Hebrews 2:1-4 (Examine)
"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."
Hebrews 2:1-4
After giving this passage some thought for a few days, I have changed my questions just a little bit.
1. Who is the author talking to?
Answer: I believe the author is talking to the Jewish people. I believe he identifies himself as one of those Jews. Here is a guy who loves his people and wants them to know the truth of the gospel ("such a great salvation"). There is no doubt that they're was a struggle with fully embracing the New Covenant as delivered by Jesus because of the fact that they have been inundated with the Old Covenant since birth. Even Peter struggled with this...
This was a huge issue in the beginning of the church among the Jewish population for both believers and those who claimed to be believers. I believe the book of Hebrews is a call toward the truth for the Hebrew reader.
2. What exactly was the "message spoken by angels"?
Answer: I believe that the message spoken by angels is a clear reference to the Old Covenant, particularly the Law. The giving of the law was associated with angels in several places in the Scriptures (Deut. 33:2, Acts 7:38, Acts 7:53, Gal:3:19). It also makes sense with the rest of the book of Hebrews. The author dives into Old Covenant Law and shows that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and has made the Law obsolete in terms of how God relates to His people. Jesus (New Covenant) is the fulfillment of the Law (Old Covenant), and Jesus is better than the Law.
3. What is meant by "drift away"?
Answer: The people that the author addresses have heard the truth of the Gospel and have apparently given it some thought. It is certainly a warning to not go back to Old Covenant thinking, which is really no gospel (good news) at all. As a matter of fact the author says, "If the message (Law) spoken by angels was binding and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, who shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?" The Law dooms us! The author is warning the people that if they are seeking to be right with God through the Law they are dead in the water! Jesus satisfied the demands of the Law so that salvation was possible through receiving His righteousness by faith (Romans 3:21-26)! That passage is a must read!!! The author is warning the people to not drift away from truth!
4. Why the whole bit about signs, wonders and miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit?
Answer: Lets not miss the forest for looking at a single tree. We can easily get caught up asking ourselves the question, "does God still work this way or do tongues still exist today?" Often times this passage is used to make such arguments, but that is not the intent of the author. The author is simply saying that God used signs, wonders and miracles, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit to validate the truthfulness of the message spoken by His Son! The author is establishing the validity of the message spoken by the Son. He is laying the foundation of his argument that the message spoken by the Son (New Covenant) is truth and is a fulfillment of the Law making the Law obsolete.
1. Who is the author talking to?
Answer: I believe the author is talking to the Jewish people. I believe he identifies himself as one of those Jews. Here is a guy who loves his people and wants them to know the truth of the gospel ("such a great salvation"). There is no doubt that they're was a struggle with fully embracing the New Covenant as delivered by Jesus because of the fact that they have been inundated with the Old Covenant since birth. Even Peter struggled with this...
"When Peter came to Antioch, I (Paul) opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the Gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, 'You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?'"
Gal. 2:11-14
This was a huge issue in the beginning of the church among the Jewish population for both believers and those who claimed to be believers. I believe the book of Hebrews is a call toward the truth for the Hebrew reader.
2. What exactly was the "message spoken by angels"?
Answer: I believe that the message spoken by angels is a clear reference to the Old Covenant, particularly the Law. The giving of the law was associated with angels in several places in the Scriptures (Deut. 33:2, Acts 7:38, Acts 7:53, Gal:3:19). It also makes sense with the rest of the book of Hebrews. The author dives into Old Covenant Law and shows that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and has made the Law obsolete in terms of how God relates to His people. Jesus (New Covenant) is the fulfillment of the Law (Old Covenant), and Jesus is better than the Law.
3. What is meant by "drift away"?
Answer: The people that the author addresses have heard the truth of the Gospel and have apparently given it some thought. It is certainly a warning to not go back to Old Covenant thinking, which is really no gospel (good news) at all. As a matter of fact the author says, "If the message (Law) spoken by angels was binding and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, who shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?" The Law dooms us! The author is warning the people that if they are seeking to be right with God through the Law they are dead in the water! Jesus satisfied the demands of the Law so that salvation was possible through receiving His righteousness by faith (Romans 3:21-26)! That passage is a must read!!! The author is warning the people to not drift away from truth!
4. Why the whole bit about signs, wonders and miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit?
Answer: Lets not miss the forest for looking at a single tree. We can easily get caught up asking ourselves the question, "does God still work this way or do tongues still exist today?" Often times this passage is used to make such arguments, but that is not the intent of the author. The author is simply saying that God used signs, wonders and miracles, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit to validate the truthfulness of the message spoken by His Son! The author is establishing the validity of the message spoken by the Son. He is laying the foundation of his argument that the message spoken by the Son (New Covenant) is truth and is a fulfillment of the Law making the Law obsolete.
Comments
Have you ever heard the song we sang in church as children, “I’ve got a light inside of me and I’m gonna let it shine….”.?. Nero really brought that upon the Christians during the time Hebrews was written. Supposedly, he illuminated believers bye lighting them on fire and using people as a candle wick for his beautiful greenery. Years ago in high school, I think 10th or 9th grade, a certain individual was listed in a magazine for a similar circumstance. Ironically, this person only burned crosses on the lawn of an African Americans home, and he is a Christian. Anyway, he got in some hate crime magazine and our history teacher shared the story. Weather its crosses on fire to intimidate race or Christians burning to light the way in an emperor’s garden - it was some of the fear people probably talked about in Rome. The great fires, and the first Jewish Roman war were also during the time of Nero and Hebrews time period. Certainly a peaceful time for Parthian people in 63 A.D. lasted 50 years which out lived the suicidal emperor. Nero was facing a budget deficit and food shortage while dominating western culture. I really can’t believe the government back then wasn’t corrupt. Armenians had there king, but he was crowned in Rome.
I would imagine the people were talking about rumors of birds being sacrificed outside of the synagogue and walls being breached into the holy city destroying the temple. Suicide was ordered, and often committed with ease from exploding anxiety of persecuted Christians. What amazes me about the tolerance Christians had back then is they didn’t have the whole Bible. The book of Revelations, or other letters. They had to be so full of fear for there time and so full of faith for this second covenant. Were they radical as some Islam extremists in our current day or perhaps enlightened.?.
The message spoken bye angels is a loaded question. Attacking the quarry, one must consider the orthodox of fathers because the writer is implying salvation. The people were at war, persecuted, and not exactly living high on the hog. My belief is in the resurrection and the angel’s message before Christ went home witnessed bye Apostles. Not everybody heard of this miracle correctly probably. Just as rumors were made and conspiracy’s drawn in Nero’s time, so was it in the days of Christ.
Acts 1:9-11
past present and future.
this is what I was referring to the ascension....
I forgot the word ascension, lol!!
How attractive it must have been for them to consider a return to Judaism with its tradition and ceremonies. Christianity offered none of that. I know I struggle with change and leaving that which is comfortable and familiar. Judaism was the life of their ancestors. I'm sure in addition to outside persecution they also were persecuted by non-believing family members and friends.
They knew the Truth, but they wrestled with doubts, I'm sure.