Continued from Chapter 3 The Son: His Person, His Power, His Kingdom

CHAPTER 4
The Apostle and High Priest of Our Confession

THERE are two exhortations to which special prominence is given in the Epistle to the Hebrews. The first is that we, God’s pilgrims of this dispensation, should give to the things that we have heard more earnest heed than God’s people of old gave to the things announced to them. The reasons for this exhortation are, that the things we have heard are vastly “better things” than those spoken of old time to the fathers; and chiefly that the One Who began to speak to us of these “coming good things” is the Son Himself, by Whom and for Whom all things are and were created.

The second great exhortation is that which stands at the beginning of Chapter 3, namely that the holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, should attentively consider the Apostle and High Priest of their confession, even Jesus. (The word “Christ” is lacking in nearly all the texts.)

The second exhortation follows logically from the first. Having given earnest heed to the things that we have heard, we are led thereby to devote our best consideration to Him Whom God has set before us, by revelation of His Word and Spirit, as the Apostle and High Priest of our confession. Having given heed to the things that we have heard, we perceive that those things have to do with the future period of the visible glory of the Son of God, when He shall assume, in the eyes of the whole creation, the Headship over all the works of God’s Hands. What that means to Him is, of course, far beyond our comprehension. But as we give the more earnest heed to the things that we have heard, and as we attentively consider Him, in the capacity of Apostle, and in that of High Priest, we shall find ourselves gaining in the apprehension of the hope that is set before us. This fast approaching day of the glory of the Son of God is the joy that was set before Him, when He endured the Cross. How great will be that joy we cannot say. We have no means wherewith to measure, and no terms wherewith to describe it. But this we know, that so great will be that joy to Him, that the mere anticipation of it enabled Him not only to endure the Cross, but even to despise the shame.

That “glory” and that “joy” He desires to share with those who are the objects of His grace; for His present work is on behalf of those many sons whom the Father is bringing unto glory, and His special interest is in those to whom He shall say, in that day, “enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”

It seems very clear, after an attentive study of the text of this Epistle, that the way to avoid the dangers to which God’s pilgrims are exposed, and to gain the reward that is set before them, is by heeding and obeying these two leading exhortations, which are the burden of the first four chapters of Hebrews. Parts of those chapters, and the whole of other chapters following them, are occupied with the things that we have heard, “the better things, and things that accompany salvation,” and with special revelations from the Spirit of God, whereby we may be enabled to consider Him Who is the Apostle and High Priest of our confession. Then, in Chapter 12, these two leading exhortations appear again. In verses 1-2 we are exhorted to run with patience the race that is set before us, “looking away unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of faith.” The words “Author” and “Finisher” correspond respectively with “Apostle” and “High Priest.” As the “Apostle” of our confession, He is the Author or Beginner of faith, and as High Priest He is the Finisher of faith. Then, at verse 25, occurs again the warning, given in the most impressive language, to “refuse not Him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth (Moses), much more shall not we escape if we turn away from Him that speaketh from Heaven.”

The purport of all this, briefly and simply stated, is that God is now leading a people out from the present evil world and its seen things, unto a coming world consisting of “things not seen as yet,” and which at present are apprehended only by faith. These are “the things that we have heard,” but they are realities, and God’s announcement concerning them is capable of exerting an influence upon those, and only those, in whom it is “mixed with faith.” The seen things are “the things that can be shaken,” and which will therefore be “removed.” The great danger is that those whom God has called (partakers of the heavenly calling) may occupy themselves with, give their attention to, set their hearts upon, the seen things, thus refusing Him that speaketh, or, in other words, neglecting that great salvation which is “the Kingdom that cannot be shaken.” In such case, the warning is given, and given too clearly to admit of being misunderstood or explained away, or relegated to the Jewish remnant, that they who neglect that great salvation shall not escape the loss of a share they might otherwise have had in that Kingdom. In order that we may escape so great a loss, we are urged first to give earnest heed to the things we have heard, and not to refuse Him that speaketh, and second to consider, that is, be occupied with, Himself, especially in His offices of Apostle and High Priest.

The words “holy brethren,” which define those to whom the second exhortation is addressed, connect directly with verses 10-17 of the preceding Chapter, whereof the subject is His “brethren.” They are “holy” or “sanctified” by His own act, as stated in Hebrews 2:11: “He that sanctifies and they that are sanctified are all of one, for which cause He is not ashamed to call them ’brethren.” They have been by Him “sanctified,” that is to say, set apart for a special purpose, which, in this instance, is that they should become members of a priestly house, a household of sons, built up and presided over by the Son Himself. This is more fully brought out in Chapter 3:6-7. “But Christ as Son over His own House, Whose house are we, IF we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.”

To become a member of that Household is a matter of reward and privilege. It is a privilege so high that the danger of neglecting it through lightly esteeming it, as the Israelites slighted the land promised to them, and as Esau slighted the privilege of the birthright, is very great indeed. Membership in that Household is a reward promised to those who do the Will of God in the particulars now under our consideration. Of this the Lord began to speak, saying, as He looked on those who “sat about Him” at the time when the rulers and the nation rejected Him, “Behold My mother and My brethren! For whosoever shall DO THE WILL OF GOD, the same is My brother, and My sister and mother” (Mark 3:34-35; see also Matthew 12:49-50). With this agree the words of the Epistle; “For ye have need of patience that, AFTER YE HAVE DONE THE WILL OF GOD, ye might receive the promise” (Hebrews 10:36).

These “holy brethren” are “partakers of the heavenly calling,” that is to say, a calling into the Household of the Son, to be associated with Him in the authority, dignities, honors and glories of His Royal Priesthood. In order that they may make their calling and election sure, they are exhorted to fix their attention steadfastly upon the Apostle and High Priest of their confession. The word “confession” probably embraces the whole of that for which they have been apprehended in Christ Jesus, and for which He assumed the characters of Apostle and High Priest; but especially it would seem to refer to their present status in the world as strangers and pilgrims. They have the example of those who “confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13). This is the character they are called upon to maintain, and of those who seek to maintain that character, Christ is the Apostle and High Priest.

The word “Apostle” signifies one sent forth on a special mission. Hence, the work of the Son of God as the Apostle embraces all that He did in the days of His Flesh as the Sent One of God. His work as the Apostle of our confession is finished. He, being eternal Deity, came forth from God, assumed the form and nature of man, and thus brought to man all that man required of God. Having finished that work, He, as true Man, returned to God, bringing to God all that God required of man. That is His present office and work as High Priest within the true sanctuary. It is not His character of High Priest after the order of Melchizedek that is spoken of here. He will not appear in that character until He comes forth again to assume the office of King in addition to that of Priest. His present ministry is rather the fulfillment of what is typified by the ministry of the Aaronic high priest on the Day of Atonement, when he entered into the Holy of Holies with the blood of the sin offering. This clearly appears from Chapters 8-10, in which Christ is revealed as a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle, but is not spoken of as High Priest of the order of Melchizedek. Nevertheless, He has been already “saluted of God as High Priest after the order of Melchizedek (verse 10), though yet waiting to be revealed as such. What He is awaiting is, amongst other things, the perfecting of the”many sons” who are to be associated with Him in that Royal Priesthood.

The work of the Son of God as the Apostle of our confession is not specially described in Hebrews. For that we must refer to other Scriptures. It embraces all His words — the words which the Father gave Him to speak — and all His works, especially His work on the Cross, where He bore the sins of many, and put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. This redemption — aspect of the work of the Cross is mentioned in Hebrews, though not specially described there (Hebrews 9:12). The following passages, among others, refer to features of His work as the One sent forth from God.

• “When He had by Himself purged our sins” (1:3).
• “Jesus, Who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death; that He, by the grace of God, should taste death for every one (or every thing).” “Forasmuch, then, as the children were partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the Devil, and deliver those who, through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” “He Himself hath suffered being tempted” (2:9, 14-15, 18).
• “Who, in the days of His Flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears to Him Who was able to save Him from (out of) death, and was heard in that He feared, though being Son yet learned He obedience by the things He suffered” (5:7-8).
• “Who needeth not daily to offer up sacrifice…for this He did once, when He offered up Himself” (7:27).
• “The blood of Christ Who, through the eternal Spirit, offered Himself without spot to God” (9:14).
• “Now once in the end of the age hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (9:26).
• “Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many” (9:28).
• “Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the Book it is written of Me) to do Thy Will, O God…By the which Will we are sanctified, through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all” (10:7-10).
• “A new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, His Flesh” (10:20).
• “Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame” (12:2).
• “Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own Blood, suffered without the gate” (13:12).

The foregoing passages, found in the Epistle to the Hebrews, call our attention to special features of the work of the Son of God as “Apostle of our confession.” It behoves us, therefore, to bestow upon them our attentive consideration.

But chiefly are we urged to pay heed to the Words He spake as the One sent of God. It was of old foretold of Him that He would speak the words of God, and it was shown in advance that great consequences would hinge upon hearkening to His words. God said by Moses:

“will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee, and will PUT MY WORDS IN HIS MOUTH; and He shall speak them unto all that | shall command Him. And it shall come to pass that whosoever will not hearken unto My words, which He shall speak in My Name, | will require it of him” (Deuteronomy 18:18-19).

The Holy Spirit, by the mouth of the apostle Peter, cited this prophecy, varying it to read thus: “And it shall come to pass that every soul (psuche) which will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people” (Acts 3:22-23).

The Lord Himself referred frequently to this feature of His ministry as the Apostle of God. For instance, we read, “He Whom God hath sent (i.e., Christ as Apostle) speaketh the Words of God” (John 3:34). The reader is also referred to John 5:46; 6:14, 63, 68; 7:46; 12:48-50).

In the prayer recorded in John 17, where the Son of God declared to His Father that He had finished the work given Him to do, He referred to Himself as the Apostle of God — “Jesus Christ Whom Thou hast sent” —and He spoke specially of His ministry to “the men which Thou gavest Me out of the world.” The items of that ministry which He there mentions are these:

• “I have manifested Thy Name unto the men which Thou gavest Me out of the world: Thine they were, and Thou gavest them Me.” (This is like the passage in Hebrews, “Lo, I and the children whom God has given Me”).
• “I have given unto them the Words which Thou gavest Me” (verse 8).
• “I have given them Thy Word” (verse 14). (From this we may learn the great importance which God attaches to the words spoken unto us by the Son.)
• Special attention is called to verse 13: “And now I come to Thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have MY JOY fulfilled in themselves.”

This seems to be a reference to the joy set before Him when about to endure the Cross, and which will be fulfilled in the coming age in those for whom He then prayed. The burden of that prayer was that the Father would keep them through His Name, which Name He (Christ) had manifested (verse 11), and would sanctify them through His truth; and His Word, which Christ had given them, is truth (verse 17). He prayed not that they should be taken out of the world, for itis in the world that they must be tried and perfected; but that the Father would keep them from (out of) the evil (verse 15). And again He refers to Himself as the Apostle, saying, “As Thou hast SENT ME into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world” (verse 18). In the world He did the Will of the Father, and learned obedience by the things He suffered. “Even so” they are sent to do the Will of God, and become heirs of the eternal salvation whereof He is the Author “unto all them that obey Him” (Hebrews 10:36; verse 9). Finally, we would call attention to verse 22, “And the glory which Thou gavest Me, I have given them.” This glory “given” to Him as the Finisher of the work of redemption is different in character from the glory He speaks of in verse 5; “the glory which I HAD with Thee before the world was.” That glory is His Own, which He does not give to another; but the acquired glory, given Him as the Author of eternal salvation, He shares with those whom He is not ashamed to call His brethren.

By all this we are clearly taught that, in carrying out the exhortation to consider the Apostle of our confession, we should pay earnest attention to the words spoken by Him and recorded for us in the Gospels, especially that of John.

(To be continued.)