Hebrews 4-6

Paul had concluded chapter 3 warning believers not to repeat the same mistakes unbelievers did during Moses' time (the previous Dispensation of the Law). This chapter began with Paul telling the Christian Hebrews to fear coming short of Salvation.

Doctrine: The Word will only profit us if we unite it with faith (experience and understanding). Mark 7:13 recorded that Jesus said that the Pharisees made the Word of God of "none effect" by their traditions, by teaching man-made doctrine instead of having faith in God's Doctrine. Paul contrasted the unbelievers during Moses' time with the believers during his time. Both had the Word of God preached to them. Those unbelievers during the previous dispensation (the Law) did not unite faith with the preaching. What about believers during our dispensation?

God rested on the seventh day from His work. The word "rest" in this verse was katapausis. Rest comes after work; rest without work is sloth. Furthermore, for six days God initiated His Will. God was "All-Powerful": everything He did was a "first cause." God created man on the sixth day and then God stated, "let them have dominion over everything": Genesis 1:26. On the seventh day, we have an apparent contradiction: God had dominion and man had dominion. Only one can truly act as a first cause and initiate their will.

Paul referenced Genesis 2:1-3 which stated on the seventh day, God rested from all His work. In that passage, "rest" meant "ceased from His occupation of being a first cause." During the seventh day, God chose to stop initiating His Will so that man could initiate his will. Throughout this Bible Commentary, we have seen that from the seventh day even until now, God does not initiate His Will, God responds through Justice. Now, God being "All-Powerful" means that God has complete control over everything that does not have a will: the weather, animals, and inanimate objects. Paul stated that those who believe also enter into the same rest that God is currently resting in. Christians ought to be resting like God is resting. What does that mean? This is critical because Paul stated believers ought to be doing this.

However, Paul again referenced Psalm 95:11 which he had referenced repeatedly in the previous chapters. This passage was referenced to show that not everyone will actually be saved.

Paul stated the reason people fail to enter into the same rest as God would be due to disobedience. Again, understanding this rest is critical to being a believer.

Paul referenced Psalm 95:8.

Paul was bringing resolution to this concept of rest. Paul stated the rest we ought to be in was different than a future day of rest.

In this verse "rest" was different than the word used for the other translations of the word "rest". In this verse, "rest" was sabbatismos which was "the future paradisiacal time in eternity." This referred to eternity in paradise.

In verse 10, Paul returned back to katapausis - "ceasing from his occupation of being a first cause." Paul stated that those who were believers had also ceased from their occupation of being a first cause, of initiating their will which resulted in their works, for Reward. If a believer is not initiating his own actions, who is initiating the actions of a believer? The Holy Spirit via grace.

Salvation is by grace through faith. Salvation comes by ceasing from doing things in our own strength and allowing the Holy Spirit to be the influence upon our hearts, and reflect in our lives by working through us to Righteousness, for Salvation.

It would not be Right and Just for God to require us to rest (cease from initiating our will) if God did not also do this first. God did rest on the seventh day and has been resting since. He provided everything necessary for Salvation, however, it is our responsibility to humble ourselves and allow God to direct our actions by being obedient to the Holy Spirit. From the beginning of this section, Paul had been preaching grace through faith. Now we see that Paul showed all believers need to willfully choose to cease from being a first cause, and allow the Holy Spirit to initiate His Will, and that leads to Salvation.

Paul stated that to not allow choosing this rest, not allowing the Holy Spirit to be the first cause, was the same as disobeying God and not being a believer.

In Ephesians 6:17, Paul's explanation of the armor of God included "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." In that verse, "word" was rhema - "the revelatory and powerful word of God without precedence that brings Salvation." In verse 12 (above), "word" was logos - "the word that brings understanding (WHY)." The passage in Ephesians spoke of the rhema of God. This passage spoke of the logos of God. These passages were not contradictory. These passages spoke of two different words of God. This one focused on understanding. Also, discernment is focused on the WHY. The Word of God was made of words that facilitated movement: growth and profitability (a right WHY/HOW).

Notice, the word that brings understanding is able to bring resolution between soul and spirit. You only have one mind/soul and you cannot live without it because that is who you ARE. You can have more than one spirit and people were able to continue living once they have lost their spirit because your spirit is your connection between your Conscious Brain and God's Holy Spirit within you.

Doctrine: God completely understands every creature. God knows the mind/soul and heart (effects/actions) of every creature.

Believers have a "great high priest": Jesus Christ who first descended and then ascended into heaven (Ephesians 4:10). Paul had previously stated that Jesus was our High Priest (Hebrews 2:17; 3:1). Paul had stated that God completely understands every creature and believers allow the Holy Spirit to direct their actions. Now, Paul reminded the reader that Jesus was the High Priest and the Son of God, which meant He was greater than every earthly priest that has ever existed or ever will exist.

Jesus can relate to us and us to Him because He was tempted in all "points" as we are. There was not a Greek word that was translated to "points." This was not the word "things." Jesus was not tempted in all things that would ever exist, for example, Jesus was not tempted to play too many video games. Matthew 4 recorded that Jesus' temptation in the desert showed Jesus was tempted in the areas that He could have fallen, as we also are. The devil does not tempt us to do things that will not cause us to fall. The devil tempts us, just like he tempted Jesus: in those areas ("points") that would be possible for us to fall.

Because Jesus was tempted in His "points," we can boldly ask for grace to find help in time of need. Remember, "grace" is "the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life." We can initiate grace. We can choose to ask God to work through us to handle temptations. This does not result in Salvation. When we initiate grace, it results in Reward. When God initiates grace and we choose to allow it to reflect in our life, it results in Salvation. Jesus experienced the utmost temptation according to who He is and He overcame it through grace, through choosing to ask God to work through Him to handle the temptation. If Jesus was like us and was able to get grace in His time of need, we can trust that we will have grace in our times of need.

Theme of Chapter 4: Paul continued his premise that Jesus was above everything. In this chapter, Paul proved Jesus was above every earthly priest by covering the concept of grace. Believers are saved by grace through faith, by choosing to rest: ceasing from being a first cause and allowing the Holy Spirit to initiate His Will. Paul showed we could initiate grace in order to deal with temptation.

An earthly high priest is sinful and cannot provide Salvation.

Paul referenced Psalm 2:7. In Acts 13:33, Paul referenced this same verse during his sermon in Antioch in Pisidia. Christ did not glorify Himself as High Priest, God did. Jesus was of a higher order than Aaron.

Paul referenced Psalm 110:4. Christ is a priest after the order of Melchizedek. Melchizedek was a priest, king, and man all at the same time. Melchizedek was not of the Abrahamic family which showed us that Christ is the Savior of all and not only the Jews. Melchizedek was referenced from Genesis 14:18-20.

When Jesus Christ was in the flesh, He completely relied on God working through Him. Jesus said in John 8:28 that He did nothing of Himself, but only what He learned from the Father, which was grace. While in the flesh, Christ learned to be obedient. This did not mean He was ever disobedient but that while He was in the flesh, Jesus had to learn Doctrine for Himself.

Doctrine: Christ is the author of eternal Salvation to those who obey Him.

Christ was called of God a High Priest after the order of Melchizedek: a priest of all people. Remember, Paul was showing Christian Hebrew believers that they ought to follow Jesus even though Gentiles also followed Jesus.

The Hebrews were slow at understanding and were in need of "milk" and not "solid food" (meat). They needed understanding of the "first principles": the foundational (God's) Doctrine. Remember, Paul spoke of the young church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 3) being babes in understanding through the analogy of milk and meat.

Those who are just learning the "milk" are inexperienced but those who partake of meat are mature (experienced) and can discern good and evil, just like Paul explained to the church in Corinth.

Theme of Chapter 5: Christ was a priest of the order of Melchizedek: a priest to all believers, not just Jews or Gentiles. Paul also stated that the Hebrews were slow in understanding this foundational Doctrine, which was WHY Paul took his time with many words to explain the foundational Doctrines. Paul was transitioning to discussing Doctrines built on these foundational Doctrines.

Therefore, we ought to progress further than the foundational principles, unto perfection.

Paul listed the foundational Doctrines: repentance, faith, baptism, laying on of hands, resurrection, and eternal judgment.

Concerning verses 4-6, see also Hebrews 10:26. These verses meant that the only way to gain Salvation is by grace through faith (which begins with repentance/humility). These verses did not mean that if we had already lived of the Holy Spirit and fall away, we cannot again attain Salvation. These verses meant that if we have received this gift and then fall away, we ought to know that there is no other way to attain Salvation, other than through repentance.

We cannot skip over repentance and just act as if Christ was "recrucified." Paul began this chapter stating that the foundational Doctrines should not be repeatedly done because once they were done (and understood) we ought to grow past these to maturity. In verse 6, Paul was building on verse 1: do not try to pretend that you have not sinned and act like this was the first time you received Christ's death on the cross as paying for your sins.

In verse 8, the word "rejected" was adokimos which was translated in the rest of the New Testament as castaway (1 Corinthians 9:27) and reprobate (Romans 1:28, 2 Corinthians 13:5-7, 2 Timothy 3:8, and Titus 1:16). We have seen Paul was the only writer in the New Testament to use this word and in all the other times Paul used this word he was speaking of a coin that represented a true value (right WHAT) but was actually worth less (wrong HOW/WHY).

Verse 7 stated that the land that received rain and was tilled (appearance) ought to bring forth herbs (actual value). When it did, it received blessings from God because its actual value matched its appearance.

Verse 8 stated that if the actual value of the land was thorns and thistles, even though it received rain and tilling, then it was "rejected"...reprobate...castaway. Paul stated the result could be seen as a curse because it ultimately got burned. Remember, fire burns up dross, while fire refines precious metals. In every usage of adokimos in the New Testament, the application showed that we need to have the actual value that we present. This was a theme in many of Paul's epistles that was unique to Paul.

God is Just and will remember our work and labor of love if it is profitable, if it is not reprobate.

Have this faith and diligence until the end so that you have the actual value that you represent.

Sloth (rest without work) was contrasted with faith (which had works). Paul contrasted reprobates with believers.

Paul referenced Genesis 22:17 to show the scriptures proved there was no one greater than God...otherwise, God would have sworn by something other than Himself. Paul showed that Abraham was a believer because of his faith.

Doctrine: It is impossible for God to lie. Paul made a similar statement in Titus 1:2.

Paul used two analogies to show the Hebrew Christians they could have faith that Jesus was able to provide Salvation.

Theme of Chapter 6: Paul began to build on foundational Doctrines by stating that we need to have the actual value of what we present to others. Everyone who SAYS they believe foundational Doctrines appears to be a believer immediately after this confession. However, over time, believers are apparent to all once they demonstrate their actual value.