 |
|
New Testament LESSON #37
(HEBREWS) |
|
JESUS CHRIST: THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH
by Ted L. Gibbons
 The letter to the Hebrews was written from Rome while Paul was in captivity there. It was delivered at about the same time as Philemon, Philippians, Colossians, and Ephesians. Even though the Jerusalem conference had decided before 50 AD that Gentile converts did not have to obey certain requirements of the Law of Moses to become Christians, in 60 AD there were still Jewish members who were “zealous of the law” (Acts 21:20). This letter is Paul’s effort to convince Jewish members that significant aspects of the Law of Moses had been fulfilled in Christ, and that the higher law of the gospel had replaced the old law (see Pauline Epistles; Hebrews, on page 746 in the Bible Dictionary).
A visitor traveling through rural Utah many years ago brought his car to a halt near a large orchard surrounded by a beautiful white fence. He stared in disbelief at the scene beyond the fence. A farmer in overalls and a straw hat stood under a apple tree with a 200-pound sow in his arms. He carried the animal from branch to branch, allowing her to feast on the fruit within reach. The sweat rolled off of him but the pig seemed insatiable and so the meal continued for nearly a quarter of an hour. Finally the stranger could restrain himself no longer. Driven by curiosity he climbed the fence and approached the man. “What in the world are you doing?” he asked the gasping and perspiring worker.
“I’m feeding this pig,” the man replied, moving within reach of a new branch.
“Isn’t that an awfully time-consuming way to feed a pig?”
“Aw, shucks.” the fellow responded. “What’s time to a pig?” The fact is that there are better ways to feed pigs that by carrying them around in your arms looking for low-hanging apples.
The Book of Hebrews is also Paul’s testimony that the gospel of Jesus Christ is better way than the Law of Moses. For those laboring under the burden of the specifications of this law, and determined to require Gentile Christians to obey it, Paul offers the purity and fulness of the Gospel of Christ as a better way. In fact, it is possible to study, outline, and teach Hebrews simply by identifying and expounding on the various ways in which the word “better” is used in the book...
> Read the Entire New Testament Lesson
 DESERT BLOSSOMS #105
by Ted L. Gibbons
Wilford Woodruff reported that in the fall of 1834 he felt a longing to preach the gospel. He was at the time a Teacher, and knew that it was not the calling of a Teacher to go abroad and preach, but he was unwilling to tell anyone in authority of his desire. Therefore he went to the woods and told the Lord about it, and received a spiritual confirmation that his petition would be granted. He walked from the woods and met a High Priest with whom he had lived for six months, and who had never spoken to him about missionary work. But on this occasion he said, “The Lord has revealed to me that it is your privilege to be ordained and to go and preach the gospel.”
Wilford was soon ordained a priest and sent to Arkansas and Tennessee in the company of an Elder. The following is a description of one of his experiences on this mission.
|
We visited a place called Harmony, Mission, on the Osage river, one of the most crooked rivers in the west. This mission was kept by a . . . minister and his family.
We arrived there on Sunday night at sunset. We had walked all day with nothing to eat, and were very hungry and tired. Neither the minister nor his wife would give us anything to eat, nor let us stay over night, because we were "Mormons," and the only chance we had was to go twelve miles farther down the river, to an Osage Indian trading post, kept by a Frenchman named Jereu. And this wicked priest, who would not give us a piece of bread, lied to us about the road, and sent us across the swamp, and we wallowed knee deep in mud and water till ten o'clock at night in trying to follow this crooked river. We then left the swamp, and put out into the prairie, to lie in the grass for the night.
When we came out of the swamp, we heard an Indian drumming on a tin pail and singing. It was very dark, but we traveled towards the noise, and when we drew near the Indian camp quite a number of large Indian dogs came out to meet us. They smelt us, but did not bark nor bite.
We were soon surrounded by Osage Indians, and kindly received by Mr. Jereu and his wife, who was an Indian. She gave us an excellent supper and a good bed, which we were thankful for after the fatigue of the day.
As I laid my head on the pillow I felt to thank God, from the bottom of my heart, for the exchange of the barbarous treatment of a civilized . . . priest, for the humane, kind and generous treatment of the savage Osage Indians (Faith Promoting Series.
Edited by George Q. Cannon. [Wilford Woodruff] chapter 3)
|
|
|
|
