Divine Nature (Alpha) and Eternal Being (Omega)

 

The development of the Hebrew Aleph.

For since the creation of the world God's invisible attributes—his eternal power and divine nature—have been understood and observed by what he made, so that people are without excuse. - Romans 1:20

Dr. Alice C. Linsley

The ancient Nilotic people were deeply religious. The Nilotic Hebrew believed in a Creator who was a father. In fact, they called God Re which in Ancient Egyptian means "father." They believed that the Father has a Son of equal authority. The Father and the Son share the same divine nature and eternal being.

Two hieroglyphic signs speak of the eternal power and divine nature of Father and Son. In the Bible these are referred to using the Greek words alpha and omega.

Alpha, the first letter of the Greek alphabet, corresponds to aleph, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Both derive from an Egyptian hieroglyph depicting an ox's head or a bull's head (shown above). In the ancient world, this symbol represented the High God to whom first place is given, that is preeminence. The horns of the ox or bull were often depicted as a cradle for the sun, the symbol of the High God. 

The Omega, the last letter of the Greek alphabet, corresponds to the Egyptian Shen symbol for eternity.

Jesus Christ is proclaimed as the Alpha and the Omega in Revelation 22:13. "Behold, I am coming soon, and my reward is with me, to give to each one according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” 

The Revelation passage concerns Christ's appearing at the close of the Age. 

In Romans 1:20, Paul develops this in relationship to the order of creation. Paul draws on a long theological tradition of understanding that the High God and his Son share a divine nature and eternal being. He warns about the wrath of God that even now is being revealed.

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. - Romans 1:18-21

Colossians 1:19-20 emphasizes Christ's preeminence by stating that "it pleased the Father that in him all things should be in him, and through him to reconcile all things to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of his cross."

That is why the Crucifixion of Christ our God is thick with meaning, stands as a warning, and requires a response. To not respond is a response.

Related reading: Good Friday: Do Not Flee; Jesus Knew He is the Son of God; Signs Given That We Might Believe

The Bible on Transvestism

 

This Corinthian komast cup dates to 580-570 BC.

Transvestism was a practice among adherents to the Dionysian mysteries. It was especially common in Corinth. It appears that the Apostle Paul sought to address this in 1 Corinthians 11.

In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul speaks of authority in terms of the order of creation and a chain of command. The head of Christ is God. The head of the man is Christ. The head of the woman is her husband. He then explains how Christian men and women are to express submission to divine authority by honoring their God-given identity as male or female. 

Men are not to wear long hair and veils. Women are to cover their long hair with veils. 

Paul begins the eleventh chapter by saying that the Christians in Corinth are to imitate him as he imitates Christ. He then explains that they are to uphold the tradition which he has received and passed to them. Doubtless, the tradition that rabbi Paul had in mind prohibited transvestism in Israel. “A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God.” (Deuteronomy 22:5)

It appears that Paul was addressing two issues in 1 Corinthians 11: men and women should honor their gender roles; and the Christians in Corinth should not adhere to Dionysian transvestism.

Transvestism is an expression of rebellion against God's order of creation and as such, it should not be practiced by the followers of Jesus Christ.

Dionysian revelers

1 Corinthians 11 is consistent with Paul's general teaching about Christian morality. The images that appear on many of the cups (kylikes) emphasize sexual activity unbecoming to Christ followers. Some cups show satyrs masturbating. Some of the women wear the bonnets of the hetaera, a hired female companion who would entertain wealthy male clients and might perform sex acts for them.

Paul ends the chapter with strong words about gathering for the Lord's Supper. "In the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse... When you meet together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat."

Paul appears to condemn revelers who cause division in the Christian community (1 Cor. 11:18). He warns them that they are "guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord" and thus "drink judgment" upon themselves (1 Cor. 11:27-29).

Related reading: Komastic Transvestism; Transvestism in Ancient Israel by Dr. Claude Mariottini; Dionysian Cups From the 6th Century BC; Shamans and Priests: What are the differences?

Saint Paul's Application of Greek Philosophy

Alice C. Linsley

The Apostle Paul is one of the most fascinating and controversial figures of history and one of the most important leaders of the early Church. He was born about 10 A.D. in the Roman province of Cilicia, in the town of Tarsus. According to Jerome, Paul’s parents came from Galilee. Both were Jewish and of the tribe of Benjamin. Paul received thorough grounding in the Hebrew Scriptures. 

The elders of the church at Antioch recognized God's call on this man and commissioned him and Barnabas to be evangelists. In his missionary journeys Paul traveled over 57,000 miles and he endured many hardships and persecutions. St. John Chrysostom speaks of Paul's letter to the Romans as “a spiritual trumpet.”

Paul has been accused of creating a new religion. A Hebrew play on words reveals how many Jews view Paul. They say that Jesus created a sect (kat) within Judaism, but Paul turned it into a religion (dat). Such a view makes it difficult to understand Paul’s writings which are an elucidation of the very old Messianic Tradition that he received from his Horite Hebrew ancestors (his Horim).

Paul received his rabbinical training at the feet of the great rabbi Gamaliel the Elder. Gamaliel was the grandson of another great rabbi, Hillel the Elder (65 B.C. - 20 A.D.). These men believed in the bodily resurrection, a belief of their Horim, but which had been set aside by the ruling party, the Sadducees. This may have been one reason that Gamaliel came to the defense of the Apostles.

When the Apostles appeared before the Sanhedrin they gave testimony to Jesus as the Messiah and when the Sanhedrin “heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”(Acts 5:33-39)

Paul's writings assume that Messiah has come in the person of Jesus Christ, and Paul addresses the implications of that for the Church, for the individual believer, and for the whole world. He concerned himself with doctrine because he believed that he was divinely appointed to deliver to the churches what he had received (Received Tradition). He regarded himself not only as a defender of the Received Tradition, but also as one with no authority to change it. Paul takes this charge very seriously to that point that he demands that his letters be read in the churches. He writes, “My orders, in the Lord’s name, are that this letter is to be read to all the brothers” (I Th. 5:27). He gives the same order in Second Corinthians 1:1 and in Colossians 4:16. Paul defended his apostleship and chastised the church at Corinth for tolerating those who “preach a Jesus other than the one we preached” (II Cor. 11:4).

Paul was well versed in Greek philosophy. Gamaliel taught his students Greek philosophy so that his pupils would return to their Greek-speaking provinces prepared to be leaders. In addition, Paul absorbed much philosophy while growing up in Tarsus. In his hometown there was an outstanding philosophical academy. The Greek geographer Strabo considered the Tarsus academy to be better than the academies of Athens and Alexandria. We do not know whether Paul received a formal education in philosophy, but it is almost certain that he would have listened to great discussions and debates in the public houses and in the town square where forums were held. (See Risto Santala's "Paul's Childhood and Education".)

The Stoic philosopher Athenodorus governed Tarsus. He died before Paul came of age, but his teachings were upheld by his successor Nestor, who Paul would have heard speak. Athenodorus said, "Every man's conscience is his god” and regarded duty to be a matter of the conscience, a concept that Paul develops in his epistles. In Titus 1:15-16, Paul warns against those whose "minds and consciences" have been corrupted so that their actions "deny God." (For other examples, see 1 Cor. 10:28-30 and Hebrews 9-10). The word “conscience” is not found in the Hebrew Bible, but it appears three places in the Septuagint: Job 27:6, Ecclesiasticus 10:20 and Wisdom 17:11.

Christians often overlook Paul's application of Greek philosophy and miss some of the more subtle points of his theology. There is a tendency to dismiss the influence of Greek philosophy on Paul because of his warning to the Corinthians not to seek salvation through philosophy which Paul contrasts to the “Wisdom of God” hidden in Christ. Apparently in the Corinthian church there were people who viewed the human soul as belonging to another realm but fallen into the sense world. In this view philosophy was necessary to purify the soul and thereby return to a disembodied life in which one could enjoy true reality.

Writing to the Galatians, Paul faced a different problem. Here he contrasts Christ, the “Righteousness of God” with attempts to gain righteousness through human efforts, specifically adherence to the Law.  He writes, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us…that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Gal. 3:13-14). It is clear that Paul is not dismissing Greek philosophy, but rather striking contrasts that he wants his readers to heed.

Paul's use of Plato

Plato’s theory of forms is easily incorporated by Paul because it is consistent with the Biblical worldview. In fact, Plato studied for 13 years in Memphis under a Horite priest. (Abraham's people were Horites.) In Egypt Plato became acquainted with the ideas of the eternal soul, the resurrection of the body, and the belief that the patterns of earth reflect the eternal patterns of heaven. This last belief is expressed in the Lord's prayer that God's will be "done on earth as it is in heaven."

Paul's training in Greek philosophy is evident as we examine his approach to Old Testament figures. Consider 1 Corinthians 15 and Romans 5 which demonstrate a Platonic approach to Christology. The first man, Adam, is imperfect but the second Man, Jesus Christ, is the perfect and true Form of humanity. God made humans in God’s image and likeness, but sin marred that image so that the first is imperfect. In Platonism, types are imperfect reflections of the true eternal and immutable Forms. Paul uses Platonic language to explain Jesus Christ to the Corinthians and the Romans who would have been familiar with this language.

In Colossians 2:16-22, Paul uses Platonism to argue against his adversaries. He writes, "Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ." These point to what is found in Christ, but they are not the real thing because they all perish (v. 22).

In Hebrews 10:1, he writes, "The Law is only a shadow (Greek skian) of the good things that are coming – not the realities themselves. The Apostle expresses his epistemology in Platonic terms in 1 Corinthians 13:12: For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."

Paul's use of Aristotle

For the Apostle Paul the ontologically significant state is not “saved” but “justified.” Consider Romans 8:29-31:

For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?…

Paul seems to be saying "once justified always justified." He most certainly is not saying "once saved, always saved" because for Paul salvation is something that is working in us and that we are working out until the day of Christ's appearing. He tells the Philippians: So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. (Phil. 2:12-13)

Likewise, sanctification is a process whereby God brings us to the fulfillment or realization of our potential. Having been created in the divine image, the justified are becoming conformed to the image of His Son. This too continues until the day of Christ appearing. For this Paul gives praise to God, writing "…to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us…be glory." (Eph 3:20-21)

Paul wants the Christians to whom he writes to be confident of God’s power to do all of this. He writes, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." (Phil. 1:6) For Paul, the synergistic working out of the divine energies is such that he can say with confidence: "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." (Gal. 2:20)

Paul continues an idea found in both Plato and Aristotle, namely that the human telos is achieving a likeness to God (homoiōsis theōi). Our part is to co-operate. St. Basil referred to the operation of divine power as the "divine energies" (Treatise on the Holy Spirit). St. Basil argued the ontological and teleological synergistic integration of the material and supernatural realms. For St. Basil the world intones the hymns of God; it manifests itself as an expression of the Creator and therefore is a proper tutor for increasing wisdom.

In Paul’s epistles the outworking of divine purpose and power is called energeia, a term first used by Aristotle. For Aristotle, the term had various applications: energy, active, operation or effectiveness, but the earliest application, according to Dr. David Bradshaw, pertains to activity as the exercise of a capacity. Dr. Bradshaw writes, "For example, Paul refers to himself as 'striving according to Christ's working (or energy, energeia), which is being made effective (or actualized, energoumenēn) in me' (Col. 1:29). Here it would seem that the divine energy serves two distinct functions. It is at work within Paul, transforming him, so that from this standpoint he is the object of God's activity; at the same time it finds expression in Paul's own activity, so that he may also be seen as the agent or conduit through whom God is working." (From here.)

In Paul's writings this concept is linked to another Aristotelian concept - that of telos: the realization of an entity's end purpose; the actualization of potential. It is clear that without the divine energy, without the divine power at work in us, that we can accomplish nothing of value. In this, Paul echoes Jesus' own words: "Apart from Me, you can do nothing." (Jn. 15:5)

Related reading: St. Paul's Insights on Genesis; The Centrality of "Conscience" Terminology in Hebrews 9-10; Plato's Debt to Ancient Egypt; Hebrews 10: Christ's All Sufficient Sacrifice

Hebrews 10: Christ’s All Sufficient Sacrifice

Alice C. Linsley


Part 1: Paul’s use of Plato

The Law is only a shadow (skian) of the good things that are coming – not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshippers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. (Hebrew 10:1,2)

Paul draws on an ancient conception that we associate with Plato. Plato studied in Egypt and was familiar with the ancient Egyptian mysteries in which an earthly substance or entity was understood to be a reflection of the eternal metaphysical entity. Very likely, Plato borrowed the idea of Forms from the ancient Egyptians. The Apostle’s epistemology is often expressed in Platonic terms, as in this verse: For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. (I Corinthians 13:12)

Paul was familiar with Greek Philosophy. In Jerusalem, he studied under Gamaliel whose rabbinic school had five hundred pupils. Gamaliel taught Greek philosophy so that his pupils would return to their Greek-speaking provinces prepared to be leaders. 

Paul enjoyed a classical Greek education in Tarsus, a center of learning with a famous academy that the Greek geographer Strabo considered better than the academies of Athens and Alexandria. Growing up in Tarsus, Paul would have heard great discussions and debates in the tea houses and town square. The Stoic philosopher Athenodorus governed Tarsus and reformed its constitution. He died at age 82 before Paul came of age, but his teachings were upheld by his successor Nestor, who Paul would have heard speak. Athenodorus regarded duty to be a matter of the conscience, a concept that the Apostle uses throughout his epistles. Athenodorus said that, “Everyman's conscience is his god.” Taking this from another angle, Paul states that those who worship the Sinless God feel guilty for their sins and the blood of bulls cannot remedy this. Only by the blood of Jesus can we have “our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience…” (Heb. 10:22)

The word “conscience” is not found in Hebrew. The closest parallel in the Hebrew Scriptures is the word “heart” as is found in Jeremiah 31:34. St. Paul speaks of the conscience in these passages: Romans 2:15, 9:1 and 13:5; I Corinthians 8:7-12, 10:25-29; II Corinthians 1:12, 4:2 and 5:11; Hebrews 13:18.

Paul's schooling Greek philosophy is evident in his approach to Old Testament figures. In 1 Corinthians 15 and Romans 5, he demonstrates a Platonic approach of Christology. The first man is imperfect but the second man is the perfect Form of humanity. Adam, made in the image of God, could not save himself, but the second Adam, who is God, is able to save.

In Galatians 4:21-31, Paul uses Platonism to explain the difference between liberty based on divine promise and constraints based on Levitical rules. He uses Sarah and Hagar, women whose relationship to Abraham strikes a strong contrast. Paul writes, “There is an allegory here: these women stand for the two covenants.”

The Old and New Covenants are accompanied by the sign of blood. Sarah’s bond with Abraham is a blood (consanguine) bond, as opposed to a Hagar's fictive (arranged) relationship with Abraham. The blood bond is always the stronger. Sarah, as both wife and half-sister to Abraham, is the blood relative and cannot be put away. Likewise, the Covenant of the blood of Jesus cannot be set aside. It is superior in rank and design to the Covenant of the blood of beasts. Hagar, the bondservant or concubine, is not related by blood to Abraham and can be put away. Hagar’s relationship with Abraham was Sarah’s desperate work of the flesh, and not God’s will. So the Apostle urges the Hebrew Christians to “Purge your conscience from dead works.” (Heb. 9:14) What has the power to save comes by God’s promises, not by our own efforts.



Part II: Christ Came to Do the Father’s Will


Therefore when Christ came into the world, he said:

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,

But a body you prepared for me;

With burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased.

Then I said: ‘Here I am – it is written about me in the scroll –


I have come to do your will, O God.’” (cf. Septuagint, Psalm 40:6-8)


Christ came into the world to do God’s will, and that involves setting aside the Covenant of Levites to establish, or perhaps restore, the Covenant of Promise. Hebrews 10:9 states, “Then he said, ‘Here I am. I have come to do your will.’ He sets aside the first to establish the second.” 

The contrast is between the Covenant of the blood of beasts which reminds us of our sins and the Covenant of the blood of the Son of God which cleanses our sins. By God’s will, “we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Heb. 10:10)

St. Ambrose instructs us:

Not without the Father does He [the Son] work; not without His Father’s will did He offer Himself for that most holy Passion, the Victim slain for the salvation of the whole world; not without His Father’s will concurring did He raise the dead to life. For example, when He was at the point to raise Lazarus to life, He lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank thee, for that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou dost always hear me, but for the sake of the multitude that standeth round I spake, that they may believe that thou has sent me” [John 11:40], in order that, though speaking agreeably to His assumed character of man in the flesh, He might still express His oneness with the Father in will and operation, in that the Father hears all and sees all that the Son wills, and therefore also the Father sees the Son’s doings, hears the utterances of His will, for the Son made no request and yet that He had been heard. (On the Christian Faith, Book IV, chap.vi, no.70 )



Part III: Christ the True Form of Priest

Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this Priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. (Hebrews 10:11-14)

The contrast continues between the ineffectual sacrifices offered by the priests of Israel and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The contrast is illustrated by the verbs “stand” and “sit.” Christ’s sacrifice was offered once for all, for all people at all times and in all places. Therefore His work is complete. No priest sits while he is on duty. Jesus is seated at the right hand of the throne of God because His work is done and now He awaits the resolution of all events, even as He offers intercessions on our behalf.

When God “manifested in the flesh” became the sacrifice, offering Himself in a final act of kenosis (self-emptying), He sealed the sovereign will of God, by which His enemies also receive what they desire. Since they hate the Light, they would find no pleasure in spending eternity with God.



Part IV: The Holy Spirit Testifies

The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:

“This is the covenant I will make with them after the time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.

Then he adds:

“Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”

And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.



The Holy Spirit spoke through the Prophets about what was to come. The quote is from Jeremiah 31:33, 24. This idea is also expressed in Isaiah 43:35, which says, “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”

Zechariah 3:19 says, “Behold, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,' says the LORD Almighty, 'and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day.”

Psalm 103:12 speaks of God forgiveness using the celestial image of the heavens stretched above us so that none can measure them. God promises to remove our sins “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”



Part V: Therefore confidently draw near to God

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the veil, that is, His body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Concerning this passage, Matthew Henry writes, "As believers had an open way to the presence of God, it became them to use this privilege. The way and means by which Christians enjoy such privileges, is by the blood of Jesus, by the merit of that blood which he offered up as an atoning sacrifice. The agreement of infinite holiness with pardoning mercy, was not clearly understood till the human nature of Christ, the Son of God, was wounded and bruised for our sins. Our way to heaven is by a crucified Savior; his death is to us the way of life, and to those who believe this, he will be precious. They must draw near to God; it would be contempt of Christ, still to keep at a distance."

St. John Chrysostom writes that when shame is taken away and sins are forgiven, we “being made fellow-heirs, and enjoying so great love” become bold. (On Hebrews, Homily 19, no. 2 )

Living confidently as a Christian will express itself in encouragement of one another, in demonstrations of love and in good deeds. Paul’s sense of urgency is apparent in the closing line. The Day of Judgment approaches.



Part VI: A Dreadful Thing

If we deliberately keep sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation.

St. Paul assumes that his audience is familiar with Deuteronomy 32:34, 35 which says, “Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.’ For the Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants, when he sees that their power is gone and there is none remaining, bond or free.” He uses this to stress the serious nature of apostasy and the certainty of God’s mercy , but in Romans 12:19, he uses the same verse to stress that it is wrong for Christians to take revenge against their enemies.

Here the Apostle emphasizes the gravity of falling away. Archbishop Royster writes, “Since the Apostle is attempting to combat the fairly common sin of apostasy, he rather conscientiously warns those who have fallen away of the consequences and points out what they have to look forward to: “a fearful expectation of judgment: and a “fiery jealousy” (pyros zēlos in Greek). St. Paul elsewhere calls his own jealousy over those whom he had brought to faith in Christ and have fallen away “a jealousy of God” (II Corinthians 11:2). That God Himself should be jealous for those who became His adopted children in baptism is not surprising, because the same was attributed to Him in the case of Israel (see Nahum 1:2; Zechariah 1:14, etc.). This fire will consume them that have become His adversaries. The apostate is then in a condition much worse than that of the unbeliever.”

This state is described in Hebrews 6:7-9, using the analogy of the land. Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

Consider how the New England preacher, Jonathan Edwards, set forth Paul’s warning in Hebrew 10:31.

“O sinner! Consider the fearful danger you are in: it is a great furnace of wrath, a wide and bottomless pit, full of the fire of wrath, that you are held over in the hand of that God, whose wrath is provoked and incensed as much against you, as against many of the damned in hell. You hang by a slender thread, with the flames of divine wrath flashing about it, and ready every moment to singe it, and burn it asunder; and you have no interest in any Mediator, and nothing to lay hold of to save yourself, nothing to keep off the flames of wrath, nothing of your own, nothing that you ever have done, nothing that you can do, to induce God to spare you one moment.” (From "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.”)

Edwards' reminder that all sinnners have a Mediator in Jesus Christ in almost lost in the harshness of his tone. However, when he preached this famous sermon in Enfield, Connecticut on July 8, 1741, a deep conviction of sin fell on those who heard it, and many repented. We also feel the power of St. Paul’s warning and recognize the truth of his words.



Part VII: Do Not Shrink Back

Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised. For in just a very little while,

“He who is coming will come and will not delay.

But my righteous one will live by faith.

And if he shrinks back,

I will not be pleased with him.” (Habakkuk 2:3, 4)

But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.

Having endured suffering, many Hebrew Christians were tempted to quit the confession of faith in Jesus Christ. Paul encourages those who are impatient waiting for the realization of the Promise. Just as Jesus saw beyond His passion to the joy that was before Him (Hebrews 12:2), so they are to see beyond this time of struggle to the great reward that awaits them at Christ’s appearing.

The Greek term hypostellō is used in both verse 38 and 39 and means to “shrink back” and “to conceal or suppress because of fear.” Paul includes himself when he speaks of not shrinking back in fear, but persevering in faith. In this, he exemplifies the courageous Christian who remains obedience and loyal to his Master under all circumstances.

St. John Chrysostom noted that Paul used a Greek term associated with athletic games, and wrote, “It is as if one should speak of an athlete who had overthrown all, and had no antagonist, and was then to be crowned, and yet endured not that time, during which the president of the games comes, and places the crown upon him; and he impatient, should wish to go out, and escape as though he could not bear the thirst and the heat.” (First Instruction to Catechumens, no. 3)

The Greek term associated with athletic games is hupomone, which means “to bear up under, to persevere; to endure.” Its constituent parts are hupo (under) and meno (to remain). Endurance is remaining to the last breath under the headship of Jesus Christ.


END


Related reading:  Paul to the Hebrews: Persevere in Hope; Paul to the Hebrews: Hold Fast the Faith of Your Horim

Inherited Guilt or Infection of Death?

Alice C. Linsley

There are different understandings of the Fall among Christians. Some emphasize guilt inherited from Adam and Eve, a doctrine called "Original Sin." Others emphasize Original Blessing enjoyed by humans before death entered the world. By death comes sin and by sin comes death. It is the proverbial chicken or egg question.

By Eve comes life, not death. Her name means "mother of the living." Note that Adam is not called the "father of all living."

By the "Woman" of Genesis 3:15 (not Eve, since she isn't named until verse 20) comes redemption through her Son, the Divine Seed, Jesus Christ. Jesus claimed to be the fulfillment of this first biblical promise and prophecy when He told his disciples about His impending death. He said, "Unless a seed fall into the ground and die, it cannot give life." (John 12:24)

Sin and death do not enter because of Eve. St. Paul and St. Augustine speak of sin and death coming through Adam.

The DNA of Adam is extinct, if we are to trust the calculations of molecular genealogists. So Adam's sin did indeed mean death and extinction for him. This is why Adam is not called the "father of all living."

The ancients from whom we receive the information in Genesis may have recognized the durability of the Mt-chromosome and the loss of the original Y-chromosome. The most recent male ancestor of all males today lived in Africa around 60,000 years ago. The so-called "Mitochondrial Eve" dates to about 143,000 years ago. She is the mother of modern humans. She is not the mother of archaic humans. That Eve would have lived much earlier, at least 3 million years ago.

Original Sin is not inherited. Were that the case, each would be held accountable by God for the sins of our ancestors. This is contrary to what the Bible teaches. See, for example, Jeremiah 31:30 which states, "Each will die for his own guilt." (The New Jerusalem Bible)

The term "original sin" was unknown in both the Eastern and Western Church until Augustine (c. 354-430). The inheritance from Adam is not guilt, but death (I Corinthians 15:21).

Related reading: What Happened in the Garden?

Paul to Hebrew Christians: Persevere in Hope

Alice C. Linsley


In Hebrews 6, the Apostle Paul urges the Hebrew Christians to deepen in the doctrine of Christ by building on the foundation they received through their baptismal instruction, chrismation and apostolic teaching. They are sternly warned about and the consequences of going back on their baptismal promises, which Paul likens to “crucifying the Son of God all over again” (verse 6). The Apostle expresses frustration with some for remaining as babies in the faith, but commends others as examples of how a Christian should persevere.  His tone is both exhortative and compassionate.  He writes as one who is confident of God’s power to save and the certainty of God’s promises.

In speaking of the elementary teachings about Christ, Paul specifies repentance first, as this is necessarily the first act and attitude of every Christian.  He considers faith in God as fundamental, but alone it is insufficient for Christian maturity.  Here is a message for those who labor under the false notion that one only has to believe in God to be saved.

Baptismal instruction, chrismation, and belief in the resurrection of the dead and the final judgment are also “elementary” things. That is to say, they are the starting point rather than the terminus for those who would taste eternity.

Baptism, chrismation, the resurrection from the dead, and eternal judgment would have formed a part of early Christian catechetical instruction. He notes that for many Jews of the first century the doctrines of the resurrection and the final judgment would have been new, which goes to show how far rabbinic Judaism had strayed from the beliefs of the Horim (ancestors).  It is clear that Abraham and his Horite people believed in the resurrection of the dead, which is the meaning of the so-called binding of Isaac, though Jews deny this even today.

It might seem that the Apostle is minimizing the importance of catechesis when, in reality, he is stressing such doctrinal instruction as essential.  His concern is that those who have received the instruction move on to a deeper acquaintance of Jesus Christ and the things of God that lead to heavenly recognition.  Therefore he is careful not to discredit those works of love shown to God and to God’s people (verse 10).

The Christian Defined

The Apostle provides an excellent definition of the Christian in this chapter. The Christian is one who has been enlightened, has tasted the heavenly gift, shared in the Holy Spirit, and has tasted the goodness of God’s word and the powers of the age to come. 

As light is the first evidence of God’s creative work in Scripture (Gen. 1:3), it is also the first gift of the new creature brought forth in baptism.

When the newly baptized receives the body and blood of Christ in Holy Communion, he tastes the heavenly Gift.

In worship and in the fellowship of the Church, the Christian shares in the Holy Spirit and continues to taste the goodness of God’s word (divine promises and reproofs).

The Christian lives beyond earthly and fleshly aspirations since her heart is set on Christ’s eternal kingdom.

St. Paul draws on an analogy made by our Lord in the Parable of the Sower when he likens the Christian to land that drinks the rain and brings forth good fruit. He warns against becoming like land that produces thorns and thistles. Clearly, he doesn’t believe that the Hebrew Christians are that far gone because he goes on to say (verse 9): “Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case.”

We are reminded of Paul’s great confidence in God’s power to preserve His inheritance, expressed throughout his writings.  To the Church at Philippi, he writes, “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.” Also consider Romans 8:35-38:

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God revealed to us in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Never Lose Hope

The Apostle is concerned that those experiencing trials and persecutions might grow discouraged and lose hope. He encourages them to endure to the end as Christ himself faced suffering and was faithful to the end.

Paul experienced tribulations and persecutions and would have recognized how perseverance gives hope to other suffering Christians.  He wants the Hebrew Christians to “imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what is promised.” (verse 12)

Hope is described as “an anchor of the soul” (verse 19), a symbol of hope and provision for both the Greeks and the Hebrews. It functions to stabilize a storm-tossed ship.  The anchor within a circlet or diadem was a Hellenistic symbol of kingship.

From archaeological discoveries, we know that the anchor was a symbol of deified rulers among the Egyptian rulers of Phoenicia.  It has been found with the Egyptian ankh symbol in excavations at ancient Tyre and Sidon.  The word anchor is related to the Egyptian word ankh, meaning life.

In his epistle to the Ephesians, Paul warns them not to be tossed to and from, and carried about with every wind of doctrine…” but instead to “grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” (Eph. 4:14,15)

The hope that we have as “an anchor for the soul” is Jesus Christ whose death, resurrection and ascension establish us firmly and securely in the heavenly realms where He is seated at the Father’s right hand.

Resist Complacency and Sloth

Recognizing that complacency can come of persecution and exhaustion, Paul urges them to be diligent to the end in order to secure their hope.  He writes (verse 12), “We do not want you to become lazy/slothful.”  The Greek word is nōthroi, and can be translated “dull” as in dull of hearing or deaf.

As is often the case with Paul’s arguments, he uses Abraham as an example. He reminds his Jewish readers that “after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.”  Paul is thinking typologically here. Abraham received Isaac, the promised son, whose miraculous birth speaks of the miraculous birth of the Promised Son who Abraham and his Horite people expected to come into the world.  He is the “Seed of the Woman” and the focus of the first promise and prophecy of Scripture (Gen. 3:15).  So “waiting patiently” has a double meaning.  It refers both to Isaac’s birth and to Christ’s appearance, to the realized and to the yet-to-be fulfilled.  That Paul believed that Abraham expected the Seed to come into the world is made clear in Hebrews 4:2, which states, “For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they (the Horim) did.”

The Certainty of God’s Promises

The Apostle connects the certainty of God’s promises to God’s divine nature and eternal power (cf. Rom. 1:20).  He reminds his readers that “When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for Him to swear by, He swore by Himself…” (verse 13)  It is evident that God cannot lie, therefore “we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. (verse 18)

Paul reiterates the promise God made to Abraham in Genesis 22:17: “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” (verse 14)  The Hebrew Christians, who were well acquainted with the genealogies of their Horim, would have understood that this was fulfilled in Abraham’s lifetime, for he lived to a ripe old age and had nine sons* and an unknown number of daughters. 

Reflecting on this promise, St. Irenaeus wrote, “the promise of God, which He gave to Abraham, remains steadfast… they which are of faith are the children of Abraham” (Against Heresies, Book V, chap. 32, no. 2)  In Romans 11:17, Paul states that Gentile believers are grafted into the faith of Abraham.

The immutable nature of God’s promises is expressed with regard to Christ’s eternal and pre-existent priesthood.  As our great high priest, He goes before us into the Holy of Holies behind the curtain. Here Paul strikes a contrast between the Aaronic priesthood and Jesus’ messianic priesthood, which by its nature is superior in power and efficacy. Jesus is declared “high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”



Melcizedek a Type of Christ

Melchizedek, the ruler-priest of Jerusalem (Salem), is one of the most fascinating figures of Genesis. His name - malkîtsedek - means righteous king. He is mentioned in Genesis 14, Psalm 110:4 and in Hebrews 7 and 8, where he is given much attention by the Apostle Paul.

It is clear from Genesis 14 that Melchizedek and Abraham were well acquainted. Both belonged to the Horite order of ruler-priests which practiced endogamy. In other words, they were kin. It is likely that Melchizedek was the brother-in-law of Joktan, Abraham's father-in-law.

Read more about Melchizedek's lineage here.

* Issac (Yitzak), son of sister wife Sarah; Joktan, Midian, Zimran, Midan, Ishbak (Yishbak) and Shuah, sons of cousin wife Keturah (Gen. 25); Ishmael (Yishmael), son of concubine Hagar, and Eliezar, son of concubine Masek (named in the Septuagint).

Paul to the Hebrew Christians: Hold fast the faith of your Horim

Alice C. Linsley

Hebrews speaks of the prophets, angels, Moses, Joshua, and the priesthood as types or patterns whereby the one true Prophet-Priest-King, Jesus Christ, may be discerned. Angels, being more glorious and powerful than humans, are higher than humans, but not higher than the God who took on flesh. He is higher than the angels, and by “putting on Christ” we also hope to share in His glory.

Jesus Christ is the one to whom all the types point in Hebrews.  He alone proved to be faithful over all the House of Israel. Moses was appointed a leader and he led some to the Promised Land, though he himself could not enter it.  Joshua and Caleb were the only leaders of that generation who were permitted to enter (Numbers 14:30), as they had, in a very real sense, stormed the strongholds of Canaan by faith. 

Even these faithful leaders died and remained in the grave, thereby proving that they had no power to save from death. That power rests with Jesus Christ alone, the perfect Leader. Hebrews 3:1 expresses it this way:  Jesus Christ is “the apostle and the high priest of our profession of faith” and as such, He is superior in every way to his servant Moses. 

As usual, Paul is telling the truth, and his words would have comforted some and discomforted others. For Jews of the first century the assertion of Jesus’ superiority to the prophets, angels and Moses would have been blasphemous. It would have stirred anger and incited violence against Christ’s Jewish followers. The Apostle is careful not to speak of Moses in a negative way. He simply asserts that Jesus is greater than Moses, as the master is greater than his servant.  Jesus is greater because He completed all his work at the foundation of the world. (Gen. 2:2)  Moses gave the Sabbath Law in order that the people might mimic God at rest, thereby identifying themselves with God.

Hebrews 4 brings to a conclusion the exhortation to not be like the generation that died in the Wilderness because they were not joined to the perfect Leader in faith. The Hebrew Christians are told to encourage one another so that none is hardened by the lure of sin “as at the Rebellion.” (Heb. 3:15) 

It is evident that the Apostle saw signs among the early Hebrew Christian of weakening and falling away from the faith of their Horim (Horite ancestors). The “Rebellion” is described in Numbers 14:22: … all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice…  Rebellion in the wilderness expressed itself in various ways. 

    The people grumbled about the hardships they faced. (Philippians 2:14)

     They resisted Moses’ leadership. 

     Some aligned themselves with Moses’ half-brother Korah who challenged Moses’ authority.

     They forgot all that God had done for them.

     They yearned for the garlic and onions of Egypt. Like Lot’s wife, they looked back instead of forward to the promise of rest in a land flowing with milk and honey.

In other words, they repeatedly tested God’s patience and because this was their pattern of life, they missed the day of opportunity.

Hebrews 4:1 is a reminder that it is never too late to receive the promise of rest/restoration/communion with God.  As long as one is alive, the promise is active and can be received. So the Apostle stresses, “Today is the day of salvation.” (Heb. 4:7)  Those in Christ are “heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29); and “This is the promise that He hath promised us, eternal life” (I John 2:25).

Doubtless, the tightly knit Jewish community applied pressure to those early Jewish Believers to conform to rabbinic Judaism. They would have felt this pressure from family, business associates, and local synagogue members. Many would have played the guilt card, suggesting that the Believer had abandoned the “traditions of the Horim” (Fathers), when the rabbis themselves had abandoned the Faith of their Horim (Horites).

Without directly attacking the falsehoods of the rabbis, the Apostle explains: For unto us was the Gospel preached, as well as unto them; but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. (Heb. 4:2)

Moses and his father were Horites, according to evidence of Scripture. They believed that heavenly recognition of a people depended on the righteousness of their ruler-priest who represented the entire community/clan/tribe/caste. As Archbishop Royster writes in his excellent commentary on Hebrews, “The promises of God were made to His people as a nation or community, although each member, to be sure, had his personal responsibility for maintaining his faith, as was the case with Joshua and Caleb.” (p. 59)

Horite ruler-priests were known for their purity and devotion to the High God whose emblem was the Sun. Many Horite names contained the hieroglyph for the Sun which was a circle.  This was true for Joshua, whose original name was Oshea. Justin Martyr asks the Jews in his Dialogue with Trypho why they attached prophetic importance to Abraham’s name change, but ignored the significance of Oshea becoming Yeshua.  In the first name God was symbolized by the Sun and its properties; i.e., universal light, warmth, revealer of all things (Eph. 5:13, 14) and sustainer of life.  The Sun speaks of God’s rule above in the heavens. In the name Yeshua, the Y speaks of God’s rule on Earth in the person of His Perfect Ruler. In the Dedanite language of Abraham and his ancestors, the Y was a hieroglyph showing the Sun resting on the top of a tent peg.  The tent peg represented the ruler’s residence on Earth and the Sun indicates his divine appointment. In others words, Yeshua has the same meaning as Emmanuel.

Plutarch wrote that the “priests of the Sun at Heliopolis never carry wine into their temples, for they regard it as indecent for those who are devoted to the service of any god to indulge in the drinking of wine whilst they are under the immediate inspection of their Lord and King. The priests of the other deities are not so scrupulous in this respect, for they use it, though sparingly.”

In the ancient world, the ruler-priest was regarded as the mediator between God and the people.  If God turned His face away from the ruler, the people suffered from want and war.  If the ruler found favor with God, the people experienced abundance and peace. The righteous ruler was expected to intercede for his people in life and in death. The ruler's resurrection meant that he could lead his people beyond the grave to new life. This is why great pains were taken to insure that the ruler not come into contact with dead bodies, avoid sexual impurity, and be properly preserved after death.  The ruler's burial was attended by prayers, sacrifices and a grand procession to the royal tomb. The nation hoped that the ruler would rise from the grave, but none did, save Jesus Christ.

This is why Psalm 68:18 says: “When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.” (Eph. 4:8; Col. 2:15)

Hebrews speaks about Jesus as the perfect ruler-priest who was the firstborn from the grave. By his resurrection He delivers to the Father a "peculiar people." (I Peter 2:9) In Isaiah 43:21, we read these words from God, “This people have I formed for myself.” Christ leads us in the ascent to the Father where we receive heavenly recognition because we belong to or are united to Him.

This Pauline theology is echoed in Galatians 3:16, 29: Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy Seed, which is Christ…. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.


Heavenly recognition for the Horites was never an individual prospect.  As Archbishop Royster writes, “God’s rest was designed to be shared by those who are created in His image, human beings, and this is promised from the beginning.” (p. 60)  Hebrews 4 takes us back to Genesis 1:26, 27. Having made “them” in the Divine image, the Creator gave them rule (“dominion”) over all the earth.  The Horites took this very seriously, some ruling wisely and some ruling ruthlessly, but not one of them proved to be the Seed of the Woman who would crush the serpent’s head (Gen. 3:15).


Heavenly recognition came to the people through the righteousness of their ruler-priest. Even the best ones failed to be the Ruler-Priest who rose from the dead. Therefore, none had the power to deliver captives from the grave and to lead them to the throne of heaven (Ps. 68:18; Ps. 7:7; Eph. 4:8).  That one true prophet-ruler-priest is Jesus, the Son of God and Abraham’s Seed.

The Hebrew Christians were torn between continuing in this, the true faith of their Horim, or returning to the familiar legalism of first century Judaism and the approval of their families and community elders. Failure of faith in the Son of God parallels the failure of the Israelites in the wilderness.  To receive Christ and then to cast Him aside is an act of rebellion.

Related reading:  The Afro-Arabian Dedanites; Abraham and Job: Horite Rulers; Moses' Horite Family; Frank Moore Cross: Israel's God is the God of the Horites