Outside the Camp

Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Hebrews 13:7

The Pastor-Teacher is the human leader in the local Church. He is God’s delegated authority for the interpretation of scripture and in spiritual leadership of the congregation. We are not all gifted to do that job, but we are all capable of praying for our pastor, that his work will be well supported and that he will always recognize and obey the direction of God. It is the system God has designed for the orderly evangelism and training of disciples in the Church Age. To disrespect the pastor’s authority is rebellion. He represents the word of God to us and is to serve as our example of how to execute the Christian Way of Life as he lives before us the doctrine he teaches.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. Hebrews 13:8-9

Jesus Christ IS God. He is the same today as He was in eternity past, before the foundation of the world. He will be the same in eternity future, after the destruction of the present universe. No matter what variations we encounter in earthly life, He is our constant. He is our solid hope. He is our perfect standard for doctrine. Therefore, we must remain steadfast in our orientation to Jesus and His Word.

What we are given in the written canon of scripture is the Mind of Christ. Every religion, every cult, every demonic and mystical “brotherhood” has its diverse teachings which deviate from God’s Word and God’s perfect plan of grace. Some of them are very attractive to human asceticism, human emotion, and even make seemingly good sense to human viewpoint. If it contradicts in any way the Word of God, it is strange teaching (false doctrine). If it goes beyond God’s written Word by embellishment or speculation, it is strange teaching. That’s why we who love the Bible are so critical of any artistic depictions of its story. There is no excuse for a born-again Bible believer to be led away by false doctrine. God’s Word is abundantly available to us and Pastors-Teachers are gifted by the Holy Spirit to lead us in our systematic study of it. The Holy Bible is inspired by God’s Spirit, it is well organized for systematic study and it is complete! No need to add or embellish. Such tactics do not increase understanding, they actually dilute the specific meaning and impact of God’s words.

God’s plan is grace. The law was an instructor to teach us that we are hopelessly lost without God’s grace. We Christians must focus our faith and our manner of life on God’s grace. God’s grace is our strength of character. There is no benefit in devoting our attention to maintenance of a strict diet for religious reasons. It is a distraction from the central truth of the Christian Way of Life, which is God’s grace. If we believe God and love God we will relax and appreciate the marvelous bounty of His grace.

We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. Hebrews 13:10-14

Christianity is distinguished from Judaism by a new and different altar; a spiritual one, from which every believer is privileged to partake. The sacrifice on our altar is not the physical blood of bulls and goats, whose bodies were burned outside the camp of Israel. Their blood was brought into the holy place by the high priest to be offered as the sacrifice for Israel’s sin.

   

Our sacrificial Lamb, Jesus, did also suffer outside the camp, on a Roman cross. This is the ultimate expression of God's grace. His sacrifice was offered once, for all humanity and for all time. In achieving that act of atonement, He suffered great reproach.

Reproach: (Greek-oneididmos) defamation, contempt, taunting, reviling, disgraceful notoriety.

Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Luke 6:22

For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. I Timothy 4:10

(Moses) Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. Hebrews 11:26

-And our current verse, which is my favorite depiction of orientation to Jesus Christ: This is the believer's right response to God's grace: Hebrews 13:13

Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

Christianity is different! We are separate from the world; we are separate from Judaism and all religions. We are separated unto Jesus Christ. We are IN HIM. Because we are His forever, we bear His reproach by identifying ourselves with Him and His cross.  It is our great honor and privilege to do so. He is the way, the truth and the life. If we are not bearing His reproach, we have not gone out to Him, outside the camp. The one who is separated unto Christ cannot blend in with the world or her religions. Our difference is noticeable, because our Bible standards are obnoxious to worldlings and our grace is incomprehensible to legalists. They defame us, taunt us contemptuously and revile us because of our relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ, and that’s OK. The world is not our home…Hebrews 13:14--

For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.