The Book of HebrewsSample

Purpose of Hebrews: Hebrews 13:22

Interpreters have summarized the overarching purpose of the book of Hebrews in a variety of ways. But for this study, we’ll describe the original purpose of Hebrews in this way: 

The author of Hebrews wrote to exhort his audience to reject local Jewish teachings and to remain faithful to Jesus. 

This description of the author’s purpose helps orient us to the main ideas found in the book of Hebrews. 

As we’ve just suggested, the author of Hebrews wrote to exhort his audience. Consider the way the author himself characterized his book in 13:22: 

Brothers, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation. 

Notice here that the writer “urge[d]” his audience to receive his book as a “word of exhortation.” The words “I urge” derive from the Greek verb parakaleō, the verbal form of the Greek noun translated “exhortation” in the same sentence.

The terminology of exhortation implies “to summon to the speaker’s side” or “to call for someone to take the speaker’s point of view.” The same expression is used to describe John the Baptist’s urgent, persuasive call for repentance in Luke 3:18. 

Interestingly, the phrase “word of exhortation” also appears in Acts 13:15 where the men of the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch invited Paul and his companions to give “a message of encouragement” after the reading of Scripture. It’s quite possible that the expression “word” — or message — “of exhortation” was a first-century technical designation for what we call a sermon today.

The author identifies his work as a word of exhortation — this is in 13:22 — and what this means is that Hebrews is an exhortation; it’s like a sermon. And so the use of rhetoric is basically a tool for persuading the audience to be faithful in their commitment to Jesus as the Son of God and as their Lord and Savior. So, the rhetoric in the letter of Hebrews, or the homily of Hebrews, allows the author to elaborate on themes, to exegete Jewish Scriptures — that is, interpret Jewish Scriptures in a way that is meaningful — and then present it in a very forceful way so that the audience understand clearly what the author wants him to do, wants them to do. He wants them to adhere to the salvation that Christ has offered to them, that God has offered in Christ. – Dr. Fredrick Long

Every epistle or letter in the New Testament contains exhortations to its audience. But the book of Hebrews stands apart from other New Testament epistles due to the intensity of its exhortations.