 Okay, good morning and welcome. Let's pray and we will begin with our course on Hebrews, James, 1st and 2nd Peter as well as Jude. So I would like to request any one of our class here to please lead us in prayer. Yes, please. Heavenly Father, thank you for this time that you've given us and we thank you because we are coming into your presence. Thank you for blessing, to challenge, to come back and guide us in this course, Father. Commit her into thy mighty hands, Father, give her the power that you need to teach her with enough knowledge, Father, so that we can get through from her also. Father, we commit all the students' power into thy hands. Whatever we are going to learn, Father, give her the quality that you need to learn from our hearts and our minds. Pray, believe in her, committing everything in the mighty hands of Father Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen. Thank you, Kennedy. Hope each one of you is doing well. Hope you had a good break, Christmas, New Years and you're back with great energy. This is your last semester and I know that most of us on this course, we are completing our three years here at APC Bible College. So firstly, a huge congratulations to all of you. Just one semester away from completing your BTH degree and I really appreciate your commitment as well as hard work. All these semesters for just staying on course and continuing to desire, you know, the word of God, continuing to learn from God's word. And I believe that this final semester will strengthen you just as much as all the other semesters did. But, you know, just just continue on till the finish line and make sure you complete the course. So as I said, we are going to look at five different books of the Bible in this particular course. So there's going to be Hebrews, there will be James, First and Second Peter, as well as Jude. So what we will do is we will try and give most of our time to Hebrews because there's a lot to understand right there. But we will pick up pace towards the end of this particular book and then, you know, we will begin with the other books as well. And I'm sure we will be able to a lot sufficient time for all the books and complete it well. So starting off with the book of Hebrews here, we see that this book, this particular book, you know, it can be dated back to somewhere around 67 to 69 AD. And this is a duration where the first century church lived and we know that there were believers from different walks of society. We know that there were many Hebrew believers, Hebrew believers meaning those who belong to the Jewish culture and the Jewish tradition. They were also now believers in the Lord Jesus Christ and the church was thriving. You know, we've done the book of Acts. So, you know, we've understood how so many came to put their faith in the Lord Jesus. And this was a time when they were all growing in the faith. They were all taking the word to different regions. So 67 to 69 AD, that's when this book was likely it was written. So the literary form as we study the writing of Hebrews, it's more like an essay. So you would notice generally when we read Paul's letters, we have a beginning and a greeting and he has a certain format that he follows. However, this format doesn't look similar to that in the sense that it's more like an essay. Whoever is a writer of the book of Hebrews, he puts out, he or she puts out their thoughts and towards the end of the book of Hebrews, it's more like a letter, you know, with some instructions, some greetings and all of that. So that's how the literary form of this particular book is. Who was this book written to? This book was written to Jewish Christians, as I've already shared with us. We call them the Hebrews. So the Jewish Christians were the recipients of this book. So what was so special about this particular message to the Jewish Christians? They were at this point, though they were in Christ, they were passionate about this newfound faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. They were also, you could say, discouraged to some extent. They were definitely persecuted as well for the sake of the Gospel. Now, why were they both passionate to continue in the Lord and at the same time discouraged? Because you see, they came from the Jewish traditions and once they gave their lives to Christ, they were discriminated against. The others who continued as Jewish, in those who continued their contemporaries in the faith of Judaism, they did not accept the Jewish believers in Christ anymore. And there were many laws that kind of kept them out of receiving property, receiving certain rights, receiving certain opportunities. And so all of this made life more difficult for these Jewish Christians. And this is the reason why the writer of the Hebrews, as you read, you would find that he talks about the work and value of the faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, but he also, at many points, brings encouragement as well as a warning. And he says, don't neglect your faith, don't drift away from your faith. So he's warning these believers because it was very important. Otherwise, they would have looked at their present circumstances and they would have been very, very discouraged and let go of their Christian faith. So this is the audience that the author is speaking to. So who really is the author of this book of Hebrews? Now, this is the question, you know, which does not have a straightforward answer. You have many schools of thought that say that Paul is the actual writer of the book of Hebrews. But then, you know, looking at the format and the language in which it is written, people say that it couldn't have been Paul. It could have been somebody else who actually wrote this letter. But there are people who look at some of the content of the book of Hebrews and say, hey, whoever is the writer is very knowledgeable in the Jewish scriptures. So it may have been Paul. So there are people who are contending this thought that Paul wrote it. And, you know, some are saying, yes, Paul wrote it. Some others are saying, no, it cannot be Paul because this is not like Paul's style of writing. So who really is the writer of the book of Hebrews? Now, people point to the the language in which it was written. So it was actually written in Greek. So this book was written in the Greek language. And as you read Hebrews 1132, there from the from the way it is written in masculine grammar, people say that it was a man who actually wrote the book of Hebrews. And so there are speculations, you know, people. Some people say maybe Barnabas wrote it because he was also sort of a father figure for the early church. There are others looking at the knowledgeable, you know, knowledgeable expression of this particular book. They say that maybe Apollos, because remember, we saw in the book of Acts that Apollos was a man who was well-versed in scripture. So there are people who say that, you know, Apollos could have been the writer. Now, there are other names that come up from time to time. So we have no idea, you know, exactly who wrote the book of Hebrews. So because of the masculine grammar, all these people are attributed with the authorship of the book. So you have Apostle Paul likely to be Barnabas, likely to be Apollos. But there is a school of thought where people also say that the writer could have been a lady. OK, so now this is a bunch of people who speculate that Priscilla. OK, remember, we read about Aquila, Priscilla in Corinth, who came and who worked alongside Paul. So she was also a good teacher of the word of God. And so people say that it's likely to be Priscilla. So we don't know. And when you probably have heard sermons from the book of Hebrews, you may have heard the statement. People say the writer of the Hebrews, the writer of the Hebrews, because we don't really, we cannot put a finger on a particular person and say, hey, so and so is the writer. So it's up to you. Now, you can subscribe to any school of thought that you are convinced about. So as I've been saying, what is the purpose of this particular letter? This letter firstly was written to reveal and establish Jesus Christ to the Greek mindset. OK, so they were used to the Jewish traditions, but completely accepting Jesus Christ for who he is. No, that was a struggle that they had. So a primary thrust through the book, you will notice is on the Lord Jesus Christ and revealing him to people of the Greek mindset. Then we will notice that the writer talks about the greatness of the redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ, because these believers, as we've been saying, they had left their Jewish traditions and they thought that that was the greatest. You know, that is what God had given them. But now they've left those traditions, those rituals, and they've come to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. But they needed this revelation that what they are walking in right now is greater than what they had been practicing all along. So as we get into the book of Hebrews, you will notice that we will talk about the fact that the temple practices were actually a shadow and that the Lord Jesus is the actual fulfillment. And so the writer will help the audience understand that what you have right now, the redemption that the Lord Jesus Christ brought for us is greater than all the rituals of sacrifices and everything that they were actually involved in. So that is another purpose why this book was written. And of course, we will find an exhortation or encouragement to the persecuted and discouraged Christians of this time. So they were encouraged to continue in Christ. Don't let go of your faith because things are hard, but continue in the faith that you have. Know the supremacy of our Lord Jesus Christ and his faithfulness. So this is the way in which the author will actually encourage the believers. And of course, we said that it also has warnings. So we will find that time to time there will be a hard message to the listeners where the author is saying, come on, don't drift away. If you drift away like it's even you can even cross the border or the boundary from where it may be impossible for you to return. So there are these real warnings in the book of Hebrews as well. So on one side, there's all this encouragement, but on the other side, there is a set of warning. So this is what the book of Hebrews carries for us. So just before I get into Hebrews chapter one, I thought I would ask us. I'm sure you've you've gone through the study of Hebrews from different places, different sources. So any any of your views about the book of Hebrews before we get into the details? Yes, yes, say please go ahead. Yeah, thank you. Now, I learned this from a preacher and when I was reading the book of Hebrews, I discovered that truly Hebrews is kind of like the leviticus of the New Testament. In the sense that the leviticus had so many ordinances and things that it was supposed to keep some of the verses that got prescribed the way the preach. So in a way, the book of Hebrews, kind of opens up all those things that were done in leviticus shows the significance in life, like opens up the new chapter of where we are in this position. So Hebrews in a way, it's kind of like the leviticus book of the New Testament or the New Covenant that we're in. Then another thing that I know about the book of Hebrews is that it's centered more on Jesus. His finished works pertaining to the church and the dispersion of grace that we've come into that that's just a bit of what I know about Hebrews. Thank you. Thank you so much, say, for sharing your views. And we would notice as we go through this book that it's also one of those books where the Old Testament is quoted quite a bit. OK, so obviously I already said that the author has very good knowledge of scriptures and he will bring those scriptures and from the scriptures, try to establish the supremacy of our Lord Jesus Christ. So the Old Testament is quoted quite a bit, because say, mentioned something like leviticus. But as I already mentioned earlier, we will, though Old Testament is quoted, we will have the emphasis on the New Covenant and Hebrews will really talk about the Old Testament scriptures in the light of the New Covenant. So it's not so much promoting the Old Traditions, but it's it's more of understanding the traditions, the temple practices in the light of what the Lord Jesus has actually fulfilled now. So that's the way in which it would go. And I'm just looking at our chat here. And the Vya says, very insightful book, have many favorite verses in this book. OK, that's great. So she's quoting all her favorite scriptures here. Thanks, Vya. Thank you so much for sharing each one of them. I know that we will dwell on all these passages very soon. So thank you, everyone, for sharing your views about the book of Hebrews. So coming to chapter one of Hebrews, this particular chapter, what do we see here? I'll kind of summarize it right at the start and then get into the passage. So here we have an exhortation where the author of the book of Hebrews, he is establishing the supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ. So as we go through the first chapter, there are a couple of points that he will make. He will make the point that the Lord Jesus is the begotten Son of God. Then he will establish that Jesus Christ is far superior to the angels. And the comparison is that the Lord Jesus is the begotten Son, but the angels are created beings. Then we will see how he talks about the Lord Jesus as the one who reigns forever. He will also talk about the Lord Jesus as the heir of God, as the creator, the ruler, and the one who is worthy of worship. The Lord Jesus will also be talked about as deity or in other words as God who shares in the attributes of the Father. And we will see that the Lord Jesus is highly favored by the Father and also highly exalted. Now, this was very, very important for the persecuted and discouraged Christians. The reason is they would have felt that we had such a rich tradition. And we were followers of Jehovah God and a certain kind of lifestyle that we had. Now we've left behind everything and we are being ostracized by our brothers and sisters of the tradition. And now we are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. What is the value of this new faith? Why did we even leave everything behind and go after this Jesus? They may have had those questions in their low moments and so it was very important for the writer of the Hebrews to let them know that what you have right now, the value of the faith that you carry right now is incredible. It's not even comparable to what you put your faith in earlier on. And so that is why he's starting out this letter to these Christians by establishing the supremacy of our Lord Jesus Christ and see how he starts. He starts Hebrews chapter one verse one. He says, God who at various times and in various ways spoke in the time passed to the fathers by the prophets. So he is not even trying to give an explanation about God. He is straight away, beginning with the term God to the believers. And in a sense, it's like his confidence, the writer's confidence in the fact that you should know by now that there is a creator God. And that we really don't have to make a case for this God. He exists and he is supreme, he is almighty. And so which is why he just starts the writing with God. Who at various times and various ways spoke. And so he is introducing this God to the believers as a God who has existed. So no apologies for the existence of God or no explanation for the existence of God. He's so great, he has existed. And the second fact he says there is who in various ways spoke in time pass. So he is introducing an existing God and a speaking God. So beautiful. He says that this God, he was never silent. He's always spoke to us. How did he speak to us in the Old Testament through the prophets? OK, so as we just look back at many different incidents in the Old Testament, we would see that God did speak. God spoke to Moses in the wilderness season through a burning bush. We see that God spoke to Elijah. When Elijah, being a prophet, may have expected God to speak in a grand way, in a spectacular way, God spoke to Elijah even through a still, small voice. God spoke to Isaiah through a heavenly vision. OK, so he saw this into the spiritual realm and he saw this vision of God seated on the throne. God was able to speak in any situation. He spoke to Hosea through his own family crisis. God spoke to Amos through a basket of sabbathroot. And so, you know, as we consider different incidents in the Old Testament, we see that it was never that difficult for God to communicate himself. And God spoke to different people, different seasons of their lives. And he wanted his message to be known by them. So we have a God, a mighty God who existed, meaning he's eternal and a God who spoke. And we will see that the writer is actually trying to tell us that God is speaking to us right now. And so in verse two, he says, has in these last days spoken to us by his son, whom he has appointed heir of all things through whom also he made the worlds. So what is he saying? This speaking God has chosen to speak right now. So which are the last days? We said that the last days when we talk about Jesus's ascension and are waiting for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. So once the Lord Jesus completed his earthly ministry, started the last days. So we are still in the last days, we're still in the last days. So in these last days, how has God spoken? God has spoken, the writer says, by his son. So looking at the Lord Jesus and his life. Now, again, you know, last days, technically, it's it's a time when, you know, the Lord Jesus, he finished his ministry and he ascended up. However, in this passage, the writer is really saying he spoke through his son. So then he's including the ministry of the Lord Jesus here on the earth. But we understand what he's trying to say. He's trying to say that Jesus is a message. So the Lord Jesus is God's best message. God has spoken through all his prophets. If he had already spoken his best message, you know, he wouldn't continue to communicate with us. But here's the fact. His God's best message was his son, Jesus Christ. And so, you know, it's this greatest message that God has communicated to us. So in these last days, spoken to us by his son. So the more we understand the Lord Jesus, we're able to understand what God is trying to tell us through the life of Jesus Christ. So that's the point he's making to these believers that he's saying, fix your eyes on Jesus, bring your attention to the Lord Jesus, focus on the Lord Jesus. Because God has spoken his greatest message to you and me through Jesus. And as we focus on the Lord Jesus, we will begin to understand what God is really saying to us. So that's what he's saying. Listen to the message of our God through his son, Jesus Christ. And then he goes on to say whom he has appointed air of all things. So, you know, a little facet by facet, we will begin to see why the Lord Jesus is so great. Now, he said that Jesus is the greatest message that we understood. And now he's pointing to the fact that Jesus is appointed air of all things. So, Jesus being a part of the Godhead, you know, we understand the term air. Air simply means that somebody who has the authority, who has been entrusted with everything. And so the Lord Jesus has been appointed air of all things through whom he also he made the worlds. So, there is a reference here to the fact that Jesus had a part to play in creation. So, through whom he made the worlds. So, we understand that the Lord Jesus is God's greatest message. He is the appointed air of God and he is also a creator. He is creator. So, we are beginning to see, you know, different things about the Lord Jesus. So, we understand him better. And verse three, he says, who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his power. When he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. So, each scripture, each verse there is power packed with the attributes of our Lord Jesus Christ. In verse three, you know, we notice that Jesus is being described as the brightness of his glory. So, God's glory. God wanted us to picture that glory. How do we picture that glory? God sent his son Jesus Christ for us to understand the glory of God. So, in a way, in a way, just for our understanding, it's like saying, if we turn the, you know, the burning sun, it's like a furnace. The sun is burning with all its light, all its brightness and everything. How do we here on earth experience the sun? The sun is at a certain distance away from the earth, but we have the rays from the sun. Okay. So, these rays come, the radiance comes and it carries with it the light of the sun, the heat of the sun. Many things which are required for us to be able to live our lives here on earth. So, we can know the sun through the rays. Okay. Partly, just a little bit, just a little bit of what the sun is really like. But what the writer is trying to say is, you know, if we were to think, oh, the glory of God is like the sun, the best way in which God could express his glory is through his son Jesus Christ. So, you might say that, again, you know, this illustration is actually not an accurate one, but just for our understanding, the brightest, you know, the brightest sunlight or the brightest radiance that we experienced of the glory of God is the Lord Jesus Christ. Okay. But just in continuation to that line, he also says the express image of his person, which is to say that, yes, Jesus is the brightest expression of the glory of God, but he's also the most accurate expression. You know, if we were to look in a mirror at our faces, we see the exact image, isn't it? Exact image, all the physics enthusiasts would argue that, hey, no, but it's not exact because, you know, it is it's opposite to who we are. So, you know, having given all that, we are not able to describe the exact image very accurately. But here's the point, whoever God is, right, the Lord Jesus is the exact image. Okay, he's the exact image. So, the exact image is something like a stamp. Those of us who understand post and envelopes, we know that a stamp, which has a certain image on it, if you put that into ink and you start stamping envelopes, you get the same, same image on every single envelope. So, that is like the exact image of that particular stamp. So, what we are being told, you know, we're trying to understand Jesus. Just in these three verses, we are able to understand, wow, Jesus, God has spoken through Jesus. He's a message from God to us. He is the air. He is the Creator. He is the brightness of God's glory. Okay, so he's the brightest expression of who God is if I want to understand God. And of course, he is the exact image, the exact image. So, if I want to know what Father God is like, what Father God is thinking, what the purposes of his heart are, or what decisions he would make, or how he would react to a given situation, we look at the Lord Jesus because he is the exact image. That's what the writer of the Hebrews is saying. Come on, take Jesus serious because he has been given by God to us and he has come to show the Father. He has come to reveal the Father to us. So, that is who the Lord Jesus is. And as, you know, a statement made by a preacher goes, Jesus Christ is perfect theology. So, when we understand the Lord Jesus, you know, we understand who God is and how we're trying to study God. And so, when we study the Lord Jesus, we're able to get the heart of God, understand the very heart and the life of God. Okay, right. So, I hope you're all with me or is it a little too high-fi flying over our heads? Or is it going okay so far? How is it? Okay, nice. Okay, great. So, in the chat, I can see Christopher's asking, spoke in time past to the fathers. Who are the fathers? Okay, so the fathers are Christopher. Yeah, so that question was from Christopher. Christopher, in the Jewish tradition, people like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, these were people who were known as the patriarchs. Okay, so they were leading men who were considered as the fathers. So, that is, those are the people the writer is referring to. Okay, so the fathers. Okay, wonderful. All right, so let's continue then. So, we have an understanding about the Lord Jesus now. So, in continuation to talking about how the Lord Jesus is the exact image of God, the writer also says that Jesus did a redemptive work. So, he says, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. So, he doesn't take very long to come to the greatness of our Lord Jesus Christ. He starts describing about Jesus and he now talks about what a wonderful work Jesus has done. So, he says, he himself, he did not ask an angel or a some other creature or, you know, assign the responsibility to buy back, you know, the redemption of mankind. He did not assign it to anybody else but he himself dealt with our sins. So, that again shows us, you know, this great God is so personal to us that he chose to take the sins which are to bring punishment to us upon himself and the way he completed this work of redemption is that he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. So, that's a glimpse of heaven and, you know, we've talked about the ascension of the Lord Jesus. So, what did Jesus do after he completed the work of redemption? See, this picture of sitting down is generally referring to finishing the task. So, because Jesus has completed his earthly ministry of redeeming us, he now has sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high and we know this. We say Jesus is at the right hand of the Father. He is interceding for us. So, this is who the Lord Jesus is to us and this is what he has done for us. Verse 4, So, having become so much better than the angels as he has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. So, you see, we may look at the writing of Hebrews and think, why is this writer talking about all these specific subjects and now he brings in angels. You know, how does it matter that the people are aware that Jesus is greater than the angels? But you see, we have to understand it from the context of these early Christians. We know that they left their traditions. So, as part of their traditions, angels had a great place of honor for the like the Jewish people and they believed that angels were great. And so, now that they have become Christians, the writer had to help them understand Jesus is greater than the angels because in some instances as part of their old faith, they would even worship angels. And so, the writer had to totally destroy that particular philosophy that they held on to and establish that Jesus is greater than the angels. So, what is he saying now? He's saying Jesus has become much better than the angels. Why? He's giving reasons. He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. So, Jesus has a better name than the angels. How did he get this name? He's saying by inheritance. Okay? Inheritance. So, notice, he's trying to help the believers understand Jesus is the Son of God. He already mentioned it. He said earlier he's spoken to us by his Son. So, there is a status that Jesus has which is greater than the angels. So, Jesus is the Son and Jesus is the Air. Jesus is the Creator. Jesus has a name which is greater than any other name. Okay? A more excellent name because he received it by inheritance. So, why is the name of Jesus great? There are many reasons why his name is great but here is one reason. It was given to him by inheritance simply because he is the Son of our Heavenly Father. Okay? So, verse 5, we'll move on to verse 5. So, here you would notice that a passage has been quoted from the Psalms and the book of 2 Samuel. We'll quickly read it. So, from verse 5, I will read all the way to verse 7. He says, For to which of the angels did he ever say, you are my Son? Today I have begotten you. And again, I will be to him a Father and he shall be to me a Son. But when he again brings the first one into the world, he says, let all the angels of God worship him. And of the angels, he says, who makes his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire? So, the writer is continuing on the same theme that Jesus is greater than the angels. So, where are these verses from? These verses have been quoted from Psalm 2 and verse 7 and also from 2 Samuel 7 and verse 14. So, here again, the same thing. He's trying to help the believers understand Jesus is the Son. And so, he uses this term finally, begotten. So, let me look at the Greek word begotten over there. I'm not going to read out the Greek word for us. But it simply means to procreate, to bear, to beget, be born. And so, there is only one Son who is begotten of the Father who is our Lord Jesus Christ. So, he's establishing that. And he's saying, listen or rather he's asking, Jesus is the Son. Jesus is begotten of our Father. Now, just tell me, is there any one angel or to which of the angels did God ever say this that you are my son? He never did. But he did say this to the Lord Jesus because there is only one begotten Son of the Father, that is the Lord Jesus. And this verse is that relationship is established where he says, I will be to him a Father and he shall be to me a Son. Now, what we'll do is we'll stop here. We will take a small break and then we'll come back. But before we go in for a break, any thoughts, any comments? Also, maybe we'll answer this question in the next class, but I don't know if I'm going ahead of us. But the last verses that we read, they have made these angels, the ministers of fire. Sorry, miscontinates, but somewhere like that, paraphrase it. My question basically is that a lot of people have actually thought that the word minister is actually talking about pastors or servants of God who preach the gospel. But from what we're learning here, the writer of the Hebrew is still talking about the angels. I don't know if I'm correct to see that. He's repeating the same thing in a different light, basically. I just wanted to ask that question. Is it angels or is that verse referring to men of God and women of God of the gospel? Because I've actually heard that a long time since I was a kid, people usually quote that verse and they acclaim it to be men of God or women of God of the gospel. Okay. I don't know if I was correct. Sure. Say let's come back and we will address that question. Is that okay? That's fine. Yes. That's totally fine. Yes. Thank you. Let's do that. I know you have a question. Can you hold on to it? We'll discuss it in the next session. Sure. Sure. Best of no problem. Yeah. Sure. So thank you, everyone. Please stay on the same link. Don't log off. I'm just going to stop the recording and then restart the recording on the same call. So have a good break. See you all in 10 minutes. Thank you.