Hebrews: The New Covenant Administration of Christ Max A Forsythe (c) Anno Domini 2005

From the Pulpit at Pilgrim's Rest Presbyterian Church in America

Charge & Benediction
For the Lord’s Day:  the 4^th of September 2005 

Hebrews 13: 22-25

“I appeal to you, brothers, bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly.  You should know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I shall see you if, he comes soon.  Greet all your leaders and all the saints.  Those who come from Italy send you greetings.  Grace be with all of you. ”

Introduction:  Years ago, when I was in Seminary – the progressive liberal Christians sought to throw out everything that was traditional, sound and orthodox.  And in having accomplished that within the main line denominations, they drove out any number of evangelicals who created new denominations and congregations to uphold the important doctrines that were swept away in the name of progress.  But, even as these new denominations took root they too became progressive in many ways, not wanting any of the traditions of men so long associated with the traditional churches, they too in a majority of cases ended up with a truncated gospel and an unappreciative theology in language loose enough to drive any number of heresies through with barely an argument.  Some, in their haste to make all things new, have realized all too many of the heretical developments of the first thousand years in the life of the church.

How little the teachings of the Apostle in this precious book remain unappreciated in our day and age.  Yes, the whole of Hebrews is about change and the abandonment of decay, but it is not the essential doctrines and truths of the revelation that are changed, but only the commitment to a new administration of the faith in the person and work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who came to the earth to fulfill every aspect of the former law and to lay out for all time: the gospel of grace in His name and person.  As I have mentioned before, try to think of this letter’s place in the following terms.  Just as the double scroll written in 1^st & 2^nd Chronicles arranged a Covenant viewpoint of the Old Testament, so too is the book of Hebrews a means to organize and understand the whole course of spiritual revelation from Adam all the way to Christ.

Our passage today, presumes to require those to whom it was written: to receive this summary document.  “I appeal to you, brothers, bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly,” the words of course, being the content of this Letter to the Hebrews. 

Commentator F.F. Bruce tells us, that this letter could easily be read in its entirety in about an hour, and yet the scope and frame of its contents covers all of recorded time, and then some.  “At one point the writer has said ‘we have many things to say’ (Hebrews 5:11); but at another point he indicates that he could have said much more (Hebrews 9: 5b).”

Think of this letter in the same sense as the conversation between Jesus and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus and how Jesus explained to them all that had happened.  “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24: 27). 

John Owen comments on the grand vision written in so short a letter; a letter which he expands to multiple volumes in his day:  “Considering the importance of the subject matter, the whole purpose and mystery of the covenant and institutions of the law, and the office of Christ, and the danger of their eternal ruin, all that the apostle had written might be thought of as a short letter.”

While I am not as wise or informed as Owen, I have gone through sixty-nine sermons on this book since the 22^nd of September 2002.  And sadly, for reasons I have never fully understood – this series has cost me far too dearly.  It has been said that I did not preach grace enough from the text, however there is more than one theme to every text of scripture.  Certainly, grace explains our own salvation and that is a very important and even explosive doctrine in our day and age.  However, I feel personally compelled to look beyond my own experience even with all the benefits explicit and I feel that it is incumbent upon us all to appreciate the Covenantal purpose of God from the beginning of time as a better outline of all the works of God.  After all, we are only a small part of the whole redemptive purpose that God in and through Christ had in mind from the very beginning.

If we – as the current culture seems fixated on the satellite networks were speaking in the terms of playing poker, we could say that the covenant trumps grace.  Grace is the result of the Covenant, and all we hear and know by the power of the Holy Spirit comes from God’s decision before time to write all of history within the outline of His covenantal purpose.  And please, I am not inclined to diminish the value and importance of grace – after all, look ahead to the last sentence in this incredible book of Hebrews:  “Grace be with all of you.”

One final comment on this issue:  Grace of course is to the scriptures what the introductory notes of Beethoven’s Fifth are to the whole symphony, and those opening notes are that which makes the whole memorable.  And even as they symphony explores and expands the theme – the whole is much greater than the parts.

Development:  Now, I have called this last sermon on Hebrews a Charge and Benediction.  The charge has been completed.  Every once in a while over the years I have taken the opportunity at the end of a service to give a specific charge to the congregation.  I have kept that action to a minimum so as to magnify the importance of those rare occasions when I have done so.  The Apostle here wants to make absolutely certain that his readers understand the purpose for which he has written, and having done so – he then goes on to make a couple announcements before giving the final benediction.

The announcements here are three:

“You should know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I shall see you if, he comes soon.
 Greet all your leaders and all the saints. 
Those who come from Italy send you greetings.”

Announcements in the life of the church are always important for many reasons.  In one church we had originally begun with the announcements and the elder who gave them, expanded them and went on for many minutes and then berated me for going on too long when I closed the service ten minutes after twelve.  So I simply moved the announcements to the end of the service “to highlight their importance” in the life of the congregation.  By doing so, I was always done on time and even allowed five minutes for the necessary work.  After a few weeks, the elder in question agreed to cut his comments short, if I would just get him out of the position of prolonging the service which in that congregation had always ended at the stroke of twelve!

Now, concerning Timothy’s release – we are not certain if he was imprisoned, there is not other account of that.  F.F. Bruce tells us that “It is just possible to argue that ‘set at liberty’ means not ‘released from prison’ but ‘sent away on some commission.’; but it is very unlikely that the verb, used absolutely as it is here, has this latter meaning.”

At the very least, Timothy, having been released may come and visit the brethren and if at all possible, so will Paul accompany him as well.  Within the history of the early church, we do not know if this intention was carried out.  But visitation within the church between congregations is always important in every age.  Years ago, in the old United Presbyterian Church in North America, visitation from congregation to congregation was an annual expectation within the dozen churches of the presbytery in Northwestern Ohio.  Annually, dad and the other elders would travel two by two, with their families on occasion to visit the other churches.  It kept a minimal cohesion in place and if the other churches knew elders from their sister churches – the whole Presbytery gained thereby in unity.  So, just as I mentioned earlier in the announcements, I have been privileged to begin a program of visitation around the Presbytery within the next two years in my office as Stated Clerk.  As time goes, on – I hope to encourage other elders to rekindle the old tradition that I remember from my youth.

The second announcement is rather an admonishment to the readers to:”Greet all your leaders and all the saints.”  Bruce supposes that this admonishment is to be practiced within the “Presbytery” of all the city churches in the immediate area.  Of course, I have added the word “Presbytery” here of my own accord!  You see, at one time where there was greater unity of organization, a bishopric or presbytery would be the association of all the local congregations in a small city or rural province.  Only in America, with the advent of multiple denominations, has a Presbytery increased in geographic size to take in whole states or regions!  In colonial days, when Presbyteries were smaller, it was incumbent on every congregation to have an elementary school, every Presbytery to have a higher Academy and every Synod its own college and if prosperous enough – a Seminary attached to the college.  Some of our smaller Presbyterian bodies have maintained a family of God context within their extended groupings.  The Associate Reformed Presbyterian and the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America are prime examples of a whole denomination knowing, loving and understanding one another.

In my recent visitation to several congregations, the first people I met were those whom I knew from earlier contacts.  And then, there were others new to me – that I was able to meet and hopefully remember the next time I am able to go.  One thing that our Ashland daughter congregation appreciates is the monthly visits from any of you who have been able to drive up and participate in their evening service.  We have a real partnership in ministry there.  And, if I can slip over to the charge element for a moment, I would dearly urge any and all of you to make an afternoon trip to Ashland so that not only may you be encouraged, but also that they may be as well!

The third announcement is less personal, but still important:  “Those who come from Italy send you greetings.”

Now, the Greek here is ambiguous.  These words can mean that where the Apostle is, former residents of Rome are sending greetings back to the Roman churches.  Or, it is just as plausible that the residents of Italy send their greetings along with those of the Apostle to wherever he is writing.  Which ever situation is the true one, of this we can be assured: the whole church may be encouraged to know that other Christians are praying for them, and if people travel from one place to another, they will find ready fellowship within the extended church.  Over the years, I have visited “strange” congregations far and wide and in those cases where we share the same understanding of the gospel of Christ – I have always been made very welcome indeed.

Application:  Well, the chapter is complete and the benediction is pronounced “Grace be with you all.”  Now, the Oxford American Dictionary defines a benediction in these terms:  “a spoken blessing.”  Of course, if we explored the context theologically, we could probably preach another sermon on just what the word means.  That will have to wait for another time.  Let me close, this meditation – this series and my ongoing active weekly ministry here of eighteen years with this comment.  If my understanding of the great themes of the scriptures are true and accurate – that everything accomplished, said and done is done so within the overarching Covenant of God with His people; then the best that we can hope for is this:  May you be blessed with the knowledge and understanding of the Covenant of Grace as it is administered by through and in the Person of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

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PREACHING RESOURCES
Bruce, F.F.  The Epistle to the Hebrews.
Owen, John:  Commentary on the Book of Hebrews.
The Holy Bible:  English Standard Version.

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