PERFECTION

PERDITION

OR

The statement in verse 14: `For here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come' turns us back to

11:8-16, where Abraham and his seed, though heirs of God, voluntarily became strangers and pilgrims on the earth,

declaring plainly by their withdrawal outside the camp `that they seek a country, wherefore God hath prepared for

them a city'. This is true separation and sanctity, and is set over against the `meats and drinks, and divers baptisms,

and carnal ordinances' that obtained during the time of type and shadow. `Christ being come' (Heb. 9:11) has made

the difference. Christ has suffered without the gate and has ascended to the right hand of God. These facts give us

our two-fold position: `Let us draw near!' `Let us go forth!' Hebrews recognizes no middle course.

`Outside the camp' and `within the veil' find their equivalent in the prison epistles where we are seated together

in the heavenlies. We find our citizenship in heaven, counting all things but loss for the excellency of the

knowledge of Christ, having no room for the elements of the world, or for its attempts at sanctity. We, too, shall

find that, as we set our minds on things above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God, there will be a

corresponding mortifying of the members that are on the earth.

We now consider the closing portion of this wonderful epistle: `Pray for us; for we trust we have a good

conscience, in all things willing to live honestly. But I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to

you the sooner'. Paul continually expressed a desire for the prayers of the saints on his behalf. The following may

be taken as samples:

`Ye also helping together by prayer' (2 Cor. 1:11).

`Praying ... for all saints; and for me' (Eph. 6:18,19).

`Finally, brethren, pray for us' (2 Thess. 3:1).

His reference to a `good conscience' is also quite characteristic, and especially when he has been touching upon

the passing of the faith of his fathers:

`Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day' (Acts 23:1).

`But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers ... I

exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men' (Acts 24:14-16).

His request is that these Hebrews should pray for him that he might be restored the sooner, and the reference to

Timothy being `set at liberty', or `dismissed', show that those to whom the epistle was written knew who the writer

was and the circumstances in which he was then placed. We do not, and it is evident that such knowledge is

unnecessary for the understanding of the epistle.

The writer of the epistle calls it a `word of exhortation' and `a letter in a few words'. Whether the word apoluo

should be interpreted as `set at liberty', as from prison, or `dismissed' in the sense of being sent on a journey, we

cannot decide. The salutation from those `of Italy' (verse 24) would express the desire for unity between those who

were Jews by nature and those who were Gentiles, but whether the writer was actually in Italy at the time of writing

cannot be decided from these words. We now give our attention, in closing, to the prayer of the apostle for the

Hebrews to whom he had written this word of exhortation:

`Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the

blood of the aionian covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is

well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to Whom be glory for ever and ever (unto the ages of the ages).

Amen' (Heb. 13:20,21).

The apostle often speaks of the God of peace toward the close of an epistle:

`Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen' (Rom. 15:33).

`And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly' (Rom. 16:20).

`Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace: and the God of love and peace shall be with you'

(2 Cor. 13:11).