Lisa Rupert

Q4. (Hebrews 10:4) Why can't the blood of bulls and goats actually take away sin? Because the sins of humans (greater) were being atoned for by the lesser (animals) it only allowed for the outer cleasing because it was not in the heart of man. What happened then to the sins the Old Testament saints thought were atoned for under the Old Covenant? Christ sacrifice ce was for the atonement for all sins, past, present and future.

Q3. (Hebrews 9:28) How did the purpose of Christ's First Coming differ from his Second Coming? The first coming of Christ was to deal with our sins so that we could establish a relationship with God. Christ was sacrificed once to free us from the slavery of sin. Which did the Jews expect? The Jewish expect the coming of the Savior. How does the mission of the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 fit here? Isaiah 53 describes the first coming of Christ which saves many from bondage of sins.

Q2. (Hebrews 9:15). Read also 1 Timothy 2:5. In what sense does Jesus serve as a mediator? Jesus is the one whom removed our sins which was keeping us away from God. In what sense is Jesus a ransom from sin? Jesus paid the price for our freedom from sin with his own blood on the cross setting us free from sin so that we could have a relationship with God.

Q1. (Hebrews 9:14) In what way does Christ's sacrifice of himself cleanse the conscience in a way that the animal sacrifices of the Old Covenant could not? The Old Covenant cleansed the outer person where the New Covenant cleanses the heart, the inner person, the conscience leaving behind our acts that lead to death, our inner sins freeing us to serve God. We don't have to worry about our sins of the past because Christs' sacrifice reassures us that our sins are forgiven so that we can have a relationship with God.

Q4. (Hebrews 9:9) Why were external sacrificial regulations unable to cleanse or perfect the conscience? Material sacrifices could not cleanse internally. How does a guilty conscience keep us from intimacy with God? Because the conscience would be overwhelmed and guilt-ridden. What is necessary for us to be able to come "boldly" (4:16)? We must repent and aproach God with boldness or faith and confidence knowing we will be cleansed.

Q3. (Hebrews 9:7) Did the Old Covenant provide forgiveness for intentional, active, maintained rebellion against God? No, that person would be cut off from the people and his/her guilt would remain on him/her. Does the New Covenant provide this forgiveness? Yes, through ones faith and because Jesus died for ALL OUR SINS, intentional or unintentional. What is required for forgiveness to be granted? It is required for forgiveness that of faith, humbling oneself in repentence and receiving pardon that is granted from the Grace of God.

Q2. (Hebrews 8:7-13) Why did the Old Covenant fail? The old covenant failed because of the sinful nature of man. God found fault with the people because the people did not remain faithful to the covenant and turned away from it. What are the primary promises of the New Covenant as prophesied in Jeremiah 31:31-34? God will be in the hearts and minds of the people. He will be their God and they will be his people. Everyone will know him and he will forgive them for their sins.

Q1. (Hebrews 8:6) In what sense is Jesus the "mediator" of a new covenant? Jesus is the atonement for our sins. He shed blood to free of from the slavery of sin and his death is our final judgement against our sins. What did he do to mediate this? Jesus gave of himself freely, lovingly, and willingly. He died for our sakes giving us a new covenant with God a covenant of grace. Freeing us from the slavery of sins and from the death sentence for our sins.

Q1. (Hebrews 6:18b-20) In what sense have we "fled to a place of refuge"? We have taken refuge in Jesus who is our sanctuary for refuge. Why are we to "take hold of" this hope actively? By taking hold of this hope we are holding on to the promises of God. How does Christian hope differ from hoping that something is true? Because we know that God does not lie. His word is the truth. In what ways does an anchor illustrate the idea of hope? Our hope in Christ is an anchor for the soul, "Firm and Secure" our hope in the cross, and Jesus' death for all sins.

Q4. (Hebrews 6:12) If we take seriously the writer's exhortation to exercise both faith and patience for the long haul, what effect does that have on our Christian life? On our perspective? That we will inherit what has been promised if we remain diligent until the end. How can we resist the subtle temptation to think that our salvation depends upon our endurance rather than Christ's atonement and the grace of God? By studying the word daily constantly, growing and maturing in our faith and holding firmly until the end.

Q3. (Hebrews 6:4-6) What is apostasy? Apostasy is knowing the truth about Christ but making a concoius decision not to follow it, to turn away from the Lord. Why is it impossible from a practical standpoint to restore apostates to Christian faith and practice? It is impossible because when you drift you drift farther and farther away, causing you heart to be hardened to the truth. Because you are void from the word of God when you stray away from Christ. What point was Jesus making in his Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23)? When the word of God can not be rooted it can not yield fruit. What is Jesus' point of the Parable of the Tares or Weeds (Matthew 13:24-30)? The weeds (non believers) and the wheat (believers) will grow together but the weed will be removed during God's judgement or the harvest.

Q2. (Hebrews 6:4-5) What difference, if any, would you find between the description in verses 4-5 and a Spirit-filled Christian today? What is the writer's point in forming this description? Note: We agree to disagree, but we will disagree with love and humility toward one another in our words, as befitting genuine Christians! To keep us on track, let's limit our discussion to passages in Hebrews only, not the entire New Testament. Immoderate tirades will be removed from the Forum and poison tongues will lose their privileges to participate. "4It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace." (6:4-6) What I am understanding it would be like knowing the truth but denying it for no particular reason with this I believe that the same principles that applied then also applies now because we all fall short of the glory of God, so we must deligently seek him and continue in obedience.

Q1. (Hebrews 5:14) How does a person become mature in God's Word according to verse 14? In order to become mature in God's word as a Chrisitan we must study and practice daily. What can you do to grow in maturity? Practice makes perfect, so in order to grow in maturity we must work hard at mastering our Christian skills studying the word constantly and living a Christ-like life.

Q3. (Hebrews 4:16) Why should we approach the "throne of grace" with boldness and confidence? Because it is the Throne of Grace we should approach it with boldness and confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. What are the promises contained in this verse? Because he is sympathetic we may receive through the Throne of grace mercy, grace, help and help that comes right on time. On what basis is God able to offer us unrestrained mercy and grace for our sins while still retaining his justice as judge? Because of grace and mercy.

Q2. (Hebrews 4:15) In what ways did Jesus share our weaknesses? Jesus shared the weaknesses of man because of the ability to be tested he entered fully into our experience. He entered into the suffering to understand the vulnerablity of man through weakness and temptations. In what ways was Jesus' tempted? The 40 days in the wilderness where he was tempted by satan and in the Garden of Gethsemane where he was in agony because of what he was about to endure. Because we know he didn't sin, were his temptations easier or more difficult than ours? I believe because he remained sinless his temptations were greater than ours because he defeated sin through his sufferings, but many were simular to ours. Do we have any temptations he didn't have? Jesus suffered all temptations known to man. Why does it comfort us that he can sympathize with our temptations and weaknesses? Because he fully understands the plight of mankind through temptations and weaknesses. He has experienced the weaknesses of human nature and he remained sinless showing us that it can be done.

Q1. (Hebrews 4:14) What is so important about "holding fast to our confession." What is our confession or profession of faith? Why is maintaining this confession so vital? Because it demonstrates our faith and belief in God, Christ his Son our Savior and Lord, who suffered through temptation sinless, crucified for our sins, died a painful death, was buried, where on the third day he was resurrected then he ascended into heaven where he is seated at the right hand of God the Father. Our vital confession of faith is that We believe in Jesus Christ, he is the highest Priest, he is our Savior, our Lord who gave us the gift of salvation. Maintaing the confession of our faith is vital to us as Christians because we have surrendered our life over to Christ. By not nourishing our confession we could become lost, wandering aimlessly lacking the knowledge of our faith. So we must hold on to our faith without waivering. Living the examples of Christ.

Q4. (Hebrews 4:12-13) What do these two verses have to do with what precedes them? How is the Word described? What effect does the Word have on us? Why do we need to continually expose ourselves to the Word of God? These 2 verses describe the seriousness of God's word and what would happen if we live outside of the Word by falling from following in disobedience. The Word is described as "Living and Active", it is also described as a "razor-sharp sword" that is all "powerful and dangerous", and that it divides the soul, the spirit and the joints and marrow. The effect of the Word on us is that it is the final and ultimate judge because it knows everything, what's on the inside that is hidden away our hidden thoughts and our heart and our intentions in our heads that are hidden from man. That is why we need to stay in the Word of God so that we don't drift away are stray away lost and live in our weakness because we lack understand. We will also remain disobedient to God when we don't stay in his Word, because without the knowledge of the word how could one know and love God.

Q3. (Hebrews 4:8-11) What do you think the writer of Hebrews means by this promise of "rest" for the believer? Why does the writer urge us: "Make every effort to enter that rest"? What is the difference between apostasy from Christ and the kind of falling into sin that all Christians experience from time to time? I believe that the writer means by the promise of rest that we gain when we give our lives over to Christ, when we whole heartedly surrender to him we find rest. So the writer urges us to make every effort to enter this rest so that we won't fall by following the examples of disobedience. Apostasy from Christ means to be sinful and unbelieving. It means that one turns away from the living God, which is different from sinning from time to time because we are aware of the implications of sin so we repent and try to move on without sinning in this way again. A unbelieving one does not believe in the implications of a sinful nature so continues to sin and living in disobedience against God.

Q2. (Hebrews 3:12-14) What is the importance of faith in our relationship to Christ? How does sin trick us? How does it harden us? What is the value of Christian fellowship to keep our faith strong? It is important to hold firmly onto Christ with faith and confidence. If we don't hold firmly with faith and confidence we can be deceived by sin, or by or sinful nature. It turns us away from Gods loving mercy. Sin is deceitful and deadly. It hardens our hearts and blinds us from God, it deceives us because it is deceptive. That is why we should value our Christian fellowship with one another which binds us and strengthens us with encouragement because without it we become weak and naive in the tricks that we allow sin to lead us into.

Q1. (Hebrews 3:6b) Why is the writer exhorting his readers to "hold on" to Christ? Why must we continue in our faith? According the writer of Hebrews, what happens if we don't? We must continue to hold on to Christ, not wavering in our faith and courage. Our eyes and our thoughts must stay fixated on Christ so that we can build a firm and established faith with Christ. We must continue in our faith if we plan to be members of his household. If we don't continue we become lost and disorientated, and we soon fall.

Q5. (Hebrews 2:16-18) Why in God's plan did Jesus have to become human like us? So he could understand the temptations of man he was made in the flesh. So he could overcome the temptations of man he gave his blood. How does his humanity provide encouragement and help to us when we are in trouble? We too can overcome the temptations of man, of course, because of man's sinful nature we can not become perfect like Christ, but we can be examples of Christ and live a Christ-like life to the best of our human ability.

Q4. (Hebrews 2:14-15) What was the purpose of Christ's death according to verses 14 and 15? The purpose of Christ's death were to: Destroy the devil and to free those who all their lives were held in bondage or slavery to death or to the fear of death. In what sense is this mission accomplished? This mission to defeat and destroy satan was accomplished by Christ defeating the power of satan, forgiving us our sins cleansing us with his blood and removing the fear of death from us. In what sense will it see its final completion in the future? The final completion will come when Jesus who holds the keys to Hades and death will judge and convict satan and his followers sentencing them into the Lake of Fire. What is the result in our lives from Christ's accomplishment? We have hope that we will see the Heavenly City of God and live in his kingdom forever. Jesus victory over satan gave us the hope that we can have eternal life. We do'nt have to live in fear of death anymore because we know as Christians the benefit that death brings to us.

Q3. (Hebrews 2:10) What does it mean, to bring many sons and daughters "to glory"? In what sense did Jesus become "perfect" through suffering? What are the implications for our own lives? It meant for Jesus to bring many son and daughters to glory that his job here on this earth was done, that he brought many to the Father and he taught many the way to teach others how to bring many more. Jesus became perfect because he fulfilled the scriptures according to God's words. He became perfect through his sufferings, his death and his blood became the ultimate sacrifice. We can use the examples of Jesus and live a Christ like life because he has shown us how in the Word.

Q2. (Hebrews 2:9) In what way did Christ "taste death for everyone"? By his suffering he tasted death for us all. He suffered the "substitututionary atonement". A death in behalf of us sinners. Why is this so dependent upon God's grace? Because all things must be according to God's will . God's grace allowed Christs' death for the atonement of our sins. If Christ died for your blackest and most stubborn sins, what are the implications for you? That we may no longer be held bound by the bondage of our sins. Christ's death was the ultimate atonement for our sins freeing us from the captivity of our sins. We are no longer held down by sin in bondage.

Q1. (Hebrews 2:9) In what ways did Jesus suffer during his life and death? The ways Jesus suffered during his life and death: At birth the King tried to have him killed. He experienced rejection by his own people, blasphemous accusations, mocked by the Pharisees, deceitful questioning, entrapment, defection by many disciples, ridicule, betrayal, abandonment, he was forsaken, arrested and bound, denied, they spit in his face, beat him, he was treated with contempt, stripped of his clothes and made to wear a scarlet robe, they placed a crown of thorns on his head and a reed in his right hand, they bowed their knees to him to mock him and call him the King of the Jews, He was pierced for our Transgressions, Crushed for our Iniquities, Oppressed and Afflicted, lead like a Lamb to Slaughter, judged and falsely accused. He suffered temptation and great agony as he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. Then he was cruxified. For six hours on the cross bearing the sins of the world. Jesus was made perfect through his suffering. Jesus was stricken, smitten, afflicted, wounded,bruised, chastised, endured stripes, oppressed, led to the slaughter, cut off from the land of the living - cf. Isa 53:4-8 In what ways are we likely to suffer? We are to suffer much persecution for our beliefs. JOHN 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. JOHN 15:21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. Does suffering have any value? Yes, suffering does offer value. We too can learn obedience through our suffering. Matthew 5:10Blessed [are] they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 5:11 Blessed are ye, when [men] shall revile you, and persecute [you], and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. What happens when we live in such a way to avoid all suffering? Suffering builds Christian Character, without it we can't become mature and complete instead we will be lacking in our understanding.