Hebrews 4:2

Hebrews 4:2

Hello Markus,

after our last telephone conversation I gave some more thought to a few of the things you said to me. It is actually always the same arguments. For you it is important to belong somewhere, to a community, a congregation, an organization. Why do we not prefer to belong to God and his Son, as He advises us to in the Bible and as the prophets, the apostles, and many others lived out before us? You mentioned the Bible verse Hebrews 4:2 several times. I have now taken a closer look at this verse, and in doing so I took several translations to hand.

**Hebrews 4:2**

For we have had the good news declared to us, also, just as they had; but the word that was heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who heard. – New World Translation

For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. – Luther

For to us also good news has been declared, even as also to them; but the word of the message did not profit those, because it was not mixed with faith in those who heard it. – Elberfelder

For the gospel has been preached to us just as also to them; but the word that was heard was of no profit to them, because it was not blended with faith in those who heard it. – Bengel

...and for we are having been brought good news according to which even also those, but not benefited the word of the hearing those not having been mixed to the faith to the having heard. – Kingdom Interlinear... since they were not joined by a trusting faith to those who heard it. – Die Gute Nachricht (footnote)

see also Turkish translations of this verse!!

The translations quoted here actually already show what matters: faith, not the coming together with others. Let us first assume that this verse was translated correctly in the NW Translation (as well as in the footnote of the GN Translation), then it would mean that here Paul is speaking of people who had h e a r d the word of God but drew no benefit from it, because they were not united in faith with those who h e a r d. What sense do these words make? Who is the group that heard the word, and who is the group that has heard it, with whom they were supposed to unite? Interestingly, the context of the text also does not show that a coming together or some kind of connection between these groups would be of significance. Here Paul is quite clearly speaking of the necessity of faith, of the importance of joining what was heard with faith. (Heb. 3:18; 4:3) This statement would thus be identical with what Paul says in Romans 10:17: So faith comes from hearing the message, ... (Good News). Not necessarily, of course, as we all know, but hearing the message is at least a prerequisite. But not everyone who hears believes.

Apparently the WT Society does not use this text either to underpin the institution of the congregation; at any rate I found nothing on the Watch CD.

It is certainly no mistake if we try to grasp the meaning of such statements, what our Creator wants to tell us through these verses. In doing so we can always be guided by principles that are valid for everyone, everywhere, and at all times. If, according to your understanding of the statements in Hebrews 4:2; 10:24,25, it is absolutely necessary to come together with others, then one has to ask what significance this statement has. Is it of vital necessity for all people at all times? What, then, about C.T. Russell when he separated from his religious community? Did he then not transgress this important commandment? What about the other thousands who separated from their churches and religious organizations, only because they were not willing to go along with everything that was in contradiction to the word of God? Did they thereby load guilt upon themselves? Certainly not.

But it is not a matter of whether it is wrong to come together with other people and to exchange thoughts, rather it is a matter of the manner in which it should happen. A Bible commentator wrote the following comment on the subject of meetings:

An examination of the biblical sources about the early Christian congregation yields the striking fact that we simply find no fixed pattern of what Christian meetings look like. Originally, right after Pentecost, the apostles and others came together daily in the temple for discussions and exhortations.

The assumption that most of them could have continued to do this even after that initial period is unrealistic, and there is also no indication of it. In connection with the meetings in the temple, the common meals with their brothers in various houses are also mentioned, and since meals frequently offered Jesus Christ the opportunity to dispense spiritual blessings in an informal way, this was probably the case here as well.

In Ephesus, during the first three months Paul went to the synagogue, that is, once a week on every Sabbath. Then he turned his back on the synagogue and "spoke daily in the hall [of] Tyrannus," for two full years. It is illogical to assume that among those who came together with him it was the same persons every day, for only a few could afford to spend their time this way for two years. We know that Paul was there day after day; but we do not know for certain whether anyone else was present every day. And nothing proves whether the Christians thereafter met in Ephesus – or elsewhere – with the same frequency. In many cities of the Imperium Romanum the proportion of slaves in the population was very large and readily amounted to a third of the inhabitants of larger cities such as Rome, Ephesus, Antioch, and Corinth. Although many of them were not mere laborers but occasionally held positions of quite great responsibility, it is nevertheless unlikely that most slaves could attend the meetings at will.

Although the Christian Scriptures are full of all kinds of exhortations, apart from these accounts in the book of Acts they simply contain nothing in which a specific program for the Christian meeting is outlined or recommended, whether with respect to time, frequency, or structure. There is the appeal to come together out of love for the fellow brothers. It is stated what the essential goal and purpose is, namely to incite one another to love and fine works; but the manner and the form remain open.

In this kind of informal meeting people could come out of themselves, be themselves, speak from their innermost being; they did not merely have to repeat prepared material and take part in a tightly controlled, stereotyped, catechetical question-and-answer game. People really got to know one another, they noticed what someone actually felt and did not merely hear how someone uttered something that in fact stood for the thinking and views of others instead of for their own.

That is what I mean. It is a matter of the spirit – not of complying with a summons to come together. -2 Corinthians 3:6 – the written law condemns to death, but the spirit makes alive.

At this point I would like to insert something fundamental. In connection with the worship of God it is a l w a y s a matter of the spirit that stands behind it. It is not a matter of doing or not doing certain things, but of the motive that stands behind it. That is why the text from Ephesians 5:1 has always appealed to me: Become imitators of God, as beloved children.

Just imagine a father who wants his grown children to gather at his house every Wednesday and eat together. That is certainly not a bad request, for on the one hand the children see one another and the family bonds are strengthened, and on the other hand the father is so loving and attentive that he always has an open ear and wise advice for each of his children. So each time it is an encouragement for the children when they are there. But would it be reasonable and loving of the father if he insisted every time that everyone be present and were offended or hurt if one of the children did not come simply because he did not feel like it, or even then took disciplinary measures?? It may seem insignificant whether one views the text from Hebrews as a law, a requirement, or as an encouragement, but it changes the picture we have of Jehovah and that others get of him through us.

I will continue to turn away decisively from any organization that conveys such a picture of God and abuses religious feelings by exerting pressure and power. Do you think I am exaggerating? Then why, in the 30 years I was in it, did I never (perhaps 1-2 times) hear of someone not attending the congregation meeting simply because he did not feel like it. Surely this was not seldom the case, but who would actually say so. Then one prefers to try to say that one was not feeling well, had a headache, or the like, in order to avoid discussions or "an exchange of thoughts." Why does one create such an atmosphere that one does not even feel free to express one's feelings?? In Turkish there is a nice saying: Zorla güzellik olmaz (roughly, "Beauty cannot be forced"). What does God get out of it if we attend the congregation meeting but our heart is elsewhere. On the contrary, if you do not like to go, better do not go at all, so that no hatred develops!!

All in all, I cannot imagine that anyone really seriously believes that mere belonging to a community brings any kind of advantage in any way when we are judged by God. There is a nice comparison in the Bible: Hag 2:12-14. Similar to what is described in those questions, we cannot become holy through contact with what is holy, but indeed we can become unclean through touching what is unclean. Even if we assume that there is such a thing as a true religion, belonging to it cannot bring us any advantage as long as we ourselves are not convinced of it from the heart. But if this community is unclean before God, we can defile ourselves with it. That is also the reason for the urgent appeal not to touch the unclean thing and to flee out of Babylon. Belonging to a community can therefore not bring about our salvation, but under certain circumstances our death.

It is really a pity to see how people cling to an organization, for it has absolutely nothing to do with God, even if some good works are accomplished. But we can be sure that Jehovah will take away from us everything (or He allows it) that we set in his place. We must learn in our life to trust in HIM alone. I have the conviction and the trust that you see it the same way, and until recently I also had the conviction that this too is the endeavor of the organization, to teach us this. But by now I know better. The very fact alone that I was not doing so well in the first months showed me that the organization is not concerned to raise its members (followers or the like) into spiritually strong, independent individuals, but on the contrary: it tries to create a dependence. It shows this clearly, among other things, by claiming that no one can come to God except through the faithful and discreet slave (incidentally, the Bible does not say this)! Then I was told several times: What will you do without us?? Whoever says such a thing clearly betrays that he wants to see the other in dependence and not in the freedom given by God!! Christ has set us free, he also wants us to remain free. So stand firm and do not let yourselves be harnessed again into a yoke of slavery. God has called you to freedom, my brothers and sisters! But do not misuse your freedom as a license to gratify your selfish desires, rather serve one another in love. – Galatians 5:1,13

Interestingly, the word freedom always has a negative connotation among the religious communities, as though anyone who seeks freedom were selfish. But it is a natural desire that our Creator has planted in our heart. Only when we are free does it show whether we are selfish or not, for it depends on how we use our freedom. As Paul says: For though I am free from all persons, I have made myself the slave to all, that I may gain the most persons. – 1 Corinthians 9:19

At this point I would like to briefly go into Hebrews 10:24,25 once more. The context of the text shows that it concerns something really serious. Christian wrote to me in a letter that in his opinion the importance of the congregation meeting is even too little emphasized, since according to the 10th chapter of the letter to the Hebrews it can even be seen as a rejection of the ransom sacrifice (or Jehovah sees it that way). But if we again think of what I described above, namely the relationship of father-son, then one can easily explain what is meant by this text: It is again a matter of encouraging one another in love and in faith, not of being present somewhere, at fixed times. Some even go so far as to claim that every congregation meeting is a personal invitation from Jehovah and that staying away would be tantamount to a rejection of the invitation and that one would thereby hurt Him!! The Good News translates the verse this way: Some have gotten into the habit of staying away from the congregation meetings. That is not good; rather you should give one another courage.

In the foreground once again is the aspect of love and mutual encouragement, that is what matters. It is a matter of our not being like shepherds who feed themselves, but of showing sincere love of neighbor, by showing interest and compassion.

There would certainly be quite a bit more to say about these two texts, but I wanted here at least to go into it briefly once, in order to show how I think about it and what is actually meant to be told to us with these verses.

Fundamentally, our whole life is about who we are, why we do something, and what we want to be. It is never about where we are, what position we hold, or the like. That would be another interesting subject: the Christian congregation and authority!!