- What does the author mean in 2:3 regarding “neglecting” salvation? Does the author include himself in that warning? Do you think that Christians can “neglect” salvation? Give reasons for your answer. How would you encourage a person who was afraid that they were “neglecting” his salvation? What would you say to help him avoid this situation?
When we look at Hebrews 2:3 the author brings up the idea of neglecting salvation. This phrase seems to be a bit strange and we have to look at what it means so we can make sure to avoid this neglecting of salvation. With the context and some background study we can see, “to neglect this salvation is to despise God’s revelation and treat it as inconsequential. Subsequent exhortations will make it clear that such disregard for God’s provision brings severance from its benefits, which results in eternal loss.”[1] This would mean that it is primarily those who hear the message of the gospel but who treat it as inconsequential. In our day and age this would be the person who doesn’t listen to the gospel simply because they are just caught up in their own life. Within this context, the author nor could Christians today be guilty of this. Within this context Christians can rest assured they do not have to worry about this at all.
However there is another way this can be interpreted which Christians can slip into. “Amelesantes, the word rendered ‘ignore,’ is a participle appropriately translated with conditional force in the NIV. It means to neglect through apathy or not to care enough about something.”[2] It is in this context Christians can be guilty of not giving enough attention, enough care, and enough obedience to God. In this manner, when we are flippant about the things of God we can be guilty of not giving the due diligence necessary to the Holy God we serve. In this context the author and any Christian could be guilty of it at any time. We know God deserves everything we are, have, think and can imagine simply because He has redeemed our life. In this sense, if you are a Christian to avoid falling into this sense of neglect, we can avoid this by passionately seeking after God and allowing Him to impact every area of our life.
[1] Cockerill, Gareth Lee, The Epistle to the Hebrew, Grand Rapids: William B Eerdman’s Publishing Company, 2012, 120.
[2] Guthrie, George. The NIV Application Commentary: Hebrews. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998, 85.
Logical Christianity 