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Letter to the Hebrews

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International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Sep 23, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 37.

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Letter to the Hebrews.

HEBREWS. 1:1-7.

(Lesson 1, October 5, 1889.)
1. To whom was this letter written? See note.
2. Compare the opening words of this epistle with those of other epistles and state the differences observed.
3. By whom did God speak in times past?
"God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets." Heb. 1:1.
4. In what different ways has God spoken to men.—Ib; also compare Gen. 15:1; 18:1, 2; 19:1; 20:3; Num. 12:6-8.
5. By whom has the Lord spoken in these last days?
"Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds." Heb. 1:2.
6. What do the words "these last days" mean? See note.
7. To what is the Son appointed heir? Heb. 1:2.
8. Are any others heirs with him? Rom. 8:16, 17; 1 Cor. 3:21-23.
9. By whom were the worlds made? Heb. 1:2. See John 1:1-3; Col. 1:16, and note.
10. In whose glory and image is the Son?
"Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high." Heb. 1:3.
"Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature." Col. 1:15.
11. How only can we learn and understand the glory and fullness of God's power and grace? John 1:18; 14:7-9; 1 John 5:20.
12. How and by whom are all things upheld? Heb. 1:3. All things were made by the Word, and are upheld by the same.
13. How did this mighty and exalted Being purge us from our sins?—Ib. Compare chap. 9:26.
14. How could a being of such glory and power purge our sins by the sacrifice of himself. See John 1:14; Phil. 2:6-8.
15. Did this mighty One exist before he came into this world? See John 16:28; 17:5.
16. Where is he now sitting? Heb. 1:3. Compare chap. 8:1; Rev. 3:21.
17. What has he obtained by inheritance?
"Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they." Heb. 1:4.
18. What is that more excellent name?
"For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?" "But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever; a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom." Heb. 1:5, 8.
19. Who are commanded to worship him?
"And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him." Heb. 1:6.
20. What are the angels in their nature?
"And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire." Heb. 1:7.
21. What office do they fill?—Ib. Ministers are servants. Compare Rev. 19:10.
22. Describe their power and glory. See 2 Kings 19:35; Eze. 1:14; Dan. 10:6.
23. What assurance does this afford to the saints in the dangers of this world? Ps. 34:7. For an illustration, see 2 Kings 6:12-17.

NOTES.

THIS letter evidently was written to those who were familiar with the Scriptures—with those things which the Lord had spoken by the prophets. It is from the very beginning an argument from the Scriptures on the dignity, the Messiahship, and the priesthood of Christ. It argues most conclusively the typical character of the sacrifices and services of the Levitical law, and the insufficiency of those offerings to take away sin. It was, no doubt, written "to the Hebrews," being a commentary on their laws. It contains convincing proof of the truth of the gospel as it was then preached by the apostles.
IN all the other epistles, except those of John, the writers place their names at the beginning. This to the Hebrews gives no intimation of its authorship. Luther suggested that it was written by Apollos, and his suggestion has been taken up and followed by a number of writers on the continent of Europe. But we see no reason to believe that he was correct. Paul was a ready writer, having written thirteen letters under his own name, several of them of considerable length. Of Apollos as a writer we know nothing. Paul was a strong and logical reasoner. The letter to the Hebrews shows his cast of mind. Though Apollos was mighty in the Scriptures, of his style we have no possible means of judging. For ascribing this letter to Paul we have good reasons; ascribing it to Apollos is a mere conjecture without satisfactory reasons. It is a striking fact that no early writer ever suggested Apollos as its author.
This letter reminds us of the abrupt manner of the beginning of Genesis and the Gospel according to John, in announcing God and his works. It does not deal with personal, or private, or even church matters, as do the other letters. We cannot be too thankful for the instruction it contains.
THE expression "these last days" does not mean the same in all places of its occurrence. When spoken before the advent of the Saviour, it generally means the last dispensation, the gospel age. Joel 2:28 is not rendered "the last days" in the English version, but Acts 2:16-20 contains an inspired comment on the text, and proves that it means the last days. The original will bear that construction. Acts 2 also shows, by the events prophesied of, that the expression there covers the entire gospel dispensation. But when spoken in this dispensation, as in 2 Tim. 3:1 and 2 Peter 3:3, it refers to the last days or a part of this dispensation. The words of Jesus in John 6:39, 40, 44, 54, refer "the last day" to the day of his coming and the resurrection. Hence the last days of this age are the days just preceding his coming. In Heb. 1:2 the last dispensation is meant.
As God made the worlds by his Son, and all things are upheld by him, and as "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself" (2 Cor. 5:19), it follows that we see and know absolutely nothing of God the Father, either in creation, providence, or in salvation and redemption, but what is revealed to us through his Son. The Lord Jesus Christ is, in every respect, the manifestation of God to man. "For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell." Col. 1:19.
HEB. 1:3 corresponds to Col. 1:16, 17, which says that by him, that is Jesus, "were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him, and for him; and he is before all things, and by him all things consist." The word "consist" means, literally, "stand together;" and the text means that as Christ created all things so he preserves them; he upholds them by the word of his power—the same word that caused them to exist.