2015년 히브리서 제5강-Go on to maturity(영어,중국어 본문포함)

[김스데반]

2015년 히브리서(希伯来书) 제5강

완전한 데로 나아가라

말씀 / 히브리서(希伯来书) 5:11-6:20

요절 / 히브리서(希伯来书) 6:1,2

[5:11] 멜기세덱에 관하여는 우리가 할 말이 많으나 너희가 듣는 것이 둔하므로 설명하기 어려우니라

[5:11] 论到麦基洗德，我们有好些话，并且难以解明，因为你们听不进去。

[5:11] We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn.

[12] 때가 오래 되었으므로 너희가 마땅히 선생이 되었을 터인데 너희가 다시 하나님의 말씀의 초보에 대하여 누구에게서 가르침을 받아야 할 처지이니 단단한 음식은 못 먹고 젖이나 먹어야 할 자가 되었도다

[12] 看你们学习的工夫，本该作师傅，谁知还得有人将神圣言小学的开端，另教导你们。并且成了那必须吃奶，不能吃乾粮的人。

[12] In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!

[13] 이는 젖을 먹는 자마다 어린 아이니 의의 말씀을 경험하지 못한 자요

[13] 凡只能吃奶的，都不熟练仁义的道理。因为他是婴孩。

[13] Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.

[14] 단단한 음식은 장성한 자의 것이니 그들은 지각을 사용함으로 연단을 받아 선악을 분별하는 자들이니라

[14] 惟独长大成人的，才能吃乾粮，他们的心窍，习练得通达，就能分辨好歹了。

[14] But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

[6:1] 그러므로 우리가 그리스도의 도의 초보를 버리고 죽은 행실을 회개함과 하나님께 대한 신앙과

[6:1] 所以我们应当离开基督道理的开端，竭力进到完全的地步。不必再立根基，就如那懊悔死行，信靠神，

[6:1] Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,

[2] 침례들과 안수와 죽은 자의 부활과 영원한 심판에 관한 교훈의 터를 다시 닦지 말고 완전한 데로 나아갈지니라

[2] 各样洗礼，按手之礼，死人复活，以及永远审判，各等教训。

[2] instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

[3] 하나님께서 허락하시면 우리가 이것을 하리라

[3] 神若许我们，我们必如此行。

[3] And God permitting, we will do so.

[4] 한 번 빛을 받고 하늘의 은사를 맛보고 성령에 참여한 바 되고

[4] 论到那些已经蒙了光照，尝过天恩的滋味，又于圣灵有分，

[4] It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,

[5] 하나님의 선한 말씀과 내세의 능력을 맛보고도

[5] 并尝过神善道的滋味，觉悟来世权能的人，

[5] who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age,

[6] 타락한 자들은 다시 새롭게 하여 회개하게 할 수 없나니 이는 그들이 하나님의 아들을 다시 십자가에 못 박아 드러내 놓고 욕되게 함이라

[6] 若是离弃道理，就不能叫他们从新懊悔了。因为他们把神的儿子重钉十字架，明明的羞辱他。

[6] if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

[7] 땅이 그 위에 자주 내리는 비를 흡수하여 밭 가는 자들이 쓰기에 합당한 채소를 내면 하나님께 복을 받고

[7] 就如一块田地，吃过屡次下的雨水，生长菜蔬合乎耕种的人用，就从神得福。

[7] Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God.

[8] 만일 가시와 엉겅퀴를 내면 버림을 당하고 저주함에 가까워 그 마지막은 불사름이 되리라

[8] 若长荆棘和疾，必被废弃，近于咒诅，结局就是焚烧。

[8] But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

[9] 사랑하는 자들아 우리가 이같이 말하나 너희에게는 이보다 더 좋은 것 곧 구원에 속한 것이 있음을 확신하노라

[9] 亲爱的弟兄们，我们虽是这样说，却深信你们的行为强过这些，而且近乎得救。

[9] Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case--things that accompany salvation.

[10] 하나님은 불의하지 아니하사 너희 행위와 그의 이름을 위하여 나타낸 사랑으로 이미 성도를 섬긴 것과 이제도 섬기고 있는 것을 잊어버리지 아니하시느니라

[10] 因为神并非不公义，竟忘记你们所作的工，和你们为他名所显的爱心，就是先前伺候圣徒，如今还是伺候。

[10] God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

[11] 우리가 간절히 원하는 것은 너희 각 사람이 동일한 부지런함을 나타내어 끝까지 소망의 풍성함에 이르러

[11] 我们愿你们各人都显出这样的殷勤，使你们有满足的指望，一直到底。

[11] We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.

[12] 게으르지 아니하고 믿음과 오래 참음으로 말미암아 약속들을 기업으로 받는 자들을 본받는 자 되게 하려는 것이니라

[12] 并且不懈怠。总要效法那些凭信心和忍耐承受应许的人。

12] We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

[13] 하나님이 아브라함에게 약속하실 때에 가리켜 맹세할 자가 자기보다 더 큰 이가 없으므로 자기를 가리켜 맹세하여

[13] 当初神应许亚伯拉罕的时候，因为没有比自己更大可以指着起誓的，就指着自己起誓说，

[13] When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself,

[14] 이르시되 내가 반드시 너에게 복 주고 복 주며 너를 번성하게 하고 번성하게 하리라 하셨더니

[14] 论福，我必赐大福给你。论子孙，我必叫你的子孙多起来。

[14] saying, "I will surely bless you and give you many descendants."

[15] 그가 이같이 오래 참아 약속을 받았느니라

[15] 这样，亚伯拉罕既恒久忍耐，就得了所应许的。

[15] And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.

[16] 사람들은 자기보다 더 큰 자를 가리켜 맹세하나니 맹세는 그들이 다투는 모든 일의 최후 확정이니라

[16] 人都是指着比自己大的起誓。并且以起誓为实据，了结各样的争论$。

[16] Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirm‎s what is said and puts an end to all argument.

[17] 하나님은 약속을 기업으로 받는 자들에게 그 뜻이 변하지 아니함을 충분히 나타내시려고 그 일을 맹세로 보증하셨나니

[17] 照样，神愿意为那承受应许的人，格外显明他的旨意是不更改的，就起誓为证。

[17] Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath.

[18] 이는 하나님이 거짓말을 하실 수 없는 이 두 가지 변하지 못할 사실로 말미암아 앞에 있는 소망을 얻으려고 피난처를 찾은 우리에게 큰 안위를 받게 하려 하심이라

[18] 藉这两件不更改的事，神决不能说谎，好叫我们这逃往避难所，持定摆在我们前头指望的人，可以大得勉励。

[18] God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged.

[19] 우리가 이 소망을 가지고 있는 것은 영혼의 닻 같아서 튼튼하고 견고하여 휘장 안에 들어 가나니

[19] 我们有这指望如同灵魂的锚，又坚固又牢靠，且通入幔内。

[19] We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,

[20] 그리로 앞서 가신 예수께서 멜기세덱의 반차를 따라 영원히 대제사장이 되어 우리를 위하여 들어가셨느니라

[20] 作先锋的耶稣，既照着麦基洗德的等次，成了永远的大祭司，就为我们进入幔内。

[20] where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

GO ON TO MATURITY

Hebrews 5:11-6:20

Key Verse: 6:1,2 “Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.”

   God wants every Christian to make spiritual progress. How far? According to Ephesians 4:13, we must “reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” We should make spiritual progress up to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. If we don’t progress we become stagnant and regress spiritually. Spiritual stagnancy comes when we don’t push on into maturity. It is a very serious matter. In a healthy child we see signs of life—growth and development. A child who does not show the signs of growth and development is sick and abnormal. In the same way, Christians who do not mature but have stagnancy or regression are in an abnormal spiritual state. They themselves feel lifeless, sinful, polluted and separated from God and from grace. The Puritans called spiritual stagnancy, “the dark night of the soul.” In today’s passage, the author first warns us about it, showing us its symptoms and shocking consequences; and second, he encourages us to hold on to our faith and hope in God and his promise faithfully. Through this passage, let us examine our spiritual state and make spiritual progress to be mature in Christ.

I. Move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ (5:11-6:8)

   In this part, the author warns the Jewish Christians of their spiritual stagnancy, urges them to grow to maturity and tells them about the dreadful consequence of apostasy. Let’s look at 5:11. “We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand.” The author eagerly wanted to share with them about Christ’s priesthood in the order of Melchizedek. But it was hard to explain to them, not because of the difficulty of the topic or his inability to teach, but because of their stagnant spiritual condition. They no longer tried to understand. Here the words “no longer” imply that in the past, they tried to understand spiritual truths but now they stopped doing it. In other words, they stopped struggling with God’s word, understanding it truly and applying it to their lives. Instead, they became spiritually lazy and turned their attention to worldly and pleasurable things. The word of God didn’t make any impression on them and they were just habitual churchgoers. Clearly, to stop struggling with God’s word is the indication of spiritual sickness and regression.

   Look at verse 12. “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!” Since they lived as Christians for many years, they should be mature enough to be Bible teachers. But they were still in their spiritual infancy. Figuratively speaking, they still need milk, not solid food. In other words, they didn’t grow. Here we learn that becoming a Bible teacher is the sign of spiritual growth and leaving the infant state. Moreover, when we teach others, we ourselves grow, learning many practical and spiritual lessons. A church that has many Bible teachers is a healthy and strong church. Let us grow to be Bible teachers. It is not optional; it is natural and a sign of spiritual maturity.

   In verses 13-14, the author shows us about who the spiritual infants are. They are not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. They are just lingering in Jesus’ grace of forgiveness and love all the time. But they should grow continually in righteousness which is compared to solid food. Adults need solid food to grow strong and healthy. Can you imagine 20 years-old person sucking a baby milk bottle? We adults should eat solid food such as bread, meat, fish, fruits, vegetables and many other healthy foods to get protein for their growth and healthy body. So the author says in verse 14, “But the solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” This verse teaches us that spiritually mature people are those who train themselves by eating the solid food. It specifically means to make a personal decision to grow from self-centered, to Christ-centered. These people learn to deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Jesus. Spiritual maturity does not depend on physical age. It depends on our attitude. Some people brag about how long they have been Christians as if it is an indicator of their spiritual maturity. But the passing of time does not produce maturity. A Christian can be still spiritual infant even after many years of living as a Christian. A high school principal promoted one of his teachers who had ten years of teaching experience. Hearing the announcement, another teacher in the school was upset and challenged the principal, “Why did you put that teacher in this position? He has only had ten years of experience and I’ve had twenty-five years, yet you passed me over in favor of him.” Then the principal said, “I’m sorry, you’re wrong. You haven’t had 25 years of experience. You have had one year’s experience 25 times.” Let us not be like this teacher who repeated the same immaturity for 25 times in 25 years. We must train ourselves to grow mature in God.

   In 6:1-2, the author urges them to move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and to be taken forward to maturity? There are 6 elementary teachings the author mentions here—repentance from acts that leads to death, faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. Simply, elementary teachings are repentance, faith, baptism, blessing prayer, resurrection and eternal judgment. These are spiritual ABC’s. And they are, of course, very important and our Christian life must be firmly rooted in them. But we should move beyond these teachings to maturity.

   Look at 6:4-8. This part shows the severe consequences of renouncing faith in Jesus Christ. Particularly verses 4-6 tell us that those who experienced God’s blessings but abandon their faith are actually crucifying the Son of God again and exposing him to public shame again. How could they fall away from their faith after experiencing such great blessings from God? How can they abandon their faith after such a God-honored start as that? To me it is shocking and not quite understandable. But when I thought about Judas Iscariot, I could understand this part. Judas Iscariot met the Son of God Jesus. He experienced the love of God from Jesus. He even experienced the power of faith as he healed the sick and drove out demons during his two by two mission journey. But he abandoned his faith and sold Jesus to the Jewish religious leaders. He didn’t betray and sell Jesus out of momentary impulsion. He became stagnant, not accepting Jesus’ words for a long time. When we prolonged immaturity and became stagnant for a long time, there is a great danger to abandon our faith and returned to old way of life. The consequences of abandoning faith are first to bear thorns and thistles in our lives on earth and then to be cursed and to get God’s eternal judgment (7-8). This is why we should be very serious about growing spiritually, producing good fruit and being a blessing to others. Let us move beyond the elementary teachings and push on into maturity.

II. Take hold of the hope that anchors our souls (6:9-20)

   This part is the author’s encouragement. Look at verse 9. “Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation.” The author was confident that God had been at work among them and the evidence was clear through the fruit of their lives. God is just. He never forgets the good works of his children which expressed their love for him and his people. God even sees when we give a cup of cold water to others in Jesus’ name. Therefore, we should not grow weary in doing good because God recognizes us even if people may not do. So the author urges us to be diligent in doing good, to have the full assurance of hope until the end. Moreover, we have the examples of those who have already gone ahead of us and inherited what has been promised (12).

   One of them is Abraham in Genesis. Abraham is a model of faith in God whom all Christians should imitate. After making his promises to Abraham, God wanted to confirm‎ it with an oath. Since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants” (13-14). This is a quotation from Genesis 22:17 where God spoke to Abraham after he passed God’s test and was ready to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. When God called Abraham, he gave him a great promise. Though this promise was vague, and too big to believe, Abraham held on to it. Whenever Abraham struggled, God encouraged him to hold on to his promise. After waiting patiently, Abraham received this promise itself as a reward. God’s promise never disappoints us. All we have to do is to be patient, holding on to God’s promise.

   Based on God’s work with Abraham, the author explains the certainty of God’s promise in verses 16-18a. Usually, to settle an argument, people swear by someone greater than themselves, usually saying, “I swear to God.” This oath is the final word that puts an end to all argument (16). Likewise, God swore to fulfill his promise. Actually God’s promise alone is completely trustworthy. Yet he confirmed it with an oath in order to make it doubly sure. Both God’s promise and God’s oath are unchangeable because their source is God, who cannot lie. God did this, not only for Abraham’s sake, but to encourage trust and patient endurance in all the heirs of his promise. Anyone who has faith in Christ and follows Abraham’s footsteps of faith can claim this promise (Gal 3:7). Verse 18b describes these people as, “…we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us….” In the past, we had held a dead hope on things on earth. But after meeting Christ we threw this dead hope in order to take hold of the living hope that never perish, spoil or fade.

   Let’s read verse 19. “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain….” Through this hope, we can enter the inner sanctuary. Before Jesus’ coming to the world, ordinary people did not dare even to think about entering the inner sanctuary of the temple, called the Most Holy Place, for fear that they would die. Only the high priest could enter, and only once a year. But entering the inner sanctuary to meet the living God was a great blessing and privilege. Meeting the living and holy God is life-changing and history making. For example, when Zechariah met the living God in the temple, his lifelong prayer was heard and his wife, Elizabeth became pregnant and gave birth to John the Baptist. St. Thomas Aquinas once had a vision of the living God. Then he said, referring to his work, “Summa Theologica,” which had taken 20 years to write and is still highly regarded as a classic work, “… after what I have experienced, that is just straw.” When we meet the living God our problems can be solved, whether they are big or small, and we can experience divine transformation. So we should hold on to this hope in any situation. Then, instead of being discouraged and defeated, we can enter the inner sanctuary and meet the living God.

   How can we meet the living God? In verse 20, Jesus has already entered into God’s presence on our behalf. As our great high priest, he intercedes for us before God. Through our everlasting high priest Jesus, every believer can meet the living God. We have this hope as an anchor for our souls (19a). In this world, we encounter troubles and problems, such as misunderstandings, persecution, broken relationships, financial hardship, serious diseases, unforeseen accidents, and the like. Yet, we Christians have unshakable hope Jesus made for us. Let’s hold on to this hope and make spiritual progress each day.