Tag Archives: Hebrews

Arts, Bible, Christianity, Culture, History

Christ is all you need

Rome, c. AD 68

(Hebrews 1–13)

AN unsigned letter, from an unspecified address, urging Jewish Christians to endure hardship and not to compromise Christ by reverting to Hebrew traditions has been received here. Among the candidates as author, who says he was not an eyewitness of Christ, are Barnabas, Paul’s former associate, and Apollos, one of Paul’s converts. ‘The letter to the Hebrews’ describes in considerable detail the difference between the work of Christ as High Priest and the ministry of Jewish priests. Its readers, who may belong to an isolated house church or who share a common background such as the priesthood, are taught Christian truth with Hebrew imagery.

The author is aware of their sufferings (10:32–34), although whether these refer to persecution in Jerusalem or more recent events under Nero in Rome is unclear. They are encouraged to persevere by recalling the greater sufferings of Christ (12:3–4). He is superior to angels, to Moses and to the traditional priesthood, he claims. Christ’s divinity is stated, but the letter focuses on his humanity.

Christ’s sacrifice for sin remains effective for ever, he asserts, whereas ‘it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins’ (10:4). As a result of Christ’s death, a new covenant with God has been enacted which supersedes all previous covenants.

The letter contains numerous warnings against drifting from God (2:1), falling into unbelief (3:12, 6:4–6), isolationism and habitual sin (10:25–27), bitterness, immorality, and greed (chs 12–13). But it is also peppered with encouragements. God can be approached confidently because Christ understands human weakness (4:14–16), giving hope as secure as a ship’s anchor (7–19) and an assurance that God will keep his word (10:36).

Even if persecution seems hard, it can be seen as God’s discipline of love (12:4–11). A summary of the endurance of the saints of the past includes such unlikely characters as the prostitute Rahab and Samson, the womaniser, as well as Moses, Abraham and David. The author says they remained faithful even though they knew less of God’s purposes than his readers do now.

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Arts, Christianity, Culture

Have faith, will travel

ENDURING FAITH

Hebrews 11 – a narrative

“I have no use for adventures,” declared Bilbo Baggins in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. “Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!”

Abraham and the other biblical heroes whose stories are recalled here in Hebrews 11 would not have agreed. Faith to them was an adventure. Indeed, Abraham didn’t even know where he was heading when he set out (v 8).

The faith which is applauded here is not “saving faith”, the initial trust in God for forgiveness and eternal life, but applied faith. If we are committed to God, then we are to go with him, wherever that takes us, knowing God has promised long-term blessings to those who continue to obey and endure.

The Bible suggests that “saving faith” without such “applied faith” is a contradiction in terms. You can have neither without the other. If we are saved, we shall be motivated to serve; if we want to serve, we must first be saved.

The people we meet in Hebrews 11 trusted God to provide for their needs, lead them, protect them, and overcome obstacles; they sacrificed in faith that God’s purposes were greater, and his promises, sure. They weren’t perfect: drunken Noah, cheating Jacob, immoral Rahab, mixed-up Samson and adulterer David. Yet each set us an example of faith going places with God.

We can begin to exercise faith in small ways in our daily life, just as they did. The big tests come later. We must ensure we “walk the walk”; as Bilbo discovered, it’s better than staying at home.

Faith involves risk. There is the risk that we might be proved wrong. We could mishear God, mistake his call, misapply his truth, misappropriate his promises. We could even mislead others.

Running through this chapter is a testimony to the biggest risk of all: that we will never see our faith justified. Twice the author says that they “did not receive the things promised” (vv 13, 39). They were not wrong, but they never lived to see the fulfilment of their faith-dreams.

Indeed, much of life, is building for a future which we will never see. Our calling is to be faithful to what God has revealed, to live as if he is fulfilling his purposes even when we can’t see them, and to remember that we are but a small part of his very big enterprise.

In an age of impatience, the real risk of faith is not to our well-being but to our pride; we want to be proved right. All that these saints were bothered about was proving God right for posterity. It took the stress out of waiting, because they knew God would sort things out in his own time.

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