BiblicalMastery Buddy's bible blog

Lesson 4

What a Man!

Hebrews 2:5-18

October 4, 2015

 

What is man’s worth? Jim Putman in “Real Life Discipleship” wrote that every person make have a different function but are not of any less value than the most mature leader in the church. I had a sense of this in the Episcopal Church I attended in North Carolina many years ago. The young minister entrusted me with areas of responsibilities that I did not experience for a long time after that. There have been times when I did not sense that I was important. When we moved back to Richmond I soon found myself in the position of an outsider. Many times as a kid I felt as I was out on the periphery of what was taking place. One example that comes to mind took place during youth week we had every year at church. It always seemed more like a popularity contest than giving some an opportunity to learn. After a while you begin to believe that you are of not much value in this world. It was easy to forget how important I was to God. I did not understand what salvation truly meant. It does not matter how the world views you but how God sees you. It took me a long time to realize that I am truly a member of His kingdom and heir to all He has to offer. Humanly speaking I am one who still wants to serve Him with the talents etc. he has given me. Sometimes I forget that it does not matter what that position might be as long as I am serving Him.

 

We sometimes in church get so caught up with our own Bible Study Class, ministry or position that we leave out a lot of people who may have a great deal to offer. We do not know about them because they are not ones who promote themselves. They are those who need to be searched out and given tasks that fit their giftedness. It is possible that they have been so beaten down by the world and the church that they believe they have nothing to offer. We do not know what people are like because we are so busy doing our own thing that we do not take the time to get to know them. The vast majority of our people are involved in Sunday morning Bible Study but have no other venues to get to know each other. God sees them as something special and we dare not view them as anything less than He does.

 

Hebrews 2:5

In chapter one to which this verse refers Christ was shown as having supremacy over the angels. There are two ways to look at this verse and the ones to follow. Some commentators believe the writer was speaking of man while others saw him talking about Jesus. Either way it is a powerful image of God’s concern for mankind. It is a picture of the future of man once lost but once again reinstated to his position as having dominion over God’s creation.

 

1. How do you see this verse as a continuation of, or different from what the writer described in chapter one?
2. If all of creation is to be under the dominion of man why do we not see it taking place right now? (Man’s rule was lost when Adam and Eve succumbed to the devil.)
3. What is your view of whom the writer is describing?
4. When did man lose his position of having dominion over the entire creation of God?
5. What does this say about man’s position in comparison to that of the angels? (God never has spoken of angels ruling over anything in the future?

 

Hebrews 2:6-8

The writer begins this section by asking, why does God even concern Himself with His highest creation? Originally in the garden the Psalmist said that man was created to be just a little less than God. There is confusion about the meaning of this verse because the Greek translation and the original Hebrew differ. Both use the word Elohim. In the Greek it means angels while the Hebrew use it to refer to God. It would seem that at least in this verse the better translation would be lower than God if it were to convey the idea of man being greater eventually than the angels as again having dominion over all of creation including the angels. He ends this description by saying that man has not arrived at the point of having everything in subjection to him.

 

1. Why do you believe God cares so much about man?
2. How did God intend to show the love He had for man from the very beginning? (By putting him in charge of everything.)
3. How do you prefer to translate Elohim in these verses?
4. What did the writer mean when he stated that “that we do not see all things subjected to him.” (There will come a time when man is returned to his position of being just a little lower than God and having dominion over His creation.)
5. Why has that time not yet come? (The devil still has reign in the lives of men. One day he will be completely removed from the scene. At that point man will once again be as he was before the fall because of the work of Jesus.)

 

Hebrews 2:9

Even Jesus was willing to be made a little lower than either the angels or His father for a while that He might experience what it was like to be a man. He had one purpose for doing it. He was to suffer and die for all of mankind so the grace of God would once again belong to man. Because he obeyed the Father He again returned to heaven with glory and honor the position He had held before the foundation of the world.

 

1. Why was Jesus willing to become like man?
2. What did He experience that none of us will ever face?
3. What did He earn for us because of His sacrifice? (God’s grace)
4. What did it mean for Jesus to be crowned with glory and honor?
5. What does Jesus’ work mean to you?

 

Hebrews 2:10-11

The writer wanted to make it very clear what it took for man to be saved. It cost the very life of the One who both created and owned everything. Although Jesus never needed to be perfected in His moral life it was important however that He through His identification with the sufferings of man to be made the pioneer or founder of the way to life that was free from the power of the devil. The Greek word used here is archegos, which means several things. It could be:

• The head or chief
• Founder or originator
• Sense or origin
• The one who begins something so that others might enter after him

 

His death defeated the power that the devil had over man. Jesus by His work restored man to a new relationship with the Father. Because man had been set apart to God Jesus was not ashamed of them but called them brothers.

 

The story of Joseph and his brothers in the Old Testament reflects the heart of Jesus and His Father. Even after his brothers had sold him into slavery he was willing to forgive them and was not ashamed to present them to the Pharaoh as his brothers. (Genesis 37-50)

 

1. What did it cost God to purchase our salvation?
2. Who was this Jesus?
3. What does it mean to be sanctified?
4. What does it mean to belong to God? (Our sanctification makes us a part of God’s family.)
5. How does the story of Joseph give us an understanding of what Jesus did for us?

 

Hebrews 2:12-13

To back up his argument for the new relationship the writer went again to the Old Testament. The verses are found in:

• Psalm 22:22 speaks of brothers and the community of believers
• Isaiah 8:17 talks of trust
• Isaiah 8:18 called believers the children given to Him by God the Father.

 

1. How do these verses reinforce the argument presented above?
2. What does it mean to you to be thought of as a brother of Jesus and a child of God?
3. What is the one danger in thinking of oneself as a brother of Christ? (We may take Jesus for granted and make it less than the Son of God and Savior of the world.)

 

Hebrews 2:14-15

The writer continued with the thought of man as children of God. Because man is flesh and blood in order to defeat the devil Jesus also became flesh and blood. As both man and God in the flesh His death freed man from the stranglehold the devil had on God’s children. The ultimate weapon used to hold man in bondage was the fear of death. By His own death Jesus showed to the world that man need not be afraid of dying and that physical death was not the end of man but the beginning of eternity for him.

 

1. Why did Jesus come to earth as a man? (All of His children are flesh and blood.)
2. What did His dying as a man say about His relationship with man? (He understood what they were experiencing and could only show them that they could be victorious over death.)
3. How did the devil use death as a tool to enslave man?
4. Why do even Christians still fear dying?
5. What is our guarantee because of what Christ did on the cross?

 

Hebrews 2:16

One thing the writer wanted the priests that were weak in their faith to know. Christ came for mankind. The angels did not need the salvation that Jesus had freely brought to the descendants of Abraham.

 

1. Why did Jesus not come to help the angels?
2. To whom was Jesus sent?
3. Why did the writer use the name of Abraham? (He was the father of the Hebrew people and the one who had received the original covenant making his descendants God’s chosen people. Abraham and everyone who followed him needed what only Christ could provide.)
4. How is it that, if this true, anyone could believe he does not need what Jesus has to offer him or her? See Matthew 3:7-10 to see how John the Baptist dealt with that issue.

 

Hebrews 2:17-18

• There was one last thing to be said in regard the discourse found in this chapter. There was no way apart from becoming man could Jesus fully understand what man was experiencing. He had to become like him in order to become his merciful representative before God. There is old idea that comes from the saying, that you really cannot understand what a person is going through until you walk a mile in his shoes. This is one reason that affinity groups like grief share and AA are so successful. Those individuals leading and attending have a common experience they can share with others. Jesus did this for mankind. By becoming man and experiencing all of the temptations faced by them He was able to stand in their place and take their sins upon Himself on the cross.

 

1. How was Jesus able to understand what man was going through?
2. What did this allow Him to do for mankind?
3. What examples can you share of people or groups that provide this kind of concern for others?
4. What does the saying walk a mile in one’s shoes mean to you?
5. What is the one thing that no person or group can do for you?
6. Why?
7. What did Jesus become when He went to the cross? (The propitiation for our sins. He became our stand in or substitute to do what we could not do for ourselves.)

 

• As Paul told Timothy to let no one look down on him because he was young, you should never feel inferior to anyone because you have been saved by Jesus Christ, therefore you are the brother or sister of the Son of God.
• Remember that you have been made in the image of God. This is not something about which one should boast but fall before God in thankfulness and humility.
• You are to view others who may have been beat up by the world with great compassion and love.
• Before criticizing or judging someone else think about what it would be like to walk in his or her shoes.
• Remember it is not you that can gain salvation on your own. It took the cross and resurrection to secure it for you.
• Think of Jesus as the pioneer that has led the way for us to enter into the very presence of God.

 

If we look to Christ as our example we are to view everyone who comes into the church as an opportunity to show them what a follower of Christ really is like. They should see a people who are full of humility because they have received the salvation that only Christ could provide. We must forget what it cost Christ and His Father to reinstate us to the position with Him that was lost in the Garden. The world continues to suffer but we know ultimately that Christ will return and be victorious over sin. When that happens Hebrews tells us that we will once again have dominion over His creation including the angel. What the church is to be is the training ground preparing us once again for that day. I personally do not want to miss out in sharing His glory but it must begin with the church today. The verses between chapter 1 and verse 5 of chapter 2 tell us that we are to stay true to the Word of God and not drift away from the truths found on its pages. Only then will we be ready to truly warrant the name of brother or sister in Christ.

 

 

 

 

Lesson 3

The Infallible Word of God

Hebrews 2:1-18

September 27, 2015

 

Each morning as I pray the very fact that God would have anything to do with me amazes me. As I think about all of the limitations that I have I am so thankful that God never will turn away and leave me to fend for myself. Somehow out of all the others just like me He has reached down with His awesome love and chose me to be part of His family. I could never take credit for any part of my salvation because I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I do not deserve it. Now, you might ask how do I know for sure that I was lost and then found? The answer for me is that His word from cover to cover shows the state of man without Christ and what happens to him after the Lord comes into his life. One example that I have used many times from comes from my thoughts from the very beginning of the Bible. To me it is surprising that God knew for the foundation of the world that Adam and Eve were going to stumble in the Garden of Eden and yet He created them anyway. That one fact shows just how much God loves man created in His own image. From the beginning God had a plan for man that was sidetracked because of sin. Our study will show us that plan and how we will be restored to that calling.

 

One of the reasons so many are turning their backs on the church today is the shallow regard they have for the Word of God. Each of us would not take a course in school unless we planned to read and study the textbook assigned for the class. We know at the end we will be tested on the material contained in its pages. Classes are taken so that one can graduate. They are a preparation for one’s field of endeavor whether it is to be a doctor, lawyer or one of all of the thousands of opportunities available to them. Today, we seem to think that the church can remain unscathed by the world without endeavoring to know the guidebook that we have been given. Our responsibility is to be God’s representatives in the world to bring people into a relationship with Him yet we make no effort to learn how to do that very thing. There is a great danger that we will be found wanting because we do not obey the simplest command that He gave to us. It is “make disciples” of all people by teaching them everything He said and taught. How are we going to do that if we do not take seriously His word?

 

Hebrews 2:1

In chapter 1 the writer used a number of Old Testament passages to show the supremacy of Christ over the angels. Notice they were quotes from the Word of God. He then pointed out in this verse in strong terms how important it is to heed the Word of God. He warned the priest and man of every age that if one does not stay constantly in the study of and meditation on the Word the value and meaning will slowly drift away from a person like a ship that has gotten loose from its mooring.

 

1. What did the writer use as the source of his characterization of Christ in comparison to the angels?
2. What does the writer call each Christian to do? (Pay close attention to what is written in the Word.)
3. What is the danger we see in the church today? (Biblical illiteracy)
4. Why did he use the term slipping or drifting away? (The lost of meaning of God’s word in a person’s life does not happen all at once but is gradual.)
5. How can we make sure that we learn to pay close attention to what God wants to say to us?
6. What is the resulting life of one who neglects God’s word?

 

Hebrews 2:2

It is very clear that the writer sees the Bible as absolute truth. He began by talking about the Ten Commandments. Using the Jewish mindset of the work of the angels as messengers of God they viewed the angels as the intermediaries that actually gave the Law to Moses. Whatever way man received the Law the writer wanted the people to know that God’s commandments could not be altered in any way. They were the infallible word of God. There would be a judgment rendered on those who violated even the commandments brought to man by angels. The word used here for sinning was transgressions. They are a deliberate stepping over the line into sin by breaking God’s commands.

 

1. What word did the writer use to indicate his belief in the infallibility of God’s word? (Unalterable)
2. What made his argument even stronger? (His belief that even breaking the word of the angels if they gave the Law to Moses would be tolerated.)
3. What happens when we commit transgressions against God’s commandments? (There is judgment and a penalty to come.)
4. What does the word transgression mean?
5. Can you think of times when you have purposefully broken God’s commandments?
6. How can we minimize doing so? (Living according to the infallible word of God.)

 

Hebrews 2:3

The writer wanted the priests, who were about to turn their backs on the salvation given them through Jesus to consider some important facts. They had been provided multiple witnesses that pointed to the person of Jesus as the Messiah. Although not mentioned here in this verse the Old Testament painted a picture of the Messiah. Paul explicitly pointed out the importance of the Old Testament when he spoke of the process by which Timothy had come to salvation. He said to him, “And that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:15
What the writer did include began with Jesus, the Lord Himself. On a number of occasions He told the disciples who He was. See John 8:58 as one example. One of the most well known conversations between Jesus and His disciples occurred at Caesarea Philippi. Jesus asked them first, who did men say He was. After various answers He then asked them who did they think He was. Peter answered for all mankind when he said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Matthew 16:13-16

 

Following His death and resurrection those who had followed Him went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere. See 1 John 1:1-3 for John’s explanation of the mission of the apostles.

 

1. What are the circumstances under which a person will turn his back on Christ? (He or she refuses to see all of the evidence found in God’s word that point to Jesus as the Savior of the world.)
2. What are some of the important passages that give the wisdom that leads to salvation?
3. In what ways did Jesus make the claim to be the Son of God?
4. What are the particular Scriptures that have helped you on your journey to salvation?
5. How do you respond to John’s words in 1 John 1:1-3 in regard to Hebrews 2:3?

 

Hebrews 2:4

If words were not enough that God provided He also witnessed to His Son by meeting the needs of all people. John Phillips in Exploring Hebrews shared the three different ways He met those needs. He witnessed with

• Signs and wonders to convince the Jews.
• Various miracles to convince the Gentiles.
• Gifts of the Holy Spirit to confirm the message to the Christians.

 

All of the methods were used by God so that the world would know the One who provided only what His Son could do because He was greater than anyone in all of creation.

 

• In order to have an ongoing relationship with God we must constantly spend time studying and meditating on God’s Word.
• Watch out for those things and people who may cause you to drift away from God.
• Understand that the word of God is the same yesterday, today and forever.
• Look for the examples of how God has worked in history to save both Jews and Gentiles.

 

We must take the word of God seriously. There is enough distraction in this world today to cause anyone who does not stay focused on the truth “to be tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine,” as Paul said in Ephesians 4:14. Thankfully, our church takes seriously the study and preaching of the Bible as the guidebook for life. It is obvious that it has made and impact on the lives of many in our church. They have remained faithful in good times and the difficult periods. We understand that discipleship is a process and that only by working at it can we be victorious. We are never to fall short on what God has called us to be. We are in the race for the long haul. It is not a sprint for any of us but a marathon. There is a good reason that God has allowed us to be part of His family. We will see that reason in the next part of chapter 2.

 

 

Lesson 2

Greater Than All of These

Hebrews 1:1-14

September 20, 2015

 

In my lifetime I have literally known hundreds of people who have left the church. Many of those have never gotten involved in a body of believers anywhere else. It makes me sad that each of them have made this world a greater priority than knowing what it means to serve the Lord somewhere. The fact is that a person cannot or wants to give his or her life to something that has no meaning to them. Not everyone who leaves a particular church does so because he is not a follower of Christ. There may be some very legitimate reasons that keep them from staying where they are. I have said many times there are at least six reasons for a person to stop attending a certain church. They are:

• The church is teaching false doctrine and refuses to change.
• A person moves to a new location that makes it difficult to commute.
• A person dies.
• A person becomes incapacitated and is physically unable to attend.
• A person is called to become part of a brand new ministry opportunity.
• There are irreconcilable divisions in the church.

 

Someone may come up with some others but these are a good start. You notice I left out what the recipients of the letter faced. None of the above included persecution and uncertainty of their future.

 

Personally, I have a left a church where I believed I could no longer worship because of the strife that was taking place between a pastor and the congregation. Knowing the pastor I felt I was caught in the middle of two warring factions and so I left. Things have not always gone perfectly in churches I have attended but that was the only time that I have followed through when times have gotten tough. Leaving a body should never be taken lightly. I do not understand at the inclination of people to leave because of something they do not like, rather than finding a solution. There have been times when I have been ready to pack up and leave but God has not released me to do so.

 

Considering all that has occurred over the last two thousand years it amazing that the church has lasted as long as it has. We can be thankful for those who have gone before us that did not give up and turn away from Christ. There are statistics that say biblical illiteracy is at an all time high. Not understanding what it means to be committed and obedient is two of the leading causes of church hopping. God never called us to an easy task. It takes a lot of work to stay where each of us is and serve. It is much easier to keep moving from church to church so that you will never be require to participate in any ministry. I know of a person who only stays one year at any one church. I have told him that he is not helping any church to grow but he does not utilize the gifts God has given him or builds any kind of relationship. He just tells me that he is restless and is looking for something he has not found yet.

 

The Messianic Jews who were the recipients of this letter were looking for greener grass by returning to the comfort and familiarity of Judaism. The writer explained that the grass was not greener and then proceeded to provide the answers they were seeking before making a decision that would bring them sorrow in the future. We too can find peace where God has placed us by living according to His word and not seeking our own way.

 

There is one thing that cannot be overlooked. No matter where we might find ourselves Christ is still at the center of who we are. We must never turn our backs on the Son of God and be swept away by emotion or any false doctrine and leave His church.

 

Hebrews 1:1

The writer begins the book with a little refresher course on how the Bible had come together. It was the very teaching that the priests who had become Christians had in the Old Testament. God had given different men parts of His revelation to mankind. Although they received the complete picture of what was to come, they were not told either the name of the Messiah or when he would come. See 1 Peter 1:10-11. Paul in other places called what they had received a mystery. Not only was it written by different men but was written in places like Egypt, the wilderness, Judea, Israel, Assyria and Babylon by men like Moses, Jeremiah, Daniel, Isaiah and many others. Each of them was given a piece of the story but never the time when it would all come together.

 

1. How did our Bible come together?
2. What was the primary source for the priests to understand what God was doing?
3. Why did God reveal the gospel in individual portions and in many places? (He gave the people what they needed to have faith that the anointed one was coming.)
4. Why did Paul call the gospel a mystery? (Because it’s meaning was hidden for thousands of years.)
5. How do you view the Old Testament?

 

Hebrews 1:2

Finally, the culmination of all of the prophecies was made complete in Jesus. Paul said in Galatians “But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son.” (Gal. 4:4) The full revelation of what God was doing was given in His Son. Jesus was the One who was to receive all of what God had, the whole of creation. He was to receive from the Father the universe that He created.

 

1. What does the words last days mean to you? (The time when the prophecies pointing to the coming of Jesus found their fulfillment.)
2. What did Paul mean by fullness of time? (Everything in society was ready for the Savior to come.)
3. Why did God send Jesus? (To take back from satan what was rightfully His.)
4. How did God accomplish that task? (By making Jesus the heir, the rightful recipient of all that belonged to God.)
5. What right did Jesus have to receive all of creation? (He created it and was taking back what belonged to God.)

 

Hebrews 1:3a

The writer begins to build his case for the supremacy of Christ by naming certain attributes Jesus possessed. He wrote about Him that He:

• Was the radiance of God’s glory. Jesus shown forth the very presence of God.
• Was the exact representation of God’s nature. This thought came from the use of a seal that produced an exact image of that seal.
• By his words maintains the entire universe. Without the continuing attention to what is taking place all of God’s creation would fall apart.

 

1. What do you think of when you hear the words the radiance of God’s glory? (Jesus showing what God is like.)
2. What does the word glory mean to you? (The awesome presence of God manifested to man.)
3. What are some examples of something that is the exact image of another object?
4. What does that mean to you in regard to what the writer of Hebrews said?
5. How different is the description of what the writer said about Christ maintaining the world than what you observe taking place all around you?
6. What then does the statement really mean? (Our planet is only a tiny speck in all of the universe. If God would were to remove His hand one second the whole of His creation would collapse into nothingness.)

 

Hebrews 1:3b

To wrest control away from the devil Jesus was crucified, died, buried and raised to life. By these acts He purified mankind from the sin that had held him captive from the time of Adam. When He had finished His work on earth He returned to heaven to take His rightful place seated at the right hand of His Father. The place at the right hand signified that all authority was given to Him. From that position He will one day return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

 

1. What did it take to release man from the control of the devil?
2. What shows us that He finished the work that God had given Him while here on earth? (He returned to heaven.)
3. What does the picture painted here by the writer say to us about Jesus?
4. What other examples can you give of the idea of the authority given to the person on the right? (One’s right hand man.)
5. Why is it important to know that Jesus has this position with the Father? (From that position of authority Jesus will return to earth to completely defeat the enemy of His people and take them home with Him. See John 14:1-6)

 

Hebrews 1:4

For all of the reasons above Jesus was shown to be in a position much greater than the angels. Which angel was capable of suffering and dying for mankind? Although not mentioned His name was Son of His Father. He was the heir to all that His Father had which the angels could never receive being created beings. There was a danger in regard to what man believed about angels that in different forms exist today. It is the idea that God is so awesome that man must have a go between when trying to talk to God. This is seen in the Mormon religion and in the Catholic religion with their emphasis on Mary and the saints. The writer wanted to make sure that the church was not prey to these false teachings.

 

1. What are the angels not capable of doing?
2. Why was it important to establish the point that Jesus was greater than the angels? (Man had a tendency to give the angels more credit than they deserved.)
3. What examples can you give that show a mistaken understanding of angels?
4. What is the one thing that we should always remember about Jesus? (He is God’s Son.)

 

Hebrews 1:5-6

The writer then gave a number of passages describing the supremacy of Jesus over the angels:

• Psalm 2:7 is the fulfillment of the messianic promise made to David that his descendants would sit on his throne forever. Because of the sinfulness of his descendants that promise was suspended until Christ will come to earth the second time.
• 2 Samuel 7:14 was actually written concerning God’s promise to David about Solomon. The writer appropriated this prophecy to speak of the relationship that God had with His Son Jesus.
• Psalm 97:7 indicates that Christ is supreme because the angels will worship Him. They have worshipped Him at every point in history whether it as coequal with the Father from eternity past, at His birth or when He took up His place of authority beside the Father.

 

1. What are the key points in each of the above verses?
2. Why could Psalm 2:7 not be about the earthly lineage of David?
3. What is the position that Jesus holds to which angels cannot hope to attain?
4. If the angels worship Jesus what should be our attitude toward Him?

 

Hebrews 1:7

Angels are many things including God’s warriors. Psalm 104:4 lays out the primary function of these created beings. He specifically made it clear that it was Christ who sent them out in their role as His messengers. See for example Luke 1 when Gabriel was sent to Mary and had previously appeared to Zacharias. In Daniel there are a number of appearances as they came to answer Daniel’s questions about dreams he had.

 

1. What is the primary task of angels?
2. What are some examples from the Bible can you name when angels appeared to men and women?
3. Why do we no longer need angels to reveal God’s word to us?
4. Why did the writer insert this verse?
5. How did the writer use this verse to compare Christ to the angels? (He was the sender. They were the carriers of His message.)

 

Hebrews 1:8

Psalm 45:6 spoke of the eternal nature of God’s anointed. His righteous kingdom will never disappear. The scepter in all cases throughout history was a sign of power and authority. There is one principle that prevails in His kingdom. It is the righteousness of God Himself.

 

1. What do you think about when you hear the word throne?
2. What has happened to every kingdom that has existed in this world?
3. What are some of the prominent ones that you can mention?
4. What happened to them?
5. Why do you believe they met such a fate?
6. What does this verse say about the kingdom over which Christ reigns?
7. What does that mean for you and me?

 

Hebrews 1:9

This verse ties in with the comparison of why God’s kingdom will last where others have failed. Psalm 45:7 states that Christ loved righteousness and hated sin. For that reason God anointed Him to carry out judgment on the evil of this world.

 

1. What is the characteristic that makes God’s kingdom different from others? (Because it is ruled by One who is righteous in everyway.)
2. What kind of person can love righteousness and hate evil? (One who understands the difference because He is perfect.)
3. What prohibits man from holding that position? (Man at his best is still sinful.)
4. What was Christ anointed to do?

 

Hebrews 1:10-12

Not only was Christ the agent of creation but also is also eternal as God the Son. All that He was created will one day perish as it now it exists. There will be at some point a new heaven and a new earth but not before this one is destroyed. Even though everything physical will change there is one thing that is certain Christ is always the same with no beginning and no end. All of history is spelled out by the writer in the verses he selected to make his points. They are:

• Psalm 125:25-27
• Isaiah 51:6

 

1. What proved in the mind of the writer that Jesus was God?
2. What comparison did he make between the universes’ creator and His creation?
3. What was the one important point he was trying to make about Jesus? (He is eternal.)
4. Why is that fact important to us?

 

Hebrews 1:13-14

The writer makes an important distinction as he concludes his argument for that Christ is greater than the angels. There has not been an angel who has been the task or the power of destroying the enemy of God. Only Christ at the right time came to first defeat the devil and will eventually return again to cast him into the abyss forever thus completely destroying his power over man. See Psalm 110:1 and Joshua 10:24 Again he made very clear that the angels are ministering beings sent to help those who are saved. See Psalm103:20

 

1. What was the writer’s final point in comparing Jesus to the angels?
2. What could Jesus accomplish that they could not?
3. Why was He the only one that could defeat the devil?
4. How does the Old Testament speak of the one who goes against the devil?
5. What is the task of the angels?
6. What conclusion does this discussion help you draw?

 

• Compare Christ to every other person you may admire and determine who deserves your commitment.
• Look at organizations and activities in which you may be involved and see if they are crowding out the Anointed Son of God.
• Be careful that you do not give more credit to the angels than you do the Son in the things that occur in your life.
• Understand that the only one who truly deserves our praise and worship is Jesus Christ.
• As you study this lesson try and understand what God through His Son has done for you.

 

 

 

 

Lesson 1

The Mystery of Hebrews

Overview

September 13, 2015

 

Over the years I have tried to be very careful concerning the material I read. It is so easy to be misled by ideas that sound good but in the end are destructive to one’s faith. The Book of Mormon certainly fits into this category as far as I am concerned. I tend to select authors and books based on the references made to them by writers I trust. If someone came to me and asked me to read a book like Hebrews I would be very hesitant for a number of reasons. Asking about the book I would get a number of answers that would be somewhat unsettling. Here are a few:

• Who wrote the book?
• When was it written?
• Where was it written?
• Who was the target audience?
• What was age range or maturity level for whom it was written?
• Is it fiction or non-fiction?
• What is the subject matter?
• Why did the author write the things he did?

 

There are probably a number of other questions that might be asked but if the answer to most or all of them is, I do not know or I am not sure the book would not find its way on a reading list.

 

If we look at the condition of the church of today we see that many different denominations have been caught up in the trap of basing their belief system on false teachings. If they pay attention to Scripture at all they have a tendency to twist its teachings in ways that benefit themselves. The Bible is very clear on what it says about what we are to believe and the way we are to live. Thankfully, the men who decided on the writings to be included were very careful of what found its way into the sixty-six books. The Book of Hebrews was one of a few that were only accepted at a comparatively late date. It was finally accepted by the time of the Synods of Hippo (393 A.D.) and Carthage (397 and 419 A.D.). Even after its acceptance there was many more questions about the book than answers. I will try to cover some of them in this introduction.

 

Uniqueness of the book

From its beginning it has been shrouded in mystery. One of the things that make it different from all the other letters in the New Testament is the fact that there is no salutation, no greeting or identification of the recipients. One conclusion is that to identify either would have put their lives in danger with the authorities.

 

How it became part of the Canon

The early church fathers thought the book of such significance that they wanted it included into the canon. The only problem was that they did not know who had actually written it. In order for a book to be a part of what we have today in God’s word, the material had to either be written by an apostle or someone closely associated to one for an example someone like Luke who was part of Paul’s team. To resolve that issue they chose Paul as the author and actually placed Hebrews at the end of the thirteen letters that they knew Paul had written.

 

Authorship

In all likelihood Paul did not write the book. There are at least three reasons, among others, that stand out to show that he was not the author. First, The lack of the prologue that usually included the name of Paul as the writer is missing. Secondly, The content and style of what is probably a combination and sermon differ greatly from anything else Paul wrote. Lastly, the writer’s extensive use of the Old Testament was unlike the way Paul had included them. Some of the earliest church fathers dealt with this problem by stating that the ideas were Paul’s but the composition of the letter was done by a secretary like Silas or even Luke.

 

Most scholars in the twentieth and twenty-first century do not believe that Paul was the author. Some of the possible names that have been floated as possible candidates are Barnabas and even Apollos. Because of their relationship with Paul there would be some of his teachings that would have found their way into the book no matter which of the men might have written it..

 

The author of “The New American Commentary on Hebrews,” David Allen leans toward Luke being the author for the following reasons.

 

• Timothy and Luke were probably in Rome at the end of Paul’s life. See references to Timothy in Hebrews. 13:24
• The book was probably written after the death of Paul but before the destruction of Jerusalem in about 67-68 A.D.
• The style of writing in Hebrews is comparable to that of Hebrews. Luke could have also been the secretary of the Pastoral Epistles written under Paul’s name.
• One of the arguments against Luke being the author stems from the long held idea that he was a Gentile. Recent studies have shown there is reason to believe that Luke was indeed a Jew.

 

As Dr. Allen states in his commentary, “When one considers the lexical, stylistic and theological similarities between Luke-Acts and Hebrews coupled with the way in which a theory of Lukan authorship can be historically reconstructed from the texts themselves, there is impressive evidence that points to the Lukan authorship of Hebrews.” (Page 61)

 

Our overview next brings us to the question of, to whom was the book written and where were they living. The most accepted answer today is that Luke was writing to those Jewish priests who had become followers of Christ. Because of their stance they had been forced to leave Jerusalem having lost their position in the service of the Temple. At the time of the writing they were probably part of the greater church in Antioch. They were, however, a separate congregation from those where the majority of membership was made up of Gentiles.

 

Luke wrote to those former priests who were on the verge turning their backs on Christianity. Because of the uncertainty of what was going to happen to the followers of Christ they were considering a return the religion where they felt comfortable. There would also be a familiarity with the traditions and rituals of the Jewish faith. The letter was written to give those men encouragement and to share the superiority of Christ over what they had left behind.

 

We will end with two simple views of the book presented by Dr. Allen and then John Phillips in his “Exploring Hebrews.” First Dr. Allen sees the book as divided in three sections dealing with the Sonship of Jesus, Hebrews 1:5-4:13 then Jesus as High Priest, Hebrews 4:14-10:18 and finally Jesus as the King, Hebrews 10:19-13:21.

Dr. Phillips states it a little differently. He sees “The superior person of Christ as Son, Hebrews 1:1-2:18. He moves from there to the idea of Jesus as the superior Savior through the provisions of the cross, Hebrews 3:1-10:39. Finally, the superior principles of Christianity is provided in Hebrews 11:1-13:25.

 

What I have tried to give here is a condensed version of introductory material that covered some one hundred pages. Hopefully, It is enough to wet your appetite to get into this exciting, challenging and power book not only written for those living in the first century but for us in the twenty-first century.