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Letter to the Hebrews

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International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Oct 14, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 39.

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Letter to the Hebrews.

HEBREWS 2:1-8.

(Lesson 3, October 19, 1889.)
1. To what does the word “therefore” refer? “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.” Verse 1.
2. Why should we take more earnest heed?
3. On what condition only can the hearing and reading of the sacred Scriptures be profitable to us?
4. Does the query, “How shall we escape?” imply that there may be found some way to escape? Ans.—No; such a question is the very strongest negative. Escape will be impossible. “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.” Verse 3.
5. What relation does the word “neglect” bear to the caution in verse 1? Ans.—To hear without giving earnest heed, and to suffer the truth to slip away from our hearts and minds, is utter neglect.
6. What was it that began to be spoken by the Lord? Verse 3; Matt. 4:17; Mark 1:14, 15.
7. How did God bear witness to the preaching of the gospel? “God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will.” Heb. 2:4.
8. Are these gifts according to the will of man?—Ib.; 1 Cor. 12:8-11.
9. Were the gifts to remain longer than for the confirmation of the gospel by the apostles? “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Eph. 4:11-13.
10. When will they pass away? “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.” 1 Cor. 13:9, 10.
11. Were all things ever put under, or in subjection to, man? “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” Gen. 1:26.
12. Did man retain this dominion? “And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee saying, Thou shalt not eat of it; cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” Gen. 3:17-19.
13. Are all things now either under man or the Son of God? “Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.” Heb. 2:8. “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.” Heb. 10:12, 13.
14. Under whom are they? “And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.” “If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.” Luke 4:5, 7.
15. To whom will the dominion be given? Micah 4:8; Gal. 3:16; Rom. 4:13; Gal. 3:29.
16. What title does Paul give to Christ in 1 Cor. 15:45. “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.”
17. How did the first Adam lose dominion over the earth? Gen. 3:17-19.
18. What was the consequence of his action? “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Rom. 5:12.
19. How does the last Adam gain the dominion? “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 should taste death for every man.” Heb. 2:9.
20. Was Jesus ever made lower than the angels?—Ib.
21. For what purpose?—Ib.

NOTES.

SCHOLARS should be taught, and it should be impressed upon their minds, that in studying the Bible, they should pay no attention to the divisions of chapters. They often break the connection in a manner to cause the reader to lose much of the force of the Scriptures.
“THE word spoken by angels.” It is certain that when the law was given on Mount Sinai, there were present myriads of holy ones, as it reads in Deut. 33:2. Ps. 68:17 says: “The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels; the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.” The words of Stephen plainly indicate that the angels had some office to fulfill on the occasion of the giving of the law: “Who have received the law by the disposition of angels.” Acts 7:53. Yet just what part they had to act, is not revealed. Professor Stuart, after noticing a number of opinions on this subject, says:—
“We may stand aloof from being thus wise above what is written, and content ourselves simply with what our author teaches us, and what the Scriptures confirm, viz., that angels did assist at the giving of the law, or were in some way employed as ministering spirits by Jehovah on the occasion of its being promulgated. This is all that the text can well be interpreted as meaning, and all that is requisite for the argument of the apostle.”
These words we can adopt, and here we shall have to rest content. In this last dispensation God has spoken to us by his own Son, the Maker and Upholder of all things; and to turn away from the words of such a being, or to hear them idly, indifferently, or carelessly, is to become guilty in the highest degree.