An Overview of the Letter to the Hebrews

Understanding Jesus as God’s ultimate revelation, our Saviour, and our Great High Priest

Growing in grace as we come to know him better

Being faithful followers of Jesus in a sometimes puzzling and often hostile world

Paul Luke Apollos Barnabas Priscilla and Aquila Other possibilities

“The thoughts are the apostle’s (Paul’s), but the style and composition are the work of someone who called to mind the apostle’s teaching and wrote short notes, as it were, on what his master said. . . . As to who actually wrote the epistle,

‘God knows the truth of the matter’”

The author was a second generation Christian, well versed in the study of the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament), which he interpreted according to a creative exegetical principle. He had a copious vocabulary and was master of a fine rhetorical style, completely different from Paul’s; we might well describe him as a learned man . . . mighty in the Scriptures. He was a Hellenist (a Jew with a Greek background) who inherited the outlook of those Hellenists described in Acts 6-8; 11:19 ff., the associates of Stephen and Philip, pioneers in the Gentile mission.

F. F. Bruce  

A particular community of Jewish Christians (5:12; 10:32-34; 13:22-25)

Jewish believers in Judea?

A (mainly) Jewish home church in Rome?

The entire first-century Hebrew Christian Community

Its teaching enriches all Christians in all centuries

Certainly not after 96 (it is cited at that date by Clement of Rome)

The readers had not heard Jesus themselves They had heard the gospel from those who

had heard him personally (2:3) Timothy is mentioned (13:23) It appears that the ritual of the temple was

still being observed If it was addressed to Christians in Rome,

Nero’s persecution had not yet occurred (64) It was probably written some time between

60 and 65.

In Two Minds

APPEALAPPEAL

National identity History Acceptance Respectability God-ordained

religion Impressive ritual

DRAWBACKS DRAWBACKS

Ostracism Novelty Rejection Persecution Exclusion Spiritual worship

Having Second Having Second ThoughtsThoughts

He must show from (Old Testament) Scripture that Jesus is God’s unique Son and ultimate revelation.

He must portray him as the one in whom God’s saving purpose is realized.

He must depict Jesus as the perfect High Priest

He must encourage wavering Christians to persevere in the face of trials.

He must warn them of the futility and danger of returning to the now obsolete religion.

He must urge them to fix their eyes on Jesus and bear reproach for him if needs be

“Superior” (better, greater) e.g. 1:4; 3:3; 7:14, 22; 8:6; 9:11, 23; 10:1; 11:40; 12:24

“Therefore . . .” e.g. 2:1; 3:1; 4:1, 11; 6:1; 10:19; 12:1, 12; 13:1

“Let us . . .” e.g. 4:1, 11, 14, 16; 6:1; 10:22-25; 12:1

DOCTRINAL PRACTICAL

Teaching about the Person and Work of

Christ

Application

Warning Encouragement

1:1-14 2:1-4

2:5-3:6 3:7-4:13 4:14-16

5:1-10 5:11-6:8 6:9-20

7:1-10:18 10:19-25

10:26-31 10:32-12:11

12:12-21 12:22-24

12:25-29

13:1-17

The nation has been seriously wrong once before (3:1-4:13)

Its problem was that their lack of faith resulted in disobedience

Those who trust God look beyond the visible and believe even when they do not see the immediate fulfillment of the promise.

They are prepared to be in the minority.

God’s ultimate revelation to us is in his Son, whom he has appointed “heir of all things.”

The Son is infinitely greater than the prophets, the angels, and Moses.

He became human in order to reconcile us to God and restore us to the position of honour God intended for us.

God promised to raise up a messianic King who would have universal dominion

He described this King as “a Priest forever.”

A priest represents (embodies) the people.

When God deals with him , he deals with them.

The sacrificial system provided a “picture prediction” of what Jesus would do as the perfect High Priest

It is on the basis of his sacrifice that God fulfils his promise to establish a New Covenant which is infinitely superior to the Old.

Our sins are completely obliterated, and we can approach God with humble confidence.

In view of all this, it is as absurd to try to return to the obsolete way as it is to attempt to hug a shadow.

We are restored to the position God intended for us.

But in this present age, it will not always seem like that.

We are to emulate the example of the people of faith who trusted God and persevered.

As those who are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, we should go to Jesus “outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore, for here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.”