[Linux4christians] B7 - Sunday - Hebrews 1

[dcolburn at bibleseven.com]

*Hebrews 1 - 7*

*
By: David M. Colburn
Section Introduction*


The authorship of the book of Hebrews is debated. An excellent 
discussion of the alternatives is contained in this article: 
http://bible.org/seriespage/hebrews-introduction-argument-and-outline

Their conclusion that it is probable that Barnabas was the primary 
author and the loquacious Apollos his co-author has the ring of truth to 
it given a careful study of the text.

The audience is obviously "completed Jews" (former Jews who have 
accepted Christ as their prophesied messiah) since Verse 1 reads "After 
God spoke long ago in various portions and in various ways to our 
ancestors through the prophets...".

Hebrews teaches that the same God Who spoke with power to the Jews has 
now spoken to them through the same Son "... whom He appointed heir of 
all things, and through Whom He created the world."

[Note: Here and following the text speaks of Jesus, the Created man born 
of immaculate conception, rather than Christ the eternal member of the 
Trinity. It is important to understand the distinction because some who 
reject the concept of the Trinity misunderstand this, and the purpose 
thereof that the author makes of the distinction, and thus downgrade the 
entire Person of The Son to a sub-God entity somewhere between God and 
an angel.]

Hebrews then describes the Created Jesus:

"The Son is the radiance of His [God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - 
Trinity] glory..."

"The Son is ... the representation of His essence ..."

"... and He sustains all things by His powerful Word (the Word of His 
power) ..."

"... when He had accomplished cleansing for sins, He sat down at the 
right hand of the Majesty on high ..."

[Note: It has been suggested that this is a rhetorical reference to 
Psalm 110:1, David's words reporting a prophesy to be passed from King 
to King. It's purpose is a point of reference for Jewish readers, it is 
not intended to draw a literal equivalence between Jesus and any of the 
human kings of the OT.]



    Sunday


      Hebrews 1


Introduction: God Has Spoken Fully and Finally in His Son

1:1 After God spoke long ago in various portions and in various ways to 
our ancestors through the prophets,

1:2 in these last days he has spoken to us in a son, whom he appointed 
heir of all things, and through whom he created the world.

1:3 The Son is the radiance of his glory and the representation of his 
essence, and he sustains all things by his powerful word, and so when he 
had accomplished cleansing for sins, /he sat down at the right hand of 
the Majesty on high/.

1:4 Thus he became so far better than the angels as he has inherited a 
name superior to theirs.

The Son Is Superior to Angels

1:5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, "/*You are my son! 
Today I have fathered you*/"? And in another place he says, "/*I will be 
his father and he will be my son*/."

1:6 But when he again brings his firstborn into the world, he says, 
"/*Let all the angels of God worship him!*/"

1:7 And he says of the angels, "/*He makes*/ /*his angels spirits and 
his ministers a flame of fire*/,"

1:8 but of the Son he says,

"/*Your throne*//, //*O God*/, /*is forever and ever*//, //*and a 
righteous scepter*/ /*is the scepter of your kingdom*//./

1:9 /*You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness*//. //*So 
God*//, //*your God*//, //*has anointed you over your companions*/ 
/*with the oil of rejoicing*//./"

1:10 And, "/*You founded the earth in the beginning*//, //*Lord*//, 
/*and the heavens are the works of your hands*.

1:11 /*They will perish, but you continue*//. /*And they will all grow 
old like a garment*,

1:12 /*and like a robe you will fold them up and*/ like a garment /*they 
will be changed, but you are the same and your years will never run 
out*//./"

1:13 But to which of the angels has he ever said, "/*Sit at my right 
hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet*/"?

1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to serve those who 
will inherit salvation?



      Prayer


Lord, Your Son is as much part of You as the Holy Spirit and the Father, 
all are One. May I accept that You are not like us, that You exist 
outside of created time, and You will be fully known to us only in Heaven.



      Summary & Commentary


The author of Hebrews emphasized the continuous linkage from creation to 
the cross, and beyond; the Christ (the Messiah), the One Who created, 
and the One to Whom all Christians belong are a singular being.


Hebrews 1:3-7 has been misunderstood by some, out of full context, as 
describing a being apart from the Lord God. Such an understanding is 
incorrect. The purpose of the verse is to describe a purpose and a role 
and not the entirety of a being.


The core purpose of this text was to contrast the Son with the angels. 
[One may reasonably speculate at this point in the text that there was a 
doctrinal problem where some were teaching that Jesus, the Christ, was 
an angel.]


Hebrews 1:8-13 illuminates the verses that precede as it reads "... /of 
the Son he/[the Lord God] /says,/"/Your/[the Son's] /throne, O God/[He 
is still speaking of the Son]. So, it is the Lord God describing Himself 
as the "person" of the Trinity Who is the Son.



      Interaction


        Consider

The object of Hebrews was to more-closely link Jesus the Christ to the 
common Hebrew knowledge of the Old Testament prophesies and Psalms as a 
means to cause them to recognize Jesus the Christ as their long-awaited 
Messiah.


        Discuss

What are some practical ways to assist not-yet-completed Jews, and 
improperly discipled "Christians" (overloaded with the OT instead of 
immersed in the NT) to better understand Who Jesus the Christ is in the 
context of what they know of the OT?



        Reflect

This text clearly declared Jesus, the Created One, The Son, to be an 
eternal Person of the God-Trinity.


        Share

When did you come to a sense of clarity about the Trinity?



      Faith in Action


        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you someone who may be blessed by an 
introductory study of Hebrews.



        Action:

Today I will invite the person He has appointed to me to walk with me 
through the next two weeks of daily studies of Hebrews. Or I will make 
some other arrangement to share with them what I will be learning.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Monday's text will be:


      Hebrews 2



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
Have an Ultrafidian.com Day!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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I don't google I SEARCH! ddg.gg
1Cor. 15:22 "For just as in Adam all die,
so also in Christ all will be made alive."
Savannah-Statesboro needs a Bible College/Seminary!
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