Hebrews Chapter Two, Bestowing Gifts To Men

 

The writer, briefly pausing to confirm the transmission of the gospel, affirms that the Lord Himself began to preach it, and was conducted by those who heard Him firsthand. Many believe Paul to be Hebrews’ author, but I respectfully disagree. Though I offer only an opinion, I do not believe Paul wrote Hebrews. The writer tells us that he received the gospel and further teaching by those who heard the Lord firsthand, implying that he was not such a one. “[It] was confirmed to us by those who heard Him.” 

However, Paul affirms that he did not learn the gospel from any person at all, but directly from the revelation or appearing of Jesus our Lord. “But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ,” Galatians 1:11, 12. I submit a few further evidences in Ephesians 3:2-7, 1 Corinthians 9:1, 2 Corinthians 12:2-4. Since this is a peripheral issue, I don’t want to dwell on it any further than this, since it adds nothing to the nature of the message given.

 

Verse 4 continues by stating that God bore witness of the gospel’s veracity by virtue of signs and wonders, with miracles and spiritual gifts allotted by the Holy Spirit who gave according to His own will. In other words, the supernatural element of the New Testament witness was overseen and engineered by the Holy Spirit’s purpose and power, since He is the lifeblood of the (then) newly established church. Signs and wonders are a testimony for those outside the church. Hearken back to the Exodus. God, in a conversation with Moses, explains to him, “But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even with a mighty hand. So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst,” Exodus 3:19, 20. Likewise, when Jesus performed the miracle of transforming water into wine at the wedding in Cana we read, “This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him,” John 2:11. Signs wand wonders were a testimony about the nature of the message given. In the case of Pharaoh, God commanded that he let His people go. Pharaoh resisted, and thus began a contest of wills as God’s power manifested in the plagues that virtually ruined Egypt. Likewise the signs Christ performed throughout the gospels were evidence of His divine character. Since He had power to alter the course of the visible world, He inferred that He had power to affect the invisible one as well. Such signs were manifest to demonstrate to the willing that it was safe to place their faith in Christ.

 

The miracles that occurred corresponded not only with the activity of the apostles, but entirely apart from them as well. The Holy Spirit dispersed the tongues of flame on the first day of the church so the apostles could miraculously speak in every present language of the peoples of Jerusalem, Acts 2:11. In Acts 5:12 we are told that many signs and wonders were performed at the hands of the apostles, while in Acts 19:11 that God performed unusual miracles at Paul’s hands. Twice angels rescued the apostles from the Sanhedrin and Herod’s intentions for them. Ananias and Sapphira were supernaturally put to death for their attempt at deceiving the Holy Spirit, Acts 5:1-11. Elymas the sorcerer was stricken blind (Acts 13:11), and the apostles cast out demons, i.e., Acts 16:18. Paul was even bitten by a viper and suffered no ill effects, Acts 28:5. Acts is a record of the miracles wrought by God; to testify that what began in Jerusalem was begun by Him. By the conclusion of the narrative the disciples had spread as far as Rome. Paul asserts that the apostles possessed a certain authority derived from God in honor of the position God used them for: namely building the church and (humanly speaking) writing the founding doctrines. “Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction,” 2 Corinthians 13:10, see also 2 Corinthians 10:8.

 

It is in the epistles to the Corinthian church that Paul summarizes the gifts of the Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians chapter 12 we learn that, among the gifts the Holy Spirit may confer upon a believer there are: wisdom, knowledge, faith, gifts of healings, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning spirits, different kinds of tongues, interpretation of tongues, verses 8-11. Further in the same chapter as we find spiritual gifts, we find (directly related to said gifts) ministerial offices within the church. They appear to be listed in an order that may dictate how universally useful they are for the edification of the church. These are: apostles, prophets, teachers, miracles, gifts of healings (named the same as the gift mentioned earlier), helps, administrations, varieties of tongues, 1 Corinthians 12:28. The first three titles listed Paul numbers, giving the impression of the general benefit such ministries give the church. 1 Corinthians 12:31 expresses that Christians ought to desire the best gifts of the Spirit, perhaps alluding to the idea that the saints may be equipped with numerous gifts for service. Paul is an example of this when he writes, “I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all,” 1 Corinthians 14:18. Paul, called to be an apostle, also manifested the gift of tongues.

 

In Ephesians chapter 4 Paul continues his conversation about ministerial titles, quoting, “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men,” Ephesians 4:8, Psalm 68:18. The “gifts” that are mentioned from this passage in the Psalms, referencing Christ’s distribution of spiritual gifts through the Holy Spirit, are expounded upon. “He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,” Ephesians 4:11, 12. Every saint receives at least one spiritual gift from the Holy Spirit, who is building the body of Christ; He is the chief architect of the church. The gifts (see 1 Corinthians 12:8-11) correspond to the ministerial titles God ordained for the church. The Greek word “poimen” rendered here “pastor” is the only time it is thus translated in the New Testament. Otherwise the word is translated “shepherd” 15 times in reference to church elders, and “Shepherd” 2 times, in reference to Christ.

 

In Acts 20:17 Paul addresses the elders of Ephesus. Eleven verses later in Acts 20:28, he commands them, “take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers (a synonym of elder or bishop in the NT), to shepherd the church of God which he purchased with His own blood.” That is why in the NT we find the ordination of elders in every church, Acts 14:23, 15:6, 1 Timothy 5:17, Titus 1:5, 1 Peter 5:1, 5, 2 John 1, 3 John 1, etc. Further, Titus 1:7 demonstrates the interchangeability of the titles. In verse 5 Titus is commanded to appoint elders in every church. Verse 7 reads, “For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God.” Likewise we find similar instruction to Timothy: “If a man desires the position (ministerial title) of a bishop, he desires a good work,” 1 Timothy 3:1. I am firmly of the opinion that the modern role of the pastor is not congruent with what the New Testament teaches about the appointment of elders in every church. Every local church, by virtue of the Holy Spirit’s appointment, was to have a plurality of able men, led by the Spirit of God and likewise equipped by Him. I am convinced that at least some of the violence done to the church is the erasure of plurality in it, with numerous men elected to lead, strengthening one another in what each lacks.

 

Finally, not that we shouldn’t earnestly desire the best gifts, the Holy Spirit will give to men what He sees fit for the edification of the church and the glory of God. Our gifts are meant to minister to the saints in whatever capacity we have been ordained for. While salvation is entirely of the Lord, so too is the distribution of spiritual gifts, which the writer of Hebrews attests is “according to His own will”.