“THE BOOK OF HEBREWS”
STUDY THE BIBLE -
13 (STB 13)
In his
Epistle to the Hebrews, if Paul is
writing to backslidden Christians, which he isn’t, all he has
to do is to
refer them to his other books he has written to the churches, where
there is
more than enough correction for sins and sin mentioned. Take your pick
- there’s
lust, idolatry, fornication, tempting, murmuring, factions within the
church
and so on. If their sin was drifting away from their love of Jesus, we
have the
epistle to the Ephesians, where supposedly there was no major doctrinal
error
or major sin.
No,
there’s something more at stake here.
The
Hebrews to which Paul writes were not
Christians. They were not saved. They were not in
Christ.
Before
Christ went to the cross, these Hebrews
believed Christ was fulfilling the law on their behalf, and
they were
more than happy attending the temple for animal blood
sacrifices to
cover their sins, and Christ had endorsed this. Yes, they believed that
Christ
was their Messiah and that he would eventually establish some sort of
earthly
kingdom. As to the how, when, where or why, they weren’t quite sure.
But after
30 years, it is now 65AD when Paul writes
to them, things hadn’t much changed. In fact, persecution from the
Romans was
on the increase as Emperor Nero was burning the Christians. They were
feeling
mightily insecure and unsafe, because although they themselves weren’t
Christians, they had a lot of sympathy for them. They liked Paul and
the other
Christians as they were friendly, nice and welcoming. What
if Paul was just deluded? They were
starting to question whether Christ was the Messiah at all, and have
serious
doubts as to his promises. Their hearts began to grow cold to the idea
of
Christ. In fact, they were becoming like the many who walked away when
Jesus
was alive on earth (John 6:66)
They were
thinking about going back to the good old
days, where at least there was security with the animal sacrifices for
sin. But
they had been warned by Peter and Paul that this type of on-going and
daily
blood atoning for sin had finished. They now had to trust on the shed
blood of
Christ.
Their
dilemma. Should
they
retreat back to trying to fulfil the law themselves and atone for their
sins
with animal blood, or should they take the ‘big leap of faith’ and
become
Christians as Paul urges them to do. They were afraid! Become a
Christian and
be burned at the stake. This is the theme of the Book of Hebrews.
There are
three groups mentioned
in the epistle to the Hebrews - the once enlightened
(Heb 6:4) who have become the illuminated (Heb 10:32) to which
Paul is
writing, and who Paul is now urging to become Christians to
the
saving of their souls (Heb 10:39). They are being urged to
have
Christ as their Saviour, not just their Messiah. If they will not get
saved, perdition
and the fires of hell await (Heb 10:38-39).
The
explanation is as follows: God is light
(1John 1:5) and when God came to Abraham, the first Hebrew,
and
his descendants the Hebrews, they were ENLIGHTENED (Heb
6:4). The
Hebrews first brought the light of God into a dark world, and every
time Aaron
lit the lamps in the temple (Exodus 30:8) he was demonstrating this.
The
disciples of the Messiah were also ILLUMINATED
(Heb 10:32), being told “Ye are the light of the world …and let
your light
so shine before men…” (Matt 5:14, 16)
Now Paul
urges these illuminated disciples to take
another step forward and become “…LIGHT IN THE LORD…”
(Eph
5:8) as Christians.
Chapter 1.
Paul
reminds them that the prophets spoke to them
in the past, but now Christ is talking to them (Heb 1:2).
Paul gives
them Christ’s credentials, by comparing
him to angels who they hold in the highest regard, as being second only
to God.
Angels are all throughout the Old Testament and are totally involved in
the
Jews’ daily lives. Paul hopes to get their attention as to the
importance of
God’s Son, Jesus Christ, with Christ having a greater standing with God
than
the angels
1. The Son
is heir of all things (Heb 1:2) 2. The Son made
all the worlds (Heb 1:2) 3. The Son is the brightness of God’s glory (Heb 1:3) 4.
The Son
is the express image of God – he is God manifest in the flesh (Heb 1:3) 5.
The Son upholds
all things in the universe by the word of his power (Heb 1:3) 6. The Son
purged our
sins on the cross (Heb 1:3) 7. The Son now sits on the right hand of God in
heaven
(Heb 1:3) 8. The Son is made better (not created) as the angels have been
(Heb 1:4) 9. The
Son has a better name than the angels (Heb 1:4) 10. The Son is begotten but
the
angels
are not
(Heb 1:5) 11. The Son is to be worshipped by the
angels (Heb 1:6) 12. the Son has an everlasting kingdom, the angels do not
(Heb 1:8) 13.
The Son has been anointed but the angels have not (Heb 1:9) 14. The Son
created the
heaven and the earth (Heb 1:10) 15. The Son will live forever but the
heavens and
the earth will perish (Hebrews 1:10-11) 16. The Son sits on the right hand of
God but
the angels don’t (Heb 1:13) 17. The angels will minister to those who
receive the
Son (Heb 1:14)
Chapter 2.
Paul urges
them to believe the angels with signs,
wonders, miracles and gifts (Heb 2:1-4) Paul calls him Jesus - a man made a
little
lower than the angels, being made in the flesh (Heb 2:9) and died for every
man (Heb 2:9).
Jesus is the captain of those who get
saved and he sanctifies them (Heb 2:10-12) Jesus destroys the power of death
and
fear of death (Heb 2:14-15) Jesus becomes a man (Heb 2:16) Jesus paid the penalty
for
sins (Heb 2:17-18)
Chapter 3
Christ
Jesus is counted more worthy than faithful
Moses (Heb 3:1-5) Harden not your hearts through UNBELIEF, as you
did for 40
years in the desert (Heb 3:6-19) This is their prevailing and besetting sin
(Heb
12:1)
Chapter 4
Paul urges
them to overcome their unbelief and have
faith and obtain salvation rest (Heb 4:1-11) Don’t try and fake it either
but be
sincere as God sees what’s inside (Heb 4:12-13) You are not saved therefore
come
boldly unto this salvation (Heb 4:15-16)
Chapter 5
Christ is now the high priest (Heb 5:1-5) Christ is similar to Melchisedec to whom Levi went and offered sacrifices (Heb 5:6-9,10-11) They were given God’s words but haven’t progressed and remain on milk like little babies (Heb 5:12-14)
Chapter 6
Watch out
for the VARIOUS SHIFTS BETWEEN THE THREE
DIFFERENT DISPENSATIONS THAT OCCUR IN THE FIRST TWO VERSES!
This is
critical. It is crucial to understanding
what the Book of Hebrews is all about!
IF YOU GET
THIS WRONG, YOU HAVE TO SAY PAUL WRITES
TO BACK-SLIDDEN CHRISTIANS, AND, YOU BECOME A BELIEVER OF THE LOSS OF
SALVATION.
This is
why the Book of Hebrews is the most
misunderstood book in the Bible, and pastors and preachers leave it
alone. They
don’t understand it.
These eight
verses are the most difficult to
understand in the whole Bible.
Use the
following diagram as the guide.
1
Therefore
leaving the principles of the doctrine of
Christ,
This is
THE DOCTRINE OF THE MESSIAH CHRIST (John
1:41) and the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7)
let us go
on unto perfection;
This is
THE DOCTRINE OF PAUL of
“believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 16:30-31)
2 Of the doctrine of
baptisms, and
of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal
judgment.
This is
THE DOCTRINE OF MOSES AND AARON. Yes, they
had these 6 things under Moses.
3 And this will we do,
if God
permit.
4 For it is impossible
Impossible
means impossible
They are
presently illuminated by believing Christ
is the Messiah. But previously, they were enlightened under Moses.
They have
progressed from being enlightened under
Moses to being illuminated under Christ the Messiah.
and have
tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made
partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 And have tasted the
good word of
God, and the powers of the world to come,
Under
Moses and his five books in the Old
Testament, they received the law and tasted, were made partakers of,
and knew
of the world to come.
NOTE: A
partaker is not a permanent possessor.
There was only ever temporary salvation.
6 If they shall fall
away,
They are
NOW ILLUMINATED but are in danger of
falling away back into Moses.
Yes, this
is the loss of a temporary salvation of
believing in Christ the Messiah and retreating back into
another
dispensation of temporary salvation under Moses.
By going
back into Moses under his laws would mean
they scorn and shame what Christ has done for them, that he had shed
his blood
for them. By doing so, they would declare that they approved of what
the Jews
did in crucifying Christ, and that they would the same thing again, if
it were
in their power.
7 For the earth which
drinketh in
the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for
them by
whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
Like the
earth that is blessed and produces when it
is rained upon
8 But that which beareth
thorns and
briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be
burned.
If you
reject the doctrine of perfection in Paul,
you will be like the worthless thorns and bushes with prickles, and
will be
burned in the fires of hell.
Chapter 7
This is
about Melchisedec. An actual man (Heb 7:1) with
no father and mother
and no beginning or end (Heb 7:3) With Levi (the Jewish priests) not being
born yet,
and therefore still being in Abraham, Abraham, on their behalf gave
Melchisedec
gifts (Heb 7:4). This means that the Levi priesthood (representing the law
of Moses)
is servant to Jesus, as Jesus is like Melchisedec. (Heb 7:5-11) There must
be a
change of the law of Moses, and of the Levites, as found in the Book of
Leviticus (Heb 7:12) This new law comes out of Judah, not Levi, in the form
of Jesus
(Heb 7:13-25) Unlike many animal blood sacrifices, Jesus dies once for their
sins
(Heb 7:26-28)
Chapter 8
Jesus
Christ now sits beside God the Father in heaven
and is the true minister as the high priest (Heb 8:1-5) Paul tells them a NEW
COVENANT that will be made with ISRAEL, NOT THE
CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
in the seven year tribulation (Zechariah 12:10) (Heb 8:6-13)
Chapter 9
All the
earthly services performed under Moses are
now obsolete and done away with, as the blood of bulls and goats not
being able to purge (wipe away from the guilt) their consciences (Heb 9:1-14)
They are
now under the new testament of Christ’s
blood which will purge their conscience (Heb 9:15-18,19-22,23-26,27-28)
Chapter 10
The blood
of bulls and goats could not take away
sins but only cover them (Heb 10:1-9)
Christ’s
blood offered only once (Heb 10:10-19). The
Messiah believing Jews were coming to the church services and having
fellowship
with the Christians. Paul urges them to continue meeting with “ourselves”
(Heb 10:22-25)
After they
came away from Moses and believed in
Christ Messiah, they were persecuted by their former friends in the
enlightened
camp (Heb 10:32-34). They were still law abiding Jews though.
However,
they can have their souls saved if they do
what God wants them to do (Heb 10:35-39).
Chapter 11
An account
of all those who have gone before and
obeyed God by their faith (Heb 11:1-40)
Chapter 12
The
besetting sin for the Jew has always been unbelief
(Heb 12:1) Chastening and correction will come from the Lord as children not
as
bastards (Heb 12:1-13) Don’t be like Esau who got diverted (Heb 12:15-17) Do not
refuse
the Lord or you will have his wrath as at Mt Sinai as the Lord is a
consuming
fire (Heb 12:18-29)
Chapter 13
The Lord
will never leave not forsake you (Heb 13:5-6)
Christians have the rule over you as they have spoken the word
of God to
you (Heb 13:7), obey them (Heb 13:17) and salute them (Heb 13:24).
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