Understanding Hebrews

[Covenanter]

Heb. 2:1-4 Is a reminder of Pentecost & the Apostolic Gospel, confirmed by miracles in the name of Jesus.

 

Peter reminded his hearers of Moses' warning regarding hearing the Messiah - Acts 3:22-23 - and, like Hebrews stressed that all the prophets testify to these days - Acts 3:24 . OT prophecy relates primarily to these (Gospel) days. Neglect the great salvation in Christ & there is no escape from the judgement of a holy God.

 

Neither Peter, nor Hebrews (nor Paul) are concerned with a future dispensation when God will again deal favourably with a Messiah-rejecting nation. Their concern is immediate response to the Gospel. Salvation of a future remnant many generations later is not a fulfilment of the glorious Messianic promises & prophecies. 2 Cor. 6:1-2 begins a chapter that ends with the Gentile believers being counted in the covenant relationship given in Lev. 26:9-12

 

There is a Gospel urgency - NOW!

[Covenanter]

So, Jesus is the all-glorious Creator, King & Son of God, risen from the dead. As we read on in Heb. 2, we see him in his humanity, suffering for the salvation of his people, whom he calls "many sons", "brethren", "the church", "children", "the people."

 

In Heb. 2:5 , is "the world to come" a future dispensation? Or is it the present world "whereof we speak?" The whole context is the present world & Hebrews is saying that the prophetic Scriptures refer to the present age, to Christ & the aftermath of his victory.

 

Psalm 8 is quoted to show his humility, & his perfect manhood, a manhood that would suffer death for every man. Heb. 2:9 Every man - not just the Jews.

 

Now, does Heb. 2:10 imply imperfection of Christ? Of course not, but without his suffering, our perfect salvation could not be realised. His mission would have failed.

 

Heb. 2:14-15 reminds his readers that death is to be feared - it is the penalty for sin. By his resurrection, Jesus has triumphed over death & removed our fear of death, as we trust him. Isa. 25:8

 

Heb. 2:16 reminds his readers of a repeated OT promise: in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.  Gen. 22:18 Abraham's seed, Jesus' saving mission was for all nations of the earth. Hebrews is addressing the Jew first, but reminding them that the promises count in both Jew & Gentile. The great prOBlem attitude of the Jews was to consider themselves saved simple because they were Abraham's seed. It seems also that their expectation of the Messiah was a military king-leader like David. Their thinking was carnal.

 

The Messianic "age to come" for which they had been waiting has arrived. How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?

[beameup]

 Neither Peter, nor Hebrews (nor Paul) are concerned with a future dispensation when God will again deal favourably with a Messiah-rejecting nation. 

Hebrews 8:8 has not been fulfilled:

For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.

For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when

I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:

 

Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand

to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord;

I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

Hebrews 8:7-10

----------------------------

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them

out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:

But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD,

I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Jeremiah 31:31-34

 

See, this is where Replacement Theology greatly errs.

Hebrews is written to Hebrews.  There is yet another "covenant".

 

And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer,

and shall turn away ungodliness from JacOB:  Romans 11:26 - yet future

[Covenanter]

Is that an answer to my posts, Beameup?

OBviously the new covenant was promised for Israel & Judah, but are those covenant promises exclusively for Israel & Judah to the extent that Gentiles are excluded? e.g. Gen. 22:18 quoted by Peter:

Acts 3:²⁴ Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. ²⁵ Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. ²⁶ Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

[Genevanpreacher]

Our Sunday worship service I preached on the fulfillment of Gods Promise to Abraham in Psalm 105.

[Covenanter]

 

Hebrews 8:8 has not been fulfilled:

For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.

For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when

I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:

 

Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand

to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord;

I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

Hebrews 8:7-10

----------------------------

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them

out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:

But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD,

I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Jeremiah 31:31-34

 

See, this is where Replacement Theology greatly errs.

Hebrews is written to Hebrews.  There is yet another "covenant".

 

And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer,

and shall turn away ungodliness from JacOB:  Romans 11:26 - yet future

 

Your "logic" is flawed. Hebrews quotes Jeremiah - prophesying 600 years before. Jeremiah naturally used the future tense, so Hebrews & the other NT writers do. The new covenant IS in the blood of Jesus, the Deliverer IS Jesus. Where do Hebrews & Paul teach Israel that they can safely wait for another new covenant to be made with them? Why do you start & finish reading Hebrews in ch. 8? You've missed Heb. 2:1-3

 

Do you really think that 60 generations of Israelites can be lost, & God's promises to Abraham concerning his seed be faithfully kept - by slaughtering 2/3 of them in a future tribulation?  Psalm 105:8-9

 

Regarding future tense prophecy, when Peter quoted Joel on the day of Pentecost, he declared:

Acts 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:

21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

 

Was Peter saying the fulfilment was yet future, for some future "last days" ? Of course not; this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel.

 

And are we still waiting for salvation in the name of the  Lord? Of course not - salvation in the name of Jesus is freely proclaimed:

³⁸ Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. ³⁹ For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. ⁴⁰ And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

 

And of course Hebrews begins by saying we are in these last days: Heb. 1:1-2

[Invicta]

Wrong conclusion.  Some books are written to Hebrews, it doesn't mean that you cannot read them and get "inspiration" from the Holy Spirit.  I mean, isn't the title of the book a "hint"?

 

Actually, there is a "movement" toward Judiasm.  I met a Christian the other day that told me it was a sin to use the name Jesus as it was derived from the Greek god Zeus. 

He said that his name must be pronounced Yeshua. He told me it was also a sin not to OBey the Sabbath.  I'm sure he relies heavily on Hebrews for his "doctrine".

 

So Romans was only for the Romans, Corinthians only to the church at Corinth, Ephesians only to the church at Ephesus, and Revelation only to the seven 1st century churches in Asia?

[beameup]

So Romans was only for the Romans, Corinthians only to the church at Corinth, Ephesians only to the church at Ephesus, and Revelation only to the seven 1st century churches in Asia?

What nonsense.

 

For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:  Romans 11:13

[Invicta]

What nonsense.

 

Yes, just like your logic.

[Covenanter]

I was hoping to have a constructive discussion.

 

If you wish to accuse others of writing "nonsense" please reference the points in question & show from Scripture that they are nonsense.

 

I have shown that beameup's claim that the prophecies of a new covenant being future were simply because Hebrews quoted Jeremiah to show that the prophecy was being fulfilled - similar to Peter quoting Joel in the future tense. Jesus introduced the new covenant at the last supper, & it was ratified by his death.

 

Try to keep on topic.

[No Nicolaitans]

So Romans was only for the Romans, Corinthians only to the church at Corinth, Ephesians only to the church at Ephesus, and Revelation only to the seven 1st century churches in Asia?

 

Some consider that the general epistles (James-Jude) only apply to the Jews (or Jewish believers)...some also include Hebrews and Revelation in this view.

[No Nicolaitans]

The point was made that Hebrews is a most difficult letter to understand. Let us rise to the challenge.

 

 

Try to keep on topic.

 

My general understanding of Hebrews is this...

1. It was written to Hebrews as the main target audience, but it can be applied to any people.
2. It was written to explain the excellency of Christ over the law in all aspects.
3. It was written to explain the detrimental error of those Hebrews (and others) who were unsure of whether to accept Christ or return to Judaism. 

[Genevanpreacher]

Read chapters 6-13 after I got home. Very encouraging.

I do agree, the references to the future events from the Prophets days were fulfilled by the time of the writing of this book.

I believe, as past 'commentators/translators' of my Bible, that the 'Hebrews' included anyone who believed

in Jesus Christ in the local area of Jerusalem at the time, Jew and Gentile.

Remember, sometimes in the synagogues, there were gentiles amongst the congregation.

So they needed to know the 'value' of the sacrifices compared with the Cross, too.

 

God is so great!

[Dr James Ach]

 

What nonsense.

 

For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:  Romans 11:13

 

I'll be back to jump in on this later. Or, those reading can just search other areas of this forum where we/I have addressed these rank heresies from the racist Covenanter and any of his gullible ilk before.

 

Just because a book has a general application that can be applied doesn't mean that it was INTENDED for a different group. If that logic held any water, then you may as well start accepting the Apocrypha because it has some general truths in it that can be used by believers. Why should be it be such a surprise that a book is INTENDED for a particular audience when James begins his book "to the TWELVE TRIBES scattered abroad".

 

And for those who don't like my "approach", think I'm too "unloving", when this forum starts getting rid of those here that spread their rank heretical doctrines with impunity, then I'll "calm down". And don't give me that "We need to have a good testimony on here for other visitors". Give me a break. Good night what did any of you do for church visitation night before the internet was developed. Most of these heretical accounts are anonymous anyway, and the followers of James White and members of stuff fundies like have made it their mission to send in as many accounts as they can to interrupt fundamental Baptist forums. On my Twitter account, I have blocked over 75 such accounts, and I know that Brother Hamblin, Gray, Beumont and Domelle have blocked even more. 

 

So when I respond to these heretics, I'm barring none, and using both barrels and if you don't like it, either ban me or help us get this forum back.

[Covenanter]

 

My general understanding of Hebrews is this...

1. It was written to Hebrews as the main target audience, but it can be applied to any people.
2. It was written to explain the excellency of Christ over the law in all aspects.
3. It was written to explain the detrimental error of those Hebrews (and others) who were unsure of whether to accept Christ or return to Judaism. 

 

4. To urge immediate and full commitment to Jesus Christ - TODAY

5. To teach that Jesus Christ is the great High Priest

6. To teach about the new covenant

7.  To teach justification by faith

8. To teach them to expect suffering & persecution

9. To encourage perseverance