35. We See Jesus

Covering Hebrews Chapters 13 & 1-2:

I am glad we are writing the Gospel Comments for Hebrews only after finishing most of John. I hope to end this study with the final topic of Hebrews, “God offers us as His sons.” I am writing the comments for Revelation at this same time.

No book of the Bible is more complex than Hebrews and none have been brutalized more by those who carnalize the Scripture. We have come to know the thinking of John and of Paul. Because they think quite differently from each other, they can say the same things in very different ways. I believe that the writer of Hebrews had the highest IQ of any Bible writer. This is important, because we do NOT treat with Hebrews as if we are smart, as so many do.

Focus and Purpose. I have drawn the book of Hebrews past my brain and into my heart over the years more than any other, for I did NOT know what it meant, but I knew that I needed its meaning. When I wrote Symmorphy I: Purpose, I discovered that I did not know what Hebrews 10:19-22 even said, though I had been “teaching” it for years.

Hebrews drives straight to the point, twice, and everything included fits that drive. Here is what I wrote earlier. ~ The focus and purpose of Hebrews 1-7, including Hebrews 3:6 & 14, the jeopardy of the Gospel, is that God offers us as His sons for the sake of others. The focus and purpose of Hebrews 8-12, including the Covenant, including Hebrews 10:19-22, is that God offers us as His sons for the sake of others – into the city of the living God. ~

Finishing Paul. Now, in my attempt to fit the Gospel Verses of Hebrews into the space of these lessons, I have brought Paul’s portion, Chapter 13, into this lesson. In fact, we will begin with it, so that we have the straight shot we need from God speaking us inside of Jesus to offering us as His sons in the day when He shakes heaven and earth.

In a sense we are “finishing Paul,” a good way to think about Chapter 13, placing its verses into the Flow we have already received out from Paul. Yet we can also see that Paul references things out from Hebrews so that his words, in his own style, would fit what is already written there. Paul would have written this concurrently with 1 Timothy and Titus. Again, I have always felt that knowing those who wrote or are found in Scripture, as humans just like ourselves, is critical.

Hospitality. (Chapter 13) • 1 Let brotherly love remain and abide. 2 Do not be forgetful of hospitality, for through hospitality, some have entertained angels unawares. 3 Remember those who are bound as sharing their bonds together with them, and those being mistreated, as if you yourself are also in their body.

This is clearly Paul’s style of writing, and he begins with how he words the actions of love. “Hospitality” is just the best word to describe the actions of caring for others. People get excited about “entertaining angels,” and forget that they are ALWAYS entertaining Jesus in their brother and sister.

13:1-3 Ruling Verse 8: Our first response out from a God of consuming Fire is that we love one another, for that Fire is Love. The key description of such love is “hospitality.” And remember that entertaining Jesus in our brethren is greater.

The Greatest Surrender. 5 Be without avarice in your manner of life, being satisfied with the active coming [of Christ already now], as He Himself said, • “I will never let go of you nor leave you behind.” 6 So, being filled with courage and good cheer, we say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What could man do to me?”

This is Galatians 2:20 again, expressed very differently. From the time I read Watchman Nee at age 19, I knew that Christ was inside of me. Yet I always conceived of such a thing, as everyone else also did, as Christ over there in one little part of me, and not actually in ME, that is, that “I” was still in charge, deciding whether today will be Christ or “Adam.” Union with Christ KNOCKED me off that deceitful pedestal; acknowledging Jesus already all, in all that is me, is the greatest SURRENDER I have known.

Jesus with Me. More than that, this is clearly a union between two, for if I have “vanished,” then Jesus has also vanished. Jesus is always WITH me in all.

Avarice means wanting God to be something He is not as me right now, very different from expecting God, for it is the opposite of thanksgiving. Avarice is the enemy of union, for it will refuse such a “ridiculous” thing. Paul did use the word “coming,” rather than present, yet I now perceive His coming as all here now continuous.

5-6 Ruling Verse 5: We are satisfied with the continual presence of Jesus with us, always coming out from God and always extending Himself in union over us. Avarice means wanting something else; thanksgiving expects God to arise.

A Wholesome Ministry. • 7 Remember those leading you in the way, who speak the word of God to you; observe carefully what comes out from their way of living; imitate their faith. • 8 Jesus Christ the same, yesterday, today, and into the ages.

Paul is speaking out from a healthy and wholesome view of God’s order for His Church. In fact, in writing Timothy and Titus at the same time, Paul was focusing on the ministry, but here he focuses on our response to ministry, two ways of seeing the same thing.
 
7 The Form for God through Jesus: Verses 7 & 17 are a wonderful description of God’s ministry in His Church and how we respond to their service. They lead by example in the way of giving all to the Father for the sake of others. Observing their fruit, we imitate, not their “fruit,” but their faith.

The Same. I want to think about Jesus Christ the same, for it is a critical definition of the Lord Jesus, yet our knowing is incomplete. And Paul is pairing that concept with “those leading in the way.” And now I understand. A “way” is every next step. In every next step, Jesus carries us inside Himself, giving Himself to the Father for our sake, and we with Him. This is Jesus “the same.” He is not, never has been, and never will be, any other.

8 Definition: The central quality of Jesus Christ the same is that He gives Himself to the Father for our sakes, and to us for the Father’s sake, that all differences might be resolved and that we might know and share life with God. Jesus Christ the same always is our Source, always is with us in intimate Union, and always is our every next step into the age.

Bearing His Reproach. • 13 Therefore, we should go forth to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach, that is, the accusations against Him. 14 Indeed, we do not have an abiding city here [in our present circumstances], but we are seeking for one ready to come. • 15 Through Him, then, we should bring the offering of praise to God through everything, that is, the fruit of our lips, speaking together His same name. • 16 And do not be forgetful of doing good in the koinonia of sharing, indeed, such offerings are well pleasing to God.

Everything of our sending and of suffering together with Christ is found in Ruling Verse 9. At the same time, our clearer understanding of “the way” leads right into these lines. We bear His reproach as we surrender fully to God incarnate in us, a God who always gives Himself for others.

Sharing with Jesus in All. Paul is referring directly to the conclusion of Hebrews, God offering us as His sons, that we are come now to the city of the living God. Paul does not perceive a “someday” salvation. Rather, he is presenting our two-step walk, giving thanks for all things now, yet never accepting the “now” only. Instead, we always expect the city of God to arise around us. This was always a difficult chapter, and now it has become so beautiful. This is also Ruling Verse 1, sharing with Jesus in all.

13-14 Ruling Verse 1 & 9: Jesus is already symmorphosed with us; we share with Jesus in all. We bear His reproach as we surrender fully to God incarnate in us, for there is nothing hated more by humans than one who shares all with God. Paul presents our two-step walk, giving thanks for all now, yet always expecting the city of God to arise around us.

An Abiding City. The entire world economic structure is already collapsing, far more than most yet realize. We do NOT seek to fix the present world, but our eyes are on a Church arising right now all across the earth, the City of God. This is what we speak. The offering of praise, speaking together His name that we are just like Him, doing good in the koinonia of sharing, these are the very calling forth of such a City.

14-15 Speak Christ: The offering of praise comes through the certainty that God speaks the Truth, as we speak together that Jesus makes us to be like Himself, that is, His name.

14-16 The Form for God through Jesus: “Doing good in the koinonia of sharing” is the essence of God’s dwelling place, the abiding City. Our praise, our certainty in sharing together Jesus’ name, is always calling such a City into being.

Ministry in the Church. • 17 Have confidence in those who are leading you, and yield to them as they watch over your souls [your self-story], as they restore word to you; that they might do this with joy and not grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

The ministry of Christ in the Church is a different concept from the ministry of our sending out from God. Ruling Verse 9 is Refuge and Outlook, that is, we are here inside the dwelling place of God, building up one another, that LIFE might go out from us together setting creation free. In fact, Ephesians 4:11 asserts that ministry in the Church serves all the members, so that those gathered together might become whole in their knowledge of Christ, including the aroma of His presence going forth in every place.

Restoring Word. Yet this is the verse that has been applied in a criminal manner more than any other in history. – “Obey those who rule over you.” We see it now as a repeat of everything said for verses 7 & 8, Jesus Christ carrying us.

The Form for God through Jesus: Verse 17 is falsely translated in Nicene Bibles (obey those who rule) and thus has become the most abused Scripture in history. God’s ministry inside His Church watches over our story of self, that we might learn to speak Christ our only Life – into JOY.

Now we are ready to enter the straight arrow shot that is Hebrews. Think of Odysseus and his bow shooting the arrow straight through every axe hoop lined up. Hebrews 1:1-3 is the power of that bow, and we are the arrow.

Sustaining All. (Chapter 1) • 2 In these present final days God has spoken us inside His Son, whom He appointed heir of all, and through whom He forms the ages. • 3 This Son is the shining forth of glory and the character and exact reproduction of God’s substance, • bringing forth, carrying, and sustaining all by His power-filled word. • Having crafted through Himself the full cleansing away of all falling short, He sat down inside the right hand of exalted Majesty.

There is so very much in these two verses, including some of the most important definitions in the Bible. If I were not driven by haste inside the present time, needing to complete The Open Scroll, I would spend time with every single phrase in Hebrews (fourteen in these two verses). Yet we are building the knowing we need for such a joy when it comes.

Out from God. We begin with two definitions, second, a definition of the Lord Jesus, and first, a definition of us inside of Him. Of truth, the definition of us out from God is also a presentation of the essence of God as Word to be spoken. God cannot be Word except that Word be continuously spoken, thus Jesus is out from God always all here now.

2 Definition: Our humanity is defined as God speaking us out from His own thoughts both through and inside of Christ.

3 Definition: As we see Jesus as He is, we see the exact image of God’s substance, the character or mark of the Father.

3 Definition: Verse 3 is the most definitional verse in the Bible. Those who do not see themselves, and all else, coming out from the good-speaking of Jesus, see only a psychotic fantasy ruled over by good versus evil.

The Context of Sustaining All. I see that a key idea behind “sustaining all” is “through whom He forms the ages.” And a key reality placed right after “sustaining all” is “cleansing away crafted through Himself.”

The ages being formed is every next step we take. And that step is already cleansed and joined with God as we take it. Those two are the context in which “sustaining all” operates.

3 Life: Jesus is continuously the speaking forth of Word, causing through Himself all things to exist. Jesus brings forth all, He carries all, and He sustains all by His power-filled Word. This is the Source and meaning of all LIFE. Every next step through Jesus is cleansed and joined with God.

3 Ruling Verse 6: Jesus alone removes all sin by the cleansing of His Blood already all. Jesus has already joined us with God.

The Role of Angels. • 14 Are they [angels] not all serving spirits, being sent forth into service through those about to inherit salvation?

I am writing the Flow of Gospel Word for John’s vision simultaneously with Hebrews. The result will be a partial joining of these two books, something I have never considered before. That makes me realize that this verse is part of our ministry, our sending, and our Victory. Angels serve us in the heavenlies just as animals serve us in the earthly. Yet humans have not related well with either.

Ruling Verse 9: We are heavenly and earthly merged together in one body. Just as animals serve us in earthly work, so angels serve us in heavenly work. Our heavenly work is to set creation free, beginning with God’s Church. Angels serve us in their part of accomplishing the life and blessing we send into others.

Gideon’s Three Hundred. This is an understanding we need for Revelation 12. Consider Gideon’s three hundred. These are those who drank fully of the Spirit with all their brethren, but who kept their eyes fully upon the battle against death, a Victory that would come only through Voice shouted from them.

The mighty angels are not for playing with; they are for war. They are for those who look intently at the Church of God and require God as Love coming through them for her sake, that is, the heirs of Salvation. Our little prayers together release the biggest of all fighters.

Ruling Verse 4: The overcomers of Revelation 12:11 keep their eyes on the battle for the sake of the Church, set free from all accusation. These are the heirs of salvation. Our little prayers together release the biggest of angelic warriors.

Such a Salvation. (Chapter 2) • 3 How will we escape if we have neglected a salvation such as this? – Which those who heard, having first received it spoken by the Lord, have made it firm into us, 4 God united in bearing witness together with them by signs and wonders and by various powers and distributions out from the Devoted Spirit, down to the finest details of His desire.

When we have completed this study of Hebrews, we will KNOW such Salvation as we never have before. When I began this study, I still knew Hebrews only as a series of parts, now I am beginning to see its vast depths and its great Glory.

3 Definition: Our Salvation is already all now, not a “someday” other. Salvation is sharing life with God through the joining together that is Jesus as Covenant and as Propitiation. Salvation is a life of knowing the Father sharing all with us.  

Another Foundational Passage. 7 “For a brief while, You made mankind as lower than angels; You crowned him with glory and honor and have appointed him in charge over the works of Your hands. • 8 You have put all in subjection under the feet of humans.” For in already and always subjecting all to mankind, God left nothing not subject. • Now, however, we do not yet see [by outward appearance] all things subjected. 9 But we see Jesus, for a brief while having been made as one lower than angels, through the suffering of death, who has been crowned with glory and honor, • so that by grace coming out from God, He might eat up death for the sake of all.

This is also a foundational passage, the understanding of which underlies so much of what we are as humans.

Overcome – Subdue. God in action is “overcome-subdue.” That meaning is found in the words, “He shall reign” and Kingdom. Set into the awareness of all are TWO ways to subdue, violence or Love. “Subdue all” is another way of saying “God-Love through us.”

7-8 Kingdom: When God said to Adam and Eve, “Subdue,” He transferred all authority over everything created in both heaven and earth from Himself to mankind. Man is the master; angels are the servants, fallen or unfallen. God never takes this authority back. After the death of all mankind upon the cross (see 2 Corinthians 5:14), God transferred this authority to Jesus and to those alive inside of Him, who share all with Him.

7-8 Definition: The words overcome/subdue are God in action, the meaning of the Kingdom. There are two ways to subdue, by violence using Satan or by God-Love through us.

Eating up Death. Ruling Verse 6 is Covenant, and 7 is Kingdom. The shaking of heaven and earth, inside of which we are offered as sons, is caused by our Shout of Victory over death. The Voice of the Son of God causing LIFE is in our mouth.

7-9 Kingdom: The shaking of heaven and earth, inside of which we are offered as sons (see Hebrews 12), is caused by our shout of victory over death. The voice of the Son of God causing LIFE is in our mouth.

8 Definition: We must know the difference between substance and appearance. We know the substance of God and of real by seeing Jesus; whereas the world that we “see” around us is not just appearance, but a fake appearance.

9 Ruling Verses 6 & 7: Ruling Verse 6 is Covenant, Jesus with us, and Ruling Verse 7 is Kingdom, the defeat of death.

But We See Jesus. I have selected this phrase as the main topic of Hebrews 1-2, and it truly is. And for seeing Jesus to be real for us, we must place it into the intimacy of His union with us. In our Gospel Comment, I will list just some of the things that we see, for this is the list in Symmorphy VI: Mankind, Lesson 3.3 “The Pattern that Is Jesus.” Indeed, in the next verse is the word “archetype,” meaning pattern.

9 Ruling Verse 5: In seeing Jesus as He is, we see a Jesus who dwells in our hearts, having already come into intimate union with us. We see Jesus as every Word God speaks and as the Sustainer of all. We see Jesus as the becoming of all, the very Life force inside energeoing all that we are. We see Jesus as all cleansing away and as our all-connection with God. We see Him as the One who humbles Himself, our dearest Friend.

A Complete Picture. • 10 Indeed, it was fitting and suitable for God, through whom are all and by whom are all, having already brought many sons into glory, to complete the Archetype of their salvation through endured passions and sufferings. • 11 For the One actively and presently making devoted and those who are presently being made devoted, both are all out from One [God]; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, 12 saying, “I will declare Your name to My brothers and sisters. Inside the midst of the called out ones, that is, the Church, I will sing praises to You”. 13 And again, “I will be persuaded and have confidence upon Him.” • And again, “Here am I, look at Me, I and the children whom God has given Me.”

This is a complete picture, and we must know it all together. Indeed, this is a powerful version of Ruling Verse 1.

The Archetype of Our Salvation. The word “archetype” means the exact pattern of everything to follow. In literature, the archetype of the hero is then the definition of every hero in every story. That hero has a task to accomplish in order to restore what was right and good. Jesus as the Archetype of our Salvation means that we are just like Him in all ways, including in the task of Victory and the restoration of the Kingdom beginning with the Church.

10 Ruling Verse 1: “The firstborn of many brethren” just like Himself, and “bringing many sons into glory” are the same thing. Just as Jesus devoted is out from God, so also are we.

10 Definition: The word “archetype” means the exact pattern of everything to follow. In literature, the archetype of the hero defines every hero in every story. That hero has a task to accomplish in order to restore what was right and good. Jesus as the Archetype of our Salvation means that we are just like Him in all ways, including in the task of Victory and the restoration of the Kingdom beginning with the Church.

I and the Children. 11-12 The Form for God through Jesus: Jesus dwells inside His Church, His body. As we sing praises of worship to God, Jesus Himself is the One who is actually singing.

Notice also that Ruling Verse 6, which is central to Covenant, Hebrews 10:19-22, is being repeated often in differing ways.

13 Ruling Verse 6: As you read Hebrews, take note of how often Ruling Verse 6 (Hebrews 10:19-22), which is central to the Covenant (Hebrews 8:7-12), is repeated in differing ways.  

13 Covenant: Isaiah heard Jesus’ thoughts declared in every step from His arising in Gethsemane to being seated at the right hand of God, the LOUDEST words in the universe (paraphrased). “Look at Me, God, I am right here inside of You. And I have here with Me every single precious one whom You have given to Me.” – the Father’s Desire.

When God Reveals Himself. • 14 Therefore, since the children have shared blood and flesh, He also in the same way actively partook of the same, so that through death, He might destroy the one holding the power of death, that is, the devil and accuser, 15 and might release those who through fear of death were of slavery all their lives. • 16 For indeed, He never took hold in any place of [the form of] angels, but He took hold of [the form of] the offspring of Abraham.

I now see the necessary purpose of verse 16. Adam chose to see God through his interpretation of the superiority of angels. That’s why his descendants killed Jesus who came in the weakness of humans. God does NOT show Himself as heavenly superiority. When God reveals Himself to creation, He appears as humans together, caring for one another.

How Jesus Defeats Death. Yet Hebrews continues with a full expression of how Jesus, having come as a human, defeats death – the power of death and the fear of death – eaten up, destroyed, and we released.

14-15 Definition: Death is first refusing to know God, second blindness towards what is real, that is, wandering in lostness for no reason, and third, the splitting apart of spirit and physic. Death is our enemy; conquering death is our Victory.

14-16 Ruling Verses 6 & 7: Jesus appeared as God intends humans to be, sharing all with us, that He might destroy death by giving Himself for us, carrying us into God.

16 Definition: Adam chose the superiority of angels even as he rejected the humility of being like Jesus. Heavenly superiority does not reveal God. When God appears, He comes in the weakness of human flesh and humbles Himself.

Summing Up and Setting Forth. • 17 Therefore, He ought to be made just exactly like His brothers and sisters in every possible way, • that He might become a merciful and faithful High Priest connecting us continuously with God, into making propitiation and full resolution for the people who were falling short and disconnecting from God. • 18 For since He himself has suffered, having been tested [by evil], He is able to rescue actively and completely those who are being tested.

In these two verses, Hebrews is summing up the introduction to the argument and setting out the topics that will be developed. Actually, the word “therefore” opening verses 14 and 17 means exactly that. And so we include verses 14 through 18 as this summing up and setting forth. This is what I mean by finding the straight arrow shot by which we are being sent into the offering of God.

High Priest and Propitiation. Hebrews places at the center of our Salvation the action of Propitiation that is our High Priest, the meaning of “subdue.” The full meaning of Hebrews 10:19-21, the reason for our actions in 10:22, is all through the entire book of Hebrews.

17 Ruling Verse 8: Jesus is just like us, as God intends humans to be, yet sharing also all of our agony and distress. This action of Jesus, in feeling cut-off from God, in hating Himself, in despising us (see Psalm 22), yet giving Himself as that to the Father for our sakes, this action wins our hearts.

17 Definition: Memorize verse 17, for the meaning of “High Priest” and “propitiation,” we must KNOW.

17-18 Ruling Verse 6: Inside the blood of Jesus consecrating for us a newly sacrificed as well as a living way through the veil, that is, through His flesh… – How Jesus rescues us.

Several Conclusions. We come to several conclusions thus far. First, there is NO Salvation except we SEE Jesus as He is, defining Him as God defines Him, and being carried by Him utterly into God. Second, we are not surprised to see Ruling Verses 6 & 7 over and over, Kingdom and Covenant, repeated in many different ways. The verses I chose as the Rule are simply the clearest and most powerful, as Hebrews drives those Truths home.

Third, my sadness over not developing every single phrase is mitigated by the realization that all these things will be developed as Hebrews propels us towards the target. And fourth, that is where we place ourselves, for we dare not study the Bible except we place ourselves into the Pro-Determination of God, in full personal engagement with Him.

Let’s Pray Together. “God, our Father, You not only speak us inside of Jesus and carry us all the way through by the giving of Your Son, but You have also set us now as Jesus in our world. Father, we do not neglect the Glorious Salvation into which You have placed us. Rather, we engage directly with You, knowing that you have seized us into Yourself for Your sake, that Your Desire, your Church, might come to full glory.

“Father, we seize hold of everything that You are, given freely to us, that we might, with Jesus, defeat death and might release all our brethren from the power of not knowing You. Father, we were inside of Jesus even as He ate up death for us, and Jesus is now inside of us breaking death from off of His Church. God, we subdue all through Your Love out from us.”