Jonathan
Carino picked me up this morning at 8am and we made it to the building about 20
minutes later. Things were running on time for me, unlike yesterday, so I did
not delay him. We again started exactly on time with the class this morning, as
all students were ready to go. We begin each day with about 20 minutes for
solitary prayer before we start our studies.
We began
the morning class with Hebrews 6:13 and got through chapter 7 before the lunch
break. We discussed the promise and the oath of God with respect to His
immutability and how it gives assurance of the reality of our hope. We then
looked at Melchizedek in some detail, noting both the explicit statements and
the implications about him. The superiority of the priesthood after the order
of Melchizedek to the inferior priesthood of Levi was also noted. The
significance of Jesus as a High Priest after the order of Melchizedek was
examined, as well as the conclusions demanded regarding the Levitical
priesthood and the Old Law.
The
afternoon session began with Hebrews 8:1 and ended with Hebrews 9:10. We saw
that the Hebrew writer declared the vanishing nature of the Old Covenant, not
from his own perspective of time, but from that of Jeremiah the prophet from
whom he quoted. Starting at the point when Jeremiah revealed a New Covenant was
coming, the first was seen as old and drawing nearer and nearer its end. We
also recognized the inability of the Old Covenant and its provisions to make
people perfected in conscience so that they could draw near to God. This fact
was illustrated by the Hebrew writer in appealing to the tabernacle and what
the very arrangement necessarily indicated. The symbolic presence of God was in
the Most Holy Place, within the veil. Did the Old Covenant make possible the
drawing near to that presence by all? No, but only allowed for one man, the
high priest, to come to that place each year. Thus, if we seek to draw near to
God, it cannot be done by means of the Old Covenant as shown by the example of
the tabernacle.
We
repeatedly showed points within the passages examined that were in conflict
with the “One Covenant Doctrine” brought to the Philippines by American
brethren like Jim Puterbaugh and Wallace Little and further spread by their
Filipino co-workers like Ernesto Canon. This false doctrine, denying that there
are two separate covenants in the Mosiac Law and the Gospel of Christ, teaches
that God has always had only “one eternal covenant.” It is a sad fact that such
a fundamental truth as the distinction between the Old and New Covenants has
been so perverted and disturbed the faith of many, leading them to false
practices plainly condemned by God.
My ride
home in the taxi had none of the splendor and richness of thought seen in the
book of Hebrews throughout the day. To start with, the driver had the
disgusting habit of getting about one block to each burp. His choice of music
was also somewhat unique. We started with head-banger rock of the “punk rock”
variety, went to “You Picked a Fine Time to Leave Me Lucille” by Kenny Rogers,
transitioning to gangster rap and ending with some Asian “music” that knew no
constraints of harmony. My escape from this torture by musical abuse came none
too early as I arrived at the hotel. It is, indeed, a new adventure every day
when I am over here!
