Hebrews

FINDING ENCOURAGEMENT IN HEBREWS

(January 28, 2024) Brian Bell shares…

I’ve been reading my way through the book (letter) to the Hebrews, and in my previous article shared some encouraging thoughts from chapter 12 to take us into 2024.

While Hebrews’ author is not identified, many believe it originates with Paul (a view I hold myself) while Bible teacher and author Robert M. Solomon (without suggesting a name) proposes it is very likely written by a Jewish Christian believer possibly before the Roman army destroyed Jerusalem in AD70.

The context of the book was to help those Jewish believers in the face of persecution, because while Jews were exempted from worship of the Roman emperor (who saw themselves as being a god), this exemption did not apply to Christians.

I am sure you’re familiar with the type and measure of persecution faced by Christian believers living in the days of the Roman Empire. Many were cruelly and brutally treated, tortured and killed in places such as the Colosseum in Rome.

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TITHING TO – GOD?

(April 16, 2021) Robert McQuillan responds to a troubled family man’s question…

Dear Dr Robert
Not naming my church, but our pastor demands we pay tithes to God, that if we don’t, we won’t be blessed. He quotes people receiving great new jobs or healings because they tithed and others receiving neither because they didn’t tithe. I feel uneasy about this… must I tithe to God? ‘Victor.’

Dear Victor

This instantly causes me to query ‘What kind of a God of free grace are we worshipping if we have to pay for his blessings?’ The truth is that we could never financially pay God for all he has done for us! Your pastor is using God’s name but referring to the church and its responsibilities.

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