The Bible in 24 days – day 19 Hebrews - Jude Not one of the last eight epistles is addressed to a church. These include disturbing warnings which seem to contrast with the assurances of the church epistles (Rom 8 vs. Heb 6 & 10; Eph 2 & Phil 1 vs. 2 Peter • Church in Jerusalem: – Already had lost Stephen Acts 7:59,60 – James the Apostle Acts 12:2 – Others Acts 8:1-3, 26:10 • Churches in Galatia Gal 1:22 • Being tempted to resort to (temporary) apostasy to avoid persecution Author’s Objectives • Combat possible apostasy (Heb 2:1-4; 10:19-25). • Encourage them to press on to spiritual maturity (Heb 5:11-14; 10:32- 39). • Comfort them in their persecutions (Heb 11:1-12:3). Author’s Method • The superiority of the Messiah to the three pillars of Judaism: Angels, Moses, and the Levitical priesthood. • Deviates from his logical arguments to include five warnings. • Contrasts: not between bad and good (both are from God); but between good and better. The Epistle to the Hebrews: Christ—The New & Living Way • Jesus: The New and Better Deliverer Ch. 1-7 – The God-man: better than the Angels Ch. 1, 2 – An Apostle better than Moses Ch. 3 – A Leader better than Joshua Ch. 4:1-13 – A Priest better than Aaron Ch. 4:14-17 • Calvary: A New and Better Covenant Ch. 8-9:18 – Offers better Promises – Opens a better Sanctuary – Sealed by a better Sacrifice – Achieves far better Results • Faith: The True and Better Response Ch. 9:19-23 – Parting words Ch. 13:22-25 The Son is the Final Revealer: Hebrews 1:1-3 • He is the heir of all things. • Through the Son the ages were made. • He is brightness of God’s glory. • He is the image of the Father. • He upholds all things by His power. • He made purification of sin. • He sat down on Majesty on High. Son Superior to the Angels • By Virtue of His Deity Ch. 1:4-14 • By Virtue of His Humanity Ch. 2:5-9 • By Virtue of Salvation He provided Ch. 2:10-18 Son’s Superiority: His Deity—Hebrews 1:4-14 • Son’s position unique Psalm 2:7 • Son head of Davidic Covenant 2 Sam 7:14 • Angels worship the Son Psalm 97:7 • Angels serve the Son Psalm 104:4 • Son to rule the Kingdom Psalm 45:7-8 • Son is the Creator Psalm 102:25-27 • Son enthroned at the right hand of God Psalm 110:1 Seven citations from the Old Testament. Son’s Superiority: His Humanity—Hebrews 2:5-9 • Sovereignty over Earth promised to man, not angels (Gen 1:26, 27). • God gave man dominion over earth (Psalm 8:5-7). • Man lost it through sin to Satan and his angels. • Messiah regained dominion for Man; Man will be associated with Him in rule. Promised to man, created a little lower than angels and given dominion. But (today) ruled by angels… Son’s Superiority: His Salvation—Hebrews 2:10-18 • To manifest divine grace (Heb 2:10-13; Citing Ps 22:22; Isa8:17-18). • To overcome the Prince of Death (Heb 2:14). • To free the believer from fear of death (Heb 2:15). • To help man (Heb 2:16-18). The Son’s superiority over angels: by virtue of the kind of salvation He provided. He chose to bypass fallen angels. He gives four reasons for the incarnation and the cross: 1) The Messiah became a man so that the sanctifier and the sanctified could be united and He could call them brethren. Cited are Psalm 22:22 and Isa 8:17-18 to show the Messiah’s identification with man. 2) By means of death He rendered Satan’s power inoperative as far as believers are concerned. 3) The fear of death enslaves. For the believer, death is no longer a punishment, but a means to enter heaven. 4) The sphere of the Messiah’s work was man not angels. Son Greater than Moses—Hebrews 3:1-4:13 • Person and Work (Heb 3:1-4). • Position (Heb 3:5-6). • Warning against Disobedience (Heb 3:7-11). • A Better Position (Heb4:14-18). Heavenly rather than earthly • A Better Priest (Heb 5:1-10). Divinely Appointed (Ps2:7; 110:4). • Warning: Progress to Maturity (Heb 5:11-6:20). Need to take in more mature material. Return to Judaism is not an option. Hebrews 6:4-6 widely misunderstood; doctrinal battleground between Calvinists and Arminianists for centuries… • To produce works which accompany salvation (Heb 6:9-12) • Illustration from nature (Heb 6:7-8): Rain falls on all the earth (believers); some produce fruit; some do not. Fruitfulness will be rewarded; fruitlessness will be judged. Thorns and thistles are burned; the land isn’t (1 Cor 3:10-15). A Better Sanctuary: Hebrews 9:1-10 • The limitations of the old temporary sanctuary, which was only a restricted representative copy, is contrasted with the heavenly actual. • Only one man, out of one tribe, out of one nation, one race, could enter, and only on one day in the year, and not without blood. • Temporary, limited, inadequate. A Better Sacrifice: Hebrews 9:11-10:18 • Mosaic inadequate; required repetition. • Animal blood: sins covered, not removed. • Only obedience brings perfection (Ps 40:6-8). • Only the Messiah can impart perfection: Mosaic sacrifices were never intended to be permanent. Hall of Faith: Hebrews 11 Abel: blood is the only way. Enoch: faith through fellowship; he didn’t die. Noah: obedient; saved his family. Abraham: departure, becoming a foreigner in a strange land; miraculous birth of Isaac; willingness to sacrifice Isaac, Convinced that God would raise him back to life; blessing Jacob and Esau, believing the prophecies. Jacob: same; blessed two sons of Joseph. Joseph: by requesting his bones be taken and interred in Israel. Parents of Moses, hiding Moses against the law of Pharaoh; Moses, by refusing to be called son of Pharaoh’s daughter, etc. Kept first Passover. Plus Joshua, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel …and the Prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. Hebrews 11:35-40 Exhortation to Endurance 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, Looking 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. Hebrews 12:1,2 Summary: Five Warnings • The Danger of Drifting Ch. 2:1-4 • The Danger of Disobedience Ch. 3:7-4:13 • Progress toward Maturity Ch. 5:11-6:20 – Interim apostasy not an option • The Danger of Willful Sin Ch. 10:26-31 • Warning against Indifference Ch. 12:25-29 – In light of Better Blood in a Better Place The Epistle of Jacob (James): To the Twelve Tribes of the Dispersion Conduct, not Creed; Behavior, not Belief; Deeds, not Doctrine. 12 Tribes: 10 are not “lost. ” “Dispersion” = technical term for Jews living outside of the Land (108 verses: 54 imperative verbs!). Closes with an appeal to restore those who may have failed the tests (5:19-20): • Endurance of Faith – Outward Trials & Inward Temptations Ch. 1:2-18 • Tests of the Genuineness of Faith – Response to the Word of God Ch. 1:19-27 – Response to social distinctions Ch. 2:1-13 – Production of good works Ch. 2:14-26 – Exercise of self-control Ch. 3:1-18 – Reaction to worldliness Ch. 4:1-5:12 – Resort to prayer in all circumstances Ch. 5:12-18 Faith Without Works? Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? James 2:18-20 Rich Mullins: “Faith without works is as useless as screendoor on a submarine…” First Epistle of Peter: To the Elect Sojourners of the Dispersion • The Status of the Believer Ch. 1-2:10 – Foreknowledge of God – – Unto Obedience of Faith – – The Living Stone (to the Remnant) – • Stone of Stumbling, Rock of Offense (to the non-Remnant): – Cf. Ps 118:22; 1 Cor 10:4; Rom 9:33 – • The Pilgrim Life Ch. 2:11-4:11 – – Citizens, Servants, Marriage – • The Fiery Trial Ch. 4:12-5:11 – – Rejoice; Commit; Be Vigilant – – Farewell Ch. 5:12-14 – Living Stone to those who are part of the spiritual House of Israel; but – a Stone of Stumbling and Rock of Offense to the nonbelievers; destined – to be rejected by leadership [Cf . Paul’s “Rock” that followed them during – the wilderness wanderings: 1 Cor 10:4; cf. Rom 9:33.] – Written from Babylon – • Babylon had the highest concentration of Jews outside the land and – was the center of Judaism outside the land. – • Babylonian Talmud was developed there. – • Peter, the Apostle of the Circumcision, would naturally base there. – Code name for Rome? Carried by Silvanus (“Silas”), a professional – secretary: Greek here is much more polished than 2nd Peter. – 2nd Epistle of Peter – • The Need to Grow Ch. 1 – – In Virtue, Knowledge, Self-Control, Patience, Godliness, Kindness, – and Love – – By “more sure Word of Prophecy” – • False Teachers Ch. 2 – – Will infect with slander and immorality – – God delivers to/from judgment – • Fallen Angels vs Noah and family (Gen 6) – • Sodom & Gomorrah vs Lot and family (Gen 19) – • Promise for End-Times Ch. 3 – – Scoffers of 2nd Coming – Today’s Heresies – Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking – after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of His coming? For – since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the – beginning of the creation. – 2 Peter 3:3, 4 – Can We Hasten His Coming? – Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the – heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with – fervent heat? – 2 Peter 3:2 – NIV: 2 Peter 3:12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its – coming… – NAS: 2 Peter 3:12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God… – How? – – By longing for His appearing 2 Tim 4:8 – – By praying for His appearing Rev 22:8 – – By seeking to win souls Rom 11:25 – 1st Epistle of John: Seven Contrasts: Truth vs. Error – • The Light vs. The Darkness Ch. 1:5-2:11 – • The Father vs. The World Ch. 2:12-2:17 – • Christ vs. the Antichrist Ch. 2:18-2:28 – • Good Works vs. Evil Works Ch. 2:29-3:24 – • Holy Spirit vs. Error Ch. 4:1-4:6 – • Love vs. Pious Pretence Ch. 4:7-4:21 – • The God-Born vs. others Ch. 5:1-5:21 – The Seven Tests – • Of Profession Ch. 1:5-2:11 – • Of Desire Ch. 2:12-2:17 – • Of Doctrine Ch. 2:18-2:28 – • Of Conduct Ch. 2:29-3:24 – • Of Discernment Ch. 4:1-4:6 – • Of Motive Ch. 4:7-4:21 – • Of New Birth Ch. 5:1-5:21 – Heptadic Structure – • Seven Traits of the Born Again. – • 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1 (2X), 4, 18. – • Seven Reasons why this epistle written. – • 1:3, 4, 2:1, 13-17, 21-24, 26, 5:13. – • Seven Tests of Christian genuineness. – • 1:6, 8, 10; 2:4, 6, 9, 4:20. – • Seven Tests of Honesty and Reality. – • 1:6, 8, 10; 2:4, 6, 9; 4:20. – • [Six Liars: 1:6; 1:10;2:4; 2:22; 4:20; 5:10.] – The Spiritual Fundamentals – • All-inclusive commandments: Ch. 3:23 – – We believe on Jesus Christ. – – That we love one another. – • A Profession of love for others Ch. 3:17, 18 – • Father’s sacrificing the Son Ch. 4:10, 11 – – Love’s last word – • Perfect love casteth out fear Ch. 4:18 – 2nd Epistle of John: To the Elect Lady – The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and – not I only, but also all they that have known the truth; For the truth’s sake, – which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever. – 2 John 1:1,2 – Who is “the Elect Lady”? – Two theories (from Jerome to the present day!): a) An idiom for the – church? (We are not “children of the church”); b) Some prominent – person in the church at Ephesus presently unknown. – • Who is the most “elect” of all women? – • To whom did Jesus consign the care of His mother? (John 19:26, 27) – • (Why not her own other sons?) – • “…whom I love in the truth, but also all they that have known the – truth” (2 John 1:1). – • “that which we had from the beginning…” (2 John 1:6). – • She had a sister (John 19:25). – Some Observations – • Frustrated with Jesus at 12 Luke 2:48 – • Dismissive allusion at Cana John 2:4 – – (Last recorded words here) – • Thought Jesus needed care Mark 3 – • Consigned to John: – – (He, too, had a pushy mom!) Matthew 20:21f – • She, too, needed the Holy Spirit Acts 1:14 – • Alters the entire tone of the epistle! Mary suffers from both the – heretical deification of the Roman Catholics, as well as the dismissal – of the Protestants… – 2nd Epistle of John: To the Elect Lady – • Practical: Walk in Love – – The Divine insistence on love Ch. 4, 5 – – The Human expression of love Ch. 6 – • Doctrinal: Watch Against Error – – Warning against false teaching Ch. 7-9 – – Warning against false charity Ch. 10, 11 – – Parting comments Ch. 12, 13 – Gnostics denied that Christ could come in the flesh. (Today some – churches deny that He ever can or will come again in the flesh!) – 3rd Epistle of John – • Gaius: Service in Truth and Love Ch. 2-8 – • Diotrephes: Evil by pride and strife Ch. 9-11 – • Commendation of one (Demetrius) Ch. 12 – • Parting words Ch. 13, 14 – The Epistle of Jude: Contend for the Faith – • Why to Contend: Apostates Ch. 3-16 – – Their subtle perversions: 1) denying grace: turning it into – lasciviousness; 2) denying our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. – – Their certain doom: three historic examples: Egypt, Angels (of – Genesis 6!), and Sodom. – – Their impious ways: three historic examples: Cain, Balaam, Korah. – – Their utter falsity: six awful metaphors: hidden rocks, exploiting – shepherds, clouds without water, trees without fruit, wild waves – of sea, wandering stars – • How to Contend: Resources Ch. 17-23 – – Apostasy has been foretold – – Build, Pray, Keep, Watch… – – Support those who contend – Heb. Judah (one of the 12 sons of Jacob of Genesis). Gr. Judas (“Jude” – to differentiate from Judas Iscariot). He was a half-brother of Jesus (Mt – 13:55; Mk 6:3), anbeliever until after resurrection (Jn 7:3-5; Acts 1:14). – Predictions fulfilled: 13 quotes from 2nd Peter: Peter in future tense; Jude – in past tense. – Certainty of Judgment – And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, – he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of – the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in – like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange – flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. – Jude 1:6,7 – Enoch’s Prophecy – And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, – Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute – judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all – their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their – hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. – Jude 1:14, 15 – A prophecy of the Second Coming, uttered before the flood of Noah! – Speaking Evil of Dignities? Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the – flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. Yet Michael the – archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of – Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord – rebuke thee. – Jude 1:8,9 – Similar to an allusion in the apocryphal Assumption of Moses.
Posted on: Tue, 22 Oct 2013 18:38:04 +0000
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