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 ruth - how do we know it?
Many claim that mathematics and science lead us to objective
truth. Mathematics is black and white in its answers. Science
has put men on the moon, built computers, invented the automobile,
created cellular phones, and discovered many other wonders.
Yet, science cannot claim to be absolutely objective when
it comes to truth. In 2000, the Forbes ASAP publication presented
one article after another regarding the truthfulness and dependability
of science. The concluding article had this to say about science,
“It’s too easy, with the benefit of modernity, hindsight,
and all that, to regard science as the most fearless, objective,
apolitcial, democratic, and open-minded of human endeavors
- the seeker of truth.” The author, James Burke, goes
on to show that science has changed its theories again and
again, each time admitting the old “scientific truth”
was in error. Scientific truth - theories - depends on the
intelligence of men.
Quoting Truth.
Increasingly, just like the author James Burke, many are realizing
that science does not really have all the answers. Some are
seeking truth in the supernatural: premonitions, clairvoyance,
astral projection, astrology, tarot cards, witches, and ghosts.
They are finding a new world. But how do we recognize truth?
Is it determined by a person’s educational degrees and
theories? Is it determined by the power and mysteries in the
supernatural? The closest measure of truth that we have is
found in the Bible - consistent, accurate, long range prophetic
predictions backed by supernatural events. These are true
of the Old Testament, a book proven by 1,817 fulfilled prophecies
(27 percent of the Bible), verifiable historical events and
ancient testimony of actual signs and miracles.
The
Jewish Christians to whom the book of Hebrews was written
were forgetting truth - the faithful Old Testament scriptures.
That is why the first chapter of Hebrews refers them back
to selected scriptures that pointed them to Jesus, to passages
that reminded them that Jesus is called “My Son,”
“the first-born,” “God,” and “Lord,”
and to passages that reminded them that Jesus would be worshipped
by the angels and that angels are only ministers of God. Why
was this necessary? They were forgetting truth and so they
were beginning to respect the angels more than Jesus.
Therefore.
The angels are inferior to Jesus. This was the real point
some of these believers had forgotten. So the Spirit warns
them to really listen to Jesus since they believed the words
of the angels were truth.
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For
this reason we must pay much closer attention to what
we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For if
the word spoken through angels proved unalterable,
and every transgression and disobedience received
a just recompense how shall we escape if we neglect
so great a salvation? . . . (NASB) Hebrews 2:1-2 |
The
English misses the meaning of the Greek. The words “pay
much closer attention” is the Greek word PROSECHO which
means “to hold on to,” or “to bring to the
dock.” The last Greek word in the verse is PARARREO meaning
“to slip away.” These are navy terms. The word picture
the Spirit paints is of a boat slipping away from the dock
and out to sea. These Hebrew Christians were in danger of
slipping away from Jesus and back to Judaism. So they are
encouraged to keep on hanging on to the dock - hanging on
to what they had heard. |
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