EXPOSITORY FILES 1.4
Edited by Warren Berkley & Jon Quinn
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The Front Page
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Welcome to the fourth issue of Expository Files! The
editors continue to be extremely pleased with the results
so far, and are working hard to insure that each issue
will be worth downloading, reading, studying, pondering,
copying, printing, sharing and uploading to other boards
and individuals.
In the first article in
this issue, I take a look at the
battle of Armageddon. Be forewarned that the approach is
not typical of most of today's viewpoints, but instead the
interpretation is based upon the Book of Revelation's own
introduction to its message which gives us important
information regarding the timeframe of the events of the
book.
In the second article,
Kenneth Chumbley examines the
moral and sexual climate of first century Thessalonica. In
light of the very loose moral standards of that day, Paul
instructs the new Christians there concerning godly
conduct. Very timely information for them... very timely
information for us as well.
In the third article by
Warren Berkley, it is shown that
attributes of God's personality do not conflict with one
another, but rather compliment one another. We are asked
to consider "mercy" and "truth." Many today,
in the name
of "tolerance" (mercy) insist that truth be ignored.
Warren shows that there is no such conflict; it is not an
either/or proposition with God, and ought not to be with
us either.
Finally, Alex Ogden begins
an expository series on the
book of Hebrews which will conclude, Lord willing, in
December. See the introduction to his first article for
more information on what looks like will be an excellent
presentation.
As always, we invite your comments. You may reach us
through E-Mail on America Online (WEB47 and JWQuinn).
Please feel free to upload EXPOSITORY FILES into local
bulletin board networks or disperse to others.
"And now I
commend you to God and to the word of His
grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the
inheritance among all who are sanctified." (Acts 20:32,
NASB).
Apocalypse Now? The Battle Of Armageddon
(Revelation 16:12-16)
By Jon Quinn
========================================
It was during the gulf
war with Iraq that we heard it
once again. "This is it!" They said. "The prelude
to the
final battle...the battle of Armageddon!" But wait a
minute. I thought they had said that the Iraq-Iran war was
the opening shots of Armageddon. And before that, the 1973
Arab-Israeli war. And before that, the Arab-Israeli
conflict of 1967. And didn't the Soviet occupation of
Afghanistan have something to do with it?
There has been a lot of
foolish speculation about it.
It is easy to watch the headlines and then to lift some
Biblical passage out of its context and say "See, the
Bible predicted this event!" In fact, the battle of
Armageddon is a favorite topic because there are always
plenty of trouble spots, especially in the Middle East,
which provide the headlines around which one can weave his
theories of how that final great battle is forming. From
the amount of attention given Armageddon you would think
that it must be a prominent Bible topic.
IT IS NOT! In fact,
"Armageddon" is mentioned only
once and "the battle of Armageddon" is not mentioned at
all!
The one passage which
does mention "Armageddon" ( or
more correctly, "Har-magedon") occurs in the book of
Revelation: "And the sixth angel poured out his bowl on
the great river, the
Euphrates; and its water was dried
up, that the way might be prepared for the kings of the
east. And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and
out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the
false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they
were spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to
the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for
war on the great day of God, the Almighty. (Behold, I am
coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake
and keeps his garments, lest he walk about naked and men
see his shame.) And they gathered them together to the
place which in Hebrew is called Har-magedon." (REVELATION
16:12-16).
MEGIDDO IN HISTORY
"The kings came and
fought; then fought the kings of
Canaan at Taanach near the waters of Megiddo;" (JUDGES
5:19). The word "Har-magedon" comes from the Hebrew. The
word "Har" means "mountain" and
"Magedon" refers to an
ancient site of many battles called "Megiddo." The
battle
mentioned above took place under the leadership of Deborah
and Barak about 1100 years before Christ (See also the
fourth chapter of Judges). Megiddo was of strategic
importance because it occupies a valley through which
armies could march on their various campaigns. Because of
the many history-changing battles fought there, Megiddo
became a symbol, sort of like our own Alamo or Pearl
Harbor. It came to symbolize warfare, struggle and death.
But that's about Megiddo; a valley. Where is "the mountain
of Megiddo" from which we get the word Armageddon? The
answer is that there is NO such literal place! It does not
exist as far as geography is concerned! Then why does the
book of Revelation mention it?
BACKGROUND OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION
"The Revelation of
Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to
show His bond-servants, the things which must shortly take
place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His
bond-servant John" (REVELATION 1:1). Though certainly the
book of Revelation contains glimpses of the final judgment
and eternity, the great majority of the book was
prophesying of things which "must shortly take place"
back
in about 100 A.D. Also;
"Blessed is he who reads and
those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the
things which are written in it; for the time is near"
(REVELATION 1:3). Any speculative theory which contends
that Armageddon has something to do with our future has to
first ignore what this book itself says about the
timeframe!
The book is written in
symbols. That is why there can be
a "mountain of Megiddo" at all. It is a symbol, just
like
the dragon, the beast, the false prophet, the frogs, the
drying up of the river Euphrates and the rest of the
context of the chapter and book. Well then, what does it
symbolize?
It symbolizes something
that took place back in the
first, second and perhaps third centuries. The book of
Revelation emphasizes that it is speaking of things which
"must shortly take place." The early church was
undergoing
tremendous persecution. Roman power and culture awed the
world and Rome considered Christianity as an enemy to be
destroyed. The kings of the world sought alliances with
Rome and thus joined her in persecuting Christians
everywhere. The Roman emperor was made into a deity and
all Roman subjects everywhere were expected to worship
him. Christians would not do so. But Rome was so powerful.
It had armies with swords and shields. The Lord's kingdom
had its army also, not armed with literal swords but with
the word of truth. But how can those armed only with the
truth of the Scriptures stand against cold steel?
THE PROMISE OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION
"And after this I
heard, as it were, a loud voice of a
great multitude in heaven, saying, 'Hallelujah! Salvation
and glory and power belong to our God..." (REVELATION
19:1). The promise is that Rome, in all her power and
glory, will fall. But the truth which she sought to
destroy will survive. There will first be suffering and
sacrifice on the part of the faithful. But it will only
serve to show the whole world that this new faith is worth
dying for. Chapter four shows that God is still on His
throne. He has not surrendered. He will not allow Rome to
win. He will call upon them to repent, and when they
refuse He will bring them down. "Har-magedon" refers to
that struggle between right and wrong; to the great
conflict between world forces of darkness and the forces
of light as they follow the true "King of kings and Lord
of lords". Many of His followers would lose their lives,
but not their souls. There would be a resurrection. Jesus
would win the battle of Har-magedon. History shows that He
did. Rome fell. Truth prevailed.
We all have our battles
to wage. We are as certain of
victory as they were when we remember Who our King is;
'Tis Jesus.
What Paul Taught the Thessalonians About Sex
(I THESSALONIANS 4:3,4)
By Kenny Chumbley
============================================
The moral picture of
the Roman Empire during the
first century was indeed sordid. The cities of the empire
were pockets of wild corruption. From the upper classes to
the lowest slaves debauchery ruled. It has been said that
there has probably never been a period when vice was more
extravagant or uncontrolled than it was under the Caesars.
Into this twisted context came the Gospel-calling upon men
to rein in and control their sexual energies.
"For this is the
will of God, even your
sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
that every one of you should know how to possess his
vessel in sanctificaion
and honour." (1 Thess. 4.3-4).
Note the three stages
of expectation that Paul
develops: He begins by laying down the general, positive statement
that God wills for us to live sexually
sanctified-holy-lives. Anyone, therefore, who contends
that God sanctions unholy living is at direct odds with
Paul.
Next comes a specific,
negative injunction that we
abstain from every kind of immorality. "Abstain" is a
strong word in the Greek. It means more than simple
avoidance. As Phillips renders it, abstinence entails "a
clean cut with sexual immorality." We must totally abstain
from every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse, whether
fornication, adultery, homosexuality, polygamy, or
bestiality. Concerning things that are totally evil - such
as sexual immorality - there can be no moderation, only
total abstention.
Finally, Paul provides two
fundamental, practical
principles to guide our sexual behavior. First, sex has a
God-given context: viz.,
monogamous, till
death-do-us-part, heterosexual marriage (this is how I
understand the phrase, "that every one of you should know
how to posses his vessel," i.e., his wife; cf. 1 Pet. 3.7,
"weaker vessel"). There is, I think, an unmistakable
similarity between 1 Thessalonians 4.3 and 1 Corinthians
7.2, "To avoid fornication [and promote sanctification]
let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have
her own husband." Marriage, from one standpoint, is a
Divinely-designed means of avoiding terrible sin. Second,
sex has a God-given character: holiness and honor
("possess his vessel in sanctification and honour").
Even
within the sphere of marriage God expects restraint rather
than an "anything goes" mentality to inhere. Things
condemned in God's word-e.g., selfishness (1 Cor. 7.3ff),
sodomy, pornography, etc.-are as unlawful within marriage
as without. Selfish lust and dishonorable sexual practices
which use a partner will eventually destroy any
relationship. Within marriage, true love-making that
honors, cherishes and respects the other is the rule to
which there is no exception.
Paul only spent three
weeks in the city of
Thessalonica before persecution forced him to leave under
cover of darkness (Acts 17.1-10). During this time the
church was comprised entirely of babes in Christ. But
during the brief time He was with them, as 1 Thessalonians
4.2-3 shows, Paul thought it important to teach these new
converts how the Gospel governed their sexual behavior. If
Paul thought this subject important enough to include in
his earliest instruction to the Thessalonians, it must
indeed be an important subject.
Christian parents,
elders, teachers and preachers,
therefore, must not be afraid to expound Biblical
standards of morality. In this age of godless relativism
and worldliness, people need plain, practical, ethical
teaching. Right from the beginning let's teach our
children and new converts that God calls us to purity, not
promiscuity. They, and we, must learn that God sees the
intimacies of the bedroom. Christian husbands and wives,
therefore, must honor God and each other, here as
elsewhere.
Psalms 85:10
by Warren E. Berkley
====================
"Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and
peace have kissed each other," (Psalms 85:10).
As the diligent student reads through the Word of God and
devotes attention to various passages, it becomes clear
that God has linked certain things together. Once we
understand this, we shouldn't have any trouble realizing
that man has no business tampering with or unconnecting
things God has put together. As in marriage, so with other
things God has put together: "...what God has joined
together, let not man separate," (Matt. 19:6).
Notice some things God has put together: Faith is
expressed by works of obedience (Jas. 2:14-26); Love is
manifested through obedience (Jno. 14:15); Christ is the
Head of His church (Eph. 5:23); and Reverence toward diety
is displayed through acts of worship (Jno. 4:24). These
are things God has put together.
And, in Psalms 85:10, "mercy and truth have met
together,"
and "righteousness and peace" are likewise joined. What
do
these connections tell us about the person of Deity?
It is a mistake to regard God as a multi-personality
being. When we study His attributes and characteristics,
there may be a tendency to divide the Supreme Person of
Deity into "blocks" of character - His power, then
(separate from that), His love, etc. But this isn't the
way God is. He is a unified whole person, each attribute
connected to the other.
God's truth and mercy are compatible. That means, there is
nothing about God's origination and His revelation of
truth that interferes with His mercy. Both are part of the
whole character of God. Likewise, His righteousness and
peace enjoy perfect harmony.
It follows - if someone suggests that there is some sort
of conflict between God's mercy and God's truth, that
suggestion ought to be quickly rejected. All theories,
doctrines or arguments which array one quality of God
against another are in error, regardless of the debater,
the cause or the consequence.
For instance, the mercy of God which brings about pardon
for sin is wrought through the message, the gospel of
Christ. God's mercy is active in forgiving us, but this
mercy is executed through the message, the truth of the
gospel. No conflict!
Also, the demands of God's perfect righteousness were met
by the Savior's meritorious death, "the righteous for the
unrighteous." As a result, sinners can be reconciled to
God, thus "making peace." [1 Pet. 3:18; Eph.
2:14-22] In
the gospel plan of salvation, revealed in the New
Testament of Jesus Christ, there is "Mercy and Truth"
meeting each other, and righteousness and peace kissing
each other.
But perhaps you've heard something like this: I know what
the truth (of God's Word) says, but I believe mercy
demands that we tolerate violation. This pits mercy
against truth; it actually places mercy above truth.
Objecting to the application of truth on grounds of mercy
is not plausible! Objecting to righteousness on grounds of
peace is likewise invalid. In God's person and in God's
perfect revelation, mercy and truth meet; righteousness
and peace kiss.
It is commendable to "pursue peace with all people," but
the same verse says we must also pursue "holiness, without
which no one will see the Lord," (Heb. 12:14). Christians
are to "be diligent to be found by Him in peace," but
the
same verse adds: "without spot and blameless," (2 Pet.
3:14). The "wisdom that is from above is" peaceable but
it
is "first pure," (Jas. 3:17). It is a mistake,
therefore,
to isolate peace from other virtues and qualities and
build some kind of "loop-hole" or permissive argument on
the grounds of peace alone!
"Affection" and "mercy" motivates us to be
likeminded
(Phil. 2:1-2), but we are warned not to boast or lie
against the truth (Jas. 3:14).
The truth and love of Christ motivates us to "glorify God
for His mercy ... But in every nation who ever fears Hm
and works righteousness is accepted by Him," (Rom. 15:9;
Acts 10:35).
The God who made us and who is the Father of the Lord
Jesus Christ is "the Lord God, merciful and gracious,
longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth," (Ex.
34:6).
Studies In Hebrews #1
(Hebrews 1:1 - 2:18)
By Alex Ogden
___________________
Editor's Note: With this article we begin
publication of
an excellent series of articles written by
Alex Ogden.
There will be a total of nine
installments, so that the
whole study will be contained in volume
one. Bro. Ogden
preaches in Blytheville, Arkansas with the
Main & 13th
Streets church of Christ. Previously, he
has worked with
churches in Florida, Illinois, Tennesse
and North
Carolina. Alex has been on two preaching
trips to Jamaica,
and has preached in several different
states in the
Southeast. He was a student at Florida
College, and his
father is Art Ogden, who preaches in
Somerset, Kentucky.
The editors of Expository Files believe
this series in
Hebrews will be a useful contribution to
your library, and
will stimulate deeper interests in this
epistle. The
series will conclude with the December
issue.
_________________________________________________
With this issue we begin a
series of studies through the
New Testament book of Hebrews.
A study of Hebrews is rich
and rewarding. The book is
unlike other New Testament
books, especially in the unique picture which is presented
of Jesus.
Introductory Material
One of the perplexing
things about the book of Hebrews
is that the author nowhere identifies himself. Several
have been suggested as the author such as Paul, Barnabas,
Luke, Priscilla & Aquila and Apollos. Since the author
does not identify himself in the book, all such
conclusions are guesswork.
We must conclude as Origen
did, "God alone knows."
It is best for us to call him
"the writer of Hebrews" or "the Hebrew
writer".
Even though we do not
know by name the writer of
Hebrews we do know a few things about him. He was well
acquainted with his readers' spiritual condition
(5:11-14). He was well
aware of their past (6:10;
10:32-34). He was certain
they could do better
spiritually than they were doing (6:9). When you read the
book it is clear he had a thorough understanding of the
Old Testament, thus showing he had Jewish influences upon
him.
Another question we need
to answer about the book is,
"Who were the recipients of the book?" Most of our bibles
have "The Epistle to the Hebrews" at the beginning of
the
book. This title would
indicate the book was written to
Hebrews, or Jews. But this
title to the book was added
later. For us to learn who
the book was written to we
need to look inside the book itself.
Some
"scholars" have put forth the idea that the book
was written to Gentiles [Moffatt & Windisch]. Their
position is based on Hebrews 3:12. They feel that if
Jewish Christians are being addressed, their relapse into
Judaism would not involve "falling away from the living
God" because they would still be worshipping the God of
Israel. Therefore, at
least in their mind, the book had
to be written to Gentiles.
There is plenty of proof
from the book itself to show
the book was written to Jews who had become Christians.
(1) Hebrews 6:1 says, "not laying again a foundation of
repentance from dead works." The "dead works" would
seem
to refer to the Jewish rites and ceremonies that were mere
works void of any spiritual cleansing for the soul (see
9:9-14).
(2) The continual appeal to the Old Testament scriptures
by the author shows the author was confident his readers
were well acquainted with those scriptures. Jews, not
Gentiles, were taught the scriptures daily.
(3) The recipients seem to
accept the Levitical
priesthood. In 7:11 the writer says, "Now if there was
perfection through the Levitical priesthood..." If it
were written to Gentiles, they would naturally answer the
author, "we never thought there was!" The Jews, not the
Gentiles, would relate to the things said by the writer in
the book about the priesthood.
(4) Hebrews 10:32-34 speaks of the recipients as having
been persecuted by others. When the Jews obeyed the gospel
they were persecuted by unconverted Jews (Acts 8:1).
Generally speaking, Gentiles who obeyed the gospel were
NOT persecuted as the Jews were.
Therefore, the
recipients of the book would have been Jews. From these
and other pieces of evidence we can conclude the book was
written to Jewish Christians -- people who were born to
Jewish parents and perhaps raised as Jews but who had
obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ.
From where was the book
written? This question seems
to be answered in 13:24 when the writer says, "They of
Italy salute you."
The book seems to have been written
from Italy. From which
city in Italy is not stated but it
may have been Rome, since Rome played such an important
role in early church history.
What was the destination
of the book? Some have
suggested places such as Alexandria in Egypt, Syrian
Antioch, Colossae, Ephesus, Cyprus or even Rome itself.
It seems apparent to me, however, that it was sent to
Jewish Christians living in the region of Palestine. If
the persecutions of 10:32-34 are those referred to in Acts
8:1, which seems to be an acceptable conclusion, then it
is clear the book was sent to Jewish Christians living
in Palestine. We would
conclude this because those living
outside of Palestine suffered relatively little from the
Jews for their conversion to Christ. From 8:4 it seems
there were those who still offered sacrifices according to
the Law. At the time the
book was written this was done
very little outside of Palestine.
Whether or not our
conclusions are correct about the books destination,
always remember they were Jewish Christians.
It is clear from the book
that it was written prior to 70
A.D. This is seen from the
fact the Temple in Jerusalem
was still standing (see 8:4; 9:8; 10:1ff). An exact date
is really not important.
Just remember it was BEFORE 70
A.D.
The purpose of the book
is stated in 13:22 when the
writer describes his work as a "word of exhortation".
These Jewish Christians had been faithful and zealous at
one point (10:32-34), but at the time the book was written
they were immature (5:11-14), weak (12:12,13) and perhaps
at the very point of falling away (2:1; 3:12). Because of
the possibility of their returning back to the Jewish
religion and turning their back on the Lord, the Hebrew
writer sent this letter in hopes it will cause them to
realize the superiority of the Law of Christ to the Law of
Moses and thus be sufficiently encouraged to remain in
faithful service to the Lord.
The Old Avenue Of Revelation
(1:1)
The book of Hebrews
begins by showing how God revealed
Himself to men "in time past"--to the fathers in the
prophets. God dealt
directly with the fathers of each
household during the Patriarchal period [see Abraham
Gen.12; Isaac Gen.26; Jacob Gen.28]. However, during the
Mosaical period God expressed His will to men through
prophets such as Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, etc.. But these
revelations were in differing
proportions and made
in different ways. As the
prophet Isaiah said, "here a
little, there a little" (Isaiah 28:10-13). To say the
least the revelations of God "in time past" were far
from
perfect.
The New Avenue Of Revelation
(1:2-14)
In contrast to the
revelations "in time past" which
were not complete the Hebrew writer now shows how God, "in
these last days", speaks unto us by His Son, Jesus Christ.
In the transfiguration of Matt. 17 God said, "This is my
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear ye him"
(v.5). Jesus Himself affirmed He was God's spokesman in
John 5:19 and 12:49. Since Jesus is now God's spokesman,
we should listen and heed the message which He speaks.
Seven facts about Jesus
are presented to show He and
His message are superior to the old spokesmen and the old
message (v.2,3). (1) "whom he hath appointed heir of all
things". As an heir
inherits things from the father, so
has Christ inherited all things from the heavenly Father
(Psa.2:7,8; Jn.17:15). (2)
"by whom also he made the
worlds". The Son was
present with the Father in the
creation and the Son had an active part in that creation
(Jn.1:1-3,10,14; 1 Cor.8:6; Col.1:16,17). (3) "who being
the brightness of his glory". We see God the Father
through the Son (Jn.1:18; 14:9).
(4) "the express image
of his person".
Christ is the exact representation of the
nature of God (Col.1:15; 1 Tim.3:16). (5) "upholding
all things by the word of his power". The very word of
the Son is powerful (Matt.8:26,27; 24:35; Rom.1:16;
Col.1:17). (6) "when
he had by himself purged our sins".
Christ made purification from sins possible by the
sacrifice of Himself. (7)
"sat down on the right hand of
the Majesty on high".
Jesus is at the right hand of God
reigning as King over God's kingdom (Eph.1:20-22).
Jesus is next shown to
be superior to angels (v.4-14).
Why does the Hebrew writer go to the trouble here to show
superiority over angels?
The word 'angel' means
messenger. Genesis 19:15;
22:11 and Exodus 3:2 show
angels worked as messengers of God. In fact, according to
Deut.33:2; Acts 7:53; and Gal.3:19, angels had some part
in revealing the Mosaical Law. Hebrews 2:2 refers to this
law as "the word spoken through angels." So the function
of angels is in the area of revelation. The Hebrew
writer wants to show that Jesus, as God's messenger "in
these last days", is superior to the angels, who were His
messengers with the Old Law.
(1) Jesus has a more
excellent name than the angels (v.4,5). They are mere
servants while Jesus is God's SON. [See also v.7; Eph.1:21
and Phil.2:9-11.] (2) The
angels were instructed to
worship Christ, not the other way around (v.6). (3)
Jesus is addressed as God and His kingdom is to be for
ever and ever (v.8,9).
Jesus is God and King, not the
angels. (4) Jesus is
eternal (v.10-12). He laid the
foundations of the earth and although the earth will
perish, He will continue the same. (5) No angel has
ever been invited to sit at the right hand of God (v.13).
But Jesus as God's Son is now seated there (Eph.1:20-23).
(6) Angels are ministering spirits doing service for those
that shall receive eternal salvation (v.14). Jesus,
however, is the one that has made such salvation possible.
If Jesus is so superior
to the fathers, prophets and
angels, then surely His message is also superior to the
message revealed "in time past".
We Must Not Neglect The Salvation Through Jesus (2:1-4)
Having established in
chapter one that Jesus is
superior to the fathers, prophets and angels, the Hebrew
writer stops to issue the first of many warnings. He
exhorts them to "pay all the more attention to what we
have heard" (Moffatt translation). The recipients of the
book, Jewish Christians, were apparently on the brink of
turning from Christ to go back to Judaism. The writer
argues since Jesus is so superior to the fathers,
prophets and angels then we should pay much closer
attention to the message revealed through Jesus.
To further clarify and
press the point the author
compares "the word spoken through angels", the Law of
Moses (cf.Acts 7:38,53; Gal.3:19), and "so great a
salvation", the message of Christ which they had
heard (v.1,3). "The word spoken through angels" proved
stedfast by virtue of the fact that those who transgressed
or disobeyed that law received their just reward, or
punishment. Such people
died "without compassion" (10:28)
since they were deserving of such punishment. The
recipients of the book were well aware of the steadfastness
of the Law and the just punishment for those who would
disobey it. The author
then asks, "how shall we escape,
if we neglect so great a salvation?" In other words,
since Jesus is so superior to the messenger of the Old
Law, there can be no doubt His message will also prove
steadfast and render punishments greater than those for the
Old Law. If there was no
escape from punishment under the
Old Law then surely there will be no escape under the Law
of Christ. Indeed, "how shall we escape"? There is great
danger in neglecting the Law of Christ.
Jesus Is The Perfect Representative Of Man (2:5-18)
The subject left off in
chapter one verse 14, showing
the superiority of Jesus, is now resumed. The author
first shows the lowliness and dignity of man in general
(v.5-8) by referring to Psalms 8:4-6. In comparison with
all God created man is quite small. Yet God is mindful of
us and supplies us with those things we have need of. As
far as rank is concerned, man is "a little lower than the
angels." God crowned
man with glory and honor and
put him in a position of authority over all that He had
created (cf.Gen.1:26).
"But now we see not yet all things
subjected to him."
When man sinned in the Garden of Eden
(cf.Gen.3) he lost the glory and honor God had crowned him
with and he lost authority over some things previously
subjected to him. Death,
for example, was no longer
subject to man (cf.1 Cor.15:21,22).
Even though Jesus was
above angels in rank (1:4-14), He
humbled Himself and became a man (Phil.2:5-8), one "a
little lower than the angels" (2:7,9). Why would Jesus
for a time become lower than angels? First, to restore
man to his former glory (v.9-13).
He suffered a death
crowned with glory and honor for every man (v.9). By such
He is able to bring "many sons unto glory" (v.10). He was
also made perfect, wholly fitted, to be our author, or
leader, in salvation (v.10; cf.5:7-9). Since He became a
man like you and me, He is one of us and therefore calls
us brethren (v.11-13). As
His brethren we shall be
glorified with Him (cf.Rom.8:16,17). Jesus became a man so
he could restore man with the glory and honor he lost in
the Garden of Eden (see also Rom.8:29,30). Second, to
destroy the power of Satan, redeeming man from the bondage
of death (v.14-16). When
man sinned in the Garden of Eden
he lost power over death. Jesus became flesh and blood
like you and me so He could, through the death on the
cross, "bring to nought him that had the power of
death...the devil" (v.14).
When Jesus died on the cross
and was resurrected from the dead on the third day, He
conquered over death and Satan (see Gen.3:15; Matt.16:18;
1 Cor.15:21,22). By this
triumph over death He was able
to deliver us from the bondage of death (v.15;
cf.Jn.8:31-36). What man
lost in the Garden of Eden Jesus
regained at Calvary. Jesus
lowered Himself to become a
man to help men. He did
not lower Himself to help angels
(v.16). Third, to become qualified to be man's High Priest
before God (v.17,18). When Jesus lowered Himself to become
a man He became "in all things...like unto his brethren"
(v.17). This was necessary
so He could become a
"merciful and faithful High Priest." To be merciful is to
be compassionate or sympathetic.
By experiencing the
infirmities and trials of life He was able to feel the
necessity of being faithful in the office of High Priest
which involves two responsibilities: offering sacrifices
and making intercession.
Jesus had to become a man so He
might sympathize with us and so He might be faithful to
the great trust committed to Him to be our High
Priest. Indeed He has been
faithful in offering THE
atoning sacrifice for all men.
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Coming Up, in the May Issue:
* Second installment in
Alex Ogden's
comments on Hebrews.
* 1 Cor. 15:1-4, by
Warren E. Berkley.
* Look for Jon Quinn's
study, based on
1 Tim. 6:1-20.
Other selected articles with emphasis on
the exposition of God's Word.
...Good Reading.
&