ICEA – Church at Study

Many in the PCAF organization have been studying from the book of Hebrews, based on the International Sunday School Lessons. These lessons started the fall quarter and ended on October 30. These have been eye-opening studies.

There are two great themes in this book. The one and greatest theme is Jesus is far superior than any man, created being or Old Testament system. The second theme is a little less known and deals with the dangers of the writer’s followers returning to their former lifestyles. Their former ways seemed to have involved the people’s desire to be enslaved in meaningless religion and not desiring to worship Jesus Christ.

The writer sets forth many strong arguments for his Jewish readers. Apparently, his readers knew Old Testament scriptures well. Here are some of the writer’s ARGUMENTS:

Argument 1: He attempts to persuade Jewish believers that Christ has fulfilled the Old Testament requirements of the law and those things used in Old Testament ceremonies are just symbols or shadows which represent Christ and are fulfilled in Him.

Argument 2: As God’s son, Jesus is superior to any being, and there are some beings who are just types of Him.

Argument 3: The writer’s quotes from the Old Testament are probably the strongest arguments. It’s important to note that the writer of Hebrews skillfully interjects the Old Testament scriptures with his own writings to persuade Jewish readers that their writings point to Christ (i.e. – Acts 8:26-35)

He argued…God spoke to the Jewish prophets and leaders and is now speaking to the church (made up of Jew and gentiles) through His son (1:1)

He argued…The son is better than angels. He has inherited his position, partly because He is the son (1:4) and also for His work on earth (1:3, Phil 2:7-11)

He argued…God did not give son ship to angels (1:5). The Angels’ purpose is to worship the Son and minister to those on earth who also have an inheritance (1:6, 14)

He argued…Christ is better than Moses. The Jews highly esteemed Moses because he was the giver and interpreter of the Old Testament law. Next to David and Abraham, Moses was their greatest leader. The author makes it clear…one was a servant over the house (Moses), the other is the Son over the house (3:1-6)

He argued…many Old Testament writings and prophesies reveal Jesus as Christ. The writer certainly proved his point by interjecting so many Old Testament scriptures into his writing. Here are a number of them:

QUOTES FROM THE BOOK OF HEBREWS FOUND IN THE OLD TESTAMENT:

1:5 (Ps 2:7) …Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee
1:5 (II Sam. 7:14) …I will be to him a Father…
1:6 (Ps 97:7) … let all the angels of God worship him
1:7 (Ps 104:4) …who maketh his angels spirits…
1:8 (Ps 45:6-7) …thy throne, O God, is for ever…

NOTE: In Heb. 1:8, the Father is not speaking directly to the Son, calling Him God or Lord — but the writer of Hebrews has penned this verse (which is a DIRECT QUOTE) from the prophetic writings of one of the sons of Korah (See Psalms 45:6-7). (Remember Heb. 1:1 — In the past, God spoke to the fathers by or through the prophets.)

1:9 (Ps 45:7) …Thou hast loved righteousness…
1:10 (Ps 102:25) …Thou Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation (See “NOTE” above.)
1:10 (Ps 102:26) …They shall perish; but thou remainest…
1:13 (Ps 110:1) …Sit…at my right hand…I make thy enemies thy footstool
2:6 (Ps 8:4) …What is man, that thou art mindful of him
2:7 (Ps 8:5) …thou madest him a little lower than the angels
2:12 (Ps 22:22) I will declare thy name unto my brethren…
2:13 (???) I will put my trust in him
2:13 (???) …Behold, I and the children which God hath given me
3:7 (Ps 95:7-8) Today if ye will hear his voice…
4:3 (Ps 95:11) As I have sworn in my wrath…
4:4 (Gen 2:2) God did rest the seventh day…
4:5 (Ps 95:11) …enter into my rest
4:7 (Ps 95:7-8) …harden not your hearts
5:5 (Ps 2:7) …today have I begotten thee
5:6 (Ps 110:4) …Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec
6:13 (Gen 22:16) God…sware by… himself..surely blessing I will bless thee
8:5 (Ex 25:40) See…that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed thee in the mount
8:8 (Jer 31:31) …I will make a new covenant..with…Israel
8:10 (Jer 31:33) …I will put my laws into their mind
8:13 (Jer 31:31) …A new covenant…
9:30 (Ex 24:8) …this is the blood of the testament
10:4 (Mi 6:6-7) It is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins
10:5 (Ps 40:6-8) Sacrifice and offerings thou wouldest not…lo, I come, in the volume of the book…
10:16 (Jer 31:33) I will put my laws in their hearts…
10:30 (Dt 32:35) ..vengeance belongeth unto me

(Hebrews, chapter 11 gives examples of O.T. fathers. Please study other Old Testament scripture quotes found in chapters 12 and 13.)

The second major theme of the book of Hebrews speaks of the writer’s WARNINGS to his Christian community. Their faith was not in Christ and as a result they were IN DANGER of going back to their former lifestyles. This was a serious offense!

LOOK AT THE WRITERS CONSTANT WARNINGS:

Heb. 2:1  We aught to give…heed…lest…we should let them slip
2:3           How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation
3:6           If we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
3:7           Today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your   hearts…when your fathers tempted me
3:12         Take heed, brethren, lest there be an evil heart of unbelief, in  departing from the living God
3:14         For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end
4:1           Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it
4:11         Let us labor…to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief
4:14         Let us hold fast our profession
5:12         For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again….
6:1           Leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on  unto perfection
6:8-9      That which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. But, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany   salvation
6:11-12    We desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: that you be not slothful…
10:23       Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering
10:25       Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together
10:35       Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward
10:38       Now…the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition…
12:1         Wherefore, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us…
12:3         Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
12:12       Lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees
12:14       Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.
12:15       Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God…
12:25        See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven.

What a great book!