Letter to the Hebrews

[davetaff]

Hi
Jest wondering if there are any bible buddies left out there who would like to wonder through this wonderful epistle.

.   

 1  God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

 2  Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

 3  Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high   

God has spoken to us by his Son Jesus Christ how wonderful is that it also tells us its the last days so we know the time is short.

It also tells us that all things were created by him and through him and he now sits at the right hand of the Father awaiting the time that all his enemies will be put under his feet.

Please feel free to add your thoughts about this wonderful epistle.

Love and Peace
Dave

[Deborah]

Hi Dave,
I'll give it a go, but as you know I'm not into fanciful speculation. I will want to interpret the text in as straightforward a way as possible.

v1 Our God is a God who communicates, and He does so "in various ways": theophanies, angelic visitations, visions, dreams, historical events, etc. The Old Testament contains many different kinds of revelation - but all of it is the word of God, speaking to the people of those times, and still speaking to us.

v2 "But in these last days..." The coming of God's Son has marked a watershed: a new era, the 'last days', has begun, and some things have changed. God has now spoken for the last time: decisively, definitively, fully and perfectly. This is why Christians reject all 'further revelations' (such as the Qur'an and the Book of Mormon). There will be no more prophets, for all God could possibly say about Himself has been said. In the Son, God has come to us 'in person' - and so in the Son we have a complete and unsurpassable revelation of God.

v3 Jesus is not a created being but 'the very essence of God', sharing the Father's deity and all His other attributes. Like a photograph, he is the "exact representation" of God on earth, the only human being since Adam to have clearly displayed God's image.
His word not only made the universe in the beginning but continually sustains it, actively holding together every atom and directing the whole towards its ultimate goal. By His death and resurrection He has dealt with our sins, once and for all. We know that His work is now complete, and has been accepted and authenticated by God, because He is now enthroned "at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven" - in other words, in the position of supreme honour and dignity, both our King and our High Priest!

[davetaff]

Hi Deborah
Thank you so much for your lovely post I did enjoy reading it and I agree with what you say I will do my best to keep to the scriptures and not wonder to far from then Its such a wonderful epistle.
I don't have much time jest now I have been away for a few days but will return tomorrow and continue with this fantastic scripture and I hope it will be a blessing to all who read it.

Love and Peace
Dave   

[davetaff]

Hi
Moving on to the next verses but is anyone wishes to comment on the previous verses please do.

Heb 1:4  Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

Heb 1:5  For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
 
Heb 1:6  And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.
 
Heb 1:7  And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.

 

Here we have the supremacy of Christ he is above the angles and all the heavenly host the words " thou art my son " was spoken long before Christ was born into the world.

Psa_2:7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
   

I love it when I can see the prophecies of the OT come true and we see from theses few verses that our Lord Jesus Christ is greater than all the heavenly and earthly hosts how can we not worship him.

from this we can see that Christ is the Son of God who sits at the right hand side of the father in heaven from whence he shall come to take up his rightful place as King of Kings and lord of lords let us prey that that day will dawn soon come lord Jesus Come.

Love and Peace
Dave

[Cariad]

@davetaff
@Deborah

Hello both,

Perhaps this epistle was that 'writing' of Paul, referred to in 2 Peter 3:15.

'And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation;
even as our beloved brother Paul also
according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things;
in which are some things hard to be understood,
which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest,
as they do also the other scriptures,
unto their own destruction.'
(2 Pet. 3:15-16) 

* If that is so, then we have an idea as to who these Hebrew believers were, don't we?

'Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
to the strangers scattered throughout
Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,
through sanctification of the Spirit,
unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:
Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.'
(1Pet. 1:1-2) 

* Many of these Hebrew believers would have been in Jerusalem at Pentecost, witnessed the happening, and heard the words spoken by Peter and the twelve, in which they heard them preach in the languages of their adopted countries (Acts 2:7-11).  They would have gone back after the feast to their own homes among the nations, and told others of the words they had heard, and others would have believed because of their witness. It is to them that Peter wrote, as an Apostle to the circumcision (Galatians 2:7-9), and possibly, to whom Paul wrote this epistle, his brethren after the flesh (Rom.9:1-5). The believing remnant of Israel, strangers and pilgrims in foreign lands.

Thank you.
In Christ Jesus
Cariad

[Deborah]

@davetaff
@Deborah

Hello both,

Perhaps this epistle was that 'writing' of Paul, referred to in 2 Peter 3:15.

'And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation;
even as our beloved brother Paul also
according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things;
in which are some things hard to be understood,
which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest,
as they do also the other scriptures,
unto their own destruction.'
(2 Pet. 3:15-16) 

* If that is so, then we have an idea as to who these Hebrew believers were, don't we?

'Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
to the strangers scattered throughout
Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,
through sanctification of the Spirit,
unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:
Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.'
(1Pet. 1:1-2) 

* Many of these Hebrew believers would have been in Jerusalem at Pentecost, witnessed the happening, and heard the words spoken by Peter and the twelve, in which they heard them preach in the languages of their adopted countries (Acts 2:7-11).  They would have gone back after the feast to their own homes among the nations, and told others of the words they had heard, and others would have believed because of their witness. It is to them that Peter wrote, as an Apostle to the circumcision (Galatians 2:7-9), and possibly, to whom Paul wrote this epistle, his brethren after the flesh (Rom.9:1-5).

Thank you.
In Christ Jesus
Cariad

Maybe - but personally I don't think that Paul wrote the letter to the Hebrews (not many knowledgable Bible scholars these days believe that he did either).
However, we don't know who did write it, so it remains a matter of personal opinion. Probably wise not to let any assumptions about the author colour our interpretation of it.

One thing we can be sure of: it was originally written in Greek (there are apparently many alliterations and other forms of word-play that just wouldn't work in Aramaic or Hebrew), so it must have been addressed to Greek-speaking Jews.

It also seems to be a reasonable assumption that the main part of it was originally a transcript of a sermon. There are many references to it being spoken as opposed to written (e.g. Hebrews 5:11, 8:1).

[Deborah]

v4 People have always been fascinated by the spirit world, looking to spirits of various kinds for help and guidance. There's a modern movement all about 'discovering' your angel! Whether these 'angels' are good or evil is irrelevant: Jesus dwarfs all other spiritual powers. He has always been greater than the angels in status, because He created them; but He is now also greater than the angels in His achievements, as the Mediator of our salvation.

v5-13 The Preacher now goes through a whole string of OT proof-texts, showing his audience (and us) that Jesus is the Son of God.
Titles are not arbitrary: God's Son must be superior to God's servants. 'Son of God' was a title originally given to the Davidic kings at their coronation, but is literally true of the One whose reign they foreshadowed. He is also called 'firstborn' to signify His supremacy over all things (Psalm 89:27).
The angels are spirit beings, created to 'run errands' for the King of kings. They exist to honour and serve Him, as they did on the day He entered the world (Luke 2:13,14).

[davetaff]

Hi Ladies
thank you for your posts as for who wrote the letter to the Hebrews we don't know who held the pen but we do know it was inspired by the Holy Spirit it is the spirit that is the author of Gods word none of it is the word of man,

Love and Peace
Dave