The Balance of the Let Us Exhortations Interpreted

Transcription

1 The Balance of the Let Us Exhortations Interpreted In this chapter, we interpret the last eleven of the thirteen Let Us Exhortations in Hebrews. We interpreted the first two, Heb. 4:1 & 11, in Chapter Four. Remember the definition we gave you? A Let Us Exhortation (hortatory subjunctive) is a Greek grammatical device used to exhort other(s) to join in with the writer or speaker in an action. This action could be one that had not yet started. In this case, the speaker or writer exhorts other(s) to join him and start the action. Remember that Heb. 4:1 & 11 was this type. The action could also be in progress, with the speaker or writer already engaged in it. If so, the speaker or writer would exhort other(s) to join her in the ongoing activity in which she is already engaged. The balance of the Let Us Exhortations (Hortatory Subjunctives) in Hebrews exhorts these Hebrew readers to join in with our Author in actions that are already in progress and in which he is already engaged. We consider Let Us Exhortation #3 first. This introduces the doctrine of Jesus, God s final Great High Priest, who ministers in heaven itself. Let Us Exhortation #3 Heb 4:14 14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. (KJV) (Italics mine) Passed translates dierchomai. This word combines the Greek preposition die with the Greek verb erchomai. Die means through and erchomai means to come, to go, or to pass. The combination, then, means to pass through or to go through. Jesus passed through the created heavens and is now at the throne of God in the very heaven itself. Furthermore, passed is a Greek perfect tense participle. In Greek, the perfect signifies two things: First, the perfect shows that an action occurred in the past. Second, the perfect shows that the result of that past action is still standing. In other words, the result of that past action is still valid in the present time. Now, two thousand years ago, Jesus passed through the heavens and arrived at the throne of God. This is the finished action. The results of it, however, are still with us, still standing, still valid, and still functioning. Jesus is still in heaven at the right hand of God; He is still functioning as the last Great High Priest that God will ever have. Hold fast translates krateo. Vine said that this word means to be strong, to be mighty, to prevail. In this verse, then, krateo means to hold (maintain) our profession with all our might. We must hold (maintain) our profession as strongly as we can. We must prevail in holding (maintaining) our profession that Jesus was and is God s final Great High Priest in heaven itself. Hebrews: The Abrahamic Interpretation Page 117

2 In the Scripture above, our Author made a bold assertion with neither warning nor introduction. He openly declared that the Hebrew people now have a Great High Priest in heaven; He is none other than Jesus, the Son of God. He had already informed them (Heb. 2:17 and Heb. 3:1) that Jesus was their high priest. In Heb. 4:14, however, our Author dropped a bombshell on them; he informed them not only that Jesus was already in heaven ministering there on their behalf but also that He was ministering there as God s final Great High Priest. (He was more than their high priest; He was their Great High Priest.) God will never again change Great High Priests because this one (Jesus) will never die. Therefore, Jesus is the last Great High Priest that God will ever have. Then, the Author exhorted these Hebrews to join in with him in an activity in progress. He was continuously, progressively, boldly, acknowledging out loud (professing) two things: Jesus was already in heaven at the right hand of God; He was functioning there as his Great High Priest. He exhorted his readers to join in with him as he continuously professed and kept on holding fast to his profession that Jesus was--and is--god s final, Great High Priest for the Hebrew people. This Exhortation, in various ways, could have been applied to any of the Groups of Hebrews. They all have Jesus as their Great High Priest in heaven. He only profits those, however, who avail themselves of it by faith. Nonetheless, He is still the Great High Priest in heaven for all the Hebrews since God accepts no other Great High Priest now. In other words, Jesus was still God s final Great High Priest for them, even for those who permanently rejected Him. Their unbelief did not change the eternal truth that Jesus was and is the last Great High Priest that God will ever have. Let Us Exhortation #4 Next, the Author introduces Let Us Exhortation #4 in verses 15 & 16 below. Actually, this is still in the context of the Great High Priesthood of Jesus from verse 14 above. In verse 15, the Author explained how Jesus felt their infirmities because he was tempted in all their same points. In spite of these common temptations that gave him empathy with their feelings, He never sinned. Heb 4:15 15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (KJV) Now, because Jesus had been where they were in the feelings department but did not sin, He was someone they could approach. He was someone they would never be timid around, because He understood them. They could approach Him and talk to Him, because he had known and felt their same points of infirmity (weakness). To put this differently, they could approach Him and talk to Him because He had been there. He had been where they were. Infirmity translates asthenias. This Greek word combines the Greek negative a, with the Greek word sthenos. The negative a means no, not or none, while sthenos means strength. The Page 118 Hebrews: The Abrahamic Interpretation

3 combination then means absence of strength or no strength, hence weakness or infirmity. Based upon this, the Author exhorted them to join with him in an action already in progress and in which he was already engaged. He exhorted them to come boldly to the throne of grace with him. In other words, the Author was already going boldly to the throne of grace. Now he wants them to go there with him. Heb 4:16 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (KJV) (Italics mine) To which of the Groups does this Exhortation apply? First, it can apply to Group One, the Nation as a whole. Until they receive Jesus, they need to come to the throne for mercy and grace to help them maintain what they had by birth. Second, it can apply to Group Two, those who have accepted Jesus. They always need grace, mercy and help in their daily lives. Third, it can apply to Group Three. They stand greatly in the need of grace, mercy and help, because they have not accepted Jesus, God s last sacrifice for their sins. Let Us Exhortation #5 We saw this verse previously. The Hebrews were told to leave the beginning teachings in the Old Testament that only pointed to Christ. They were told to leave the beginning teachings about the Levitical sacrifices; they were exhorted to go on to the perfection of the sacrifice of Christ himself. Heb 6:1 1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, (KJV) (Italics mine) Perfection, here, translates the Greek word teleotas, which means having reached the end of a process. In other words, the first teaching of the Christ in Leviticus was the beginning of a process. When Jesus was born, lived and died, however, he was the completion or the perfection of everything that began in the Levitical process. He was the completion. He was the perfect conclusion to everything Levitical. Jesus was the final sacrifice toward which the Levitical sacrifices pointed. He was the end of the Old Testament process. We saw in Chapter Six that the Hebrews must leave these ABC s about Christ found in Leviticus. Instead they were exhorted to be borne along to this perfect conclusion of all things Levitical. They were exhorted to be borne along and carried to Christ himself. Of course our Author had already left the Levitical baby talk about Jesus. In addition, he had already been borne on to Jesus, the perfect conclusion to those ancient ABC s. Now he exhorted his readers to join with him in this action in which he was already engaged. He wanted Hebrews: The Abrahamic Interpretation Page 119

4 them to join in with him, leave the ABC s, and be borne and carried on to the perfection, which is Christ. Let Us Exhortation #6 Let Us Exhortation #6 is introduced by Heb. 10: 21, in which our Author returned to the subject of Jesus Great High Priesthood. He told them that all the Hebrew people had this unique, Great High Priest, the Son of God himself. Therefore, he exhorted his readers to join in with him and do the same things he did in verses 22, 23 and 24 below. Heb 10:22 22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. (KJV) (Italics mine) We saw previously (Heb. 4:14-16) that they could approach Jesus for two reasons: they could approach him because he felt, by his own experience, their common temptations; they could approach him because, in spite of the common temptations, he never sinned. In Let Us Exhortation #6 above, the Author assured them, again, of Jesus approachableness. He told his readers that he himself (with a true or genuine heart) drew near to Him. He told them that, as he drew near to Jesus (God s final Great High Priest in heaven) his heart was filled with the assurance that this Great High Priest information really came from God. This information, therefore, became his faith and he had full assurance in it. Now he can act upon it in full confidence. Consequently, he exhorted them to join in with him in this action in progress. He was already drawing near and he exhorted them to join in with him as he continued to draw near. Let Us Exhortation #7 Heb 10:23 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) (KJV) (Italics mine) Hold fast in this verse translates katecho. This word combines the Greek word kata, meaning down with the Greek word echo, meaning to have. The combination means literally to have down. Consequently, it is translated by hold fast. Hold down would be more literal. To put this differently, the Author exhorted these Hebrews to join in with him in holding down the profession that Jesus was the Great High Priest of their faith. This was God s information for them all to act upon. The Author acted upon it and declared it out loud. Then, he exhorted them all to join him in making Jesus their Great High Priest also. Then he exhorted them to make the same profession right along with him. Page 120 Hebrews: The Abrahamic Interpretation

5 Profession translates the Greek word homologeo. This combines homo, which means the same, with logeo, which means to say or to speak. The combined word means literally to say the same thing. In this context, the Author professed that Jesus was God s final Great High Priest in heaven. Therefore, he exhorted them to join with him and say the same thing about Jesus Great High Priesthood that he himself said about it. Wavering translates the Greek word aklinas. This word combines the Greek negative, a, with klinas (to bend.) The combination means not to bend, and is translated without wavering. Put differently, the Author did not bend one bit in saying the same thing with his mouth that God said about Jesus. He said Jesus was God s final Great High Priest who ministers in heaven for the Hebrew people. Next, he exhorted them to join with him and say with their mouths the same thing that both he and God said about Jesus Great High Priesthood in heaven. In addition, he also exhorted them to join with him in being absolutely unbending or without wavering in this profession. Now that they have joined him in being unbending, he wanted no let up in their approach to one another concerning the claims of Jesus. See the next exhortation below. Let Us Exhortation #8 Heb 10:24 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: (KJV) Consider translates katanoeo. Vine says that this word means to perceive clearly, to understand fully, to consider closely. To put it another way, katanoeo means to think something through very carefully. Provoke translates paroxusmos. Again, this word combines two Greek words. It combines para (by the side of) with oxus (sharp.) This combination means an irritation, a gouging, a sharpening, an excitement, and a stimulation. The verb form of this word simply means to irritate, to gouge, to sharpen, to excite, and to stimulate. In other words, the Author wanted them to join with him in an ongoing activity, which consisted of two things: First, it consisted of becoming fully aware of the spiritual condition of each other. Second, it consisted of causing such a sharp irritation to each other that each of them was provoked to love and good works. The Author was already provoking them. He wanted the others to join him in the same thing. Hebrews: The Abrahamic Interpretation Page 121

6 Let Us Exhortation #9 Heb 12:1 1 Wherefore seeing we also 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, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, (KJV) (Italics mine) Technically and grammatically, the expression let us lay aside every weight etc., is not a Hortatory Subjunctive. Nevertheless, our Author exhorted his readers to join with him in laying aside the weights and sins that so easily besets them all. Consequently, we shall discuss it here. Lay aside translates apotithemi that combines two Greek words. It combines the Greek preposition apo with tithemi. Apo means from or away from and tithemi means to put, place, set or lay. The combination, then, means to put away from oneself. Weight translates ogkos, which means a bulk, a mass, something heavy. It is used here as something massive and heavy that has to be carried. To carry something massive and heavy is always a hindrance. Consequently, if at all possible, this hindering weight should be put away from oneself, especially in the spiritual arena. Beset is an interesting word. It translates uperistatos that combines three Greek words: First, it uses the Greek word eu, which means well. Second, it employs the Greek preposition peri, which means around. Finally, it includes statos, which means standing. The combined three words, therefore, literally mean standing well around. It means easily encompassing. In other words, sin has a distinct advantage because it can easily prevail. It can stand well in any environment. It can wrap itself around anyone or anything. Furthermore, it can accomplish any and all of the above very easily. Simply put, the Author was already engaged in the continuous action of laying aside everything that impeded his relationship with Jesus. He was actively engaged in disrupting the sin that could so easily prevail. Now he exhorted these Hebrews to join with him in this ongoing life of selfdenial. We repeat the same verse below because there is another exhortation in it. Unlike the exhortation that we just considered above, this next exhortation is another Hortatory Subjunctive. Let Us Exhortation #10 Heb 12:1 1 Wherefore seeing we also 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, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, (KJV) (Italics mine) Although the argument rages about who wrote Hebrews, this expression, let us run, sounds Pauline. You see, Paul was an avid sports fan. We know this from his many illustrations from the sports world. Here is another one. He exhorted his readers to join in with him in running the race that God had set before them. Page 122 Hebrews: The Abrahamic Interpretation

7 Run translates trecho. This is the same word to describe running the track. Trecho means, then, simply to run. Here, of course, it is used metaphorically to describe running the race of the spiritual life. The author, in this section of the verse, exhorted them to join in with him in a course of action in which he is already engaged. Previously, he exhorted them to join him in laying aside all hindrances--whether they are sins or weights. Now he exhorted them to join with him in patiently running the race of the spiritual life. Let Us Exhortation #11 The Author declared (Heb: 12:27) two things: some things cannot be shaken; these things will remain. Then, using the word, wherefore, he coupled these two things to an immovable kingdom that the Hebrews were continuously receiving. Heb 12:28 28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom, which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: (KJV) (Italics mine) Receiving translates paralambano. This word combines the Greek preposition para with the verb lambano. Para means by the side of. Lambano means to take or to receive. The combination, therefore, means to receive or to take from along side of. In the New Testament, paralambano literally means to take or receive from another. In addition, they were receiving an unmovable kingdom. Furthermore, they are also continuously receiving or accepting it. You see receiving is a present active participle. Dear Reader, don t let the term, present active participle confuse you. The next paragraph will clearly explain it for you and build your faith. In Greek, the present tense conveys continuous action in present time. In other words, the Greek present shows that the action or state of the verbal idea in question is continuous. Applied to our verse above, this very simply means that these Hebrews were keeping on, keeping on, keeping on, continuously accepting God s unmovable kingdom. Next, the Author attributed this ability to continuously accept the unmovable kingdom to the grace of God. In other words, for the Author, the grace of God was that which enabled them to accept the unmovable kingdom. Therefore, he exhorted them, not only to have this grace of God, but also to continuously keep on, keeping on, keeping on having this grace. Have translates the Greek verb echo. This is the regular Greek word for have or possess. In addition, have is in the Greek present. Again, this means continuous action or continuous state of being. Hebrews: The Abrahamic Interpretation Page 123

8 Remember, our Author and the other Hebrews in Group Two have already accepted Jesus as their final sacrifice. Consequently, they are presently, continuously possessing this enabling grace of God. Then, he exhorted the other Hebrews, who have not accepted Jesus, to join with them in this action of accepting Jesus. Then they will also have the grace to accept this unmovable kingdom also. By accepting Jesus, they will be continuously having the grace necessary to serve God acceptably. Let Us Exhortation #12 Heb 13:13 13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. (KJV) (Italics mine) Before we consider this exhortation, we must do two things: First, we must give you the preceding two verses and explain them to you. Without an understanding of them, the exhortation in verse 13 above will not be clear. Second, we must show you some of the Old Testament Scriptures upon which the above exhortation is based. Now consider the following two verses. Heb 13: For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. 12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. (KJV) There is no argument from believers that Jesus was and is God s final sin offering for the Hebrew people. As their final sin offering, Jesus was forced outside the gate or camp in order to sanctify them. This is Old Testament Judaism to the core. The Hebrews who read these words knew full well what the Author meant. They knew what he meant, because they knew the Old Testament said their sin offering must go outside the camp. The Old Testament Scriptures below demonstrate that the Old Testament sin offering was always forced outside the camp. Exod 29:14 14 But the flesh of the bullock, and his skin, and his dung, shalt thou burn with fire without the camp: it is a sin offering. (KJV) (Italics mine) Lev 4: And the skin of the bullock, and all his flesh, with his head, and with his legs, and his inwards, and his dung, Page 124 Hebrews: The Abrahamic Interpretation

9 12 Even the whole bullock shall he carry forth without the camp unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn him on the wood with fire: where the ashes are poured out shall he be burnt. (KJV) (Italics mine) Lev 4:21 21 And he shall carry forth the bullock without the camp, and burn him as he burned the first bullock: it is a sin offering for the congregation. (KJV) (Italics mine) Lev 9:11 11 And the flesh and the hide he burnt with fire without the camp. (KJV) (Italics mine) Lev 16:27 27 And the bullock for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall one carry forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung. (KJV) (Italics mine) Since Jesus was and is their final sacrifice for sin, He was forced outside the camp (Heb. 13:13 above). Therefore, those who accept His final sacrifice were encouraged to go out there with him. In so doing, they were bearing his reproach. Bearing translates the Greek word phero. This is the regular Greek word to describe carrying, bearing or supporting a load. Reproach translates oneidos, the regular Greek word for disgrace, shame, rejection and suffering. Obviously, our Author was already engaged in this activity. He was already going outside the camp where Jesus went. He is already bearing his shame and disgrace. Now he exhorts them to join in with him in going without the camp and supporting His shame and disgrace. Let Us Exhortation #13 Heb 13:15 14 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. (KJV) (Italics mine) Of course, the Author has been continuously engaged in offering praise to God through Jesus. His lips always give thanks to his name. Now he exhorts his readers to join in with him in doing the same thing. He encourages them to continually give the fruit of their lips to God also. Hebrews: The Abrahamic Interpretation Page 125

10 In the next chapter, we show you the once for all time aspect of Jesus blood, sacrifice and priesthood. This will change the way many of you think about these subjects. This chapter will leave you on shouting ground. Page 126 Hebrews: The Abrahamic Interpretation