11. What indicates that some of the Hebrews had lost their spiritual alertness, and why is it dangerous to be in such a condition?

¹¹ Paul wrote very frankly to these Christians. They had ‘become dull in their hearing.’ (Heb. 5:11) This did not mean that their ears failed to function, but, rather, their spiritual hearing and alertness to spiritual things were weak. They had shown some indifference toward Jehovah’s Word and purposes, being careless about their spiritual needs. Perhaps they did not realize the danger of their position. Someone had to alert them. So Paul described their current need as requiring someone to teach them from the beginning the elementary things of the sacred pronouncements of God.

12. (a) What is the best way to assist one who has become dull in spiritual hearing? (b) What did Paul say to encourage them not to be satisfied with elementary truth, but to make a recovery?

¹² That is exactly the formula for helping those who become inactive and fall asleep spiritually, namely, to teach them the truth over again. If they become dull in their hearing of spiritual things they fail to take in the solid food of God’s Word. Spiritually they become like babes, taking only milk, not appreciating the strong truths of God’s Word. (Heb. 5:13) A baby needs someone to care for it, because it cannot care for itself. It cannot make decisions on right or wrong. Christians certainly cannot afford to be like that, because to make the wrong decision may mean losing Jehovah’s favor and life itself. If they are to endure they must take in solid food, using their perceptive powers and the Scriptures, and have a basis for determining what is right and what is wrong. In the case of the Hebrews, Paul moved them to add to their knowledge of the truth and to press on to maturity. (Heb. 6:1, 2) Those Christians were not classed by Paul with ones who had fallen away beyond recovery, but, rather, he said: “In your case, beloved ones, we are convinced of better things and things accompanied with salvation, although we are speaking in this way. For God is not unrighteous so as to forget your work and the love you showed for his name, in that you have ministered to the holy ones and continue ministering. But we desire each one of you to show the same industriousness so as to have the full assurance of the hope down to the end, in order that you may not become sluggish, but be imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Heb. 6:9-12) Those words of Paul are very encouraging to us too.

BUILDING APPRECIATION

13. In the opening chapter of his letter to the Hebrews, how did Paul start to build appreciation for what Jehovah had done?

¹³ As we examine this letter written by the apostle Paul, we see the importance of Christians building up appreciation for spiritual things in the minds of other Christians. At the very outset of his letter, in Heb chapters one and two, the apostle mentioned how Jehovah long ago spoke to his servants through prophets (who often received information from the angels). (Compare Galatians 3:19.) The Hebrews were very familiar with history and knew how Jehovah had employed angels in dealing with their forefathers. That was something wonderful. If any one of us were spoken to personally by an angel of Jehovah it could hardly be forgotten as long as we might live. But in the first century something special had been done for the Christians. Something far grander had occurred. God had spoken by means of his Son, who had a position much superior to that of angels. “With reference to which one of the angels has [God] ever said: ‘Sit at my right hand, until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet’?”​—Heb. 1:13.

14. Why is it necessary to pay more than the usual attention to the things heard by us?

¹⁴ With an appreciation of these great truths the reasoning Christian sees how important it is to pay attention to what this Son of God says. So Paul next writes: “That is why it is necessary for us to pay more than the usual attention to the things heard by us, that we may never drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved to be firm, and every transgression and disobedient act received a retribution in harmony with justice; how shall we escape if we have neglected a salvation of such greatness in that it began to be spoken through our Lord and was verified for us by those who heard him?” (Heb. 2:1-3) Therefore, if we are not inclined to pay more than the usual attention to the things heard by us, we are bound to drift away and lose out on everlasting life.

15. (a) How might we use a boat to illustrate drifting away? (b) Describe how a Christian might drift away from God and the Christian congregation.

¹⁵ It is very interesting to see that Paul used this expression “never drift away.” Perhaps you have seen someone in a small boat hurry away when reaching the shore, without tying up the boat. If one is watching one sees that the movement of the boat away from the shore is slow at first, depending upon the currents and the wind. But as time passes, the boat drifts farther and farther out into the lake. On the other hand, if one had not been constantly watching, one might be shocked a little later to see the boat far out in the middle of the lake. So the process of drifting is generally a slow one, and this is what can happen to Christians when they stop paying “more than the usual attention to the things heard,” when they become ‘dull in their hearing.’ As the loss of appreciation for spiritual things grows, the individual gradually develops bad habits, perhaps failing to study, then missing Christian meetings. Becoming irregular in telling the good news to others is not something that happens like a speedboat rushing across the lake, but it is a slow process, as when a canoe, inch by inch, drifts away from a safe anchorage. It is really what the apostle Paul calls it, ‘neglecting salvation.’

16. (a) What important truths should we appreciate, as mentioned in Hebrews 2:10, 14, 18? (b) What should we do when our endurance is being tested?

¹⁶ Our enemy, the one who causes suffering and loss of salvation, is Satan the Devil. Through the coming of Christ Jesus the means for bringing to nothing the Devil became a certainty. Christ became the Chief Agent of salvation and suffered death to make this provision. (Heb. 2:10, 14) Certainly this glorious provision for salvation should be looked upon with great appreciation by the Christian. Paul emphasized to his suffering Hebrew brothers that Christ Jesus understands our position; he too once suffered as a man. Paul was very encouraging in pointing to this fact: “For in that he himself has suffered when being put to the test, he is able to come to the aid of those who are being put to the test.” (Heb. 2:18; 4:15, 16) Ah, yes, Christians know there is a living Christ in the heavens who is ready to come to their aid when they are being put to the test! So pray for this divine assistance the next time your endurance and integrity are sorely being tried.

Encouraging Others to Endure

1. (a) What did Paul urge upon his Hebrew brothers? (b) How often is it good to encourage one another?

IT WAS only about nine short years before Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in 70 C.E. that the apostle Paul wrote his dynamic letter to the Hebrew congregation of Christians in that city. In the previous article we considered what he said in Heb chapters one and two of that letter. In Heb chapter three of the letter to Christianized Hebrews Paul urged his Hebrew brothers to consider the apostle and high priest Jesus, who was faithful as a Son over the house of God. Christians have before them the opportunity to be of that household if they make fast their hold on their freeness of speech and their boasting over the hope firm to the end. That means endurance. Christians must avoid developing “a wicked heart lacking faith by drawing away from the living God,” but, rather, they must keep on exhorting and encouraging one another each day as long as it may be called “Today.”​—Heb. 3:12, 13.

2. In chapter four of the book of Hebrews, how did Paul encourage his brothers?

² In the Scriptures there are many fine words of counsel, many examples for us to consider. Paul reminded the Hebrew Christians there in Jerusalem of some of these examples for their encouragement. He told how God became disgusted with ancient Israel and did not let most of the older Hebrews who came out of Egypt enter the Promised Land. Why not? Because, lacking faith, they acted disobediently. Now, we do not want similarly to fall short of gaining the promise. The good news has been declared to us, and if we exercise our faith we can be sure of entering into ‘God’s rest.’ So we exhort one another and encourage one another not to fall into the same pattern of disobedience as those who came out of Egypt did. We should always have high appreciation for the good news declared to us and keep our faith strong. Let the Word of God exert its power in our lives. “For the word of God is alive and exerts power and is sharper than any two-edged sword and pierces even to the dividing of soul and spirit, and of joints and their marrow, and is able to discern thoughts and intentions of the heart.”​—Heb. 4:1-5, 11, 12.

3. What circumstances might have become a snare to the Hebrew Christians?

³ Those Hebrew Christians of the first century lived in the midst of great crowds of Jews who practiced the traditional rabbinical religion, and who attempted to follow the law covenant despite the fact that it had ended. Christians were in the minority and so were unpopular, persecuted and hated. But they could not begin to think of returning to Judaism to avoid the hatred and persecution, nor could they allow themselves to be attracted to the social festivities connected with the synagogues. They had to have sound knowledge and understanding of how Christ fulfilled the Law, in order to keep from falling back to Judaism and the offering of animal sacrifices, all of which by now was nothing more than empty, ineffective ritual in God’s sight.

4. What are some of the doctrines that Paul included in his letter to build up the Hebrews?

⁴ Under these conditions, who was better able to understand the pressure and persecution to which Jewish Christians there in Jerusalem were exposed than the apostle Paul? Who was better equipped to supply them with powerful arguments in refutation of the Jewish tradition than Paul, a former Pharisee? With his knowledge of the Mosaic law learned at the feet of Gamaliel, he was able to present uncontestable proof that Christ is the fulfillment of the Law, along with its ordinances and sacrifices, and that the former arrangement had now been replaced by far more glorious realities. All the strikingly brilliant new teachings about the Christ were here presented to the Jewish converts with such abundant proof from the Hebrew Scriptures that no reasonable person could fail to be convinced and built up spiritually. The letter to the Hebrews shows Paul’s deep love for his brothers and his burning desire to help them in a practical way in their time of great spiritual need.

SUPERIORITY OF THE NEW OVER THE OLD

5. How did he stress the superiority of the new Christian arrangement?

⁵ A consideration of this letter to the Hebrews shows how Paul stressed the superiority of the new arrangement that God had made for his people. Under this new system of things Jesus Christ became the high priest forever, one who does not need any successors, as the high priests did in the ancient Levitic days. He does not need daily to offer up sacrifices for his own sins and then for the people’s sins as those high priests did. He was able to make one sacrifice for the people’s sins perpetually, and then sat down at the right hand of God.​—Heb. 6:20; 7:11-28; 8:1; 9:6-28.

6. Why was the new covenant so superior to the law covenant?

⁶ Now a new covenant has come into operation that does things that the law covenant could never do. The law covenant kept reminding men of their sins, requiring that they continually offer up sacrifices. And yet, it could never open the way for man to receive everlasting life. Paul quoted from Jeremiah’s prophecy concerning a new covenant that Jehovah would make: “‘This is the covenant that I shall covenant toward them after those days,’ says Jehovah. ‘I will put my laws in their hearts, and in their minds I shall write them.’” And he continued quoting: “I shall by no means call their sins and their lawless deeds to mind anymore.” “Now where there is forgiveness of these,” Paul reasons, “there is no longer an offering for sin.” (Heb. 10:16-18; 8:7-13; Jer. 31:31-33) So the new is vastly superior to the old in many ways.

7. (a) How did Paul stress the importance of having faith? (b) How did the example of Jesus demonstrate the relationship of faith and endurance?

⁷ In Heb chapter 11 of Paul’s letter to the Hebrews faith was stressed as absolutely necessary, for without it it is impossible to please God. The Christianized Hebrews knew about their forefathers, the faithful men of old. So Paul was able to use the experiences of Abraham and those other men of faith as a means of encouragement. Those devoted men of God demonstrated the absolute necessity of maintaining strong faith under many tests. Then in Heb chapter 12 Paul capped his argument off with reference to the Chief Agent and Perfecter of our faith, saying: “So, then, because we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also put off every weight and the sin that easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, as we look intently at the Chief Agent and Perfecter of our faith, Jesus. For the joy that was set before him he endured a torture stake, despising shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Indeed, consider closely the one who has endured such contrary talk by sinners against their own interests, that you may not get tired and give out in your souls.” (Heb. 12:1-3) The faithful endurance of Christ is our example to copy. He endured contrary talk and pain because he could by faith see, beyond the experience of death, the joy ahead. If our faith is strong, so that we visualize the New Order ahead of us, we too should be able to endure. By thus keeping a spiritual spotlight on the superiority of Christ’s example and on the Christian arrangement, Paul was able to exhort his fellow servants of God to maintain a high appreciation of sacred things.

ENCOURAGED TO APPRECIATE SACRED THINGS

8. How do sanctification and appreciation of sacred things relate to endurance?

⁸ He showed too the importance of sanctification and cleanness, tying them all together, thus: “Pursue peace with all people, and the sanctification without which no man will see the Lord, carefully watching that no one may be deprived of the undeserved kindness of God; that no poisonous root may spring up and cause trouble and that many may not be defiled by it; that there may be no fornicator nor anyone not appreciating sacred things, like Esau, who in exchange for one meal gave away his rights as firstborn. For you know that afterward also when he wanted to inherit the blessing he was rejected, for, although he earnestly sought a change of [his father’s] mind with tears, he found no place for it.” (Heb. 12:14-17) Yes, Esau could not hold appreciation of sacred things even under the slight pressure of feeling hungry. He did not have the faith required to visualize the joy that was to come to the faithful ones. He failed to endure so small a test. In these “last days” food shortages will occur and we too may sometime feel hungry. But that is no reason to give up our blessed position as God’s servants. Jehovah will help us through all our trials, be they small or large. (Matt. 4:1-11) Jesus is our great example in this regard.

9. What is one of the best ways to help ourselves and others to appreciate spiritual things and the need to endure?

⁹ As a cure for those who may become dull in their hearing and who slip into inactivity, Paul recommends: “Let us hold fast the public declaration of our hope without wavering, for he is faithful that promised. And let us consider one another to incite to love and fine works, not forsaking the gathering of ourselves together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as you behold the day drawing near.” (Heb. 10:23-25) By this we are impressed with the importance of both attending meetings and regularly participating in meetings, in order to maintain our appreciation of spiritual things. Those who have become weak or dull in their hearing can be renewed or incited to love and fine works by our bringing them to Christian meetings. There is really no substitute for this provision of God.

10. (a) Why should we be encouraging one another now? (b) What quality moves one to encourage one’s brothers?

¹⁰ Paul told us to be encouraging one another, and all the more so as you behold the day drawing near. Now that we have reached this stage in history when the end of Satan’s rule is near at hand, it becomes imperative to keep on encouraging one another. While most of the true Christians today may not have come out of the Jewish religious system that opposed and persecuted early Christians, nevertheless, we are surrounded by temptations and are under the pressure of persecution and hatred from many other sources. We have come out of Babylon the Great, which still appears to be materially prosperous in some places, but we certainly do not wish to return to her evil practices. Peter warned against such a thing as that. (2 Pet. 2:21, 22) Now is a time to maintain high appreciation for the sacred things we have learned about. Because of the love existing in the Christian congregation, all desire to see their brothers and sisters endure and continue in the way that leads to everlasting life. Therefore, it is a time for exhorting and encouraging one another. Each one of us can remember what the apostle Paul did to encourage and help his brothers. He emphasized for them the superiority of this new and better arrangement that God has made for his people. Therefore, there should be no inclination on our part to drift away to the world and its religious systems.

11. How do we benefit by the spiritual things Paul wrote to the Hebrews?

¹¹ We too can benefit from what Paul told the Hebrews, reminding ourselves about the great provision Jehovah made through the everlasting priesthood, the benefits of the new covenant, and the taking away of sins forever through the one sacrifice of Christ. Although we may have heard these things many times, they are not something common or ordinary. They are absolutely superior. Repetition of the truth is upbuilding. There are many excellent opportunities to speak of the spiritual benefits we all enjoy as Jehovah’s dedicated servants in these “last days.” By reminding one another of these all-important things we shall be helping one another to keep from slowly drifting away.