11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. The import of the phrase, τοῖς ἡγουμένοις ὑμῶν, “your leaders,” or “rulers,” which the Apostle again uses to designate the pastors of the Hebrew Christians, has been explained in the note on verse 7. The word is not a noun. Each word study will require us to look at not just the specific words in this verse, but words that have been translated into the same word. A. R. Buckland, Third Edition., A Devotional Commentary (London: Religious Tract Society, n.d.), 223–224. Those who come from Italy send you greetings. They are to lead people to Christ, not to their own opinions. The New Covenant opened direct access between God and man for those who have received Jesus Christ as their Savior. Again, the emphasis is upon the movement, the task: there is an emphasis on the ultimate end and the difficulty of the work. They must give account. It is not an implicit obedience, or absolute submission, that is here required, but only so far as is agreeable to the mind and will of God revealed in his word; and yet it is truly obedience and submission, and that not only to God, but to the authority of the ministerial office, which is of God as certainly. The Bible is clear we have one Teacher (Christ) and one Father (God). In the space between Hebrews 13:7 and 17 we read something which, at first, may seem to be on a different subject: 7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Other verses help to counter this viewpoint and there is a valid translation of this word/clause that does not imply “leaders” ruling over other believers. 3:18-19, where the disobedience of the Israelites is said to be the evidence of their unbelief Faith is of the heart, invisible to men; obedience is of the conduct and may be observed. We obey them as we obey our parents and governors. Christ is the head of the Church. John Peter Lange, Philip Schaff, et al., A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Hebrews (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2008), 217. In the case of leaders, our submission to them is to the extent that they are convincing us of God’s will for our lives and the truth of God’s Word. Some translations use the word “leaders” which implies that it is a noun while others indirectly point at those who are ruling (verb). The analysis for “leaders”/”those leadings”/”them who have the rule over” makes it very clear that there are numerous Greek nouns that could have been selected from to clarify a stronger form of leadership for christian leaders. There is no warrant to use this passage to mean that leaders are infallible. Lenski explains the pair as follows: “Obey and yield.” One obeys when one agrees with what he is told to do, is persuaded of its correctness and profitableness; one yields, gives up, when he has a contrary opinion. One of the keys to understanding Hebrews 13:17 was found in "Wuest's Word Studies for Hebrews in the Greek New Testament". Happy they who dwell in memory, upon their holy walk, and edifying death, and thus secure their own preparation for a future blessed departure (Matt. It Does Not Exist in the Greek, Key Point – If You Know God, It Is Obvious that “Submission” to Leaders in this Verse is Limited in Scope. Nestle GNT 1904 τοῦ Θεοῦ περὶ ἡμῶν κρεῖττόν τι προβλεψαμένου, ἵνα μὴ χωρὶς ἡμῶν τελειωθῶσιν. Since these word studies get somewhat involved, the following preview of what will be concluded in this section is presented in advance. John 13:34,35 A new commandment I give to you, That you love one another; as I …. There are two things here: Is this a blanket command to do anything someone says who is an “elder?” Second, what is the purpose of this command. Additionally, there will be more in depth conclusions drawn at the end. The ministry of the Word in counseling, as a result, is totally unlike counseling in any other system because of its authoritative base. The argument also proves too much: God is sovereign over everything. The leaders are those who are taking them to this place, who teaching, guiding, protecting (they are being “shepherds”, which rightly understood is a terrifying and difficult task). (1.) [1.] It is the interest of hearers that the account their ministers give of them may be with joy, and not with grief. Nouthetic counseling is subject to the directives of the Bible and is not a law to itself. See Analysis Section below to review the rest of the analysis for this word/clause. It is possible to look at the effect of their belief and how it misled or was under deception without ascribing bad intent to them. I do not put this forward with conclusions. Hebrews 13:17 is often and easily abused passage. 19 I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner. The only difference is whether the indefinite article “an” is used or not. Change ). As the section began (ver. By adding the clause “to them” or “to their authority” (both of these are acknowledged as insertions that do not come directly from the Greek text) the meaning of the verse is weighted towards personal submission from a believer to a leader. The Apostle exhorts the believing Hebrews to follow the instructions of those who stood at their head, and sought, with sleepless vigilance, to promote their spiritual interests, and even to yield to them in some things which might cross their own inclinations; in order that the exercise of this pastoral care, in itself so laborious, and involving a responsibility which might well oppress the strongest mind, might be rendered a matter of joy, and not be connected with deep and constant sorrow. Greek Texts. For each of these words/clauses we want do some pretty in depth word study exercises. This moves us away from a specific title and towards those actually performing the function of leading. Just holding an office — even if we say God put him in place (because that applies to everything) — does not mean that everything one does with the office is morally correct. Any reinterpretation of Hebrews 13:17 does not remove the strong responsibility on each believer to be in proper submission to authority as God has defined. The author’s concern is that the community “trust” (peithesthe) and “obey” (hypeikete) their leaders. If they give up their account with grief, it will be the people’s loss as well as theirs. Please keep in mind that the translators of the Bible are also christian leaders, so they do not have a strong incentive to put forward something that might further limit their authority. This is one of the most often quoted and used verses to put forward the idea that those in christian leadership have authority over those who are not in christian leadership. There is one biblical text above all others which authoritarian leaders cite to compel obedience among their followers: Hebrews 13:17. They have the rule over the people; their office, though not magisterial, yet is truly authoritative. Greek: Peithesthe tois egoumenois umon kai hupeikete, autoi gar agrupnousin uper ton yuchon umon os logon apodosontes, ina meta charas touto … If the Bible were shot through with human error, and were no more dependable than any other composition—if it were not a God-breathed revelation—this note of authority would give way to opinion.6 But, because the Bible is inerrant, there is authority. Hebrews 6:10,11 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, …. They have no authority to lord it over the people, but to lead them in the ways of God, by informing and instructing them, explaining the word of God to them, and applying it to their several cases. It has some translation issues too. The first verb means to put one’s trust in someone (2:13; 6:9), while the second, which occurs only here in the New Testament, is stronger and means ‘to give way, yield or submit to someone’ (usually in authority).155 In response to this exhortation the listeners will adhere to the word of God that their leaders speak and follow their direction rather than revert to Jewish ways of thinking or be influenced by other strange teachings (13:9). Chiastic Structures in Hebrews: A Study of Form and Function in Biblical Discourse . They watch. Strong's: Transliteration: Greek: English: Morphology: 102: adynaton: ἀδύνατον: Impossible [it is] Adj-NNS: 1063: gar: γὰρ: for: Conj: 129: haima: αἷμα [for the] blood: N-ANS: 5022: taurōn: ταύρων: of bulls: N-GMP: 2532: kai: καὶ: and: Conj: 5131: tragōn: τράγων: of goats: N-GMP: 851: aphairein: ἀφ� Our author evidently has as much confidence in the present leaders as in their predecessors. However, some concepts have historical roots that travel across generations. There is another aspect that is introduced in the translations which consistently comes into the translations through a few extra words which are not directly in the Greek. Any other submission in the church (aka spiritual context) is temporary and/or partial. 24 Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Better, groaning. I will take the second question first. 47B, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), 530–531. If considered fully, this seems to make it clear that the greater responsibility is on the individual, not the leader. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. I take the verb peithō in the passive imperative to mean “depend on” or “put trust” in someone (see also Heb 2:13; 6:9), in order to relieve what otherwise would be a redundancy, since hypeikō—found only here in the New Testament—means to give way or submit to someone (Homer, Od. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. If an elder has an opinion, that’s nice but it is not a command. Nashville, TN: T. Nelson. It is very possible for someone holding a title to actually be functioning according to the title, but it is quite common to find that those without a title are actually performing the same function. To get the full sense of this word requires the analysis we mentioned above. ed., The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. There are a few exceptions and there is no doubt that there are gifts to the Body in the form of those who lead and minister to others. Obey them that have the rule. Strong's: Transliteration: Greek: English: Morphology: 2198: Zōn: Ζῶν: living [is] V-PPA-NMS: 1063: gar: γὰρ: indeed: Conj: 3588: ho: ὁ: the: Art-NMS: 3056: logos: λόγος: word: N-NMS: 3588: tou: τοῦ - Art-GMS: 2316: Theou: Θεοῦ: of God, N-GMS: 2532: kai: καὶ: and: Conj: 1756: energēs: ἐνεργὴς: activ The 2nd entry in the section for Obedience, Obedient, Obey. Jay Edward Adams, A Theology of Christian Counseling: Introduction to Nouthetic Counseling (Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resource Library, 1986), 18. There are a number of angles we will need to take to understand what is here. this is a particular construction in the Greek which combines the definite article with this verb, hegeomai. The obedience is not enforced slavery. See Analysis Section below to review the rest of the analysis for this word/clause. Brooke Foss Westcott, ed., The Epistle to the Hebrews the Greek Text with Notes and Essays, 3d ed., Classic Commentaries on the Greek New Testament (London: Macmillan, 1903), 446. That means if the elder says something, he can only repeat what God has already said. 13:17; Jas. James 2:6 f.; 1 Thess. As a further exhortation to follow their leaders, they are told that these leaders will be called upon to give an account for how they have guided the congregation. 23 You should know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I shall see you if he comes soon. The closing chapter Hebrews 13:1; hospitality, Hebrews 13:2; sympathy with those in bonds, Hebrews 13:3; fidelity in the marriage relation, Hebrews 13:4; contentment, Hebrews 13:5-6; submission to those in authority, Hebrews 13:7-8; stability in the doctrines of religion, Hebrews 13:9-15; benevolence, Hebrews 13:16; obedience to those … Heb. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010), 20. TEACHERS and rulers* are again recognized, and the Hebrews are exhorted to obey them, and to yield themselves to their teaching and rule, to adapt themselves to their peculiarities, and to carry out their wishes and arrangements with a willing mind; for therein God is honoured, and the welfare of the congregation promoted. Jesus used the word “my” – (feed my lambs, shepherd my sheep, feed my sheep). If they are not, then our reaction may need to be more like Paul’s in Galatians 2:4-5 or some lesser form of resistance to any “leading” which is outside of God’s will for our lives and the truth of God’s Word. 102 Gk. Here is a picture view of Hebrews 13:17 with some grammatical breakdown of its construction. Ultimately, the goal is that you be in proper subjection to God’s direct authority over your life and these other areas are your training wheels. It is difficult for those who have a history of involvement with traditional leadership concepts to address the idea that the Bible could be presenting different notions of leadership than other arenas (work, home, etc) in life. 17.) The instances of commanding are the exception, not the rule but they do exist and cannot be ignored. You can Expand All, Collapse All, or click the Expand links below to display the content of this page. Bible > Greek > Hebrews 4:12 Hebrews 4:12 Text Analysis. I make the assumption that the intentions of translators are the best. But let us consider this a bit more: The Christians are being called to go outside the camp, to bear reproach. Westcott and Hort 1881 τοῦ θεοῦ περὶ ἡμῶν κρεῖττόν τι προβλεψαμένου, ἵνα μὴ χωρὶς ἡμῶν τελειωθῶσιν. 12.117; Plato, Laws 717D; Philo, Life of Moses 1.156; 4 Macc 6:35). It is not an implicit obedience, or absolute submission, that is here required, but only so far as is agreeable to the mind and will of God revealed in his word; and yet it is truly obedience and submission, and that not only to God, but to the authority of the ministerial office, which is of God as certainly, in all things belonging to that office, as the authority of parents or of civil magistrates in the things within their sphere. 12 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. The emphatic pronoun [they] serves to bring out the personal obligation of the rulers with which the loyal obedience of the ruled corresponded; for they, and no other … Comp. This means the normal needs of top-down control through a hierarchy are not required. In the end, we won’t be able to make a completely clear determination based solely on this verse, but we will certainly be able to place some important doubts in the idea that christian leadership has a strong level of command authority over other believer’s (including those who might be in their care and sphere of influence). quotes Sir Edward Denny’s lines: F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Hebrews, Rev. Adolph Saphir, The Epistle to the Hebrews: An Exposition & II, vol. Hebrews 12:17 Greek Study Bible (Apostolic / Interlinear) ἴστε γὰρ ὅτι καὶ μετέπειτα … Jay Adams makes this point with respect to counseling: Counselors, who exercise the authority of God, are not authorities in their own right. They have to “watch over the souls” of their people,—to maintain a constant, and, as it were, a sleepless, regard to everything that would affect their safety or impede their growth in holiness, and to strive, in every possible way, to lead them onward in the path of life and peace. ἀγρυπνέω, “keep watch,” has the etymological sense of chasing away sleep. In all modern translations “charity” has been changed to “love”. Grab your shovel. They must give an account how they have discharged their duty, and what has become of the souls committed to their trust, whether any have been lost through their neglect, and whether any of them have been brought in and built up under their ministry. ( Log Out / The “various strange teachings” competing for their attention are incompatible with the original, always valid, instruction delivered by the founding fathers of the community (vv 7–8). Ἀγρυπνέω: first literally, then as here metaphorically “keep watch” (Eph. Primary Clause 1 – obey (be persuaded) your leaders (by those leading) See John Piper’s “Are There Two Wills in God?”. Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account.Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you (NASB: Lockman). They have the authority of God himself when they act in obedience to His will as it may relate to us (See Note on Ephesians 5:21 below). RP Byzantine Majority Text 2005 Ἔστιν δὲ πίστις ἐλπιζομένων ὑπόστασις, πραγμάτων ἔλεγχος οὐ βλεπομένων. If you study “oversight” in the Word of God thoroughly it becomes clear that it is not the establishment of a domain of rule, but more of a “sphere of influence”. Before them lies an “account,” to be rendered to Him who has bought His people with His own blood; and the anticipation of this may well incite them to diligence and fidelity.—The latter part of the verse, “that they may do this with joy, and not with grief,” or, more literally, “that with joy they may do this, and not lamenting,” must be understood as referring not to the final rendering of their account to Christ, but to their present watchful care over their people. fellowship. They have the rule over the people; their office, though not magisterial, yet is truly authoritative. The Greek word is agape (Strong’s 26) which is one of three words in the Bible for “love”. After we have a better understanding of some of these key words/clauses, we want to review the way this verse is constructed to see how this might affect our understanding of this verse. Read on and digest the following analysis to form your own conclusions. Text Analysis. Go to Parallel Greek. This makes a tremendous difference. Vol. If the individual’s responsibility to give account is greater (not just from what can be observed on the outside), then their authority over themselves before God is also greater than a leading one. 20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Authority of Church Leadership – How Much Authority is Delegated? This distinction must be maintained. Luke Timothy Johnson, Hebrews: A Commentary, ed. If you do not properly subject yourselves to parents, to government officials, to employers then you are in rebellion against God’s authority. There is no despotism or abuse in the passage. In the case of “leaders” it seems to point to specific individuals and most would assume these would be ones that hold some form of title. Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, etc. They may not demand submission to what is based only upon their own will or caprice. Even without the ability to perform Greek Analysis on my own, I have learned how to sentence analysis features of my Bible software. Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke to love and to good works:. Jesus makes his understanding of leadership clearly understood by setting up a clear opposition between leaders in other realms of authority (who are identified in noun form) and christian leadership which is almost always expressed in verb form. Faithful ministers have delivered their own souls, but a fruitless and faithless people’s blood and ruin will be upon their own heads. An elder’s authority is not based upon his having a title — he is a true elder before God only to the extent he is qualified to the job. Disobedience and wilfulness will not only disappoint their efforts, but bring disaster upon you as well. Hereafter, Bruce, Hebrews; Paul Ellingworth, The Epistle to the Hebrews: a Commentary On the Greek Text (Grand Rapids, Mich.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1993), 35. This means that 100% of the occurrences of agape are translated to “love” in modern translations. David Heath. Bible > Greek > Hebrews 10:4 Hebrews 10:4 Text Analysis. For example, let’s say that one those who is leading also holds the key to the door of the location where you assemble as a body of believers. The ESV, NASB 95, ASV, NIV connect submission/subjection “to them” or “to their authority” which makes a causal connection to “leaders”. The Greek word used here, hegeomai, is an interesting one that needs quite a bit of comparing and contrasting with other words to get a good sense for how to properly understand it in this context and in the rest of the Bible. “Leaders” implies makes the word sound like a noun and moves the sense towards that of a title. Kenneth S. Wuest, a Greek scholar, comments on the Scriptures from the original root language from which our English Bibles were translated. Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: Complete and unabridged in one volume (Heb 13:1–17). “in all things belonging to that office” – we need to become very clear about which things belong to these offices. The NIV provides another aspect of the sense that is really being communicated by this Greek word. My review of this verse and its construction has left me with one targeted question. It is only to the extent that the leader is following Christ that one follows the leader. You have leaders whom you should submit to and obey. This is addressed in another portion of this writing
. Disciples who have such teachers should follow them faithfully be times, and hold them as all the dearer and more worthy (1 Thess. Lane (and other commentators) note the concern about “strange teaching”. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Then they were bidden to remember those who had passed away: now they are to be obedient to the injunctions and tractable to the wishes of their successors. Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). The rest of the context matters a great deal. I doubt not but that he speaks of pastors and other rulers of the Church, for there were then no Christian magistrates; and what follows, for they watch for your souls, properly belongs to spiritual government. THAT THE DUE OBEDIENCE OF THE CHURCH, IN ALL ITS MEMBERS, UNTO THE RULERS OF IT, IN THE DISCHARGE OF THEIR OFFICE AND DUTY, IS THE BEST MEANS OF ITS EDIFICATION, AND THE CHIEF CAUSE OF ORDER AND PEACE IN THE WHOLE BODY. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. In making this statement, there is no accusation. Clearly Peter was given some responsibility, but to what extent did Jesus put his sheep under Peter’s care? There were leaders who started this congregation and set it in a good path. peitho (πείθω, 3982), “to persuade, to win over,” in the passive and middle voices, “to be persuaded, to listen to, to obey,” is so used with this meaning, in the middle voice, e.g., in Acts 5:36-37 (in v. 40, passive voice, “they agreed”); Rom.
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