book of hebrews see textbook: “hebrews”, pp. 506- 508
TRANSCRIPT
Book of Hebrews
See Textbook: “Hebrews”, pp. 506-508.
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Introduction:
- the Book of Hebrews/Epistle to the Hebrews has been traditionally ascribed to Paul;
- however, this tradition is generally not accepted;
- the reasons:
- difference in vocabulary and style;
- moreover, teachings on faith, justification, reconciliation, and union with Christ do not reflect Paul’s thought;
- the book reads more like a sermon than a letter, e.g. 13.17;
- it does not contain the phrase “to the Hebrews”;
- thus, it is difficult to say for whom it was intended.
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Introduction:
- - the book argues that Jesus was both a kingly and priestly Messiah;
- Jesus is depicted as the complete revelation of God’s purpose, the one who now serves in heaven as the eternal high priest, and the mediator for humanity (1.1-4);
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Authorship:
- some have attributed the work to Barnabas, a companion of Paul;
- others have attributed the work to Priscilla (see Rom 16.3;
1 Cor 16.19; 2 Tim 4.19) or Apollos;
- most scholars hold that the work was written by an anonymous Christian scholar;
- this scholar was equally well acquainted with Greek versions of the Hebrew Bible, that is, the Septuagint, and with Greek philosophical concepts.
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Place of Writing:
- Heb 13.24: “Those from Italy send you greetings”;
- thus, this suggests that it was written in Italy, perhaps in Rome;
- some scholars, however, argue that it was written in Alexandria in Egypt, or in Palestine.
6Roman Empire in Second Century CE.
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Date:
- estimates range from ca. 65 to 100 CE;
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Dualistic View:
- a view of the universe in which earthly events and human institutions are seen as reflections of invisible heavenly realities (see Figure 15.1, p. 508 in Textbook);
- the writer assumes the existence of two parallel worlds:
- the eternal and perfect realm of the spirit above; and
- the inferior, constantly-changing world below;
(a form of Platonic thought? See Textbook, G-37)
- the author attempts to show how Christ’s sacrificial death links the two opposing realms of perishable matter and eternal spirit;
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Dualistic View:
- The author alone, of all NT writers, presents Jesus as a heavenly priest who serves as an everlasting mediator between God and humanity.
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Method of Biblical Interpretation:
- author’s biblical interpretation is like that of Philo Judaeus, a Hellenistic Jewish scholar of Alexandria in Egypt;
- according to this method of interpretation, the Hebrew Scripture is not merely a record of Israel’s history;
-it is an allegory in which earthly events symbolize heavenly realities.
- See Textbook, G-2 on “allegory”.
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The Main Theological Argument of Hebrews:
-Christ is the final and complete revelation of God’s will
(1.1-4);
- thus, the readers must hold fast to their faith or risk destruction;
- practice is, thus, based on faith;
- the recipients are exhorted to remember their former loyalty during persecution;
- they are to avoid apathy and indifference (10.32-34).
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Outline:
- Introduction (1.1-4);
- Christ, the image of God, superior to all other human or heavenly beings (1.5-4.16);
- the Torah’s priestly regulations foreshadowing Jesus’ role as a priest-like figure/“according to the order of”, that is, “like” Melchizedek (5.1-10.39); see Genesis 14.17-24; Psalm110.4;
- the need for believers to act on faith in unseen realities, emulating biblical figures of old (11.1-13.16);
- originally part of another document (13.18-25);
(13.23 - reference to Timothy [see 1 Cor 4.17 and Acts 16.1-3])
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Christ’s Superiority to all other Beings:
- Christ is the perfect “image of God”/”the exact imprint of God’s very being”(1.3);
- thus, he is superior to all biblical sages, prophets, and angels;
- he is also superior to the priesthood of the Mosaic Torah (4.44-7.28);
- Jesus is not only a Davidic, Messiah king but an eternal High Priest as well.
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Christ as King-Priest:
- the author’s use of the Torah story of Abraham and Melchizedek (Gen 14.17-20);
- Abraham paid Melchizedek a tenth of his spoils from a successful war;
- the author concludes that Melchizedek’s priesthood is without beginning or end;
- Melchizedek, as king of righteousness and peace and an “eternal priest,” is a prototype of Christ;
- he is superior not only to Abraham but to Abraham’s Levitical descendants, i.e., the Jewish priests;
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Christ as King-Priest:
- Christ’s priesthood is: sinless, deathless, and confirmed by divine oath;
- it endures forever (7.3, 21-28);
- Christ’s priesthood surpasses that of the Levites (8.1-10.39);
- Hebrews envisions Israel’s earthly sacrifices and worship as reflections or copies of invisible heavenly realities (8.5) [thus, a form of Platonic dualism];
- see Figure 15.1, p. 508 in Textbook;
- an allegorical interpretation of priestly rituals on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).
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Christ as King-Priest:
- see Leviticus 16: the High Priest enters the Temple’s Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement to make a sacrifice;
- this is an imperfect sacrifice;
- it has to be done annually;
- Christ, on the other hand, has entered the heavenly Temple (9.11-14);
- he has made the one sacrifice, i.e., the sacrifice of his life, that is for all time;
- there is, thus, no need for further sacrifices in the earthly sanctuary;
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Christ as King-Priest:
- Christianity is, thus, the only true religion;
- it is the fulfillment of Judaism;
- Christ’s sacrifice is also superior to the sacrifices of the Levitical priesthood because it inaugurates a new covenant (9.15);
- Christ’s sacrifice is ratified by his blood (like the sacrifices of the Mosaic Law) that was poured out at his crucifixion;
- the old law demands repeated animal sacrifices;
- the new law has but one sacrifice, namely, Christ’s;
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Christ as King-Priest:
- it follows that those who benefit from Christ’s everlasting sacrifice can hope, like him, to enter the heavenly sanctuary (10.5-19);
- thus, Christians should adhere to the true religion because the Day of Judgment is near;
- but a difficulty (10.20-31; see also 6.4-9).
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Christ as King-Priest:
- the author also makes a reference to Israel’s kings as “according to the order of Melchizedek”/“like Melchizedek” (Ps 110.4; see Gen 14.17-20 – Abraham and Melchizedek);
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Discourse on Faith (Hebrews 11):
- the readers are to accept God’s ultimate revelation in the Son through faith (11.1);
- faith: perception of an unseen universe transcending the material world (11.1-3);
- the author presents a survey of Hebrew Bible figures who lived by faith (11.2-40);
- from Abel to the prophets;
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Discourse on Faith:
- the author urges the readers to strive likewise for eternal life (12.1-2);
- the biblical figures had only a glimpse of what was to come;
- Christians have the reality;
- thus, they must stand firm (12.3-13);
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Discourse on Faith:
- how the Israelite Torah was introduced (12.18-21);
- Christians witness a more holy covenant (12.22-29);
- thus, they are to keep the faith in the new dispensation (12.28-29).
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Practical Instructions to the Community and Greetings (13.1-25):
- 13.1-17: the sermon concludes with specific ethical exhortations;
- 13.18-25: greetings, blessings, and postscript.
PEACE/SHALOM/SALEM!