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B | Heb. 3:-6: ON TO PERFECTION. |
Let us come boldly.
Example of unbelief.
"The Profession"
Perfect 5: babes.
(Homologia) (3: 1; 4: 14).
No renewal unto repentance.
Senses exercised.
Crucify afresh the Son.
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B | 10: 19 - 12: 25. BACK TO PERDITION. |
Let us draw near.
Example of faith.
"The Profession"
Sons 5: firstborn.
(Homologia/eo) (10: 23; 11: 13).
No place for repentance.
Discipline exercised.
Trod under foot the Son.
There can be no question but that these two sections very closely correspond with one
another, and if they contain all the occurrences of "tempt" and "temptation" that are to be
found in the epistle to the Hebrews, then those temptations must be intimately related to
the ideas of "perfection" and perdition"; with "going on", or with "drawing back".
When we come to consider the smaller portion of Hebrews that contains the passage
under review, we discover that its historic background is the story of Israel's failure in
the wilderness; a failure to "go on unto perfection", with which the words "tempt" and
"temptation" are closely interwoven.
Hebrews 2: 17 - 4: 16.
A | 2: 17 - 3: 1. Tempted. Succour. Profession.
B | 3: 2 - 4: 11 | "IF" The TEMPTATION.
"IF" They TEMPTED ME.
A | 4: 12-16. Tempted. Help. Profession.
It will be seen that Heb. 4: 15 is an integral part of this larger context, and no
interpretation is therefore valid that ignores or contravenes the general direction of the
teaching of the larger context. A "profession" is in view; something to "hold fast";
something involving trial and self-denial; something that may be lost. Further, with the
structure before us, it is impossible to isolate Heb. 4: 15; we must keep in mind the
temptation mentioned in chapter 3:
"Your fathers tempted ME" (Heb. 3: 9), said God. Now whatever questionable views
we may entertain concerning the temptations to which our Lord was subjected in the days
of His flesh, no such thoughts are possible when we consider the words "Your fathers
tempted ME". It is not only repugnant to common sense, but contrary to positive
Scripture, that God can, by any possibility, be "tempted" to, or by, evil. "God cannot be
tempted with evil" is the categorical statement of Holy Writ (James 1: 13); consequently
we are immediately faced with a fact concerning "temptation" that must influence our
views of Heb. 2: 18 and 4: 15.
If we have continued the quotation of Heb. 3: 9 we should have read, "When your
fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My works forty years". "Proved" is dokimazo,