Podcast 125, Hebrews, “Pt 6, Ch 6”

Podcast 125, Hebrews, “Pt 6, Ch 6”Paul sets an incredibly high standard for us to follow:Hebrews 6:1-2Therefore 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, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. In the above Paul establishes the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel.·      Repentance from our sins·      Faith in Christ·      Baptism·      Laying on of hand for the Gift of the Holy Ghost.·      The Resurrection from the Dead·      The Eternal JudgmentThose are essential to salvation. Without them we cannot enter the presence of God, but they are the foundation of our worship.  To Paul tThe first principles and ordinances are where we begin. They are not where we end. Paul admonishes us to “go on unto perfection.”Christ said, Matthew 5:48Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.That appears to be an impossible task; however, through Christ it can be done. Paul added, Hebrews 6:3And this will we do, if God permit.Christ alone is the key. Paul called Christ, “the author and finisher of our faith.”Hebrews 12:2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.We must be made perfect or we cannot enter the presence of the Father and the Son.6 LINDARevelation 21:27And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.David, who his whole life, wanted to build a temple to God, said,Psalm 24:3-4Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?  He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.Isaiah added,Isaiah 35:8-10And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.Paul sets the standard of judgment.Hebrews 6:4-8For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.Paul is not talking of those who fall into sin and repent. Remember Paul put repentance first on the list. He is talking about those who have had the gift of the Holy Ghost and then turned their backs on the church and fight against it. Those are the ones “which beareth thorns and briers.”  I suspect Paul is alluding to those who once belonged to the Church of Christ and then turned against it and began persecuting the Christians who remained faithful. Paul then turns his attention to the faithful members of the church.Hebrews 6:9-11But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:Paul is encouraging the saints to endure to the end. Hope, considered one of the three theological virtues, refers to hope in eternal life.  Hope is the central theme in Hebrews 6 as you shall see in the following: Hebrews 6:12-19That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;First, Paul admonishes us not to be slothful. As every Christian knows, Sloth is one of the Seven Deadly Sins: Pride, Greed, Lust, Evy, Gluttony, Wrath, & Sloth. The opposing virtues are Humility, Charity, Chastity, Gratitude, Temperance, Patience, & Diligence. Paul is urging us to diligence through faith and patience and endurance. That is how we inherit the promises. What are the promises? He of course is talking about the Abrahamic Covenant and one of the greatest promises is eternal life in the Kingdom of God. Those who keep their covenants, those who patiently endure shall be “heirs of promise.” Notice the preeminence of hope, “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, but sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil.” To go through the veil in the temple symbolizes entering into the Holy of Holies or the presence of God. The temple is preeminent in the writings of both Isaiah and John the Revelator. As with Isaiah and John, Christ is also the center in the writings of Paul.  Hebrews 6:20Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.12 RONIn the Holy Bible the High Priest, a descendant of Aaron, was the only one allowed to enter the Holy of Holies. In Hebrews 5, Paul described his role “For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.” That of course was symbolic of Christ. In the King James Translation, the Book of Hebrews has 11 chapters. Books, or chapters, in the New Testament are often referred to as epistles. Those are all terms used in translation. It is probably closer to the original if we read the entire Book of Hebrews as one long epistle. The chapters are tied together by internal parallelism. It is my opinion that the books were not written over a long period of time with years in between, but were written as a whole in a relative brief time. The authors or prophets and apostles clearly had the beginning, middle, and end in mind before they wrote their book, The evidence is in the text. They are so tightly written. Just as a small example, let’s take the first six chapters of Hebrews and tie them to Hebrews 6:20 above. Notice how the previous chapters bring the theme of Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek, into focus. Paul wants us to keep Christ as the focus of Hebrews.  Linda and I shall read them alternately.Hebrews 1:1-5 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 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; 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; Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 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?Hebrews 2:17-18 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.