The life of faith

       

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Heb 11:8-10 

This short paragraph describes Abraham’s life. It also describes the life of every believer. Trust in God, living in the world, recognizing that this life is temporary, recipients of God’s grace, and the assurance of eternal life.

All of Abraham’s descendents

… died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them. Heb 11:13-16 

This too is the conviction of every believer – and we won’t be disappointed.

亚伯拉罕因着信，在蒙召的时候就顺服，出去往将要承受为产业的地方；他就出去了，却不知道自己要往哪里去。因着信，他寄居在所应许之地，好像在异地一样，与同承受这应许的以撒和雅各一同住在帐棚里。因为他等候那座有根基的城，就是神所设计、所建造的。——希伯来书 11:8–10

这段简短的话概述了亚伯拉罕的一生，也描述了每一位信徒的人生：信靠神，生活在世上，认识到今生只是暂时的，领受神的恩典，并确信永恒的生命。

亚伯拉罕所有的后裔：

“这些人都是存着信心死的，还没有得着所应许的，却从远处看见，并且欢迎它们。他们承认自己在世上是客旅，是寄居的。说这样话的人，表明自己是在寻求一个家乡。若是他们一直想着所离开的那个地方，还有可以回去的机会；但他们所羡慕的是一个更美的家乡，就是在天上的。所以，神称为他们的神，并不以为耻，因为他已经为他们预备了一座城。”——希伯来书 11:13–16

这也是每一位信徒坚定的信念——而且我们绝不会失望。

विश्वास के द्वारा इब्राहीम ने आज्ञा मानी जब उसे उस स्थान के लिए निकलने को बुलाया गया जिसे वह विरासत के रूप में प्राप्त करने वाला था। वह निकल पड़ा, यद्यपि वह नहीं जानता था कि वह कहाँ जा रहा है। विश्वास के द्वारा वह प्रतिज्ञा किए हुए देश में कुछ समय तक ऐसे रहा मानो वह परदेश हो, और इसहाक तथा याकूब के साथ तंबुओं में रहा, जो उसी प्रतिज्ञा के उसके साथ सहभागी उत्तराधिकारी थे। क्योंकि वह उस नगर की बाट जोह रहा था जिसकी नींव स्थिर है, जिसका रचयिता और निर्माता परमेश्वर है। — इब्रानियों 11:8–10

यह छोटा-सा अनुच्छेद इब्राहीम के जीवन का वर्णन करता है। यह प्रत्येक विश्वासी के जीवन का भी वर्णन करता है—परमेश्वर पर भरोसा करना, संसार में जीवन बिताना, यह पहचानना कि यह जीवन अस्थायी है, परमेश्वर के अनुग्रह को प्राप्त करना, और अनन्त जीवन का निश्चय रखना।

इब्राहीम की सभी सन्तानें:

“ये सब विश्वास में ही मर गए। उन्होंने प्रतिज्ञाएँ प्राप्त नहीं कीं, परन्तु उन्हें दूर से देखकर उनका स्वागत किया। उन्होंने स्वीकार किया कि वे पृथ्वी पर परदेशी और यात्री हैं। जो लोग ऐसी बातें कहते हैं, वे स्पष्ट करते हैं कि वे एक मातृभूमि की खोज में हैं। यदि वे उसी देश के विषय में सोचते रहते जिसे वे छोड़ आए थे, तो उनके पास लौटने का अवसर था। परन्तु वे एक बेहतर देश की लालसा रखते थे, अर्थात् स्वर्गीय देश की। इसलिए परमेश्वर उनका परमेश्वर कहलाने में लज्जित नहीं होता, क्योंकि उसने उनके लिए एक नगर तैयार किया है।” — इब्रानियों 11:13–16

यही प्रत्येक विश्वासी का दृढ़ विश्वास है—और हम निराश नहीं होंगे।

بالإيمان أطاع إبراهيم عندما دُعي أن يخرج إلى المكان الذي كان مزمعًا أن يناله ميراثًا، فخرج وهو لا يعلم إلى أين يذهب. وبالإيمان أقام مدةً في أرض الموعد كأنها أرض غريبة، ساكنًا في خيام مع إسحاق ويعقوب، الوارثين معه الوعد نفسه. لأنه كان ينتظر المدينة التي لها الأساسات، والتي مهندسها وبانيها هو الله. — العبرانيين 11:8–10

تصف هذه الفقرة القصيرة حياة إبراهيم، كما تصف حياة كل مؤمن: الثقة بالله، والعيش في هذا العالم مع إدراك أن هذه الحياة مؤقتة، ونيل نعمة الله، واليقين بالحياة الأبدية.

جميع نسل إبراهيم:

"هؤلاء جميعًا ماتوا في الإيمان دون أن ينالوا المواعيد، لكنهم رأوها من بعيد ورحبوا بها، واعترفوا بأنهم غرباء ونزلاء على الأرض. فالذين يقولون مثل هذا يعلنون أنهم يطلبون وطنًا. ولو كانوا يفكرون في الوطن الذي خرجوا منه، لكانت لهم فرصة للرجوع إليه. لكنهم كانوا يشتاقون إلى وطن أفضل، أي سماوي. لذلك لا يستحي الله أن يُدعى إلههم، لأنه قد أعد لهم مدينة." — العبرانيين 11:13–16

وهذا أيضًا هو يقين كل مؤمن، ولن نخيب الرجاء.

Russian (Русский)

Верой Авраам повиновался, когда был призван идти в место, которое должен был получить в наследие; и он отправился, не зная, куда идет. Верой он жил некоторое время в обещанной земле, как в чужой стране, обитая в шатрах вместе с Исааком и Иаковом, которые были вместе с ним наследниками того же обещания. Ибо он ожидал города, имеющего основания, архитектор и строитель которого — Бог. — Евреям 11:8–10

Этот короткий отрывок описывает жизнь Авраама. Он также описывает жизнь каждого верующего: доверие Богу, жизнь в этом мире, осознание того, что нынешняя жизнь временна, принятие Божьей благодати и уверенность в вечной жизни.

Все потомки Авраама:

«Все они умерли в вере, не получив обещанного, но издали увидели его и приветствовали. Они исповедовали, что являются странниками и пришельцами на земле. Говорящие так показывают, что ищут отечество. Если бы они помнили ту страну, из которой вышли, то имели бы возможность возвратиться. Но они стремились к лучшей стране, то есть к небесной. Поэтому Бог не стыдится называться их Богом, ибо Он приготовил для них город.» — Евреям 11:13–16

Таково и убеждение каждого верующего — и мы не будем разочарованы.

Por la fe Abraham obedeció cuando fue llamado para salir hacia un lugar que iba a recibir como herencia; y salió sin saber adónde iba. Por la fe habitó por un tiempo en la tierra prometida como en tierra ajena, viviendo en tiendas con Isaac y Jacob, coherederos de la misma promesa. Porque esperaba la ciudad que tiene fundamentos, cuyo arquitecto y constructor es Dios. — Hebreos 11:8–10

Este breve pasaje describe la vida de Abraham. También describe la vida de todo creyente: confiar en Dios, vivir en el mundo reconociendo que esta vida es temporal, recibir la gracia de Dios y tener la certeza de la vida eterna.

Todos los descendientes de Abraham:

«Todos ellos murieron en la fe sin haber recibido las promesas; pero las vieron de lejos y las saludaron. Confesaron que eran extranjeros y peregrinos sobre la tierra. Quienes hablan así dejan claro que buscan una patria. Si hubieran estado pensando en la tierra que habían dejado, habrían tenido oportunidad de regresar. Pero anhelaban una patria mejor, es decir, la celestial. Por eso Dios no se avergüenza de ser llamado su Dios, porque les ha preparado una ciudad.» — Hebreos 11:13–16

Esta también es la convicción de todo creyente, y no seremos defraudados.

信仰によって、アブラハムは召しを受けたとき、相続財産として受け継ぐことになる地へ出て行くよう命じられ、それに従いました。彼はどこへ行くのかを知らないまま出発しました。信仰によって、彼は約束の地に、まるで外国にいるようにしばらく滞在し、同じ約束を共に受け継ぐイサクとヤコブとともに天幕に住みました。彼は、堅固な基礎を持つ都、すなわち神が設計し建てられた都を待ち望んでいたからです。— ヘブル人への手紙 11:8–10

この短い段落はアブラハムの生涯を描いています。そして同時に、すべての信じる者の人生をも描いています。神を信頼し、この世に生き、この人生が一時的なものであることを認め、神の恵みを受け、永遠の命を確信して生きることです。

アブラハムのすべての子孫は、

「彼らは皆、約束を受けることなく信仰のうちに死にました。しかし、それを遠くから見て歓迎し、自分たちが地上では旅人であり寄留者であることを告白しました。このように語る人々は、自分たちが故郷を求めていることを明らかにしています。もし彼らが出て来た国のことを思い続けていたなら、帰る機会はあったでしょう。しかし彼らが慕い求めていたのは、さらに優れた故郷、すなわち天の故郷でした。それゆえ神は、彼らの神と呼ばれることを恥とはされません。神は彼らのために一つの都を備えておられるからです。」— ヘブル人への手紙 11:13–16

これもまた、すべての信じる者の確信です。そして、私たちは決して失望することはありません

Sa pamamagitan ng pananampalataya, sumunod si Abraham nang siya ay tawagin upang pumunta sa lugar na tatanggapin niya bilang mana. Umalis siya kahit hindi niya alam kung saan siya pupunta. Sa pamamagitan ng pananampalataya, namalagi siya sa lupang ipinangako na parang isang dayuhan, naninirahan sa mga tolda kasama nina Isaac at Jacob, na kapwa niya tagapagmana ng parehong pangako. Sapagkat inaasahan niya ang lungsod na may matibay na pundasyon, na ang nagplano at nagtayo ay ang Diyos. — Hebreo 11:8–10

Inilalarawan ng maikling talatang ito ang buhay ni Abraham. Inilalarawan din nito ang buhay ng bawat mananampalataya: ang magtiwala sa Diyos, mamuhay sa mundong ito habang kinikilalang pansamantala lamang ang buhay na ito, tumanggap ng biyaya ng Diyos, at magkaroon ng katiyakan sa buhay na walang hanggan.

Lahat ng mga inapo ni Abraham:

“Silang lahat ay namatay na may pananampalataya nang hindi pa natatanggap ang mga ipinangako, ngunit nakita nila ang mga iyon mula sa malayo at malugod na tinanggap. Ipinahayag nilang sila ay mga dayuhan at mga manlalakbay sa lupa. Ang mga nagsasalita nang ganito ay nagpapakita na sila ay naghahanap ng isang sariling bayan. Kung iniisip pa nila ang bayang kanilang iniwan, nagkaroon sana sila ng pagkakataong bumalik. Ngunit ang kanilang hinahangad ay isang higit na mabuting bayan, samakatuwid ay isang makalangit na bayan. Kaya't hindi ikinahihiya ng Diyos na tawaging kanilang Diyos, sapagkat naghanda na siya ng isang lungsod para sa kanila.” — Hebreo 11:13–16

Ito rin ang matibay na paniniwala ng bawat mananampalataya—at hindi tayo mabibigo.

Hebrews 10:19-25

В греческом языке весь этот отрывок грамматически представляет собой одно предложение. Это наставление было обращено к верующим, чтобы они смело входили в присутствие Бога, обращая свой взор к Святому Святых храма за завесой. Автор пишет: будем приступать к Богу с искренним сердцем и полной, твёрдой уверенностью доверия. Будем непоколебимо держаться исповедания надежды, ибо Обещавший верен. Будем заботиться друг о друге, побуждая к любви и добрым делам, не оставляя совместных собраний, как это вошло в привычку у некоторых, но ободряя друг друга, и тем более, когда вы видите приближение Дня.

Этот отрывок следует за утверждением Иисуса о том, что Он пришёл исполнить волю Божию. Иисус отменил первый завет, чтобы установить второй. И именно по воле Божией верующие были освящены через принесение тела Иисуса Христа раз и навсегда. Нет никаких сомнений в том, о чём говорит автор, поскольку он добавляет: «Вот завет, который Я заключу с ними после тех дней, говорит Господь: вложу законы Мои в сердца их и напишу их в умах их». Затем он прибавляет: «И грехов их и беззаконий их не воспомяну более». А где есть прощение этого, там уже нет приношения за грех.

Основные призывы к действию:

• приступать к Богу с искренним сердцем и полной уверенностью доверия
• непоколебимо держаться исповедания надежды
• заботиться друг о друге, побуждая к любви и добрым делам
• не оставлять совместных собраний
• ободрять друг друга

Именно они составляют основу христианского общения — независимо от того, сталкивались ли верующие с приближающейся катастрофой, как первые христиане, или стремятся жить как дети Божии. Христианское общение должно вдохновлять любовь, добрые дела и взаимное ободрение.

En griego, todo el pasaje constituye gramaticalmente una sola oración. La exhortación estaba dirigida a los creyentes para que entraran con valentía en la presencia de Dios, mirando hacia el Lugar Santísimo del templo, detrás del velo. El autor escribe: acerquémonos a Dios con un corazón sincero y con una confianza plena y firme. Mantengamos sin vacilar la confesión de la esperanza, porque fiel es el que prometió. Considerémonos unos a otros para promover el amor y las buenas obras, sin dejar de reunirnos, como algunos tienen por costumbre, sino animándonos mutuamente, y tanto más cuanto veis que el Día se acerca.

Este pasaje sigue al compromiso de Jesús de hacer la voluntad de Dios. Jesús abolió el primer pacto para establecer el segundo. Y fue por la voluntad de Dios que los creyentes fueron santificados mediante la ofrenda del cuerpo de Jesucristo, hecha una vez y para siempre. No hay duda de lo que el autor quería decir, pues añade: «Este es el pacto que haré con ellos después de aquellos días, dice el Señor: Pondré mis leyes en sus corazones y las escribiré en sus mentes». También añade: «De sus pecados y de sus actos de maldad no me acordaré más». Donde hay perdón de estas cosas, ya no hay más ofrenda por el pecado.

Las frases principales de acción son:

• acercarse a Dios con un corazón sincero y una confianza plena y firme
• mantener sin vacilar la confesión de la esperanza
• considerarnos unos a otros promoviendo el amor y las buenas obras
• no dejar de reunirnos
• animarnos unos a otros

Estas constituyen la base de la comunión cristiana, ya sea frente a una catástrofe inminente, como la que ellos enfrentaban, o al procurar vivir como hijos de Dios. La comunión debe inspirar amor, buenas obras y ánimo mutuo.

Hebrews 10:19-25

 

ギリシャ語では、この箇所全体は文法的に一つの文章となっています。この勧告は、信者たちが大胆に神の御前へ近づき、幕の向こうにある神殿の至聖所を思い起こすようにというものでした。著者は、「真実な心と完全で揺るぎない信頼をもって神に近づこうではありませんか。約束された方は真実なお方ですから、希望の告白を揺るぐことなく堅く保とうではありませんか。また、愛と善い行いを促すために互いに心を配りましょう。ある人々の習慣のように集まりをやめることなく、互いに励まし合い、その日が近づいているのを見るほど、ますますそうしようではありませんか」と書いています。

この箇所は、イエスが神の御心を行うために来られたという宣言に続いています。イエスは第一の契約を取り除き、第二の契約を確立されました。そして神の御心によって、信者たちはイエス・キリストのからだがただ一度ささげられたことによって聖なる者とされました。著者の意図は明白です。なぜなら、「それらの日の後にわたしが彼らと結ぶ契約はこれである、と主は言われる。わたしはわたしの律法を彼らの心に置き、彼らの思いに書き記す」と述べ、さらに「彼らの罪と不法をもはや思い出さない」と付け加えているからです。これらが赦されるところには、もはや罪のためのささげ物はありません。

中心となる行動の表現は次のとおりです。

• 真実な心と完全で揺るぎない信頼をもって神に近づく
• 希望の告白を揺るぐことなく堅く保つ
• 愛と善い行いを促すために互いに心を配る
• 集まりをやめない
• 互いに励まし合う

これらは、当時の信者たちが迫り来る災いに直面していた場合であれ、神の子として生きようとする今日の信者であれ、キリスト者の交わりの基礎となるものです。交わりは、愛、善い行い、そして互いへの励ましを生み出すものでなければなりません。

Sa wikang Griyego, ang buong talatang ito ay isang pangungusap lamang ayon sa balarila. Ang paalaala ay para sa mga mananampalataya na may katapangang lumapit sa presensya ng Diyos, habang inaalala ang Kabanal-banalang Dako ng templo sa likod ng tabing. Isinusulat ng may-akda: lumapit tayo sa Diyos nang may tapat na puso at ganap na may pagtitiwala. Panghawakan nating matatag ang pagpapahayag ng ating pag-asa nang hindi natitinag, sapagkat tapat ang nangako. Isaalang-alang natin ang isa't isa sa pamamagitan ng paghikayat sa pag-ibig at mabubuting gawa; huwag nating pabayaan ang ating pagtitipon, gaya ng nakasanayan ng ilan, kundi palakasin natin ang loob ng isa't isa, lalo na habang nakikita ninyong papalapit ang Araw.

Ang talatang ito ay sumusunod sa pahayag ni Jesus na siya ay naparito upang gawin ang kalooban ng Diyos. Inalis ni Jesus ang unang tipan upang maitatag ang ikalawa. At ayon sa kalooban ng Diyos, ang mga mananampalataya ay pinaging banal sa pamamagitan ng paghahandog ng katawan ni Jesu-Cristo minsan at magpakailanman. Walang pag-aalinlangan kung ano ang tinutukoy ng may-akda, sapagkat idinagdag niya: "Ito ang tipan na gagawin ko sa kanila pagkatapos ng mga araw na iyon, sabi ng Panginoon: Ilalagay ko ang aking mga kautusan sa kanilang mga puso at isusulat ko ang mga ito sa kanilang mga isipan." Idinagdag din niya: "Hindi ko na aalalahanin pa ang kanilang mga kasalanan at mga gawang labag sa kautusan." Kung saan may kapatawaran ng mga ito, wala nang handog para sa kasalanan.

Ang mga pangunahing panawagan sa pagkilos ay:

• lumapit sa Diyos nang may tapat na puso at ganap na pagtitiwala
• panghawakan nang matatag ang pagpapahayag ng pag-asa nang hindi natitinag
• isaalang-alang ang isa't isa sa pamamagitan ng paghikayat sa pag-ibig at mabubuting gawa
• huwag pabayaan ang ating pagtitipon
• palakasin ang loob ng isa't isa

Ito ang mga saligan ng Kristiyanong pakikipagtipon, maging sa pagharap sa isang nalalapit na sakuna tulad ng kanilang kinaharap, o sa pagsisikap na mamuhay bilang anak ng Diyos. Ang pakikipagtipon ng mga mananampalataya ay dapat magbigay-inspirasyon sa pag-ibig, mabubuting gawa, at pagpapalakas ng loob ng isa't isa.

Hebrews 10:19-25

In Greek the whole passage is grammatically a single sentence. The admonition was for believers to be bold to enter the presence of God looking back to the temple’s most holy place behind the veil. The author writes let us approach God with a true heart in complete confident trust. Let us hold fast the confession of the hope unwavering; for faithful [is] the one who promised and let us consider one another by promoting love and good works, not abandoning assembling together, which is customary for some, but encouraging each another, and more so as you see the Day drawing near.

This passage follows the commitment of Jesus saying he had come to do God’s will. Jesus abolished the first covenant in order to establish the second. And it was by God's will that believers were sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. There is no doubt as to what he was talking about as the author includes “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: ‘I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds’, he also adds, ‘I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.’ Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. 

The active phrases are:

·         approach God with a true heart in complete confident trust

·         hold fast the confession of the hope unwavering

·         consider one another by promoting love and good works

·         not abandoning assembling together

·         encouraging each another

These are the basis of Christian fellowship whether facing an approaching catastrophe as they were or trying to live as a child of God. Fellowship must inspire love, good works, and encouragement.

在希腊文中，整段经文在语法上是一个完整的句子。作者劝勉信徒要勇敢地进入神的同在，并回顾圣殿中幔子后面的至圣所。作者写道：让我们存着真诚的心，以完全而坚定的信靠来到神面前；让我们坚定持守所承认的盼望，毫不动摇，因为那应许的是信实的；让我们彼此关怀，激励爱心和善行；不要停止聚会，这是有些人的习惯；却要彼此劝勉，并且既然你们看见那日子临近，就更应如此。

这段经文紧接着论到耶稣承诺要遵行神的旨意。耶稣废除了第一个约，为要建立第二个约。并且正是借着神的旨意，信徒因耶稣基督一次永远献上的身体得以成圣。作者毫不含糊地说明他的意思，因为他引用了：“主说：那些日子以后，我要与他们所立的约乃是这样：我要将我的律法放在他们心里，并写在他们的心思上。” 又说：“他们的罪和他们的不法，我必不再记念。” 既然这些已经蒙了赦免，就不再需要赎罪祭了。

主要的行动短语是：

• 以真诚的心、完全而坚定的信靠来到神面前
• 坚定持守所承认的盼望，毫不动摇
• 彼此关怀，激励爱心和善行
• 不停止聚会
• 彼此劝勉

这些构成了基督徒团契生活的基础，无论他们当时面对迫近的灾难，还是今日努力活出神儿女的生命。团契应当激发爱心、善行和彼此鼓励。

यूनानी भाषा में यह पूरा अंश व्याकरण की दृष्टि से एक ही वाक्य है। यह चेतावनी विश्वासियों के लिए थी कि वे साहसपूर्वक परमेश्वर की उपस्थिति में प्रवेश करें, और मंदिर के उस परमपवित्र स्थान की ओर दृष्टि रखें जो परदे के पीछे था। लेखक लिखता है: आइए हम सच्चे हृदय और पूर्ण तथा दृढ़ भरोसे के साथ परमेश्वर के पास जाएँ। आइए हम अपनी आशा के अंगीकार को बिना डगमगाए दृढ़ता से थामे रहें, क्योंकि जिसने प्रतिज्ञा की है वह विश्वासयोग्य है। आइए हम एक-दूसरे का ध्यान रखें, प्रेम और भले कामों को बढ़ावा दें; एक साथ इकट्ठा होना न छोड़ें, जैसा कि कुछ लोगों की आदत है; बल्कि एक-दूसरे को उत्साहित करें, और जितना अधिक तुम उस दिन को निकट आते देखते हो, उतना ही अधिक ऐसा करो।

यह अंश यीशु की उस प्रतिज्ञा के बाद आता है कि वह परमेश्वर की इच्छा पूरी करने आया था। यीशु ने पहले वाचा को समाप्त किया ताकि दूसरी की स्थापना करे। और परमेश्वर की इसी इच्छा से विश्वासी यीशु मसीह के शरीर के एक बार सदा के लिए दिए गए बलिदान के द्वारा पवित्र किए गए। लेखक के अभिप्राय में कोई संदेह नहीं है, क्योंकि वह जोड़ता है: "यह वह वाचा है जो उन दिनों के बाद मैं उनके साथ बाँधूँगा, प्रभु कहता है: मैं अपने नियम उनके हृदयों में रखूँगा और उन्हें उनके मनों पर लिखूँगा।" फिर वह जोड़ता है: "मैं उनके पापों और अधर्म के कामों को फिर कभी स्मरण नहीं करूँगा।" जहाँ इनकी क्षमा हो चुकी है, वहाँ पाप के लिए फिर कोई भेंट नहीं रहती।

मुख्य क्रियात्मक वाक्यांश हैं:

• सच्चे हृदय और पूर्ण तथा दृढ़ भरोसे के साथ परमेश्वर के पास जाना
• आशा के अंगीकार को बिना डगमगाए दृढ़ता से थामे रहना
• प्रेम और भले कामों को बढ़ावा देते हुए एक-दूसरे का ध्यान रखना
• एक साथ इकट्ठा होना न छोड़ना
• एक-दूसरे को उत्साहित करना

यही मसीही सहभागिता की नींव हैं, चाहे वे निकट आती विपत्ति का सामना कर रहे हों या परमेश्वर की संतान के रूप में जीवन जीने का प्रयास कर रहे हों। सहभागिता को प्रेम, भले कामों और पारस्परिक प्रोत्साहन को प्रेरित करना चाहिए।

في اللغة اليونانية، يُعَدُّ هذا المقطع بأكمله جملةً واحدة من الناحية النحوية. وكان التحذير موجهاً إلى المؤمنين أن يدخلوا بثقة إلى محضر الله، وهم ينظرون إلى قدس الأقداس في الهيكل وراء الحجاب. يكتب المؤلف: فلنتقدم إلى الله بقلب صادق وثقة كاملة راسخة. ولنتمسك بإقرار الرجاء بلا تزعزع، لأن الذي وعد أمين. ولنعتنِ بعضنا ببعض من خلال تشجيع المحبة والأعمال الصالحة، غير تاركين اجتماعنا معاً كما هي عادة البعض، بل مشجعين بعضنا بعضاً، وبالأكثر كلما رأيتم اليوم يقترب.

يأتي هذا المقطع بعد تأكيد يسوع أنه جاء ليعمل مشيئة الله. فقد أبطل يسوع العهد الأول لكي يقيم الثاني. وبمشيئة الله هذه تقدس المؤمنون بتقديم جسد يسوع المسيح مرة واحدة وإلى الأبد. ولا يوجد أي شك فيما يقصده الكاتب، لأنه يضيف: «هذه هي العهد الذي سأقطعه معهم بعد تلك الأيام، يقول الرب: سأجعل شرائعي في قلوبهم وأكتبها في أذهانهم.» ثم يضيف: «ولن أذكر خطاياهم وآثامهم بعد الآن.» وحيث توجد مغفرة لهذه الأمور، لا تبقى بعدُ تقدمة عن الخطية.

العبارات العملية الرئيسة هي:

• التقدم إلى الله بقلب صادق وثقة كاملة راسخة
• التمسك بإقرار الرجاء بلا تزعزع
• الاهتمام بعضنا ببعض من خلال تشجيع المحبة والأعمال الصالحة
• عدم ترك الاجتماع معاً
• تشجيع بعضنا بعضاً

وهذه هي أسس الشركة المسيحية، سواء كانوا يواجهون كارثة وشيكة كما كان أولئك المؤمنون، أو كانوا يسعون إلى العيش كأولاد لله. ينبغي للشركة أن تُلهِم المحبة والأعمال الصالحة والتشجيع المتبادل.

God's Evidence

You saw no form of any kind the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire. Therefore, watch yourselves very carefully, so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman, or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air, or like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below. And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly array—do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven. Deu 4:15-19

Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in; who brings princes to naught, and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing. Isa 40:21-23

…the LORD is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation. Thus shall you say to them: The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens. It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens. Jer 10:10-12 

The tents of robbers are at peace, and those who provoke God are secure, who bring their god in their hands. 'But ask the animals, and they will teach you; the birds of the air, and they will tell you; ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of every human being. Job 12:6-10

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. Psa 19:1-4 

In the past, he (God) let all nations go their own way. Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy." Act 14:16-17

The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. Act 17:24-25 

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; for though they knew God, they did not honour him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. Rom 1:18-21

All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.  (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) Rom 2:12-15 

“Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.” Heb 1:1-4

Moses, Job, the psalmist, the prophets, and hundreds of years later Paul, all refer to creation as evidence of God’s existence.

In Lystra Paul protested the people treating him and Barnabas as gods saying; “God let all nations go their own way. Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” The literal Greek translation is not describing a generic human condition – it is making a historical covenantal claim: the nations were distinct from Israel in a period of divine permission rather than direct communication, a period which ended with the gospel’s proclamation.

In a conversation with Jews Paul said “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; for though they knew God, they did not honour him as God or give thanks to him.”

The Psalmist wrote “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” The principle offered in Psalm is very simple, when you look at a machine, a vehicle or building you know it was designed by human intellect applying the laws of nature.

Against this backdrop we look at what Paul told Jews, “All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law …  it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts…”

This raised a question for Jews “Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? Great in every respect. First of all, Israel was entrusted with the oracles of God.” Gentiles who did not have the word of God, who saw the grandeur of the universe and precision of seasons through their own conscience recognized the Creator God they could not see. The rhetorical  question Paul asked and answered was: “is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.”

Paul asked if Abraham received the promise before or after circumcision:

“Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised;” Abraham “received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.” 

God said that he would make a new covenant with the people who were given the Sinai covenant:

“The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.” Not like the covenant that I made with their ancestors… This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days – I will put my law within them, I will write it on their hearts, I will be their God, they shall be my people, No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, 'Know the LORD', for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,  I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.

God did not make a new covenant with Gentiles. The Sinai covenant and the new covenant were made specifically with Israel. Collectively Gentiles were never part of God’s covenant. God promised Abraham to bring universal blessings through his seed. The seed line was through Isaac the father of Jacob – Israel. The first covenant was earthly the new covenant is spiritual. The new covenant would not be of full effect until full abrogation of the Sinai covenant.

God’s statement “I will put my law within them, I will write it on their hearts,” needs to be understood by the Hebrew word Torah which does not mean “law” it means to teach or point the way, not legislation. In Exodus 4:12, God said to Moses I will “teach” you what to say." Same root, "instruct," with no legal content at all. The statement “I will put my law within them, I will write it on their hearts,” As literally translated “I will put my instruction within them, and upon their heart I will write it.” The emphatic statement employed “Not like the covenant that I cut with their fathers.” John offers the base of difference saying that the law came through Moses. Grace and truth through Jesus.

The “not like” is elevated looking at the statement “No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.” The reason for no longer teaching people to ‘Know God,’ is all of them will know me… The clause marks the collapse of the mediated covenant as institutional. In the old order, knowledge of God was something a father instructed a son, a priest instructed people, a prophet relayed what others could not access directly. The verb "teach" (לַמֵּד) presupposes exactly that structure: someone possesses the knowledge, someone else lacks it, and an act of teaching bridges the gap. The clause “for all of them will know me” removes that gap since all will know “me.” It identifies a move from external expression and performance to a heart centered commitment.

God saying to Israel that “you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation” was preceded by a caveat – “if you obey my voice and keep my covenant,” Exo 19:5, 6

Peter’s statement is without caveat,  “you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. 1 Pe 2:9 

The phases of man’s relationship with God are not linear as I was taught; Patriarchal, Mosaic, Christian. Israel was a parenthetic nation, set apart but within the global population as God said, “the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom…”

Abraham who lived four hundred and thirty years before the first covenant was not part of the covenant made with his descendants. Moses spoke to the people telling them that the covenant at Sinai was made with those who were assembled at that time.

Humans have two responses to what they see; acknowledge that creation is evidence of God, or dismiss the evidence, typically by deciding that man’s superior knowledge provides the explanation how the universe began.

The new covenant offered all nations a grace relationship with God. The creative evidence remains but the focus is on Jesus of Nazareth – the Messiah. The new covenant established a non-institutional non-human mediated covenant. The new covenant replaced the Sinai covenant. Gentiles were not included in the covenant made with Abraham’s heirs. However, the promise to Abraham was universal, “all nations would be blessed.” Jesus before ascending told his disciples “…you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The envy of the Jewish leadership led to the death of Jesus on the cross. According to the Greek translation Jesus told the Pharisees that when they crucify him “you will realize that “I am!” the same term he later used causing people to want to stone him because “I Am” in their minds was a name reserved for God.

A look at everyday laws governing life:

1. Dietary Laws

Chapter 11 sets the household's basic food boundaries; a few related rules elsewhere govern blood and newly planted fruit trees.

•       Land animals may be eaten only if they both have a split hoof and chew the cud (e.g., cattle, sheep, goats); animals meeting just one criterion, such as the pig or the camel, are excluded.

•       Water creatures may be eaten only if they have fins and scales; this excludes shellfish and similar creatures.

•       A specific list of birds — including eagles, vultures, owls, storks, and bats — is designated unfit to eat.

•       Most winged insects are unclean, with an exception for certain locusts and related species.

•       Small land creatures such as rats, lizards, and similar "swarming things" are unclean; touching their carcasses, or letting one fall into food, water, or a household vessel, spreads that uncleanness to it.

•       Touching the carcass of an animal that died naturally (even a normally clean one) makes a person unclean until evening, and eating it requires washing.

•       Eating blood, of animal or fowl, is forbidden; the blood of a slaughtered animal is to be drained and covered with earth rather than consumed.

•       Eating meat with the blood still in it is prohibited.

•       Fruit from a newly planted tree may not be eaten for its first three years; the fourth year's fruit is set apart as an offering, and only from the fifth year may the household eat the fruit itself.

2. Marriage Laws

Concentrated in chapters 18 and 20, this is the largest single block of domestic legislation: it defines who may not marry or have sexual relations with whom and sets the penalties for violations.

Forbidden relations (ch. 18)

•       A man may not have sexual relations with a close relative: mother, stepmother, sister or half-sister, granddaughter, aunt (by blood or by marriage to an uncle), daughter-in-law, or brother's wife.

•       A man may not marry or have relations with both a woman and her daughter or granddaughter, nor take a woman's sister as a rival wife while the first wife is living.

•       A man may not have sexual relations with a woman during her menstrual impurity.

•       Adultery — sexual relations with a neighbor's wife — is forbidden.

•       Sexual relations between men, and sexual relations with animals, are forbidden to both men and women.

Corresponding penalties (ch. 20)

•       Adultery is punishable by death for both parties.

•       Incestuous relations matching the ch. 18 list carry penalties ranging from death to childlessness or public disgrace, depending on the relationship.

•       Sexual relations between men carry the death penalty in this text.

•       Marrying both a woman and her mother is punishable by burning.

•       Sexual relations with an animal are punishable by death, for the human party and the animal.

•       Sexual relations during a woman's menstrual period result in both parties being "cut off" from the community.

Related family provisions

•       A father may not profane his daughter by turning her into a prostitute.

•       Special marriage restrictions apply to priests: a priest may not marry a prostitute or divorced woman, and the high priest may marry only a virgin from his own people.

3. Social Laws

A wider set of everyday rules governs family authority, household labor, ritual purity inside the home, dealings with neighbors, and property and debt. These are grouped into sub-areas below.

Parents, elders, and family authority

•       Every person is to revere their mother and father, paired directly with keeping the sabbath — treating filial respect as a core religious duty.

•       Cursing one's father or mother is a capital offense.

•       One is to rise in the presence of the aged and show honor to the elderly.

Servants and hired household labor

•       An Israelite who becomes impoverished and sells himself into service is not to be treated as a slave but as a hired worker or resident laborer and is not to be ruled over harshly.

•       Servants may be acquired from neighboring nations or resident foreigners and held as inheritable property — a status distinguished in the text from that of an Israelite bondservant.

•       An Israelite who sells himself into service to a resident foreigner retains a right of redemption by a relative, and in any case goes free at the Jubilee.

•       An employer may not withhold a hired worker's wages overnight; payment is due before morning.

Ritual purity inside the household

•       After childbirth a mother is ritually unclean and then in a period of purification — seven days unclean plus 33 days purifying for a son; double that (14 and 66 days) for a daughter.

•       An offering completes the mother's purification, with a reduced offering permitted for those who cannot afford the standard one.

•       Skin conditions in a household member ("leprosy," a broader category than modern leprosy) are examined by a priest, who determines whether the person is clean, unclean, or to be quarantined.

•       Mildew-like conditions in a garment or cloth are likewise inspected by a priest, and affected material may need to be burned.

•       A house showing a spreading mildew-like condition is examined by a priest; contaminated stones or plaster are removed, and if the problem persists the entire house is torn down.

•       Male bodily and sexual discharges render a man unclean and defile bedding, seating, and anyone who touches him, until evening and after washing.

•       A woman's monthly period renders her and anything she touches unclean for seven days; abnormal or prolonged bleeding extends this and requires an offering afterward.

Neighbors, honesty, and everyday ethics

•       Landowners must leave the edges of their fields and the gleanings of their harvest and vineyard unharvested, for the poor and the resident foreigner.

•       Household and community members are not to steal, deal falsely, or lie to one another.

•       False oaths sworn in God's name are forbidden.

•       One may not curse a deaf person or place an obstacle in front of a blind person.

•       Judgment must be impartial, favoring neither the poor nor the powerful unfairly.

•       Spreading slander and endangering a neighbor's life through false testimony are forbidden.

•       Hatred and grudge-holding toward a fellow community member are forbidden, replaced by open rebuke where needed and by loving one's neighbor as oneself.

•       A resident foreigner is to be treated as a native-born member of the community and loved as oneself, recalling Israel's own experience as foreigners in Egypt.

•       Honest weights, measures, and scales are required in household and market transactions.

Property, debt, and the household's economic security

•       Every seventh year the land lies fallow (a sabbath for the land); whatever grows on its own may be eaten by the household, its servants, and livestock, but not formally harvested.

•       Every fiftieth year, the Jubilee, is proclaimed as a time of liberty: land returns to its original family, and debt-servants are released.

•       Sale prices for land are calculated fairly based on the years remaining until the next Jubilee, so buyer and seller do not defraud one another.

•       Land may not be sold permanently, since it belongs ultimately to God; a relative has the right to redeem land a family member was forced to sell, and unredeemed land reverts at the Jubilee.

•       Houses in walled cities may be redeemed only within one year of sale, while houses in unwalled villages are treated like farmland — redeemable anytime and reverting at the Jubilee.

•       A community member who falls into poverty is to be supported as a resident dependent rather than left to fail; charging interest or profit on food lent to them is forbidden.

The Decalogue:

Duties toward God

1.         No other gods before the Lord. (Exodus 20:3)

2.         No graven images or idols, and no bowing down to them. (Exodus 20:4–6)

3.         Not taking the name of the Lord in vain. (Exodus 20:7)

4.         Remembering the sabbath day, to keep it holy. (Exodus 20:8–11)

Duties toward neighbor

1.         Honor thy father and thy mother. (Exodus 20:12)

2.         Thou shalt not kill. (Exodus 20:13)

3.         Thou shalt not commit adultery. (Exodus 20:14)

4.         Thou shalt not steal. (Exodus 20:15)

5.         Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. (Exodus 20:16)

6.         Thou shalt not covet anything that is thy neighbour's. (Exodus 20:17)

Jesus said that loving God and loving your neighbour fulfills the entire law.

Temple attendance under the Law:

1. The Three Pilgrimage Festivals. A standing command required every Israelite male to appear in person at the sanctuary three times a year and forbade coming empty-handed.

·         Passover and Unleavened Bread

·         Feast of Weeks (Harvest / Pentecost)

·         Feast of Tabernacles (Ingathering / Sukkot)

 

2. Other Annual Sacred Occasions at the Sanctuary. Two further fixed days in the seventh month required rest and sanctuary offerings, though they fall outside the three pilgrimage feasts proper.

·         The Feast of Trumpets

·         The Day of Atonement

·         Specifies the burnt, sin, and grain offerings required from the community in addition to the high priest's own atonement offerings that day.

3. Regular Offerings on a Fixed Cycle. Beyond the annual calendar, the sanctuary maintained a continuous rhythm of offerings that structured every day, week, and month.

·         A daily burnt offering (the tamid) of one lamb each morning and evening, with accompanying grain and drink offerings, maintained without interruption.

·         An additional doubled burnt offering every sabbath, on top of the daily offering.

·         A further set of offerings at the start of every month (the new moon), including bulls, rams, lambs, and a goat for a sin offering.

4. Offerings Triggered by Individual Life Events. Separate from the fixed calendar, ordinary life events created their own individual obligation to travel to the sanctuary with an offering.

·         A mother completing her purification after childbirth brings a lamb (or, if she cannot afford one, two birds) to the entrance of the tabernacle.

·         A person cleansed of a skin disease brings a graduated set of offerings, birds, and later lambs or, for the poor, birds again — over an eight-day process culminating at the sanctuary.

·         A person cleansed of an irregular bodily discharge brings two birds to the tabernacle on the eighth day, one as a sin offering and one as a burnt offering.

·         A Nazirite completing a vow brings a lamb, a ewe, a ram, and grain and drink offerings to the tabernacle entrance to formally end the vow, along with shaving the head.

·         Every firstborn son is redeemed with a payment at one month old, and every firstborn of a clean animal is offered, while unclean animals (such as a donkey) are redeemed or killed.

·         Unintentional sins by a priest, the whole community, a leader, or an individual each require a specified sin offering brought to the sanctuary, graduated by the offender's status and ability to pay.

·         Certain trespasses, including some against another person's property, require a guilt offering plus restitution of the value wronged plus a fifth.

·         Peace offerings — brought in thanksgiving, to fulfill a vow, or as a freewill gift — are voluntary in occasion but tightly regulated in how and when they must be eaten once offered.

5. Firstfruits and Tithes Brought to the Sanctuary. A further set of obligations required a portion of the harvest itself to be carried to the sanctuary each year.

·         The first sheaf of the harvest, and the choicest firstfruits of the land, belong to the LORD and are to be brought to the priest before any of the new crop may be eaten.

·         Sets out a fixed liturgy: the worshiper brings a basket of firstfruits to the sanctuary and recites a set declaration recounting Israel's history from Jacob's descent into Egypt to the gift of the land.

·         The annual tithe of grain, wine, and oil, and the firstborn of the herd and flock, is to be eaten in a sacred meal before the LORD at the central sanctuary; if the distance makes carrying the produce impractical, it may be converted to money and food purchased there instead.

·         Every third year, the tithe is stored locally rather than carried to the sanctuary, to support the Levite, the resident foreigner, the orphan, and the widow.

Taken together with the domestic laws, this sanctuary calendar produces the picture of what Peter called "a yoke": not only did the Law reach into diet, sexuality, purity, labor, and property inside the household, it also bound every household to a repeating cycle of travel, offerings, and costs. Daily and weekly at the local level in spirit, and at minimum three times a year in person at the central sanctuary for the whole of a person's life. This information catalogues the weight of the Sinai system – household case law and the sanctuary calendar. When God said the new covenant would not be like the one given at Sinai these laws and ceremonies are included in that.

The author of Hebrews names what replaces the first covenant. Hebrews 12:22–24 answers, point by point, the description of Sinai just before it in 12:18–21 (the mountain that could be touched, fire, darkness, tempest, the unbearable voice — Exodus 19:12–19; Deuteronomy 4:11–12; 5:22–27; 9:19). Each element the passage lists has both a root in Hebrew prophecy and a further development elsewhere in the New Testament, most often in Revelation.

Hebrews describes Israel at the foot of Sinai as a terrified assembly, awed by God’s display of power never before witnessed. People were forbidden to touch the mountain on pain of death, a thick cloud, fire, smoke, and a trumpet growing louder. Then the author provides the antithesis of that scene by portraying a thrilling reception to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, the innumerable angels in jubilant assembly,  the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect.

Note what is not in the glorious picture of the new covenant relationship – the institutional Church, which is more like Israel under the first covenant. Church is similar to the synagogue of Judaism – an organization with rules of membership, human doctrines, and a concept of institutional salvation. Jesus set the tone of new covenant life by saying that the whole law is superseded by the essence of the Decalogue – Love God and love your neighbour.