Word Vision Impact Ministry International

05/12/2023

Sharing with you Hebrews Chapters 5 -- 7

As Translated from the Greek Text by Rev Michael Adegbola of The Africa Centre for Biblical Research (ACBR)

As Part of the Ongoing Project for the Translation of the New Testament from the Initial Greek Text

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Textual bases used: Novum Testamentum Greece 28; UBS Greek New Testament 5

Translation Philosophy used: Formal Correspondence

Lexicons used: Strong's Concordance with Hebrew and Greek Lexicon; A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature

Interlinear Bible used: Hebrew/Greek Interlinear Bible

Standard Versions thoroughly Compared with: NASB1995, ESV, KJV, NKJV, LEB, LSB, HCSB, NRSVUE, NIV, YLT98, ASV

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CHAPTER 5

The Imperfect High Priest

1 For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, so that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins, 2 being able to bear gently with those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself also is beset * with weakness, 3 and because of it he is under obligation to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself. 4 And no one takes the honor to himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron also was.

The Perfect High Priest

5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become a high priest, but the One who said to Him,

“You are My Son,

today I have begotten You”; *

6 just as also in another passage He says,

“You are a priest forever, *

according to the order of Melchizedek,” *

7 who in the days of His flesh offered up both prayers and supplications, with loud crying and tears, to the One who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. 8 Though He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered, 9 and having been made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him, * 10 and was designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. *

Spiritual Regression

11 About this we have much to say, but it is hard to explain, * since you have become dull of hearing. * 12 For indeed, though you ought to be teachers by this time, you have need for someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God, * and you have come to need milk and not solid food. * 13 For everyone who partakes of milk is inexperienced in the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those ones who by constant use have their senses trained for the distinguishing of both good and evil.

Notes

2 Greek "encompassed"

5 Quoted from Ps. 2:7

6 Greek "to the age"

6 Quoted from Ps. 110:4

9 Or "And being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him"

10 Or "being designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek"

11 Greek "difficult in interpretation to speak"

11 Greek "since you have become dull in the hearings"

12 Greek "the principles of the beginnings of the oracles of God"

12 Or "you have become such as have need of milk and not of strong food"

CHAPTER 6

Warning Against Falling Away

1 Therefore, leaving behind the elementary teaching * of Christ, let us advance on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith in God, 2 of instruction about baptisms and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do *, if God permits. 4 For it is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of God’s word and the powers of the age to come, 6 and having fallen away, to renew them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again to themselves the Son of God and subjecting Him to open shame. 7 For land that drinks the rain which often comes upon it, and produces vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God. 8 But land that brings forth thorns and thistles is worthless and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned. *

9 But, beloved, * we are convinced of better things about you, and things which accompany salvation, even if we are speaking in this way. 10 For God is not unjust to forget your work and * the love which you have demonstrated for His name, by having ministered to the saints and continuing to minister to them. * 11 And we desire each of you to demonstrate the same diligence in order to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, * 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

The Unchangeableness of God’s Promise

13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since He had no one to swear by, He swore by Himself, 14 saying, “I will surely bless you * and I will multiply you.” * 15 And so, having waited patiently, he obtained the promise. 16 For men swear by what is greater than themselves, and the oath which serves as confirmation is the end of all dispute for them. 17 In the same way God, desiring even more to demonstrate to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His promise, guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge may have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us, 19 which we have * as an anchor of the soul, both certain and steadfast, a hope which enters into the inner place behind the veil, * 20 where Jesus, our forerunner, * entered, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Notes

1 Greek "word"

3 Some ancient authorities have "we may do"

8 Greek "whose end is for burning"

9 Some ancient authorities have "brothers"

10 Some ancient authorities insert "labor" here, in keeping with 1 Thess. 1:3. Hence the reading "your work and labor of love"

10 Greek "having ministered to the saints and ministering"

11 Greek "for the full assurance of hope until the end"

14 Greek "Blessing I will surely bless you"

14 Greek "Multiplying I will multiply you"

19 Two Greek manuscripts read "we may have"

19 Greek "into that within the veil"

20 Greek "forerunner for us"

CHAPTER 7

Melchizedek the Priest of the Most High God

1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything, first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. 3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he abides a priest for ever. *

4 Now consider how great this one was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth part of the spoils! 5 And indeed those of the sons of Levi, who receive the priestly office have a commandment to take a tenth part from the people according to the Law, that is, from their brothers, although these are descended from Abraham. * 6 But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them took a tenth part from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises. 7 And without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. 8 And in this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case it is witnessed that he lives on. 9 And, so to speak, through Abraham, even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes. 10 For he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

The Priesthood of Jesus According to the Order of Melchizedek

11 Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood‐-for on the basis of it the people received the Law—what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not named * to be according to the order of Aaron? 12 For when the priesthood changes, of necessity a change of law also takes place. 13 For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has served at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord * was descended * from Judah, a tribe as to which Moses spoke nothing about priests. 15 And it is still more evident, if another priest according to the likeness of Melchizedek arises, 16 who has become a priest, not according to a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, * but according to the power of an indestructible * life. 17 For it is witnessed,

“You are a priest forever, *

according to the order of Melchizedek.” *

18 For, on the one hand, a preceding commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness * 19 (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand, there is an introduction of a better hope through which we draw near to God. 20 And by so much as it was not without an oath (for those ones indeed became priests without an oath, 21 but He with an oath through the One who said to Him,

“The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind:

‘You are a priest forever.’ “ * * *),

22 by so much more also * Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.
23 Now the priests existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, 24 but because He abides forever, * He holds an unchangeable * priesthood. 25 Therefore also He is able to save completely * * those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede on their behalf.
26 For it was indeed fitting for us to have such a high priest: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens, * 27 who has no need every day, like the high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for those of the people, since He did this once for all when He offered up Himself. 28 For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath after the Law appoints a Son who has been perfected forever. *

Notes

3 Greek "to all time"

5 Greek "having come out of the loin of Abraham"

11 Greek "said"

14 Two Greek manuscripts have "our Lord Jesus"

14 Greek "has sprung"

16 Greek "according to a law of a freshly commandment"

16 Or "endless"

17 Greek "to the age"

17 Quoted from Ps. 110:4

18 Or "unprofitability"

21 Greek "to the age"

21 Some ancient manuscripts insert "according to the order of Melchizedek" after the verse, in keeping with v. 17

21 Quoted from Ps. 110:4

22 Some ancient manuscripts omit "also"

24 Greek "to the age"

24 Or "permanent"

25 Greek "to the uttermost"

25 Or "forever"

26 Greek "having become exalted above the heavens"

28 Greek "to the age"

06/11/2023

HEBREWS

“To the Hebrews” is the title attached to the epistle in its earliest text, p46 in the early second century. Its authorship has been the subject of conjecture and debate down through the centuries. In the Western Church, Tertullian, Irenaeus and Hippolytus of Rome rejected Pauline authorship on the grounds of its linguistic, rhetorical and theological divergences from the letters of Paul. Tertullian made an alternative suggestion in Barnabas, affirming a tradition that was already in place before him. Yet the choice of Barnabas was equally unsatisfactory and was found to be a mere guess. Irenaeus and Hippolytus made no other suggestions.

In Alexandria (the stronghold of the Eastern Church), Clement of Alexandria (c.A.D.150-215) as taught by Pantaenus, affirmed that Paul was the author of the epistle. Pantaenus also taught Clement that Paul chose to make the epistle anonymous in order to avoid misunderstanding and suspicion by the Hebrew Christians to whom he was writing, he being an apostle to the Gentiles. The explanation is plausible, but the Paul we see in his epistles is not a coward who will hide his identity in order to avoid suspicion. Origen (c.A.D.185-253) followed the Pauline tradition, but recognized that though the doctrinal revelations were Paul’s, a disciple of his (probably Luke or Clement of Rome) wrote down the epistle. By the fourth century, the Pauline theory had gained grounds in Alexandria.

The Western Church was influenced by the Pauline tradition of the Alexandrian and Eastern Churches, especially in the writings of Jerome (Epistle 129.3), Augustine (Forgiveness of Sins 1.50), the Council of Hippo (c.A.D.393) which concluded on the “thirteen epistles of the apostle Paul, and one by the same to the Hebrews”, and the Council of Carthage (c.A.D.419) which also concluded on “fourteen epistles of the apostle Paul”. By the fourth and fifth centuries, the hypothesis of Pauline authorship had prevailed in the West.

The theory of Pauline authorship continued from the fourth and fifth centuries until the sixteenth century when it was rejected by the humanists and the Reformers. Luther suggested Apollos, perhaps for the first time, while Calvin suggested Luke or Clement of Rome, going back to the opinion of some Alexandrian scholars. The argument did not abate, but continued until modern times.
Regarding the writer of the Hebrews, many scholars over the centuries have suggested names like Barnabas, Silas, Luke, Apollos, Philip the Evangelist, Priscilla and Aquila and Aristion as alternative to Paul. But none of these names upon deliberation has been fully persuasive. In short, the author of Hebrews is unknown. What we only know about him from the internal evidence is that he was a second-generation Christian, thoroughly learned in the Septuagint or LXX (the Greek translation of the OT), had an excellent command of Greek, and was probably a Hellenist, Greek-speaking Jew.
It is not clear to the scholars where the epistle was written. The information in 13:24b: “Those from Italy greet you” is not sufficient to determine the exact location for the writing of the book. From the superscription in p46, the earliest text of Hebrew, we have “To the Hebrews”, which suggests that the original recipients were Christians of Jewish origin, but where exactly they were located is not given. Several places like Jerusalem, Antioch, Berea, Ephesus, Colossae, Rome and so forth have been suggested. A little may be said for Rome on account of the fact that Clement who first alluded to Hebrews toward the end of the first century was based in Rome, which may suggest that it was already well-known in Rome. This is, however, a guess, and we cannot say with a sense of finality about where exactly the addresses were located in antiquity. A date before A.D. 70 is generally accepted by many scholars as the date for the writing of the epistle. This is because there is no reference to the sack of the Jerusalem Temple and its ceremonial liturgy.

External Attestation of the Authenticity of Hebrews

In the Western Churches, there are echoes or allusions to Hebrews in the writings of Clement of Rome toward the end of the first century and in the writings of Ignatius and Justin Martyr in the second century, even though it was not yet treated as apostolic.
In Alexandria and the Eastern Church of Syrian and Greek composition, there was never doubt regarding the canonicity of Hebrews. It was even included in the Pauline body of writings. It was Jerome and Augustine that won the canonical status for Hebrews in the West under the influence of Alexandrian and Eastern Church.

Valid Internal Objections Against Pauline Authorship in Modern Times.

1. Pantaenus’ explanation to Clement of Alexandria that Paul omitted his characteristic self-identification as in all his thirteen epistles in order to avoid suspicion from the Hebrew Christians since he was an apostle to the Gentile Christians is less plausible. The Paul we know in all his thirteen epistles is not an apostle that fears misunderstandings and suspicion.

2. In Hebrews, there are dissimilarities in style, language, categories of thought and method of argument from the thirteen epistles of Paul. Such divergences make Pauline authorship less plausible.

3. The formula of quotation in all thirteen epistles of Paul is “It is written” or “The Scripture says”, whereas in Hebrews, the OT quotes are frequently cited as “But one has testified somewhere, saying”, “Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says”, “Just as He has said” and so forth.

4. The writer of Hebrews relies heavily on the Septuagint for citing portions of the OT, even when they deviate from the Hebrew readings. Whereas Paul quotes the OT frequently from both the Hebrew text and the Septuagint.

5. The common Pauline expressions “Christ Jesus”, “our Lord Jesus Christ” are never found in Hebrews, and “Jesus Christ” is only found two times (10:10; 13:18), and the “Lord” (for Christ) only twice (2:3; 7:14). All these titles for Jesus are found in the Pauline letters over six hundred times. Hebrews usually portrays Jesus as “Jesus” (14 times) or “Christ” (13 times).

6. Paul’s Christology in his thirteen epistles are usually centred in the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ, whereas the Hebrews Christology centres in the High Priesthood of the resurrected and glorified Christ in the taxis of Melchizedek, and in Christ’s ministry of the New Covenant which is founded on the better promises of God in comparison with the Old Covenant.

7. The doctrine of soteriological justification by faith in Christ prominent in Paul is absent in Hebrews, rather it views soteriology (the doctrine of salvation) in terms essentially of cleansing, sanctification and perfection through the blood of Jesus.

8. The writer of Hebrews does not regard himself as a first-generation apostle of Christ. But rather he relied by the Spirit on the revelation of Jesus which was confirmed to him and others by the apostolic eye-witnesses of Christ (2:1-4). On the contrary, Paul views his gospel as given to him through the revelation of Christ (Gal.1:11-12). In the same vein, Paul was a first-generation apostle of Christ (1 Cor.15:3-11). He could not, therefore, be the writer of Hebrews.

Purpose

The writer of Hebrews clearly had a two-fold purpose in mind while writing the epistle: (1) Polemical/expositional. The Jewish Christians were undergoing severe persecutions and afflictions for their faith in Christ, so he decided to prove and expound to them the supremacy of Jesus as the Son of God and the Apostle and High Priest of their confession. (2) Paraenetical or instructional. He also wrote to his audience extensively on a series of warnings, admonishing them not to drift away from Christ and develop an evil heart of unbelief in the process. Furthermore, he exhorted them to hold fast their confidence and boasting in hope, looking up to Christ who is the ultimate example of their faith, enduring divine discipline and eschewing bitterness, immorality, and heeding the voice of God.

The Contribution of Hebrews to Biblical Revelation

1. It is a unique NT epistle, in that it begins like an essay, proceeds like a sermon, and ends like a letter.

2. Along with Luke, it has the most masterly command of Greek than any other book in the NT.

3. Its polemical and expository treatise on the supremacy of Jesus ranks with Paul’s Christological hymns (Phil. 2:6-11; Col. 1:15-20) as the greatest in the NT epistles.

4. Its rich intertwining of exposition and paraenesis (exhortation) discerned in 1:5-10:39 is unparalleled in the NT revelation.

5. It is prolific in its quotation of the OT texts. Only Matthew parallels its extensive use of the OT in the NT revelation.

6. Its Christological orientation is unique, in that it has the most developed theology of the New Covenant and the High Priesthood of Christ in the NT.

7. Its soteriological focus on the cleansing, sanctification and perfection through the blood of Jesus is more pronounced than elsewhere in the NT.

8. The section in Chapter 11 on the definition and examples of men who lived a life of faith in the OT is the foremost in the NT.

Excerpted from "A Concise Introduction to the New Testament" by Michael Adegbola.

© All rights reserved. 2019/2020.

10/10/2023

"But I am prayer" -- Ps. 109:4b

וַאֲנִ֥י תְפִלָּֽה Ps.109:4b

Literally the Hebrew Text reads "But I am prayer". How do we translate this difficult reading into English?

We must resort to what is called "ellipsis". Assumptively the text omits a word that is obviously understood, but which must be supplied by the exegetes and translators in order to make the sentence complete and approximately or completely correct.

So we have these various elliptical renderings in English versions:

In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer.
Psalm 109:4 ESV

In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer.
Psalms 109:4 NIV

In return for my love they accuse me, though I am in prayer.
Psalms 109:4 LEB

In return for my love they accuse me, but I continue to pray.
Psalms 109:4 HCSB

In return for my love they act as my accusers; But I am in prayer.
Psalms 109:4 NASB2020

All these renderings are correct. But it is now the duty of the exegetes to argue on semantic, syntactical and contextual bases to determine which is closer to the Hebrew text.

The Africa Centre for Biblical Research

06/09/2023

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=774169294716552&id=100063704644876&mibextid=Nif5oz

23/08/2023

https://seminarynow.com/programs/jesus-and-the-gospels

Contains 12 Videos by New Testament scholar, Dr. Scot McKnight. Produced by InterVarsity Press (IVP).

The Africa Centre for Biblical Research (ACBR)

Jesus and the Gospels

17/08/2023

Dr. Steve Lawson speaks on Billy Graham and his previous involvement with Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA).

I share Steve's views in this article.

https://thecripplegate.com/three-lessons-from-the-example-of-billy-graham/?fbclid=IwAR1FNl-Van8okwFG82FUN7eJb3zYNB7XhVPHF4jRWqt-6_642XTSibdIxfo

As we learned yesterday about the loss of Billy Graham, it is with a great deal of sadness that we say farewell to this extraordinary figure. Perhaps never again—certainly not within our life time—will we witness an evangelist with such a global outreach. He became a figure larger than life, and...

27/07/2023

Three Layers of Biblical Research

1. Text-critical exegesis which attempts to reconstruct the original reading of texts where there are variants using the accepted principles of modern textual criticism.

2. Biblical exegesis which has to do interpretation and exegesis of biblical texts and passages using the appropriate historical, grammatical, and contextual methods.

3. Devotional application which pertains to applying the theological truths, as backed up by sound exegesis, in our life and service to God, with a view to glorifying God.

Layers (1) and (2) without (3) lead to mere intellectualization of God's word. While (3) without (1) and (2) leads to mere subjective and emotional mysticism. Further, (1) and (2) are not an end in themselves, but a means to an end; (3) is the end.

The Africa Centre for Biblical Research