pros eJbraious

the letter to the

Hebrews

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

Long ago,at many timesandin many ways,

God spoke to our fathersby the

prophets,but,

in these last dayshe has spoken to us by his Son,

whom he appointed the heir of all things,through whom also he created the world.He is the radiance of the glory of God

andthe exact

imprint of his nature,andhe upholds the universe

by his word of power.

After making purification for sins,he sat down at the right hand

of the Majesty on high,having become as much superior to angelsas the name he has inheritedis more excellentthan theirs.

Hebrews, a letter that is more of a sermon (homily), to a group of Hebrew Christians that seemed to be suffering persecutions and, perhaps because of this, some might have been considering a return to Judaism.

The author exhorts his listeners to be faithful to Jesus Christ. He warns them of the dangers of apostasy.

Hebrews is a wonderful letter, full of powerful teaching concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the principal theme of the letter. He is better than the angels; superior to Moses; he is the great high priest as to the order of Melchizedek, that is, the priesthood of Jesus is the superior priesthood, different from the Levitical priesthood; and he is the only mediator of the new covenant.

The letter is full of warnings and encoura-gement for the Hebrew Christians. God is a consuming fire. Jesus Christ awaits them at the end of the race and those who have gone before them are present and encouraging them to finish well and faithfully for Christ.

orthodoxA.D. 70

Greco-Roman worldhomily

dispersionSeptuagint (LXX)

canonpapyrus

Terms……..

Mount Zionapostasy

PriestMuratorian canon

catechesisrhetoric

(rhetorical devices; rhetorical structure)

Terms……..

• Authorship: Who wrote Hebrews?

• To whom was Hebrews written?

• Why was Hebrews written?(purpose and nature of the

letter)

• When was Hebrews written?Beginnings

Chapter One [1.1—2.9]

The eternal Son who is better than the angels 

Chapters

Chapter Two [2.5-18]

Jesus, crowned with glory and honor through his death

* 1st warning against unbelief (“drift away”; “Lest at any time

we should

let them slip.”)  Chapters

Chapter Three [3.1-19]

Jesus the Son better than Moses the servant

* 2nd warning against unbelief (“fall away from the living God”) 

Chapters

Chapter four [4.1-13]

Jesus, the giver of true rest, better than Joshua’s temporal rest

* 3rd warning against unbelief (“fall by the…disobedience”) 

Chapters

Chapters Four—Nine [4.14—9.28]

Jesus, high priest in the likeness of Melchi-zedek, better than Aaron and the Levitical priesthood:

Chapter four – Jesus as priest gives

grace and mercyChapter five – Jesus in the likeness

of Melchizedek

Chapters

Chapter six - * 4th warning against unbelief

(“have fallen away”)

- a firm anchor for the soul in Jesus

Chapter seven – Comparison of the priesthood of Melchizedek and that of the Aaronic priesthood to demonstrate the perfect priesthood of the Son

Chapters

Chapter eight – the better ministry of Jesus

Chapter nine – Jesus the mediator of a new, better covenant and Jesus the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice that bore the sins of all 

Chapters

Chapter Ten [10.1-39]

Jesus, the new and living way- confidence in not shrink back

* 5th warning against unbelief (“trampled underfoot the Son of God”) 

Chapters

Chapters Eleven [11.1-40]The assurance of faith and its results Chapter Twelve [12.1-29]Discipline in faith in midst of tribulations* 6th warning against unbelief (“do not refuse him who is speaking”)

Chapters

Chapter Thirteen [13.1-17]Faith, hope, love, and obedience

 Chapter Thirteen [13.18-25]Conclusion and blessing           

Chapters

Hebrews 2.1-3“…we must pay much closer

attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it… how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?”

Warnings!!!

Hebrews 3.6-11“…if indeed we hold fast… do

not harden you hearts … ‘They shall not enter my rest’.”

Warnings!!!

Hebrews 6.4-8“For it is impossible… to

restore… again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God….”

Hebrews 10.26-31“For if we go on sinning

deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins… It is a fear thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Warnings!!!

Hebrews 12.25-29“See that you do not refuse him

who is speaking. For if they did not escape… much less will we escape if we reject him… our God is a consuming fire.”

Warnings!!!

Some typical Christian Evangelical interpretations of

the warning passages found in Hebrews:

1. That they are speaking of the apostasy of true Christians, but that these Christians who “backslide” can still return to Christian faith.(ESV Study Bible, 2369)

2. That the passages are not really talking about true Christians, and so when these “fall away,” is not falling away from true salvation.(ESV Study Bible, 2369: HCSB Study Bible, 2119)

3. That the passages are addressed to true believers, but since true believers cannot fall away, then the warnings are only challenges to faithfulness. (ESV Study Bible, 2369)

4. That the falling away has only to do with the loss of heavenly rewards for those Christians who are not faithful to God in the midst of the persecutions.(ESV Study Bible, 2369)

See Dr. Stanley Outlaw’s survey of seven (7) different positions which have been taken by Bible commentators concerning Hebrews 6 and apostasy in his Hebrews in The Randall House Bible Commentary (2005), 118

Hebrews 2.6, 14“…Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house… if we hold our original confidence firm to the end.” 

Yet in your case beloved. . .

Hebrews 6.9“Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation.”

Yet in your case beloved. . .

Hebrews 10.39“But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their their souls.”

Yet in your case beloved. . .

Hebrews 12.22, 28“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God… let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”

Yet in your case beloved. . .

“We believe that apostasy is possible

but not probable.”

see 1 Peter 1.3-5“who by God’s power are being

guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Yet in your case beloved. . .

Hebrews 2.1“…we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard…”

Let us. . .

Hebrews 3.1“Consider Jesus…”

Hebrews 3.12, 13“Take care…exhort one another every day.”

Hebrews 4.1“…let us fear…”

Let us. . .

Hebrews 4.11“Let us…strive to enter the rest…”

Hebrews 4.14“…let us hold fast our confession...”

Hebrews 4.16“…let us draw near to the throne of grace…”

Let us. . .

Hebrews 6.1“…let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity.”Hebrews 10.22“…let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith...”

Hebrews 10.22“Let us hold fast our confession of our hope without wavering.”

Let us. . .

Hebrews 10.23“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works…”

Hebrews 10.35“…do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.”

Let us. . .

Hebrews 12.1, 2“…let us also lay aside every weight and sin…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus.”

Hebrews 12.3“Consider him...”

Let us. . .

Hebrews 12.12“…lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees and make straight paths for your feet...”

Hebrews 12.14“Strive for peace with everyone and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”

Let us. . .

Hebrews 12.25“See that you do not refuse him who is speaking.”

Hebrews 12.28“…let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship...”

Let us. . .

Hebrews 13.1“Let brotherly love continue.”

Hebrews 13.2“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers….”

Let us. . .

Hebrews 13.3“Remember those who are in prison...”

Hebrews 13.4“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled…”

Let us. . .

Hebrews 13.5“Keep your life free from love of money..”

Hebrews 13.7“Remember your leaders…”

Let us. . .

Hebrews 13.13“Let us go to him (Jesus) outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured.”

Hebrews 13.15“Through him…let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God…”

Let us. . .

Hebrews 13.16“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have...”

Hebrews 13.17“Obey your leaders and submit to them……”

Let us. . .

Hebrews 13.18“Pray for us...”

Hebrews 13.22“…bear with my word of exhortation….”

It’s sundown, Lord.The shadows of my life stretch backinto the dimness of the years long spent.I fear not death, for that grim foe betrays

himself at last,

thrusting me forever into life:Life with you, unsoiled and free.But I do fear.I fear the Dark Specter may come too soon Let me get home before

dark.

or do I mean, too late?That I should end before I finish orfinish, but not well.That I should stain your honor;

shame your name,

grieve your loving heart.Few, they tell me, finish well…Lord, let me get home before dark.

The darkness of a spiritgrown mean and small,

fruit shriveled on the vine,bitter to the taste of my companions,burden to be borne by those brave few

who love me still.No, Lord. Let the fruit grow lush and sweet,a joy to all who taste;

Spirit—sign of God at work,stronger, fuller, brighter at the end.Lord, let me get home before dark. The darkness of tattered gifts,rust-locked, half-spent or ill-spent,A life that once was used of God

now set aside.

Grief for glories gone orFretting for a task God never gave.Mourning in the hollow chambers

of memory,Gazing on the faded banners

of victories long gone.Cannot I run well unto the end?Lord, let me get home before dark.

The outer me decays—I do not fret or ask reprieve.The ebbing strength but weans me

from mother earthand grows me up for heaven.I do not cling to shadows cast by immortality.I do not patch the scaffold lent to build

the real, eternal me.

I do not clutch about me my cocoon,vainly struggling to hold hostagea free spirit pressing to be born. But will I reach the gatein lingering pain, body distorted, grotesque?Or will it be a mindwandering un-tethered among lightfantasies or grim terrors?

Of your grace, Father, I humbly ask…Let me get home before dark

Robertson McQuilken

Let me get home before dark.