Westside church of Christ - Irving, Texas

Getting Good out the Bible's Hard to Read Material

by Mark Roberts

This special issue of Abundant Life is designed to enhance your Bible reading by dealing with some of the material in Scripture that is just frankly hard to read. What value is Leviticus? What of those little books, like Philemon, that seem so personal? How can I get good out of a book like Hebrews, that seems to be written to a people in an entirely different situation than I am in? That seems like a good place to start. Let's talk about how to get good out of Hebrews.

Charles Spurgeon once remarked "I wished frequently that the Hebrews had kept the Epistle to themselves, for it sadly bored a poor Gentile lad." I am certain many share Spurgeon's viewpoint. If one opens a commentary on Hebrews he or she will find there is much discussion of authorship but very little (if anything) is said about what this book means for contemporary Christian living now. Indeed, at the outset of most classes in Hebrews the teacher announces this book was written to keep Jewish Christians from returning to Judaism. Yet our Bible classes are filled with Gentile Christians who have never considered defecting to Judaism. Further, the chief arguments made from Hebrews - that Jesus is superior to Moses and that Christianity is superior to the Law of Moses - are truths that are already accepted as obviously true. This being so, why we read Hebrews? What good is it today? Let me suggest a few steps toward finding good in the great book of Hebrews.

First, we need to stop narrowing the book's meaning so much. Many commentaries and classes in Hebrews begin by saying something about "The principal aims of the writer are to establish the superiority of Christ and Christianity." That is all there is to Hebrews? A closer reading of Hebrews finds that there is much more here than a dry dissertation on Judaism being inferior to Christianity. Instead we find that Hebrews is about discouraged Christians. The recipients of Hebrews were considering returning to Judaism because they were discouraged in Christianity. Hebrews 12:3 says "Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted." Growing weary in well-doing is something Christians today face, isn't it? Christianity is not always easy. Sometimes our Christianity gets stale. We think about giving it up. Hebrews speaks to discouraged Christians like no other book in the New Testament. Notice how much is in Hebrews about discouragement. For example, the material in 1:1-12 paints a very powerful portrait of Jesus that is so encouraging. The Hebrew writer says "You think angels are something, can guard you, help you try Jesus!" Who doesn't need that message today? 2:1-4 urges us to hold fast against spiritual lethargy, 2:9-14 announces that Jesus suffered and destroyed the work of the devil (how wonderful!) while 4:14-5:10 discusses Christ being our High Priest would ought to be enormously encouraging (note 4:14-16). Chapter 6 frankly discusses the need to press on and the threat of what happens to those who fall away, and chapter 7 again returns to the encouraging theme of Jesus as High Priest. How have we let that become dry doctrine when it is so helpful? In chapters 8-10 there is talk of the better covenant Christians enjoy, and how it is better because it provides blessings like the forgiveness of sin. That is encouraging! Chapter 11 tells the grand stories of others who have persevered, so that it can make the point (beginning of chapter 12) that if they did it you can too! Somehow the fact that Hebrews is a word of "exhortation" (13:22) has gotten lost. The exhortation of Hebrews is not "Learn a bunch of theology." The exhortation is to not give up Christianity!

Secondly, we want to keep our focus sharp by watching two key ideas in Hebrews. First, from Hebrews 2:9 we read "we see Jesus." Hebrews constantly sets before us Jesus, painting powerful portraits of our Messiah. To defeat discouragement we need to look to Jesus! So many today water down Jesus, and so many today don't know Jesus accurately. Hebrews clearly sets forth who Jesus is and that attracts us and encourages us to endure. So I want to look at every chapter and ask "What does this say about Jesus? What does this say about Jesus that encourages the faint hearted?" Secondly, Hebrews 12:2 says "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith." As we read Hebrews we need to find that salvation is found only in fully following Jesus. The Hebrew writer is concerned that his audience is considering turning away from Jesus and thus they will be lost. While today we don't have people quitting the Lord's church for the local synagogue we do have people who leave for community churches, denominational churches or the excitement of charismatic Pentecostalism. We need to set forth clearly from Hebrews that salvation is found only in following Jesus fully. It's not found in religions that are "kind of" like Christianity or that "sort of" honor God. That could be said of Judaism. So I need to be asking of every chapter how can I use this material to develop true and total faith in Jesus?

Spurgeon was wrong about Hebrews. We would be much the worse off if the Hebrews had kept their epistle to themselves. Hebrews is God's remedy to discouragement and despair. Let's open Hebrews and get the good God placed there for me and you!

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Abundant Life: July/August 2008