“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.
When
Christ appears on earth as the Messiah,
he is the actual physical brightness of God’s glory (Heb
1:3), and is the
light of the world (John 19).
Like a human spiritual light bulb, Christ was the illumination (the
illuminator or the one who lights up) to the world,
such that,
“the people which sat in darkness saw a great light...” (Matt
4:16).
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 (Heb 1:11-12)
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
3:1-4,5) Harden
not your hearts through UNBELIEF, as you did for 40
years in the desert (Heb
3:6-9,10-13,14-17,18,19) 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
4:1-4,5-8,9-11) 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
5:1-4,5) 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)
not
laying again the foundation of
repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
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
for
those who were once enlightened,
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.
to
renew them again unto repentance;
seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to
an open
shame.
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 do 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.
Paul
assures them of this with a promise and
an oath from God (Heb
6:13-18)
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
7:5-8,9-11) 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
7:13-16,17-20,21-24,25) 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
8:6-9,10-13)
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
9:1-4,5-8,9-12,13-14)
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
10:1-4,5-6,9)
Christ’s
blood offered only once (Heb
10:10-13,14-17,18,19). 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
10:35-38,39).
Chapter 11
An account
of all those who have gone
before and
obeyed God by their faith
(Hebrews
11:1-4,5-8,9-12,13-16,17-20,21-24,25-28,29-32,33-36,37-40)
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
12:1-4,5-8,9-12,13) 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
12:18-21,22-25,26-29)
Chapter 13
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