Hebrews Bible Study

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Hebrews Bible Study

Author: unknown, possibly Paul or Apollos
Date: between A.D. 60 & A.D. 70

The key event in the last half of the first century as far as the church was concerned was the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. It had been predicted by Jesus, and when it happened, it marked the end of Christianity's dependence on Judaism and the old order of things. Not that Christians did not recognize their Jewish heritage. They kept the Old Testament, modeled their worship after the synagogue, worshipped the God of Israel, thought of themselves as the fulfillment of prophecy, acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah, and described themselves as the inheritors of the "new covenant" promised to Israel. But nonetheless they realized that the old order was over. The end of the age had arrived. They could experience the power of the new age in the present through the salvation offered by Christ. They also recognized that divisions of race did not matter anymore; all are free to come to Christ exactly the same way, by faith in Jesus, God's Son.

To some of the Jewish believers this created a problem. Their Jewishness meant more to them than it should have, and they were tempted to revert to the old order, abandoning their newfound faith in Christ. They wanted things to be as they had always been. But that could never be. The city of Jerusalem was gone, the temple destroyed, the priesthood disbanded. The nation was in shambles. The writer to the Hebrews was trying to point out that it is impossible to turn the clock back. We must press on in the new plan of God because the future is our goal, not the dead past.

It is not clear who wrote this book. Numerous people have been suggested, including Paul, Apollos, and Priscilla. After studying the problem, the church father Origen said that only God knows who wrote the letter to the Hebrews. It doesn't really matter. Whoever wrote it understood the situation well and was dealing with an important problem.

Theological Themes in the Epistle of Hebrews

Several themes can be found in this book. First, there is an emphasis on the superiority of Christ. To those Jewish believers who were wavering in their faith, the writer wanted to point out that there is nowhere else to go. Where can one find anything better than Jesus, who is the express image of God, better than Moses, better than Aaron, better than angels, better than anything? Jesus the Messiah is what they need.

Second, the obsolete nature of the old covenant and the establishment of the new covenant is stressed. The old is gone and the new has come. How could anyone want to go back to what God did not plan to keep? The old order served its purpose, and served it well, but its time is over. Now people are to come to Christ wherever they are, not by way of "Jerusalem"--except perhaps in a figurative way, through the heavenly Jerusalem.

Third, the writer speaks of the present glorious priesthood of Jesus in contrast to the defunct priesthood of Jerusalem. Jesus is now at the right hand of God eternally pleading our case. He knows what it is like to be human, so he can plead with understanding. We may go boldly to the throne of grace, there to find help in time of need.

Fourth, the Book of Hebrews stresses the need for perseverance. It is easy to quit and fall in the wilderness like the fathers of old. That ought never to happen again, and won't, if God's people do not lose heart. Fifth, the writer extols the glories of faith and those who have exercised it. Chapter 11 is a marvelous sermon on those who endured, strengthened by their faith in the living God.

Finally, instructions for practical Christian living are given in Chapter 12 and 13. All of this together presents a complete defense of the Christian faith against its detractors and those who would look for salvation elsewhere.

Outline for the Epistle of Hebrews

1.The glory and superiority of Christ HEBREWS 1:1-4:13
2.The new priesthood of Christ HEBREWS 4:14-8:13
3.The old and the new contrasted HEBREWS 9:1-10:39
4.The glory of faith HEBREWS 11:1-40
5.The life of faith HEBREWS 12:1-13:25

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