THE GOSPEL OF
CHRIST
SPREADING THE SOUL-SAVING MESSAGE OF JESUs
(Chapters 1-2)
Introduction by narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. Spreading the soul-saving message of Jesus. And now, Timothy Sparks and Ben Bailey.
“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son” (Heb. 1:1-2). I’m Ben Bailey.
Timothy Sparks:
And I’m Timothy
Sparks. Welcome to our study of the Book of Hebrews. This lesson is being
brought to you by individual members and congregations of the churches of
Christ. We invite you to visit the
Ben Bailey:
The Book of Hebrews is a marvelous book that deals with the superiority of Christ and the New Covenant. The book can be divided into three segments: (1) chapters 1-7—the supremacy of Jesus Christ; (2) chapters 8-10—the supremacy of the New Law over the Old law; and (3) chapters 11-13—practical applications for Christians who are enduring suffering. One of the problems that first-century Christians faced had to do with the fact that they had been converted out of Judaism, and as a result they sometimes found themselves faced with the temptation to return to Judaism. The writer of the Book of Hebrews addresses that problem, and reminds them that they must not give in to that temptation. Yes, Judaism represented their past way of life. And yes, it was a “comfort zone”—one in which they would not have to endure the same kind of persecution they were enduring as Christians. But the tone and tenor of the Book of Hebrews has to do with the fact that the Christian system is “better” or “more excellent” (two terms used repeatedly within the book). The idea is that Christianity is a far better system than any religion ever invented by man. And, it is better than Judaism.
Timothy Sparks:
The Book of
Hebrews frequently is referred to as “the most eloquent book in the New
Testament.” One of the keys to understanding the points made by the writer is
an adequate comprehension of the numerous Old Testament passages to which the
writer of Hebrews refers. The writer begins the book by saying, “God, who at
various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the
prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son” (Heb. 1:1). This ties
into what Jesus said in John 12:48 when He commented, “He who rejects Me, and
does not receive My words, has that which judges him--the word that I have
spoken will judge him in the last day.” In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through Me.” The text of Hebrews 1:1 could be translated, “God, Who long ago spoke in time past
to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son.” Paul wrote in Colossians
3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell
in you richly.” Jesus Himself said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (Jn.
14:15). He also said, “You are My friends if you do what I say” (Jn. 15:14).
Ben Bailey:
Hebrews 1:1-2
speaks directly to the false claim of some today who suggest that they have
received a “new revelation” from God. The text plainly tells us that “in these
last days” God has spoken to us through His Son. We are
in the “last days” (i.e., the Christian system). And how does God speak
to us in these last days? He does that through His Son, Jesus Christ. God does
not speak to us through modern-day prophets. Nor does He speak to us through “quiet,
gentle whispers in the night.” God speaks to us through His Son—which refutes
the false concept of modern-day revelations. God saw to it that the words His
Son spoke were written down so that we would know what we should, and should
not, do. We have ample evidence that the Bible is the Word of God. Thus, our
faith must be built on that Word, not on what some man or group of men has to
say. In John 16:13, Jesus told His disciples, “When He, the Spirit of truth,
has come, He will guide you into all truth.” We know from Acts 2 that the Holy
spirit did come. He did guide the writers of the Bible into “all
truth.” Peter wrote that God “has given to us all things that pertain
to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and
virtue” (2 Pet. 1:3). It is impossible to have more than “all.” Peter affirmed
that God has given us “all things
that pertain to life and godliness.” Thus, we have everything we need in the
inspired Word of God to live a proper life as a Christian. One of the topics
discussed in Hebrews 1 is the subject of angels. We know from Galatians 3:19 that
it was angels who brought the Old Law down to
Timothy Sparks:
Hebrews 1 teaches us that while the Old Law came through angels, the New Law did indeed come through Christ. Thus, the New Law is—to use one of the key words of the Book of Hebrews—“superior.” Hebrews 1:3 tells us that Jesus is “the brightness of His [God’s] glory and the express image of His person.” Jesus admitted, “I and the Father are one” (Jn. 10:30). Angels are not on the same level as Jesus; Jesus is far superior to the angels because He, as the Son of God, is deity. In verse 5, the writer of Hebrews asks, “To which of the angels did He ever say: ‘You are My Son; today I have begotten You’? And again: ‘I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son.’” God never said anything like that to an angel. He never indicated that any angel shared with Him the same nature—i.e., the nature of deity. Jesus is the only One Who has ever come to Earth, bearing the essence and nature of God. Deity is confined to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The writer of Hebrews used a quote from Psalm 2:7 (“You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”) to document the superiority of Christ over angels. Yet, today so many people are fascinated by angels, the concept of “guardian angels,” etc.
Ben Bailey:
We seem to live in a society that is in the midst of “angel mania.” I saw a book recently titled 101 Ways to Know Your Guardian Angel. Angels are ministering spirits (Heb. 1:8). Sadly, some people place more emphasis on God’s servants (angels), than they do on God Himself. The Hebrews writer said, “To which of the angels did He ever say: ‘You are My Son; today I have begotten You’? And again: ‘I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son.’” We sometimes focus on the wrong thing. It is not angels about which we should be concerned, because they are merely servants of God. Perhaps some of the people who had come out of Judaism had become enamored with angels (like Michael the archangel) and were worshiping angels.
Timothy Sparks:
We learn from Hebrews 1:14, “Are they [angels] not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” Angels, as servants of God, do work. They are a reality. But they do not contravene the Word of God or the Word of Christ by their actions. They do not come sit on the edge of a person’s bed late at night and speak to them. That is not their place. God communicates to us through His Word. And we know from such statements as Paul’s comments in 1 Corinthians 13:10 (“When that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away”) that God’s Word is now complete. We now have “the perfect law of liberty” (Jas. 1:25). We have all of God’s will revealed to us. There will be no “latter-day revelations”—not even from an angel. Paul addressed this in Galatians 1 when he wrote,
“But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed” (vss. 8-9).
Anyone who attempts to present “another Gospel” stands accursed! That certainly has serious implications for religions that claim modern-day revelations. Those revelations are 2,000 years too late! God has given us His Word in a written form. And in that Word, He has provided answers to “all things that pertain unto life and godliness.” Why would we need a “latter-day revelation”? We wouldn’t! This is why we need to be “people of the Book.” And this is why we need to trust God’s Word implicitly. After all, the eternal salvation of our souls depends on how we handle God’s Word. So the question arises, “What will you do with Jesus? Are you going to be faithful to His Word? We cannot allow emotionalism to run roughshod over clear-cut Bible teaching. We learn from Hebrews 1 that angels are servants. While we are not told what they do, we are informed that they are inferior to God’s Son, Jesus Christ.
Ben Bailey:
Angels brought the
Old Law to
“Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him.”
This is a haunting question. Because the New Law was brought by the Son of God (and thus is far superior to the Old Law), why would anyone want to return to Judaism? Those who might want to return to Judaism needed to remember that under the Old Law, those who broke the Law of Moses were stoned to death. How much worse punishment awaits those who disobey the Law brought by the Son of God?!
Timothy Sparks:
It is likely that
the people who received the Book of Hebrews had it read to them, because the
people of that day were not nearly as literate as people of our day and age.
Imagine the impact it would have had on them to hear, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?”
These were Jewish Christians who were thinking seriously about returning to
Judaism in order to escape some of the persecutions being heaped upon them as
Christians. As they were having these thoughts, they were reminded about “the
great salvation” that was theirs. They also were reminded that God also bore
“witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the
Holy Spirit, according to His own will” (vs. 4). These people were being asked
if they wanted to forfeit their immortal souls in order to leave Christianity
and return to Judaism. This question—“How shall we escape if we neglect so
great a salvation?”—is one of the great questions of the Bible, and teaches us
that Christians can fall from God’s
grace. If the concept of “once saved, always saved” is true, what, then, is the
meaning of this passage? Here, we are talking about people who had obeyed the
Gospel, had been baptized into Christ, and had been forgiven of sins. Yet now,
they are considering apostatizing and returning to Judaism. The point of the
writer of the Book of Hebrews is that if they do that, they will neglect their
salvation—and as a result there will be no salvation! Consider in this light 1
Corinthians 10:12, where Paul said, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands
take heed lest he fall.” Paul told the Christians in
Ben Bailey:
The writer of Hebrews stresses not only that Christians should not neglect their salvation, but also that the New Covenant of Christ has been confirmed by miracles and signs that came from God through Christ and the apostles. The he focuses on the one thing that the Old Law could never really do—take away sins (Heb. 10:3-4). In Hebrews 2:5, we read, “For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels.” In verse 8, he comments, “You [God] have put all things in subjection under his [man‘s] feet. For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him.” There is still one thing that man cannot conquer, and with which he needs help—the sin problem! Man has conquered, tamed, and controlled almost everything imaginable. But man cannot conquer sin by himself! Here, we see a problem with the Old Law, and the supremacy of the New Law. Hebrews 2:9 makes this clear—“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.” The problem with the Old Law was that there was no perfect sacrifice available. Under the New Law, we still cannot conquer sin by ourselves. But Jesus can do it for us! Could there be a more beautiful passage in the Bible than Hebrews 2:9?! Jesus was made to be “a little lower than the angels.” Why? So He could “taste of death for everyone.” This passage not only shows that we can fall from grace, but also deals a deathblow to the Calvinistic doctrine that there will be only a certain number—“the select few”—who will be saved. Jesus did not taste of death for “the select few.” Rather, He tasted of death for everyone! Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 2:4 that God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Jesus died for you, for me, and for any person who has ever lived or ever will live. We can be saved if we will obey the Gospel, and if we will not neglect our salvation. We cannot conquer sin by ourselves. And the Old Law cannot forgive sins. Thus, the New Law is superior, because it shows us that Christ can take care of the sin problem, and that we can be forgiven of our sins. John the Immerser looked upon Christ and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn. 1:29). Jesus made a “once-for-all” sacrifice that completely covers sin. But we must access that sacrifice by obeying His will. Chapter 1, and the first half of chapter two, sets the tone for the rest of the Book of Hebrews. Jesus is superior to angels, because He has been able to conquer sin.
Timothy Sparks:
We might ask the question, “Who else died for us? Hebrews 2:14 teaches us, “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.” Hebrews 2:10 says, “For it was fitting for Him, for Whom are all things and by Whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” Who suffered for us? Jesus. Who died for us? Jesus. Look at Hebrews 2:16, “For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham.” Jesus is willing to give us aid in our time of need.
Ben Bailey:
Today, we possess the greatest salvation imaginable. Jesus alone is the way, the truth, and the light. The Book of Hebrews teaches us that He is superior to all—even to angels. We want you to know today that God loves you. He wants you to be saved. In order to be saved, you must believe in Jesus as the Son of God. You must repent of those things in your life that are not right. You must be willing to confess Jesus as the Savior. And you must be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins.
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Narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
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1. The Book of Hebrews deals with the superiority of Christ and something else. What is that “something else”?
2. The Book of Hebrews can be divided into three major segments. What are those segments?
3. There were some in the first-century church who wanted to return to something. What was that “something”?
4. The tone and tenor of the entire Book of Hebrews has to do with the fact that Christianity is different from the Old Law. What two words might be used to explain how Christianity is different from the Old Covenant?
5. According to Hebrews 1:1-2, how does God communicate His will to people today?
6. Explain the connection between Galatians 1:8-9 and Hebrews 1:1-2.
7. According to 2 Peter 1:3, what do we find within the pages of the Bible?
8. What three passages teach us that the Old Law
came to
9. What point was the writer of Hebrews making
when he asked, “To which of the angels did He ever
say: ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You’? And
again: ‘I will be to Him a Father,
and He shall be to Me a So’”?
10. According to Galatians 1:8-9, what should be our response if someone tells us that an angel has delivered a “latter-day” revelation from God?
11. Hebrews 2 teaches us that the Old Law came through angels. How did the New Law come?
12. Chapter 2 of the Book of Hebrews contains what has been referred to as “one of the great questions of the Bible.” What is that question, and in which verse is it found?
13. What does Hebrews 2:4 mean when it says that God also bore “witness both with signs and wonders” to His Word?
14. Explain the connection among the following passages: (1) Galatians 5:4; (2) 2 Peter 3:17; and (3) Hebrews 2:4.
15. What is the one thing that the New Law can do, which the Old Law could not do?
16. According to Hebrews 2:8, God has put all things in subject to man, except for one thing. What is that one thing?
17. What impact does Hebrews 2:9 have on Calvinistic doctrine, which suggests that only “a select few” will be saved?
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST,