|















| |
INDEX
PREVIOUS
NEXT
|
COLLECTIONS
Commentaries,
Word Studies, Devotionals, Sermons, Illustrations
Old and New Testament. |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY AND TODAY, YES AND FOREVER:
Iesous Christos echthes (chthes) kai semeron o autos kai eis tous
aionas:
Some things (One) do not
change...that's why we should take care to ''REMEMBER...& IMITATE
their faith''. And ultimately to FIX OUR EYES on the unchanging Solid
Rock, Jesus, Yesterday=the day of the apostles, today=the day of the
book of Hebrews, forever=here in Austin & tomorrow in eternity. He is
worthy of our total commitment of FAITH...so like the leaders who you
watched for years & years, observing their FAITH by watching their
CONDUCT, so too you fix your hope completely on the grace to be
brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. It is the same grace
that we have access to today and that they had access to in the time
of the writing of this letter.
He says in v7 imitate their FAITH. But Faith in what? V8 says, "Jesus
Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." The sequence of
thought is that in v7 he says "Remember leaders who in the past had
faith, and now in the present you imitate that very faith." Then he
pens v8 & the point is that Jesus is the Same Yesterday, Today and
Tomorrow. So those who led you in the past trusted in the immutable
Jesus. Now you, today and tomorrow, go on trusting this same immutable
Jesus. Jesus is the unchanging Rock, the immutable Hope, the same Firm
Foundation today that He was yesterday and He will still be the same
tomorrow when you trust Him.
The faith we are to imitate is faith in future grace, not just past
grace. Faith that the living Jesus who helped yesterday will help
today and tomorrow.
Though human leaders pass from the scene, Jesus Christ is “the same”
(1:12) “yesterday” (in which God spoke through prophets, 1:1), “today”
(as God summons us to enter His rest through faith, 3:7, 13; 4:7), and
“forever” (1:8; 7:17, 21, 24, 28). He is the strong anchor amid
sufferings and uncertainties (6:19).
Jesus Christ is "Alpha and Omega" (Rev1:11). He "all things created"
yesterday (Col1:16), is "upholding all things" today (Heb1:3), and
shall "make all things new" tomorrow (Rev21:5). He is the eternal
Creator, the living Lord, and our coming King. |
|
|
|
NOTE: HG dictionary entry "periphero" reflects the Textus Receptus
Greek manuscipt. Nestle-Aland has "paraphero" (see Mk14:36 for
paraphero definition) This same difference is found in the manuscripts
in Jude12
DO NOT BE (continually) CARRIED AWAY BY VARIED (many coloured) AND
STRANGE (previously unknown, unheard of, unfamiliar) TEACHINGS:
didachais poikilais kai xenais me parapherethe (2PPPM): Why not?
Because of the truth of God the Son's attribute of immutability --
don't be carried away.
The readers were tempted to go back to Jewish legalistic practices of
keeping strict dietary laws, etc esp Col2:23 (cp Col 2:16-23, Mt 15:9,
Mk7:7,Ep 4:14)
The doctrine of immutability (13:8) teaches us that at the heart of an
ever-changing universe & various winds of doctrine is an unchanging
God. "He is the still point in a turning world."
Change and decay
in all around I see,
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.
FOR IT IS GOOD FOR THE HEART
TO BE STRENGTHENED BY GRACE, NOT BY FOODS: kalon gar chariti
bebaiousthai (PPN) ten kardian ou bromasin:
Eat "grace flakes" for breakfast
every morning, not special "mystery" diets that claim to increase you
"spirituality". Bebaioo describes an increase in inner strength (with
passive voice implying from outside source) w the implication that the
result is a greater firmness of character or attitude in one's heart.
Grace is the mace that allows us to kill the flesh, putting to death
the deeds of the flesh by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit
(Ro8:13). Don't try to kill the lusts of the flesh with dead
works...they effect nothing except possibly a veneer of pride &
possibly a transient "cooling" of the passions. Only by grace do we
enter. Only by grace do we stand against the enemy our flesh which
continuously "strategizes" and wages war against our soul (1Pe 2:11,
Gal 5:16, 17)
Heb9:9,10 Lv11 & Dt14:3-20 listed “unclean” foods that Jewish people
were to avoid, thus differentiating them from the nations around them.
Note that at least 5/8 uses of "bebaioo" (confirm, establish,
strengthen) are somehow related to a work of God or Christ (see
Ro15:8, 1Co1:8, 2Co1:21, Col2:7, Heb13:9) and so too in this verse.
V9 tells us in a word where to turn for strength (stabilizaton) of
heart and where not to turn. Turn to grace and not to foods. Evidently
in that church there were some strange teachings circulating about the
power of foods (cp Col2:16-23).Those who imagined that spiritual
growth came through a special menu had not only become ignorant of the
necessity of grace for growth (cp 2Pe3:18, 1Pe2:2, Jn1:17, Heb4:16,
12:15), but they actually blocked strengthening grace by their proud
little rules.
Grace, like the earth’s water system, operates on gravity—the
spiritual “gravity of grace.” Just as the waters of Niagara roll over
the falls and plunge down to make a river below, and just as that
river flows ever down to the even lower ranges of its course, then
glides to still more low-lying areas where it brings life and growth,
so it is with God’s grace. Grace’s gravity carries it to the lowly in
heart, where it brings life and blessing. Grace goes to the humble.
This is the spiritual law behind Pr3:34, quoted in Ja4:6 "He gives a
greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT
GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." The unbowed soul standing proudly before
God receives no benefit from God’s falling grace. It may descend upon
him, but it does not penetrate, and drips away like rain from a
statue. But the soul lying before God is immersed—and even swims—in a
sea of grace. So while there is always more grace, it is reserved for
the lowly and the humble. Legalisms, even “little” ones such as
dietary rules, impede grace. Humility invites the elevating weight of
grace!
Actually, the grace we imbibe comes directly from the cross of Christ,
for in v10 the preacher adds, “We have an altar from which those who
minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat,” referring to the
cross because in a Christian context the sacrifice must be on the
cross—the sacrificial altar of our faith. Our spiritual food is
nothing less than the life of Christ! Therefore, do not get mixed up
with strange teaching such as that leading to spiritual diets. Our
nourishment comes from grace, which comes directly from the altar—the
Cross of Christ. This meal goes to the humble!
A straightforward reading
indicates a general reference to the food regulations (clean &
unclean) specified under the Law (Lv11). Earlier our writer observed
that such regulations were merely “external” (9:10). The little Jewish
church was not only harried by the imminent threat of persecution, but
was also assailed within by the succumbing of some in the congregation
to a strange teaching that combined esoteric eating practices with
their Christian faith. No one knows exactly what the practices were,
though we do know that some held that their sacred menu would make
them better Christians.
Christians then and now to seek approval or status from God by eating,
or refraining from eating, certain special foods. The once-held
Catholic practice of eating fish on Friday would be a case in point.
THROUGH WHICH THOSE WHO WERE THUS OCCUPIED WERE NOT BENEFITED: en
ois ouk ophelethesan (3PAPI) oi peripatountes (PAPMPN):
Mere Jewish ceremonialism and
ritualism failed to build up the spiritual life. It was sheer folly to
give up Christ for Pharisaism or for Moses.
There is always the danger of being “carried about with various and
strange doctrines”. The purpose of spiritual ministry is to establish
God’s people in grace, so they will not be blown around by dangerous
doctrines (Ep4:11-14). Some recipients of the Letter to the Hebrews
were considering going back to Jewish laws that governed foods. The
writer warned them that these dietary regulations would not profit
them spiritually because they never profited the Jews spiritually! The
dietary laws impressed people as being spiritual, but they were only
shadows of the reality that we have in Christ (Col2:16-23). |
|
|
DOWNLOAD
InstaVerse
for free. It is a nifty,
easy to download and install (no restart), simple to use Bible Verse pop up
tool that will allow you to read every cross reference in this study
quickly, in context and in the Version you prefer (Note: Only KJV is free.
NAS, ESV, NIV, et al available for purchase) When you hold the mouse pointer
over the Scripture reference, the passage pops up immediately and can even
be highlighted (Go to "Menu" > Options > Appearance.
Yellow works great).
InstaVerse
works anywhere on
the Web as well as offline in Word for Windows, in email such as Outlook,
etc. It can be enabled or disabled easily (Menu > Disable). Try the free
version. It really works...you will be amazed and edified. (click
here) Note it won't work if
there is not a space between book name and chapter (Mt1:1 won't pop up but
Mt 1:1 will) |
|