The Epistle to the Hebrews part V

We're going to keep stressing that Hebrews is written with the idea of showing the Hebrew people that Jesus of Nazareth was not just a martyr. He was not just a prophet, but rather He was God the Son! He was the Creator of everything. So here in Philippians chapter 2, Paul, we think covers the whole realm of Christ’s coming and what He accomplished. Verse 5:

Philippians 2:5 "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6. Who, being in the form of God,…" Remember what the Scripture says in John 1:1?

John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." So this same Jesus, the Word in John 1:2, the Christ:

Philippians 2:6-7 "Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery (or it wasn’t anything that He was doing that wasn’t appropriate) to be equal with God:7. But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him (Himself) the form of a servant, (or a bond slave is a better term) and was made in the likeness of men:" He was made in the likeness of men, He put on the body God had prepared for Him (Genesis3:15), as He was born of the virgin Mary, but always remember He was still God. We’re going to be showing that as we go further in Hebrews. He never stopped for a moment being part of that Godhead. Now verse 8:

Philippians 2:8 "And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, (Rome didn’t humble Him, the Hebrew leaders didn’t humble Him, but rather He humbled Himself, He put on our flesh) and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."

In the Eastern social structure a young man, who's family has a business of some sort, would be given a tutor, who would take the young man and train him in reading, writing, mathematics, reasoning and logic. After a few years of this training the young man would be tested to see how well he could handle his families business. If he passed this testing he would be taken before the family and pronounced heir of the family business. He would be allowed to conduct the every day business affairs, still under the watchful eyes of his grandfather and father. Then one day a day predetermined by the family elders he would be taken before the public and would be given control of the family business and full heir-ship. He then would no longer be under those watchful eyes because he was given liberty to run all business affairs independently. Point of interest, this would usually take place at or about his thirteenth and his thirtieth birthdays respectfully.

Now, we all have our pet ideas of how we can picture some of these things, but the one that is freshest on our mind, is when they were in the Garden of Gethsemane, and when Peter finally saw what they were trying to do to his Lord, what does Peter do? He draws his sword that he was carrying, and cuts off the ear of the servant of the high priest who's name was Malchus. Well was that in agreement in the mind of Christ? No, the Lord wasn’t fighting to protect Himself, and to show Peter how completely wrong he was, the Lord put Malchus’ ear back on miraculously. It was only to show Peter, "Listen, we’re not fighting against this with weapons. I’m not trying to avoid the cross." So He became obedient, and as He said Himself He could have called down 12 legions of angels, and they would have come to His rescue, but He chose not to.

Philippians 2:8b-9a "…and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (but don’t stop there.) 9. Wherefore (because of His total obedience to the plan of the Triune God,) God also has highly exalted Him,…" Now us enlarge on the word exalt. What does it mean? We mean it’s to give Him all the praise that is His due. God Himself has exalted Him.

Philippians 2:9b "…and given Him a name which is above every name:" There’s not a name that has ever been on the planet that came even close to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Now verse 10, and this is going to be the final fruition of everything.

Philippians 2:10a "That at the name of Jesus every knee…" The Hitlers, the Mussolini’s, the Stalin’s, the Napoleon’s, you name it, every one of them is going to stand before Him, fall on their knees, and recognize Who He is.

Philippians 2:10-11 "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth. 11. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Now when it comes to heir-ship we can’t leave out our own role. We as believers are also called heirs, and we’ll find that in Romans chapter 8. This should be enough to inflate everyone of us to where it’s almost hard for us to stay earth bound, because this is our prospect. This is what’s coming! This is why Paul says, "suffering is nothing compared to the glory that will be revealed to us." (This glory is what was around Adam before his rebellion or disobedience and fall into sin and death, taking upon him the nature and character of Satan for us all. This is also the glory which the three disciples saw when they were with the Lord on the Mount.)

The Epistle to the Hebrews part IV

Acts 22:17-21 "And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; 18. And saw Him (the Son, the ascended Lord) saying to me, Make haste, and get quickly out of Jerusalem; for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me. 19. I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on you: 20. And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting to his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him. 21. He said to me, Depart: for I will send you far hence to the Gentiles."

Now this was unheard of! A lot of people just can’t get that through their heads, and we know they can’t. They can’t believe that Jesus never had a ministry to the Gentiles during His first visitation. Someone was just sharing with me that in their Sunday school material, there was something about Jesus going to Gentiles. No, He didn’t go to Gentiles, and He was careful that He never did, except in those 2 exceptions, He even told the disciples not to go to the gentiles as it was not in the proper timing of God, because this mission was left to the Apostle Paul to take care of. So from the words of the Son, what did He say?

Acts 22:21b "…Depart: for I will send you far hence to the Gentiles."

That was totally unheard of, that was a whole new beginning. Now let’s come on over to the Book of Galatians chapter 1, and let’s just jump in at verse 11.

Galatians 1:11-12 "But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, (by man) but by the revelation of Jesus Christ."

What does that mean? The Son spoke to the Apostle Paul. The Son was not speaking through the prophets, but rather through this apostle. It is the Son Who is now speaking. Now come on over to the Book of Colossians chapter 2, and to pick up the flow, let’s pick up at verse 8. Now remember as Peter admonished us, that the Apostle Paul’s writing is Scripture, it’s the Word of God. And we can just sink your teeth into it and rest on it. So Paul writes:

Colossians 2:8-9 "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9. For in Him (in Christ, in the Son) dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily."

Isn’t that amazing? And oh, that’s hard for people to see. How can it be? Because He was manifested in the flesh as God, and He went to the cross as God. How many people realize that the hill on which He was crucified was of His creation? How many people realize that the wood of the tree on which He was nailed, He created that tree. How about the Romans that drove the spikes, He created them. He’s the Creator of everything, and oh it’s so hard for people to see this, and yet He has spoken from that ascended place in glory now through this apostle, who is lifting Him up in the Epistle of Hebrews now as "Son."

Now coming back to Hebrews chapter 1 for just a little bit. So this same God that spoke in the Old Testament, this same God is now speaking through His "Son," His title. And we have to understand Who He is. He’s not just the carpenter’s son, He’s not just Someone Who was martyred, He’s not Someone Who simply wasted His life and was crucified, but rather He is the Eternal Creator, Son! We’re going to see how that when He was raised from the dead, He just literally exploded with the power of an Endless Life, the likes of which the universe has never seen. Even the power of creation does not compare with the power of His resurrection. And oh, let’s never lose sight of that. So this same God Who spoke through the Old Testament prophets:

Hebrews 1:2a "Has in these last days…"

With Christ’s first advent, His suffering, His death, His burial, His resurrection, and His ascension is the One Who is speaking to us today!

Hebrews 1:2a "Has in these last days (that is the period of Christ’s first advent. Those were the last days according to all the Old Testament prophecies) spoken to us by His Son, (remember there is no "his" in the original. So it should read, Has in these last days spoken to us by) Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things,…"

Now just stop for a moment. We think we’re all guilty of just reading so fast, that we don’t read. What does it mean to be appointed heir? Well, they get everything. We know we like to read of the heir of some wealthy corporation, or the Vanderbilt family, or the Rockefeller's and we’ll read of their great wealth, and it always says, "They’re the heir of so and so fortune." So we’re well acquainted to what it is to be an heir, but we see the Triune God again, the Father, Son, and the Spirit, have in unison made the Son the Heir of everything. Now let’s go back to the Book of Philippians chapter 2, and this again says it all in a different light than even Hebrews.

The Epistle to the Hebrews part III

Hebrews 1:1
"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets."

Why does Paul admonish us to study the Old Testament. It’s just like the Epistle of Hebrews, there’s not a Roman Road to Salvation in the Old Testament. There’s not a plan of Salvation for us in the Old Testament (Genesis through Acts 9), there’s nothing of the Gospel of Grace in the Old Testament - but we study it, and we rest on it because it’s the building block that God has laid down just like a secular education. We’ve used this example many times; how far would a young person get if all of a sudden without any previous education in grade school or high school, you plunk him down in a calculus class at the university? How long would he last? Not more than 5 minutes. Why? He has not had the building blocks of education. Jesus is the bedrock upon which His Church is built and Paul was the master builder who established a true delineated or plumbed framework or skeletal system for this house, body, family or church. A spiritual Church which means that it is a restrictive or selective group of people who will enter into it. He (Jesus) said that many are called but few there are they, that will enter in.(Mat. 22:14) He also said that we are to count the cost to us before deciding to enter there in. (Luke 14:28)

Remember that Hebrews was written to Hebrew Christian people. Hopefully, most of them were believers, but also a lot of them were still on the fence; they just couldn’t turn their back on Judaism, and the Law with all its gala pomp and circumstance. And was a burden of restriction a heavy weight to them as there was no wiggle room within its corral fence. Now here we need to understand that the Law is not the Ten Commandments thou it is law but rather the whole system of Levitical Laws made up of statues and ordinances and the traditions of the Hebrew forefathers. They were also probably having some problems understanding Who Jesus of Nazareth really was, and so this Epistle is written primarily to lift up Who the Son really is. This letter is uniquely written to these Hebrew people who were having problems turning their backs on their past. And is carries over on those of us who have a problem turning our backs on the religious system of church, on mans religion, legalism and the spirit of the world, of this present darkness. So we can glean from the teachings of Hebrews as well.

Romans 15:4 "For whatsoever things were written aforetime (back in the Old Testament) were written for our learning,…"
If we haven’t an understanding of how all of this came about, it’s pretty hard to just step in and say, "Yeah, I can believe that." But we don’t think God expects that, so we use the Old Testament over and over as a background for our New Testament teaching, just as Paul did. Because the New is the Old revealed or exposed and uncovered. Its all foundational as it supports the cornerstone which is Christ Jesus the revealer of the Grace and Truth.

Galatians 4:4 "But when the fullness of the time was come, God (the Triune God, Elohim) sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law."( the law given by commandment to Adam Genesis 2:16-17, when this was violated by Adam it became a law as the commandment carried with it a penalty for its disobedience. It placed all of mankind under its curse until the fulness of times come. And Christ became the curse and removed it and this applies to both.)

What did He send forth? His Son, and He was made under the law and as a Hebrew in the line of David under the Law of Moses. We guess we could even look at some other verses, even in Paul’s writings, but this is how the Old Testament and the Four Gospel accounts, as well as Paul’s letters, are referring to this Person of the Godhead then, that we have to lift up as the Son. The Son is unique in that role of the Godhead. This now leads us into our next verse in Hebrews.

Hebrews 1:2a "Has in these last days spoken to us by His Son,…"

Now we're going to throw a curve at you. The first time we read that verse sometime ago, we couldn’t quite fathom it. It will take a long time to really have an impact on us. But in verse 2, the word "His" has been added by the translators, have you noticed that? We never did for years and years. That word "His" is not in the original, and neither is there an article in the Greek, so the Greek reads like this.

Hebrews 1:2a "Has in these last days spoken to us by Son,..."

We’d probably say, "Now that doesn’t sound right." Well it does after we really start thinking about it. Because you see, Son by itself can be a title. How many fathers haven’t we heard instead of calling their son by his first name, what do they call him? "Come on son, let’s do this or that." Son becomes his title, and that’s the way we're pointing this out for us to look at.

Hebrews 1:2a "Has in these last days spoken to us by Son,…"

The title! And the emphasis has to be just the way we're putting it. Now let’s go back and see if we can pick up a little bit by that. So come all the way back to the Book of Acts, when Christ was dealing with the Apostle Paul. We think a good place would be Acts chapter 22. But first....

Another phrase in this verse, concerning "the last days." This usually shakes up people also. When the Scripture speaks of the last days, we’re speaking of His first advent. The three years of His earthly ministry to Israel only, His crucifixion, His burial, His resurrection, and His ascension back to glory, as we see in Psalm 110:1. So all of that which took place in that first advent is considered in Scripture as "the last days." Because it marked the end of God's dealing exclusively with the nation of Israel (through Abraham and the priesthood of Aaron's line) as He had been doing from Genesis 11 through Acts 11. Now the second Psalm lays out the time line for all of this. As we show in our study in Galatians.

Now we know that sounds confusing at first, but we see this as the only thing that the Old Testament looked forward to, that, after His ascension, then would come the 7 years of Tribulation, and then He would return and set up His Kingdom, that was promised to David and his blood line. So, this first advent then according to the Old Testament accounts, was the last days. Also remember that Paul is in this last days period of time. It was just a matter of years from the crucifixion until he begins his ministry. So Paul, too, is considered part of the last days, because they had no idea that there would be 1960 + years of the Church Age. That was completely unknown to the Old Testament writers. Thou they had seen it in shadow form only and questioned what it was that they saw, not knowing its meaning. So they just spoke of it over and over as the "last days." There was no hint of an Age of the Church or the New Covenant of Grace, all they knew was the promise of God given through Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel in relation to a new covenant and endless covenant and eternal covenant.

Now here’s where we think we can jump in now and see various ways that the Son spoke now in these last days. Paul has now been out among the Gentile world, establishing his little congregations of Gentile believers, and has come back to Jerusalem, he’s always having a heavy heart for his kinsmen according to the flesh, the Hebrew people. Here again Paul goes before this great multitude of Hebrews to try to convince them that he wasn’t just a renegade, he wasn’t an imposter to the truth, he wasn’t a heretic, but rather he was proclaiming everything that the Old Testament had prophesied, and that Christ had fulfilled. So he comes back to Jerusalem, and he’s in the Temple. Now beginning at verse 17.

The Epistle to the Hebrews part II

Now Hebrews 1:1

Hebrews 1:1a
"God,…" G-O-D, just exactly like the way Genesis begins. Well let’s go back to Genesis and compare Scripture with Scripture.

Genesis 1:1a
"In the beginning God…"

Do we see that? Now back in Hebrews. The word God written in Hebrew, this term God is Elohim, and Elohim in the Hebrew is a plural word. Elohim when used with a small "e" is translated gods, with a reference to the pagan gods, and it was a plural term. So Elohim is not singular, but rather plural. So it gives rise of course to what we call a Triune God. "Well the word Trinity isn’t in the Bible." So we say, we know that, because it’s a coined term, and one that everyone understands, so we won’t use it to satisfy those folks. But Elohim is a plural term for the Triune Godhead. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. All three are co-equal, in that term Elohim, that Triune Godhead! Now jump up to John’s gospel chapter 1, to see that God the Son was the One Who did the creating. So this Triune God designated the work of creation to the Communicator (known by the Hebrews as Yehoveh (O.T.) and Yeshua-Messieh (N.T.)), and we see that here in John chapter 1. Here's a tip Yehoveh means the ever revealing one or EHYEH-asher-EHYEH, “I am” to be more and more revealed as the communicator.(Exodus 3:14)

John 1:1
"In the beginning was the Word,(and what do you do with words? You communicate! That’s the whole idea, that in the beginning there was a Person in the Godhead that would communicate. He would express thought, and things that happen) and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." So the Communicator, the Son, was no less than the Father, no more than the Spirit, because the Three were co-equal in the Godhead. So the Word was God! Now verse 3.

3 "All things were made by Him; (now we're a stickler for grammar, and we always show what modifies what? Well it says all things were made by Him is referring to the Word up in verse 1) and without Him was not any thing made that was made." Now to confirm that this is speaking of the Word, or Christ, or Jesus the Son, as we knew Him in the four gospel accounts, just drop down to verse 14.

John 1:14a "And the Word (this Communicator) was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,)…" Now later on we’re going to look at this phrase "the only begotten." But for now let’s just let it sit for the time being.

14b "…full of grace and truth." Now that’s the Word! Remember, that Grace and Truth is what Jesus is full of, or introduces to humanity. If we’ll come on over into Paul’s writings over in Ephesians chapter 3, and we can drop right down to verse 9, and we’ll see Paul also tells us the Son was the Creator. Remember the Scriptures all fit.

Ephesians 3:9 "And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world had been hid in God, (the Triune God, but the same God, what was hidden in Jesus Christ? Grace and Truth! And more) who created all things by Jesus Christ:" So its through knowing Christ that we receive Grace and Truth.

Do you see how plain that is? Sure the Godhead was involved, all Three of them. The Elohim of Genesis 1:1. But the Son steps out and speaks the Word and communicates to the nothing that was there, and out came creation of the universe. Now let’s come over to Colossians chapter 1, where Paul makes it even so much plainer. And let’s just drop in at verse 12, so we’re sure who we’re talking about, as some questioned our use of terms in a recent discussion. And Paul writes:

Colossians 1:12-15a "Giving thanks to the Father, which has made us meet (or prepared us made us fit) to be partakers of the inheritance (we’ll be looking at that word also in Hebrews) of the saints in light: 13. Who (speaking of God the Father) has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has (already) translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son: (we’ll also chase that word down from Genesis through Scripture, the word Son after a while) 14. In whom (that is in the Son) we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins: (now here comes the part about creation) 15. Who (speaking of the Son) is the image of the invisible God," Now what does that mean? This Triune Godhead of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit was never visible. The Godhead was an invisible Spirit, and He operates in the invisible. But when the time came it was God the Son Who stepped out and became then the visible manifestation of all three. That’s why in John 14, when Philip said, "Show us the Father and it suffice us." What did Jesus say to Philip? "If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father!" Why? Because Jesus was the manifestation of the invisible Godhead. In verse 12 we has the word "light" in this context what does it mean? Thayer's Word Dictionary says this: "of truth and its knowledge, together with the spiritual purity associated with it" Now read on in verse 15.

Colossians 1:15-16 "Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: (He was before anything was ever created. He comes from eternity past) 16. For by Him (God the Son) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him:" So everything was created by and for Him. Now verse 17. He is still the controlling power, even after His work of the cross, and having been risen from the dead in the power of an Endless Life through His blood. He is the all powerful God.

Colossians 1:17 "And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist." Consist means, "held together." The world today knows nothing of this. For the average citizen of this world, Jesus Christ is just a cuss word. He’s just somebody to blaspheme, He’s someone to ridicule, but oh, one day, the world is going to stand before Him and they’re going drop to their immortal knees, and they’re going to recognize that He was indeed the Creator of everything - never lose sight of that!

We’re not putting our trust in some far flung philosophy, but rather we’re putting our trust in the visible manifestation of the invisible God. One day we’re going to see Him face to face, and we’re going to be with Him the Scriptures say, for all eternity. Now back to Hebrews 1:1

The Epistle to the Hebrews part I

Hebrews has all the trappings of an epistle of Paul, although it is not directed to the Gentiles or the Church, but rather it’s directed to the Hebrew believers "Christians". There has always been a lot of controversy over this epistle as to its authorship, and as to its time of writing and so forth. We're not a theologian, so we don’t have to get hung up on any of these big heavyweight arguments. We just tell what we think it is, and we believe the Apostle Paul is definitely the author of the Epistle of Hebrews though at times Clements or Luke's hand can be found in it's language or one of them may have wrote it for Paul.

Secondly, we feel that it was one of his earlier letters, if not the earliest. We read something in the past confirming that, and that is in some of the earliest or ancient manuscripts of our New Testament, the Epistle of Hebrews followed I and II Thessalonians. Now everyone is pretty much agreed that the Thessalonian letters were the first of Paul’s writings, and so if Hebrews in the ancient manuscripts followed Thessalonians, then that falls right in line.

Another thing we think we have to realize of Hebrews, is that there is absolutely nothing of Church language. In other words, we won’t find a Roman road to Salvation in Hebrews. There is not a Hebrews road to Salvation, so, "What’s the theme of the Epistle?" The theme of this Epistle of Hebrews is two fold.

1. We’re being shown a constant comparison of how this economy or dispensation or Age now under Grace is so much Better than anything that went before. And we’ll be looking at this over and over throughout this Epistle. We’ll see this is better! Yes, the Law was good, but this is so much Better.

2.More preeminent in importance is that Hebrews is going to point out Who Jesus Christ really is and that after His ascension we change the arrangement of His name to honor Him and His finished work, to Christ Jesus. Because He is declared by God to be the Son of God and is now our High Priest-King in the order of Melchizedek. It uncovers the veiled secret that God had hidden within His heart and which He called a mystery, as He revealed them to Paul and Paul alone.

This tremendous Epistle to the Hebrews, that it is not a book of Church doctrine, as we won’t find a single word in here about redemption or Salvation based on Christ’s death, burial and resurrection, or any reference to the Body of Christ, the Church nor any reference to faith + nothing as we see so often in Romans through Philemon. Nor is it a Book of corrections and admonitions like the Book of Galatians is. The Epistle of Hebrews is going to just show us what a tremendous important the personage Christ Jesus really is and His Ministry to us, in us. We have to remember, the Bible doesn’t tell us everything we’d like to know. "But the Bible does tell us everything that we need to know." The whole Epistle of Hebrews is written primarily to the Hebrew people who had turned to belief, trusting faith in Christ, and to prove to them that this Jesus of Nazareth, whom most of them now were in the throws of rejection in unbelief saying, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" And yet this Epistle of Hebrews is proving that Christ, the Son of God, is better than anything that had gone before. We hear of people that have been in a cult or even the main line churches, for maybe 40, 50, 60, or even 70 years, and then the Lord begins to show them the Truth of this beautiful Gospel of Grace, and they begin to grasp it, but yet there is that constant nagging, that pulls, with the thought, "What if I was right and this is wrong?" So most have that constant pull to go back into that which they had drummed into them for a lifetime.

We'll see these people to whom Paul was writing were in that same set of circumstances. They’ve been steeped in Judaism since way back in the days of Moses. They’ve been in Judaism and the Levitical Law-keeping as a nation of people throughout their whole lifetime, and now, to suddenly have this brought before them; that they were to turn their back on all that, because they’re no longer under the bondage to that Law, that God the Son has now finished the work of redemption, and faith alone is all that’s needed. Their no longer under the works as a belief system, of their forefathers, but rather a trusting in the Word which brings obedience or a doing of it. So we can see where a change to that would be tough. Just watch for that flavor throughout the Epistle of Hebrews. These Hebrews are trying to be pulled back into that, which up front, they can see is now behind them.

As a means of introduction to Hebrews let's take a look at another letter, this one will be Peter's letter: II Peter 3:15
"And account (or understand) that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation, even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom (divine illumination) given to him has written to you;" Let’s qualify who are the "you" that Peter is addressing. Well come back to I Peter chapter 1, and there we see very plainly that Peter is writing to the Hebrews, not Gentiles, not even a mixture of each. He is writing to Hebrews of the dispersion, the ones known as “Christians”.

I Peter 1:1
"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia."

So who is he addressing? Hebrews of the dispersion who had already been scattered away from their home area of Jerusalem and Judea, some of them from the Babylonian time. So now coming back to II Peter chapter 3, let’s finish our thought. Peter is letting them know that these people to whom he is writing have received letters from the Apostle Paul.

II Peter 3:15-16
"And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given to him has written to you;" (Hebrews) Then we go into the next verse, and if anyone is tempted to feel that Paul’s writings do not belong in our Bible, then here is proof by the writing of the Apostle Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, like any other writer of Scripture, that Paul’s letters are all Scripture. They carry a heavier glory than did Moses.

II Peter 3:16
"As also in all his epistles (Paul's), speaking in them of these things; (these things which pertain to Redemption leading through our Salvation up there in verse 15) in which are some things hard to be understood, (even Peter at his late date had a very hard time comprehending these doctrines of Grace that had come from the Apostle Paul’s pen, but nevertheless, he is still agreeing, that) which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, to their own destruction."

Now when we say the other Scriptures, after talking about Paul, what does it make them all? Scripture! So Paul’s letters, even by the inspiration of Peter’s pen, are still all Scripture. So if anyone ever tells you, "Well I don’t think much of Paul’s writing," then we just take them right to these verses. This is as plain as it can get that Paul was just as much a writer of the Word of God as Moses, Isaiah, or John, Peter or anyone else.
On our way to Hebrews lets look at one of Paul's statements found in Romans:

Romans 1:16
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it (the Gospel of God's Grace) is the power (remember this word power) of God to salvation to every one that believes; (now what is the process?) to the Jew (Hebrew) first, and also to the Greek."(or Gentiles)

Uncovering the Epistle to the Hebrews Introduction

For some time now we've been sharing the revelations of the secret things Moses spoke of in Deuteronomy 29:29 where it is recorded:
“The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (KJV)
“The secret things belong unto Yehovah our God; but the things that are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (ASV)
Now in both of these translations the last word is “law” which in the Strong's Dictionary numbering is H3384 which is the root of H8451 and means: to teach, inform, instruct, and show. And law, a precept, a statute.

Now we'll turn the John's gospel chapter 12 and starting with the 33rd verse:
"This He said, signifying what death He should die. The people answered Him, “We have heard out of the law that Christ abides for ever: and how say you, The Son of man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of man?” Then Jesus said to them, “Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walks in darkness knows not whither he goes. While you have light, believe in the light, that you may be the children of light.” These things spoke Jesus, and departed, and did hide Himself from them."

"But though He had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on Him: That the saying of Esaias (Isaiah) the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, “Lord, who has believed our report? and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, “He has blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.” These things said Esaias, when he saw His glory, and spoke of Him." (Isaiah 53:1, 40:10-11, 51:5, 9; 44:18-20; 6:9-10; 29:10; 42:19-20, 26:11; 53:5, 57:18-19)

"Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. Jesus cried and said, He that believes on me, believes not on me, but on Him that sent me. And he that sees me sees Him that sent me. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believes on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejects me, and receives not my words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I have
not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, He gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that His commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said to me, so I speak.
Now the words that Jesus had spoken in the hearing of the people were these also from John chapter 12 verses 23-32:
"Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say to you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone: but if it die, it brings forth much fruit. He that loves his life shall lose it; and he that hates his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor. Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify Your name. Then came there a voice from heaven, “I have both glorified and will glorify again.” The people therefore, that stood by, and heard, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all to me."

This is taken from verses 33-50, 23-32 of the KJV and is edited for ease of reading only as this does not change the text or word meanings but helps in our understanding. This is in plain language and the meaning seems understandable. Now John also wrote in chapter 1 verse 12, 14 and 17: "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, to them that believe (John3:18, 20:31; Matthew 12:21; 1 John5:12) on His name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the
will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth......And of His fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, grace and truth came by Jesus Christ."

Now with our sharing under the leading of the Holy Spirit, we've had the assistance of many fine and learned men such as the following: Watchman Nee, Andrew Murray, William Law, Les Feldick, James Fowler, Robert Hoekstra, Major Ian Thomas, F J Huegel and a host of others. We were lead to these writers because they all share a common thread of revelation. That being the purpose and perfect Will of God the Father which Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles had received from the mouth of the risen Lord, the secret that God had hidden within Him from before the foundation of the world. This secret or mystery we have been sharing as it is the foundation or ancient path which Jeremiah the Prophet in chapter 6 verses 16-19 spoke of:
Thus said the LORD, “Stand in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and you shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken. Therefore hear, you nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened to my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.”

Now in verse 16 there's hidden “the old paths...the good way” and this relates all the way back to Genesis chapters 1-3 for in them is the path found which led man in bondage to death and sin. The secret is the taking of this path backward if you will or in reverse. Where Adam fell into death (separation from God) and sin (rebellion, lawlessness and the self will of Satan's nature); we through Christ reverse this evil. How Genesis 3:15 tells us, God placed in all of us a seed of His Divine nature (spirit life) or image and likeness of God the Son. The seed that Mary received, the sperm of God spoken, the Word made flesh, when visited by the angel and given the message that she was the chosen vessel as a virgin and of the house of Judah and King David's heir. When she said, “Behold the hand maiden of the Lord, be it to me according to thy Word O Lord” At that moment the Holy Spirit impregnated her with the Living Word. This proved her willingness to do God's Will and it is in like manner that we are to submit also.

Now we'll begin the study of the Epistle to the Hebrews and though it contains no Church language or redemption and salvation plain in it. It does have five warnings which we need to have knowledge of and like the OT scriptures we can gain wisdom and divine illumination from it.

Ministration of the Holy Spirit

2Corinthians 3:2-6 You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: For as much as you are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the Living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also has made us able ministers of the New Covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter kills, but of the Spirit that gives New Life. paraphrased

There is nothing so needed in the Church to-day. All its feebleness and formalities and worldliness, the lack of holiness, of personal devotion to Christ, of enthusiasm for His cause and kingdom, is owing to one thing---the Holy Spirit is not Known and Honored and Yielded to, as the one only, as the one all-sufficient source of a holy life. The New Covenant is not Known as a ministration of the Spirit in the heart of every believer. The one thing needful for the Church is---the Holy Spirit in His power dwelling and ruling in the lives of God's people. And as one of the chief means to this there are needed ministers of the Spirit, themselves living in the enjoyment and power of this great Gift, who persistently labor to bring their brethren into the possession of their birthright: the Holy Spirit in the heart,
maintaining, in Divine power, an unceasing communion with the Son and with the Father. The ministration of the Spirit makes the ministry of the Spirit possible and effectual. And the ministry of the Spirit again makes the ministration of the Spirit an actual experimental reality in the life of the Church.

The church needs conviction of its err and then come to repentance unto separation of the spirit of the world by way of death to its influence and power which now holds it under the penalty of death. The church needs as Lazarus to rip off the grave clothes to free itself from this bondage, then Trust the God who gives Newness of Life even to the dead,Who calls those things that be not as though they were.

We know how dependent the Church is on its ministry. The converse is no less true. The ministers are dependent on the Church. They are its children; they breathe its atmosphere; they share its health or sickliness; they are dependent upon its fellowship and intercession. Let none of us think that all that the New Covenant calls us to is to see that we personally accept and rejoice in its blessings. No, indeed; God wants everyone who enters into it to know that its privileges are for all His children, and to give Himself to make this known. And there is no more effectual way of doing this than taking thought for the ministry of the Church. Compare the ministry around you with its pattern in God's word (see specially 1
Corinthians 2; 2 Corinthians 3). Join with others who Know how the New Covenant is nothing, if it be not a ministration of the Holy Spirit, and cry to God for a spiritual ministry. Ask the leading of God the Holy Ghost to Teach you what can be done, what you can do, to have the ministry of your Church become a truly Spiritual one. Human condemnation will do as little good as human approbation. It is the supreme place of the Holy Spirit, as the representative and revealer of the Father and the Son, is made clear to us, that the one desire of our heart, and our continual prayer, will be, that God would so discover to all the ministers of His word their Heavenly calling, that they may, above everything, seek this one thing, ---to be sufficient ministers of the New Covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit.

God has made us ministers of the Spirit. There is something still, of no less importance. The Minister of the Spirit must especially see to it that he lead men to the Holy Spirit. Many will say, If he be led of the Spirit in teaching men, is not that enough? By no means. Men may become too dependent on himself; men may take his Scripture teaching at second-hand, and, while there is power and blessing in his ministry, have reason to wonder that the results are not more definitely spiritual and permanent. The reason is simple.

The New Covenant is: they shall no longer every man teach his brother, know the Lord, for all shall Know Me, from the least even to the greatest. The Father wants every child, from the least, to live in continual personal intercourse with Himself. This cannot be, except as he is taught and helped to Know and wait on the Holy Spirit. Bible study and prayer, faith and love and obedience, the whole daily walk must be taught as entirely dependent on the Teaching and Working of the indwelling Spirit.

Luke 1:67-75 Paraphrased: Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He has visited and redeemed his people, and has raised up an horn of Salvation for us in the house of His servant David; As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember His holy covenant; The oath which He swore to our father Abraham, that He would grant to us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve Him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life.

This prayer of Zacharias is so apropos to us to-day as we're now under the Better Covenant than that spoken of here at first but the second portion is spoken by way of revelation of that which was to come. Because it contains Better promises than the old as we're to have received true holiness and righteousness in our hearts by way of the working of the Holy Spirit to serve the Living God and all our fellow man.