Introduction
Not all Christians teach, but all Christians must test the teaching they receive. But, how?
"They received the word with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so." -- Acts 17:11 (CSB)Several things the pastor of Hebrews may seem questionable to modern Christians. But they rest upon the very nature of what a transcendent God is.
"He is before all things, and by him all things hold together." -- Colossians 1:17 (CSB)As with other portions of the Bible, it is helpful to know what is known about the nature of the text.
But, in the case of Hebrews, the information is rather sparse.
Testing the Teaching
Luke describes the Christians in Berea as "more noble" than those in Thessalonica . . . because they BOTH listened eagerly AND checked out what the Apostle Paul was teaching. This is an example to follow, as Paul makes clear in his letter, written later, to the Thessalonians. Not all Christians are equipped or positioned to teach, but all should check out what they are taught.
How?
Given that they were Jews, what almost certainly this meant was that they confirmed that Paul's teaching conformed to what was taught in the OT, the Jewish Scriptures.
But what were they looking for?
First, was Paul teaching them to worship the same God, they already knew?
Second, were the things Paul was teaching true, so far as they could confirm?
Third, were the things Paul taught consistent with known doctrine?
In 434 AD, Vincent of Lérins wrote in his his Commitorium
" Since the canon of Scripture is complete, and sufficient of itself for everything, and more than sufficient, what need is there to join with it the authority of the Church’s interpretation? For this reason,—because, owing to the depth of Holy Scripture, all do not accept it in one and the same sense, but one understands its words in one way, another in another; so that it seems to be capable of as many interpretations as there are interpreters."
He then lists some of the heretics who had troubled the church over the preceding 200 years, often basing their heresies on strange interpretations of the Scriptures. Discussing this problem, he offers his famous "Canon":
"Moreover, in the Catholic (universal, or complete; NOT "Roman Catholic) Church itself, all possible care must be taken, that we hold that faith which has been believed everywhere, always, by all."
So, practically speaking, what rules can we follow?
What is taught only by one, or only by one denomination, should be doubted. It may be true, but cannot be trusted.
What is found in only one verse or passage, should be handled with caution. What is found in many passages, and in the Old and New Testaments, should be trusted.
Teaching that does not align with the passage taught, should be doubted. The claims made might be true, but teaching that does not clearly arise from the passage taught is untrustworthy. (Exegesis vs eisegesis)
Teaching that contradicts settled doctrine -- such as the Nicene Creed -- should NEVER be trusted. Of course, this means you need to know, and comprehend, the 3 ecumenical creeds.
Sources
The people here were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, since they received the word with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Acts 17:11 (CSB)
Don’t despise prophecies, 21 but test all things. -- 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 (CSB)
[If a prophet says: ] ‘Let’s follow other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let’s worship them,’ do not listen to that prophet’s words or to that dreamer. For the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul. -- Deuteronomy 13:2-3 (CSB)
But the prophet who presumes to speak a message in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods — that prophet must die.’ You may say to yourself, ‘How can we recognize a message the Lord has not spoken? ’ When a prophet speaks in the Lord’s name, and the message does not come true or is not fulfilled, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. -- Deuteronomy 18:20-22 (CSB)
there will be false teachers among you. They will bring in destructive heresies, -- 2 Peter 2:1 (CSB)
For Novatian expounds it one way, Sabellius another, Donatus another, Arius, Eunomius, Macedonius, another, Photinus, Apollinaris, Priscillian, another, Iovinian, Pelagius, Celestius, another, lastly, Nestorius another. Therefore, it is very necessary, on account of so great intricacies of such various error, that the rule for the right understanding of the prophets and apostles should be framed in accordance with the standard of Ecclesiastical and Catholic interpretation.
[6.] Moreover, in the Catholic Church itself, all possible care must be taken, that we hold that faith which has been believed everywhere, always, by all. For that is truly and in the strictest sense “Catholic,” which, as the name itself and the reason of the thing declare, comprehends all universally."
(Note that "Catholic", in all sources before 1054 AD, means "universal" or "complete", and NOT "Roman Catholic")
[Commitorium, ch. 2, para. 5, 6]
A Transcendent God
What God does not think of, does not in any sense, exist.The words, transcendent and immanent are not familiar to most people, but they are important when thinking about who and what God is.
In particular, many people today confuse the nature and characteristics of an immanent god -- like Odin, Zeus, or Ba'al -- with the nature of a transcendent God -- like Yahweh, the Trinity, or Allah. The difference is very important, but it is especially important to any understanding of the book of Hebrews.
It is also important apologetically: Aristotle's Cosmological Argument -- basically, that all things that begin must have a Cause that did not begin -- established the logical necessity that a transcendent God, or something very like one, must exist.
A transcendent God
has no beginning.
was not made by anything.
made everything . . . including OTHER supernatural entities.
is not 'contained' by anything, including the cosmos.
is not 'somewhere'.
can do anything that is not a logical contradiction..
knows everything about everything that is.
cannot be destroyed, injured or killed.
is the absolute 'owner' of everything that exists.
has no obligations, except those that are self-imposed.
is not limited by time.
An immanent god
has a beginning or origin.
is contained by the cosmos.
is local, though not necessarily to a place humans can reach.
has great knowledge, but does not know everything.
is limited by time.
has great, but limited, power
can be variously, destroyed, injured or killed.
does not own everything; may not own anything.
is bound by various obligations
Sources
Where can I go to escape your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. -- Psalms 139:7-8 (CSB)
He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. -- John 1:2-3 (CSB)
He did this so that they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being, -- Acts 17:27-28 (CSB)
all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and by him all things hold together. -- Colossians 1:16-17 (CSB)
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. -- Hebrews 1:3 (CSB)
Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things, and by your will they exist and were created. -- Revelation 4:11 (CSB)
"“And upholding all things”—that is, governing; He holds together what would fall to pieces; For, to hold the world together, is no less than to make it, but even greater (if one must say a strange thing). For the one is to bring forward something out of things which are not: but the other, when things which have been made are about to fill back into non-existence, to hold and fasten them together, utterly at variance as they are with each other: this is indeed great and wonderful, and a certain proof of exceeding power." -- Homilies on Hebrews - John Chrysostom - d. 407 AD