Rose Murdock's Notes on The Epistles

1: God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,  2: in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.  3: And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,  4: having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. ***  The book of Hebrews was written by Paul, the time and place not known. Some were not convinced of Paul’s authorship which is why it was put at the end of his other epistles, which, by the way, are not in chronological order, but in order by length. Paul was called to the Gentiles, yet as a Pharisee he was extremely knowledgeable about Jewish Law and writings of the prophets. This letter to the Hebrews ex...

5: For to which of the angels did He ever say, “YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU”? And again, “I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM AND HE SHALL BE A SON TO ME”? 6: And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, “AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.”  7: And of the angels He says, “WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS WINDS, AND HIS MINISTERS A FLAME OF FIRE.”  8: But of the Son He says, “YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM.  9: “YOU HAVE LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS; THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE YOUR COMPANIONS.” 10: And, “YOU, LORD, IN THE BEGINNING LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH, AND THE HEAVENS ARE THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS;  11: THEY WILL PERISH, BUT YOU REMAIN; AND THEY ALL WILL BECOME OLD LIKE A GARMENT,  12: AND LIKE A MANTLE YOU WILL ROLL THEM UP; LIKE A GARMENT THEY WILL ALSO BE CHANGED. BUT YOU ARE THE SAME, AND YOUR YEARS WILL NO...

1: For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.  2: For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty,  3: how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard,  4: God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. ***  Paul said that because the Son of God—Christ—is exalted far above the angels and is, in fact, God in the flesh, we must pay closer attention to what we’ve heard—to what God has spoken through Him (Hebrews 1:2)—so we don’t slip away from what He’s said. The Jews knew the importance of knowing and understanding the commandments of God. Those commandments given to Moses on Mt. Sinai were spoken by angels and ordained...

5: For He did not subject to angels the world to come, concerning which we are speaking.  6: But one has testified somewhere, saying, “WHAT IS MAN, THAT YOU REMEMBER HIM? OR THE SON OF MAN, THAT YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HIM?  7: “YOU HAVE MADE HIM FOR A LITTLE WHILE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS; YOU HAVE CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOR, AND HAVE APPOINTED HIM OVER THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS;  8: YOU HAVE PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.” For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. 9: But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.  10: For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings....

14: Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15: and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.  16: For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham.  17: Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.  18: For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted. ***  For Christ to save “the children” (mankind) He had to share in flesh and blood like we do. Under Jewish Law, a forfeited inheritance was redeemed by the nearest kin (Leviticus 25:25, Ruth 4:4). Jesus became “kin” so He could redeem...

1: Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession;  2: He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house.  3: For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house.  4: For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.  5: Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later;  6: but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end. ***  We are to consider Jesus who is both the Apostle and High Priest of our confession—our confession of faith in Him. He is the apostle of God toward us, bringing a message from God, a pleading to respond to His Son; and He is the High Priest of man toward God, ...

7: Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,  8: DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME, AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS,  9: WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED ME BY TESTING ME, AND SAW MY WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS.  10: “THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION, AND SAID, ‘THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART, AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS’;  11: AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, ‘THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.’” ***  Paul, in his discussion about Jesus, Son of God, being worthy of more honor than Moses, the servant of God; and who began this letter by saying that God used to speak to us through the fathers, but now speaks to us through His Son (Hebrews 1:1-2); quoted from Psalm 95:7-11 where the Holy Spirit said not to harden your hearts when you hear His voice today. This passage of Scripture speaks of the Israelites hardening their hearts toward God, provoking Him to anger. The provocation referenced here refers to...