Continuing on in 1 Peter 3, we conclude with some further thoughts about suffering. God is NOT the author of evil and the causes of suffering are often the antithesis of His will. The second part of this message is all about a Biblical narrative and I would argue an interpretive key that many Christians have rejected (at least since the time of Augustine). Rightly understanding Genesis 6:1-4 from the ancient Jewish perspective and from the that of Jesus and His Apostles is critical to understand the evil we face today. Our Gospel mandate is BROADER than many Christians realize. I try to capture some of that in this message.

Part 2 of Unlocking the Melchizedekian Priesthood - Hebrews 6 and 7

Looking at the background of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Essenes, we explore WHY Jesus warned His followers to BEWARE of the "teaching" of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matt. 16:6). What "teaching" was He warning them about? What did the Essenes believe and what did/do the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS) reveal about the coming Messiah? We look at a couple of fragments from the DSS, in particular, the Melchizedek Document that reveal what they believed the Messiah was coming to do and WHO the Messiah would be. We can then better understand the purpose of the Book of Hebrews. This is part 1 in a series.