 9:23-28: What Jesus as a Better Sacrifice Secures…
What do we actually need that Christ’s sacrifice provides? Nick asks, picking up Hebrews’ long list of benefits flowing from a better covenant and better promises. He works through what a once-for-all sacrifice secures that...
in Hebrews
Hebrews 9:15-22: ‘This is My Blood of the Covenant’
My dad recently told me I might be in for a huge inheritance, Nick says, recounting how lawyers specializing in unclaimed estates had tracked him down, with over a billion pounds sitting unclaimed in Britain....
in Hebrews
Hebrews 9:11-14: The Blood of Christ
The blood of Christ runs through so many of our favourite hymns, Nick says, quoting a handful, even though it’s a doctrine many today find revolting rather than precious. He works through Hebrews’ teaching on...
in Hebrews
Hebrews 9:1-10: Old Covenant Fellowship with God
It’s easy for us on this side of the cross to underestimate the Old Covenant, Nick says, since we’ve already tasted the far greater goodness of Christ. He works through Hebrews’ description of the tabernacle...
in Hebrews
Hebrews 8:7-13: The New Covenant
If you asked Nick the main difference between the old covenant and the new, he’d point to this: God does not divorce his people under the new covenant. He works through Hebrews’ quotation of Jeremiah’s...
in Hebrews
Hebrews 8:1-6: Perfected Heavenly High Priest
Imagine a first-century conversation with a concerned Jewish relative trying to talk you into abandoning Christ and returning to Judaism, Nick says, especially around the time of year when Jewish men would travel to Jerusalem...
in Hebrews
Hebrews 7:20-28: Jesus the Superior High Priest
We reach the climax of the author’s argument that Jesus is the superior high priest, Nick says, after a whole chapter rallying evidence from every possible angle. He works through Hebrews’ final proof: an oath-sworn,...
in Hebrews
Hebrews 7:11-19: Out With the Old and in With the New
One of Nick’s favourite verses in Acts is 6:7, a great many priests became obedient to the faith, and he imagines the stories behind that one line. He works through Hebrews’ argument for why the...
in Hebrews
Hebrews 7:1-10: The Priest-King Melchizedek
The author of Hebrews already told us back in chapter 6 what the easy and the deep truths of the faith are, Nick recaps. He works through the mysterious figure of Melchizedek, priest and king,...
in Hebrews
Hebrews 6:13-20: How to Live a Life of Hope
We’re wired to be creatures of hope, Nick says, quoting Proverbs 13:12 that hope deferred makes the heart sick, and pointing to the sobering scale of suicide worldwide as proof of what happens when hope...
in Hebrews
Hebrews 6:9-12: ‘Full Assurance of Hope’
God wants every believer to know they’re truly his child, Nick says, not left wondering whether they’re loved or provided for, any more than a good father would leave his own children in doubt. He...
in Hebrews
Hebrews 6:4-8: The Sin of Apostasy
A young Christian has told Nick more than once, I think I’ve committed the unforgivable sin, and he admits he once feared the same thing himself. He works through Hebrews’ hard warning about apostasy, and...
in Hebrews
Hebrews 6:1-3: Back to Basics
Have you heard of the anonymous Christian? Nick asks, tracing the idea back to Jesuit theologian Karl Rahner and into modern Catholic teaching, that someone can be saved without ever consciously believing in Christ. He...
in Hebrews
Hebrews 5:11-14: Spiritual Immaturity
There’s a TV show about a grown man who spends hours each day dressed as a baby, sleeping in an adult-sized crib, Nick says, as a jarring picture of arrested development. He works through Hebrews’...
in Hebrews
Hebrews 5:1-10: Christ’s Priesthood Superior to Aaron’s
The history of Israel’s high priests is as mixed as the history of her kings, Nick says, pointing to Aaron himself building the golden calf. He works through Hebrews’ argument for why Christ’s priesthood succeeds...