Welcome.
Ever reach a point in time where you are ready to give it up?
The Lord is teaching me something very important as I have never encountered such obstacles in my whole life.
Last week we scheduled our final inspection and we expected to receive passing marks as we have been assured for months that every expectation and requirement has been revealed.
When the fire Marshall came in we were informed for the first time that we have to now put fire sprinklers INSIDE the new bathroom and storage room. This was not included in any previous plan.
So there is it. They will be installed tomorrow and we think that will be it.
Join us next week as we look forward to having a place of protection from the elements. In the meanwhile we have bottled water.
So let’s open with prayer then we’ll hit the Book of Hebrews.
PRAYER PRAYER PRAYER PRAYER
The Book of Hebrews
One of the best new Testament books, as far as I’m concerned, and also one of the toughest – which is why we are tacking it after our verse by verse through Romans.
Because of its “uncertain authorship” it almost didn’t make it into the accepted canon we have today since, due to the way it is written, there is no way to definitively say who composed the book.
Since apostolic authority is required there is the believe it was written under the hand of an apostle or by an apostle himself.
Verse three of chapter two supports an apostolic tie as the writer asks:
Hebrews 2:3 “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.”
The natural assumption many hold to today is that Paul wrote the book. There are a few reasons to suppose this is true and there are a few reasons to prove its not.
A variety of opinions have been advanced over the years regarding authorship. This happens in Christianity – did you know that?
There are opinions and attitudes that “find favor within the Church” but later morph in a different direction.
Some lay the reason at the feet of the Holy Spirit. The more cynical lay it all at the feet of human beings and culture.
But the fact of the matter is the Church (so to speak) has taken unofficial stands on things, made them popular (even suggesting they are from God) and then as years move on they let them go.
This has been the case with lifestyle, the approach to Christian living, acceptance of slavery, focus on what is called the pre-trib eschatology, on down to who authored what books.
There was a time when it was very popular for Christians to teach that all people – from infants to aborininies to the mentally incapacitated – all go straight to hell who die without confessing the anglicanized name of “Jesus.”
Today, we have included the idea that God is fair and just and it is up to Him who decides who will go to hell . . . and not us.
So who wrote the book of Hebrews? Some have maintained that its author was Silas, Paul’s companion.
Others have attributed it to Clement of Rome, or Luke, or Barnabas, or some unknown Alexandrian Christian, or Apollos.
And of course there’s Paul.
While we do not know who wrote it it is certain that it originated with an apostolic stamp which is a major factor in whether a book or writing was included in the New Testament.
We can say there is an apostolic stamp on the book because it does meet several other factors which were also necessary for inclusion into the New Testament.
First,
It was widely used by the early church.
There was no resistance to it by the early church (until questions of actual authorship rose up).
It is doctrinally sound when compared with previously established scripture Old and New.
It bears the stamp of apostolic authority in several places which when we get to them we’ll discuss them. And . . .
It contains references to Timothy bearing the letter about, who was certainly involved in the earliest of church events.
In the end all the results of critical and historical research to which this epistle has been subjected to vindicate its right to a place in the New Testament canon among the other inspired books.
When and where was it written?
It was in all probability written at Rome, near the close of Paul’s two years’ imprisonment (we know this from Hebrews 13:19 & 24). Hebrews 13:10 lets us know that it was certainly written before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
To whom is the book addressed?
Of course it is applicable to all believers in Christ but it was in all probability first penned for the benefit of converted Jews (everywhere) and maybe even to the church at Jerusalem itself, which was composed almost entirely of Jews who had become Christians.
Generally speaking, the book or epistle is aimed at showing the true end and meaning of the Mosaic system as presented primarily in Leviticus.
It proves that the Levitical priesthood was symbolically based and transient in its character. It proves all the rites and rituals had a better purpose or meaning. It teaches that salvation would nor ever could come by and through adherence to the Law or through Old Testaement observances, but through a better way who God provided, even Christ.
In other words the books primary aim is to show the Jewish converts that the Levitical priesthood which was so important to them, and their culture, and their temple was all but a “shadow” of the messiah Jesus Christ.
For this reason understanding the content of the Book goes a long way in seeing how far Mormonism is off in their doctrinal claims of priesthood restoration.
Taking it further, the writer illustrates that the legal sacrifices contained in the Law were nothing but a prefigure of our King’s
sacrifice offered once and for all for all of us.
The key phrase we will see over and over again in our study of Hebrews is “better.”
If not directly pointed out it is alluded to through the book. Even the first two verses make the point where they say:
“God, who in different times and places spoke unto us by prophets (which was good) He has in these last days spoken unto us by his Son (better or best).
In doing this the writer explains that the gospel was designed, not to modify the law of Moses, but to supersede and abolish it with a far better way (Christ).
You see, there was a tendency among some of the Jewish converts to Christianity to revert back to the Law and try and assimilate it into the Body of Christ.
Having just studied Romans we know this is not good. But Jewish converts are not the only ones who make such attempts.
The Mormon’s as a religion have done it. Perhaps more disturbing is we could probably ask 100 Christians today if then ten commandments ought to be part of their religious observance and I would guess that 70, maybe 80, maybe 85 of them would say, “absolutely,” when the biblical answer says, “absolutely not.”
But these concepts are not so easy to understand. And if they are difficult for converted gentiles to understand can you imagine how hard they were for faithful convert Jews to grasp?
The problem was especially difficult in the earliest church because it was made up entirely of converted Jews and there is little wonder how they would revert back to elements of the Law as a means to walk the Christian walk.
I would imagine that there was an uproar every single week over something – some law, circumcision, Sabbath-day, and who knows what else.
So the writer of Hebrew takes thirteen chapters to lay out his arguments as to why this will not do. So serious was the issue that he actually says in several places that if a believer returns back to their “former ways (of living by the Law and not by faith) there remains no sacrifice for sin remaining for them.”
So the book of Hebrews is aimed at showing how God once operated through a certain set of appeals but since Christ has embraced a much better system for dealing with and redeeming Man.
We see this present in the very first verse where it says (again):
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son . . .”
This is really an interesting passage on a number of accounts.
First, it puts to rest the need for living “prophets like unto Moses.”
The reason and logic is this:
In dealing with unredeemed people living in sin be virtue of the Fall, God appealed and related to the Nation of Israel, His chosen people, by and through Law.
Among them were prophets who received revelation via inspiration and they would speak, warn, and write what God said to the Nation of Israel who were under His divine law.
When the nation (and at times when individuals) strayed or needed direction or reproof God would speak to His prophets who, in different places and times, would then relay what He wanted them to know.
But then the writer includes the better way, saying God hath
“In these last days spoken unto us by His Son.”
It’s an interesting phrase: God has spoken to us by His Son.”
He is the living embodiment of the Father.
He literally spoke only that which the Father wanted Him to speak.
It is by and through Him (His shed blood) that the Holy Spirit today continues to speak testifying of Him to the heart of all believers and those who seek Him.
Let’s talk about each of these for a minute.
We started our study of the Gospel of John this morning and you are all familiar with the first verse right?
John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
We talked about John the Beloved being the only apostle using the Greek term logos to describe Jesus.
In 1st John 1:1 he wrote: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life.”
And then in Revelation 19:13, in describing how Jesus would appear at his return, he wrote:
“And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.”
In times past God spoke through prophets, and they gave humanity a limited view or vision of the characteristics of God.
But in Jesus, “in whom the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily, God was able (in human form) to present Himself (or speak to mankind) entirely.
And what did He say through His Son?
Love.
Love, which is humble.
Love which is gentile.
Love which is self-sacrificing.
Love that does the will of the Father.
Love that speaks truth.
Love that heals.
Love that considers others.
Love that dies to will.
See, when God (in past times) spoke to man by the Law and the prophets, the communications were the literal demands of love – given through warnings, commandments, prophesies and the Law.
But when God became flesh, He was then able to speak entirely and without reservation through His Son, the Word, and the word described and defined the invisible God perfectly to all of us once and for all.
In and through this means Christ became the revealer, the declarer of God.
Remember Jesus own words:
“No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”
Declarations are typically found in words.
So, in this sense, Jesus – His life and ways and teachings and love – described the invisible God to all who saw Him or read of Him and believe.
Colossians 1:15 supports this saying, Jesus
“is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.”
Hebrews 1:3 says it well. Speaking of Jesus it says:
“Who being the brightness of his (God’s) glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
I like to think of Jesus containing every single characteristic, trait, gift, brightness, power, passion, and glory of God completely – but it was all housed (so to speak) in a shell of flesh which was all man and subject to temptation and death.
The Law, spoken and delivered by prophets, was perfect, but had a hard time in its application to flesh and blood.
So where God in past times spoke to us by the prophets (was able to successfully reveal Himself (as love) in and through the incarnation of His Son.
There the totality of God was on display, or as Paul said in Colossians 2:9
“For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”
And
“For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell.
So the writer of Hebrews is trying to convey, by reverting back to Leviticus how all of those rites and rituals are an inferior way to know God . . . that there is a better way . . . even Jesus the promised Messiah.
So God speaks today through His Son as He is the living physical embodiment of the fullness of God.
God also speaks to us through His Son today because when on earth, the Son only spoke what He the Father commanded Him.
We can’t look to any other man who will deliver the same perfect teachings.
See, as Man, Jesus had the choice to teach what He wanted, and act as He wanted, and to live as He wanted OR to speak only what the Father commanded.
In John 5:19 Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.”
John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
John 12:49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
Because of His obedience to all the Father had for Him the writer of Hebrews was with full confidence able to say, without equivocation that in these last days, God has spoken to us by His Son.
Finally, we know that
By and through His Son (and His shed blood) the Holy Spirit today continues to speak to individual believers, removing the need for God to speak through living prophets since God relates directly to the heart of every believer through the indwelling Holy Spirit made POSSIBLE by His Son.
It’s all about Jesus.
It is all through His Son.
Because His Son did it all.
And this is a very prominent point the writer of Hebrew constantly makes –
“Why would you go back to elements of the Law to govern your life when you have Him in all of His glory provided you in living resurrected flesh?
(beat)
Perhaps this is how we will benefit in our study of Hebrews? Maybe it will cause us to ask ourselves:
“Why would we go back to elements of our former lives, or of the Law, or of religion, or of anything but love to govern our lives since we have Him in all of His glory provided us?”
Our study of Hebrews is going to be challenging – perhaps more challenging that our study of Romans for a few reasons.
Just as converted Jews back in the day were tempted to resort backward to the Law the book of Hebrews goes a long, long way in telling every reader that while being men and women of faith is always a Christian imperative progressing in our walk is as well.
This premise alone is going to challenge some of you this year – I can promise you this – as the bromide that we are saved BY grace THROUGH faith TO love cannot be ignored in our study.
In other words the call to Christian discipleship is ever present in Hebrews and I will not hesitate in making every mention of it obvious.
This ground can get really slippery because historically we have seen others attempt to implement the directives and it almost always comes out as legalism (which is the very thing the writer wants the reader to avoid).
But to ignore the stance leaves readers to believe that being a Christian begins and ends with the Jesus experience (which is just as much an error in sound biblical application).
Bottom line, I am convinced that as we study Hebrews we will walk away convinced of a few absolute facts relative to the Christian walk:
Faith is always first.
Law cannot ever step in as a supplement . . . but
Love must.
Additionally, I am certain that once we are at least half way through our study you will, along with me, be convinced that there is no such thing as:
The Calvinistic Once Saved Always Saved and that true Christianity extends far beyond the realm of what we might call the “Jesus experience.”
(beat)
The book itself consists of two main parts:
The first part is doctrinal (chapters 1-10 up until verse 18)
And the second part is practical (chapter 10:19 until the end of chapter 13).
Because of the intended audience (converted Jews) there are a lot of references to portions of the Old Testament which are less cumbersome than most of the text we faced in Romans.
In fact, in some ways many scholars consider Hebrews a supplementary to the Epistles to the Romans and Galatians (as well as an inspired commentary on the book of Leviticus).
Also, and before we discuss the first verse a bit more next week, know that while the first ten or so chapters go to some good lengths to show the fulfillment of the priesthood in Christ, the “better way” the writer presents comes into our presence like a tank through a sno-cone stand in chapter eleven, also known as the Hall of Fame of Faith by some.
When read in the context of the entire book, chapter 11 will greatly enhance your desire to really become men and women of faith. Not said faith, not modern American Christian applications of faith, but to walk the walk of Christian faith which is a life of earthly uncertainty, heavenly expectation, and material suffering . . . in one way or another.
As with every book in scripture (except for maybe Ester) Hebrews is a book aimed at getting people to fully embrace Jesus as the King, High Priest, and Lord of our lives, by faith . . .and then to love as He loved as a result.
May God be with us as we seek His will in our study of this great book.
Let’s pray.
