By way of reminder Paul has been showing the universality of the ministration of Christ as typified through the gentile high priest Melchizedek and his ministration at the time of Abraham to the nations as a priest and a high-priest of the Most High God (Hebrews 5-10:39). And how Christ's Priesthood is superior to that of the Judaism and Aaronic priesthood of his day and time as it was about to disappear from the scene in 70 AD. Though Paul nor the disciples in Jerusalem saw it coming as God had kept it hidden from them. They were looking for the day of Christ as prophesied not realizing that God had changed or altered the program through His Son, though it was not a change at all. As the Jewish priesthood and those who study prophecies did not see the spirituality in God's program. A far better ministration than that of religion as it only focuses on the external, material, practical and earthy realm and is by its very nature a thing of Satan by design. And so it remains to this day and time because religion can't and in deed does not bring the Spirit of Christ to anyone nor can it. For Christianity is NOT religion! It was and is the ontological activity of God in the life of the receptive ones through the essence of His Son restored to the Christian, a Christ centered one, as Adam was before the fall.(Acts 26:14-18 with emphases on verse 18, Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12)
A Bible study is all about - comparing Scripture with Scripture and tying it all together. Now in Hebrews chapter 10 picking up in verse 34 to these Hebrew believers:
Hebrews 10:34a
"…For ye had compassion of me in my bonds,…"
Which means that this must have been somewhere in the early 60’s AD, whether it was referring to Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome, or whether in another case where he was in a prison such as at Caesarea Phillippi or whatever; we certainly know that Paul was imprisoned more than those years in Rome. But these people were aware of his being imprisoned and they had compassion on him.
Hebrews 10:34b
"…and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods,…"
In other words, they helped him financially even though most of them had not that kind of money. He himself took nothing for himself but gave to the Jewish-Christians in Jerusalem who had their lands confiscated by their fellow Jews as they considered these "Hebrew-Christians" heretics and rebels to Judaism. For they would not side with them in their nationalism, religious in difference and up raising against Roman rule. And out of their love for the Apostle he said:
Hebrews 10:34c
"…knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance."
You know what he’s saying? Just because they gave of the meager things they had of this world, they were still what? Richer for it. So I think a lot of times we have to realize today that people are reluctant to give because they’ve got so much to spend it on, and not thinking of eternal things and lets face it many are tied to a false understanding that they are to give until it hurts from their pockets of no less than ten percent as their due tithes, this is also a yoke of bondage. A fabrication of religion as God requires none of our earthly goods but does as He did Israel requires our wholehearted surrender to His Divine Will and His willingness to do and work all through His Son, the Spirit of Christ in us, for our good.
There are so many fads and gadgets that are thrown at us, especially in America. All these gadgets and fads that come along, and some people in their weakness think they have to have every last one of them. No we don’t. You don’t need it at all because most of it just ends up in a closet someplace and probably used only once or twice. But, how much better if they would spend some of that to promote the Word of God. As our freewill offering not to God but rather for God's good workings among man. Done only by those who sit under God listening as they teach us to do likewise, thou they be few in number. For a more complete study on religion verses Christianity look up James A. Fowlers book titled "Christianity is Not Religion" and is available on his website a link is on this page @christinyou.com.
And that’s what Paul is saying here? That you took the spoiling, or the cashing in, of your goods, your material things and they knew within themselves that eternity had something far better. In fact, it goes right back to – how did the Lord put it? "Don’t lay up treasures on this earth where moth and rust does corrupt, but rather lay it up in Heaven." And as some have said, send it on ahead! I think that’s a good way of putting it. Send it on ahead because it’s drawing far better interest there than it will down here. Now verse 35.
Hebrews 10:35
"Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward."
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