The Author of Hebrews

It has been a while since my last post!  This has been an extremely busy period of time, and I’m sure I’ll tell more in another post.  But for now, I plan to write at least one new post a week for a while; most will probably be based on something that I’ve preached that week.

I have recently begun preaching a series through the book of Hebrews.  This is not an easy undertaking, as I recognize that Hebrews is considered one of the most difficult books in the New Testament.  However, it is the direction toward which I felt God leading me.  The challenge of it will keep me on my toes, as I desire to be faithful to the message that God has given to His people.  It is a difficult book, but is is also an amazing book.  Along with the difficult passages to interpret, it also contains some of the clearest passages in Scripture on God’s preservation of His people, and on the high priestly ministry of Christ.

As I began the study, I reviewed and considered my opinion regarding the human author of Hebrews.  I was prepared to spend 15 or so minutes discussing possible authors, and the reason for my own thoughts on the subject.  However, as I continued studying the issue, I came to a completely different conclusion.

As you read each of the epistles, they begin with a greeting from the human author (recognizing, of course, the inspiration of the Holy Spirit resting squarely underneath each).  For example:

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, -Romans 1:1

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. -James 1:1

Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ: -II Peter 1:1

The elder unto the well-beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth. -III John 1:1

Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called. -Jude 1:1

Get the picture? It’s the same for each of these epistles (and most of the others). But, when we come to the epistle to the Hebrews, the pattern seems to be different:

God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
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;
-Hebrews 1:1-2

Why would God see fit to change the format from other epistles, and, on top of that, not clearly indicate from whose pen these words flowed? I believe the answer is very simple: the format is the same!

The truth is that nothing in God’s Word is done arbitrarily. Many times we may not understand God’s reason for the way something is expressed, but we must come to this Book with the presupposition that it has very definite purpose and meaning. The introduction to the book of Hebrews is no different. In this case, I believe that God is simply emphasizing the fact that He wrote the book! The message is spoken clearly in the first few lines. It is simply that God hath spoken by His Son. The theme is then developed that He is better than the angels, and as such, we must pay attention to His Word. All of the warnings in this book flow from that truth. All of the exhortations given are true because He hath spoken by His Son.

Therefore, we see that the familiar pattern for the epistles has not changed.  God simply emphasizes divine authorship in a special way with the opening phrases of this wonderful letter.

When I came to this realization, I put aside my opinions concerning the human author.  I still have an opinion, but I no longer think it matters!  I was ready to argue it, and perhaps I still will, but it is not the issue to focus on.  Rather, let us remember that God wrote the book, and it is for this reason—not the supposed authorship of Paul, or Apollos, or Luke, or whoever else you may think penned it—that we must read it, study it, memorize it, mediate on it, and heed it.  May God illumine us with His Holy Spirit to understand His word and obey it!

Helps for Expositional Preaching

Today, I spent some time with a couple young men who are called to preach. We began covering Mark Dever’s article on expository preaching. It is my desire and burden to help them understand the importance of expository preaching – simply preaching the intended point that is made in the text. I also gave them each a copy of William Perkins’ “The Art of Prophesying.” I have found this book to be extremely helpful in my personal walk and ministry. I also discovered a blog post on expository preaching and planning that I found helpful.

May God grant me the grace to be a faithful preacher of His Word!

I Have Found the Book!

Occasionally, someone comes into your life who has a profound impact on your life.  Keith Kiser was one of the men God used in my life.  He was a professor at Crown College of the Bible in Powell, TN from its inception until God took him home in April, 2002.  I learned much from him; Bible Doctrines (although he wasn’t right on everything, he helped develop a love to study God’s Word in my life), Homiletics, etc.  But the greatest thing I learned from Bro. Kiser was his love for God’s Word.

Bro. Kiser loved the Thompson Chain Reference Bible 4th edition.  The 5th edition just didn’t do it for him because he had used the 4th for so long that he was very accustomed to it.  He knew where everything was on the page; his Bible was all marked up on every single page; he loved that book!  (Before you accuse him of being a bibliolater; I don’t believe that was the case at all.  He just loved his Lord, that love spilled over into the Word, and so his copy of the Word was very precious to him.)  Unfortunately, as with all well-used Bibles, his was falling apart.  He mentioned several times in class that he wasn’t sure what he was going to do about it.  It just so happened that in my dad’s church was a man who rebound Bibles.  As a ministry, he would rebind Bibles for those in the ministry for no charge; the only catch was that it would not be highest priority, so it would take a while.  We approached Bro. Kiser with the possibility, and he thought on it long and hard.  Finally, he surrendered his Bible to us to have it rebound.  It took about 6 months as I recall.  I will never forget the day we brought him his newly rebound Bible.  We were standing on the east side of the new auditorium (near the deaf section).  We handed him the Bible, and he gingerly reached out for it, and took it in his hands.  Tears began to well up in his eyes, as he thumbed through the book that had served him so well for so many years.  He could barely speak as he whispered, “Thank you, thank you!”  He talked about it for days after that.  He was so thrilled to have it back!  I walked by his casket, and there he was, according to his request, laying with his Bible open on his chest, his hand resting on a well-marked page, finger pointing to II Kings 22:8:  I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD.

He found the book!  May God give me the same desire to know God and His Word that He gave to Keith Kiser.  Thank God for men like this who have a profound impact on the lives of young men and ladies desiring to serve Him.

Enjoy this brief clip from Bro. Kiser.

God’s In the Book!

Philippians 1:3-8

It is a joy to study the Word of God.  The more I study, the more I am amazed at the way God put it together in a very orderly fashion.  Recently I did some reading on chiastic structure in the Bible, and determined to spend some time with it.  It has been interesting to see the parallels that God draws through this method.

I’m currently preparing a message on Philippians 1:3-8, and as I wrote out the text, and began studying the message taught, I believe I found a “micro”-chiasmus used here.  I’ll post the actual text, followed by the chiasmus for your comments:

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.
For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.

A I thank God for you

B Upon every remembrance of you

C In every prayer for you all

D For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now

X  Being confident…that He will perform

D’  Until the day of Jesus Christ

C’ Meet for me to think this of you all

B’ I have you in my heart

A’ I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ

This seems like a natural progression.  It is, of course, centered around the truth of confidence in the fact that Christ will perform the work that He has begun!

I don’t have time to go further into it right now; maybe later.

Soli Deo Gloria

Is God’s call sincere?

Those who reject the doctrines of grace often have misunderstandings which lead to an improper understanding of God’s work in salvation. I know because I have had the same misunderstandings, and asked the same questions! It was not until I allowed God’s Word to speak for itself that the answers to the questions became clear—or I realized that the answers to some questions are part of the secret things of God and will not be revealed on this side of glory. Recently, I was posed with one such question:

Is God’s call to repent sincere to those who He knows cannot heed such calls?

I would respond with an equally important question: Is God’s call to holiness and obedience of the law sincere to those who He knows cannot heed such calls?

Of course it is sincere. And there will never be a sinner who desires to repent and come to Christ who finds himself unable to do so–because without God’s grace in the first place, he has no desire to repent.

This is a common straw-man, based on a misunderstanding of what spiritual death means. Man is dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1-3). Those who disobey God’s command do so because that is what they desire due to their nature. The truth is that God does not have to force any man to remain in his sins and refuse Christ. The opposite is true: without the drawing of the Father, man will continue to refuse (John 6:37-44).

This very question is what Paul anticipated in Romans 9 when he said, What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. Is God unrighteous and unjust because He has chosen to mercy some and not others? No, He has done what He will for His eternal purpose. And again in verse 19: Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? In other words, “Since God has not enabled an individual to respond in faith and repentance, is He not unjust since He has commanded something that the individual cannot do?” Paul’s response is to rebuke us for replying against God.

It is not for us to reason how it works together. We must recognize that we serve a holy, righteous, just God, and that He will do what is best.

Soli Deo Gloria.