2025/09/16

213. The Process of Savouring the Experience of the Perfect Christian and the Realisation Gained Thereof 

Reflecting on the previous discussion, we can say that the centurion's words in Matthew and Luke were the words of the centurion at that time, who had no way of knowing God's plan for Rome, as he came to terms with his own faith in Jesus and his position as a Roman soldier. He did not want "those who followed" (Mt 8:10) Jesus or the "multitude" (cf. Lk 7:9), who followed Jesus and the elders, to come to his house. However, when Jesus on the cross breathed his last, the centurion saw what happened there and came to realise that "Truly this was the Son of God!" (Mt 27:54). 

Moreover, after the descent of the Holy Spirit, the Acts of the Apostles describes the centurion as "a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms liberally to the people, and prayed constantly to God" (Acts 10:2). The centurion's interaction with the Apostle Peter (cf. 10:1-48) was the catalyst for the Church's move towards Gentile missionary work. Through the centurion's series of episodes depicted here, we can see the process of savouring the experience of becoming a perfect Christian. That was the power of the grace of one who has perceived Jesus with all five senses. 

We can trace this growth in the centurion's faith in the first half of the Book of Revelation. Chapters 1-3 of Revelation describe, in the form of letters, the angels of the seven churches who try to minister while coming to terms with themselves and the current state of the churches, just as the centurion came to terms with his own position and his faith in Jesus. The prophecy of the formation of the New Testament, which begins in the following chapter 4, brings all who read the New Testament to the cross of Jesus, just as the centurion stood by the cross of Jesus. 

Furthermore, it is at the Mass liturgy that we follow the example of the centurion, who was "a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms liberally to the people, and prayed constantly to God." The routine of spiritual training of Revelation is designed to overlap closely with that of Mass Liturgy, supporting and preparing the daily memory of the believers in the period between the end of the Mass and the next Mass. During the Mass Liturgy, the faithful come face to face with the Eucharist. Here, by confessing that the Eucharist is Jesus Christ and by receiving it, they have the same realization as the centurion who said, "Truly this was the Son of God!" Going through this routine is the process of savouring the experience of the perfect Christian and that of the spiritual training of Revelation. 

Just as the centurion's relationship with the Apostle Peter gave the Church the impetus to move towards the mission of the Gentiles, so, as the spiritual training of Revelation supporting mission moves towards the second half, the trainee moves into the process of getting to know himself, distinguishing between the words of revelation that have come into his own memory and "human information." As the trainee repeats the routine of spiritual training of Revelation over and over again, he comes to recognise his gradually revealing self, and the way he sees his surroundings changes. This is where the opportunity to move towards missionary work arises. Moreover, as he becomes more sensitive to "human information" and begins to see its work, he realises the words of Jesus, who testified, "If I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgmen" (Jn 16:7-8) and will have the privilege of collaborating with the Holy Spirit. 

The Father and the Son are waiting for the new prophecy to be proven over us, future believers. The Holy Spirit, sent in the name of Jesus, has therefore prepared the New Testament, including the Book of Revelation, and the Mass Liturgy so that all believers may go through the process of savouring the experience of becoming a perfect Christian and may reach the realisation that comes with it. Hence, the words of Jesus, when he said, "[T]his is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day" (Jn 6:39), belong to many believers who will always remain vulnerable. The words he continued are the hope of humanity: "For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day" (6:40). 

Maria K.M.

 2025/09/08

212. A Clue to Know the Process to Taste the Experience of Becoming a Perfect Christian

The reason Jesus instituted the Eucharist and left it on earth is that "every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life" (Jn 6:40). As we discussed last time, there is no other way to become the "one who sees the Son and believes in him" than to become those who see and believe in the Eucharist, which the priest in collaboration with the Holy Spirit presents to the congregation during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Declaring to the Eucharist, "You are the Christ, the Son of God" (cf. Mt 16:16, Jn 11:27), at every Mass, burns into the memory of each believer the fact that they have become the "one who sees the Son and believes in him." However, we, the Church, universally, have recited the centurion's profession of faith at this pivotal moment. This theme includes an important issue in examining the process, in which Revelation enables us to taste becoming a perfect Christian, so we will revisit it from a different angle before moving on. 

The Gospel of John gives a detailed account of the exchange between Jesus and Pilate. It all becomes clearer when we take it as the author's attempt to impress upon us that God had the intention of making Rome belong to Christians by leaving the scene of Jesus' involvement with Pilate, the Roman governor, in his final hours. Jesus said to the Samaritan woman he met at Jacob's well: "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father" (Jn 4:21). Consequently, that was Rome. Knowing that Jerusalem would fall, God had planned a new city in Rome from the beginning, for the Church that Jesus would give birth to and the Holy Spirit would establish, on the New Covenant. 

The episode of the centurion is found in the Gospel of Matthew and Luke. The centurion in the Gospel of Luke, who wished for the healing of his servant, faced a situation where he did not want Jesus to come to his house. That was because not only Jesus and the elders had come with him, but also the "multitude" (cf. Lk 7:9). So, when they had come to "not far from the house" (7:6), the centurion sent his friends to refuse Jesus' coming, saying as follows. In the case of Matthew's Gospel, it was not the "multitude" but "those who followed him" (Mt 8:10) who came with Jesus, but the centurion still refused to let him come. 

"Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it" (Lk 7:6-8). 

If we read this message, considering God was planning a new city in Rome, the centurion's words can be directly applied to the future of the Roman Empire. When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith" (Lk 7:9), for the centurion, who was a Roman soldier, spoke like a prophet. It would never happen that Jesus, who was to die on the cross, came to the Roman Empire, as the centurion says, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof." However, Jesus' crucifixion, the Roman Empire's punishment, stamped the name of Jesus on Rome. Thus, the words, "But say the word, and let my servant be healed," were fulfilled. The Word had reached Rome and was already encouraging its people before Paul (cf. Rom 1:6-7). 

In addition, the words uttered based on the centurion's military service experience may seem ordinary at first glance. However, behind those words was the rational system of law and military affairs that the Roman Empire had at the time. Therein lies the reason why God sought Rome as the capital for the Church to live the New Covenant he had achieved on the cross. The culture, traditions, and temperament of the Romans had the capacity to receive the rapid progress of mankind that would come with the coming of the Son of God to earth. Now, after history, we know that a new prophecy is in the New Testament. 

Jesus' words of surprise reached the centurion's servant, and the servant was in good spirits. The centurion's faith in Jesus was intuitive and pure. It is like Naaman, the military commander of the king of Aram, whom Jesus quoted as saying, "And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Eli'sha; and none of them was cleansed, but only Na'aman the Syrian" (Lk 4:27). Just as he believed in the prophet Elisha after hearing about him from his wife's servant, an Israelite girl, so the centurion believed in Jesus after hearing about him from the elders. 

Jesus said, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Every one who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me" (Jn 6:44-45). These words testify to the fulfilment of Old Covenant prophecy. The people with whom Jesus was involved at that time were those who could come to him through the Father's drawing power. The centurion was one of them, and his faith was an extension of the faith of the people of the Old Covenant. 

However, the centurion could not remain in that faith. As Jesus later testified, "I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself" (Jn 12:32), he came to say to Jesus on the cross, drawn by Jesus together with those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus: "Truly this was the Son of God!" (Mt 27:54). In Luke's Gospel, it is written that "he praised God, and said, 'Certainly this man was innocent!'" (Lk 23:47). 

The centurion who came to Jesus, drawn by the Father, said, "I am not worthy to have you come under my roof ... But say the word, and ..." It was a faith supported by the prophecies of the Old Covenant people. Eventually, he was drawn to Jesus on the cross and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!" which was directed precisely to the New Covenant, which Jesus had just fulfilled. Furthermore, after the descent of the Holy Spirit, we believers, before the Eucharist, confess the faith of the "one who sees the Son and believes in him." Here lies a clue to know a process by which Revelation enables us to taste the experience of becoming a perfect Christian. 

Maria K. M.

 

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 2025/09/01

211. First, Clarifying the Faults of the World

As we discussed in the previous issue, the "Revelation of Jesus Christ" (Rev 1:1) works on each believer who receives the Book of Revelation as a book of spiritual training, leading him or her to the spirituality of the Holy Spirit, in union with the other books of the New Testament, to taste the experience of becoming a perfect Christian. Since this is done by the Holy Spirit, before examining its process, we need first reflect on Jesus' final testimony about the Holy Spirit: "[I]f I go, I will send him [the Counselor] to you. And when he comes, he will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment" (Jn 16:7-8).

The Gospel says, "concerning sin, because they do not believe in me" (Jn 16:9). The meaning of these words becomes clear by examining what Jesus said: "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe" (6:35-36). In this passage, we notice that Jesus' words, "you have seen me and yet do not believe," are also directed at us, the future believers.

Jesus said, "For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day" (6:40). Then, he talked about how these words were to be realized, and the Jews fell into confusion. Nevertheless, Jesus continued talking and said, "[H]e who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day" (6:54). Hearing this, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" (6:60). They could not believe the words of Jesus, a living person, when he said, "[H]e who eats my flesh and drinks my blood." They were "greatly misled" (Mk 12:27). That is the "faults of the world" that "he [the Counselor] will convince" (Jn 16:8).

Do we, believers, believe Jesus' words, "I am the bread of life," when we see the Eucharist, which takes the form of bread and wine? Can we say that the Eucharist is the living Jesus? If so, where will we testify to it? It is before the Eucharist, which the Holy Spirit, sent in the name of Jesus, reveals in the Mass through the hands of the priest. If believers had no occasion to declare before the Eucharist, "You are the Christ, the Son of God" (cf. Mt 16:16, Jn 11:27), then they are being deceived by the "faults of the world."

Jesus told the Pharisees, "In your law it is written that the testimony of two men is true; I bear witness to myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness to me" (Jn 8:17-18). The declaration of the Holy Eucharist by the whole Church in the Mass as "the Christ, the Son of God" is to be such a work that each believer joins in the testimony of the Father and the Son, working with the Holy Spirit to save the whole world. If we, in the presence of the Eucharist, do not proclaim so, Jesus will keep telling us, "You have seen me and yet do not believe." That is to say, he is talking about sin.

Jesus says that "concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more" (Jn 16:10). The Gospel of John shows that Jesus paid special attention to the relationship between the sensual function, "seeing," and "to believe." The reason Jesus instituted the Eucharist and left it on earth is that "every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life" (6:40). To be the one "who sees the Son and believes in him" - to be those who see and believe in the Eucharist, which the priest in collaboration with the Holy Spirit presents to the congregation during the Liturgy of the Eucharist - is realised when we declare to the Eucharist that the Eucharist is "the Christ, the Son of God." By repeating this declaration at every Mass, each believer will harden their recognition that they have become the one "who sees the Son and believes in him."

However, some believers, even though they have believed in Jesus without seeing, cannot get the image of Jesus, who has perfectly accomplished the Father's will, out of their minds, and are deceived by the desire to know Jesus with that image, to see him and to unite with him, leaving the Eucharist aside. This desire, which comes from the "faults of the world," makes the person sense the image of Jesus whom he must have never seen, contrary to the words of Jesus, who said of righteousness, "you will see me no more." That is what the person's own persistent desires and lusts are showing him. These needs and desires arise from the desire for self-realisation, which is said to be man's highest desire. And it weaves its process in layers throughout life, without end, even once it is felt to have been achieved. It mobilises all the desires each time towards the believers who do not recognise the "faults of the world" and are "greatly misled" (Mk 12:27). And if they identify this desire for self-realisation with themselves, it will become their ruler.

Jesus testified that "concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged" (Jn 16:11). The spiritual training of Revelation provides believers who are dominated by the desire for self-fulfilment with the opportunity to know their situation. As they continue this training, they become able to discern the thoughts and ideas of their own hearts by being pierced by the one "who has the sharp two-edged sword" (Rv 2:12) to the point of being pierced to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow (cf. Heb 4:12). Eventually, the time comes when they see themselves as they are. Jesus must have longed for his followers to realise and receive the words that condemn their self-fulfilling desires as the words of the living God. To realize his hope, Jesus said, "but if I go, I will send him [the Counselor] to you" (Jn 16:7). The Counselor is indeed the Holy Spirit, who teaches and makes us realise that "the word of God is living and active" (Heb 4:12).

To practice the spiritual training of Revelation following the Holy Spirit is, in other words, to train in concert with the Holy Spirit. When one collaborates with the Holy Spirit, one can fulfil one's natural potential and truly live one's own life. Through the spiritual training of the Holy Spirit, we believers will eventually see ourselves becoming more like Jesus, i.e., becoming the likeness of God. That is true self-realisation, and there God's peace Jesus promised comes in: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you" (Jn 14:27).

Maria K. M.

 2025/08/25

210. Jesus Christ's Revelation and the Book of Spiritual Training

After Pentecost, the witnesses who had known Jesus personally saw with their own eyes that what Jesus had testified to through his words and deeds was being fulfilled as new prophecies. The Holy Spirit, sent in the name of Jesus, established the New Testament and included the Book of Revelation in it to impart the memories of the witnesses' experiences to those who do not see Jesus but believe in him. As it states, "For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" (Rev 19:10), Revelation is a book of spiritual training in which what Jesus testified is instilled into believers’ memory as new prophecies. 

The descriptions of Revelation allude to the contents of other books in the New Testament, connecting with them and putting what Jesus testified to in them in believers' memory as new prophecies. The Holy Spirit then teaches and guides believers when they revisit the other books of the New Testament, enabling them to understand that what Jesus testified becomes new prophecies in Revelation and is fulfilled (cf. Jn 16:13). When believers read the other books of the New Testament closely, continuously engaging in this spiritual training of Revelation, a cycle will be generated within them, whereby they come to understand that what Jesus testified becomes new prophecies in Revelation and is fulfilled. This cycle becomes tacit knowledge that creates and preserves within the trainees the memories of the experiences the witnesses who had known Jesus personally had retained. We can also see that from the Letter to the Hebrews, which we have been examining. 

The writer of Revelation, John, described the speaker of the voice that had first spoken to him as "in his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth issued a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength" (Rev 1:16). In addition, in the letter to the angel of the church in Pergamum, he wrote, "The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword" (2:12). Regarding this "sharp two-edged sword," the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews also wrote, "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Heb 4:12). Believers who repeatedly practice the spiritual training of Revelation will understand that what the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews wrote, that is, what is written in the other books of the New Testament, becomes, as what Jesus testified to, new prophecies in Revelation and is fulfilled. 

The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews attempted to somehow place Jesus, the Son of God who now sits at the right hand of the Father, at the centre of the "assembly" of the Church community as the eternal priest. Jesus, at the last Passover meal, showed the Apostles, who had prepared the bread and wine, the priesthood of the new covenant. Jesus conferred the priesthood on the Apostles at the same time as instituting the Eucharist, and the office has been passed down from the Apostles. In this way, the priesthood has become an eternal priesthood. This testimony of Jesus is fulfilled in Revelation as a new prophecy. Thus, the latter half of Revelation begins as follows: "And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars" (Rev 12:1). 

As shown in the diagram, Revelation consists of seven prophecies. The latter half begins with the "Prophecy of the Fate of the Church, with the Mysteries of the Priesthood and the Eucharist Hidden in the Wilderness and Heaven." What the spiritual training of Revelation requires us is simply to read Revelation aloud and try to concentrate on our own voice as we read, believing in the words, "Blessed is he who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written therein; for the time is near" (Rev 1:3). However, we can often only do a little each day. Even so, if we decide to do even one line and continue doing so, the day will come when this habit of reading Revelation will become the “blessing” itself. The Book of Revelation, with its grand prophetic structure as “The revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:1), works on each believer who accepts it as a book of spiritual training, leading them to the prophecy of the spirituality of the Holy Spirit (cf. Prophecy No. 7 in the diagram) and enabling them to experience what it means to be a perfect Christian. We will discuss this process in the next issue. 

Maria K. M.

 2025/08/18

209. From the Letter to the Hebrews to the Book of Revelation

The Letter to the Hebrews was an attempt to somehow place Jesus, the Son of God who now sits at the right hand of the Father, at the centre of the "assembly" of the Church community as the eternal priest, so that the believers whom Jesus calls his brothers and sisters would grow and eventually hear him say, "Here am I, and the children God has given me" (Heb 2:13). The writer wrote, "We have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way which he opened for us ... through his flesh" (10:19-20). There we see the meaning of the Eucharist instituted by Jesus and the image of the Mass liturgy in which the Holy Spirit, sent in the name of Jesus, works. We also see the image of a heavenly "assembly" in his description of "the assembly of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven" (12:23, cf. 12:22-24). 

In this way, the writer relied on the "assembly" to guide the Hebrew Christians, who had strong ties to the Old Testament. At that time, when there was no New Testament, he had no choice but to say, "Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith" (Heb 13:7). He could not resort to the Old Testament, which did not mention the name of Jesus. 

On the other hand, the Apostle Paul, who was involved with a community of Gentile Christians with ethical problems, wrote in his letter to the Ephesians, "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart" (Eph 5:18-19), commanding them to practise spiritual discipline based on the Psalms (cf. 4:17-5:14). In his letter to the Colossians, he also wrote, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God" (Col 3:16). However, in the Psalms of the Old Testament, there is no mention of "the word of Christ," let alone the name of Jesus. Moreover, if Christians waiting for the second coming of Jesus were to drink the wine of the people of the Old Testament who were waiting for the Saviour, Jesus' words would come true: "And no one after drinking old wine desires new; for he says, 'the old is good.'" (Lk 5:39). However, Paul had nothing else to rely on. 

The Apostles who shared Jesus' public ministry witnessed his suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension, and experienced the descent of the Holy Spirit. However, Paul, who was chosen by God at a completely different time, had no personal experience with Jesus. He did not have the memory of "that I have said to you" that Jesus said: "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you" (Jn 14:26). That is the crucial memory for engaging with the Holy Spirit sent in the name of Jesus. Paul knew that very well. He therefore went to Jerusalem on his own initiative and listened to the Apostles at length. His efforts flourished in the New Testament, benefiting not only himself but also future Christians. 

Over time, as Paul tells us in his letter to the Corinthians, some of the witnesses to Jesus' resurrection passed away (cf. 1 Cor 15:6). They had firsthand experiences with Jesus. Many of them had been taught directly by Jesus and had memories of "that I have said to you." The Holy Spirit added the Book of Revelation to the New Testament to infuse the memories of these witnesses, who knew Jesus personally, into the future believers in a special way. Revelation, which states, "Blessed is he who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written therein; for the time is near" (Rev 1:3), is a book of spiritual training that the Holy Spirit uses to store experiences equal to those of these witnesses in the depths of the memories of believers. 

Revelation is closely connected to the other books of the New Testament and creates a significant memory within believers for the sake of the Holy Spirit sent in the name of Jesus. As if foreseeing this future, the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews prayed as follows. "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, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in you that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen" (Heb 13:20-21). 

Maria K. M.

 2025/08/11

208. Solutions to the Issues Raised in the Letter to the Hebrews and Their Fruit

The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews states, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old received divine approval. By faith we understand that the world was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made out of things which do not appear" (Heb 11:1-3). He then briefly describes the history of the people of the Old Testament who received divine approval because of their faith (cf. 11:4-38) and concludes as follows: "And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect" (11:39-40).

In the faith of Christians who follow Jesus Christ, a Hebrew, there is no break with the history of the Old Testament. However, here the writer shows two different types of faith and announces that a thoroughly new era has come in the history of the people of the Old Testament. For this reason, the definition of faith as "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" resulted in "And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised." On the other hand, those who believe in the name of Jesus through the Holy Spirit receive the state of "By faith we understand that the world was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made out of things which do not appear." The expression, "God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect" refers to this state.

John the Evangelist testifies to these differences between the Old and New Testament ways of faith through the first and second signs performed by Jesus in Cana of Galilee. The mother who conceived Jesus through the Holy Spirit believed the words of the angel, "You shall call his name Jesus" (Mat 1:21, Lk 1:31), together with her husband, Joseph. Through that faith, she experienced that "the world was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made out of things which do not appear." Filled with the Holy Spirit, she had already attained perfection, anticipating the "something better" that God had planned for us. That is as the risen Jesus said, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe" (Jn 20:29).

"There was a marriage at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; Jesus also was invited to the marriage, with his disciples. When the wine failed, the mother of Jesus said to him, 'They have no wine.'" (Jn 2:1-3). Jesus replied, "O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come" (2:4). These words of Jesus indicate that he came to earth with a divine plan. Jesus' mother, who had shared everything with him, understood this and told the servants, "Do whatever he tells you" (2:5), which was her response to Jesus' words. Thus, his mother, his disciples, and the servants who had obeyed Jesus' command all encountered the very time when Jesus performed his first sign of turning water into wine and "manifested his glory" (2:11). Here we see a model of New Testament faith.

The second sign in Cana, Galilee, was as follows. There was an officer, and "When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death" (Jn 4:47). As it is written, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old received divine approval," the officer was assured of the hope that Jesus would heal his son. Therefore, he, as if neglecting Jesus' words, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe" (4:48), immediately said, "Sir, come down before my child dies" (4:49). He tried to be convinced of the unseen thing that Jesus would heal his son. In fact, later he confirmed the time when Jesus said, "Go; your son will live" (4:50) and the time when his son was healed (cf. 4:51-53). He believed Jesus' words and went home. And his son was healed. That is the model of faith in the Old Testament.

Although the official, by his faith, was approved by Jesus, he "did not receive what was promised." There are still many people around the world today who receive the same result. To advance history, we Christians must understand and accept the conclusion that "God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect" and strive to "be made perfect." Therefore, the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews goes on to earnestly encourage believers saying, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith" (Heb 12:1-2).

Maria K. M.

 2025/08/04

207. From the Issues Raised in the Letter to the Hebrews to Their Solution (the Assembly)

The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews had to support through a letter his community, which was undergoing persecution and social pressure (cf. Heb 10:32-34) and was prone to reverting to Old Testament practice (cf. 2:1). He therefore used the word "assembly" to evoke the image of a new community of God's people centred on Christ. That was because it was what he called "such a great salvation" (2:3). In this "assembly," God distributes the gifts of the Holy Spirit, sent in the name of Jesus, according to his will (cf. 2:4). There, Christ, who is at the centre of worship and praise, calls believers "brothers" and praises God together with them (cf. 2:12). And he says, "Here am I, and the children God has given me" (2:13). The Book of Revelation also says, "He who conquers shall have this heritage, and I will be his God and he shall be my son" (Rev 21:7). The "assembly" is to become the very place where people will enter God's rest, the promised land, the "new Jerusalem" (cf. 21:2–6).

The writer encouraged believers to strive to participate in the "assembly." There, the Holy Spirit seeks to distribute his gifts according to his Father's will to believers who have become children of Christ by calling God their Father. However, the power of the word of God that the writer was convinced as "the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Heb 4:12), sometimes discourages believers because it suggested a severe training. It was hard to overcome the situation in that environment at the time (cf. 10:32-34). In addition, the words, "And before him no creature is hidden, but all are open and laid bare to the eyes of him with whom we have to do" (4:13), made them confront the reality of God, which could cause human fear. 

The writer says that "we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God" (Heb 4:14) and that "we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Heb 4:15), encouraging believers by saying, "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (4:16). That is why the writer developed and emphasised the theme, "Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchiz'edek" (5:6), and intended to thoroughly testifiy that Jesus Christ was at the centre of this "assembly." 

However, as discussed in the previous issues, the writer's community faced problems such as the inherent nature of people to strongly revert to habitual ways of thinking instilled in them by their upbringing, which had a significant impact on the Church community, and the question of how to receive Jesus' help in confronting information referred to as devils and Satan. These issues are more likely to occur outside the "assembly." To resolve them and enable believers who live with the Holy Spirit sent in the name of Jesus to keep Jesus' words, a realistic and concrete method of formation is necessary. That is the formation which is to support the "assembly" that the writer believed in and to lead to the completion of the "assembly" itself, realising the writer's conviction through the belief and practice of all believers, who are the living Church. To fulfil this aim, the establishment of the New Testament is imperative. Jesus' name does not appear in the Old Testament.

He wrote, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old received divine approval. By faith we understand that the world was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made out of things which do not appear" (Heb 11:1-3). In this passage, we see two types of faith. I expect that the clue leading to the realistic and concrete method of formation is hidden here. In the next issue, I would like to explore this idea further. 

Maria K.M.