Queen's Road Cell

We asked whether there was a link between passages like Ex 29:37 that mention how holiness can be transmitted physically, and the act of laying on of hands in the NT. We are holy because of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit (1 Pe 2:9-10, 1 Pe 1:16, John 14:20, John 17:23, 1 John 3:24, 1 John 4:12-13). Can the objects and people we touch likewise become holy? The approach to this question is multi-layered: In the first place, we note that the 'holiness' of the OT is a ritual holiness, not a spiritual holiness. It is only one of the categories of status in the Mosaic law (especially with respect to the temple and food laws). The role of a priest gives this idea ( You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean Lev 10:10 ). So objects were distinguished into 1) holy 2) common and clean 3) common and unclean. In the routine life of an Israelite there were constantly becoming unclean and constantly in need of purification. This ...

As expected, we spent time talking about Trump's victory in the US elections. We noted that Scripture calls us to 1. Submit to civil authorities (Ro 13:1-7, 1 Pe 2:13) 2. Honour them (1 Pe 2:17, Ro 13:7) and 2. Pray for our political leaders (1 Ti 2:1) And yet, Acts 5:29 reminds us that the laws of God must always take precedence over the laws of men when there is a conflict. And yet, Christians must take pains to be the best citizens possible excepting when we are compelled and restricted by the laws of the land to go against Scripture. We moved on to address Kevin's question: how should we regard events and movements in the past like the Crusades, or the Inquisition, or the conquistadors who did what they did in the name of Christ? We said that their actions did not reflect Scriptural principles, and that we should be most careful when engaging in political action not to proceed on the basis of preference and expediency without clear Biblical warrant. What then of the...