Hebrews 5:1-14

…you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food… (vv. 11b-12) These two verses argued both for and against Paul’s authorship of Hebrews. First, the most obvious item supporting Paul’s authorship: milk vs. solid food… Paul makes this same comparison back in I Corinthians 3:2. Then again, the author could have known of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians and was using the same comparison. So maybe not Paul…

As for a point against Paul’s authorship, the author seems to be quite familiar with his audience of Jewish Christians when he writes “…you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers…”. Clearly I think the author has particular people in mind, some immature Jewish Christians. But Paul’s ministry was primarily to Gentile converts, not to Jewish believers. So first I thought this to be an argument against Paul’s authorship. Then I reasoned further from my earlier comments a few days ago about the possibility of Paul writing this letter sometime during the two years that he was in prison in Caesarea. During that time he probably had many visitors from Jerusalem, especially Jewish converts who would come to learn from him. So it could be that he wrote Hebrews specifically to teach these converts. He writes to them, “…you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God…”. Herein Paul is providing his motivation for this entire letter.

See also:

• November 16 (2020) / Hebrews 5:1-7
• November 17 (2020) / Hebrews 5:8-14

Hebrews 4:1-16

I am seeing three applications/concepts of “rest” in today’s reading. The first is the most obvious, the author’s Sabbath rest discussion beginning in verse 4 and culminating in verse 9: So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God… I commented on that yesterday and in my comments in my first link below – Carol’s and my discipline of setting work aside for a Sunday rest. It’s a good habit – we encourage you to do the same.

I see a second application of rest in today’s first verse: Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. Here I see “rest” as some sense of peace in our daily lives – of resting from worry and anxiety. We have our work to do – employment, volunteer work, household chores – but we do our work with a different sense of peace, knowing that all we do is for God’s glory. Work is good; He made us for work, but He did not make us to be slaves to our work: Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men… (Colossians 3:23)

Finally there is a third concept of “rest” that comes from my Catholic roots, “rest” that is a closing prayer at Catholic funerals: “Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. And may all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.” Eternal rest. Heaven. Sadly, there are millions of people worldwide who are working toward that rest – working! That is, they are striving through their own efforts to be good people, good enough to gain God’s favor when they die – not knowing that Jesus has already done “the work” through His death and resurrection, that we need only to accept His forgiveness for all that we have done and be received into His Kingdom – today! Heaven – on Earth, today!! But that concept of eternal rest for us is essentially what I was talking about in the second application above, that sense of peace in our daily lives. Again, Heaven on Earth…! As I quote in the second link below from verse 11a: Let us therefore strive to enter that rest…!!

See also:

• November 14 (2020) / Hebrews 4:1-10
• November 15 (2020) / Hebrews 4:11-16

Hebrews 3:1-19

Those verses from Psalm 95:7-11 are also verses 7 to 11 in today’s reading. Interesting! More on Psalm 95 below.

Just a few minutes ago I had read today’s passages, but had not yet posted. For some reason I asked myself why I was posting – why I post every day? And three thoughts came to me right away. First, I post because my writing helps me to see myself better and to help me grow with God. Reading these passages is good; writing about them is even better! Second, I post to encourage you in your faith and your growth in the Lord. A few of you have told me that you do not read the day’s readings until you have received my e-mail note. Beyond that “alarm bell ministry” however, I hope to encourage you as verses touch me; then when I share those verses I hope they touch you also. Third, I post to help us to understand certain passages better. That doesn’t happen so often, but when it does I find real satisfaction from my enhanced understanding of Scripture and hopefully your own enhanced understanding.

So in today’s reading, first in the second comments below I write about how a young lady in the Washington, DC area prompted me to enjoy my Sabbath rest and how that changed my behavior and how Carol and I continue to enjoy that rest each and every Sunday. So, my personal growth… Second, I see our author offering encouragement: But encourage one another every day, as long as it is still called “today”… (v. 13a, NASB). The author of Hebrews is all about encouragement! Finally, I see a triad in verses 16, 17, and 18 – three rhetorical questions, each followed by an answer. I have spoken often of Paul’s triads and of the possibility of Paul being the author of Hebrews. Granted, triads are not uncommon in our own written words today, but these questioning triads offer for me (and you?) some greater possibility of Paul’s authorship of Hebrews. So, my posting motivations, fulfilled in today’s reading. Thank you, Lord!

See also:

• November 12 (2020) / Hebrews 3:1-11
• November 13 (2020) / Hebrews 3:12-19

Hebrews 2:1-18

Thanksgiving Day! My posting necessarily delayed…

It [salvation, the Gospel] was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. (vv. 3b-4) Those who argue against Paul being the author of Hebrews use verse 3b as one of their arguments, that salvation … was attested to us by those who heard. However I think we can understand that verse differently, that the apostles who had been with Jesus and heard His message of salvation had conversed with Paul and told him what they had seen and heard. That verse does not say anything to suggest that Paul could not have heard the message of salvation himself by direct revelation from Jesus. Furthermore, verse 4 speaks of signs and wonders … and miracles … and gifts of the Holy Spirit, all of which Paul had witnessed and seen accomplished at his own hand. I do not negate Paul’s having written the letter to the Hebrews.

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy … the devil… (v. 14b) Again, my Study Bible helped me with more understanding: Jesus had to become a man if He were to redeem mankind. He could not have overcome death (and the devil) unless He Himself died, and He could die only if He became human. It all falls together so perfectly – creation, sin, redemption – why is it so hard for some people to believe??!!

See also:

• November 9 (2020) / Hebrews 2:1-8
• November 10 (2020) / Hebrews 2:9-13
• November 11 (2020) / Hebrews 2:14-18

Hebrews 1:1-14

Any commentaries or introductory comments on Hebrews that you read will point to the unknown identity of the author of the book of Hebrews. See my first comments from last year further below. But back on October 17 when we were reading Acts 25 (Paul appearing before Festus during his imprisonment in Caesarea) I wrote the following comments:

“I’m amazed at the Jewish leaders’ persistence in bringing their case against Paul: When he [Paul] had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him that they could not prove. (v 7) Paul has been in “prison” (possibly “house arrest”) in Caesarea for approximately two years. That is, he has been away from the mission field for all that time. Still, the Jewish leaders bring charges against him. So, why this intense focus on the part of the Jews? I’m guessing that his mere presence in the area generated that much activity, that much enthusiasm among the Christians in Jerusalem and nearby cities that he was still regarded by the Jewish leaders as their number-one enemy! And what if – I’m going out on a limb here – what if Paul wrote the Epistle to the Hebrews while he was in prison in Caesarea? What if…? That letter, widely circulated in and around Jerusalem would have set the Jewish leaders aflame!! The arguments in that letter are so strong that many average Jewish followers could have been led to follow Jesus. Wait until we get to Hebrews and let’s chat about this possibility! What a powerful legacy Paul left!”

I’ve been thinking regularly for this past month about that possibility of Paul’s authorship of Hebrews. It is especially enticing to imagine Paul writing this letter during the early years of his Caesarea prison time, then having that letter circulated to believing and unbelieving Jews in Jerusalem, with many of those unbelieving Jews coming to faith in Jesus as their Messiah. I need to chat with some Asbury professors about that possibility.

See also:

• November 7 (2020) / Hebrews 1:1-7
• November 8 (2020) / Hebrews 1:8-14

II Peter 3:1-18

There are a couple of oft-quoted verses in today’s reading: … with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day… (v. 8) and The Lord is … not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (v. 9)

…the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire… (v. 7b); …the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved… (v. 10); and the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn… (v. 12). Three times in a few verses Peter tells us about the end times, with three mentions of cataclysmic fire. There are many scholars who maintain that we are living in our future heaven, that the Earth as we know it will be the “new heaven”. I wonder how this belief squares with Peter’s picture of “…the day of the Lord” (v. 10) and the fiery ordeal facing the Earth. Scary!!

See also:

• November 5 (2020) / II Peter 3:1-9
• November 6 (2020) / II Peter 3:10-18

II Peter 2:1-22

For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. (v. 19b) I have been attending Freedom Road for almost four years. The men and women in this group and at other Alcoholics Anonymous meetings will attest to the truth of Peter’s words herein. Whatever is a person’s addiction – alcohol, drugs, gambling, sexuality, etc. – that addiction rules him or her. And breaking free, once enslaved, becomes a lifelong chore. While AA speaks of a “higher power”, Freedom Road people know that the higher power is Jesus and His Holy Spirit at work in their lives. Still, the addiction temptation is always present… Sad.

… there will be false teachers among you … And many will follow their destructive ways …By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words… (vv. 1b-3a, NKJV) The ESV and NASB both used the word (and concept) “greed” instead of covetousness, leading my Study Bible to suggest that these false teachers were driven by their love of money. But the NKJV that I posted above suggests to me that these false teachers were motivated by power, not money, doing what they could to attract more followers so as to enhance their own stature. And as I think of St. Andrew’s (and as I report on same) I think of our desire to grow numerically and to generate strong revenues as we finish 2021 and strong pledges for our 2022 budget. However, I do not see any of this happening by deception, by false teachers, or by any sense of personal or corporate gain. I see us as sincerely following the Lord, seeking to grow others into the love-life that we have and using our abundant resources to enhance our ministries among those with need. In so doing we are following Jesus’ example: For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. (Luke 19:10)

See also:

• November 3 (2020) / II Peter 2:1-11
• November 4 (2020) / II Peter 2:12-22

II Peter 1:1-21

Some time ago we saw Paul’s list of the “fruit of the Spirit”: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Today we see a listing from Peter that he calls “these things” (or “qualities” in the ESV and NASB translations): …faith … virtue … knowledge … self-control … steadfastness … godliness … brotherly affection … love. (vv. 5-7) Love and self-control are word-for-word with Paul, plus I attributed Paul’s faithfulness with Peter’s steadfastness. One could also connect brotherly affection with kindness and goodness. But faith, virtue, knowledge, and godliness stand out in Peter’s list. Peter goes on to say that … if you practice these qualities you will never fall. (v. 10b) So between the two lists I see active pursuit in Peter’s list and godly outcome in Paul’s list. If you pursue Peter’s qualities, Paul’s fruit will be the outcome. I’ve never connected these two passages of Scripture before. Interesting…

See also:

• November 1 (2020) / II Peter 1:1-11
• November 2 (2020) / II Peter 1:12-21

Jude 1-25

I see the whole of Jude’s epistle as being written to two groups of people – those who are new or weak in the faith and the leaders whose job it is to teach and encourage those who are weak. As to the first group, Jude 5 points to the Israelites in the wilderness who perished after being rescued from Egypt and in Jude 6 he speaks of angels who were taken from their high positions and were “kept in eternal chains”. These verses seem to be warnings to the weak not to wander off the true path of faith, but to humbly follow the leaders and the teachings that brought them to faith in the first place. That is, Jude is not preaching “once saved, always saved”! Then Jude goes on in Jude 7-19 to describe those “ungodly” persons, presumably to help the weak to see and recognize those who are in error and to avoid those ungodly people.

As to that second group of people, the leaders and teachers, the same verses noted above (vv. 5-19) provide solid ground for guiding the weak away from those worldly temptations. But I also see Jude 20-23 as being written directly to these leaders: build yourselves up and pray in the Spirit (v. 20), keep yourselves in the love of God (v. 21), have mercy on doubters (v. 22), save others and show mercy with fear (v. 23). And to break down this second group even further, I see verses 20 and 21a to be written to all of us who are strong in our faith – But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God… – while verses 22 and 23 are targeted to those who have teaching and leadership responsibilities. So let me reiterate Jude’s fundamental guidance to all of us: build yourselves up, pray in the Spirit, and keep yourselves in the love of God. It’s not too much to ask!

See also:

• October 29 (2020) / Jude 1-7
• October 30 (2020) / Jude 8-16
• October 31 (2020) / Jude 17-25

I Peter 5:1-14

She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings… (v. 13a) I’ve always wondered who the “she” was who was with Peter in Rome (Babylon). My first thoughts go to Peter’s wife, but then one asks more fully about his wife. Scripture never says that Peter was married; none of the gospels mention his wife, although all three Synoptic gospels mention his mother-in-law. So one asks if his wife had died before he was called by Jesus or was she still living while Peter traveled with Jesus? Going further, if Peter was still married, did he abandon his family to follow Jesus? An early Christian writer, Clement of Alexandria, said that “Peter was married, had children and witnessed his wife’s martyrdom in Rome”. (https://catholicstraightanswers.com/was-saint-peter-married/) The same article says that “…Peter’s wife died before he had been called as an apostle”. Note that this is a Catholic Church website, consistent in the Church’s position of unmarried priests, naturally suggesting that Peter was not married when he was called. Bottom line, the original question – we’ll never know who “she” was.

See also:

• October 27 (2020) / I Peter 5:1-5
• October 28 (2020) / I Peter 5:6-14