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NASB | 1 Corinthians 9:25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 Corinthians 9:25 Now every athlete who [goes into training and] competes in the games is disciplined and exercises self-control in all things. They do it to win a crown that withers, but we [do it to receive] an imperishable [crown that cannot wither]. |
Subject: self control / spirit control |
Bible Note: I did not flesh out the arguments, but rather merely mentioned the Scripture references like I did in this last post. You wrote: 'I can still can address the statement……you use the word “apparently”……can you give me a “definitely”?' I definitely can; I was just giving you the benefit of the doubt so that you could make your case. You wrote: "the sacrificial aspects being over, I can buy……there’s no physical temple, ergo there can be no physical sacrifices" Well, obviously there can be no temple sacrifices without the temple, but is that the real reason why Christians do not sacrifice at the temple? The book of Hebrews sheds great light on the purpose of the temple sacrifices in the Old Testament. The entire epistle is a comparison between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, directed at those who were tempted to abandon Christ for the comfort of the trappings of the Old Covenant. On the one hand, we have a comparison between Jesus and Moses, citing clearly the superiority of Jesus: "For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house--whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end." --Hebrews 3:3-6 Citing Jesus as the builder of the house, asserting His deity as co-builder with God the Father, the writer clearly indicates Jesus as worthy of more glory than Moses. In other words, Moses was a good servant, but Jesus is exceedingly far more superior. The book of Hebrews then goes on to talk about the priesthood under the Old Covenant, and Jesus as the Great High Preist of the New Covenant. It is here where we start to see the reasons why the priesthood and sacrifices were abolishedfrom the Christian view. The Levitical priests were mediators between God and men, offering the sacrifices which were a shadow of the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ: "For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins" --Hebrews 5:1 We then have two aspects to the Levitical priesthood, the priests themselves, who act as the mediators, and the sacrifices they offer for the sins of the people. We see in other parts of the Bible that only one mediator now exists between us and God (1 Timothy 2:5). If Christ is our sole mediator, what role is left for the earthly high priest? The writer of Hebrews drives this "change in the law" home in these verses: "Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also." --Hebrews 7:11-12 So we see in some places in Scripture there is a "change in law" and others where the law is described as everlasting. Therefore, two different things must be in view. Here, it is pretty clear that the nature of the Aaronic priesthood, with their accompanying sacrifices, was a shadow and "weak and useless" (Hebrews 7:18) and meant to be temproray, while the Melchizedek priesthood held by an eternal and perfect Jesus Christ making His sacrifice of Himself "once for all" serves as the mediator and high priest of a much better covenant, replacing the priests of a covenant that has passed away. Hence this declaration: "or, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God." The former sacrifices were "set aside" not because the temple had been destroyed (which was also a judgment of God), but because we have a "better hope" in Jesus Christ, our one and only Great High Priest of the New Covenant. --Joe! |