PERFECTION

PERDITION

OR

Ministry to the saints can involve much more than mere gifts or a pleasant round of visiting; it comes under the

heading of enduring a great fight of afflictions:

`But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;

partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became

companions of them that were so used' (Heb. 10:32,33).

Here we see that this ministry unto the saints involves suffering and calls for endurance. The passage continues to show

that such ministry leads to confidence which hath great recompense of reward:

`For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise' (Heb. 10:36).

This is parallel with Hebrews 6:11,12. They had ministered to the saints, and they were continuing so to do.

They had shown (endeiknumi) love unto the name of the Lord. Now the apostle says:

`But we earnestly desire for each one of you to show (endeiknumi) the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto

the end' (Heb. 6:11 not AV JP).

They had shown, may they continue to show, for this was closely associated with the great recompense of

reward. We catch an echo of chapter 3:6 and 14 here:

`Whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end' (Heb. 3:6).

`We are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end' (Heb. 3:14).

These are called `partakers of the heavenly calling' in verse 1 of chapter 3, and the failure to enter into the land

of promise, which occupies the remainder of chapters 3 and 4, is again before us in Hebrews 6:11,12:

`That ye be not slothful, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises' (not AV JP).

The mention of the word `slothful' bids us compare this passage with Hebrews 5:11 where the same word is

translated `dull'. This has already appeared in the structure given on page xxx. The context is concerning Christ

and His people `being made perfect'. The figures used are those of `babes' and `full grown or perfect'. The `dull'

had made no progress, they had remained babes. The further lessons connected with their perfecting and with Christ

as the Priest after the order of Melchisedec could not be told them in their condition. These things are carried over

to Hebrews 6:12. The dull or slothful would fail `after the same example of unbelief' (Heb. 4:11), for the

`inheriting' of promises must not be confounded with those gifts in grace that are ours through Christ alone.

Hebrews 11:33 speaks of those whose faith `wrought righteousness' (which cannot refer to justification without

works); who `obtained promises'. Hebrews 6:15 tells us that this `obtaining' is the result of `patient endurance':

`And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise'.

The Hebrews, though saved, were in danger of giving up and going back. The apostle seeing this, and knowing

the history of his people as he did, was allowed the privilege of writing to his kinsmen this word of exhortation

(13:22). Throughout the epistle the thought of slipping away, turning back, failing to enter, losing confidence,

denying the Lord, bartering the birthright as did Esau, is uppermost. The going on to perfection is enforced and

illustrated by the examples of Caleb and Joshua, the elders who obtained a good report, and by the example of the

Lord Himself. Work, love, hope, faith, patience; if the word `labour' be retained in verse 10, we have a similar

series to that set out in 1 Thessalonians 1:3, and expounded in that epistle.

`Faith' and `patience' are the two words used in direct connection with inheriting the promises. In Hebrews

10:38,39 we have `living by faith' placed in contrast with `drawing back', and the faith that inherits the promises is

the faith that believes unto the `acquiring' of the soul (Heb. 10:39). This rendering we shall justify when dealing

with chapter 10. The faith that inherits the promises is further expressed in Hebrews 11:1 as:

`the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen'.

This enabled Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham and the rest to overcome and to obtain promises. The whole teaching

concerning faith is summed up for us in chapter 12:2: