11
The Epistle to the Hebrews is in some measure outside the
present enquiry. Being written to the Hebrews, we naturally
expect an appeal to be made to the Old Covenant Scriptures.
Nevertheless, it is significant that, while the apostle sets aside
the Old Covenant with its ceremonies and sacrifices that did not
touch the conscience, he quotes the prophets for the bringing in
of the New Covenant (Heb. 8), and cites the fact that the
tabernacle which was erected by Moses was an earthly copy of
the pattern shown to him in the mount:
`Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was
admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See,
saith He, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee
in the mount' (Heb. 8:5).
We will not, however, pursue this investigation further. So far
as our present purpose is concerned there is no controversy with
regard to this epistle, which, by its very theme, is an expansion
of the Old Testament type and shadow, and raises no problems
in connection with Gentile admission or hope. At the moment
we are concerned with how far Paul's words uttered in defence
before Agrippa are true and binding with reference to the
teaching of his early epistles as the apostle of the Gentiles. We
believe that there will be full agreement among us all, that, so
far as the basic theme of the gospel was concerned - redemption
by blood, and the imputation of righteousness by faith - the
apostle preached `none other things than those which the
prophets and Moses did say should come'.
No. 3