 |  |
"so as by fire". He may not himself be lost, but he may "suffer loss", and see his life's
work turn to smoke (I Cor. 3:). This was the dreadful possibility before the Hebrews.
Saving (purchasing) the soul.
Peripoiesis translated "saving" occurs but five times in the New Testament, viz.:
"The redemption of the purchased possession" (Eph. 1: 14).
"To obtain salvation" (I Thess. 5: 9).
"To the obtaining of the glory" (II Thess. 2: 14).
"The saving of the soul" (Heb. 10: 39).
"A peculiar people" (I Pet. 2: 9).
Peripoieomai is translated "purchased" in Acts 20: 28, and "purchase" in I Tim. 3: 13.
Not only must we have the true conception of this word "saving", but we must also be
sure that we have no traditional warp regarding the expression saving the "soul". It is
used in evangelical preaching and literature as though it means the salvation of the sinner,
but the striking thing is that Paul has no use for the expression. Peter uses the words "the
salvation (soterian, not peripoiesis) of your souls", but not in the sense usually employed,
for he speaks of it as the end of their faith and of "salvation ready to be revealed in the
last time . . . . . at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (I Pet. 1: 5-9). So far as the present is
concerned, believers are exhorted rather to lose their souls than to save them; which,
however, is not a popular expression today. The moment we see this we are on the track
of the truth of Heb. 10:, and Matt. 16: supplies the key:
"If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and
follow Me. For whosoever will save his life (soul) shall lose it: and whosoever will lose
his soul for My sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole
world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the
Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall
reward every man according to his works" (Matt. 16: 24-27). (Soul and life translate
the one Greek word psuche).
The man who denies himself, and takes up his cross, loses his soul in this life. If he
turns back to the good things that he has relinquished, making his belly his god, and
finding his glory in his shame, he saves his soul in this life, but becomes the enemy of the
cross, for he has refused to bear it. The one who is willing to lose his soul for Christ's
sake will find it when the Lord gives reward at His Coming. All this is intended by the
words of Heb. 10: 39. Here, as in Heb. 6:, hope is the anchor of the soul, is connected
with the obtaining of the promises, enters within the veil, and belongs to those once
"enlightened". Heb. 11: which immediately follows contains a list of Old Testament
saints who lost their souls for Christ's sake, to find them in the better resurrection.
As this chapter is so important, and we have one special feature to make clear, we
conclude this study at this point. We trust that the close parallel that is observable
between Matthew, Philippians and Hebrews will not be without salutary effect upon us
all. Let us go on unto perfection; let us remember the awful waste of precious
opportunities that will be ours if we "neglect so great salvation", if we neglect to "work