Dr. Pothana's Teaching

1. Chapter-5:11-6:10

2. 5:11 - Slow to Hear?
• Not taking it seriously.
•
•
•
•
Sower Lk. 8:14
Big Talkers Mt. 7:19-21
Calloused hearts
Mt. 13:11-15
Loosing talents
Mt. 25:14-30

3. 5:12 Perpetual Students – a Need
for Graduation.
• A Sense of oughtness – “by
this time…”
• Fear – of criticism (Jam.
3:1);
• Messing up (Mt. 25:24-30);
• Great expectations (Lk.
13:7, 9)
• Rejection (2 Tim. 2:2; Heb.
12:25)
• Commit – (Psa. 119:11)

4. Advanced vs Elementary Training
5:13, 14
• Some believers, like
infants, will speak of
going to church "to
get fed" or looking for
a church "that will
feed them," while
giving little thought to
feeding others, thus
they remain in a
diaper stage
sometimes for
decades.

5. Heb 6:1, 2 Leave Elementary
Teachings
• It's called "Elementary School" for a reason.
He pairs them up in series of “two’s”

6. Elementary Teachings - 1
• Repentance from
dead works AND
Faith toward God
1. To the Jew - being
zealously cautious
about tithing or
washing of hands
2. Mysticism and
temple rituals

7. Elementary Teachings - 2
Baptisms
•
•
Seven Baptisms are noted in New Testament:
(1) The baptism of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11); (2) the
baptism of fire (Matthew 3:11); (3) the baptism of John
(Matthew 3:16); (4) the baptism unto Moses (1
Corinthians 10:2); (5) the baptism of suffering (Luke
15:30); (6) the baptism for the dead (1 Corinthians 15:29);
and (7) the baptism of the great commission (Matthew
28:18-20).
Only three times is the Greek word for baptisms used in
scripture and in the other two cases, it has reference to
ceremonial cleansings (Mk. 7:4; Heb. 6:2; 9:10).

8. Laying
Elementary Teachings - 2
on of Hands
• Was common as a sign of
blessing (Matthew 19:13), of
healing (Mark 7:32), in the
choice of the Seven (Acts
6:6), in the bestowal of the
miraculous power (Acts
8:17; Acts 19:6; Rom. 1:11),
in separation for a special
task (Acts 13:3) and in
ordination (1 Timothy 4:14; 1
Timothy 5:22; 2 Timothy
1:6). Prayer often
accompanied this laying on
of the hands.
Putting these two together
“baptisms and laying on of
hands” makes more sense if the
baptism and the touching had
become a mystical rite for
entrance into the church (being
voted upon?).

9. Elementary Teachings – 3
Resurrection and Eternal Judgment
Because Jesus has all authority we will rise (Jn. 5:28, 29).
The resurrected body will be different in kind (1 Cor.
15:42-44).
All will be resurrected within the same hour. Those who
have died and are resting in paradise (Lk. 16:19ff; Lk.
23:43) will rise first, then those who are alive and
remain will be caught up to be with them (1 Thess. 4:13-
18; Heb. 9:27).
At that resurrection the church will be handed over to God
(1 Cor. 15:24).

10. 6:4-6a Event Horizon – The
Entrapment of False Doctrine

11. V. 6 b Crucifying and Shaming
• Two things happen when
one turns their back on
the doctrines found under
the New Covenant: (1)
Make the crucifixion
personal – denying
Christ’s doctrines is no
worse than what the
Jew’s forefathers did to
Jesus. (2) Belittle the
savior of the world to the
church – his doctrines
doesn’t matter.

12. 6:7, 8 Consequences, Consequences
• Combining the parable of the soils with the
parable of the barren fig tree the author
makes his point about the destiny of those
who pervert the gospel (see Lk. 8:4ff; 13:7,
8). False doctrine just doesn’t affect the
eternal position of the teacher it affects the
whole church.

13. Vs. 9-12 The Correct Way to Rebuke
• V. 9 God puts his Confidence in our activity. He
uses earthen vessels as a medium of spreading the
knowledge of him to all living souls (2 Cor. 4:7;
Matthew 28:19-20). Let the church dream big.
• V. 10, 11 God Commemorates our activity. Great
men and women have been immortalized in the
Bible because of good works they did in his name –
Moses, Joshua, David, Jael, Mary, Pricilla and
others (Heb. 11).
• V. 12 God is Critical about our inactivity. Define
the works of the church here, Sluggish or lazy?
Recall those trail blazers, or pioneers who began
the work and rekindle that which is smoking (Rev. 2 & 3).

14. 6:13-19 The News Keeps Getting Better
• There is no need to abandon
your faith because God keeps
promises! A few passing
promises indicate that he is
always faithful as: He promised
seed time and harvest after the
flood; Abram a child;
deliverance from Egypt and to
cast out the Canaanites (etc..).
• The point being made is that
patience has its ultimate
reward in Christ.

15. 6:17, 18 God’s Word is Sure
• God’s promises and God’s oath
makes things he declares to come to
pass.
• V. 19 Jesus has gone further than
any high priest ever went…. He
knows what is behind the veil; not
the ark but the person that it
represents. Jesus is in the presence
of God making intercession for the
saints (Heb. 7:25).

16. “Fleeing for Refuge”
• God is our ROCK.
• Too many fail in
religion because
they are running to a
church rather than
running to Christ.

17. “Fleeing for Refuge”
Anchoring in the harbor
“Steady as she goes.”