Session 3: Hebrews

The most we know about this book comes from the end: Heb. 13:22-25: “22 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. 23 I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been set free; and if he comes in time, he will be with me when I see you. 24 Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy send you greetings. 25 Grace be with all of you.”

Genre/Structure, Big Picture We call it a “letter,” the “letter to the Hebrews,” but like 1 John, it seems more like a “sermon”; it doesn’t open as a letter but closes similar to a letter. :22 calls it a “word of exhortation.” [Some translations, such as the KJV, use the word “letter” in Heb. 13:22 since the word here for “I have written” is the verb epistellō, from which we get the word “epistle” (or “letter”).] Also, similar to 1 John, the pattern is more of a spiral than linear, circling back around to pick up and expand earlier themes. I mentioned last time that Hebrews is kind of an outlier. It is categorized with the letters, but it doesn’t clearly fit into either the General Letters or the Pauline Letters. So, it is with the letters toward the end of the , but it stands alone.

Author The author is not named, either at the beginning or the end. We have no idea who wrote it, and we have deliberation on this question going back to the second century. But we’re pretty certain that Paul didn’t write it (although some people still persist in this). The only clues to authorship we have are these personal comments at the end, along with the internal clues of the style and theology. This has led to all kinds of speculation about who might be the author (Barnabas, Apollos, Priscilla, Clement, Silas), but we have nothing concrete to prove any of these theories.

Audience Closing greeting says, “Those from Italy send you greetings”; that may suggest that someone away from Italy was sending greetings back to Italy/Rome, and thus the audience was Jewish Christians in Rome Written to people steeped in the Jewish Scriptures

Date Before AD 95, since cited in early Christian writing, 1 Clement Before or after destruction of the temple in AD 70? No mention of temple’s destruction may suggest before 70 Also, does the persecution refer to a specific persecution, such as by Nero? Possibly early to mid-60s, but this is speculative

Old Testament Themes For those of you who don’t like the Old Testament, Hebrews shows you the meaning and purpose of the Old Testament. As we read Exodus and Leviticus after the new year, see in them the future fulfillment in . When you’re slogging through Leviticus, instead you can see a whole new level of meaning.

What are some of the Old Testament themes in Hebrews? exodus, priesthood, tabernacle, , , , , Sinai, law, covenant, sacrifices, angels

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Main Threads There are two main themes intertwined throughout this book: (1) Jesus and the greater covenant that he brings; (2) warnings and exhortations for the audience to endure in the faith

Jesus and the Warnings and Exhortations :1-14 :1-4 Jesus is: • pay attention to what we’ve heard and don’t drift • Son of God (1:2) away from it (2:1) • Heir of all things (1:2) • don’t neglect our salvation, to avoid a penalty (2:3) • Radiance of God’s glory (1:3) • the message given through Jesus and attested • Exact representation of God (1:3) through the disciples and Holy Spirit was great, and • Provided purification for sins (1:3) so we should give it great attention (2:3-4) • Sat at the right hand of God (1:3) • More superior than the angels (1:4) • His name is superior (1:4) • His throne will last forever (1:8) Hebrews 2:5-18; 3:1-6 :7-4:13 Jesus is: • Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on • Superior to angels the day of testing in the wilderness (3:8) • Fully human, God himself • Watch out, brothers and sisters, so that there won’t • Worthy of greater glory than Moses be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that turns • Apostle of God away from God (3:12) • Ruler of God’s house • But encourage each other daily, while it is still • High priest called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception (3:13) • Let us then make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into some pattern of disobedience (4:11) :14-5:10; 6:13-7:28 :11-6:12 Jesus is: • Milk before solid food: We need the basics first; • High priest we risk falling away due to not understanding. They • Called by God were offering only a portion. • Source of salvation • God holds those who understand more to a higher • Priest forever standard. • Holy, blameless • Provoking God makes repentance impossible. • Set apart from sinners • God is not unjust and will not overlook our work • Perfect and love. • Faith and patience Hebrews 8:1-10:18 :19-39 Jesus is/has: • Draw near to God • Our high priest • Hold on to hope • Gives gifts and sacrifices • Jesus led by example • He is the complete sacrifice • Spur each other to love and deeds • Mediates to a newer, better covenant • Persevere • Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb • Do not shrink back, but have faith • Secured our redemption forever • Comes to do God’s will

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Hebrews 12:1-2 :3-13:19 Jesus is/has: • Endure trials without losing heart • pioneer of our faith (12:2) • Live peaceably with everyone • perfecter of our faith (12:2) • Show hospitality • endured the cross, for the sake of joy (12:2) • Remember those in prison • disregarded the shame of the cross (12:2) • Honor marriage • seated at right hand of God (12:2) • Avoid love of money • Love one another

Theme of Perfection/Maturity The same Greek word means “perfection” or “maturity”; it refers to progression toward an end goal. In Hebrews, Jesus (7:28) and the heavenly realm (9:11) represent the “perfect,” or the completion and fulfillment. What is on earth is a sketch and shadow of the heavens (8:5; 10:1); the earthly points toward the heavenly, but it is not the “perfection” or fulfillment. Jesus, as a human being, was made perfect/mature through his testing and suffering (2:10; 5:9); because of this, he is now seated at the right hand of God (1:3, 13; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2), as our intercessor (7:25) and perfect High Priest (that is, his sacrifice was the fulfillment/completion or “perfection” of the sacrificial system, and his eternal priesthood is the fulfillment or “perfection” of the high priesthood; see esp. ch. 7-10). The law and sacrifices of the old covenant could not make us perfect/mature/complete, but Jesus can through his own sacrifice (10:14). He is the one who perfects our faith, or brings it to maturity (12:2). We should endure in the faith and strive for maturity/perfection (5:14; 6:1). Our ancestors in the faith are an example of patient endurance and striving for mature faith; they held on to their hope and faith, although they did not receive the fulfillment of God’s promises, so that the promises would remain open for us (11:39-40; cf. 6:15).

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Supersessionism and Hebrews

Supersessionism claims that the new covenant supersedes and replaces the old covenant, thus voiding the old covenant and making it obsolete. Hebrews (and especially Heb. 8:13) seems to support this view. In light of World War II and the anti-Semitism fed by some Christian views, many Christians have pulled back from supersessionism. An alternate view is a two-covenant view, which sees the old covenant as still valid and open for the Jews (that is, they still have access to God through the law and the Mosaic covenant), while the new covenant is open to all who would approach God through Christ instead of through the law (this is a possible interpretation of Romans 9-11).

I suggest a reading of Hebrews which sees the new covenant as a fulfillment rather than replacement of the old covenant. The idea of “replacement” makes the first obsolete (thus making Judaism devoid of meaning). The idea of “fulfillment” means the original still has its original meaning, but is not complete. This isn’t written to Gentile Christians and telling them they are better than the Jews and thus emptying the Old Testament of meaning. It is written to Jewish Christians, telling them not to turn back now that they have Christ, and thus is it filling the Old Testament with meaning.

We should always weigh any point of theology in the with the Bible as a whole. Even if we read Hebrews as supersessionist (that is, the old covenant is now obsolete), we should weigh it against other New Testament texts, such as Romans 9-11 (where Paul seems to say that there is still a future hope for the Jews)

Key Texts Hebrews 8:13: “Thus, when it speaks of a new covenant, it puts the first one out of date. And something that is out of date, and growing old, is about to disappear” (N.T. Wright’s New Testament for Everyone translation) “In saying ‘new,’ He has treated the first as old; but what is being made old and aging is close to vanishing” (Tree of Life Version [Messianic Jewish]; This is probably the most literal translation.) “With the words ‘a new covenant,’ God made the first covenant old, and what is old and no longer effective will soon fade away completely.” (The Voice Translation)

Most English translations of Heb. 8:13 use the word “obsolete,” which is an interpretation rather than a literal translation (the word literally means “become old or ancient”; elsewhere in the Bible it refers to clothes being worn out).

7:18: “There is, on the one hand, the abrogation of an earlier commandment because it was weak and ineffectual” (NRSV; = setting aside; cf. 10:28; Gal. 3:15) “What is happening here is that the previous commandment is being set aside. It was, after all, weak and useless;” (NTE) “For on the one hand, a former requirement is set aside because of its weakness and ineffectiveness—” (TLV) “Because the earlier commandment was weak and did not reconcile us to God effectively, it was set aside—” (Voice)

10:9: “then he added, “See, I have come to do your will.” He abolishes the first in order to establish the second.” (NRSV; in NT and LXX this word [lit. “take away” or “snatch up”] most often means “kill or slay”) “then he says, ‘Look! I’ve come to do your will!’ He takes away the first so that he can establish the second.” (NTE) “then He said, “Behold, I come to do Your will.” He takes away the first to establish the second.” (TLV) “and follows this with “See, I have come to do Your will,” He effectively takes away the first—animal sacrifice—in order to establish the second, more perfect sacrifice.” (Voice) 4