I was listening to R C Sproul (oh, the HORROR
) the other day and he was lecturing on the Canon. He stated that Hebrews had some trouble making it into the canon due to Hebrews chapter 6. This portion seemed to indicate the possibility of loss of salvation. He went on to say how this teaching was foreign to the church, and this is why it had some trouble being allowed into the canon.
His lecture reminded me of this take on Hebrews 6 contained in this video. Let me know what you think. (of the video, not me, or Sproul, or Friel) Biggrin
I don't have much time this morning so going to have to come back to the rest of the video, so just want to point out a couple things where I see him make mistakes concerning the passage.
While he points out a couple things that are crucial to a correct interpretation...
1. The audience is Hebrew;
2. There are three groups within this audience;
3. Context, context, context!
(and just going to focus on this first half of the video because of the lack of time, and think where I see him make mistakes cannot be recovered from in the rest of the teaching)
...I see his first mistake is an over broadening of the context to the point where the surrounding text he alludes to is lost.
He makes the "Therefore..." of Chapter 6 refer to the first five chapters, and that is true (because we interpret Hebrews as a whole and everything in it creates the broader context which is specific to Hebrews), however, there is a more direct link to the context of Chapter 5.
He makes the statement, referring to the statement of the Writer to the general Hebrew audience, "You get this (meaning the Old Testament teachings(he says this at about the 10.00 mark in the video))," when in fact...the Writer states the exact opposite of this.
They didn't get it.
Hebrews 5:10-14
King James Version (KJV)
10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
While this Epistle certainly goes out to believers, here we see a direct rebuke of those Hebrews who are ignorant of the "First Principles of the Oracles of God," which is referring to the Hebrew Scriptures, and the ABCs of Christ found in them (the Hebrew Scriptures, or, the Old Testament). This is why He has to stop teaching about Christ's greater Priesthood.
If you look at the link you will see that "full age" refers to those who have been made complete, and is part of a theme that threads it's way through Hebrews. He states that those he refers to don't even understand the basics of what the Old Testament taught about Christ, which makes it harder, impossible, for him to expound upon Christ.
"Full Age" is most often translated with a connotation of "maturity," which is what we see in the translation the teacher uses. But, when we get to our "therefore," the first thing the Writer does is to exhort them to go on, not to maturity, but to perfection, which is again speaking about completion, which has a central focus of Christ, which is his subject when he has to stop and rebuke them for their ignorance:
Hebrews 6
King James Version (KJV)
1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
So the primary issue I would take with the teaching so far would be a failure to properly place the "therefore" in it's proper context (context, context!).
The writer uses this word again in Hebrews 7:11...
Hebrews 7:11
King James Version (KJV)
11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?
...the point being, the Levitical Priesthood...did not bring perfection/completion. For this reason there was a need for one to rise greater than Melchisadec, greater than Aaron (and his line).
Now we look at the usage of this word in Hebrews 7:11, and ask the simple question, "Was the purpose of the Levitical Priesthood, or the sacrifices of the Law, or the Law itself...meant to make people mature? We do see the word used to describe maturity, this is true, but, does that fit with the context we have before us in Hebrews 5:14, and can we see, when he uses this word again shortly, that implication there?
The passage in view interrupts the teaching, but he gets right back to the primary point/s which again have Christ as the central figure being contrasted to that which could not make perfect/complete.
While I would say that his application of the therefore is still correct, not even having seen the rest of the video I cannot see how he can recover, seeing he has already missed one of the single most important points which has to be considered before this passage is properly interpreted.
We will see him resume his teaching when he ends this interruption of rebuke here:
Hebrews 6:9-12
King James Version (KJV)
9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
In other words, when he begins his rebuke, he says...
Hebrews 5:9-11
King James Version (KJV)
9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
"...'we' have many things to say of Him that has been made perfect/complete...but we can't, because you are slothful."
He ends by saying "Don't be slothful."
This Book, above all books of the New Testament, drives home Eternal Security like no other. The audience of the first century, who would not have misunderstood the terms the writer speaks, would have heard this Epistle quite differently than we, English-speaking 21st century believers would have. We can even go back to the time when, as mentioned, the issue of canonization arose. If we understand what the Writer is saying, no such debate would even come up.
It is just my opinion the anonymity is due to this being an Epistle of Paul, who was not well received among many of the Jews, as evidenced in Acts. Anonymity kept those who hated Paul from dismissing the teaching he provides in the Epistle. J. Vernon McGee and Harry Ironside present compelling reasons why Paul is the likely Writer, and it makes sense that, due to the severity we see sometimes, such as we see in this current text, that the message, combined with a knowledge of who wrote it, could have resulted in a rejection of what they desperately needed to hear.
I'll watch the rest of the video when time allows. Keep in mind that I am not blasting this fellow (first time I ever heard of him), and am glad to have someone getting a number of points correct which those who wish to properly understand this passage can take hold of. But, as I said, the therefore is either left out, or, as is the case here, broadened to the point where the immediate context (Hebrews 5:10-6:12) is not clearly defined.
God bless.
