C h a p t e r F i v e
Introduction
Having made claim of Jesus' superiority the author launches into a explanation of the selection and qualifiers of a High Priest. In verse 1 the author reminds us that a man is selected or appointed from among men to act as High Priest. Not an angel, a man. An angel would probably be more effective. But an angel would lack the qualifiers mentioned in verses 2 and 3 to enhance his "ministry”.Because a man understands man's weaknesses, God made allowances for a less perfect Priest to make the job more effective. The first thing a priest does is deal gently with people. This was foremost in God's mind. God never wanted a self-righteous and condemning sort of priest. But one who could identify with the people, But also not to the point of condoning the sin. It is the old principle of hate the sin love the sinner.
μετριοπαθέω [metriopatheo /met·ree·op·ath·eh·o/] (deal gently) v2
A compound word made up of metri meaning to measure and patheos meaning to suffer. It means to be moderate or tender in judgment toward another’s errors. It speaks of a state of feeling toward the ignorant and the erring that is neither too severe nor too tolerant.
Note: The High Priest was to be careful so as not to become intolerant, but at the same time walk the line of not becoming self-indulgent. The governing force that was to keep a lid on the High Priest's "righteous indignation" is his own realization that he too has weaknesses.
περίκειμαι [perikeimai /per·ik·i·mahee/] (subject to) v2
This word means literally, lying completely around, encompassed, completely encircled. The High Priest as well as us is surrounded by sin and weaknesses.
ἀσθένεια [astheneia /as·then·i·ah/] (weakness) v2
Moral weakness which makes men capable of sinning.
Unfortunately though, this quality of being able to identify with our sinful human nature cost the High Priest his total efficiency, because he too was a sinner he had to offer sacrifice for his sin also.
As the author moves on he now talks about appointment to the office of High Priest. The author speaks about a High Priest only being appointed by God. No human could take the responsibility of such an office by an act of his own will. King Saul invaded he priesthood and lost his kingdom (1 Sam 13). Korah and his followers tried it and lost their lives (Numbers 16). King Uzziah tried to enter the temple and burn incense; God “smote” him with leprosy (2 Chron 26). Aaron and his descendants were appointed by God and duly ordained as priests (Ex 28). He was appointed from among men to minister to men. God ordained his Messiah as a priest, High Priest, Jesus, forever in the order or Melchizedek. Psalm 110:4
The LORD has sworn
and will not change his mind:
“You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek.”
Melchizedek is mentioned in only two places in the entire Old Testament—Genesis 14:17–24 and Psalm 110:4. His name means “King of Righteousness,” and he was also “King of Salem [peace].” But the fascinating thing about Melchizedek is that he was both a priest and a king! King Uzziah wanted to be both a priest and a king, and God judged him. Only in Jesus Christ and in pre-Law Melchizedek were these two offices combined. Jesus Christ is a High Priest on a throne!
The reason Jesus Christ can be “a Priest forever” is that He belongs to the “order of Melchizedek.” As far as the Old Testament record is concerned, Melchizedek did not die (see Heb. 7:1–3). Of course, because he was a real man, he did die at some time; but the record is not given to us. So Melchizedek becomes a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ who is a Priest forever.
But Melchizedek also pictures our Lord as a heavenly High Priest. Jesus Christ could never have served as a priest when He was on earth because He did not belong to the tribe of Levi. Jesus was born of the seed of David, the tribe of Judah. He became the sacrifice on earth that He might become the High Priest in heaven. All of these truths will be developed in Hebrews 7–10, but they are introduced here. [1]
2Wiersbe, W. W. (1996, c1989). The Bible exposition commentary. "An exposition of the New Testament comprising the entire 'BE' series"--Jkt. (Heb 5:1). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.
This appointment lasts forever and precedes the Aaronic priesthood.
The author in verse 7 begins to move on and speak of the earthly training Jesus received for his position as High Priest. The author brings to mind Jesus struggles in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross. These are the two places that commentators mention when they speak of Jesus' high powered and emotional prayers.
Jesus suffered many things on earth and through these he learned obedience. Remember that in his walk on earth he lived by faith in His Father’s will. As God, he needed to learn nothing. But has Jesus, in the flesh, he had to experience the same thing as the people he was going to minister to experience. He experienced, especially through his prayers in the Garden, what was involved in obedience.
"And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:8, NIV)
τελειόω [teleioo /tel·i·o·o/] (perfect) v9
This word means the bringing of a thing or a person to a goal. Add what is missing to bring a thing to complete completion. Jesus’ works of salvation, death on the cross, His resurrection, were the final things in God’s goal of eternal salvation. Jesus accomplished them perfectly.
προσαγορεύω [prosagoreuo /pros·ag·or·yoo·o/] (designated) v10
This word means to address or accost by some name, to give a name, to publicly announce, to salute.
νωθρός [nothros /no·thros/](slow) v11
A compound word meaning no-push or no drive, sluggish, lazy, slow, stupid, numbed.
Note: This isn't the kind of letter I like getting. I like imagining the original readers faces as they start to read this. "Hey you guys are really stupid!!” The real thing that is driving the author nuts is that they were not always this way. They have become this way. They did once know, but now they have become stupid.
Because of neglect they had become numb.
χρόνος [chronos /khron·os/] (time) v12
This word doesn't mean time like in the passing of time, this word has more to do with a succession of events. The author is telling the readers that have had all these things taught to them before. They have been through every single event that should make them ready to be teachers.
στοιχεῖον [stoicheion /stoy·khi·on/] (elementary) v12
Rudimentary ideas or beginning things. These things had been taught to them already. Remember 4:2, they were completely good-newsed.
Chapter Six
Introduction
This next passage is one of the hardest, and misapplied, and misinterpreted, and misunderstood in Scripture. It is a passage that on the surface implies the ability to lose ones salvation. Remembering or extensive training in the science of hermeneutics we are going to let Scripture interpret Scripture. So let's take some time to look up some passages that talk about the eternality of God's provision of salvation.Romans 11:29 (NIV)
29 for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. Romans 8:31-39 (NIV)
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” Psalm 44:22 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
9 who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,
he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.
Ephesians 1:13-14 (NIV)
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. 1 Peter 1:23 (NIV)
23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. John 6:39 (NIV)39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.
John 10:27-29 (NIV)
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 1 John 5:11-12 (NIV)
11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.Okay, obviously the question is not salvation. Salvation is eternal. Then what is in question here is stated in verse 6, repentance. True and complete repentance a final putting off of the old, and putting on of the new. Remember, the author is talking here about a special kind of reader. They are:
1. Slow learning (5:11)
2. Ought to be able to teach but can't (5:12)3. Immature or a babe (5:13)
4. Been enlightened, tasted of the heavenly gift, been partakers of the Holy Spirit (6:4)
5. Tasted the Word of God (6:5)
6. Been brought to the edge of repentance (6:6)
Verses 4 and 5 describe real Christians, and in verse 9 the author assumes that they are saved.
We are going to cheat and read from a great book.
No chapter in the Bible has disturbed people more than has Heb. 6. It is unfortunate that even sincere believers have “fallen out” over the doctrine of “falling away”! Scholars have offered several interpretations of this passage: (1) it describes the sin of apostasy, which means Christians can lose their salvation; (2) it deals with people who were “almost saved” but then backed away from trusting Christ; (3) it describes a sin possible only to Jews living while the Jewish temple was still standing; (4) it presents a “hypothetical case” or illustration that could not really happen. While I respect the views of others, I must reject those ideas just listed. I feel that Heb. 6 (like the rest of the book) was written to believers, but this chapter does not describe a sin that results in a believer “losing salvation.” If we keep the total context of the book in mind, and if we pay close attention to the words used, we will discover that the main lessons of the chapter are ones of repentance and assurance.
I. An Appeal (6:1–3)The writer has severely scolded his readers because of their spiritual dullness (5:11–14); now he urges them to go on to maturity (“perfection”). This, of course, is the main theme of the book. The word “perfection” (maturity) is the same word used in the Parable of the Sower in Luke 8:14 (“and bring no fruit to perfection”). This image ties in later with the illustration of the field in Heb. 6:7–8. The appeal “Let us go on” is literally, “Let us be borne, or carried, on.” It is the same word translated “upholding” in 1:3. In other words, the writer is not talking about self-effort; he is appealing to the readers to yield themselves to the power of God, the same power that upholds the whole universe. How can we fall when God is holding us?
Instead of going ahead, however, these believing Jews were tempted to lay again “a foundation” that is described in vv. 2–3. The six items in this foundation do not refer to the Christian faith as such, but rather to the basic doctrines of Judaism. Facing the fires of persecution, these Hebrew Christians were tempted to “fall by the wayside” by forsaking their confession of Christ (4:14 and 10:23). They had already slipped back into “babyhood” (5:11–14); now they were prone to go back to Judaism, thus laying again the foundation that had prepared the way for Christ and the full light of Christianity. They had repented from dead works, referring to works under the law (9:14). They had shown faith toward God. They believed the doctrine of washings (not baptism, but the Levitical washings; see Mark 7:4–5 and Heb. 9:10). Laying on of hands refers to the Day of Atonement, Lev. 16:21; and every true Jew held to a future resurrection and judgment (see Acts 24:14–15). If they did not move forward, they would be moving backward, which meant forsaking the substance of Christianity for shadows of Judaism.
II. An Argument (6:4–8)
Note from the beginning that the issue here is repentance, not salvation: “For it is impossible . . . to renew them unto repentance” (vv. 4, 6). If this passage is talking about salvation, then it is teaching that a believer who “loses salvation” cannot regain it. This means that salvation depends partly on our own works and, once we lose salvation, we can never get it back again. But the subject of the chapter is repentance—the believer’s attitude toward the Word of God. Verses 4–5 describe real Christians (see 10:32 as well as 2:9, 14), and v. 9 indicates that the writer believed they were truly saved. We do not have “almost saved” people here, but real believers.
The two key words in v. 6 are “fall away” and “crucify.” “Fall away” is not the Gk. word apostasia, from which we get the English word “apostasy.” It is parapipto, which means “to fall beside, to turn aside, to wander.” It is similar to the word for “trespass,” as found in Gal. 6:1 (“if a man be overtaken in a fault [trespass]”). So, v. 6 describes believers who have experienced the spiritual blessings of God but who fall by the side or trespass because of unbelief. Having done this, they are in danger of divine chastening (see Heb. 12:5–13) and of becoming castaways (1 Cor. 9:24–27), which results in loss of reward and divine disapproval, but not loss of salvation. The phrase “seeing they crucify” (v. 6) should be translated “while they are crucifying.” In other words, Heb. 6:4–6 does not teach that sinning saints cannot be brought to repentance, but that they cannot be brought to repentance while they continue to sin and put Christ to shame. Believers who continue in sin prove that they have not repented; Samson and Saul are cases in point. Hebrews 12:14–17 cites the case of Esau as well.
The illustration of the field in vv. 7–8 relates this truth to the image of the testing fires of God, a truth given in 1 Cor. 3:10–15 as well as Heb. 12:28–29. God saved us to bear fruit; our lives will one day be tested; what we do that is not approved will be burned. Note that the field is not burned, but rather the fruit. The believer is saved “yet so as by fire” (1 Cor. 3:15). So, the whole message of this difficult passage is this: Christians can go backward in their spiritual lives and bring shame to Christ. While they are living in sin, they cannot be brought to repentance, and they are in danger of divine chastening. If they persist, their lives will bear no lasting fruit, and they will “suffer loss” at the judgment seat of Christ. Wiersbe, W. W. (1996, c1989). The Bible exposition commentary. "An exposition of the New Testament comprising the entire 'BE' series"--Jkt. (Heb 5:1). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.
No comments:
Post a Comment