What I Believe
QUOTE OF THE WEEK

 

Compare yourself with those who on the Lord’s Day hear nothing except the dismal sound of the world. What a privilege it is for you to hear the proclamation of the gospel!
Bakker, Frans.

 

More Quotes

Compare yourself with those who on the Lord’s Day hear nothing except the dismal sound of the world. What a privilege it is for you to hear the proclamation of the gospel! Bakker, Frans.
SUBSCRIBE
AddThis Feed Button
Powered by Squarespace
STUDY LINKS and RESOURCES
« John Brown, Hebrews Quote 8 | Main | John Brown, Hebrews Quote 6 »
Friday
Dec212007

John Brown, Hebrews Quote 7

Hebrews by John Brown  p. 156

    It now only remains that we inquire into the import of the exhortation, “Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.”  The phraseology is peculiar.  The usual order of the names, Jesus Christ, is reversed.  Michaelis is probably right in thinking this was intended to bring out this thought:  ‘Consider the Apostle and High Priest whom we acknowledge—the Messiah, Jesus.’  Some have supposed that the exhortation here is just equivalent to that in the beginning of the second chapter.  To “consider the Apostle of our profession,” and to “give heed to the things spoken by Him,” if not the same, are very closely allied; but to “consider the High Priest of our profession,” is obviously a very different thing from “taking heed to the things spoken by Him,” though it is only by taking heed to the things spoken by Him that we can consider Him as our High Priest, as He alone, by His Spirit, has revealed the truth respecting His priestly office and functions.  To “consider” our Lord as “the Apostle and High Priest of our profession,” is just to make the truth revealed to us in His word respecting Him, as the Great Prophet and the only High Priest whom we acknowledge, the subject of deep habitual thought, that we may understand it and believe it, and be led into a corresponding course of affection and conduct in reference to Him.

    This is a duty of radical importance to Christians.  It is because we think so little, and to so little purpose, on Christ, that we know so little about Him, that we love Him so little, trust in Him so little, so often neglect our duty, are so much influenced by “things seen and temporal,” and so little by “things unseen and eternal.”  If the Apostle could but get the Hebrew Christians to “consider the Apostle and High Priest of their profession,” his object of keeping them steady in their attachment to Him was gained.  It is because men do not know Christ that they do not love Him; it is because they know Him so imperfectly that they love Him so imperfectly.  The truth about Him as the Great Prophet and the Great High Priest well deserves consideration—it is “the manifold wisdom of God.”  It requires it; it cannot be understood by a careless, occasional glance.  Angels feel that even their faculties are overmatched with this subject.  They are but “desiring to look into” it, as they do not yet fully understand it. It is only by “considering” the truth about Jesus Christ as “the Apostle and High Priest of our profession” that we can personally enjoy the benefits of His teaching as a Prophet, and of His expiation and intercession as a High Priest.  We cannot be too deeply impressed with a conviction of this, that all spiritual blessings come to us through the faith of the truth respecting the Apostle and High Priest of our profession.  Truth must be understood in order to its being believed, and it must be considered in order to its being understood.  The consideration of Jesus Christ is not only necessary to the production of faith, but to its continued existence, and to its gradual improvement.  An inconsiderate man is never likely to succeed in life.  An inconsiderate Christian is necessarily a very unsteady and a very uncomfortable one.  The grand radical duty of the Christian is “looking to Jesus;” and the sum and substance of the message which the ministers of Christ have to deliver is, ‘Behold Him, behold Him.’

    We all acknowledge Jesus Christ as “the Apostle and High Priest.”  Let us treat Him accordingly.  Believe nothing but on His authority.  On His authority believe everything that He reveals.  In religion acknowledge no other ultimate authority but His.  Expect pardon and salvation in no other way but through His atonement and intercession; and confidently expect them through this medium.  You equally do Him dishonor when you trust to anything but His sacrifice, and when you refuse to trust implicitly and unsuspectingly to that sacrifice.  In the New Economy, Jesus Christ is “all in all”—Prophet, Priest, King,Saviour, Lord.  Let us then seek all from Him; let us receive all that He is appointed to bestow—knowledge, pardon, sanctification, eternal life; and let us cheerfully ascribe to Him all the glory.

Reader Comments

There are no comments for this journal entry. To create a new comment, use the form below.

PostPost a New Comment

Enter your information below to add a new comment.

My response is on my own website »
Author Email (optional):
Author URL (optional):
Post:
 
Some HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong>