Hebrews Hebrews
Hebrews
Introduction
At a Glance
Author: Unknown, but possibly Paul, Barnabas, Apollos, or Priscilla
Audience: Christians converted from Judaism
Date: AD 50–64
Type of Literature: A sermon in the form of a letter
Major Themes: Jesus, the Old Testament, faith, perseverance, and heaven
Outline:
Prologue — 1:1–3
Jesus’ Superiority over Angels and Moses — 1:4–4:13
Jesus’ Superior Priesthood — 4:14–7:28
Jesus’ Superior Sacrifice and Covenant — 8:1–10:18
A Call to Persevere — 10:19–12:29
Final Instructions and Greetings — 13:1–25
About Hebrews
The book of Hebrews presents the magnificent Jesus on every page!
The light of the Messiah brings truth out from the shadows and it shines brightly for all to see. Hebrews is written for every believer today, for we have crossed over from darkness to light and from doubt to faith. The name Hebrews means, “those who crossed over.” We have passed from shadows to substance and from doubt to the reality of faith. What once was a symbol has now become substance, for all the pictures of the Old Testament have found their fulfillment in Jesus.
Hebrews takes us into the holy of holies as we come to him as priests, lovers, and worshipers. You will never be the same again when you absorb the light of God that shines from every chapter.
Jesus is the theme of Hebrews. You must learn from him and draw closer to him in order to understand the depth of this book, for Jesus is the language of God! When God now speaks to us, he speaks in the vocabulary of Jesus Christ. All of the Bible points to him. Can we truly understand the Bible if we don’t come to him?
Hebrews is a divinely inspired composition given to show us the magnificence of Jesus as our glorious High Priest. He is greater than the law, the angels, the system of temple worship, and greater than any high priest or religious structure. Because our royal Priest gave his sacred blood for us, we now have unrestricted access to the holiest place of all. With no veil and nothing hindering our intimacy with God, we can come with an unbelievable boldness to his mercy-throne where we encounter enough grace to empower us through every difficulty. We find our true life in his presence.
Heaven’s words are now before you, so read them with spiritual hunger and a passion to embrace truth, and live them out by the grace of Jesus, our Messiah.
God will help you!
Purpose
The purpose of the pastor’s sermon is evident the further you read his letter: he is trying to prevent those he’s addressing from abandoning their Christian faith and returning to Judaism. Along the way, the author teaches them—and us—about the superiority of Christ above the religious institutions of Moses and the Old Testament. The sermon-letter is filled with references to the old sacrificial system and priesthood of ancient Israel and explains how Jesus’ death has replaced this old religious system—making it the perfect book to understand how Jesus’ story fulfills Israel’s story!
Author and Audience
The book of Hebrews was most likely written sometime around AD 50–64. It had to have been written prior to Clement of Rome citing it as inspired (AD 95) and before the Roman war that destroyed the temple in AD 67–70. Though Hebrew’s true authorship is unknown, the earliest church fathers taught that Hebrews was written in Hebrew by Paul for the Jewish people. Eusebius (AD 260–339) refers to an even earlier apostolic father, Clement of Alexandria (AD 150–211), who confirms without question that Paul wrote Hebrews in the Hebrew language for the Hebrew people. (See Eusebius, History, Book VI: XIV.) More recent scholarship, however, has begun to question this and speculate that it was written by Barnabas, Apollos, Priscilla, or another one of Paul’s close associates.
Regardless of who wrote it, we are more certain about who read it—or rather, who first heard it read out loud, because Hebrews seems to be more of a sermon contained in a letter. The inscription placed on the original document is “To the Hebrews,” and the major themes point to a group of Jewish Christians who may have been getting cold feet, wondering if they should return to Judaism. This sermon-letter is so steeped in ancient Jewish practices that it seems very likely the author is addressing Christians converted from Judaism. And yet, the letter still speaks to us today as those who enter into a better covenant by faith in Jesus Christ.
Major Themes
Christology: Christology is the study of the Christ, the Messiah, and this letter is a full-on course about our heavenly Savior! The revelation of Jesus fills the pages of Hebrews and it will set you free! He is our magnificent High Priest who is greater than Moses, greater than any sacrifice ever offered, greater than any prophet of old. He perfects our faith until we rise with him into the heavenly realm of priestly ministry. He warns us of turning back into ritual and religion, forgetting all the treasures of our faith. He stirs us to enter into the full rest by seeing Jesus alone as our perfection before the Father.
The Old Covenant Fulfilled: One of the central themes of Hebrews is the relationship of the new covenant established by the blood of Jesus, the Messiah to the old or “first covenant.” Look at all the Old Testament imagery the pastor uses: Moses, the high priest, Melchizedek, the priestly order of Aaron, offerings and sacrifices, the ark of the covenant, and the Most Holy Place. Even though we are far removed from the original religious system of rules and rituals found in the Old Testament, we cannot afford to ignore the pastor’s message: The high priesthood of Jesus is inherent to his identity as our all-sufficient Rescuer and Revealer!
The Reality of Heaven: The Hebrews sermon often speaks about heaven’s reality. The pastor reveals it’s the place where God keeps his throne; to be in heaven means to be in God’s very presence; in it are the names of everyone whom God calls his own; and it is the place where our ultimate redemption and atonement took place. This last revelation of heaven is especially important, because Hebrews explains the old religious order of rules and rituals is no longer necessary because of the final sacrifice made for all people. All God commanded under the first covenant on earth became obsolete and disappeared thanks to what Jesus accomplished in heaven! The heavenly temple is where our ultimate salvation was accomplished, of which the earthly one could not.
Definition and Practice of Faith: Nowhere is there a better definition and explanation of faith in the New Testament than in the sermon-letter of Hebrews: “Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen” (11:1). This is a far cry from the traditional understanding that faith is merely belief. Biblical faith claims a confidence beyond our own because it rests in the character of God, the foundation of our faith. Part of practicing faith is persevering in it. Despite the fact we live in a world that refuses to acknowledge God and opposes the church, we are called to persevere in our faith in him, just like the “great witnesses who encircle us like clouds” (12:1)! Hebrews warns against turning away in rebellion and unbelief, telling us the very divine message that saved us is the same one that will condemn us if we turn away.
Hebrews
Living Faith
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