Hebrews
As I began reading the book of Hebrews, I felt it was different from the letters Paul wrote. Let me explain what I was doing to help me understand each book as I read. I wanted to understand the true context of each book in the Bible, each chapter within each book, and the true interpretation of each scripture within whatever book I read. For me to understand the message, then I must know who the author (if the author is given), why the author wrote the letter to the audience(s) or recipient(s) (the people who received the letter), and what was going on during that century.Many people in the pulpit reads from the Bible, then give a subject and preach on that subject. That is good, but it often doesn’t help me understand the scriptures. So, that is why I decided to search the historical setting of each book. I had a good time reading all of paul’s letters. Knowing the background, what was going on in the author’s day and time, etc., has helped me to understand each letter.When I got to the book of Hebrews, I read some background, etc., but as I read the book of Hebrews, I was still a little confused. So, I had to do more research to help me understand what the author (the writer is talking about). I found some things that seems helpful to me. So, I came up with an idea to give you a list of things you should keep in mind as you read the book of Hebrews.
Here is the list of things that you ought to keep in mind while reading this book: The book of Hebrews addresses 3 distinct groups of Jews: BelieversUnbelievers who were intellectually convinced of the gospelUnbelievers who were attracted by the gospel and the person of Christ but who had reached no final conviction about Him.
You should know when each passage is talking about them:The primary group addressed were Hebrew Christians who suffered rejection and persecution by fellow Jews (10:32–34), although none as yet had been martyred (12:4). The letter was written to give them encouragement and confidence in Christ, their Messiah and High-Priest. They were an immature group of believers who were tempted to hold on to the symbolic and spiritually powerless rituals and traditions of Judaism.The second group addressed were Jewish unbelievers who were convinced of the basic truths of the gospel but who had not placed their faith in Jesus Christ as their own Savior and Lord. They were intellectually persuaded but spiritually uncommitted. These unbelievers are addressed in such passages as 2:1–3; 6:4–6; 10:26–29; and 12:15–17.The third group addressed were Jewish unbelievers who were not convinced of the gospel’s truth but had had some exposure to it. Chapter 9 is largely devoted to them (see especially vv. 11,14,15,27,28).
Introduction to the book of Hebrews
Have you ever known a person who turned his or her back on Christ and the church and simply walked away? Perhaps you have struggled to maintain your own Christian commitment in the face of disillusionment, spiritual confusion, or loss of perspective. The book of Hebrews renews our perspective by pointing us to Christ. It provides light to help struggling Christians see Jesus clearly. The identity of its author, the time of its writing, and the people and place to which it was sent are all shrouded in mystery. In other words, we don’t really know who the author is, the time of its writing, and the people and place to which this letter was sent. Yet, in spite of the uncertainty, Hebrews remains one of the most timely and relevant books in the Bible. The first-century audience of Hebrews was experiencing opposition to their faith in Jesus and facing pressure to give up. The writer reassures them that everything they seek can be found in Christ. Hope in Christ is so much better than what society has to offer. Once their entire lives are transformed in Christ, the believers can withstand any persecution the world throws their way.Theme & Overview
Hebrews focuses on the role of God’s Son, Jesus, as the ultimate expression of God’s work among humanity. Jesus’ priestly service, now complete, brings about the purification of sins (Heb 1:3), and He sits with honor and authority at God’s right hand. The theme of Hebrews is the absolute supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ as revealer and mediator of God’s grace. According to the “NIV Study Bible,” the prologue presents Christ as God’s full and final revelation, far surpassing the revelation given in the Old Testament. The prophecies and promises of the Old Testament are fulfilled in the “new covenant” (or “new testament”), of which Christ is the mediator. From the Old Testament itself, Christ is shown to be superior to the ancient prophets, to angels, to Moses (the mediator of the former covenant) and to Aaron and his priestly descendants. Hebrews could be called “the book of better things” since the two Greek words for “better” and “superior” occur 15 times in the letter. Readers are told that there can be no turning back to or continuation of the old Jewish system, which the unique priesthood of Christ has superseded. God’s people must now look only to him, whose atoning death, resurrection, and ascension have opened the way into the true, heavenly sanctuary of God’s presence.Theme (Here is another article on the theme of Hebrews)
The central theme of Hebrews is that Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God. All the things that came before—angels, Moses, Joshua, the Levitical priesthood, sacrifices, the tabernacle—point to Jesus and find in Him their true fulfillment. The author essentially asks: Since Jesus is the supreme reality that everything else anticipates, why leave Him and return to a pale imitation? For the recipients of Hebrews, following Jesus was creating tension with the surrounding world, and they were unsure of which way to go. The author of Hebrews was concerned that they were close to abandoning their faith in Jesus—and it seems that some from the community had already done so. He writes to remind these wavering believers that Christ is superior to everything else. He challenges them to remain committed to their confession and to bear suffering with patient endurance. Rather than becoming discouraged by looking around them, they should look to Christ and to heroes of faith who have gone before. When we face times of doubt and fatigue, we still have a source of hope: We will never find anything better to anchor us than Christ. He is worthy of our full devotion; he is the human incarnation of the image of God. And we know that in Him we have one who can sympathize with our weaknesses, for He Himself was tempted but was without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Our hardships should not be the primary object of our focus—instead, we are called to turn our focus on Jesus. Although God once spoke through mere mortals, He has now spoken through His Son, who is heir of all things, through whom He created the world (Hebrews 1:2; compare Hebrews 11:1–3). Therefore, let us set aside sin and cling to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of faith—who Himself bore the cross and unwarranted shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 12:1–2; compare Isa. 53:10–12).Theme (Here is another article on the theme of Hebrews)
I like what the writer of this article had to say about the “Theme” of the book of Hebrews:
The epistle to the Hebrews is a study in contrast, between the imperfect and incomplete provisions of the Old Covenant, given under Moses, and the infinitely better provisions of the New Covenant offered by the perfect High-Priest, God’s only Son and the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Included in the “better” provisions are: a better hope, testament, promise, sacrifice, substance, country, and resurrection. Those who belong to the New Covenant dwell in a completely new and heavenly atmosphere, they worship a heavenly Savior, have a heavenly calling, receive a heavenly gift, are citizens of a heavenly country, look forward to a heavenly Jerusalem, and have their very names written in heaven. One of the key theological themes in Hebrews is that all believers now have direct access to God under the New Covenant and, therefore, may approach the throne of God boldly (4:16; 10:22). One’s hope is in the very presence of God, into which the Savior is followed (6:19,20; 10:19,20). The primary teaching symbolized by the tabernacle service was that believers under the covenant of law did not have direct access to the presence of God (9:8), but were shut out of the Holy of Holies. The book of Hebrews may briefly be summarized in this way: Believers in Jesus Christ, as God’s perfect sacrifice for sin, have the perfect High-Priest through whose ministry everything is new and better than under the covenant of law. Throughout its pages, Hebrews makes clear that Jesus Christ exceeds all other people, pursuits, objects, or hopes to which human beings offer allegiance. Hebrews pictures Jesus as better than the angels, as bringing better lives to humanity through salvation, as offering a better 3 hope than the Mosaic Law could promise, as a better sacrifice for our sins than a bull or a goat, and as providing a better inheritance in heaven for those who place their faith in Him (Hebrews 1:4; 6:9; 7:19; 9:23; 10:34). Jesus is indeed superior to all others. This message of the superiority of Jesus would have been particularly important to Jewish Christians who were struggling under the social persecution of leaving Judaism and Nero’s persecution and were considering moving back toward the Mosaic Law. The writer to the Hebrews showed these Jewish Christian believers that, though they were faced with suffering, they were indeed following a better way . . . and they should persevere.Author
The author of this book is unknown. Suggested authors have included Paul, Luke, Barnabas, Silas, Apollos, and others. The most common opinion is that Paul wrote the letter. The author of Hebrews is unknown. Paul, Barnabas, Silas, Apollos, Luke, Philip, Priscilla, Aquila, and Clement of Rome have been suggested by different scholars, but the epistle’s vocabulary, style, and various literary characteristics do not clearly support any particular claim. It is significant that the writer includes himself among those people who had received confirmation of Christ’s message from others (2:3). That would seem to rule out someone like Paul who claimed that he had received such confirmation directly from God and not from men (Gal. 1:12). Whoever the author was, he preferred citing OT references from the Greek OT (LXX) rather than from the Hebrew text. Even the early church expressed various opinions on authorship, and current scholarship admits the puzzle still has no solution. Therefore, it seems best to accept the epistle’s anonymity. Most of the churches in the eastern part of the Roman Empire believed Paul to have authored the book, leading to its early acceptance into the Canon by the churches in those areas. Even though Clement of Rome drew much from Hebrews in his late-first-century letter to the Corinthian church, many in the Western church pointed away from Paul as the source of the book. The unknown authorship of this book should not shake our confidence in its authority. Hebrews makes important theological contributions to the biblical Canon, it has been drawn upon as sacred Scripture since the late first century, and Christians have for two millennia consistently upheld the divine inspiration and, therefore, the canonicity of the book of Hebrews. Ultimately, of course, the author was the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21).Recipients
In 13:24, the author writes, “Greet all your leaders and all the believers there. The believers from Italy send you their greetings.” The author seems to have been writing back to Italy, and probably to Rome, sending greetings from Italian Christians who had traveled abroad. Those addressed in this letter seem to have some Jewish worship background. The author’s use of the OT and his theological concepts would have been familiar to those of the synagogue in the Mediterranean world. This does not necessarily mean that all of the recipients were Jews since many Gentiles were in the synagogue as “God-fearers” who worshiped the God of Israel.Recipients
The "King James Study Bible" said that the headings in the oldest extant manuscripts of this epistle read: “To Hebrews.” The exhortations and warnings of Hebrews indicate that the recipients were Jewish Christians who were in danger of returning to Judaism. By returning, these early Christians could avoid persecution. Judaism was sanctioned and protected by Roman law; Christianity was not. Many of the recipients had undergone persecution and were growing weary (10:32). Many cities have been suggested as the locality of these believers. The situation favors two regions: Jerusalem (or any city of Palestine) and Rome (Italy). In both regions, the Jewish Christians had often received persecution. In Palestine, it was at the hand of Jews for being Christians. In Italy, it was primarily at the hand of Gentiles, sometimes for being Jews (Acts 18:2) and other times for being Christians. One evidence that makes Italy attractive is the author’s closing statement that “they of Italy salute you” (13:24). Since the word “of” (Gr. apo) is more commonly translated “from,” the author may be relaying greeting to those in Italy from those who had formerly lived there. The epistle seemingly was either written by an author in Italy or to recipients in Italy.Audience
I like this take on who the recipients were. There is some very good information in the first two recipient articles. And I learned a lot. But, I like the point of view of what this writer wrote about the audience of Hebrews:
The strongly Jewish character of the letter to the Hebrews helps to narrow down its date of composition. In addition, the use of the present tense in 5:1–4; 7:21,23,27,28; 8:3–5,13; 9:6– 9,13,25; 10:1,3,4,8,11; and 13:10,11 would suggest that the Levitical priesthood and sacrificial system were still in operation when the epistle was composed. Since the temple was destroyed by General (later Emperor) Titus Vespasian in A.D. 70, the epistle must have been written prior to that date. In addition, it may be noted that Timothy had just been released from prison (13:23) and that persecution was becoming severe (10:32–39; 12:4; 13:3). These details suggest a date for the epistle around A.D. 67–69. Emphases on the Levitical priesthood and on sacrifices, as well as the absence of any reference to the Gentiles, support the conclusion that a community of Hebrews was the recipient of the epistle. Although these Hebrews were primarily converts to Christ, there were probably a number of unbelievers in their midst, who were attracted by the message of salvation, but who had not yet made a full commitment of faith in Christ. One thing is clear from the 2 contents of the epistle: the community of Hebrews was facing the possibility of intensified persecution (10:32–39; 12:4). As they confronted this possibility, the Hebrews were tempted to cast aside any public identification with Christ.Date
Likely between AD 64—68, during Nero's persecution of Christians in Rome, and during the lifetime of Timothy. Most likely around AD 67, after Timothy had been released from prison.Background
The author of Hebrews is unknown, and the audience is not clearly identified. Some early Christians grouped this letter among Paul’s writings; others suggested authors in the early church, including Barnabas, Luke, and Clement of Rome. The author appears to have known the recipients, but nothing else about them is clear. Because the book was written in Greek but is filled with Jewish imagery, the recipients probably were Greek-oriented Jewish Christians. These believers seem to have wavered in their faith when they faced suffering and adversity because of the gospel. They also questioned whether Christ’s sacrifice really dealt with their sins. As a result, it had become increasingly tempting to abandon Christ and return to their former life of Judaism. The Christians who first received Hebrews were probably the target of social rejection from Jews and increasing pressure from those of other religions. The recipients may have lived in Rome or the surrounding area, as indicated by the greetings sent by people from Italy (Heb 13:24). Hebrews likely was written before the mid-90s AD, since its material is used in an early church letter (1 Clement) that dates to the late first century. Since Hebrews is not structured like a typical letter, it may have originally been a sermon that circulated among churches in the Roman Empire.The Purpose & Audience (Reasons for the letter)
The late Dr. Walter Martin, founder of the Christian Research Institute and writer of the best-selling book "Kingdom of the Cults", quipped in his usual tongue-in-cheek manner that the Book of Hebrews was written by a Hebrew to other Hebrews telling the Hebrews to stop acting like Hebrews. In truth, many of the early Jewish believers were slipping back into the rites and rituals of Judaism in order to escape the mounting persecution. This letter, then, is an exhortation for those persecuted believers to continue in the grace of Jesus Christ. The purpose of this epistle was to encourage Jewish Christians who were wavering in their faith and contemplating a return to Judaism to remain faithful to Christ.They were discouraged by persecution and were forced to choose.They began to neglect the assembly, which is usually a sign of spiritual illness.Many had already returned to Judaism (Hebrews 6:4-6).It was becoming clear that the Jewish nation was not going to embrace Christianity.Jewish Christians were going to be isolated (didn't fit with Gentiles, rejected by their Jewish families).
Key Verses (ESV)
Hebrews 1:1–2: "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world."Hebrews 2:3: "How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will."Hebrews 4:12: "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."Hebrews 4:14–16: "Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."Hebrews 11:1: "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."Hebrews 12:1–2: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."Key Passages (NLT)
Hebrews: 2:5–10, “And furthermore, it is not angels who will control the future world we are talking about. For in one place the Scriptures say, “What are mere mortals that you should think about them, or a son of man that you should care for him? Yet for a little while you made them a little…”Hebrews: 4:9–5:1, “So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.…”Outline 1
There are three main parts to Hebrews. The first two focus on portraying Christ as the ultimate expression of God: He is superior to angels, Moses, and Joshua (Joshua 1:1–4:13), and he is also the great high priest, whose ministry transcends the work of all other priests, including the sacrifices made under the old covenant (Hebrews 4:14–10:18). This reason, among others, is why the author tells the believers to hold true to Christ, who was crucified for them and now intercedes in heaven on their behalf. The third part of Hebrews describes the effects of Christ’s superiority, particularly in believers’ lives (Hebrews 10:19–13:17). This section includes a call to faithfulness (Hebrews 10:19–25), a warning against unfaithfulness (Hebrews 10:26–39), historical examples of faith in action (Hebrews 11:1–40), a call for endurance in suffering (Hebrews 12:1–11), a warning against refusing God (Hebrews 12:12–29), and exhortations to specific ethical actions (Hebrews 13:1–19). Christ’s superiority has ramifications for all of life, particularly when it comes to standing firm against persecution and hardship.The thirteen chapters of Hebrews address five main themes. The first theme teaches the superiority of Jesus (Hebrews 1:1—4:13). Jesus is superior to the angels (Hebrews 1:1—2:18), is greater than Moses (Hebrews 3), and offers a better "rest" (Hebrews 4:1–13).
The second section addresses the priesthood of Jesus (Hebrews 4:13—7:28). Jesus Himself is a high priest (Hebrews 4:14—5:10). The author next addresses the need for full devotion to Jesus (Hebrews 5:11—6:20), ending the section with a discussion of the priesthood of Jesus in relationship to Melchizedek (Hebrews 7).The third section focuses on the ministry of Jesus a priest (Hebrews 8:1—10:18). Jesus offers a better covenant than those who came before (Hebrews 8). He also is superior to the sanctuary (Hebrews 9:1–12) and offers a better sacrifice (Hebrews 9:13—10:18).The fourth section discusses the many privileges believers have through Jesus (Hebrews 10:19—12:29). True and false forms of faith are first discussed (Hebrews 10:19–39), followed by a listing of the heroes of the faith in chapter 11. Chapter 12 addresses the need to persevere in faith, fixing our eyes on Jesus.The fifth section (Hebrews 13) ends with a discussion of some of the behaviors important to living for Jesus. These include how believers treat others (Hebrews 13:1-9) as well as how they are to relate to the Lord (Hebrews 13:10–21)
Outline 2
• The preeminence of Christ (1:1–4:13) • The great high priest (4:14–10:18) • Exhortations to faithfulness (10:19–13:25)