Epistles

Monday, 15 October 2018

And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, Hebrews 5:9

The words, “And having been perfected,” hearken back to verse 2:10 –

“For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.”

As noted there, this idea of making perfect does not carry the idea of being made “better,” as if there was a lack in Christ. Rather, it speaks of bringing to completion, or meeting, the goal. Christ suffered, was crucified, and died with the intent of bringing God’s plan of salvation to fruition. In His passion, man sees the very heart of God, and then is asked to willingly respond to that glorious offering. The work of Christ makes Him fully and completely suited to bring those many sons to glory.

There was no moral lack in Him, but rather there was a necessity to complete the work set before Him. As fully God, He lacks nothing; but as fully Man, He grew, learned, developed, and matured in every way that other men do. He, unlike Adam though, was fully obedient to the Father and He was found with no fault in His person. Adam was tainted by his own sin and all who follow after him have received his fallen state. However, Jesus inherited none of Adam’s sin nature – having been born of a virgin and of God.

Therefore, His test as a Man was no different than the life of Adam. By passing the test and never sinning, He prevailed and assumed the right to be the sin-bearer on behalf of all men who, by faith, move from the line of Adam to the line of Christ. His perfection was not lacking at His birth or anytime in His development, but rather “made perfect” is alluding to the state which continued to exist from His birth even to His death.

As an example, think of a tree waiting to be used as lumber. The wood always exists in the tree, but it is complete and ready when it reaches the determined size. Jesus’ perfection of person was never lacking, but his test was complete when He had reached His goal for satisfaction of the law; He was “made perfect” at His crucifixion. As Meyer’s NT Commentary states, He was “formally and manifestly accredited by God as such.” By satisfactorily meeting all that was predetermined for Him by the Father, He prevailed over sin and death. Now all who obey Him can obtain eternal salvation through Him. We move from Adam to Jesus, never to be condemned again. This is evidenced in the words, “He became the author of eternal salvation.” Though getting ahead in the epistle, this thought is reflected in the words of verse 7:25 –

“Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them,”

This salvation is one of whom Christ is the Author (as is also noted in Hebrews 12:2). It is He who gave the terms of the Old Covenant to Israel. It is He who fulfilled those same words, thus annulling it in those who come to Him, and it is He who authored the terms of the New Covenant. Christ Jesus authored every step of the process in the plan in order to bring about “eternal salvation” for those who trust in Him.

To be saved “to the uttermost” is equivalent to “eternal salvation.” This term is explained by John Gill with the words, “…it was resolved upon from eternity, and contrived in it; it was secured in the everlasting covenant, in which not only a Saviour was provided, but blessings both of grace and glory: and it is to eternity; and stands distinguished from a temporal salvation, and is opposed to eternal damnation; it is the salvation of the soul, which is immortal; and it takes in both grace and glory, which are of a durable nature; and the continuance of it is owing to the abiding and lasting virtue of Christ’s person, blood, and righteousness.” Vincent’s Word Studies agrees by saying of this phrase that it is “a salvation of which all the conditions, attainments, privileges, and rewards transcend the conditions and limitations of time.”

What Christ Jesus has done is thus eternal in every aspect, and it is made available “to all who obey Him.” This idea follows immediately upon what was said in verse 5:8. As it says there, “though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.” As Christ was obedient, now He offers this eternal salvation to all who obey Him. The way to become obedient is not through works, but it is through faith in His works. That was the point of Christ’s suffering. The words of John 6:29 explain what obedience to Him means –

“This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

Jesus wasn’t saying, “OK, now I will fulfill the law in order to show you what works you need to do to also fulfill the law.” Rather, the gospel shows that He has fulfilled it. He has offered something new, and we are to trust in what He has done, and to rest in His accomplished works. This is obedience to Christ.

Life application: Jesus did not come to be the author of temporal or temporary salvation. Nor did He come to offer eternal insecurity to His people. Rather, He came to procure eternal salvation for them, guaranteeing them the promise of eternal life through His fully sufficient and fully effectual work. Do not believe anyone who says you can “lose your salvation” by failing to do this or that. If you have believed in the One whom God has sent, meaning Christ Jesus, you are saved. Read Romans 10:9, 10, and then ask yourself if you have done what it says there. If so, you are saved – once and forever.

Lord God, how absolutely glorious is Your promise of eternal salvation through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus! Now, by faith in Him and His work, we are eternally secure and free from condemnation. All glory, honor, and majesty belong to You, O God! In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Sunday, 14 October 2018

…though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. Hebrews 5:8

The words of this verse are a part of a single thought presented by the author. Taken together, they read –

“…who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, ⁸ though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.”

This verse, then, continues to explain the thought presented in verses 5:1, 2. Jesus was “taken from among men” (5:1), as was seen in the words “in the days of His flesh.” He can also “have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness” (5:2). This is because “He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.” With that greater understanding and explanation of those previous verses, we can then correctly evaluate the author’s words. First, he says, “though He was a Son.”

The verb is in the present tense, and so it more correctly says, “Though being a Son.” Jesus didn’t stop being a Son at some point. He was, is, and will always be a Son. Despite this, despite being God’s Son (as indicated in verse 5:5), He was appointed to be a Man, and He was willing to use that manhood to experience everything that man experiences. He did not exempt Himself from those things common to men, but He took them all upon Himself. In this, He could then suffer and learn how to be obedient in His suffering. Here, the author makes this a definite point by placing an article before the word “obedience.” As Young’s literally translates the words –

“through being a Son, did learn by the things which he suffered — the obedience.”

The thought of Christ learning obedience through His suffering encompasses every aspect of His life, but it finds its fullest sense at the end of His life. Before that came, He learned the obedience of subjecting Himself to His human parents. He learned to physically live under the law which He had given to Israel, having subjected Himself to the same terms and conditions that had established them as a people under the Lord, all the way back at the giving of the law at Sinai. He also learned to be obedient to the authorities placed over Him, both in Israel and in the jurisdiction of the Roman Empire. In these and other things, He experientially learned obedience. However, the ultimate point of all of those things was that He would carry this experiential knowledge with Him even to the obedience of death. As it says in Philippians 2:8 –

“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

This is “the obedience” that is being referred to in its ultimate sense. In these words from Philippians, Paul uses the adjective form of the noun now used in this verse in Hebrews. Christ Jesus became obedient unto death. As a result, He learned what is truly “the obedience.” Everything that He had lived out in His life was a preparatory step leading to taking that obedient life and offering it up to God as a sacrifice of atonement for the people of God. Thus, in His learning, He can be a merciful, compassionate High Priest. The results and benefits of this are to be explained in the coming verses.

Life application: We are the sum of our experiences. What will we do with that body of experience? What is the most effective use of everything that makes us who we are? The answer, if desiring to please God, is to follow the example of Christ Jesus. He offered Himself, completely and wholly to God the Father, even to death on the cross. Are we willing to be found in the same state of obedience? Are we even willing to give our lives for the sake of Christ if called to do so? Let us contemplate what the Lord has done, and be willing to follow Him down whatever path God sets before us.

Heavenly Father, our Lord Jesus lived a life of complete obedience, subjecting Himself to the authority of His human parents, to the authority of the Law of Moses, to the authority of the leaders of Israel, and even to the authority of the Roman Empire under which He lived. And in that obedience, He demonstrated the ultimate obedience in giving His life for the sins of Your people. Grant us the same willingness to use our lives in an obedient manner, going where You direct, even to death itself if need be, in order to lead others to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Saturday, 13 October 2018

…who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, Hebrews 5:7

The verse begins with “who.” This is speaking of Jesus, not Melchizedek. Though not in the original, some translations insert the name here to ensure clarity. The words now are explanatory of verse 5:2 which spoke of the ability of the high priest to have compassion on those he ministers for. Further, the words are given in preparation for verse 5:8 to show that He “learned” through what is now stated. In essence, it was Jesus “who…learned obedience.” Everything between the words is building up that thought. Understanding this, it next says that it is He who, “in the days of His flesh,” meaning the time of His incarnation.

Christ was born into humanity and He lived out a human existence. The term “flesh” is speaking of this physical aspect of Christ Jesus as a Man. This does not mean that Christ is no longer united to a material body, as if “the days of His flesh are over and He only has a spiritual nature now.” Rather, He is still fully Man, but not in a body like ours. He has an eternal, glorified body. “In the days of His flesh” is speaking of the human nature that we possess, and that He assumed in the incarnation. This is stated to show that He can empathize with us, just as any high priest is able to do.

Next, the author tells us, “when He had offered up prayers and supplications.” The two words are close in meaning, but they cover a full range of what is lifted up. Prayer (deésis in Greek) is a strong, even emotional, petition which arises out of a deep-seated need. It is something personal based on a perceived lack that needs to be filled. Supplication (hiketéria in Greek) signifies an olive branch. Thus, it is a type of petition looking for reconciliation and relief. The olive branch is a symbol of seeking peace that we still speak of to this day. This is the only use of the word in the Bible. Christ Jesus is said to have offered these up, meaning to God, “with vehement cries and tears.”

The “vehement cries” does not speak of mourning and tears as if He were downcast. Rather, it is an outcry which arises when one suffers intensely. Examples of this are found in the gospels where it says that Jesus “cried out with a loud voice” in Matthew 27:45, and where He “prayed more earnestly” in Luke 22:44. The “tears” of Christ are specifically noted in Luke 19:41 where He wept over Jerusalem, and where He wept at Lazarus’ tomb. These two examples showed that He, in fact, wept. However, they are probably not what is being referred to here which is speaking of His tears in relation to what lay ahead for Him in regards to His own suffering. When He prayed in Gethsemane, “His sweat became like great drops of blood.” It is hard to imagine that tears were not a part of this moment, even if Luke doesn’t include it in his description. These and other such examples showed the immense depth of emotion and heartfelt petition in His time of deepest need. And these were directed “to Him who was able to save Him from death.”

This is speaking of God the Father, and it can possibly mean one of two things. First, God the Father was able to save Christ from going to death. This is noted in Luke 22:42, for example, where Jesus petitioned, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” It is also possible that it is referring to Christ being saved from out of death. Jesus noted to His disciples that He would be crucified and that He would rise again. But just as He petitioned to be saved from going to death, once it was obvious that this would not come about, His heartfelt utterances to the Father may have been redirected to His being saved out of the state of death. This would be in line with prophecies in the psalms and also in Jonah which reveal this, such as Jonah 2:6 when Jonah prayed from the fish’s belly. In both cases, in going to death, and in being brought out of death, Jesus “was heard because of His godly fear.”

Again, this was actually prophesied in the psalms and in Jonah. In Jonah 2:2 we read –

“Out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
And You heard my voice.”

The prophecies were fulfilled in Christ who possessed a godly fear, and who conveyed that in His prayers and supplications to His Father. All of this was not without purpose, but was to fulfill the requirements of becoming a high priest who might “have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray” (5:2).

Life application: The work of Jesus, when taken in its proper light, is more than astonishing. He, who is fully God, was willing to step out of the eternal realm and unite with humanity, taking on all of its pains, sufferings, and trials in order to redeem us; but also in order to become a High Priest who can empathize with our own shortcomings, failings, and weaknesses. Though He never was found in fault, He can empathize with us in our faults. He knows what we are going through and He is not only not unsympathetic to it, but He is minutely aware of it and caring about it. When you petition the Father through Christ Jesus, you are going through One who understands your needs and wants perfectly.

Lord God, because Jesus came in the flesh, He is completely able to empathize with us and to sympathize with our desires, wants, needs, pains, trials, and sufferings. There is nothing unknown to You, and there is nothing He has not – in one way or another – endured with us. Together, we have the perfect match up to respond to us in the perfect way. You know what we need, and You are able to assist us in our times of need. How great are the things You have done for us. Such love! Thank You for Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Friday, 12 October 2018

As He also says in another place:
“You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek”; Hebrews 5:6

The words of this verse are based on the introductory words of the previous verse. There it said, “So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him.” The “He” there is referring to God. After that, the author cited Psalm 2:7. Now, to continue to confirm that Jesus was selected by God to be High Priest of the New Covenant, he again goes to Scripture by saying, “As He also says in another place.”

He has done this to confirm that it is God who has selected Christ, and the evidence is already recorded in the word of God. This time, it is in Psalm 110:4. How can we know these words are speaking of Jesus? First, he has already used this same Psalm to show that it is fulfilled in Jesus. This was seen in verse 1:13. He will continue to confirm it in this chapter. Further, He will again refer to the words of this psalm, in detail, in Chapter 7. It is obvious, based on the abundant evidence that he has provided and will continue to provide, that this is speaking of Christ Jesus.

As a reminder that this psalm was always considered as messianic in nature, the opening of the psalm says, “The Lord said to my Lord.” In this, the first use of “Lord” is the divine name, Yehovah. In the second, it is the word Adonai. It is a term used when speaking about or to Yehovah, rather than pronouncing His divine name. Both uses are speaking of Yehovah. David is, therefore, making a statement about the Lord appointing Himself to a particular position. In this case, it is the appointment of Jesus the Messiah (who is Yehovah God) to the role of High Priest of a new covenant. This is evident from the words cited by the author which state, “You are a priest forever.”

Here it doesn’t say “high priest.” Though He is called this elsewhere in Hebrews, it is not used here in order to make the comparison to Melchizedek, who was never called “high priest.” Christ Jesus would be a priest, executing priestly functions, on behalf of the people and for Yehovah Elohim, or the Lord God. And this priestly role would be “forever.” This is an explicit note of superiority of Christ over Aaron. Aaron was told he would have an everlasting priesthood (meaning during the duration of the Old Covenant), but that priesthood was not in him personally. Rather, it was through him and then his sons after him. In contrast to that, Christ’s ministry would be through Him personally and forever. Therefore, His priesthood is superior to that of Aaron. This will be evaluated and explained in detail in Chapter 7.

The verse then finishes with “According to the order of Melchizedek.” The author now presents Melchizedek’s priesthood as a priesthood comparable to that of Christ Jesus in that it is “forever.” Whether this is literally true or not, or how he can substantiate this, is not the author’s concern yet. That will not come until Chapter 7. He simply makes the statement that it is so. As David recorded it under inspiration from God, it must be a valid premise, and so our author simply states it as an axiom. Melchizedek’s priesthood is forever, and the priesthood of Christ is according to the order of Melchizedek. Therefore, the priesthood of Christ Jesus is forever.

The author could leave the statement here and go no further and have a case for the superiority of Christ’s priesthood over that of Aaron, but he won’t. He will explain the matter in complete detail as he continues. For now, he is simply introducing Melchizedek in order to show that Jesus’ priesthood is worthy of full attention and that it will fully satisfy the mediatorial role of those who come to Him.

Life application: As Jesus’ priesthood is superior to that of Aaron, and as Aaron ministered under the Mosaic Covenant, then what would be the purpose of going back to a priesthood that had continuously failed to bring priest and people to a state of perfection? The sins of the people continued, and year by year they needed a covering for new sins which entered into their lives. The people died, and a new generation sprang up with the same problems. Life could never come about through adherence to this system. Only in Christ Jesus could it be made possible. And yet, there are innumerable people today who are asking their audiences to turn again to Moses and this failed system. Don’t be lulled into this heretical teaching. Come to Christ – the Mediator of a better covenant. (Note: As always “failed system” when referring to the Mosaic Covenant is not because the law itself was a failure, but because sin in man causes it to fail. Fallen man can never be perfected by this system.)

Lord God, we are granted a marvelous opportunity to be freed from the yoke of the Law of Moses by coming to Christ. In Him, we are granted Your grace, and our sins are not counted against us any longer. How precious is the blood of Christ that purifies us once and forever! Let us come to the cross, receive cleansing, and be forever forgiven for our wrongs! Thank You, O God, for Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Thursday, 11 October 2018

So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him:
“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.” Hebrews 5:5

There is a definite article before “Christ” in this verse which is unfortunately left untranslated by most versions. However, the author is making a specific connection to the priesthood of Aaron by comparing it with the priesthood of Christ Jesus. It properly says, “So also the Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest.”

The word “Christ” in Greek is the exact same in meaning as “Messiah” in Hebrew. Both mean “anointed one.” In the books of Leviticus and Numbers, the term “the anointed priest,” or “the priest who was anointed,” is used several times when speaking of the high priest. Just as Aaron was selected by God to be the anointed priest, “So also the Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest.” The comparison is made. Both of those who were so anointed did not choose themselves. Rather, both were chosen by God. This, however, does not mean that Jesus isn’t God. Instead, it is speaking of His humanity which has been the subject of the author’s words, especially since verse 4:15.

Jesus, as a human, was selected by God for this mediatorial role which would confirm Him as “the Christ,” and who would also “Himself become High Priest.” The author then confirms this by showing that Jesus was the subject of the 2^nd Psalm by saying, “but it was He who said to Him.” The “He” is speaking of the Lord (Yehovah); the “Him” is speaking of Jesus, who is the incarnation of Yehovah. This is first seen in Psalm 2:2 –

“The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying…”

The Lord (Yehovah in Hebrew) is mentioned along with “His anointed.” The words “His anointed” are from the Hebrew word mashiakh, or “messiah.” As noted already, the term “messiah” in Hebrew means “Christ” in Greek. The author is showing that the One who fills this role was chosen by God. However, the next verse (5:6) will show that this same One is also Yehovah, the Lord. Both are Yehovah. To set that up so that there can be no mistake about it when he gets to that verse, he finishes his thought of this verse by quoting Psalm 2:7, just as he did in Hebrews 1:5 –

“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.”

This emphasis and highlight in using these same words, both in verse 1:5 and now here, is that verse 1:5 is in relation to the Christ being the anointed King. For example, in verse 1:8 it speaks of the throne and scepter of Jesus (showing kingly authority), the Son of God. Just as Jesus is the Anointed King referenced in Psalm 2:6, and which was then confirmed by those same words in verse 2:7, so He is the anointed Priest. The proclamation which says, “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You,” had been used to confirm in the Christ both the office of King and High Priest. That the One to fill both of these roles is also Yehovah, and thus God, will be seen in the words of the next verse.

However, even without the words of the next verse, the deity of this One has already been made evident several times in Hebrews so far. We should have no doubts in our theology of the deity of Christ Jesus. When we worship Him, we are worshiping God.

Life application: The author is using words, carefully selected from the Old Testament, to build His case in the superiority of the New Covenant faith in Jesus over the Old Covenant system. He is greater than Moses. He is greater than Aaron. He is greater than the angels. And so on. As the Old anticipated rest for the people of God, and as the Old pointed to faith in Christ Jesus, then the author is directing them to come to Christ, enter into His rest, and enjoy harmonious union with God, through Him, for all time. It is error to deny the deity of Christ, and it is error to fall back on the Law of Moses in hopes of being reconciled to God. There is only one way for this reconciliation to come about, and that is by coming through Jesus, the God/Man who is the anointed King and the anointed High Priest.

Lord God, the Bible makes such a definitive case for the deity of Christ that there is absolutely no excuse for us to deny this most important tenet. If we fail to acknowledge Him in this capacity, we fail to honor You for having come in this capacity. We cannot say that we will follow You, worship You, and adore You without giving that same honor to Jesus. Help us to rightly honor You by honoring the Son. Amen.