Book Description
The Book of Hebrews was written to the Hebrews who lived along the Mediterranean coast during the early church era and had heard the truth of the Gospel. However, many did not stand firmly in their faith due to their preoccupation with worldly things and misguided spiritual knowledge. This epistle was God’s way of encouraging them to stand firmly on the truth of the Gospel and live by faith. Yet, this message wasn’t only for the early church Christians but also speaks to us today, as we are prone to make similar errors. We must heed the Word of Hebrews as God’s message to us. The Book of Hebrews presents the Original Gospel that the modern church has lost. When the servants of God in the early church preached “the elementary principles of Christ,” their teachings consisted of “repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment” (Hebrews 6:1-2). These Bible verses show that Jesus’ baptism by the laying on of hands is the pivotal element of the Original Gospel. Just as the high priest in the Old Testament laid hands on the head of the scapegoat to transfer the annual sins of the Israelites to the sacrificial animal (Leviticus 16:21), John the Baptist, the descendant of Aaron and the representative of humanity, laid hands on Jesus’ head to baptize Him and transfer the sins of the world onto His body. That is why Jesus commanded John, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). The day after baptizing Jesus, John testified, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). I am confident that those who seek the truth will discover the Original Gospel through this sermon book and be born again as children of God by believing in this truth. I pray that God’s grace and peace be upon all the readers.
