Hebrews: Press on to Spiritual Maturity in Christ

“THEREFORE, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection . . .” (Hebrews 6:1)

The first generation of Hebrew Christians living in and around Jerusalem increasingly faced persecution from their unbelieving families, friends, and countrymen, tempting them to return to their former lives of Judaism, including adherence to Mosaic law and worship/sacrifice at the Temple. The Epistle to the Hebrews is a polemical tour-de-force expounding on why such a return is both logically and spiritually impossible. Because of the supremacy of the Person of Christ and the finality of His sacrificial work on man’s behalf that fully propitiated God, it is impossible for Jewish believers to return to the Mosaic system of worship (cf. Gal2:18; Heb10:38); but to do so would diminish the Person of Christ and make His unique, once-and-for-all sacrifice appear ineffectual (Heb10:9-10,18). Thus, the only course available for the believer is to press on to spiritual maturity in Christ (Heb6:1; 10:32-39; 12:1-2; Cp., Gal3:23-25).  In that light, it is even more inconsistent for Gentile Christianity, for whom the Old (i.e., Mosaic) Covenant never applied (cf. Eph2:11-12), to embrace elements of that now obsolete Jewish system (Heb8:13).

I began teaching a weekly class on the Epistle to the Hebrews in September 2018.  The notes and audio for this study are updated regularly.  You can find them under the Biblical Studies menu; check periodically to follow the study as it progresses.  God bless!