Hebrews Introduction
January 7 and 14, 2009

Tod Kennedy

 Introduction

We will cover the book of Hebrews in 13-20 lessons. In this time I want to cover the themes, trace the argument of the author, develop select difficult passages, and summarize select doctrines.

1.     Why Hebrews? Hebrews was written to Jewish believers who were attacked through religion, through individual and national crises, and through spiritual failure. Doubt and serious questioning came to plague and sometimes engulf their confidence in Christ and God’s revelation through Christ and God’s word. The result was that Hebrew believers were unsure of the preeminence of Jesus, unsure of the place of use of the Old Testament in their day, unsure of the importance of the temple and Old Testament sacrificial system, unsure of the Levitical priesthood, and unsure of how to live day to day. They had a serious crisis of application of biblical knowledge, faith, and proper application because of rejection of biblical Christology, Soteriology, Bibliology, and Christian living. Today we are living in a crisis just like the readers of Hebrews.

2.     Theme: Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, is superior to angels, Moses, the Levitical priesthood, the tabernacle, the Levitical sacrifices, and the Old Covenant, and is the leader of a better way of life. Therefore each of us run our spiritual race by trusting him alone as sufficient for eternal life and day to day living by keeping the eyes of our life on him.

3.     The book was most likely written in the late 60s.

3.1.          There is no mention of the destruction of either the temple or Jerusalem. In a book dealing with the priesthood and the Levitical system the destruction of these would most assuredly been made a part of the author’s argument.

3.2.          Furthermore, Timothy is alive at the time of writing (Hebrews 13:23).

3.3.          Hebrews 2:3-4 indicates that the author was among those who heard and saw that group of people (apostles) who personally heard Jesus speak and minister.

4.     Who wrote Hebrews is unstated in the letter. Paul and Barnabas are probably the most popular choices. Others include Apollos, Silas, and Clement of Rome. Hebrews 5:11-14 and 10:32-34 seem to indicate that the author was personally familiar with his audience.

5.     Where did the recipients live? Again, numerous possibilities have been suggested: Italy, Cyrene, and Jerusalem and the surrounding area.

5.1.          Wherever they lived, they are believers (Hebrews 3:1; 6:9-10), they heard God’s word taught (Hebrews 2:3; 5:12), they heard basic doctrine (Hebrews 6:1-5), they are lazy listeners (Hebrews 5:11), they are in danger of drifting away from sound doctrine and Christian living (Hebrews 2:1), and they face criticism and pressures (Hebrews 6:11-12; 10:32-36; 13:22), and false doctrine (Hebrews 13:9).

6.     Detailed argument of Hebrews.

6.1.          Discouragement because of criticism, pressure, and a supposed lack of spiritual success wrongly led some Jewish believers to think that more is necessary for eternal salvation and living the Christian life— more than God’s revelation through Christ, more than Christ and his priestly substitutionary work, more than simple faith in Christ, more than believing God’s promises—and so they turned back to the Mosaic Law ritual and religious activity.

6.2.          To correct these misconceptions the author of Hebrews teaches that God spoke to mankind through his son (Hebrews 1:2) who is higher than angels (Hebrews 1:6), who is God (Hebrews 1:8), who is our high priest and better than Moses (Hebrews 3:1-3), who is the high priest like Melchizedek and better than the Levitical priests (Hebrews 5:5-10). He wrote that believers ought to learn about the son and mature in the faith (Hebrews 5:11-6:1). Another way to say this is to say Jesus is better than angels, Levitical priests, and animal sacrifices. The word better, κρείττων or κρείσσων (better, greater, superior), is a comparative adjective and is used 13 times in 12 verses and indicates better than angels, better things, better hope, better sacrifice, better covenant, better country, and better resurrection.

6.3.          Jesus, the son of God and high priest successfully offered himself once and for all as the substitute sacrifice for mankind’s sins (Hebrews 7:25-27; 9:14, 28; 10:12). He accomplished the old covenant and was the mediator of the new covenant (Hebrews 9:15).

6.4.          Therefore we ought to have confidence to enter the presence of God by the blood sacrifice of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19). Furthermore, the author tells us to draw near (Hebrews 10:22), to hold fast (Hebrews 10:23), and to consider (Hebrews 10:24), not forsaking assembling together (Hebrews 10:25) but encouraging one another (Hebrews 10:25). Old Testament people believed God and so were approved and we can do the same (Hebrews 11:39-12:1). Since the preceding chapters of Hebrews are true we need to keep our eyes on Jesus and run our spiritual race (Hebrews 12:1-2) which includes, among other things, day to day expressions of faith in our relationship to sin (Hebrews 12:4), people (Hebrews 13:1), to leaders (Hebrews 13:7), and to prayer (Hebrews 13:18).

7.     Chapter titles of Hebrews.

Christ the Son, Chapters 1-4

1.     The Father speaks through the Son

2.     The Father honors the Son

3.     Christ, the Faithful Son.

4.     Faith in the Son produces rest

Christ the High Priest, Chapters 5-10

5.     Jesus Christ is our high priest

6.     Trust Christ alone

7.     Melchizedek priesthood of Jesus Christ

8.     Jesus Christ is the high priest mediator

9.     Jesus Christ is the mediator of the New Covenant by death

10. Jesus Christ, the high priest, benefits believers 

Therefore Live the Faith Life, Chapters 11-13

11. Approved by faith

12. Keep your eyes on Jesus

13. Selected instructions

8.     Some of the passages of special note include the following

8.1.            Revelation and Christ (Hebrews 1:1-4),

8.2.            The deity of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:5-13),

8.3.            Warning against drifting and neglecting our salvation blessings (Hebrews 2:1-3),

8.4.            Supernatural sign gifts (Hebrews 2:3-4),

8.5.            Jesus our high priest (Hebrews 3:1),

8.6.            Faith and rest (Hebrews 4:1-3),

8.7.            Our great high priest and the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:14-16),

8.8.            Christ the Melchizedek type priest (Hebrews 5:10),

8.9.            Lazy learners (Hebrews 5:11-14),

8.10.        Those who have fallen away (Hebrews 6:4-6),

8.11.        Our hope anchor (Hebrews 6:18-19),

8.12.        Jesus the eternal Melchizedek priest (Hebrews 7:22-8:1),

8.13.        Mediator of a new covenant (Hebrews 9:15),

8.14.        Christ offered himself once for all (Hebrews 9:28),

8.15.        Limitations of the Old Covenant (Hebrews 10:1, 9-10, 18),

8.16.        Therefore and since, let us… (Hebrews 10:19-25),

8.17.        People who believed God (Hebrews 11),

8.18.        Run the race with endurance (Hebrews 12:1-2),

8.19.        Divine discipline (Hebrews 12:4-11),

8.20.        Not to Mt Sinai, but to Jesus (Hebrews 12:18-24),

8.21.        Strangers (Hebrews 13:1-3), marriage (Hebrews 13:4), money (Hebrews 13:5-6),

8.22.        Jesus is immutable (Hebrews 13:8),

8.23.        Leaders (Hebrews 13:7, 17), and