Epistle for JULY 1, 2005
Posted by: info <info@...>
Dr. Curt Scarborough, President FreeWay
Foundation July 1, 2005
Today's Interview: Melchizedek
Questions about Pillsbury College & Seminary
Happy July 4th
Curt Scarborough's HOLY GROUND INTERVIEWS
Featuring Today's Special Guest: Melchizedek
CS Melchizedek, although you were a real, historical
person who knew
Abraham (according to Genesis 14), why did the
author of Hebrews
make you into such a mysterious figure . . .
"without father, without
mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning
of days nor end
of life"? (Hebrews 7:3)
Melchizedek The book of Hebrews takes Old Testament persons and rituals
to
illustrate that they were foreshadows or types of
the Messiah, and that
the reality of Jesus' ministry far surpassed all
prophetic pictures of
who He was and what was His mission on earth.
CS So you were not the pre-incarnate Christ, or God in
human form
appearing to Abraham?
Melchizedek No, I was a real human being, but I was an illustration of
the Messiah.
Who else but Jesus could fulfill the rest of the
verse you quoted earlier:
"made like the Son of God, remains a priest
continually."
CS So tell us who you really are.
Melchizedek Ancient Hebrew scholars were correct: I am Melchizedek, also
known
as Shem, one of the three son of Noah.
CS I'm a little confused about those first eleven
chapters of Genesis; did
you live long enough to know both Adam and Abraham?
Melchizedek My life span on earth exceeded 600 years, but Adam already
had died
when I was born. However, my grandfather
Methuselah, who lived
969 years, knew Adam. Grandfather Methuselah died
in the year of
the flood, when I was a mere lad, only 100 years of
age.
CS Let me get this straight, you survived the flood on
the ark built by
your father Noah, and you lived another 500 years .
. . so you met and
blessed Abraham?
Melchizedek That's correct. After the flood, my two brothers and I
separated into
different parts of the world. Ham went south into
Africa; Japheth
went north-west toward what is now Europe; I went
into the Middle
East. The Jews, Arabs, and Orientals all are my
descendants.
CS So when Abraham met you, you were called Melchizedek,
not Shem?
Melchizedek That was merely a title, meaning "King of Righteousness." I
also was
called the "King of Peace" because I was the king of
Salem (Peace), a
city later known by the name Jerusalem.
CS You were both the king and the priest of Salem?
Melchizedek I held both offices: ruler of the city and priest of the
Most High God.
CS I certainly can see the Messianic prophecies in your
life.
Melchizedek As a foreshadowing of Christ's ministry, did you notice that
I shared
with Abraham the same elements Jesus used with His
disciples the
night He established the Lord's Supper.
CS Bread and Wine!
Melchizedek At the time, I didn't realize the spiritual symbolism, but
God knew.
CS So, let me review some history with you. When Abraham
returned
from a victorious battle against the kidnappers of
his nephew, Lot,
you went out to meet Abraham?
Melchizedek He was passing near Salem, and I went out to pay my respects
to him.
After all, we were distant relatives, and both of us
were part of God's
plan of redemption for the human race.
CS At that time, you probably were the only person on
earth who had
lived through the flood!
Melchizedek Yes! And as the patriarch of the human family, I was paid a
certain
amount of respect.
CS Abraham honored you, and gave you a tithe of the
spoils he had
captured during the brief military skirmish.
Melchizedek Tithing, or the dedicating of one-tenth of one's property to
God, was a
spiritual principle long before Moses officially
wrote it into law.
CS Tell us more about your encounter with Abraham.
Melchizedek Together, we sacrificed and worshipped Almighty God, and,
under
divine inspiration, I pronounced a blessing upon
Abraham's head.
CS What did you say? Do you recall your words?
Melchizedek I proclaimed: "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor
of
heaven and earth; and blessed by God Most High, Who
has delivered
your enemies into your hand." (Genesis 14:19-20)
CS Melchizedek, the writer of Hebrews emphasized that
Abraham
received a blessing from you, rather than the other
way around. In
fact, he made a point of saying, "Now beyond all
contradiction, the
lesser is blessed by the better." (Hebrews 7:7)
Does that mean you were a
better man than Abraham?
Melchizedek Both of us were sinners . . . just like every person of
Adam's race. The
author of Hebrews was saying that in my position as
a priest of God, I
blessed Abraham in God's name. And, of course, I
was a type of the
Lord Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest.
CS Jesus, the High Priest, was sinless.
Melchizedek "We have a great High Priest who has passed through the
heavens,
Jesus the Son of God . . . We do not have a High
Priest who cannot
sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all
points tempted as we are,
yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:14-15)
CS Melchizedek, or should I say, Shem, do you have any
spiritual insights
to pass along to today's believers in the Most High
God?
Melchizedek One obvious lesson: Christ's followers should give God His
tithes.
CS Christians should at least match what Jewish
worshipers gave!
Melchizedek More importantly, Christians should pattern their lives after
the holy
life of the Great High Priest, for they also are
priests of the Most High
God. (Revelation 1:6; 5:10)
CS That's an awesome privilege . . . and responsibility!
Melchizedek Finally, as people of faith daily receive spiritual blessings
from
Almighty God, they in turn should bestow spiritual
blessings upon
others in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son
of God.
Four Questions You Should Ask
About Pillsbury College & Seminary
1. Why should I choose Pillsbury instead of some on-campus college or
seminary?
Because most mid-career ministers have personal and church
obligations that prevent them from moving their family to become resident
students. At Pillsbury, you'll get a first class education without having
to quit
your job or leave your church field.
2. How is it possible for Pillsbury to offer a top quality education
through distance
learning, yet at such affordable cost? ($90 per graduate credit hour)
Pillsbury has established official connections with three of the
most
recognized and reputable suppliers of Christian graduate-level curriculum
in the nation . . . AACC: American Association of Christian Counselors;
NCCA: National Christian Counselors Association; and ITS: Institute of
Theological Studies. In addition, FreeWay Foundation has published the
president's complete 5-volume Bible Study Series ("Personal & Practical")
as the core curriculum for the school's Expository Studies track. Pillsbury
College & Seminary is owned and operated by FreeWay Foundation, which
pays the salaries and benefits of all school personnel. The school occupies
a part of the Foundation's building in the St. Louis area without charge.
The
tuition costs therefore remain low because overhead costs of the school are
minimal.
3. How long does it take to earn a master's or doctoral degree?
Pillsbury offers two master's degrees. The 36 credit hour
program can
be completed within one year, and the 45 credit hour master's takes 15
months.
We also offer two basic doctoral degree programs. The 48 credit hour
doctorate
can be completed within 16 months, and the 60 credit hour doctorate takes 20
months. Students take only one 3-hour course at a time, and most 3-hour
courses
can be completed within 30 days.
4. What's the one thing that makes Pillsbury stand out from all other
schools?
Although we are a distance learning institute, Pillsbury truly
makes every
effort to provide up close and personal service. When you telephone,
chances are
you'll talk directly with Dr. Sharon Bartlett, the Academic Dean. Or, if
you are
working on licensure and board certification as a Christian counselor, you
may confer
with your clinical supervisor, Dr. Mary Jo Schneller. Also, if you need to
discuss school
policy (or whatever), just ask to talk to the president. You'll see how
true it is! We
really are: "THE DISTANCE LEARNING SCHOOL, WITH THE PERSONAL TOUCH!"
For more information contact us at 314-739-1121 or email
info@freewayfoundation.org
and we will be glad to answer any questions to help you decide if Pillsbury
College
& Seminary is right for you.
Who were the signers of the Declaration of Independence?
Benjamin Franklin was the oldest at age 70.
Two were clergymen: Lyman Hall & John Witherspoon.
Pennsylvania was the colony with the largest number of
Representatives - nine.
Edward Rutledge was the youngest at 26 (by months)
Thomas Lynch, Jr. was also 26.
Four were physicians, 24 were lawyers, and one
was a printer. Eight were born in Europe
(Source: http://www.archives.gov)
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