Confidence is a very important word. We use the word in our daily lives. When we set the alarm at night-time, we are confident that we will hear it the next day. In order to go to work we confidently put the key into the ignition. When we switch the power on our phones, we confidently expect it to run. However sometimes it doesn’t work out the way we had planned. I was confident that my Windows 10 home edition would work but unfortunately, I spend a few days trying to make it work.
Spiritually this raises important questions, and it leads to an ultimate question; Do I put confidence in myself or in a higher power? (Namely God) The book of Hebrews has a lot to teach us about where we put our confidence. Here are some snippets:
- Hebrew 36 If we hold fast our confidence
- Hebrew 416 with confidence to the Throne of Grace
- Hebrew 1019 We have confidence to enter the Holy Place
- Hebrew 1035 Do not throw away you confidence
- Hebrew 136 So we speak confidently
Let us now look at this week’s text:
Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 9 Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited. 10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. 13 So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. 14 For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come. Hebrews 13:7-14
At first glance one might think there are various topics here and they don’t seem to jell together. Commentators may ask what has leaders to do with Jesus being the same in time sequences in the following verse?
Verse 7
“Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.”
The ‘remembering’ here is in the imperative second person plural (Greek). Apollos isn’t asking the believers to look at the conduct of their leaders. No, my friends it is a command. A lot of these leaders probably did not make it to old age. Later on, we find out that Timothy is going to be released from prison. What about Paul? Tradition has it that he was executed. James the Lord’s brother was according to Josephus also executed even though he was completely innocent. How do your leaders stand out in the Church from the 21st century? How can a person follow a leader that isn’t following the example of Christ in their everyday life? No one is perfect but Scripture does give us a standard for leadership in the Church. The New Testament stands on the authority of Christ and his Apostles. The Apostles have been asleep for many centuries now, but we do have their writings as a guide by the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that gives us this continuation with the early church and the Apostolic standards.
Verses 8 and 9
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 9 Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited.
Verse 8 is one of the most beautiful verses in the New Testament and because of its beauty we may miss the hay from the trees. Taking the verse on face value it is an encouragement that Jesus is always the same. He is in heaven interceding for us and we can take encouragement that his teachings do not change over time, but they are the same.
Verse 9 is completely opposite, and we can spot the teachings of these capricious teachers a mile away. The ancient Greek gods could change their minds on a whim so too these false teachers can teach false doctrine and change their meanings on a whim.
However, we are certain and 200% sure that the teachings of the Bible have not changed for over 2000 years.
Before we move on, I can simply say that this whole section touches on false teachings about food. Perhaps somehow these false teachers were linking food to salvation somehow. We need to remember that James in the book of Acts wrote a letter to all the churches stating that the only food Christians ‘jew’ or gentile was not to eat was food with the blood still in it.
Verse 10
10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.
Apollos reminds us that the tabernacle we eat from gives no right to these earthly officials. The earthly tabernacle is only a shadow of the real one.
Verses 11 – 14
. 11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. 13 So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. 14 For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come. Hebrews 13:7-14
These animals pointed only to the real sacrifice of the True Lamb of God. These animals were sacrificed outside of the camp. In that way the great sacrifice of Christ happened outside the city gates of Jerusalem. Anyone hung on a tree was seen as cursed. Jesus took our curse on himself so that we could be found holy and blameless before a righteous God. As Jesus took on our curse which was a reproach against him, we too as his followers may we take on some of this curse, by living holy and blameless with this hope burning in our souls that one day we too will be before the celestial city gates.
Reflection
Faith is a gift as we cannot save ourselves. God is for us because Jesus is for us. Jesus became a curse so that we in Him can be found righteous. The road we walk is a walk of faith, full of appreciation in our hearts for what Jesus did for us. Apollos teaches us to live this life confidently in Christ by the Holy Spirit. If any of your leaders tell you anything different to take you away from Christ, then they are wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Personal note on the blogs
I would have finished this blog earlier, but my computer died. In this digital age we need to stay faithful to Christ with computers and without computers. If Apollos was around today, I wonder how this beautiful letter may have been written. 😊
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