Two categories:

Unmade – The eternal Triune God

Made – Everything else

By reading the 66 books of the Bible, is this not clear to the reader?  For starters, clear off your shelves every other religious work and contemporary author, and spend the next three years reading and rereading three books:  Genesis, Isaiah, and John’s Gospel.

And let the Spirit of God build within you this presuppositional conviction as we see at the end of John’s Gospel:

“We know that his testimony is true.”

“The problem with both Platonic and Gnostic ideas is similar to the problem of early twentieth-century liberalism in that they all advocate a divine spark in humans.  But human beings are not divine, not even a small part of them.  They are created beings, and even when they join God in his presence they are still not divine.  They are still his creations.  There is basic qualitative difference between God or Jesus and humans, and it will remain so.  Nevertheless, humans can experience life that is eternal, but it is not part of their essence; it is a gift given by God” (John 3:16; 10:27-28).  – Gerald Borchert

Unlike Father, Son, and Spirit, man is not of the species of Jehovah.

In Ammon, Idaho, we read this.  We know this to be true by our study of John’s Gospel.

Tonight, we are in Hebrews 10.

Eikona is in Hebrews 10:1.

(I googled “Eastern Orthodox Eikona”, and this came up on the top of the google page.)

Eikona is an important Greek word.  Yes, you must have the very image and not the shadow.

When you see the scout symbol, don’t think of the Aaronic priesthood.  That is all old covenant.

Reorient your thoughts.  Start thinking of new covenant passages.  Think outside the cultural box.

Check out this link.  Could you not see the blessed Trinity in the symbol? 

Follow me, boys, to gaze upon the glory of the Triune God.  This will be the greatest adventure of your lives.

When I visited the Sea of Galilee, I ate some of St. Peter’s Fish.  It was quite delicious.

At the end of John’s Gospel, Peter drew a net full of 153 fishes to the shoreline.

You can tell that the early church fathers had the Trinity on their minds when they wrote things like this:

Cyril of Alexandria, followed by Ammonius, Euthymius, and Theophylact, “regards the number as being significant in its three simple elements: 100 + 50 + 3.  The 100, he says, represents the fulness of the Gentiles, for 100 (=10 x 10) is ‘the fullest number,’ and as such it is used to describe the Lord’s full flock (Matt. xviii.12) and full fertility (Matt. xiii. 8).  The 50 represents ‘the remnant of Israel according to election,’ which falls short of completeness (50 = 100/2).  The 3 indicates the Holy Trinity, to whose glory all alike are gathered.”

Augustine “adopts a more complicated interpretation.  Ten, he says, is the number of the Law.  But the Law without grace kills.  To the number of the Law therefore we add seven, the number of the Spirit, in order to obtain the fulness of the divine revelation as a power of life.  But, he then adds, the sum of the numbers from one to seventeen inclusive is one hundred and fifty-three (1 + 2 + 3 &c. + 17 = 153).  So that the number 153 signifies all those who are included in the saving operation of divine grace, which makes reconciliation with the Law.  Nor is this all.  The three is the symbol of the Trinity; and the triple fifty brings out the idea of unity in the Spirit, who is revealed in a sevenfold operation (50 = 7 x 7 + 1).”

Gregory the Great “adopts in part the symbolism of Augustine, but employs it even more ingeniously.  The Evangelist, he writes, would not have given the exact number unless he had deemed that it contained a mystery.  All action under the Old Testament is ruled by the Decalogue; and under the New Testament by the seven gifts of the Spirit (Isai. xi. 2).  Our action, therefore, under both aspects can be represented by 10 + 7.  But it is by faith in the Holy Trinity that action is made effectual.  We therefore multiply 17 by 3 and obtain the number 51, which expresses the idea of true rest, being unity added to the number of the year of jubilee.  This symbol of rest (51) is again multiplied by three and we gain the result 153, the symbol of the elect citizens of the heavenly country, the final heirs of rest (‘Hom.’ xxiv. 4).”

source – B. F. Westcott

Hmm . . . I see the Triune God from the beginning to the end of John’s Gospel.   It is one of the greatest books ever written to unveil Trinitarian glory.

But I do not see the Trinity in St. Peter’s Fish (chuckling).

Here is the news brief:

SE Idaho Book of Mormon Archeology & Prophecy Conference Event

SE Idaho Book of Mormon Archeology & Prophecy Conference Date: Saturday May 15, 2010

Time: 9:00am–10pm

Location: Rigby Jr. High (100N 100 W Rigby, ID)

Event info: ANCIENT ARCHEOLOGY, CURRENT DISCOVERIES, PROPHECY, DNA STUDIES, ARTIFACTS

Spend a day with WAYNE MAY, ROD MELDRUM, and ROGER K. YOUNG and learn about the latest in Book of Mormon archeology in North America, ancient NA Indian legends, and the latest DNA studies confirming the Book of Mormon. See pictures, videos, artifacts of the Lamanite and Jaredite burial mounds, skeletons, armor, weapons, writing, the waters of Mormon, the remains of the great fortress of Lachoneus and many other fascinating items.

Spend a wonderful day immersed in the world of the Book of Mormon. (Next best thing to taking a tour & being in the field) There will be Booths & Displays

More Contact: http://www.rogerkyoung.net 208-745-7712

________

Are any of you attending this conference tomorrow?

Last Saturday, our boys joined the thousands of other boys at the Eastern Idaho State Fairgrounds for the massive Jamboral in Southeastern Idaho.

It was a blast participating in all the selected booths and activity booths.  Besides all the shooting with M60 machine guns, the Two Finger Knife Inc. booth was among my favorite.

Also, everyone has to meet renowned Bill Burch and Gary Dollar and look at their wood bolo ties.

Thanks to all who made it so fun.

Two other big celebrities were David L. Beck (Young Men’s General President – LDS Church) and Robert E. Chambers (Area Authority Seventy – LDS Church).  How I would have enjoyed getting into discussions with them over religious priesthood authority in S.E. Idaho and the book of Hebrews.  🙂

It is interesting how the Boy Scouts of America and the LDS Aaronic priesthood are intricately tied together in our culture.  David L. Beck recently talked about “the magnificent Aaronic priesthood“.

Have you been there?

It is in the area of Tabgha.  I have a dish that I purchased from there sitting on my desk presently.  I pulled it off a nearby shelf, and I am staring at a mosaic pattern of two fish and a basket of bread (Scroll down on this site for a pic). 

This Sunday morning, we will be looking at John 21:1-11.  The biblical text is open in front of me, tonight.

I just finished reading Gary Burge in the  “contemporary significance” commentary (pp. 595-596) of this text in The NIV Application Commentary.  He shares the very musings of my heart.

I don’t know what to say tonight except this . . .

I feel reborn with gospel joy.

I am at a loss of words.

Questions for Hebrews 8

Observation

1.  What is the main point?
2. Where is our high priest seated?
3. What if Jesus were on the earth? (v. 4)
4. What was the warning by God to Moses?
5. The author of Hebrews took its readers 600 years back to the words of what prophet?
6. The New Covenant is made with whom?
7. Where will the laws be put?
8. Why is there no need for teaching in the New Covenant?
9. What will happen to the sins?
10. What happens to the old covenant?  Is it a bad covenant?

Interpretation

1. What is the true tabernacle?
2. How is the priesthood of Jesus far superior to that of Aaron?
3. Who fulfills the new covenant? 
4. Has the church replaced Israel as the participant in the new covenant?  Is the new covenant only with the nation of Israel?  Are there two new covenants – one for Israel and one for the New Testament (Covenant) Church?  Or is it that the Church participates only soteriologically and Israel participates eschatologically?
5. Have we seen the full fulfillment of the New Covenant?

Application

1.  If Jesus is seated, how does that relate to your sin problem?
2. If Jesus is our high priest in heaven, should you feel disadvantage by not having an earthly priest?
3. Are you under the old covenant or new covenant?
4. What does the new covenant guarantee for you?
5. As Hebrews 8 declares the true tabernacle, why do people in S.E. Idaho spend so much time focusing on earthly tabernacles today?

Hebrews 7 is a very theological, rich chapter  . . .  a lot of food for thought.  Read it, friends.

1.  Prophet, Priest, Seer – How come it isn’t Prophet, Priest, King?

2.  Are you without father, without mother, without genealogy?  Then who is?

3.  If you are at the elevated status of a preexistent Son of God, how come the devil doesn’t come to you and ask, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

4.  To whom ultimately do you pay your tithe?  Why?

5.  Do the sons of Levi come to your house and collect a tenth from you?  Is this Christ’s law?

6.  What need is there for a contemporary Aaronic priesthood in S.E. Idaho?  If the Melchizedek priesthood shares the better hope, why continue the Aaronic priesthood?

7.  The Melchizedek Priest perfects people.  Right?

8.  No priest abides forever except one.  Right?

9.  No priest saves forever except one.  Right?

10.  Do you think the “Melchizedek priests” in Idaho Falls fulfill Psalm 110:4?