Carrying on: Hebrews 13

In Summary:

Coming to the end of Hebrews, the final chapter is the fairly typical hodge-podge of a concluding chapter. Hebrews 13 runs along that path, ranging from practical statements about hospitality to updates on the author’s travel plans. Knowing, most likely, that people tend to remember the end of a letter (or sermon) better than the middle, Hebrews ends with rapid-fire reminders.

This includes a command to honor marriage; an enigmatic statement about ‘entertaining angels;’ a reminder that Christians are pursuing something greater than an earthly city; and a warning about strange teachings. That warning, Hebrews 13:9, rings true even today. We ought not be ‘carried away’ believing that we are strengthened by anything but grace.

Hebrews concludes with the exhortation to carry on. Most of the sentences are action-oriented, whether it is the command to “go out to Him” in v. 13 or to “continually offer up a sacrifice of praise” in v. 15, we see actions to take. The temptation many of us succumb to is that we should shelter-in-place until the storms of the moment pass us by. Hebrews speaks today that we ought not do that.

In Focus:

Each nugget of instruction here is worth a bit of time, so take the time yourself to read it and do just that. Make good observations and examine how it applies. But for me, for now, I would put the focus on Hebrews 13:18-19. Why?

It’s a plea from the author of Hebrews. Sticking with my personal opinion that we are dealing with a sermon collection bound up and sent as a letter, I take this section as part of the add-ons for the letter. The bulk of Hebrews is theological and based in the oral presentation, but this is a personally written request. He asks that the believers pray for him and his fellow workers. (Yes, Greek nerds, it could be an editorial “we.”)

What do they need? A good conscience, a term he’s already used about serving God in Hebrews 9. They don’t want an erased memory for a good conscience, though. The desire is honorable conduct which brings the good conscience. The conscience follows the conduct. The author wills that he and his companions would carry on in such a manner that deserves a good conscience.

And apart from the power of God, he knows this is impossible.

In Practice:

Why focus here? I would have the same request in prayer, as should anyone who teaches, preaches, or leads in a church. It’s inseparable from Hebrew 13:17, where the readers are instructed to obey their leaders. It is a shameful and destructive thing to have leaders who are not concerned for doing their work honorably.

Or who believe that they can do it without divine intervention.

Alongside this, though, it’s not merely a need for front-and-center leaders. All of us believers have the responsibility to conduct ourselves honorably. It is a testimony to Jesus when we reflect His righteousness in how we handle everything we do.

This includes how we, as believers assembled in groups called churches, conduct our business affairs. We must be sure that we are behaving ethically and honestly. This includes the letter of the law (check your tax behaviors!) and the spirit of fair dealing. Too many times, we expect charity while giving none.

All through, this comes back to prayer. Prayer: where we come before a Holy God and acknowledge and embrace our need for Him. His power, His guidance. Without these, a church isn’t worth much at all. Neither am I.

In Nerdiness:

We can’t leave Hebrews 13:1 untouched in nerd notes. “Entertained angels?” What? We’ve got no good answer to this. It reflects some ancient mythologies where the gods came down in disguise to test hospitality. It evokes Lot in Genesis, taking in the angels.

Or you take the Revelation-based view, where “angel” is used in its more literal sense of “messenger” and we interpret it as referring to earthly messengers to people. Like preachers. Though how one could be unaware they have a preacher in the house is hard to fathom. The fried chicken went somewhere.

Then there’s Hebrews 11:23. Which refers to Timothy being released, and we assume it means from prison. It could also be from a contract or an obligation…but it’s probably prison. It also tells us Timothy didn’t write Hebrews.

Unless he’s using a cultural construct of referring to himself in the third person out of humility and uses this verse to give a clear name for who wrote the book. Which is, according to some, possible. 

Shaken and Consumed: Hebrews 12

In Summary:

Hebrews 12 opens with the best example of the “therefore principle” in the book. What is the “therefore principle?” If you find the word “therefore,” it’s “there for” a reason, so you must find out what the “therefore” is “there for.” That’s the principle. Remember that words like “therefore” are conjunctions. They function to hook up words and phrases, showing relationships. Therefore shows dependency. Frequently in Scripture, “therefore” gives you this setup: a proposition is made, claiming facts to be true. Then “therefore” is used to show an action that should follow in the lives of believers. If the preceding is true, then we should act in a certain way…

That’s a lot of background for the summary part, but it’s crucial. Why? Hebrews 12 is more clearly directed toward action on the part of the readers than any portion of the book beforehand. This chapter’s therefore hinges the whole book, not just the chapter prior. The “Faith Hall of Fame” in Hebrews 11 is the final piece of evidence that the proposition made at the beginning of Hebrews, in Hebrews 1:1-4, is true. God has spoken fully through His Son, and all things are complete by His hand.

Therefore, the readers and hearers of Hebrews are charged to hold on to the calling of Jesus as Lord. Chapter 12 reminds them (and us!) that they have come to Mount Zion, to assembly of the firstborn, and to God. Through Jesus, not through rule-keeping and not through fear, but through His blood, His grace, His mercy.

In Focus:

With such a packed chapter, isolating a focal point was a bit challenging. Still, I picked the format of these posts and a focus must be found. Let’s take Hebrews 12:27-29 as our focus. In these verses, God speaks clearly that He will shake the heavens and the earth. That means more than just an earthquake. God is speaking of the shaking of the created world based on His presence.

In short, a shaking that will topple all that cannot stand in His presence. It removes all that is not eternal, all that is not of God. And Hebrews 12:29 reminds us that being shaken by the presence of God isn’t the worst possible outcome. One must consider that God is a consuming fire, and that which is shaken will also be destroyed. Completely destroyed.

In Practice:

This is the practical chapter, though the specific actions are not spelled out for the reader. What does that mean? Like any good sermon, the author of Hebrews (Luke?) knows that being too specific in application risks missing a large swatch of the audience. For example, one can say “do not deny Christ when arrested!” only to leave those who deny Christ when facing business decisions thinking they have done well.

We see, then, that the guidance is slightly generalized. For example, the command is given to strengthen the hands of the weak and to pursue peace with all men. These types of actions reflect a people that are committed to following Jesus as King and Priest rather than any other person. Further, we see that we should be people who are not frightened away by the discipline of God. Discipline, keep in mind, is not merely punishment. Discipline is also what gets you out of bed in the morning to run, in preparation for your next race. It’s what drives you to keep doing what needs doing.

It’s something that I lack in many areas. And because of that, it makes me weaker than I should be accomplish what is in front of me. Yet if all of Hebrews is true: that the heroes of old stood firm; that Christ is the superior High Priest; that there is no shrinking back…if all of this is true, then I want to stand firm, that I will not be shaken by this world and that I will have done that which is not going to be shaken and consumed in eternity.

In Nerdiness:

Briefly: Deuteronomy 4:24 contains the statement “YHWH your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” James didn’t originate the thought, he carried it with him from his upbringing knowing the Word of God. What do we see in Deuteronomy that helps us understand his point better? The choice of our lives: follow God or reject Him, and accept the consequences either way.

Also, there’s an awesome song from Third Day’s first album about God being a consuming fire.

Faith Shows Out: Hebrews 11

In Summary:

We come to the most famous portion of the book of Hebrews: the “Faith Hall of Fame” chapter. Throughout Hebrews 11, our author recounts story snippet after story snippet of those who have walked with God in past times. Each one is mentioned, briefly, and summarized as having faith in some way or another. Particularly telling is the inclusion of multiple women, both named and unnamed. This reflects a willingness on the part of the early church to recognize the contributions of both sexes to the heritage of faith.

Also telling, as we contemplate the writing of Hebrews, is that the list stops with examples from the time of the Judges (ending with Samuel, the last judge) and then switches to a summary. Even the listing of names from Judges is prefaced with “time will fail me…” in Hebrews 11:32. What does that tell us? That the author is a preacher of some sort, seeing how he goes on for another 8 verses, approximately 20% of the chapter, after he says time is failing. It’s the great “in conclusion” that makes you start thinking about the potluck…and then the rolls are cold by the time you get there.

Returning to our summary of the chapter, make note that each event mentioned involves looking at how the actions of individuals demonstrated their faith. Further, it is the faith of the individuals themselves that are featured: Rahab is credited with faith, not “Rahab’s cousin…” Faith that we see in this chapter may be shared, but it remains an individual possession. The faith of one may encourage the faith of another, but it does not substitute for it.


In Focus:

Let us turn the focus to Hebrews 11:30 for a moment. Here we see that the walls of Jericho fell, not because of loud trumpets, but because of faith. Joshua 6 gives us this story, and you would do well to read it. In fact, that’s true of the entire passage. You would do well to read the stories of those mentioned, and see how their faith showed outwardly through their actions.

Reading Joshua 6, though, little is said about the faith of the people. Instead, only the actions are mentioned. The people walked with the Ark of the Covenant, the visible reminder of the presence of YHWH, the God of Israel. (And the God of All Things, but the covenant is more specific.) They marched, the kept quiet, they marched, they shouted. And then they won. Hebrews says it happened “by faith.” Joshua doesn’t seem to mention faith at all…


In Practice:

This should give us pause as we consider how faith looks in action. So often, we want to wait until we can check off how much faith we have before we get started doing what God has put in front of us. Where does that line up with this chapter?

It doesn’t.

Instead, we need to see this reality: obedience demonstrates faith. Obedience to the Word of God. Obedience as we face the challenges that are in front of us. Just as the people of Israel demonstrated faith by walking in the presence of God. They walked and did what was commanded of them.

God then honored His commands, and the result was the collapse of the walls of Jericho. What walls stand in front of you as you try to walk with Jesus? Have you considered whether you are waiting for faith instead of taking the first steps of obedience?

This is true for us as individuals and as churches. What we do shows what we believe, and how we do it shows Who we believe in.


In Nerdiness: 

First, it’s somewhat funny to me that Hebrews 11:2’s term for “men of old” in NASB is the same word we get “Presbyterian” from. One could make a tongue-in-cheek translation that “by faith, the Presbyterians gained approval.”

Second, the “gained approval” is also translatable as “were testified favorably about.” The word used in Greek is the word from which we get martyr. That word refers to bearing witness or testifying. Here, though, it’s passive so it speaks of faith bearing witness about the men of old. (Or the Presbyterians.)

Third, it’s intriguing that Barak is mentioned but Deborah isn’t. Is this because she did everything without fear, while Barak had to be persuaded? (Judges 4-5)

Fight the Shrink! Hebrews 10

In Summary:

Hebrews goes on, speaking of our need for one sacrifice, and one sacrifice only. Through the course of Hebrews 10, the author returns to the shortfalls of annual animal sacrifices. First by highlighting that the conscience isn’t really salved by such sacrifices, and then moving on to showing where God Himself expressed that animals aren’t good enough for Him.

Instead, our intrepid author (who continues to be Apollos. Or Luke. Or Barnabas.) brings the Psalms back and focuses on the supremacy of Christ. Which, despite Hebrews having some excellent things to say about faith and obedience, really is the focus of the book as a whole. The supremacy of Christ to all to other gods, revelations, or sacrifices, and therefore our only viable option is to place our obedient faith in Jesus.

This is reinforced by the “new and living way” to enter the presence of God (Hebrews 10:20,) which is through Jesus. Prior to this, the apparent way into the presence of God was through a pile of bodies, wracked by the carnage of death and in turmoil as regarding whether or not the sacrifices were sufficient. We go through the perfect way, the One who not only died but arose, showing that His sacrifice fulfilled all of the need. We need not, therefore, flee in terror from the presence of God. Neither do we fear assembling with God’s people, for there exists no risk that their sacrifices were insufficient and that we would be swept away in the judgment of another.


In Focus:

Let us turn, wholeheartedly, to Hebrews 10:39. The NASB renders it as “we are not of those who shrink back,” which is probably the better way to bring this into English. It could be rendered as “we are not the shrinking back ones,” and the same would apply to “those who have faith” as being “we are ones of faith.” The main use, outside of the Bible, of the term that “those who shrink back” seems to be of military reserve forces. Not like our “reserves” that are called up in crisis but the ones who are “held back” in the battle plan, just in case they were needed.

They still got to march in the victory parade when all was said and done, though. Without any actual taking of the risks—just by being there but being “held back.” Sometimes, it was a sound military strategy to “hold back” a few troops, but the author of Hebrews is not talking about a logical and reasonable plan. He’s addressing those who would volunteer to be held back.

In Practice:

Which, practically speaking, would have been an act of cowardice in most cases. The typical legionnaire was expected to face the enemy and fight. He had trained for warfare. His unit counted on him, his brethren in arms counted on his presence. It was not an optional involvement. He was necessary. Those who were physically unable to participate in the battle were not put into the reserve, they were put in the infirmary. Those are a different matter.

Here are those who hear the trumpet call to assemble and face the enemy, and instead volunteer to catch up later. Or to be fresh and rested when it’s all said and done. These are the people who are glad to see the church on Sunday, but have no interest in engaging a lost and dying world in between church events. After all, theirs is the calm assurance of heaven and being in the victory parade. No sense in getting hurt before then, right?

Except then we don’t really do much good. Stop holding back and get to walking in obedience. Our Supreme Sacrifice is also our Supreme Battle Commander. Let us follow, though all is dark around us. Fight the urge to shrink. Stand firm.


In Nerdiness:

The information I’m working on comes from the Annals of Tacitus, and so I might be off the deep end. But I think there’s something to the overall idea of what ὑποστολῆς refers to in this case. At least the mental image that would have been drawn.

I find it interesting that Hebrews 10:23-36 seems to suggest that remembering prior suffering is our encouragement in current suffering. As in, don’t think you get to go through bad stuff once and then never again. It keeps coming back.

One and Done: Hebrews 9

In Summary:

Hebrews 9 begins with a reminder of the Tabernacle and the regulations for worship of the One True God. We see the continued reference to the Tabernacle more than the Temple here, including a rare New Testament reminder of the Ark of the Covenant. Rather than focusing on these (or telling us where the Ark is at this point!), our author links the formality of worship in the Tabernacle with the ceremonial regulations found in the Old Testament law. The conclusion, though, is that the conscience is not satisfied by these practices because God is not finally satisfied by these practices.

Ultimately, the new high priest had to come. First, He had to take the first covenant to its fulfillment. Then He entered into something better and greater than the Tabernacle. He entered into the holy place, once for all, to bring His people into a place of eternal redemption. The Tabernacle, while impressive, was a shadow at the beginning and became superfluous by the end. If the Tabernacle is characterized like this, how much more should the food and drink laws be considered in this manner?

In Focus:

Turning our focus to the oft-quoted Hebrews 9:27, let’s take this one apart for a moment. First, this verse, usually shortened in quotation to “It is appointed to men once to die and after that, the judgment,” is not a complete sentence. It’s the first half of a comparison between normal humanity and Jesus.

The second half, 9:28, reminds us that not only did Jesus die once and once only, but He will be coming back. This time, though, it is not to die but to save those who eagerly await Him. (ESV renders this nicely.)

In Practice:

The first practical point is that we need to be careful how we treat this verse. It is not presented as a standalone statement. While “it is appointed unto man…” is certainly true, keeping verses in context is one of the keys to Biblical Interpretation.

Second among our practical points is to live in constant anticipation of the promised second appearing of Jesus. That fleshes out in two directions. The main direction is that we never slack off on obedience. The enemy is a defeated enemy and we must keep up the skeer as he is run to ground! Our Lord has given us instructions and we must not let up.

The other direction is this: our Lord will return and we need not trouble ourselves about the timing. In fact, one of the least faithful ways we can spend the time God has given us is wasting it trying to determine if He’s really been honest. Or if His return will be when we expect.

Our practice must be to remember that He gets a second appearing. We get one shot.

In Nerdiness: 

Where does the nerdiness stop here? We have references to the Tabernacle and the altars and the dietary laws…folks, if you aren’t brushed up on the Mosaic Covenant, you will just miss all of the richness and depth in this chapter.

Then there is the idea of the shedding of blood for forgiveness of sins. It’s hard to not see this as a potential positive about human sacrifice, because Jesus is substituted in the chapter for sheep and goats and cattle. But we need to keep this in mind: the animals were substituted for the human beings who weren’t facing “sacrifice” but punishment.

Sacrifice is willing. Punishment is deserved. Jesus takes our punishment, willingly as a sacrifice. It’s not that His death was demanded by the Law. It’s that ours is deserved by it.

Sitting on the Right of the Throne: Hebrews 8

In Summary:

Our author (Luke, perhaps?) gets back to the "main point," as he says, in this chapter. That point? We have a high priest who has taken his seat. Or, to follow my style guide better, we have a High Priest who has taken His seat. That High Priest is Jesus. 

This particular chapter works us through the idea that the Tabernacle (Exodus) was never intended to be the actual focus of worship. Instead, the earthly Tabernacle, and the Temples that followed it, was a "shadow and a copy" of a heavenly reality. This reality? That God is, is unchanging, and is not flawed in any way. 

Further evidence of the disparity between the earthly and the heavenly is found in the quotations that make up the second half of this chapter. Jeremiah 31 is quoted and highlights the need for a new covenant. It is worth noting that this prophecy is given before the final fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple--that is, Jeremiah speaks the words of God about the need for a new covenant before the fall of the symbol of the old covenant. 

Our author (Apollos, perhaps?) takes this promise of God, for what is a prophecy if not a promise to fulfill it? and runs with it as evidence that Jesus is the mediator of the promised new covenant. Given that Jesus invoked the phraseology of the "new covenant" specifically at the Last Supper.

In Focus:

What, then, would our author (Barnabas, perhaps?) have us see about Jesus here? That He, unlike the ordinary high priests, instituted a new covenant that is complete and unshadowed. Rather than the covenant pictured by the Tabernacle and Temples, which required constant maintenance, this covenant allowed the High Priest to sit down and call it done.

Which should remind us of another point in Scripture, namely Genesis 2:2-3. Just as God finished creation and ceased from His work, so the Son finished redemption and ceased from that work. There was no longer a need to offer continual sacrifices, no having to return to bring more blood on a further day. 

In focus we should see the seated Christ, finished with His work of redemption.

In Practice:

Well, if Jesus is done with redemption, what is there for us to practice?

Several things:

1. Faith, demonstrated in bold obedience. We should be bold in our walk with Jesus, knowing that He has finished saving us and that we not fear being cutoff over a slight misstep. While we should be in touch with the Word of God so that we obey rightly, inactivity in fear of decision making does not show that we trust our redemption is secure in Christ.

2. Humility, demonstrated in compassion. It's always hard to write about humility. The more I say about it, the more obvious it is I need more humility. But since we can be clear that our redemption is accomplished by Jesus without any help from us, there should never be arrogance in the servant of God. We are redeemed, yes, and we are part of God's people, yes, but not because we are more awesome than the next person. Show your humility by demonstrating compassion to all.

3. Faith, demonstrated in bold obedience. Faith precedes our obedience and empowers it. But there is no way to demonstrate a faith that is mere emotional assent. Instead, our faith is shown by action which shows we trust God--through obedience.

In Nerdiness:

1. Nerd point A: our author (Paul, perhaps?) refers in v. 4 to the gifts being offered according to the Law. This causes me to date Hebrews prior to the destruction of the Temple (70 AD).

2. Nerd point B: our author (Barnabas, perhaps?) starts with "the main point..." as if he's getting a speech back on track. This is one of the reasons I think Hebrews is actually the record of an oral presentation. It was then bundled as a letter and sent--a sermon series delivered to one group of Hebrews and then written out and sent over to another group.

3. Nerd point C: the Septuagint (LXX, Greek translation of the Old Testament) is the source for the Jeremiah quotation. Not super critical, but tells us what was being used. It is likely that this helps us locate the composition of Hebrews to outside of Israel--but that's not required.

4. Nerd Point D: I find it very interesting that the reference here, and throughout Hebrews, focus on the Tabernacle and not the Temple. I wonder if this is because there is Scriptural support that the Tabernacle is designed by God (Exodus) while there is no such support for this view of the Temple? The Temple appears to have mainly copied the Tabernacle layout.

A Priest out of Line: Hebrews 7

In Summary:

Well, Hebrews 7 continues the “wait, what is he talking about?” portion of Hebrews. Melchizedek is nearly the focus of this chapter—he’s not, Jesus is—and we just don’t know much about Melchizedek. Apart from the mentions in the Epsitle to the Hebrews, we would probably count him as a minor character from Genesis 14. Instead, we take a long, hard look at him as an important figure who is a “type” (literary example) of Christ.

The identity and heritage of Melchizedek is addressed in this chapter. Well, actually his lack of lineage. Melchizedek is spoken of as having no ancestry. Rather, he is identified as remaining a priest forever because his death is not noted in Scripture. (There’s two ways to see this: he never died, and was a theophany; he did die but it’s not recorded so he remains “listed” as a priest. Sound study does not solve this on the basis of this chapter alone.)

Melchizedek, though, is not the focus of the chapter. Neither are Abraham or Levi, who are also mentioned. Jesus is. Not just because the whole Bible is about Jesus but because the Patriarchal Age figures are brought up to show the supremacy of Christ over the Law. How so?

In Focus:

Let us make Hebrews 7:14 in focus today. Hebrews is addressing an early objection to Jesus as the One True High Priest of God. The priesthood, after all, is supposed to descend from the Levitical line. This rule goes back to Exodus and the whole golden calf problem. Levi’s descendants showed a zeal for God’s holiness that the other Israelites were disregarding and so God appointed the Levites as priests.

Jesus, though, is from the line of the tribe of Judah. For Him to be the High Priest (as Hebrews alleges,) He should have come from the Levites. Rather than resorting to all sorts of lineage gymnastics, though, the Lord provides the answer in this manner: even Levi, the great-grandson of Abraham, counted Melchizedek as a priest over him. (How? Because Abraham did, so it passed on.) Therefore, it’s possible to be a priest higher than the priestly line—and it is from this lineage that Jesus is accounted a priest. Not for biology but by the declaration of God.

In Practice:

One thing this does NOT mean, for the record, is that anybody else gets to come along and declare themselves a priest like Melchizedek. The author of Hebrews is declaring the fulfillment of that line just as much as the fulfillment of the Levitical line of priests and the Judahite line of kings. It all culminates with Jesus.

Beyond that, a few thoughts:

1. As a minister, this one speaks clearly to me: the frailty of human priests. I’m not a priest. Never have been, never will be—but just the same, if the priests needed daily sacrifices even with their insulated lives, how much more so do I need them? I’m not fit to be the priest of God’s people because I’m just as sinful. (7:26-27)

2. As a believer, stop trying to sort everyone and everything according to my own understanding. God works according to His character and His word, not according to my rationale. There will be times that this looks like I expect. And times it looks very different.

3. Furthermore, as a believer, proclaim the salvation in the great High Priest, Jesus. Not salvation according to religious traditions or spirituality, but according to the One who is perfect forever. (7:28)

In Nerdiness: 

Well, there’s plenty to nerd out about with Melchizedek, but we’ll leave it aside. You can find many viewpoints, including that he was really Jesus before the Incarnation, much like the Commander of the Army of Yahweh in Joshua 5-6. I’m not sure…check some Old Testament scholars on that idea.

And that’s actually one of the challenges about researching Melchizedek. This bears a challenge to you nerd folk: typically, we find a specialty area and pursue it. That’s great. Some concepts, though, break across those areas. Melchizedek is really an Old Testament figure. OT scholars are usually well-versed in Hebrew and other older Israelite issues. But the bulk of the Scriptural references to Melchizedek are found in Greek in the New Testament. One has to work across that divide to dig out the ideas.

In other words: build your silo, but don’t neglect the truth found in the other silos on the farm. They may interrelate more than you expect.

Wavering Back: Hebrews 6

In Summary:

One cannot come to Hebrews 6 without taking a look into the question of "falling away" that is raised in Hebrews 6:4-6. This is not the only content of Hebrews 6, however, and we would do well to not make it more than it is. Further, remember that we understand Scripture by placing it into its proper context, which includes not only the culture of writing but the overall context of the revealed Word of God. That is to say that one section fits within the whole, not contradicts it.

Before we return to those verses, though, let us look at the rest of this chapter. Noteworthy for our understanding is the overall thrust here--the need for maturity in the lives of believers. The first few verses address this need, as do the closing sections. We see a continued emphasis by the author of Hebrews that walking with Jesus is not something to be taken overly lightly.

In Focus:

Let us put the "falling away" passage in focus for now. Consider what is being said: that if one turns from the Gospel after having held it, there is no return. Early in the life of the church, this was understood to mean that one who willfully sinned after salvation was lost--coupled with a mistaken understanding of baptism as bringing salvation, practically speaking this led to a belief that one should not sin too much after being baptized. (For this reason, for example, it appears the Emperor Constantine delayed his baptism until he was near death.)

We see, though, in John 6, Romans 11, Philippians 1, Ephesians 2, 1 Peter, and many other places that believers are held by the power of God through the seal of the Holy Spirit. This precludes understanding Hebrews 6 as teaching that true believers can lose their salvation. Further, it is worth noting that if this is the teaching of Hebrews 6, then there is no return--once out, always out would become the refrain rather than the Baptist view of once saved, always saved. Further, this places a strange premium on sins committed after belief--the grace of God mediated through the Cross and the blood of Jesus is enough to save the vilest murderer but not the wretched backslider?

It is possible that the author of Hebrews is here addressing a singular group of individuals. Consider the era and Acts 19--there are people who are nearer to the Kingdom than others, but still not all the way in. Is it possible that there was a unique group of Hebrews who were, for lack of a better term, "one-foot-in, one-foot-out?" These would have not been truly saved but were wavering between two opinions. That would not be unique in Hebrew history, considering Elijah's challenge on Mt. Carmel.

Further, Hebrews as a whole addresses the need for the people to commit themselves, finally and fully, to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is clear that the audience should grasp the nettle, take the bull by the horns, and go forward rather than halting about, waiting to see whether or not God is faithful.

After all, the key here is not what we can do, but Hebrews 6:19, that God is the author of the hope that we can anchor our souls to.

In Practice:

The first practical step is this: stop wavering. We have a temptation in the current era of the life of the church, and that is to hold on to the old ways of doing church and hope it's good enough for God. It's not, and never really was. The living faith of our fathers was what built their relationship. Not their architecture, budgetary prowess, or organizational structures. Not even holding services at 11:00. Instead, we need to go full out to being obedient to God rather than man. Even really spiritual men.

The second practical step is this: move forward, sure in your salvation. There is a time for introspection, asking "Am I truly of Christ?" There is also a time to take the Word of God and act upon it. If you have been a believer for years, the time is now for the latter, not constantly ruminating on the former. Get to work.

In Nerdiness:

Note the idea of "swearing" in Hebrews 6:13. Consider this: the idea is that one swears by a greater power than oneself, because that greater power will hold you to your oath. God swore by Himself, because He knew He could be trusted. Yet we rarely swear, honestly, by anything that has the power to hold us to our promises. Our word should be our bond, because we are honoring the One who swore to protect us. 

Listen and Rest: Hebrews 4

In Summary:

Like any good sermon, Hebrews 4 touches on many topics as the author presses forward to the end. We see reminiscences of the Old Testament, again, as the reader is reminded of the rejection of God’s salvation in the Exodus. This theme recurs throughout the opening chapters of Hebrews: God has brought the people out of bondage. Will they stay out in obedience or willfully go back? The choice parallels the choice of the Israelites of the Exodus. There’s no going all the way back, but there is missing the point overall.

The people, then, must make a decision between following in obedience and retreating. The apparent temptation is that going back is restful, easier. But it’s not. Going back is always just that: going backward. God created us to walk forward in obedience, not to step back in fear. Please note that I am not saying that we should not back out of decisions that are not obedient—redeem your errors! I am saying that when God speaks, we either obey or sin.

In Focus:

What, then, should we obey? That’s so often the question I hear. How do I know what to do? How do I know what God has said? It’s a question that is plainly answered in Hebrews 4:12, if we will just heed what is said here. What does that say?

God has given us His word. Not just a static force, carved into walls or tablets, but living and active. If we have the word of God, then there is no debating what God has said to us. There can be discussion of what we do about it, but it is partly for this reason we have the Holy Spirit. It is also for this reason we should remember Hebrews 4:14-16, noting that we can draw near to God for what we need. I would take Hebrews 4:16 as a reminder of Esther to the Hebrew audience, how she had to approach an earthly king with fear for her life, while as believers they could approach the King of All Kings boldly, assured they would receive help.

In Practice:

What does this look like in practice?

First, it looks like being committed to knowing the Word of God. To the best of your abilities, you should know the Word of God. If you are in a line of work, like ministry employment (for lack of a better term,) that enables extended study, you should do that. And you should do that in the original languages, learning how to make plain the truth.

Second, it looks like enabling others to know the Word of God. Focusing on the positive of this, support Bible translation and Bible teaching ministries. Provide for people to study for themselves, and do not block them from learning and digging deeper. Model a thirst for the Word and take others with you.

Third, it looks like separating the wheat from the chaff. That is, recognizing that none of the words of people are equal to the Word of God. Take your pastor, for example, and realize that he may be right and he may not be—but the Word is always right. There are ways of interpreting Scripture and coming up with different conclusions, and we cannot elevate those conclusions to the highest level. A few things that pop to mind are things like whether or not to home school or whether your church should support a large missions force together with others, or just a few that you know personally. These are open for interpretation, don’t allow someone to tell you it’s his way or the highway on chaff issues.

In Nerdiness: 

The first nerd-salvo is in v. 16. Look back at the story of Esther and see how she boldly went before Ahasuerus, but without any assurance that she could even draw near to voice her request. We need not summon even her courage: we are assured that God will allows us to draw near to the throne of grace, and we will receive grace.

From here, do keep in mind that we are still approaching the King, not our Cousin Eddie.

The second nerd-salvo would note the similarity between the names “Joshua” and “Jesus” in Greek. How similar? It’s the same word. Likewise with the assumed Aramaic name for Jesus of “Yeshua.” The choice is made that much more plain: what “Yeshua” did not do in the Old Covenant, “Yeshua” did do with the New Covenant.

Do Not Go Back! Hebrews 3

As we look into Hebrews 3, keep in mind that a major point of the author is the supremacy of Christ in all things. When the author draws up various quotes and references to the Old Testament, the intent is to contrast how those events and people pale in comparison to Jesus. This applies even to Moses, who is referred to positively throughout the chapter. Even his faithfulness (v. 2) is not as glorious as the faithfulness of Jesus.

The look at Moses is not just about the supremacy of Christ, but also raises the critical application question. The people who followed Moses rejected God's Word through him, and judgment fell on them for it. If that was true of those who rejected a lesser leader in Moses, what will occur for those who reject Christ?

From this, I think we can develop one part of the audience of Hebrews. Initially, we see the Gospel spread among the Jews of the Diaspora (these are the ones who have scattered from Israel at the time) with uneven after-effects. Some communities rejected the Gospel outright, while others became divided over their response. The division between those who accepted the Gospel and those who rejected it grew deeper, though, and reconciliation was not possible. Truth is a powerful divider.

However, living with that division was not as easy as we might like it to be. Much of the world is relational and interconnected in ways that modern Americans have difficulty understanding. While we are concerned, rightly, about how religious freedom affects our businesses or government involvement, in that era being cutoff from family and relationships was a much bigger issue than we think. It could result not only in job loss, but in the complete inability to find work...or future relationships. We tend to marry based on who we find or like, and having an arranged marriage is frightening. In that era, though, being cast out of family cut off the marriage arrangement possibilities, and that cut off could prevent job hopes as well.

Experiencing that challenge, the loss of life and earthly relationships, was a daunting prospect for those who had accepted the Gospel. While there was an eternal hope, trying to keep food on the table and family connections drew eyes back to the earthly matters. The temptation to return to the life from before, living like Jesus wasn't the Messiah, was strong.

Hebrews 3 reminded the audience that God's people had turned back before. They had come close to receiving God's promises through obedient faith, but rejected the last step. Given Jesus as superior to Moses, if the people rejected Jesus the results would be far worse than dying in the desert while their descendants claimed the promises. Instead, there would be no hope for those who turned back.

What does that mean for us? We do not live in the ancient world, and the cultural changes insulate us from some of the consequences of our faith. Further, the Christian community is larger and equipped to be self-sustaining.

That is our first step. Practice being self-sustaining, and realize that we cannot keep up with the world's standards of wealth and power in the first place. Rather than involving our resources in trying to look like a better version of the world, we need to work on being obedient and sensitive to the needs of our fellow Christians.

Second, be prepared for trouble to come. Jesus promised it and Acts records a sampling of how it happened, and yet we seem to think we will avoid it. Trouble will come for those who follow Jesus. Expect it.

Finally, serve Jesus with all your heart and let the events of this world fall where they will. Hebrews 3 reminds us that obedience strengthens our relationship with God, and this is where our hope lies.

Heed Heartily: Hebrews 2

In Summary:

Hebrews 2 opens with a warning to heed well what God has said through His Son, and then goes on to point out reasons for that warning. Additionally, we see more quotations from the Psalms. The author of Hebrews is clearly well-versed in the Old Testament.

Further, we see the explanation in this chapter that Jesus was tempted through His suffering. Even though this is the case, He did not succumb to the temptation and is able, v. 18, to aid those who are tempted. I would suggest that this idea reaches into where our strongest temptations are: during suffering. Good times tempt us to laziness, but suffering tempts us to abandonment.

Yet when we look at the Cross of Jesus, we should see that God does not send us through what He’s never dealt with. That should be a sustaining thought.

In Focus:

Let’s focus, again, on the first part of the chapter. Verse 1 warns the reader to pay closer attention to what we have heard. Closer than what? Closer than the attention paid by those in the past, who did not heed the warnings of prophets and teachers.

Further, as we consider the Old Testament record of God bringing judgment on those who disobey, we must consider that ignoring the Son of God will bring even deeper problems and greater judgment.

There is also a chronological aspect to consider. God’s judgment has been as continuous as His lovingkindness. It is seen in both the affairs of nations and the individual lives of people. Yet it has always happened, and can be expected again.

In Practice:

Practically speaking, there are more steps here than simply “hunker down and fear the judgment of God.” Certainly that’s the first step: hunker down and fear the judgment of God. Then ask God to deliver you through the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross.

From there, consider the problems that come across your path. Every one of them is, at its root, similar to the difficulties faced by Jesus. Nothing He commands is out of His capacity, so take it to Him. How do we do that?

1. Knowing the Word of God. We’ll claim to know what God commands, know the person of Jesus, and follow the Spirit—yet we remain clueless about the Word of God that He has given us. How does that work? It doesn’t. Know the Word of God. You don’t have to memorize every last king or get Paul’s Missionary Journeys in the right order. But if you have never read through, slowly enough to understand, the whole Bible, you are missing the bulk of what God has to say about your situation.

2. Live in a relationship with God. We’re not in this alone, but we sure do act like it. Hear God through His Word. Talk to God in prayer. Recognize that you are not the only possible solution to your problems. Rely on and trust in the One who saved you.

3. Be connected with the Body of Christ. Jesus died and rose again, and so you can be drawn near to God. You also can draw near to others who have the same relationship. That time you faced the darkness alone? The Body should have been there for you. As believers, we have to do better for each other, in both admitting our needs and supplying the needs of one another.


In Nerdiness: 

Best nerd part of this chapter is the quotation of Psalm 8 in verses 6-8. Here we see evidence that the Septuagint was consulted rather than the Hebrew text at the time. The reference to man as “lower than the angels” reflects the Greek use of “angelos” instead of the Hebrew “elohim.”

What does that tell us? That while Hebrews is written to a primarily Jewish audience, the audience was more familiar with the Greek expression of Scripture than the Hebrew. This is historically interesting.

Theologically, it raises this question: what should we take as the text for the Old Testament? Should we count the Septuagint’s version of Psalm 8 or the Masoretic Text’s? Do we count both as valid, that Psalm 8 from the Hebrew is correct, and the quotations in Hebrews are also correct? This is why we keep searching, studying, and praying. 

God Spoke: Hebrews 1

Because I am not quite right in the head, I’m going to tackle Hebrews next. Hebrews, where there’s absolutely no way one blog post will do justice to a chapter. So, I’ll just do it and we’ll cope.

In Summary:

Hebrews begins with the clear declaration that God spoke. The first verses summarize well the rest of Hebrews 1: God has spoken, now let’s talk about what He has said.

The author of Hebrews (see the Nerds) goes on to extensively quote from the Psalms and interlaces several Psalms as a testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ. This supports the overall theme of Hebrews of Jesus as superior to all others, including both angels and King David.

The one thing lacking in this chapter? Any biographical information about the author. Unlike most of the other letters, Hebrews contains no introduction or personal greeting at the opening. The content must stand on its own for the modern reader, rather than resting on the backstory of the author.

In Focus:

Let us roll back and take a look at Hebrews 1:1-2, the first two verses. What do we find there?

1. God has spoken. Taken on its own, this is significant. “Speaking” as communication is distinct in its clarity. This is different from hinting or even “communicating,” where one is hopeful the idea comes across.

This sets up to us that God did not leave matters unclear when He interacted with His people in the past. He “spoke,” being clear about what He wanted them to know.

2. God has spoken, first through prophets and then through Jesus. I find a pair of interesting points here. One is the exclusion of the apostles as part of God’s speaking. The other is the equivalency of authority between the prophets and Jesus.

The former suggests that Hebrews is not written at a time when the church recognizes the inspiration of the apostolic writings. If we compare this to 2 Peter 3, where Peter equates Paul with the prophetic Scriptures, there is a clear contrast.

The latter reminds us that the older writings, those of the “prophets” are valid parts of God’s speaking to His people. The difference between them and Jesus is the completeness of the speaking in Christ. There is nothing lacking in Jesus, while the prophets spoke in parts.

Beyond this, we see the quotation of the Psalms which demonstrate that the God spoke in the Old Testament to tell us of Jesus.

In Practice:

What does this look like in practice? Here are three thoughts:

1. Stop seeking God in tea leaves, emotional twinges, or strange thoughts that cross your mind. God speaks clearly. He has spoken clearly in the Word. Listen to what God has already said. The key to living the Christian life is knowing and doing what God has already said, not guessing at what your thoughts are about.

2. Do not neglect the Old Testament. It may take some effort to see how the Law, Prophets, and Writings affect your life, but that effort is well-spent.

3. Be clear in your speaking of God. We like “wiggle words” that let us out of ideas, just in case those ideas go wrong. Stop it. Say what you mean, say it clearly, and let it be. Especially as you speak of God.

In Nerdiness: 

The First Nerd Concept: Who wrote Hebrews? I’m partial to David Allen’s view of Luke as the author of Hebrews, myself. See this book:  Lukan Authorship of Hebrews.  Other thoughts are Barnabas, Apollos, and even Paul. I think Paul is the least likely, and lean toward Apollos as the backup possibility. One other theory is Priscilla and Aquila together.

I don’t think it’s critical.

Second Nerd Concept: I think Hebrews fits the format of audio delivery. I see this as the written record of oral delivered content, like a sermon series. That’s different than a letter like Paul’s which was written intending to be read. I think that accounts for some of the style oddities, and then Hebrews 13 bears the marks of the post script for the letter format.

Third Nerd Concept: Worth knowing is that the Old Testament references are from the Septuagint rather than the Hebrew text. Doesn’t affect much, but is worth knowing.