Philip Dampier's Blog

“For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,” In order for the people to be a part…

“Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood.” This is a continuation of the same argument. Blood is central to the covenants. The shedding of blood is a repeated process in God’s dealing with man out of the garden.  The sacrifice of animals permeates the Old Testament story.…

“For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive.” The writer of Hebrews likes long arguments. He wants to make sure that his readers do not misunderstand what has happened with the Old Testament Law.…

“For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established.” We know that under the old covenant, death was necessary for the system of forgiveness to be effective. Our author goes further, a will or covenant is only effective if the one making…

“Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.” Right away we are reminded that sins committed under the Old Covenant were…

“…how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” There are three affirmative statements in this verse that we should keep in mind when deciding whether we will follow…

“For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh…” The Hebrews had accepted that the blood and sacrifices of the Old Covenant were accomplishing the necessary purification of their fleshly sins. Those…

“…he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.” The author now gives us the outcome of the changed priesthood. Christ, as the new high priest was not…

“But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation)…” For hundreds of years, the Hebrews had lived with the expectation of the good things that would…

“…but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.” Those former things, still being practiced by some Jewish Christians, were not spiritual in nature but dealt with physical things. They were useful in their time but once Jesus came…