SS - Hebrews 5-6
Notes
Transcript
A rebuke and 2 exhortations
Rebuke for immaturity
3 metaphors
School
Teachers
“basic principles” = stoicheia “basic principles” “alphabet”
Kitchen
“milk”
Does any scripture come to mind when we hear needing milk?
What about when Peter says 1 Peter 2:2 “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—”
Why does Peter say long for milk to grow and Hebrews says if you’re on milk you’re unskilled and a child
Mixing metaphors & context
What does skill in the word of righteousness look like?
Wisdom
Application
Instruction
Discernment “organ of sense”
Why is discernment so important?
“i understand prayer”
Third metaphor “trained by practice”
Athletic imagery
Similar to
Hebrews 6:20 “where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”
Hebrews 12:1–2 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:11–13 “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.”
Like a muscle, discernment and application of God’s word needs to grow stronger via repitition
Light weights
Is lying a sin
And there are heavier weights (Can anyone think of complex discernment questions?)
“When/can a christian participate in civil disobedience and to what extent?”
“Is it ever right to deceive someone in order to protect someone innocent (hiding jews from nazis, etc)”
“Therefore”
First exhortation
Leave the elementary doctrine of Christ
basic principles - alphabet
Lays out these foundational principles
Repentance from dead works and faith toward God
Instruction about washings and laying on of Hands
Resurrection of the dead and eternal judgement
OT Themes foundational to revelation of the messiah
Covenant commitment: repentance and trust
Cleansing for covenant communion: Washings and laying on of hands (on sacrificial animals to transfer guilt)
Covenant sanctions of blessing and cursing: resurrection and eternal judgment
Warning against apostacy
“It is impossible”
for what?
Goes on a tangent
“Restore them to repentance”
A few questions the text answers
Who
Why
Who
There are 4 things
“been enlightened”
“tasted the heavenly gift”
“shared in the holy spirit”
“tasted ‘goodness of gods word & powers(miracles) of age to come’”
Been enlightened
been exposed to the gospel. They have heard the good news of Jesus Christ
Tasted the heavenly gift
Salvation (reject that)
They have seen the blessings of the gospel within the church
witnessed the power of the spirit
Saw people saved
They experienced the grace and blessings of the body
Participated in the church
Shared in the holy spirit
“have become companions of the holy spirit”
Saw miracles
Perhaps performed them
Judas
Been enlightened
Tasted heavenly gift
shared in spirit
3 views
Real salvation. This person has a true saving faith
strong statements
“have been enlightened”
“tasted the gift”
“shared in spirit”
Problems
Contradicts the many passages that teach otherwise
John 10:27–29 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”
John 6:36–40 “But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.””
Romans 8:38–39 “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Philippians 1:6 “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
John 3:16 ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Neglects the rest of this chapter!
Hebrews 6:17–19 “So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,”
this is why paul can say
2 Timothy 1:12 “which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.”
2nd view
Participation in the sacramental life of the church
Enlightened = Baptism
heavenly gift = Lords Supper
tasting goodness of gods word = sit under the preaching of it
Those who enjoy the privileges of the church without ever coming to a true saving faith
3rd view
Reference to the experience of God’s people in the exodus
5 Major exhortations in Hebrews
Drifting from Gospel (Heb 2:1-4)
Harden heart in unbelief (Heb 3:7-4:13)
Press on to maturity (Heb 5:11-6:12)
Approach God and hold fast (Heb 10:19-39)
Call for holiness and to not refuse the voice of Christ (Heb 12:14-29)
In each of the other 4, there is explicit reference to OT situation
If that is the case
“Once enlightened” = pillar of light that guided 12 tribes through the desert
For them, its not literal fire they see, but experience what it signified
“tasted gift” = manna
“gods word” = from moses at sinai
“spirit” = spirits work in covenant community
“powers” = miraculous works of god
The point is we saw in chapters 3 and 4 that most did not enter the promised land but rebelled against God
That warning point to us. Those who are around the body but are not a part of it. Those who do not trust in Christ
It’s “impossible” to restore such a person
Some have said it’s impossible for the one apostasizing to restore themselves
Some have said it’s impossible for other believers to restore such person
Hypothetical
If they could fall away, restoration would be impossible
They can’t, so the warning is a means of preservation
Problems
Doesnt seem hypothetical
I take this to mean those who have experienced the realities of the christian community and has decisively rejected Christ
We don’t know if they have decisively rejected christ
But here is what I do know
preaching on discipline
Goal is restoration
1 Corinthians 5:5 “you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.”
The point the author of hebrews is making is the seriousness and the danger of turning your back on Jesus
imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises… FOR
Those - Abraham
God makes promise to abraham to bless him and multiply
Genesis 12:1–3 “Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.””
Makes an oath
Genesis 22:16–17 “and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies,”
In antiquity an oath was an appeal to “something greater, but there is nothing greater than God so he swears to himself
Patiently waited by faith
Genesis 15:1–6 “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.”
Promise is not only to Abraham but to all the “heirs of the promise” vs 17
Who is the heir of promise? not gentiles?
Galatians 3:29 “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”
His offspring (Christ)
Galatians 3:16 “Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.”
Hope is a sure & steadfast anchor
Not a wish, not good odds, not hopeful thinking, but a sure anchor that will hold us
Christ is the only anchor
