Christians as Prophets, Priests and Kings in Christ, Part 5
Our Anointing in Christ The New Testament brings the offices of prophet, priest and king to their fulfillment in Christ. The special offices of priest and king ceased to exist with the outpouring of the Spirit and the special office of prophet with the closing of the canon. All God’s people have become prophets, priests…
Christians as Prophets, Priests and Kings in Christ, Part 4
The History of the Office of Believer in the Bible There is no specific Scriptural mention of an anointing of Adam and Eve, but we may conclude from other Biblical data that they held the office of prophet, priest and king under God. In Genesis 1:26-28 God gave them dominion over earth and its creatures.…
Christians as Prophets, Priests and Kings in Christ, Part 3
The Special Offices in the New Testament The special offices in the New Testament can be divided into two categories: the temporary and the permanent. The temporary offices were apostles, prophets and evangelists. The apostles were witnesses of the resurrection of the Lord, had been with him during his earthly ministry, and were, with the…
Christians as Prophets, Priests and Kings in Christ, Part 2
The Special Offices in the Old Testament We know of only one office among the people of Israel before they came to Mt. Sinai. That was the office of elder (Exodus 3:16,18, 4:29 and 12:21). This office continued throughout all of Israel’s history as recorded in the Scriptures, so that we even read of elders…
Christians as Prophets, Priests and Kings in Christ, Part 1
Christ is Our Prophet, Priest and King The Heidelberg Catechism, questions and answers 31 and 32 says Q. Why is he called “Christ,” meaning “anointed”? A. Because he has been ordained by God the Father and has been anointed with the Holy Spirit1to be our chief prophet and teacher who fully reveals to us the…
Proverbs 19:28 to 20:1: Three Verses About Scoffing
Most of our English translations (the exception is the NIV) obscure a significant point in the translation of these three verses. All three use a form of a Hebrew word that means to scoff or mock. To demonstrate the connection between the verses, we can translate as follows: A worthless witness will scoff at judgment,…
Some Thoughts on Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage
There are 4 passages in the gospels in which the Lord instructs us regarding marriage, divorce and remarriage. Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit…
The Freedom and Bondage of Our Wills
We may include three inner activities in the power of the will. The most obvious is the power to choose between alternatives. God created us different from the animals in that we do not act just by instinct; we can choose to act contrary to it. Thus, we may have the instinct to run away…
God’s Sovereignty Over Sin
Atheism professes that there is no God, and the question of the sovereignty of God over it, or over anything, simply does not arise. Determinism holds that we don’t really make choices, that we are all just puppets in the hands of God, of evolution, of our genes, or of the universe. We have no…