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New Testament Survey
Lesson Sixteen
Hebrews
The book of Hebrews is considered to be one of the most magnificent books of the New Testament. Its language is some of the purest Greek in the New Testament. Its logical arguments are among the most scholarly and polished of all literature.
The book of Hebrews is peculiar in construction and its use of key words. The book is a masterpiece of clear and logical development. The theme is made clear at the beginning of the book, and it builds on it throughout the rest of the book. There are no digressions and only brief and infrequent parenthetical interruptions. Each new thought is introduced only after careful groundwork has been laid. The reader is therefore ready to receive the next step in revelation.
The book has many key words in a way different than all the other New Testament books. The other books have one major key word and then a number of subordinate key works that group themselves around that major word. In the book of Hebrews, several key words stand in almost the same importance as the others in the overall message of the book.
The Gentile church was growing rapidly and was independent of Judaism by heritage and conviction. The result would be a sharp and final separation between the two. Jewish Christians still held on to the observances of the law, even though they had received Christ as Saviour. The tension between Jews and Gentiles that existed throughout the thirty years of the early church grew stronger as the church grew in numbers of adherents and in its global reach. This rivalled the position of the synagogue. The Jewish rejection of Christ and the church's message reached the point where Paul lost any hope of national repentance. He desired it, even to the point of wishing himself cut off, if they could be saved, but it was not to be (Rom. 9:3). In Acts 28:28, he declared he would turn to the Gentiles and they would hear the message.
The chasm widened for two reasons. Peter had said the message was to the Jews and all them that are afar off, thus showing the gospel was for the Gentiles as well as the Jews, establishing its universality. Traditionally, the Jew was exclusive, and the idea of a common fellowship was abhorrent to him. The second factor that separated was a historical event that was about to happen as Hebrews was written. That event was the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Judaism, as a political and religious system, was one. When the political system was destroyed, the Jew had no land, temple or government, so he had lost his essential religious system. The loss of these outward expressions forced Judaism to worship God through the study of law, thereby strengthening legalism.
Jewish Christians had unique problems because of this tension. All Christians acknowledged that the Old Testament was inspired Scripture and carried divine authority. They were the foundation of their faith and practice. The problem was in interpreting them. The rabbis had a static interpretation, while the Christians interpreted them in the light of the revelations of Jesus as the Messiah.
The Jewish Christians faced a problem regarding their national situation. Jesus had prophesied the destruction of the temple and the fall of Jerusalem in Matt. 24. This He showed was the judgment of God for their rejection of Him as their Messiah. If the Jewish Christians turned from the law to grace and left Jerusalem and centred their worship in the church, they would be considered traitors by those who held to the law. On the other hand, if they returned to legalism, they would be rejecting Christ and lose all He came to bring them.
The decision they were making was extremely difficult, and many in Palestine and the Dispersion were wavering. Jewish Christians almost exclusively had a better training than the Gentile Christians; they had a more intelligent faith and already knew the Scriptures. Their decision to remain loyal to Christ and the message of grace or to turn back to Judaism would greatly influence the outcome of Christian missionary endeavours. Therefore, it was important for their sake, as well as that of the growing church, that they be shown that God was doing a new thing, and they must move ahead with Him in faith rather than draw back.
The book of Hebrews was written in this context to address this dilemma. It is unknown where the book was being sent. It has no formal salutation. In old manuscripts, its title is simply "to the Hebrews". The recipients of the book were well versed in the Old Testament and its sacrificial system. They also knew the gospel, which had been preached to them by men who were knowledgeable about the life of Christ and demonstrated the gifts of the Spirit (2:3,4). The recipients themselves were Christians who had endured emotional and physical persecution for their faith (10:32-34).
The recipients' geographical location is disputed. The determination of that rests on the interpretation of the phrase "They of Italy salute you." If it means the author was in Italy and sending greetings back to the Hebrew Christians, then they were outside of Italy. It could mean that they lived in Italy and their friends were from Italy, who had travelled from there to their present location and were now sending greetings back to them. The Greek preposition "apo", translated as "from", would support this later conclusion.
Some have suggested, although the evidence is limited, that it was written to the Hebrew Christians in Rome. They support this view from the fact that the oldest known quotation of Hebrews is in 1 Clement, which was written from Rome. The theory is that they were uncertain whether to continue following Christ or return to the synagogue. Another older theory suggests it was written to Jewish Christians in Palestine for the same reason.
1. The book contains 13 chapters consisting of 303 verses.
2. The question of who authored the book of Hebrews has been a matter of dispute over the years. There is no name given in the book itself, nor are there any circumstances or connections that would identify him with certainty. Various authors have been suggested. The Eastern Church, from its early days, considered Paul to be the author, most likely indirectly. Eusebius claims that Clement of Alexander said Paul wrote it in Hebrew and Luke translated it into Greek. Barnabas has been suggested as the author, as has been Apollos, Timothy and even Priscilla.
We hold that Paul was the author of the book and offer the following reasons.
a. The weight of tradition favours Paul. Pantaenus, a leading teacher in Alexandra, referred to it as a generally accepted Epistle of Paul. Eighty years after his death, it was generally accepted that the Epistle was Pauline.
b. There is an indication that Peter attributed the authorship of the book to Paul (2 Pet . 3:15). Speaking to Jewish Christians, Peter says that Paul had written to them. Hebrews is the only possible choice, unless the writing to which Peter refers has been lost.
c. The book has Pauline characteristics within. Even those who dispute Paul's authorship acknowledge this. This is probably one of the strongest arguments for Pauline authorship of the book. There is a tone of apostolic authority throughout Hebrews. He uses words of certitude and fidelity which seem to be of greater firmness than those a disciple would use. The use of the pronoun "we" is not found in John, Peter, James or Jude, but is constantly found in the writings of Paul, and in Hebrews.
d. The major objection to Pauline authorship falls short of being conclusive. They claim the Greek style is different from Paul's writings. The classical idioms, the more finished and rhetorical nature, the careful arrangement of thoughts and the systematic plan of the book are unlike the way Paul wrote on other occasions. Yet we know Paul was highly educated, well-read, and so presumably capable of such a writing style.
No author can be stated to be beyond dispute. There are grammatical and literary difficulties to the authorship of Paul, but they tend to be overstated. There is a substantial difference between the Greek of the Gospel of John and that of the book of Revelation, yet John is recognized as the author of both. Most of Paul's earlier epistles were written amid a busy ministry schedule and missionary enterprise, or in response to the rise of false doctrine or other dangers that required emergency treatment. They were written in the emotion of a father for his own children in the faith and were written to Gentiles. Hebrews was one of the last books written, probably while he was in prison, where he had time to meditate and be unhurried, and it was to his countrymen. When we look at all these things —realizing that Paul was well educated and versatile —they sufficiently address the literary objection to Paul's authorship.
3. The dating of the book is also uncertain. There are those who regard the time of writing as very early. This is unlikely since the writer relies heavily on the books of Galatians, Romans, and 1 Corinthians. If this is so, the date must be after A.D.56. Other scholars have held for a very late date. Clement of Rome quoted from it, so it could not have been later than A.D. 96.
The date must be somewhere between these two extremes. Internal evidence suggests that the Christians to whom the book was written were second generation (2:3). The church had existed long enough to have advanced in development (5:12). The church was old enough that some of its earlier leaders had died (13:7). The references to the Jewish temple and its ceremonies are in the present tense, so it was written before the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.
We suggest the date is around A.D. 67.
4. If our date is correct, or at least in the vicinity, and Paul was the author as we suppose him to be, then it was written during Paul's second imprisonment, from the Mamertine Prison in Rome, where he awaited execution.
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Theme
The book's theme is the superiority of Christ.
Christ
Christ is seen as the Son and image of God, the Captain and Author of our salvation, the Sanctifier, the Apostle and High Priest, Son over His own house, ruling at the right hand of God, the perfect Sacrifice, the Testator, the unchanging One, and the Great Shepherd.
Key Words
The key words are better [13], perfection [13], eternal [5], heaven(s)[5], and partakers [6].
Key Verse
Heb. 1:1,2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, (2) hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds.
Purpose
1. The book was written to show that Christ is the only means of acceptance with God.
2. He shows that the sacrificial system of the Old Covenant was a type of the true sacrifice.
3. It was given to remind the Christians that they must guard what they have received and not let it slip away.
4. They were exhorted to appropriate all they had in Christ so that they might become mature and stable Christians.
5. They were to move in God and not stop at the beginning elements of the Christian faith.
6. It was given to show that Christ was the heir of Abraham and that Abraham foresaw the fulfilment in Him.
7. The writer shows that the New Covenant is the final and complete covenant.
8. Those of the New Covenant are one with the people of faith under the Old Covenant.
Events And Characters
Christ is appointed heir of all things and holds them by His power. He gained the throne, man lost, and His throne is eternal. He did this by His earthly ministry, which was confirmed by those who heard Him by signs and wonders. He was made perfect through suffering, one with the human race. He did battle with evil and won, thereby releasing His people and bringing reconciliation. He arose as Son over His own house, the church. He now leads the advance, and we must be careful we do not fail to enter all He has provided because of our unbelief. We can enter into His rest.
He offered Himself for our sins as the sacrifice and the High Priest. He is of the eternal order, the Melchisedec. He became the author of eternal salvation. When we turn away from this, we become dull of hearing and are immature. The challenge is to leave the old ways and move into this New Covenant way and to grow to maturity in Him. God has made irrevocable promises to Abraham in Christ. Melchisedec was a type of this offering, and even Abraham gave tithes to him. So did his descendants because they were still in his loins. The old could not bring completion, but only the New Covenant had the potential of perfection. Therefore, Christ is not after the order of Levi, a symbol of the Old Covenant, but after the order of Melchisedec, a symbol of the New Covenant. Christ is the Minister of the true tabernacle, being the Mediator of a better covenant which has replaced the old. The once-for-all perfect offering of Christ replaces the old with all its trappings. He shed the blood of the covenant in His death and appeared in the presence of God for us.
The blood of the old could never take away sin; therefore, there was a necessity of a more complete sacrifice. Now we can come into the presence of God with confidence because of the perfect sacrifice. Therefore, we are to be faithful in assembling together. The rejection of the New Covenant will bring God's judgment. It is a fearful thing to fall into His hands. We have faith in His blood, so we can remain confident. Faith is the key, as those of the Old Covenant demonstrated their faith, so we are people of faith and join that great cloud of witnesses. We are in good company, so put aside every hindrance and look to Jesus so that you might be successful in the great race.
The Lord will chastise us when we need it, but it is for our benefit. His discipline is always redemptive and constructive rather than destructive. We have received His dominion so we can be steadfast. Christians are to continue in love, pray for the suffering, honour the marriage relationship, learn to be content and submit to those over us in the Lord. We are to be established in grace and not carried about by every wind of doctrine, especially those doctrines of the Old Covenant, and carnal sacrifices. We must go outside the camp, separate ourselves, remembering we seek a city to come. Therefore, we offer the sacrifice of praise.
Lessons To Remember
1. Christ upholds all things by His power.
2. We must take care to guard what we have in Him, and not let them slip.
3. We have been delivered from the power of sin because He, through the cross, conquered the devil.
4. Christ is Lord of the house, whose house we are.
5. Unbelief will hinder us from entering into the promises that rightfully belong to us.
6. We, by being hung up on ceremony, are still weak, using milk when He wants us to move into the meat of the New Covenant.
7. The things we do affect our descendants.
8. He entered into the Holy Place of heaven on our behalf so we can now come confidently to Him.
9. Rejection of Christ and the New Covenant is to come under the judgment of God.
10. Whatever we receive from Him or achieve in Him must come through the operation of faith in our lives.
11. It is important to lay aside all hindrances that we might press to the mark of our high calling and attain it.
12. The Lord will chasten us if we are His sons and we know it is for our benefit.
13. We are to love the brethren, entertain strangers, and keep ourselves pure.
14. Contentment is a valuable jewel.
15. We are to remember and submit to those over us in the Lord.
16. The beast was burned without the camp, Christ suffered outside the city, so we are to separate ourselves from all that defiles.
17. The sacrifice of praise and worship is what God desire us to offer to Him.
Outline
I Christ Superior to the Prophets 1:1 - 3
II Christ Superior to the Angels 1:4 - 2:18
III Christ the Superior Apostle 3:1
IV Christ Superior to Moses 3:2 - 6
V Parenthesis on Danger of Unbelief 3:7 - 19
VI Superiority of Christ's Rest 4:1 - 10
VII Danger of Unbelief 4:11 - 13
VIII Superiority of the Priesthood of Christ 4:14- 7:28
A. Superior to Aaron 4:14 - 5:4
B. Superior to Melchisedec 5 - 7:28
IX Superiority of the New Covenant 8:1 - 9:28
X Superior Sacrifice 10:1 - 31
XI Superior Way (Faith) 10:32-12:29
XII Superior Performance 13:1 - 25
A. Social 1 - 6
B. Spiritual 7 - 17
C. Personal 18 - 25
Outline (Alternative)
I The Better Messenger: The Son 1:1 - 2:18
A. Qualifications 1:1 - 3
B. Superiority to Angels 1:4 - 14
C. Peril of Neglect (Parenthesis) 2:1 - 4
D. The Incarnation 2:5 - 18
II The Better Apostle 3:1 - 4:13
A. Superiority to Moses 3:1 - 6
B. Peril of Unbelief (Parenthesis) 3:7 - 19
C. Superiority of His Rest 4:1 - 10
D. Peril of Disobedience (Parenthesis) 4:11 - 13
III The Better Priest 4:14 - 7:28
A. Comparison with Aaron 4:14 - 5:4
B. The Order of Melchisedec 5:5 - 7:25
1. Appointed 5:5 - 6
2. Author of Salvation 5:7 - 10
3. Peril of Immaturity (Parenthesis) 5:11 - 6:12
4. Forerunner 6:13 - 20
5. A Living Priest 7:1 - 17
6. Constituted by Oath 7:18 - 25
C. Relation to Sacrifice 7:26 - 28
IV The Better Covenant 8:1 - 9:28
A. The Establishment of the Covenant 8:1 - 13
B. The Content of the Old Covenant 9:1 - 10
C. Christ and the New Covenant 9:11 - 28
V The Better Sacrifice 10:1 - 31
A. Impotence of the Law 10:1 - 4
B. The Offering of Chris 10:5 - 18
C. The Peril of Rejection (Parenthesis) 10:19 - 31
VI The Better Way: Faith 10:32 - 12:29
A. The Need of Faith 10:32 - 39
B. The Examples of Faith 11:1 - 40
C. The Exercise of Faith 12:1 - 17
D. The Objective of Faith 12:18 - 24
E. The Peril of Refusal (Parenthesis) 12:25 - 29
VII Conclusion: The Practice of Faith 13:1 - 25
A. In Social Relations 13:1 - 6
B. In Spiritual Relations 13:7 - 17
C. Personal Salutations 13:18 - 25
Assignments
Before the next lesson, do the following:
1. Read through the Book of James 3 times.
2. Pick one chapter to analyze.
Return to Lessons.
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