‘Neglect’ – what an interesting word. The Greek word refers to something that matters, something that should concern us, but there is a negative particle on the front of it. In other words, we treat the great message of the gospel as something that doesn't concern us, something that doesn't matter. Christ has come from glory to make an atonement for our sin, so that we may be forgiven and given new life and put on the road to heaven, but that is of no concern to us. What an insult to God! What towering pride is involved! I do not need a Saviour. I do not need a heavenly friend. The Almighty God has condescended to offer us salvation which we desperately need and which we do not deserve, and we repudiate his offer. How amazingly puffed-up human unbelief is! Woe to those who mistake grace for weakness. God’s anger at their response will prove how wrong they were.
How do we attempt to flee from the disapproval of God? Suppose I've neglected the word. I've left off in my devotions, really earnest study of God's word. What are the consequences for me? What I will try to do, the words of these verses imply, is to flee from facing this. But you can't do it. We try to suppress the conscience. The Holy Spirit activates the conscience: ‘I am in a state of serious neglect’, but we dismiss it. That is always a sad, sad thing to do. Then a second measure we take is to find some distraction or diversion: ‘I’m busy at the moment; I can't think about this’, or ‘I want to do this or watch that.’ That fleeting moments of conviction – that we are neglecting the Lord and his word – is left behind. Sometimes we just make excuses, perhaps by finding something to criticise in the preacher or whoever challenges us. Some people say, ‘It's not my fault. Everything is against me. My husband is against me, my wife is against me, my children are against me. We move into self-pity mode. Unreasonable things are happening to me. I'm not to be blamed; it’s my circumstances.’ Some people run away and are ready to leave churches, simply because something convicted them in that church. It won’t help them. We know that because the Scripture says so. The realisation that you are spiritually cold, that you've lost your zeal, that you don't enjoy things anymore; it will still follow you.
Here is a clear statement that all the miracles that were performed by the apostles were performed in order to authenticate them because they were bearers of Christ's word which was being revealed. They were the writers of the Gospels and the epistles or those who attested them. ‘God also bearing them witness … signs, wonders diverse miracles’; they didn't go on; they were designed only to attest the apostles, the witnesses of the resurrection, and the custodians of the truth of Christ till the Scriptures were complete.
Was Paul the author of Hebrews? It is often said that this verse makes that impossible because it seems to imply that the apostle Paul was not one of the original apostles. But that is not strictly correct. It is quite natural that Paul would not speak of himself here, if he were the author of Hebrews. It is just an incidental point. He is referring to those people who heard the Lord in his earthly life and ministry, which he did not. Paul had a special appearance from the Lord and then he was caught up into heaven, and God revealed to him, as the apostle born out of due time, by direct revelation, all the truth of the gospel. So it is plausible that Paul if he were the author of Hebrews would not include himself here, because he is speaking of those who personally heard Christ from the beginning.