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.

 2025/07/28

206. Issues Raised in the Letter to the Hebrews (Human Information)

At the end of Chapter 2 of the Letter to the Hebrews, it says, "Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage" (Heb 2:14-15). To understand the writer's words above, we need to know the true nature of "the devil." Devils and Satan are information, and when taken in by people, they become human thoughts. The Book of Revelation says that what is called the devil or Satan is "that ancient serpent" (Rev 20:2), urging us to pay attention to the story of the first man and woman in Genesis.

Information generated through human interactions is highly compatible with human memory and easily forms human thoughts when taken in. In this way, God's command, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die" (Gen 2:16-17), has been replaced by the human thoughts: "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'" (3:2-3). The memory of God's words that the first man and woman had at the beginning of Genesis has been overwritten.

Ignoring God's will, they acted on their human thoughts, "You will not die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Gen 3:4-5). And indeed, things turned out just as they had thought. They did not die after eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and their eyes were opened. However, with their eyes opened, they eventually came to realise that their bodies, which were nothing but dust, would return to dust (cf. 3:19). The words, "You shall die," meant that they would know physical death and become subject to lifelong bondage through fear of death. Viewing from the side of God, they are as good as dead. To free these people, Jesus, the Son of God, became a human being. And he responded to Peter with harsh words, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me; for you are not on the side of God, but of men" (Mat 16:23), when Peter rebuked him after he first revealed his suffering, death, and resurrection to his disciples.

The Gospels record the events that occurred after Jesus received baptism from John the Baptist and fasted for 40 days in the wilderness, revealing how Jesus, the Son of God, confronted the human information known as the devil or Satan. Jesus, who was about to begin his public life, must have held God's plan entrusted to him by his Father in his mind and was filled with determination to carry it out. However, after fasting, Jesus got hungry, and a strange idea to command the stones to become loaves of bread came to his mind, combining the thoughts of the Son of God with the thoughts of a human being having lived as a man (cf. Mat 4:1). That is because Jesus had a plan to institute the Eucharist, in which bread and wine would become his body and blood through the Word, so that his words, "[H]e who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day" (Jn 6:54), would come true. Jesus distinguished human thoughts from God's plan by answering, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" (Mat 4:4).

Meanwhile, Jesus' humanity, which had already exceeded the limits of physical endurance, experienced a hallucination. He stood on the edge of the temple roof. His idea, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down" (Mat 4:6), that has come to his mind seems to make us recall the deriding words of those who saw Jesus crucified on the cross, "You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross" (27:40). As a human being with a physical body, Jesus had to face his own death with the same feelings as those who had been slaves all their lives because of their fear of death. However, Jesus distinguished his thoughts, which were based on God's plan, from human thoughts, saying, "Again it is written, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'" (4:7).

The hallucination continues. Jesus is taken to a very high mountain and sees all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. An idea arises in his mind, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me" (Mat 4:9). In this case, the suggestive form "if you are the Son of God" is not used. That is because Jesus, the Son of God, had memories of people who had fallen to their knees before these words, given themselves over to all kinds of idolatry, and perished. That idea was human information, kept separate in Jesus' memory. Jesus called it by name and treated it as completely foreign, saying, "Begone, Satan! for it is written, `You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'" (4:10). Then the human information left him. The Gospel says, "angels came and ministered to him" (4:11). Peace has come.

Jesus' experience in the wilderness is a powerful help to us, as it is written in the Letter to the Hebrews, "For because he himself has suffered and been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted" (Heb 2:18). Jesus dealt with the human thoughts that arose within him by responding with the words of God. That was because he had retained the words of the Old Testament. However, Jesus' name is not found in the Old Testament. At the time when the systematic New Testament had not yet been established, believers, who lived with the Holy Spirit sent in the name of Jesus, needed a practical and concrete method of retaining Jesus' words so that they could follow Jesus' example in the wilderness. The absence of such a method was the second issue that affected the Church community, following on from the first issue mentioned in the previous article.

Maria K. M.

 2025/07/21

205. Issues raised in the Letter to the Hebrews (Chapters 1-2)

The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews, who was in an age when the New Testament had not yet been compiled into a systematic whole, seems to be trying to somehow explain theoretically Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of faith and the new covenant, based on what he had heard, using the Old Testament. The text contains a separate thread from the topic of priesthood, which we discussed last time, in which the writer develops a remarkable reflection on the theme of faith. So, I would like to pick the issues the writer would have faced in leading his community, and finally, I will try to present the solutions to them. 

The writer first clarifies who Jesus, the Son of God, is (cf. Heb 1:1-3), and then explains the difference between the Son and the angels (cf. 1:4-14). The writer is very concerned with the theme of angels. That is because, just as it was an angel who announced the coming of the Son of God to Joseph and Mary, the Hebrews of that time generally believed that angels were intermediaries between God and humans, and that God's revelations were communicated through angels. Therefore, the writer had to carefully argue that Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, was essentially superior to angels, despite appearing to be less than an angel. The Book of Revelation begins with the words, "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants what must soon take place; and he made it known by sending his angel to his servant John" (Rev 1:1), which also shows the importance of showing Christ's superiority to angels clearly. 

In addition, the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews says, "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation?" (Heb 1:14), which is consistent with what the angel himself says in Revelation: "I am a fellow servant with you and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus" (Rev 19:10) and "I am a fellow servant with you and your brethren the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book" (22:9). However, as the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews urges self-control, continuing, "Therefore we must pay the closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it" (Heb 2:1), people have a strong tendency to revert to habitual ways of thinking instilled in them by their upbringing. 

Considering this, we can well sympathize with the sentiment of the writer when he wrote, "[H]ow shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?" (Heb 2:3). That is because this salvation was declared not by angels but "at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard him, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his own will" (2:3-4). 

Therefore, as the writer says, "For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through suffering" (Heb 2:10), it was only through Jesus, the Son of God, showing himself fulfilling God's will completely through various sufferings before us humans that people, created by God, would be able to accept the fact that they had been made after the likeness of the one "for whom and by whom all things exist," i.e., after God's likeness. 

Considering the above, we can say one of the issues that the writer would have faced in leading his community is that people have a strong tendency to revert to habitual ways of thinking instilled in them by their upbringing. Amid this problem, believers "neglect such a great salvation." That is the first issue influencing the Church community. 

Maria K.M.