A Study Of The Apostle Pauls Letter To The Hebrews

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AStudyOf TheApostlePauls LetterTo The
Hebrews
How can we neglect so greata salvation?
Hebrews 23
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Hebrews Christ Is Superior! Superior Person
(11413) Superior to Prophets
(11-3) Superior to Angels (14218) Superior
to Moses (31-19) Superior to Joshua
(41-13) Superior Priest (414728) Superior to
Aaron (414612) Superior to Melchizedek
(613710) Superior to Levi (711-28)
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Hebrews Christ Is Superior! Superior Pact to
Moses (811018) Superior Promises
(81-13) Superior Sanctuary (91-15) Superior
Sacrifice (916-28) Superior Results
(101-18) Superior Principle (Faith) to Moses
(10191325) Superior Things (1019-39) but
Well only get to verses 32-39 today. Superior
Actions (111-40) Superior Relationship
(121-29) Superior Way of Life (131-25)
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As mentioned in our last study, 1019 is where
Paul began to apply all his previous thoughts and
where he began to head toward his conclusion by
writing about Christs superior principle of
faith. Hebrews 1019-39 concern Christs
faith-principle being the only appropriate
response to all those superior things he had just
written about in fact, 1019-21 sum up all of
111018. Then ? ? ?
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In verses 22-25 Paul essentially out-lined the
next three chapters by en-couraging faith, hope,
and love in his audience of those who were one
by one deserting Christ then in verses 26-31
he warned them about the consequences of such a
decision.
Now ? ? ?
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In verses 32-39 theres a call to per-severance
based on Gods faithful-ness (something he
actually brought up in verse 23). One more thing
worthy of note is that Paul was still repeating
himself some here just as we previously
indicated that verses 26-31 parallel 64-8, so
now well see that verses 32-39 parallel 69-12.
In other words ?
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After he warned them, he attempted to encourage
them by expressing the faith in them that they
could still turn things around. And its
interesting that this expression of faith in them
wasnt based on the fact that other saints had
persevered or were per-severing (as he dealt with
later in chapters 11 12), but on the fact that
they themselves had once done well under great
persecution for Christ. So
Lets begin with ? ? ?
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But recall the for-mer days in which, after you
were illuminated, you endured a great struggle
with suf-ferings
Hebrews 1032 ?
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But recall the for-mer days in which, after you
were illuminated, you endured a great struggle
with suf-ferings
This is present not aorist tense, indicat-ing
that they should constantly remind themselves of
their early days as Chris-tians.
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But recall the for-mer days in which, after you
were illuminated, you endured a great struggle
with suf-ferings
This simply means that they were made aware of
the Christ and had accepted Him, which in turn
means that Paul was referring to a time
immediately after they became Chris-tians, a time
when they had that initial zeal for Christ (cf.
64 parallel about hav-ing been once
enlight-ened).
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But recall the for-mer days in which, after you
were illuminated, you endured a great struggle
with suf-ferings
This is from athlesis (from which we get
athletic), and the verb form meant to contend
(in games) so Paul was talking about a fierce
con-flict with the forces of evil. In fact,
ac-cording to 124 ?
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But recall the for-mer days in which, after you
were illuminated, you endured a great struggle
with suf-ferings
It seems that what they suffered thru earlier was
as much as could be suffered through short of
bloodshed. Perhaps they had experienc-ed the same
difficult circumstances Paul alluded to in First
Thessalonians 214ff
13
You, brethren, became imitators of the churches
of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For
you also suffered the same things from your own
country-men, just as they did from the Jews, who
killed both the Lord Jesus and their own
prophets, and have persecuted us and they do not
please God and are contrary to all men,
forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they
may be saved, so always to fill up the measure of
their sins but wrath has come upon them to the
uttermost. (Cf. Acts 81-3.)
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partly while you were made a spec-tacle both by
re-proaches tribu-lations, and partly while you
became companions of those who were so treated
Hebrews 1033 ?
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partly while you were made a spec-tacle both by
re-proaches tribu-lations, and partly while you
became companions of those who were so treated
This is from our word for theater (as in the
Roman amphi-theater) however, while the Romans
usually used wild beasts against Chris- tians in
this public place, the Jews publicly brought
reproaches and tri-bulations of other sorts
against Jewish Christians.
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partly while you were made a spec-tacle both by
re-proaches tribu-lations, and partly while you
became companions of those who were so treated
Reproaches points to emotional suffering which
included false accusation. Note Re-velation
1613-14 in this connection
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I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out
of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of
the beast, and out of the mouth of the false
prophet. For they are spirits of demons,
performing signs which go out to the kings of the
earth and of the whole world to gather them to
the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
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partly while you were made a spec-tacle both by
re-proaches tribu-lations, and partly while you
became companions of those who were so treated
This word points to physical suffering which
included im-prisonments. And who else pictures
those things better than Paul himself(2 Cor.
1122ff)?
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partly while you were made a spec-tacle both by
re-proaches tribu-lations, and partly while you
became companions of those who were so treated
Not only were they personally persecut-ed for
accepting Jesus as the Messiah, but they were
also persecuted for emo-tionally supporting,
physically harboring, financially aiding others
who were being persecuted for accepting Jesus as
the Christ (cf. 610 parallel).
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for you had com-passion on me in my chains and
joy-fully accepted the plundering of your goods,
knowing that you have a better and an en-during
possession for yourselves in Heaven.
Hebrews 1034 ?
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Like the word visit in James 127, I be-lieve
this carries with it some type of action, perhaps
the same action as the word visit in James
for you had com-passion on me in my chains and
joy-fully accepted the plundering of your goods,
knowing that you have a better and an en-during
possession for yourselves in Heaven.
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The word visit doesnt just mean to go and see
someone, but also to physically help one in need
with medicine, food, clothing, etc. In fact, I
understand that in the first century the needs of
prison-ers werent customarily met by the
authorities provisions had to be made by those
outside the prison walls.
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This has to do with a seizure or a confis-cation,
which could imply two motives (1) it could refer
to some form of per-secution, or (2) it could
refer to disin-heritance as a Jew. See
? ? ?
for you had com-passion on me in my chains and
joy-fully accepted the plundering of your goods,
knowing that you have a better and an en-during
possession for yourselves in Heaven.
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In the eyes of apostate Israel, when a Jew
forsook Moses for Jesus, his share of the
property was forfeited, so it was taken from him,
along with his credit and every source of gain.
(Such may make one wonder if this couldve been
the reason for the event described in Acts
434-35.)
25
Speaking of the beast again, John wrote that he
causes all, both small and great, rich and poor,
free and slave to receive a mark on their right
hands or on their foreheads, and that no one may
buy or sell except one who has the mark or the
name of the beast or the number of his name (Rev.
1316-17).
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I said in the eyes of apostate Israel because
they were actually the ones who forsook Moses.
Why? Because if they truly believed Moses, they
would have accepted Jesus, for Moses wrote about
Jesus (John 546)! Besides, isnt this why Christ
referred to apostate Jews as the synagogue of
Satan (Rev. 29 39)? But, back to the main
point Why couldnt Paul have been including both
motives confiscation of their pos-sessions to
disinherit them and to per-secute them? Now the
question is ?
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How could they en-dure all this joyfully? Because
they knew they had a superior and eternal
posses-sion in Heaven.
for you had com-passion on me in my chains and
joy-fully accepted the plundering of your goods,
knowing that you have a better and an en-during
possession for yourselves in Heaven.
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Jesus said, Do not lay up for yourselves
treasures on Earth, where moth rust destroy and
where thieves break in and steal but lay up for
yourselves trea-sures in Heaven, where neither
moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not
break in and steal (Mat. 619-20).
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He also said, Blessed are those who are
persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is
the kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you when they
revile and persecute you and say all kinds of
evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and
be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward
(Mat. 510-12a). Well
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Now that Paul has reminded them of Gods past
faithfulness to them under difficult
circumstances (hardships that they had even come
through without blood-shed), he continued on to
encourage them to remain faithful based on Gods
future faithfulness.
31
Therefore do not cast away your confidence which
has a great reward.
Hebrews 1035 ?
32
Therefore do not cast away your confidence which
has a great reward.
Paul was exhorting them to not discard that
wondrous con-fidence that they possessed in the
beginning of their Christian walk this is
reminiscent of 36 where he told them to hold
fast to their confidence to the end, when the
great promised reward would be attained.
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Therefore do not cast away your confidence which
has a great reward.
As 111 teaches, confidence is faith-induced
in Ephe-sians 616 Paul likened faith to the
shield in a soldiers armor. Heres whats
interesting about this Paul may have been
alluding to the conduct of cowardly soldiers who
would throw aside their shields and retreat,
something consid-ered very dishonor-able, of
course!
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Therefore do not cast away your confidence which
has a great reward.
This is reminiscent of First Corinthians 1558
where Paul wrote, Be steadfast, immovable, always
abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that
your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
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For you have need of endurance, so that after you
have done the will of God, you may re-ceive the
promise.
Hebrews 1036 ?
36
The question Why would they have need of
endurance? is answered in the first part of
chapter 12, but lets just read verses 5-8 ?
For you have need of endurance, so that after you
have done the will of God, you may re-ceive the
promise.
37
My son, dont despise the chastening of the Lord,
nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him
for whom the Lord loves He chastens and scourges
every son whom He receives. If you endure
chastening, God deals with you as with sons. For
what son is there whom a father doesnt chasten?
But if youre without chastening, of which all
have become partakers, then youre illegiti-mate
and not sons.
38
This refers to their not deserting Christ and to
their perse-verance under trials.
For you have need of endurance, so that after you
have done the will of God, you may re-ceive the
promise.
39
The association of endurance confi-dence (v.
35) with the attaining of the pledged prize was
found earlier in 612 when Paul wrote, Dont
become slug-gish, but imitate those who through
faith and patience inherit the promises.
So ? ? ?
For you have need of endurance, so that after you
have done the will of God, you may re-ceive the
promise.
40
If they wanted to be good sons and not be cut out
of their Fathers will with the promise of a
great reward (cf. Rom. 11), then they simply just
had to persevere a little while longer. In fact,
he went on to allude to Habakkuk 23-4 in ? ?
?
For you have need of endurance, so that after you
have done the will of God, you may re-ceive the
promise.
41
For yet a little while, He who is coming will
come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live
by faith but if anyone draws back, My soul has
no pleasure in him.
Hebrews 1037-38 ? ? ?
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For yet a little while, He who is coming will
come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live
by faith but if anyone draws back, My soul has
no pleasure in him.
After Habakkuk said something to God about His
judgment against His people Israel (112), God
replied The vision is yet for an appoint-ed
time but at the end it will speak, it will not
lie. Though it tarries, wait for it, because it
will sure-ly come. It will not tarry (23).
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For yet a little while, He who is coming will
come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live
by faith but if anyone draws back, My soul has
no pleasure in him.
Paul began his ap-plication of this pro-phecy
here, saying, yet a little while, a very strong
phrase in the Greek, mean-ing, yet a littleever
so littlewhile (cf. other versions YLT, NIV,
NASB, et. al.) in fact, the Greek term micron
(where we get micro) is used here.
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This phraseology clearly indicates that Paul
wasnt writing about something 2,000 years away,
but about something more like 7 years away. And
what could that have been? Christs AD 70 coming
against apostate Israel, of course (cf. con-text,
vv. 25ff). After all, that was the coming which
brought relief to these brethren. Not only did it
bring relief from Jewish persecution, but (since
the old earthly city of God was destroyed) it
also natur-ally alleviated any temptation to
return to Judaism. Note a couple of passages
45
Speaking of martyrs for Christ, John wrote that a
white robe was given to each of them and it was
said to them that they should rest a little while
longer, until both the number of their fellow
servants and their brethren, who would be killed
as they were, was completed. I looked when He
opened the sixth seal, and behold there was a
great earthquake and the sun became black as
sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood
(Rev. 611-12).
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Speaking to persecuted Christians Paul wrote that
its a righteous thing with God to repay with
tribulation those who trouble you, and to give
you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord
Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty
angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those
who dont know God and on those who dont obey
the Gospel of our Lord (2 The. 16-8).
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For yet a little while, He who is coming will
come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live
by faith but if anyone draws back, My soul has
no pleasure in him.
The just should lit-erally be rendered as the
just one, and anyone should be rendered as he
i.e., God said, if he the just one draws back,
My soul has no pleasure in him, implying (as all
of He-brews does) that a saved person can become
lost again. Furthermore ? ?
48
For yet a little while, He who is coming will
come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live
by faith but if anyone draws back, My soul has
no pleasure in him.
The just shall live by faith is in contrast to if
he draws back, signifying that the phrase live by
faith here means that he who would escape that
judgment would do so only because of his faith
and, of course, the grace of God.
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Its interesting to me that Paul quoted Habakkuk
24 various times through-out his writings in
Romans 117 he used it to emphasize the just part
of it in Galatians 311 he used it to empha-size
the shall live part of it then here in Hebrews
1038 he used it to empha-size the by faith part
of it. In fact, He-brews chapters 1113 could be
con-sidered a discussion on living by faith.
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For yet a little while, He who is coming will
come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live
by faith but if anyone draws back, My soul has
no pleasure in him.
This comes from the word please, so God was
saying that the one who became a Christian then
de-serted Christ would not please Him in the very
least. In other words ? ?
51
For yet a little while, He who is coming will
come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live
by faith but if anyone draws back, My soul has
no pleasure in him.
God wouldnt be able to find anything in His
entire being (His soul here) that would keep Him
from judging this man right along with all the
other reject-ing Jews. In fact
52
For yet a little while, He who is coming will
come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live
by faith but if anyone draws back, My soul has
no pleasure in him.
As Peter wrote, Itd be better for him not to
have known the way of righteous-ness, than having
known it to turn from it (2 Pet. 221).
53
But we are not of those who draw back to
perdition, but of those who believe to the saving
of the soul.
Hebrews 1039 ?
54
But we are not of those who draw back to
perdition, but of those who believe to the saving
of the soul.
To draw back to per-dition meant to de-sert their
Messiah.
55
But we are not of those who draw back to
perdition, but of those who believe to the saving
of the soul.
This refers to utter and permanent de-struction,
the very thing promised and prophesied of
Jeru-salem i.e., those who drew back would do so
to their own everlasting destruction. And
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But we are not of those who draw back to
perdition, but of those who believe to the saving
of the soul.
This is the same as soul in verse 38, referring
to life as opposed to death (which, in this case,
would include both physical and eternal death).
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But we are not of those who draw back to
perdition, but of those who believe to the saving
of the soul.
More literally this verse reads, We are not for
shrinking back to destruction, but for faith to
the saving of life, the ar-ticle the not being
in the original. So
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But we are not of those who draw back to
perdition, but of those who believe to the saving
of the soul.
As though Paul had worked himself up at this
point, he con-cluded this para-graph with what
appears to be a pep rally statement of
inspiration. ? ? ?
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I picture Paul on the gym floor of a basketball
court, speaking to a dis-couraged team Paul So
whatre we going to do?!?! Team Were going to
win!!!! Paul Whatre we going to do?!?! Team
Were going to win!!!!