Teaching Copy Hebrews 2.
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Hebrews 2.
Hebrews 2.
We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
So when you hear this verse what come to mind? What visual do you get?
It really interesting how this verse is laid out. So the author uses all nautical terms in this verse.
The word for drift is Prosechein which means to hold a ship towards port.
Does that give you a different sense of what the author is saying?
Paul is saying that if you drift its not an accident. Its because you were not careful enough, you know better. I would be like the captain of a allowing the boat to get of course because they were not diligent in their navigation.
For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment,
how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.
God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
What do you think the author wants us to see here? Lets start out with the message that was spoken through the angels. What was that? Any Ideas
This is the blessing that Moses the man of God pronounced on the Israelites before his death.
He said: “The Lord came from Sinai and dawned over them from Seir; he shone forth from Mount Paran. He came with myriads of holy ones from the south, from his mountain slopes.
Surely it is you who love the people; all the holy ones are in your hand. At your feet they all bow down, and from you receive instruction,
the law that Moses gave us, the possession of the assembly of Jacob.
He was king over Jeshurun when the leaders of the people assembled, along with the tribes of Israel.
See in verse two where it says myriad of holy ones. That had been interpreted to mean that there were angels with God when He gave the law to Moses.
Because of this passage it was common thought in Judaism that Angels delivered the law.
No lets jump forward thousands of years.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.
An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
See how Paul is contrasting the two messages given by angels, first the law which was meant to bring about an understanding of right and wrong. Then Jesus which was meant to bring about righteousness.
lets jump down to verse 6.
But there is a place where someone has testified: “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him?
This is a reference to Job 7:17. and Psalm 144: 3.
Now lets look at verse 7.
You made them a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor
What do you think about this verse. In so many of the other verses leading up to this the author spends a lot of time talking about how Jesus is greater than the angels.
So Paul is quoting Psalms 8: 4-6
what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?
You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.
You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet:
The struggle here is the dual nature of Jesus.
How is this possible? this was a really tough thing for the early church to deal with.
Docetism (2nd Century)
This heresy was coined from the Greek word, “dokesis” which means “to seem”. It taught Jesus only appeared to have a body and was not truly incarnate. Docetists viewed matter as inherently evil, rejecting the idea that God could actually appear in bodily form. By denying Jesus truly had a body, they also denied He suffered on the cross and rose from the dead.
Leader(s) in the Heresy: Attributed to Gnostics and promoted by the Gospel of Peter
Corrector(s) of the Heresy: Ignatius of Antioch, Irenaeus, and Hippolytus refuted it was condemned at the Council of Chalcedon in 451AD
Adoptionism (2nd Century)
This heresy denies the pre-existence of Christ and therefore denies His Deity. It taught Jesus was simply a man who was tested by God and after passing the test was given supernatural powers and adopted as a son (this occurred at His baptism). Jesus was then rewarded for all He did (and for His perfect character) with His own resurrection and adoption into the Godhead.
Leader(s) in the Heresy: Theodotus of Byzantium
Corrector(s) of the Heresy: Pope Victor (190-198AD)
Docetism (2nd Century)
This heresy was coined from the Greek word, “dokesis” which means “to seem”. It taught Jesus only appeared to have a body and was not truly incarnate. Docetists viewed matter as inherently evil, rejecting the idea that God could actually appear in bodily form. By denying Jesus truly had a body, they also denied He suffered on the cross and rose from the dead.
Leader(s) in the Heresy: Attributed to Gnostics and promoted by the Gospel of Peter
Corrector(s) of the Heresy: Ignatius of Antioch, Irenaeus, and Hippolytus refuted it was condemned at the Council of Chalcedon in 451AD
Apollinarianism (4th Century)
This heresy denied the true and complete humanity of Jesus, because it taught He did not have a human mind, but instead had a mind that was completely Divine. The heresy lessened the human nature of Jesus in order to reconcile the manner in which Jesus could be both God and man at the same time.
Leader(s) in the Heresy: Appollinaris the Younger (bishop of Laodicea in Syria), 360AD
Corrector(s) of the Heresy: The Council of Constantinople in 381AD
Eutychianism [Monophysitism] (5th Century)
This heresy taught Jesus’ humanity was absorbed by His divinity. The heresy is Monophysite in nature, derived from the Greek words “mono” (“one”) and “physis” (“nature”). In essence, the heresy claimed Jesus had only one nature (something new and different than the Divine or human nature that God and humans have, respectively). Instead, this heresy taught a third unique nature was possessed by Jesus; a blend or mixture of the human and the Divine.
Leader(s) in the Heresy: Eutyches of Constantinople (380 – 456AD)
Corrector(s) of the Heresy: The Fourth Ecumenical Council in Chalcedon in 451AD. The Chalcedonian Creed addresses this heresy.
Monothelitism (7th Century)
This heresy emerged in response to the Monophysite heresy (see above), but it also taught something denied by the Scripture. The name is derived from a Greek root that means “one will”. Monothelitism taught Jesus had two natures but only one will. Instead of having two cooperative wills (one Divine and one human), Jesus had one Divine-human “energia”.
Lets move on to verse 9.
But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
This is the suffering servant found in Isiah 53.
In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.
Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.
He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.”
this is the difference between Jesus and the law. Jesus makes us holy, through His sacrifice, not multiple sacrifices.
I also think the rest of chapter 2 is a real clear indication that Paul wrote this. The reason is the adoption language. Through Ephesians, Romans, and Galatians all have adoption language.
For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.
Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
What are these two verse telling us?
What do you think about the priest language? What do you think of when you think of a priest.
The word Priest comes from the Latin word Ponifex, which is also where we get the word pontiff. It means bridge builder.
The idea is that the gap between God and Humanity needed to be bridged. Leviticus 16. lays out the expectation of the priest, and how they are to make atonement for their sins, and the sins of the people.
What do you think Paul is referring to here? What event?
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split
What is the significance of the of the role of the priest, and the curtain being torn from top to bottom?
Hebrews 3.
Hebrews 3.
Who was the most influential person in your life? Why? What did they teach you? Could you imagine me telling you that someone else was more important to you than the person you said. Seems absurd right? That is what happens in Hebrews chapter 3
Chapter 3 is going to start out by showing how Jesus is greater than Moses. Paul will make the argument that Jesu sis the most important, influential person in Jewish history, and relationship to God.
Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.
He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house.
Again we get the adoption language, being adopted into the family of God. That is what the Heavenly calling is.
Remember the role of the High Priest is to make atonement before God, for the people. The part about being faithful is a reference back to Numbers 12: 6-8.
he said, “Listen to my words: “When there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams.
But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house.
With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”
I want us to hole on to this last verse, where God spoke to Moses face to face.
Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself.
For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.
“Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future.
But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.
What does this say to you about the comparison between Jesus and Moses?
Moses Spoke to God.
Jesus is God.
Moses built a temporary house for God to be on Earth.
Jesus was God on Earth.
Moses saw a glimpse of the radiance of God.
Jesus is the full radiance of God.
God gave Moses the law.
Jesus fulfilled the law.
What do you think about verse 8? what does it mean to hold firmly?
Its interesting this verse has perplexed theologians for a long time. Because the phrase seems out of context, and doesn't have enough surrounding words to give it a clear meaning.
I have always thought it is a way of showing the difference between the faith of Moses and Jesus. Both human, but Moses wavered. He did not do exactly what God told him too. While Jesus did everything God told Him to.
Ask someone to read.
So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness,
where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did.
That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’
So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ”
See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
So I know you may get tired of this, but verse 7 in my opinion is another bit of proof that Paul wrote Hebrews. I think this is a direct connection to Acts 28- verse 20-26 where Paul preaches in Rome. Go read it this week and let me know what you think.
What do you think kept the Children of Israel out of the Promised Land?
What was their sin?
When the Lord heard what you said, he was angry and solemnly swore:
“No one from this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your ancestors,
except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly.”
If you go back and read you will find out its is because they did not fully trust God, the rebelled.
So with that in mind lets read verse 12-15 again.
See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.
As has just been said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.”
Think about how we rebel, what do you think are some of the biggest ways Christians rebel?
Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt?
And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness?
And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed?
So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.