Morning Moments

Hebrews 2:3 (KJV)
3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
I have read a dozen authors regarding this text and they all present some problems for me. In fact, it seems to me that the approach by many scholars to Hebrews is a case of not seeing the forest for the trees. Word Study is important, but it should always be kept in context and the context of the book of Hebrews is this “great salvation” which is ours in Christ which most of the Jews had missed. There can be no doubt that the book was written to believers and it disturbs me that although Paul makes it perfectly clear that “in Christ” there is neither Jew nor Gentile, we like to think “Christian Jews” have some edge over the rest of us and IT IS NOT TRUE. We are the same “in Christ”. It is not whether you are Jew or Gentile, but whether you are “in Christ”. The text above, as does the book itself, addresses “…holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;”Heb 3:1

Several questions come to mind as I consider this text:
1. What shall we escape?
2. What is it to neglect?
3. What is meant by “so great salvation”
4. If this “so great salvation” was begun to be spoken by the LORD and confirmed by them that heard, then our text must surely refer to any of us who neglect it, whether Jew or Gentile.
“Oh,” someone might say, “but the book is entitled ‘HEBREWS’, and I remind you that the early Church for the first 14-15 years were almost completely Jews.

Look at Vincent’s comments: How shall we escape (πῶς ἡμεῖς ἐκφευξόμεθα) The rhetorical question expressing denial. We is emphatic. We, to whom God has spoken by his Son, and who, therefore, have so much the more reason for giving heed. Ἐκφευξόμεθα lit. flee out from. The English escape conveys the same idea, but contains a picture which is not in the Greek word, namely, to slip out of one’s cape, ex cappa, and so get away. Comp. French Èchapper. In Italian we have scappare “to escape,” and also incappare “to fall into a snare,” and incappuciare “to wrap up in a hood or cape; to mask.” If we neglect (ἀμελήσαντες) Lit. having neglected. Rare in N.T., P. Comp. Matthew 22:5; 1 Timothy 4:14. The thought falls in with drift past, v. 1. Salvation (σωτηρίαν) Characterizing the new dispensation, as the word (v. 2) characterizes the old. Not the teaching or word of salvation, but the salvation itself which is the gift of the gospel, to be obtained by purification from sin through the agency of the Son (1:3).

He makes it clear that to es-cape does not mean to “slip out of one’s cape” or to “get away”, but rather to “get wrapped up in it” Simply put it indicates “entanglement”, so if we “neglect” we become entangled or tripped up or fall into a snare because we have neglected or drifted past the greatness of this salvation, which certainly means more than the new birth, but the whole scope of what we have in Christ whether Jew or Gentile.

This thought is certainly consistent with the context of the book, which is not dealing with the “first principles”, but “going on”, maturing, growing. Far too many of us get stuck on the “new birth” aspect of this great salvation – as those who have crossed the “Red Sea”, but who have not yet entered “Canaan”. That is also consistent with the warning in the sixth chapter, which also deals with slipping past.

So to answer our questions:
1. What shall we not escape? The Canaan Rest, the Spirit filled life, the more abundant life, and a hundred other terms.
2. What is it to neglect? The best answer is precisely what the Jews did who had come out of slavery and were led to settlement – they couldn’t believe that they could live victoriously. They got wrapped up or entangled or tripped up.
3. What is the “so great salvation”? It is indeed the entire spectrum of the life of Christ in us who are in Him. It is not just getting out of hell, but getting the hell out of us and getting heaven in us.

Finally, God is NOT satisfied with our merely being saved from the penalty of sin, but also the power of sin in our daily lives, until we are ultimately saved from the very presence of sin – THAT is the “great salvation” we are not to escape.

BLESSINGS!