Lecture #2 Hebrews Overview

welcome to video lecture number two Hebrews overview we're going to be looking at a study of the book of Hebrews the first of the general Epistles uh we could have called this lecture Jesus is better or Jesus is superior that's the theme of Hebrews or at least the main theme uh one of the most debated questions about the book of Hebrews and New Testament studies is who wrote the book of Hebrews unlike many new Testament letters Hebrews does not explicitly identify its author over the centuries numerous candidates have been proposed each with varying degrees of

plausibility many start off with the Apostle Paul uh for centuries many of the early church saw continuity between Paul's teachings and the teachings in the book of Hebrews many in the west assumed that Paul was the author this was influenced by the book's theological depth and association with Pauling theology however stylistic and linguistic differences cause some people to doubt this um for example Hebrews employs a very polished Greek style and rhetorical sophistication that's not typical in Paul's writings moreover the author of the book of Hebrews claims to have received the gospel second hand in Hebrews

2:3 Hebrews claims to receive this second hand would be in contrast to the Apostle Paul who insists on on having received the gospel directly from Jesus other candidates that people haveo suggested over time would be the paus Barnabas Priscilla or Luke uh paus was first suggested by Martin Luther uh he's an intriguing possibility because he was an alexandrian Jew known for his eloquence and deep understanding of the scriptures according to Acts chapter 18 his background aligns well with the book's focus on Jewish tradition and its sophisticated argumentation Barnabas another candidate was a levite and companion

of Paul barnabus could have authored Hebrews his familiarity with the Jewish liturgy and his role as an encourager in Acts chapter 4 align with the Pastoral tone of the Hebrews and he his walk with Paul would have influenced him to think in ways similar to Pauling theology Priscilla is another possibility some Scholars can consider Priscilla as the possible author suggesting that the omission of her name may be reflected on the bias against female authorship of the day others still think it was possibly Luke that wrote this particular book because he's known for his eloquent Greek

and his theological position although the lack of Jewish background May count against him unless one considers that he was a companion of Paul and was writing with Paul's influence the current consensus is that that the question of authorship remains unresolved uh as origin famously stated in the 3r century only God knows who wrote Hebrews what is clear is that the author is highly educated deeply familiar with Jewish customs and scriptures and is connect connected to the apostolic Community let's talk about the audience of the book of Hebrews the audience of Hebrews is another area of

significant interest while the book does not explicitly identify a specific audience there are several Clues within the text that helps to point toward their identity they are first and foremost likely Jewish Christians the content of Hebrews strongly suggests it was written to a group of Jewish Christians the extensive use of the Old Testament quotations Reliance on Jewish liturgy imagery and emphasis on the priesthood and sacrificial system would suggest a deep awareness and appreciation of things Jewish therefore it's likely a Jewish audience the repeated exhortations against turning back to Old practices such as in Hebrews chap

10: 26-31 would suggest that the Believers were tempted to return back to Judaism possibly due to persecution or disillusionment another thing we know about this audience is that it's spiritually immature the audience is described as having to need to move forward Beyond Elementary teachings and grow in their spiritual maturity in Hebrews 51-14 this indicates that they were relatively early in their faith Journey we also know that they were in an urban context the author's reference to Timothy in Hebrews 13:23 and the mention of those from Italy in Hebrews 13:24 suggest a Cosmopolitan audience possibly living

in a connected way to the city of Rome however the exact location May uh remains unknown we also know that those in the book of Hebrews are facing persecution Hebrews addresses a community enduring hardship and persecution we see this in Hebrews 10: 32-34 although they had not yet faced martyrdom we see that in Hebrews 12:4 the threat of further suffering loomed very large in their context let's look at the Historical setting for the book of Hebrew the historical setting of Hebrews provides a window into the challenges faced by early Christians and the context in which

this letter was written the dating of Hebrews is probably between ad. 60 and ad. 95 uh several factors helping us to come up with these dates the text's use of Jewish sacrificial system in the present tense in Hebrews 8:4 and Hebrews 10 1-3 suggest that it was probably written before the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in ad 70 however the absence of any explicit reference to the Temple's destruction leaves room for some debate uh I personally think it was probably written prior to that time or right around the time of the destruction of the

temple we also know that there was a crisis of Faith the letter addresses many Believers experiencing a crisis of faith that were wavering under external pressure including persecution and with internal doubts about the sufficiency of Christ compared to the ritual of Judaism the historical setting helps us to understand the theological purpose of the letter the pro primary purpose of the book of Hebrews is to demonstrate the supremacy of Christ Christ is better the author contrasts Jesus as uh better than the Angels Moses and the levitical priesthood against the sacrificial system presenting him as the ultimate

fulfillment of God's promise this was critical for Community tempted for for a Community tempted to revert back to the old Covenant he's trying to convince them not to go back to which they have left because Jesus is better than that old Covenant Hebrews also serves as a call to perseverance in a very difficult time uh it's urging readers to hold fast to their faith and draw near to God with confidence there's a literary style and rhetorical strategy with the book of Hebrews that is structured in a way that is likely a sermon or a homy

rich in rhetorical devices such as exhortations warnings and logical arguments the frequent use of let us statements underscores the Pastoral intent let's go back and look in more detail at the date I said earlier that it probably had been written before the destruction of the temple in ad70 it seems likely that such a monument event would have been written explicitly had it occurred and so because it did not occur I think the book was written prior to ad70 in considering the date let's consider its relationship to the Pauline Epistles Hebrews display sophisticated theological argumentation that

resonates with Paul leine themes but reflects a level of doctrinal development that some Scholars argued were written after Paul if Hebrews was composed after Paul's letters and circled widely this could indicate a date closer to the late 60s or early 70s however the lack of directec dependence on Paul's writings make it difficult to establish a Clear Connection let's look at dating in terms of the persecution of the church Hebrews references the persecution of the church and suffering of many of its recipients as well as the impending threat of further trials that are to come while

these references do not point to a specific set of persecutions they align with persecutions that take place under the time of Nero and also as the later Century starts to pass it becomes more widespread throughout the Roman Empire we can also look at the maturity of the Christian church at this point the theological sophistication of Hebrews coupled with its assumption that its readers are familiar with foundational Christian teachings suggest it was written at a time when Christianity had matured Beyond its earliest decades this Factor aligns with a date in the late 50s to the mid

60s and then finally we have a reference to the book of Hebrews by Clement in 95 ad the letter known as first Clement written in the late 1 Century shows familiarity with the themes and language of Hebrews suggesting that it predates that book which means it had to have existed and been passed around earlier than 95 ad given these considerations most Scholars propose a date for Hebrews between 60 and 70 AD prior to the temple destruction however a minority argue for a later date let's look at the importance of the book of Hebrews for Christians

today the book of Hebrews holds profound significance in three key reasons making it a vital text for any believer seeking a deeper understanding of their faith first Hebrews offers unparalleled insight into the connection between the old Covenant of ancient Israel and the New Covenant established through the death of Jesus Christ much like the book of Romans in its theological death depth Hebrews unpacks the intricate relationship between the priesthood sacrificial system and the Redemptive work of Jesus Christ by exploring these connections Hebrews illuminates how the old Covenant Finds Its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus for those who

want to grasp the rich Theology of the Old Testament they also helps Christians understand why we don't have to adhere to the Old Testament covenantal practices Hebrews is an indispensable guide a deeper knowledge of the rituals and Theology of the ancient Israel enhances one's appreciation for this particular book a second thing that helps to understand why it's important in uh today is that Hebrews provides a clear explanation in the New Testament of why it was essential for Christ to be fully human while much focus is placed on his divinity Hebrews emphasize es that Jesus's complete

Humanity was integral to his role in God's Redemptive plan the book highlights that Christ shared in the full range of human experiences Frailty Temptation fear and suffering yet he remained sinless this Humanity qualified him uniquely to serve as both the priest and sacrifice making his work on the cross effective for our Salvation furthermore Hebrews reveals the profound truth that in Christ God himself experienced the joys and Sorrows of human life deepening our understanding of his empathy and love for Humanity finally the third reason that Hebrews is important to us today is that it profound provides

a profound and faithful call to faithful living in an age where the focus in Christian circles often rest on the Assurance of Salvation Hebrews offers sobering warnings about the dangers of falling away from the faith its teachings on apostasy when cons when considered within the historical context of the early church challenges readers to persevere and pursue spiritual maturity the book encourages Believers to live out their faith with due diligence reverence and an unwavering commitment to Christ for these reasons the book of Hebrews should not be overlooked or taken lightly it is a treasure Trove of

theological insight and practical exhortation guiding Christians toward a fuller understanding of Christ's work and deeper commitment to the faith is Hebrews a sermon or a letter the idea that the book of Hebrews is a sermon adapted into letter form has gained significant traction among Scholars and is supported both by internal evidence and its distinctive structure and style for several key arguments bolster this perspective number one its oral style and and rhetorical features Hebrews exper exhibits characteristics commonly associated with oral delivery it has an exhortative tone the frequent use of let us phrases and direct appeal

to the audience suggest the author is addressing listeners rather than just readers the sophisticated rhetoric also helps us to think this is probably an oratory the text employs classical rhetoric de techniques such as repetition contrast and vivid imagery these elements are Hallmarks of a polished oral presentation of the ancient day and then thirdly there's this encouragement to action the exhortations to remain faithful reflect the immediacy and urgency typical affirment aimed at a congregation in that moment another reason why we might think that this is a sermon is its structure resembling a homy the organization of

Hebrews aligns more with a flow of a sermon than it does a conventional letter there's thematic Unity Hebrews is built around the central theme of Jesus Christ's Supremacy and a Priestly role progressing logically but without the digressions typical of letters addressing multiple issues there's also scriptural Exposition the author interprets key Old Testament passages such as Psalms 95 or 110 as part of a sustained argument much like a preacher expounding on a text for a congregation and then there's climatic appeals Hebrews concludes with a stirring call to perseverance and faithfulness in Hebrews 10- 12 a Hallmark

of sermons designed to leave the Lasting Impression for the hearers let's also look at the closing features of the letter that may help us to determine if it's a sermon or if it's a letter while Hebrews primarily resembles a sermon it concludes with a feature typical of a letter suggesting it has been adapted or written for circulation the personal remarks at the end is where the author mentions Timothy's situation and sends greetings to the audience of those from Italy there's also a blessing and benediction the closing benediction mirrors the endings of other New Testament letters

such as Paul's Epistles the historical and Theological context may give us some Clues to whether it's a sermon the setting in which Hebrews is composed could explain why a sermon may have been transformed into a letter the recipients appear to be Christian communities facing persecution or spiritual fatigue a written version of an oral exportation could provide ongoing encouragement in the absence of a real life preacher the adaptability of sermons into a written form was a common thing in the early church allowing messages to read a reach a wider audience beyond the original Gathering and then

there's the testimony of the early church the early church regarded Hebrews as distinctive sometimes referring to it as an epistle but recognizing its sermonic qualities origin for example acknowledged the work's unique nature and suggested it might reflect a sermon by Paul that was written down by another author perhaps Luke or Clement Hebrews Bridges the gap between spoken and written forms preserving the dynamic power of a live sermon while adapting it for distribution as a letter the hybrid nature inh enhances its impact allowing the author's message of Christ Supremacy and the call of faithfulness to resonate

both in its original oral context and in its written form let's look at the key theological themes of the book of Hebrews the first is the superiority of Christ Jesus is better remember that theme from the very beginning one of the main themes of Hebrews is this Absol absolute super superiority of Jesus Christ over all other figures of Jewish history and all other religious practices he is presented as superior to the angels as Superior to Moses and the levitical priesthood highlighting his unique role as the Son of God and the Fulfillment of God's promises in

the Old Testament another key theme is Christ as the high priest Hebrews emphasizes Jesus as the great high priest who intercedes for Humanity unlike the levitical priests who offer sacrifices repeatedly Jesus offers himself once for all as the perfect sacrifice for sins his priesthood is eternal and effective and mediates a new covenant between God and Humanity the New Covenant is an important theme in the book of Hebrews the book stresses that Christ's work has inaugurated a New Covenant which is superior to the old Covenant established through Moses this New Covenant is characterized by a direct

relationship with God the Forgiveness of sins and the internalization of God's laws another key theme of Hebrews is Faith and endurance Hebrews emphasizes the importance of faith and perseverance in the Christian Journey the famous Hall of Faith speech in Hebrews chapter 11 recounts the faithful examples of Old Testament figures who trusted God's promises despite not receiving them fully in their own lifetimes Believers are urged to continue in faith and endurance looking to Jesus as their ultimate example a fifth key theme in the book of Hebrews is the role of suffering Hebrews teaches that suffering and

discipline are part of the Christian life and that they are used by God to strengthen Believers faith and to lead them to maturity Christ's own suffering is presented as a model for enduring the hardships that we face in this world a sixth key theme is the the finality of Christ's sacrifice Hebrews contrasts the repeated sacrifices of the Old Testament with the once and for all sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross his death on the cross is sufficient to atone for all sin and there's no need for further sacrifice a seventh key theme is the

kingdom of God and eternal hope the book also addresses the hope of the Eternal Kingdom urging Believers to hold fast to the hope they have in Christ and look forward to the unshakable Kingdom that will come a final eighth theme for the book is encouragement for the faith community Hebrews offers encouragement to the Christian Community urging them not to drift away from their faith or neglect the importance of assembling together it stresses the need for Mutual support love and encouragement in the face of persecution and trials there are some key verses in the book all

the verses are wonderful but I just wanted to highlight a few of them Hebrews 2:3 says that this is salvation which was first announced by the Lord was confirmed To Us by those who heard them uh Hebrews 5:12 says in fact though by this time you ought to be teachers you need to be someone to teach you you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again highlighting their spiritual immaturity let's discuss the role of faith in the book of Hebrews Faith plays a central and integral part of the book

of Hebrews it's serving both the means by which Believers relate to God and The Virtue that sustains them through trials the theme of faith is interwoven throughout the book emphasizing its necessity for salvation endurance and spiritual maturity faith is the basis of Salvation Hebrews teaches that faith is the essential means by which individuals come into right relationship with God in Hebrews 11:6 it is stated that without faith it is impossible to please God highlighting that faith is necessary for salvation and for experiencing God's approval this faithful trust in God's promises even when they are not

immediately realized faith in Christ's superiority Hebrews emphasizes that faith in Jesus Christ is crucial because of the superiority over all other figures in Salvation history such as Angels Moses or the levitical priests faith in Christ acknowledges him as the ultimate high priest theed ior of the new cust New Covenant and the one who holds Eternal salvation for those who believe Believers are called to fix their faith on him trusting in his work rather than in the religious system Faith as endurance and perseverance faith is not only the means of salvation but also the key to

enduring in the Christian Life Hebrews 10:36 encourages Believers to persevere so that when you have done the will of God you will receive what he has promised the book repeatedly exorts readers to hold fast to their faith and endure hardships with confidence in God's promise Faith allows Believers to remain steadfast even in the face of persecution and suffering the faith Hall of Fame in Hebrews 11 one of the most prominent sections on faith is Hebrews 11 which outlines the example of faithful men and women from the Old Testament these individuals include Abel Noah Abraham Sarah

Moses and others trusted God's promises and acted in faith even when they did not see the Fulfillment of those promises in their lifetimes this Hall of Faith demonstrates that true Faith involves trusting in God's unseen promises and acting on that trust even when the outcome is not immediate or clear Faith as trust in God's promises Hebrews highlights the importance of trusting in the promises of God even when the Fulfillment of those promises is not visible Hebrews 10:23 encourages Believers to hold unswervingly to the hope we profess for he who promised is faithful this trust is

especially crucial in the context of suffering and uncertainty as Faith allows Believers to cling to the hope of God's future promises including the hope of eternal life and an unshakable King Kingdom faith and the New Covenant faith is also Central to the New Covenant that Christ mediates Hebrews teaches that the New Covenant established through Christ's sacrifice requires faith in his once for all atoning work unlike the old Covenant which required continual sacrifices the New Covenant is based on faith in the completed work of Christ who has made perfect atonement for sins and finally let's look

at Faith as confidence in the Unseen Hebrews 1 111 defines Faith as confidence in what we hope for and Assurance of what we do not see this verse underscores the essence the essence of Faith as trusting in God's promises and future realities that are not yet visible faith in Hebrews involves confidence in the reality of God's promises even when their fulfillment is not immediately perceivable in summary faith in Hebrews is a dynamic force that is both the foundation of Salvation and the means by which Believers navigate life trusting in God's character and Promises it is

presented as essential for enduring the Christian faith particularly in times of trial and is exemplified by the faithful lives of past Heroes of the faith faith is Central to understanding and living in the New Covenant that Christ has inaugurated where Believers are called to to rely on God's grace and Promises even in the face of difficulties now I want to switch a little bit to the theme of Christ as better or Jesus as Superior to all those below him the superior now becomes the lower beginning in Hebrews chap 2 verse 5-15 in Hebrews there's a

back and forth movement of the exposition and exhortation in Hebrews 25-9 the superior son Jesus becomes lower than the Angels this is a transition from the exhortation in 2 1-4 warning us to not reject the word spoken through God's son and the expositional section below that depicts Christ as lower than the Angels so he's called greater than the angels and now he's taken below the Angels this is a break from a pattern this section breaks with the rest of the pattern of the book so far until now uh making Hebrews uh who has exalted Christ

as the status of the son but now emphasizing him switch to a lower status to what is exactly uh does this uh lowering refer it is the Incarnation of Jesus his giving up his eternal glory it's an exaltation and Incarnation fused together you see the center of this transition portion is a quotation from Psalms 8: 4-6 which is found in Hebrews 2 6-8 and has been interpreted christologically both the segment from the psalm and the interpretation of it provide a mixture of exaltation and Incarnation language Psalm 8 has Christ's Incarnation made him for a little

while lower than the angels and exaltation you have crowned him with Glory and Honor in Hebrews 28-9 not everything already appears as it will in the end the sun is still higher than the angels in uh Hebrews 1 5-14 where he says what is man that you're mind mindful of him or the son of man that you care for him you made him now for a little while lower than the Angels so he was higher now he's lower you have crowned him with Glory and Honor but he's still high you see he's lower but crowned

with Glory and Honor putting everything in subjection under his feet so that now by Hebrews 2:10 he is the sun is lower than the angels and he's going to suffer for the sons and so you have this this interesting play that's going on the beginning in chapter 1 He's listed as higher than the angels in chapter two it says he's made lower than the angels and then he draws back on this Psalm 8 to connect the two together so this Incarnation is the lowering and yet he's still glorified and so we're going to see this

work play out throughout the Book of Hebrews in Hebrews 2:7 he says you made him for a little while lower than the Angels the term is BR which is likely more to do with a time of duration than position so he's not lower in the position a little bit he's lowered in the position for a little time it's just a short time and we're going to see why that is taking place the Bible teaches that angels have been placed by God as individuals over Nations such as in Deuteronomy 32 or Daniel 10 some of these

angels are depicted of having become evil we see in in Daniel 10: 20-21 or Ephesians 6:12 Hebrews 2:5 refutes the power of the Angels or anything being subject to them who is the one that everything has been placed into subjection under well the son Jesus in Hebrews 2:8 so in Hebrews 2:10 through1 18 we see the son's solidarity with humanity and that's the reason for him being made lower he's going to share in our solidarity the christology of Hebrews is not necessarily temporal it is primar spatial and logical The Logical development of the material in

Hebrews is that the sun is superior to the angels in Hebrews 1 5-14 the sun becomes lower than the angels in Hebrews 210- 18 for the purpose to deliver men from sin and then it says the son on the basis of this identification with men is taken from men and appointed priest so now because he's human he's made lower only a only the priest has to come from the tribe of Israel he has to come from the people so now because Jesus is low he's identified as human he can become the priest he is taken

from among men and appointed priest and because of this appointment he is able to offer a superior offering so he's now a priest we see that in Hebrews 51 through Hebrews 7:28 is the conversation of him becoming the priest on behalf of humanity with whom he's made lower and now because he's a priest in Hebrews chapters 8 9 and 10 he can make a sacrifice but here's the catch his sacrif iice is made where in heaven so it's this picture of him being higher than the Angels made lower to be human so that he become

a priest so he can make a sacrifice for humans but in heaven he's exalted yet again the purpose of this material is that the author wishes to bring the the work of the Sun in sharper focus by exp explicating relevant Old Testament passages showing that his he is superior than the Angels but for a reason was set set that aside for a time in order that he could be incarnated come in Incarnation as a human be made in flesh so he could be superior to the priests and yet make a sacrifice on behalf of the

people with a superiority of an offering that the priest could make they could not make a offering in heaven their pre their offering was always made at the Tabernacle or at the Temple and so we see this picture of Jesus coming down doing a work and then going back to heaven to complete the work there are only seven places in the New Testament where a statement is qualified by the status of our relationship with God and two of them are in the book of Hebrews Hebrews 3:6 and Hebrews 3:14 but Christ was faithful as a

son over his household and we are that household if we hold on to our confidence and the Hope in which we boast Christ was faithful to serve his house we are his house because he came and he became one of us for we have become participants with Christ if we hold firmly until the end the reality that we had at the start so if we hold on our faith then we are participants with Christ in his sacrificial work his statement is not necessarily a lack of confidence regarding salvation but the lack of confidence in who

we are as the recipience Assurance of Salvation is demonstrated by perseverance salvation is not fixed to a response made sometime in the past instead of once saved always saved how about once saved always saved if saved it could be seen as an act of our omniscience we judge by what we see as we live we indicate our faith you the author's use in the spans of expositional material is that there is a rest to be had by being the people of God and so make sure that you are inheriting that promise your lack of love

for God your lack of interest in the things of God could be a manifestation of the fact that you've never come to know God in the first place so since we have a high priest Jesus has gone into the Tabernacle on our behalf in 61 19-2 as a forerunner behind the curtain in Hebrews 8:2 he is making a sacrifice in the temple in Hebrews 10 19- 20 we are now in the temple with him at the open curtain there are three ways that the sacrifice of Jesus is better than the high priests first of all

the place it's in heaven not in the Earthly Tabernacle two the blood is not the blood of animals but it's his blood the blood of the Divine Son of God and its duration the sacrifices made in the temple had to be repeated every year the sacrifice made by Jesus is once for all for all of eternity the main purpose of Hebrews is to exhort not to teach christology Hebrews 10: 26-31 warns believers who may have once attested Christ but now have left Christ it shows hearers as a positive example followed by a positive powerful example

of those who remained faithful the Supreme Basin of the endurance of our faith is found in Hebrews 12:1 18- 24 Jesus shamed The Shame of the Cross we took him for perseverance but we also look at him at the right hand of God because of his persecution the warnings in he Hebrews deals with apostasy sinning with the high hand is a will willful sinning in the Old Testament the Perpetual willful sin might be manifestation of the lack of relationship with the Living God but what about returning to Christ as a second crucifixion the passage we

see in Hebrews 6 and10 might indicate that there is a return of someone who never really combined Faith with the hearing of the message in John 1 we see the same thing they were never of us the language of Hebrews 64-8 as a Wilderness wandering talks about uh testing the Heavenly food like the Mana the enlightenment the pillar of fire would suggest that those who walk with God and persevere to the end are those who have indeed put their faith in Christ in conclusion the book of Hebrews stands as a theological Masterpiece and a pastoral

exort pastoral exhortation while its authorship remains uncertain its intended audience a group of Jewish Christians struggling with their faith and identity can be discerned from its context the historical setting reflects a time of transition and change as the early church grappled with persecution and the implications of the New Covenant Hebrews calls its readers then and out to see Christ as the ultimate revelation of God and the anchor of their faith in doing so it invites us to pers persevere with confidence grounded in the unshakable Hope found in Jesus