“...them that have the rule over you”

Hebrews 13.7, 17, 24

 

EXPOSITION:

1.   I want you to turn to a most unusual book of the Bible, the epistle to the Hebrews.  The letter to the Hebrews is truly an enigma, because it teaches us so much while leaving a number of questions unanswered.

2.   In an attempt to pique your curiosity a bit, I want to expose you to some secrets that most preachers do not reveal to their audiences, for fear it will damage their reputations or weaken their positions.

3.   But such preachers forget the example that is set for us by the apostle Paul.  Let me read what he wrote to the Corinthians in First Corinthians 2.1-5:

¹      And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

²     For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

³     And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

⁴     And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

⁵     That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

 

4.   And when writing to the same audience in his second Corinthian letter, he wrote these words, in Second Corinthians 1.21-24:

²¹    Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;

²²    Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

²³    Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth.

²⁴    Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

 

5.   So you see, Paul felt no compulsion to control or manipulate the people he preached to.  Not that he did not seek to influence them, for he certainly did.  But what Paul did fell well inside the boundaries established for a spiritual leader, and he had no fear that his position or relationship with those he ministered to would be or could be hurt by telling them the truth.

6.   You may also remember what Paul said to the Galatians about telling them the truth, even when the truth hurts.  Galatians 4.16:  “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?”

7.   So, I am going to tell you some of the secrets that people in Churches are not oftentimes told.  Not that what I am going to tell you is earth shattering, or anything like that.  It’s just that so many ministries are built upon the presumption that the preacher knows everything.  Or worse, on the assertion by the preacher that he knows everything.

8.   My friends, please understand that there are some things that I simply do not know.  As well, there are some things that no preacher knows . . . for sure.

9.   Four main points for your consideration:

 

1A.   First, THE AUTHORSHIP OF HEBREWS

1B.    Do you realize that no one really knows who wrote this epistle to the Hebrews?  We know that, ultimately, Hebrews is the product of divine inspiration, with the Spirit of God using some human instrument to pen the words of this letter.  But who was the man who actually put pen to paper?

2B.    Some are of the opinion that the apostle Paul wrote this letter.  But if he did then there are several questions to be answered:

1C.   If Paul wrote Hebrews why didn’t he say he wrote Hebrews?  After all, every other letter Paul wrote clearly indicates that it was Paul who wrote it.  Romans begins, “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ.”  First Corinthians begins, “Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God.”  Titus begins, “Paul, a servant of God.”  And so it is with each of the letters we know were written by Paul.

2C.   Consider also Hebrews 2.3:  “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.” [Emphasis added]  This indicates that the author of Hebrews was, himself, taught by those who were taught by Christ.  But the apostle Paul maintained, such as in Galatians 1.12, that he was not taught by Christ’s followers:  “For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

3C.   Thus, it seems pretty clear that the apostle Paul did not write the letter to the Hebrews.  But if Paul didn’t write it, who did?

2B.    Could it have been Barnabas?  Some have advanced Barnabas, Paul’s traveling companion, as the possible author, since he was a Levite and was, therefore, intimately acquainted with temple ritual.^[1]  The drawback to this theory is that there is no positive link of any kind between Barnabas and this letter to the Hebrews.

3B.    Could it have been Luke?  Could it have been Silas or Apollos?  Could it have been the deacon named Philip?  Some have recently suggested Priscilla was the authoress.  But in Hebrews 11.32, which reads, “And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets,” the participle translated “to tell” is a masculine participle, meaning the writer is a man.^[2]

4B.    Want to know a secret?  Though the canonicity of Hebrews has never been seriously questioned,^[3] meaning there have never been serious doubts that Hebrews belongs in the Bible, we do not know who the human author of this book is.^[4]  Preachers do not usually make that bit of mystery known to their audiences, but it is true, nevertheless.

 

2A.   Next, THE AUDIENCE OF HEBREWS

1B.    “To all that be in Rome.”  “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth.”  In Second Corinthians we find, “unto the church of God which is at Corinth.”  “unto the churches of Galatia.”  “to the saints which are at Ephesus.”  “to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi.”  “To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse.”  “Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith.”  “unto Philemon our dearly beloved.”  “to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad.”

2B.    So, you can see that most of the letters in the New Testament are addressed to someone.  You have some kind of statement who the audience is, whether it be an individual such as Timothy, a congregation or congregations such as the Galatian Churches, or a clearly identified group of people such as “to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad.”

3B.    However, if you read the entire book Hebrews you will find no such declaration of audience.  It seems pretty obvious that there is a strong Jewish connection to this letter, because of all the references to the priesthood, to Moses, to David, to Abraham, and especially the faith chapter, Hebrews chapter 11.  But there is no straightforward declaration of who this letter is written to.

4B.    Let us grant what most Bible scholars suspect, that Hebrews was written to a mixed audience; Jewish readers who were Christians, Jewish readers who not converted but who were intellectually convinced of the gospel, and Jewish readers who may have been attracted to the gospel and the person of Jesus Christ, but who had no final conviction about Him.^[5]

5B.    But notice Hebrews 5.11-14:

¹¹    Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.

¹²    For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

¹³    For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

¹⁴    But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

 

6B.    We know from James 3.1 that not everyone should presume to teach God’s Word:  “My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.”  Yet the writer to the Hebrews suggests, in Hebrews 5.11-14, that his entire audience are remiss for not being advanced enough in their Christian experience to teach the Word of God.  Thus, it is unlikely that the target audience of Hebrews are rank and file Jewish Christians.  Rather, they are people the writer rebukes for not being able to take the reins of spiritual leadership.

7B.    Turn to Acts 6.7:  “And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.”  Could it be that this letter was originally written to a large group of former priests who used to minister in the Temple?  Could it be that they miss the prestige they formerly enjoyed?  Perhaps they have stopped gathering with the other Christians, Hebrews 10.25:  “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

8B.    As well, it may be that they are having difficulty submitting to the spiritual leaders God has raised up to lead these who were once spiritual leaders themselves, and they are now being encouraged along this line.  Hebrews 13.7, 17, and 24 would speak to this type of situation:

⁷     Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.

¹⁷    Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

²⁴    Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints.  They of Italy salute you.

 

9B.    But when you get right down to it, we do not really know who Hebrews was originally directed to.  It is a book of broad application to us today.  It seems to have been originally written to those with a Jewish background, more specifically those with a priestly background.  But we do not know for sure.

 

3A.   Third, THE AIM OF HEBREWS

1B.    It is obvious from reading Hebrews that it contrasts Christianity with biblical Judaism.  The letter is a very precise argument showing the superiority of Christ’s position over the angels and over Moses, the superiority of Christ’s priesthood over the Jewish priesthood, and the superiority of Christ’s priestly ministry, with its better covenant, with its better sanctuary, and with its better sacrifice.  The superiority of the believer’s privileges and behavior are also shown.^[6]  The Mosaic administration, which was clearly seen to be superior in every way to the pagan religions, is itself shown in Hebrews to be inferior in every way to the biblical Christianity which fulfills it and supersedes it.

2B.    But beneath what lies on the immediate surface, Hebrews is a word of exhortation, Hebrews 13.22:  “And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation: for I have written a letter unto you in few words.”  Scattered throughout Hebrews are six warnings that are designed to stir the readers into action.  There is a warning against drifting^[7], a warning against disbelieving^[8], a warning against degenerating^[9], a warning against despising^[10], a warning against devaluing^[11], and a warning against departing from Jesus Christ.^[12]

3B.    Was Hebrews written to counteract an early heresy that was threatening a Jewish Christian community?  Was Hebrews written to persuade the Jewish Christians of Jerusalem to unify just before the destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the population by the Roman Empire in 70 AD?  We know why Paul wrote his letter to the Romans.  He was planning on coming to Rome and he wanted them to pray for him and support him financially.  We know why other books of the Bible were written.  But the precise reason that prompted the writer to pen this letter to the Hebrews is something we can speculate about, but we will not be sure of until we get to heaven.

 

4A.   Finally, THE APPLICATION OF HEBREWS

1B.    Despite the unanswered questions that are associated with Hebrews, it is a book of the Bible that God still uses to dramatically impact the life of anyone who will prayerfully read it and study it.

2B.    Consider how potent are such verses as these few verses I have selected to alarm the unconverted on one hand and comfort the believer on the other?

1C.   Hebrews 2.3:  “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?”

2C.   Hebrews 4.16:  “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

3C.   Hebrews 6.4-6:  “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.”

4C.   Hebrews 8.12:  “... their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.”

5C.   Hebrews 9.22:  “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.”

6C.   Hebrews 9.27:  “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”

7C.   Hebrews 10.31:  “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

8C.   Hebrews 12.29:  “For our God is a consuming fire.”

9C.   Hebrews 13.8:  “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”

3B.    So you see, though there are questions about Hebrews that remain unanswered, it is a most useful portion of God’s Word for evangelizing the lost, as well as edifying the saints. 

 

CONCLUSION:

1.   From a study of Hebrews we can safely conclude that the original audience this letter was written to were a mixture of saved and unsaved people, who were very familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures and the Levitical priesthood.  They were almost certainly Jewish.

2.   They knew about the covenant God had made with the Jewish people, the sanctuary built in Jerusalem that was known as the Temple, and the system of sacrifices and offerings called for in the Mosaic system.

3.   Before brother Isenberger comes, please turn to Hebrews 13, where we will read the three verses which comprise my text for this morning, verses 7, 17, and 24.  When you find those verses, please stand and read silently while I read aloud:

⁷     Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.

¹⁷    Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

²⁴    Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints.  They of Italy salute you.

 

4.   Please remain standing as brother Isenberger comes to lead us before this morning’s sermon.

 

INTRODUCTION:

1.   There are a number of things about the Jewish people this letter was written to that we do not know for sure.  Some of them were converted and some of them were not.  But we do know that they were all quite knowledgeable, and were expected at some point to be teachers of God’s Word.

2.   With this in mind, there are three phrases, in the three verses comprising our text, that I want to bring to your attention and apply to your life.  For if the original intended readers were in need of what I bring to you this morning, surely you are in need of what I bring to you this morning.

 

1A.   First, “Remember them which have the rule over you”

Two observations by way of application to your life from verse 7:

1B.    First, mention is made of “them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God.”

1C.   My friend, this verse shows that it is God’s will for you to have someone to rule over you.  It is God’s will for everyone to have someone to rule over him.  This word “rule,” from hgeomai, is the word we get “hegemony” from, meaning to lead, to function in a supervisory capacity.^[13]

2C.   Who is this person to be who provides leadership for you, who functions in a supervisory capacity?  The fellow who has spoken to you the Word of God.

3C.   So, you have this man in your life.  That is good.  You are supposed to have this man in your life.  Regardless of your background or spiritual condition, you are supposed to have such a man in your life, who leads you and who teaches you God’s Word.

2B.    Next, direction is given to you with respect to this man.  You are to “remember” him.

1C.   This word “remember” translates a present imperative verb that directs you to be continually mindful of this person who leads you and who teaches you the Word of God.^[14]

2C.   John Gill, the old Baptist theologian and pastor, wrote these comments concerning the word “remember” in this verse:  “To ‘remember’ them is to know, own, acknowledge, and respect them as their governors; to obey them, and submit to them; to treasure up in memory their doctrines and exhortations; to be mindful of them at the throne of grace, to pray for them; and to take care of their maintenance and outward supply of life.”^[15]

3C.   So, from Hebrews 13.7, with respect to “them which have the rule over you,” there is to be such a man in your life, #1, and you are to be continually mindful of him, #2.  You are to “remember” me.

 

2A.   Next, “Obey them that have the rule over you”

Two observations by way of application to your life from verse 17:

1B.    First, mention is made of them “them that have the rule over you . . . for they watch for your souls.”

1C.   My friend, this verse shows that it is God’s will for you to have someone to rule over you.  It is God’s will for everyone to have someone to rule over him.  This word “rule,” from hgeomai, is the word we get “hegemony” from, meaning to lead, to function in a supervisory capacity.^[16]

2C.   Who is this person who watches for your soul?  The Greek word agrupnousin refers to going without sleep, to being watchful.^[17]  This is the pastor of the Church, the same person referred to in verse 7.^[18]

3C.   So, you have this man in your life.  That is good.  You are supposed to have this man in your life.  Regardless of your background or spiritual condition, you are supposed to have such a man in your life, who leads you and who will give an account to God for your soul.

2B.    Next, direction is given to you with respect to this man.  You are to “obey” him.

1C.   Again, we are dealing with a present imperative, an ongoing command.  But what does this word “obey” mean?  Though I strongly disagree with his views on the blood of Christ, let me read the note on this verse from the MacArthur Study Bible:  “The pastors/elders of the church exercise the very authority of Christ when they preach, teach, and apply Scripture.”^[19]

2C.   But let us remember that the Jews this letter was written to were not all Christians.  Some of them were unconverted, just as some of you are not converted.  Yet everyone this letter was written to was directed to continually obey their pastors.  If it was necessary for them to continually obey the pastor, whether they were converted or not, then the same rule of life applies to you.

3C.   Thus, you are to remember them that have the rule over you, and you are to obey them that have the rule over you.  That is, you are to be mindful of your pastor (know him, own him, acknowledge him, and respect him) and you are to obey your pastor.  Present imperative means these are commands that direct ongoing and continual behavior.

 

3A.   Finally, “Salute all them that have the rule over you”

Two observations by way of application to your life from verse 24:

1B.    First, mention is made of “them that have the rule over you.”

1C.   My friend, this verse shows that it is God’s will for you to have someone to rule over you.  It is God’s will for everyone to have someone to rule over him.  This word “rule,” from hgeomai, is the word we get “hegemony” from, meaning to lead, to function in a supervisory capacity.^[20]

2C.   Who is this person?  This is the pastor of the Church, the same person referred to in verses 7 and 17.^[21]  Three times this fellow is referred to in the closing verses of the letter to the Hebrews.  That must make the comments related to your pastor significant to your life and well-being.  Three times!

3C.   So, you have this man in your life.  That is good.  You are supposed to have this man in your life.  Regardless of your background or spiritual condition, you are supposed to have such a man in your life.

2B.    Next, direction is given to you with respect to this man.  You are to “salute” him.

1C.   This word “salute” is a simple command to greet your pastor.  The Greek lexicon describes this word as meaning “to engage in hospitable recognition of another.”^[22]  And this is an ongoing responsibility, just as are the two previous responsibilities we have looked at.

2C.   Beloved, I have come to recognize a personal fault in studying this portion of Scripture, for which I must humbly ask your forgiveness.  This verse very specifically directs you to greet me, to engage in the hospitable recognition of me.  Yet throughout my ministry I have made a conscious effort to greet as many people before a Church service as I possibly could.  In doing this I have not trained you properly.

3C.   Rather than me greeting you, I recognize that this verse shows that it is your responsibility to greet me.  And why is this detail of respect and courtesy toward the pastor important?  I know of people who have become angry at me in my attempts to greet everyone, because I have inadvertently overlooked them. 

4C.   I have actually made small-minded people mad at me for failing to greet one out of a hundred people.  And in doing this I have seen the old bromide fulfilled, “No good deed shall go unpunished.”  Good for you for greeting 99 people, but damn your wicked soul for missing one person in the auditorium.

5C.   In trying to be a nice guy I have communicated, wrongly, the notion that I had a holy obligation to seek out each person and recognize him or her with a greeting.  Well, I was wrong.  This verse shows that it is clearly your responsibility to approach me and to greet me.

6C.   I have my own ideas about why God would want you to approach and greet me rather than have me approach and greet you, but they are only opinions.  What needs to be recognized is the propriety of you getting up from your seat and coming from where you are to where I am to greet me, as an acknowledgment of who I am, as an acknowledgment of what I am; the man who has the rule over you.

 

CONCLUSION:

1.   I have given to you a great deal of background information about Hebrews this morning.  I have also made you aware of several questions for which I do not have any answers.

2.   But my purpose, this morning, has been to show you some things that the writer to the Hebrews stressed to his audience, both those who were converted and those who were not believers.

3.   First, it is God’s will that you have someone who rules over you.  Who is that person?  Who tells you what to do in the spiritual realm?  He is your pastor.  Perhaps you are a Christian.  Perhaps you are not a Christian.  You should still have such a man in your life.  If you attend this Church that man should be me.  If that man is not me, then you need to stop attending here and go to where that man is teaching and preaching God’s Word.

4.   Second, whoever that man is, you should remember him, you should obey him, and you should salute him.  That is, you should be mindful of him, you should be obedient to him, and you should approach and greet him when opportunities arise.

5.   My, what things God will do in your life through the teaching and preaching of God’s marvelous Word once this kind of relationship is established with God’s called spiritual leader, your pastor.