Christ's Instructions

[Webers_Home]

.
413) Titus 3:9 . . Shun foolish controversies, and genealogies, and strife,
and disputes about the Law; for they are unprofitable and worthless.

The "law" in question is the covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with
God in the Old Testament. Disputes generally revolve around its
interpretation and its correct application. The Lord stipulated the formation
of a panel of lawyers to interpret the law for those among His people who
lacked the wherewithal to do it for themselves. (Deut 17:8-13, cf. Neh 8:7-8)

But since Christians are outside the covenant's jurisdiction, then they can
get by without those lawyers to interpret it for them; and besides; when you
consider there are nine Justices on the US Supreme Court who seldom agree
unanimously on anything, how much chance do you reckon a panel of
seventy has of reaching a consensus?

One of the "foolish controversies and genealogies" I would highly
recommend that believers avoid is Rome's roster of so-called apostolic
successors. Don't even go there. It's unprofitable, futile, and pointless to
strive over something like that. Pick your battles, and make sure your
conflicts accomplish something truly useful for Christ. And besides; the
Vatican has much bigger problems within its walls and its dogmas than that
one.
_

 

[Webers_Home]

.
414) Titus 3:10-11 . . A man that is an heretic after the first and second
admonition reject; knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth,
being condemned of himself.

There is a significant difference between an apostate and an heretic.

Basically: an apostate is a defector whereas an heretic is an insurrectionist.
Apostates typically renounce their current belief system so they can leave
and affiliate with another, whereas heretics stay where they are and work to
undermine a church's leadership, and to revise its established beliefs,
teachings, and doctrines. Heretics seek to gain allies in your church and thus
are a serious danger to congregational unity.

The Greek word translated "reject" basically means to beg off; viz: decline,
deprecate, and shun. In other words, don't give the heretics in your church
the time of day, rather, keep your distance-- very distance as you would
people who are dead to you.
_

 

[Webers_Home]

.
415) Titus 3:13-14 . . Do everything you can to help Zenas the lawyer and
Apollos with their trip. See that they are given everything they need. For our
people should not have unproductive lives. They must learn to do good by
helping others who have urgent needs.

Lawyers in the new testament weren't the legal beagles normally associated
with the term. They were typically experts in the rules, regulations, and
instructions contained in the covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with
God per Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy; and their
encounters with Jesus were usually hostile.

Zenas and Apollos of course passed on long ago, but Paul's instructions are
applicable to missionaries in any era.

"urgent needs" implies necessities; e.g. food, water, clothing, shelter,
companionship, assistance, medical attention, etc.

"our people" excludes heretics who, by their very nature, are essentially
malignant rather than benevolent. So even if known heretics volunteer to
assist folks like Zenas and Apollos don't let them because they're supposed
to be barred from congregational business.
_

 

[Webers_Home]

.
416) Heb 2:1-4 . .We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what
we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For if the message spoken by
angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just
punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This
salvation, which was first announced by The Lord, was confirmed to us by
those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various
miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.

NOTE: The pronoun "we" probably refers specifically to Jews because, in
essence, that's to whom, and for whom, the letter was penned. (Heb 1:1-2)

I don't think the words "drift away" imply apostasy; not in this case anyway.
No; it's more like a curious crowd that gathers around a soap box speaker,
and little by little, man by man, boredom sets in-- the audience begins
dispersing and people move on to find something else to do. That would be
akin to attending a Billy Graham crusade for its entertainment, and a month
later totally forgetting everything he talked about.

BTW: The passage above mentions angels. Stephen verified Moses received
the Law at the hands of angels (Acts 7:53) but if you go back and read that
story, you won't find any celestial beings in the picture and that's because
the Hebrew word for angels can also apply to theophanies and apparitions.
(cf. Gen 48:16 where Jacob speaks of his divine benefactor as an angel)
_

 

[Webers_Home]

.
417) Heb 3:1 . .Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling,
consider the apostle and High Priest whom we acknowledge: Christ Jesus

The "holy brethren" are Moses' people as per Deut 14:2 and Ps 135:4; and
the "heavenly calling" very likely refers to the nation that God promised to
make of Abraham as per Gen 12:1-2, Gen 13:14-16, and Gen 22:16-18.

The Greek word for "consider" basically means to observe fully; viz: to
study; to examine.

You know, giving Christ a fleeting glance as if he were a curiosity or a brief
distraction leads nowhere. The scope of his purpose and his mission is just
too complex and too extensive for that sort of once-over approach.
_

 

[Webers_Home]

.
418) Heb 3:7-11 . . So, as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you hear His voice,
do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of
testing in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried Me and for forty
years saw what I did. That is why I was angry with that generation, and I
said: Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known My
ways. So I declared on oath in My anger; they shall never enter My rest.

The Jews that Moses led out of Egypt were permanently rescued from
slavery. He never made them go back because it was The Lord's
determination that they remain free. However, His benevolence in their daily
lives was directly related to their compliance with His instructions.

Point being: According to John 5:24, Christ's believing followers will never
again be in danger of retribution and/or perdition, however; they risk the
loss of His patronage in their daily lives should they choose to follow the
ways of the world instead of making an effort to follow his ways. (1Cor 10:5-12)
_

 

[Webers_Home]

.
419) Heb 3:12-13 . . Take heed, brothers, that none of you has a sinful,
unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But implore one
another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be
hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

That's a call to theocratic unity; Jewish theocratic unity. But good luck
getting the Jews to rally around The Lord. Oh well, the author was duty
bound to try; as all the prophets before him in the past were duty-bound to
try; usually to no avail.

Belief is not only consent to a statement's truthfulness. No, Bible belief
contains the elements of trust and reliance; the absence of which led to the
Jews' downfall in the Sinai. God told them to attack Palestine, but they didn't
believe they were strong enough to do it. Well, that part was true; they
weren't. However, The Lord promised to be on their side. That part was true
too, and had they been as convinced of that second part as strongly as they
were the first, they would have been okay.

But alas, they failed to rely upon The Lord as a man of His word; and
subsequently, they missed out on their one and only opportunity to enter an
era of peace, prosperity, and providence.

● Heb 3:16-19 . .Who were they who heard and rebelled? Was it not all
those whom Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was The Lord angry for
forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the
desert? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if
not to those who disobeyed? So then, we see that they were not able to
enter because of their unbelief.
_

 

[Webers_Home]

.
420) Heb 4:1-2 . .Therefore, let us fear lest, while a promise remains of
entering His rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it. For
indeed we have had the gospel preached to us, just as they also; but the
word they heard did not profit them, because it wasn't mixed with faith in
those who heard.

When reading the Bible; it's always important to pay strict attention to
language, grammar, and syntax. In this passage we're looking at, the
pronouns us, you, we, they, and those don't refer to Gentiles; no, not at all.
They refer to the author's fellow Jewish countrymen. This is, after all, a
letter to Hebrews, not to the world.

The "gospel" spoken of in this instance is a concise version of the message
with which most Christians are familiar, and its focus was mainly upon the
kingdom of God rather than the grace of God. (e.g. Matt 4:23, Mark 1:14
15). The Jews' homeland would've been the center of the kingdom of God
back then just as it will be in the future. In other words: the kingdom of God
has been offered to the Jews once already and is now being offered to them
a second.

● Heb 4:6-7 . . It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who
formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their
disobedience. Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a
long time later He spoke through David, as was said before: "Today, if you
hear His voice, do not harden your hearts."

Jews are now in an era sometimes called the church age; which is an open
season opportunity for them to at least enroll in the kingdom as its future
citizens. (Col 1:13)
_

 

[Webers_Home]

.
421) Heb 4:11 . . Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone
fall through following the same example of disbelief.

The "fall" in that instance refers to the failure of Moses' people to enter the
promised land when they were given the opportunity; which consisted of a
somewhat brief open season whereas today's open season is very generous;
but even so it's possible to miss the boat by procrastination and/or
indifference.
_

 

[Webers_Home]

.
422) Heb 4:14-16 . .Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has
gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the
faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to
sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in
every way, just as we are-- yet was without sin. Let us then approach the
throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find
grace to help us in our time of need.

The Greek word translated "confidence" basically means all out-spokenness,
i.e. frank, blunt, and/or candid.

A recited prayer-- especially rote repetition --is neither frank, nor blunt, nor
candid.

Take the Old Testament's luminaries for example. Their one-on-one prayers
with God were typically conversational and to the point.

NOTE: Jesus is depicted as a high priest in the above passage. Those are
chosen from among men rather than celestial beings because it's necessary
that mediators between God and Man-- e.g. Aaron -- be someone who can
relate to their constituents.

It's much to everyone's advantage to be represented before God by a fellow
man rather a celestial being because the gods don't know what it's like to
live in this world as an h.sapiens. Guys like Jesus and Aaron know because
they've been down this road of ours. (Heb 5:1-10)
_

 

[Webers_Home]

.
423) Heb 6:1-3 . . Let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and
go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts
that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying
on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God
permitting, we will do so.

At this point in the letter to Hebrews, the author begins talking to Jews
about a high priest named Melchizedek back in Abraham's day.

Mel is largely ignored on internet forums; which is really a shame due to the
fact that his priesthood, and its constituents, are outside the jurisdiction of
the covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with God per Exodus,
Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy because the laws of God are not
retroactive (Deut 5:2-3 & Gal 3:17) which is just the thing Jews need
because they are in constant danger of prosecution for even the tiniest of
infractions; most especially for willful sins, viz: acts committed by folks who
know very well that what they are doing is forbidden.

● Num 15:30-31 . . But the person, be he citizen or stranger, who acts
defiantly reviles the Lord; that person shall be cut off from among his
people. Because he has spurned the word of the Lord and violated His
commandment, that person shall be cut off-- he bears his guilt.

● Deut 27:26 . .Cursed is the man who does not uphold the words of this
law by carrying them out.
_

 

[Webers_Home]

.
424) Heb 10:21-22 . . Since we have a high priest over the house of God, let
us draw near to God with a sincere heart, in full assurance of faith, having
our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience.

Sprinkling and washing were employed during Yom Kippur as a means of
ritually sanitizing just about everything and everybody associated with
worship that day except that Yom Kippur by the book addresses the people's
conduct but doesn't address their conscience, whereas Christ's atonement
does.

● Heb 9:13-14 . . .The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer
sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they
are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who
through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our
consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living
God.

NOTE: Even if Yom Kippur were to address the people's conscience, it would
have to be done over and over again on an annual basis due to the limited
value of the ritual's atonement, whereas Christ's atonement does it but once
and never has to do it again. (Heb 10:1-14)
_

 

[Webers_Home]

.
425) Heb 10:23 . . Let us cling to the acknowledgment of our faith without
wavering; (for He is faithful that promised)

"He is faithful" could also be said "He is unwavering"

One can scarcely blame the author's Hebrew audience for wondering if
perchance they're making a really big mistake dumping the covenant that
Moses' people made with God as per Deut 29:9-15. A lot is at stake.

For one thing, the covenant is their sacred heritage and their cultural
identity; and for another, the covenant is a contract that obligates God to
lower the boom on His people with some pretty severe penalties for
breaching it: they're all on file at Lev 26:3-38, Deut 27:15-26, and Deut
28:1-69. When Hebrews convert to Christianity, they have to wonder if
maybe they're stepping off into an abyss from whence there is no return.

But the reality is: they have nothing to lose by taking that step because the
original covenant provides neither forgiveness nor atonement for willful sins;
which can be defined as deeds committed by someone knowing beforehand
that what they were about to do is wrong.

"The priest shall atone for the erring soul which sinned inadvertently before
The Lord, so as to atone on his behalf, and it shall be forgiven him. One law
shall apply to anyone who sins inadvertently from the native born of the
children of Israel and the proselyte who resides among them.

. . But if a person should act highhandedly, whether he is a native born or a
proselyte, he is blaspheming The Lord, and that soul shall be cut off from
among its people. For he has scorned the word of The Lord and violated His
commandment; that soul shall be utterly cut off; for its iniquity is upon it."
(Num 12:28-31, cf. Heb 10:26)

I'm pretty sure it was Num 12:28-31 that Paul had in mind when he
informed his Jewish countrymen "through Jesus everyone who believes is
freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the law of
Moses" (Acts 13:39)

One of the more common willful sins is dishonesty. Everybody knows it's
wrong but go about it anyway. Well; dishonesty is forbidden by the original
covenant.

"You shall not lie, one man to his fellow." (Lev 19:11)

So then, when a Torah-trained Jew tells a lie; they act highhandedly; viz:
they commit a willful sin for which the original covenant provides neither
forgiveness nor atonement. That Jew is a scofflaw and in desperate need of
a safety net.

"Cursed be he who does not uphold the words of this law, to fulfill them."
(Deut 27:26)
_

 

[Webers_Home]

.
426) Heb 10:24 . . And let us consider how we may spur one another on
toward love and good deeds.

Man is a species of life that is quite naturally, and comfortably, inclined to
provoke and annoy each other and bring out the worst in their fellow men. It
is Christ's expectations that his own make an effort to do just the opposite;
viz: bring out the best in each other.

Good deeds speaks of one's actions, i.e. their conduct. For example:
courtesy, scruples, honesty, charity, kindness, tolerance, non violence, tact,
deference, generosity, graciousness, law abiding, an honest day's work for
an honest day's pay, helpful, modesty, sincere promises, decency, loyalty,
manners, benevolent, compliant with superiors, self controlled, speech that's
treads lightly on peoples nerves, patient, and calm, etc.
_

 

[Webers_Home]

.
427) Heb 10:25 . . Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the
habit of doing, but let us encourage one another

There are secret believers who avoid being seen with Christians so they'll not
be identified with them, i.e. they're ashamed and embarrassed of their trust
in Christ; especially when Christians are portrayed in one's community as
kooks and extremists.

For example: one day at work one of the guys overheard women in the
office talking about me as a Jesus Freak; which was a common expression
back in the late 60s and early 70s. That would've never happened had I kept
my religion a secret; but of course we dare not.

● Mark 8:38 . . If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous
and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he
comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels.

Do any of us relish the thought of Jesus looking at us the way he looked at
Peter on the night of his arrest?

● 1Pet 4:16 . . If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise
God that you bear that name.
_

 

[Webers_Home]

.
428) Heb 10:35-36 . .Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which
has a great reward. For you have need of perseverance, so that when you
have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.

The kind of perseverance the author is talking about is not the dogged
determination of US Navy SEALS; which are a group of military guys who
absolutely refuse to be beaten at anything you might name. If SEALS were
to play hop-scotch it would turn violent 'cause they don't like to lose.

I would liken the kind of perseverance in mind here as that of a farmer. The
hard rock band ACDC says it's a long ways to the top if you wanna rock and
roll. Well, farmers have a long ways to harvest if they wanna make it to
market. First they have to till the soil, then rake it, then plant seeds, then
wait on mother nature to irrigate them with rain, then they have to wait
more yet for their crops to grow to maturity before harvesting.

Farmers look forward to their harvests; they anticipate them otherwise who
would plow, rake, and plant if there were nothing to expect later on down
the road?

That kind of perseverance anticipates a benefit. Webster's defines anticipate
as: to look forward to as certain; viz: to expect. As a rule, farmers don't
begin the planting season expecting their fields to produce nothing. No, they
plan on going to market because they expect to see crops in the fields at
harvest time. It would be a very strange farmer indeed who looked forward
to the ravages of drought, disease, and insect plagues every year. In other
words; don't give up on God just yet; He'll come thru on His promises.
_

 

[Webers_Home]

.
429) Heb 12:1 . .Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses all
around us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so
easily entangles us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before
us

NOTE: The term "cloud" was possibly an ancient figure of speech simply
referring to large numbers of just about anything. Compare Gen 15:5 where
"stars" are a term for the same purpose.

The comparison is made to sporting events-- e.g. baseball, football, track
and field, hockey, basketball, etc --where the audience is basically seated in
a circle or an oval watching the games.

Well, for one; the passage suggests that folks on the other side are alive and
conscious. It also suggests they're all eavesdroppers and peeping Toms with
nothing better to do.

Another audience we might consider are the fallen angels, a.k.a. demons. No
doubt they stalk us every moment of our lives. I mean, if 1Pet 5:8 is true of
the Devil, then it's likely true of his minions too.

However; I don't think the audience in this instance pertains to either
deceased saints or the spirit hordes, rather, I kind of think it pertains to
ordinary people all around us and those we encounter in our daily lives.
_

 

[Webers_Home]

.
430) Heb 12:5-6 . . My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and
do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those
He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son.

Christians have to expect that God is going to find fault with their lives from
time to time, and take appropriate steps to correct it. So be very cautious
about cursing your luck because it just might be the hand of God at work
rather than one of the Fates.
_

 

[Webers_Home]

.
431) Heb 12:12-13 . .Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak, and
the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the
limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.

That almost sounds like physical therapy; which of course it is. When I had
one of my knees replaced, the therapist had to teach me how to walk all
over again-- how to walk properly because with the bad knee, I couldn't;
and that had gone on for more than a decade. And not only that, but the leg
with the bad knee had become feeble because I favored the other and
wasn't using the bad one to full advantage. So a large percentage of my
therapy involved getting that game leg strong again by means of an exercise
regimen.

The Greek word translated "straight" doesn't necessarily define the shortest
distance between two points. It can also mean smooth and level; in other
words: free of tripping hazards; which someone undergoing treatment for a
joint problem (e.g. hips, knees, and ankles) has to really watch out for. In
other words: it's a therapeutic path-- in this case in respect of one's spiritual
conditioning rather than their physical conditioning.

Compare Heb 5:12-14 where it says, in so many words: that children don't
arrive from the womb intuitively knowing what people eat. It's only by
instruction and experience that they learn which things are safe for human
consumption and which things are not, viz: which things are nourishing, and
which things will make them sick. By gradually introducing them to a variety
of foods, parents train their growing children to recognize good stuff when
they see it so that in time they will know on their own what's edible and
what's not without having to be babied all the time.
_

 

[Webers_Home]

.
432) Heb 12:14a . . Pursue peace with all men,

The Geek word translated "peace" means not only a lack of strife, but also
the presence of prosperity; which implies always seeking the good of others
rather than only your own.

People of peace are in an advantaged category.

● Matt 5:9 . . Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the
children of God.

That looks ahead to a day when peace will be highly valued, and much to be
preferred over aggression. In that day; truly peaceable folk will be widely,
and commonly, known as children of God-- for now, they aren't: no, for now
they're known by other labels; some neither civil nor courteous.

"For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently
consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth;
and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. The wicked plotteth
against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh
at him: for He seeth that His day is coming." (Ps 37:10-1 cf. Ps 2:1-12)
_