{"id":19462,"date":"2021-08-28T15:46:17","date_gmt":"2021-08-28T22:46:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hoshanarabbah.org\/blog\/?p=19462"},"modified":"2021-08-28T15:46:26","modified_gmt":"2021-08-28T22:46:26","slug":"hebrews-6-and-7-notes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hoshanarabbah.org\/blog\/2021\/08\/28\/hebrews-6-and-7-notes\/","title":{"rendered":"Hebrews 6 and 7 Notes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Hebrews 6<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hebrews 6:1, Elementary principles of Messiah.<\/em> <\/strong>What follows are the six principal doctrines of the redeemed believer, yet they are all subsets of faith in Messiah Yeshua, which is foundations upon which it all rests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Repentance from dead works.<\/em><\/strong>True biblical repentance involves turning from sin or a lifestyle of Torahless behavior, since sin is the violation of the Torah-law of Elohim (1 John 3:4), and lining all aspects of our lives up with the Torah-Word of Elohim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hebrews 6:2, Doctrine of baptisms. <\/em><\/strong>(See notes at Matt 28:19.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laying on of hands.<\/em><\/strong> Ordination is something that YHVH instituted in the Torah when he charged Moses to impose hands upon the Levites, and instructed all Israel to do the same (Num 29:10). We also have the example of Moses anointing with oil Aaron (Exod 29:10). Of course, kings of Israel were also anointed with oil to consecrate them for their official duties by the laying on hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Laying on of hands\/ordination was earth\u2019s confirmation of a heavenly calling. Elohim had already called someone into ministry and men were simply confirming what Elohim had already determined. Ordination doesn\u2019t confirm the calling, but the other way around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Testimony of Yeshua, by lot, the 11 apostles chose Matthias to replace Judas (Acts 1). This was heaven\u2019s choice, yet no mention of ordination is recorded. After that, we have the choosing of the seven in Acts 6:1. These were men who were already full of the Spirit and wisdom, so the apostles simply confirmed the work of the Spirit in them by laying hands on them (verse 6).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same is true in the other examples of ordination in the Apostolic Scriptures. Men would be mentored by a leader\/apostle, and after a period of time (\u201clay hands on no one suddenly\u201d 2 Tim 5:22)\u2014much like the five years of mentoring that occurred with a priest in training in the Torah (from age 25 to 30), and after meeting the qualifications of eldership (see 1 Tim 3:1\u201312 and Tit 1:5-9) they were appointed. Of course, those who were the mentors had oversight over those they mentored. It was less of a authoritatively-hierarchical system and more of patriarchal system with the older men lovingly overseeing those they had raised up\u2014and only exercising strict authority when needed, which occurred only rarely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, there was no such thing as licensing or even denominations which issue licenses in the Apostolic Scriptures. To me, that seems more like a man-made thing for the purposes of maintaining power, control and keeping the money flowing upward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the entire Bible, there are no examples of or precedence for women being ordained. Paul says in 1 Timothy 5:22 \u201cto lay hands suddenly on no man.\u201d He is gender specific. Women did, however, minister in conjunction with their husbands\u2014their spiritual heads, which is something Paul is very clear about in Ephesians 5:21\u201324. Even though in the body of Yeshua there is neither male nor female so that all are equal before Yeshua, when it comes to governance in the congregation, the Bible upholds male leadership. Now that doesn\u2019t mean that women can\u2019t hold high positions of authority, but always in conjunctions with their husbands. We have the example of the apostolic team of Andronicus (husband) and Junia (wife) whom Paul called apostles (Rom 16:7), Aquila and Priscilla who were co-laborers. Sometimes Priscilla\u2019s name is mentioned first. Obviously, this husband and wife team were such a tight unit that it didn\u2019t matter whose name was mentioned first. Of course, we have examples in the Scriptures of women prophets. Deborah, though she was a judge in Israel, seems to have been married to Barak the military general. If so, we have an apostolic-prophetic team operating together to lead the Israelite nation. Huldah was a prophetess who seemed to operate without male headship, though she hung out with other prophets in a \u201cschool\u201d or neighborhood where the prophets lived. So there was must have been some accountability between her and the other prophets, although she was the most gifted of YHVH since hers is the only name mentioned. Then we have the daughters of Philip the evangelist who were prophetesses\u2014again, presumably under the spiritual leadership of their father (Acts 21:8-9).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hebrews 6:6, If they fall away, to renew. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is the \u201cOnce Saved Always Saved Doctrine\u201d Biblical?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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Is the \u201conce saved always saved\u201d doctrine <\/strong>of the Protestant reformer John Calvin biblically accurate? Apparently not everyone in Christendom since that time thought so. Jacobus Arminius didn\u2019t. Neither did John Wesley and Charles Finney. Some notable biblical personalities didn\u2019t subscribe to this doctrine either including Yeshua the Messiah, Paul and the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bible clearly indicates in several places that one can lose one\u2019s salvation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away [or apostatize], to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. (Heb 6:4\u20136)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins\u2026 (Heb 10:26)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In the Parable of the Sower, Yeshua teaches that when the good seed of the Word of Elohim is sown onto the ground, three-fourths of the seed begins to germinate, but eventually dies. Only one-fourth of the seed actually falls onto good soil and produces fruit (Matt 13:1\u20139). He then goes on to explain that many people who receive the word of Elohim can and will eventually fall away due to a variety of factors (vv. 18\u201323). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul specifically mentions two people who became believers, but whose faith become shipwrecked and they lost their salvation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. (1 Tim 1:18\u201320)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The Book of Acts gives the account of Simon the Samaritan (who is well known in early Christian historical accounts as Simon the Sorcerer and who became an enemy of the gospel) who was saved and even received the Spirit of Elohim, but because of his evil heart, lost his salvation (Acts 8:14\u201323).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul even suggests that he could lose his own salvation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified [or become a castaway, KJV]. 1 Cor 9:27)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Paul warns the saints that they could lose their salvation, and even includes himself in this warning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?\u2014unless indeed you are disqualified. But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified [Greek, unapproved, rejected, reprobate]. ( 2 Cor 13:5\u20136)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

New believers are especially vulnerable to losing their salvation, since they are like young and tender plants that are not deeply rooted spiritually. Once one has walked in the faith for a long time, had their faith tested, passed the tests, and has repeatedly overcome the pulls of the world, the flesh and the devil, assuredly they are less likely to lose their salvation. In fact, in several places the Bible talks about being sealed by the Spirit of Elohim (John 6:27; 2 Cor 1:22; Eph 1:13; 4:30; 2 Tim 2:19). This seems to indicate that at some point, one either can\u2019t or is less likely to lose one\u2019s salvation because they have established a proven track record of faithfulness to Elohim, and they would die before turning from their faith. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Paul, the might apostle of Elohim, in humility, never assumed that about himself. He erred on the side of caution in assuming that he could lose his salvation. Maintaining such a mental disposition assured that he would always stay alert, keep up his defenses and his guard against anything that could imperil his salvation. The wise saint will follow Paul\u2019s example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hebrews 6:12 and 14, Become sluggish\u2026faith and patience\u2026patiently endured. <\/em><\/strong>The antidote to spiritual sluggishness and lethargic complacency is determining through an act of one\u2019s will determining to be faithful and to  patiently endure. Emotions come and go, rise and receded, and are thus unreliable as a basis for action. A runner in a marathon, or a mountain climber may not feel emotionally like continuing on to the goal step after laborious step. Yet through will power and determination, he continues on to the goal and to the prize at the end of the race. The same is true in our spiritual walk and in our relationship with YHVH and his Word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hebrews 6:18, Fled for refuge. <\/em><\/strong>To what is the author referring when he speaks about those who have fled for refuge? Due to religious persecution, especially if Hebrews was written around the time of the siege of Jerusalem in the late A.D. 60s, it is possible that discouragement had set in among the saints who had to flee from Jewish persecution and, in exile, had grown weary and lost hope, while waiting for what they believed was the imminent return of Messiah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hebrews 6:19, Anchor of the soul. <\/em><\/strong>The hope of our salvation is an spiritual anchor to our soul (our mind, will and emotions) that keeps us grounded in the firm bedrock of divine Truth, so that we will not be tossed to and fro emotionally, psychologically and spiritually on the seas of life. A ship and its anchor is such an apt image to represent the believer and him being tied via a spiritual lifeline to the solid rock of heaven and its immutability. The author goes on to link the anchor image to Yeshua who has gone ahead of us to advocate for us in heaven. It\u2019s almost as if he is pulling on the anchor line to guide us through the rough seas of life as we are en route to the Promised Land of our eventual eternal inheritance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hebrews 7<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hebrews 7:2, Being translated. <\/em><\/strong>Gr. means \u201cexplain, interpret or translate.\u201d If the Epistle to the Hebrews was originally written in Hebrew, this phrase would be unnecessary, since the Hebrew readers would have known the meaning of the Hebrew word melchizedek<\/em>. It is possible that Hebrews was originally written in Hebrew, but that those who translated the Hebrew of Hebrews into Greek added this phrase editorially to aid their Greek readers. It is also possible that Hebrews was originally written in Aramaic, which is different enough from Hebrew that this explanatory phrase may have been needed to aid those who knew Aramaic but not Hebrew. Interestingly, the nineteenth century Aramaic scholars Ethridge, Murdock along with Lamsa in his 20th century Aramaic translation all translate this verse similarly to the KJV. The same is true of Trimm\u2019s HRV. Additionally, The Comprehensive New Testament<\/em>, which lists and documents variant readings of NT texts among the major Greek NT manuscripts, lists no variant readings to Hebrews 7:2. In other words, all the oldest and most reliable NT Greek texts apparently agree with each other. Based on the above evidence, it would appear that this reading is original to the autograph, or it was editorially added very early. In other words, if Hebrews were originally written in Hebrew (or Aramaic), then it is possible that it was translated into Greek at such an early date that no extant Greek manuscripts have noted its addition, since it seems to have always been there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hebrews 7:9\u201310, Even Levi. <\/em><\/strong>This shows us that Levitical priesthood with its sacrificial system was a temporary subordinate subset or parenthetical of the greater or over-arching Abrahamic Covenant and Melchizedek priesthood of which the saints have been a part (1 Pet 2:5, 9) every since the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in A.D. 70 along with its Levitical system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hebrews 7:11, Received the law. <\/em><\/strong>Moses gave the Israelites the law in codified<\/em> and a complete written form for the nation of Israel much like a written constitution. This is not to say that the law originated with Moses. In fact, elements of it had already been given to the Israelites before Mount Sinai, but not in a codified and written form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hebrews 7:12, Priesthood being changed\u2026a change also of the law [Torah]. <\/em><\/strong>The Greek words for being changed <\/em>and a change<\/em> are respectively metatithemi<\/em> (a verb) and metathesis <\/em>(a noun). The the verb means\u201cto transpose, to transfer, to go or pass over, to fall away or desert from one person or thing to another.\u201d Many people interpret this verse to mean that YHVH\u2019s Torah-law was changed (i.e. has been invalidated or annulled) by the new covenant, but is this what the author is saying here?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before going further in our discussion, let\u2019s lay out some basic truths of the Scriptures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n