Commentary on "Priests and Levites"

STEVE PITCHER

 

Day 3: Monday, November 16, 2009

 

Today’s lesson is titled The Gifts of Divine Service. I must admit, I am amazed that the lesson author can dance around the issue of spiritual gifts, yet continue to avoid the clear passages in the New Testament on this subject. It is only once in the regular edition and twice in the Teachers Edition notes for Tuesday and Thursday where some New Testament texts are identified that contain the passages relevant to a discussion of spiritual gifts. (There are numerous New Testament texts that deal specifically with spiritual gifts.)

The lessons for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday cover the topics of “Sanctuary Support,” (dealing with giving to the church) “The Tithing Plan” (dealing with giving to the Church) and “The Red Heifer” (submitting oneself to the “purification process” to eliminate sin in one’s life.)

For the average Sabbath School attendee who uses the regular edition of the Adult Sabbath School Quarterly, the actual issue of spiritual gifts as presented in the New Testament is never discussed in the lessons this week, and only a few of the New Testament texts are identified in one lesson.

When a person is born again he is filled with the Holy Spirit. This was the miracle of Pentecost, prophesied by the Prophet Joel, recorded for us in Joel 2:28-32 and revealed on the Day of Pentecost and recorded in Acts 2:15-28. When one is filled with God’s Holy Spirit, one is given gifts of service for the body of Christ. On page 92 of the Teachers Quarterly (pg. 66 in the Standard Edition), the lesson author is correct in stating that “When you think of a gift, you think of something that is not earned. It’s totally of grace.”

 

Spiritual Gifts: Natural or Spiritual?

When we speak of the gifts of the Spirit, we are specifically referring to the gifts mentioned in the New Testament, not about the various tribes of Israel and their roles and responsibilities. At the bottom of that page we find the following statement: “Think about your innate talents, whatever they are. No matter how hard you work to cultivate them, they are still that—gifts, something given to you by God.” The gifts of the Spirit are not innate talents, “whatever they are.”

The online Free Dictionary (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/) defines innate as:

in·nate, adj.

1. Possessed at birth; inborn.
2. Possessed as an essential characteristic; inherent.
3. Of or produced by the mind rather than learned through experience: an innate knowledge of right and wrong.

We are all born with innate abilities and talents that we can sharpen and develop during our lifetimes. These innate abilities are natural and are completely different from the gifts of the Spirit that are given to us upon being filled with the Holy Spirit. All our talents are gifts from God, yet the gifts given us are often completely different from our natural talents and skills. When one is born again (John 3) one’s nature is changed from being in Adam to being in Christ (Rom. 5), our spiritual natures are changed, we become a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17, Gal. 6:15, Eph. 4:24, Col. 3:10), we become children of God (John 1:12), and become members of the body of Christ (Rom. 7:4; 12:5; 1 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 4:11-12).

If you simply develop your innate, natural abilities to serve the body of Christ, you are serving the Church in the power of your flesh, but if you serve the Church in the Spirit, you are serving in the power of God (Rom. 8:1-14).

 

The Sanctuary in Heaven

One final point that must be addressed in today’s lesson is found in the 4th paragraph. The lesson author states, “The sanctuary was also the model for what Jesus would do here on earth and for His ministry in heaven (Hebrews 9).” The author is correct that the sanctuary was the model for what Jesus would do “here on earth.” Jesus was born under the law to redeem those under the law (Gal. 4:4-5). To accomplish this it was imperative that he fulfilled the law. Hebrews chapter 9 is mentioned in this statement. Read Hebrews chapter 9 and notice that the sanctuary service was completed by Jesus while he was on the earth and at his ascension into heaven. The ministry of Jesus in heaven is not the same as the Levitical sanctuary service on earth. Once Jesus’ work on earth was completed, the law was changed. Read Hebrews chapter 7 to see that there was a change in the law (Heb. 7:12) and that there was also a change in the priesthood. Jesus is not a priest after the order of Levi; he is a priest after the order of Melchizedek.

The work of Jesus in heaven is not the same as that of the Levitical priests. It is a different priesthood. We cannot continue to think of Jesus’ ministry in heaven as being in the order of Levi. He does not wear Levitical garments, nor is he performing a work of Investigative Judgment. Jesus entered heaven, cleansed (past tense) the heavenly sanctuary (Heb. 9:23) and sat down at the right hand of the Father. If the writer of Hebrews recorded that the things in heaven were cleansed (nearly 2000 years ago) then the cleansing of the sanctuary did not begin on Oct. 22, 1844. The cleansing is an accomplished fact, recorded by the writers of Scripture.

 

Summary

1. “Gifts of divine service” are not innate, natural talents and abilities. If we are serving in Church using our innate talents and abilities, we are serving the Church in our flesh.
2. Spiritual gifts are only given to those who have been born again and are filled with God’s Holy Spirit. If we are serving the Church using gifts that have been graciously given to us from God, we are serving in the power of God.
3. Jesus is not a Levitical priest officiating in a sanctuary as the priests in the days of Moses. Jesus is a priest after the order of Melchizedek. He offered his blood once and for all; it is not an act that he repeats over and over again. The offering of his blood occurred on the cross. When he ascended into heaven, he cleansed the sanctuary at that time, almost 2000 years ago. He did not begin a work of cleansing the sanctuary starting on Oct. 22, 1844.
4. Read Hebrews chapters 7 and 9 to see the correct teaching on the heavenly sanctuary and how Christ’s blood has already performed its cleansing work. Using a concordance (or computer/online program) search the New Testament for the words gift and gifts. Learn about the gifts that are provided to believers through the power of the Holy Spirit in passages such as Romans 12:1-13, 1 Corinthians 12 and 13, and Ephesians 4:1-16.

 

GO TO DAY 4

 

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