Preliminary Thoughts on Hebrews 2008 October 10^th for November 12^th

Hebrews has a reputation as being one of the densest theological books in the New Testament. Much of our belief system is derived from it through the work of Luther and others. Even so, authorship is unknown.

Being so dense, this is the sort of book that commands semester-sized, upper-division classes in seminary, if not graduate dissertations and theses. As such, our survey, marching through at about “a page a day” is not going to do it justice by serious theological standards, nor am I qualified to say anything about it by those standards.

Recall, however, that we are reading through at a steady pace that will allow full coverage in five or six years and that we are, in part, testing the premise that the Bible is sufficient in itself and as presented for a reasonably serious Christian to use to hear from God. Some would add, “With appropriate and sufficient guidance.” This premise is also being tested. There have been hundreds of pages of Bible, apparently not as theologically deep or important, that we’ve gone through at the same pace. There are thousands of pages of commentaries, that we are not using.

My introductory words don’t say much about Hebrews itself. There is much that I’m familiar with from the Bible and theology and standard church that is probably in here and I just don’t realize it as such. We’ll go over that as we come to it and in the conclusion at the end.

Hebrews 1 2008 October 17^th for November 13^th

The first chapter of Hebrews is about angels and includes extensive proof that Christ is superior to them. There is some speculation, not widely supported, that Paul is the author of Hebrews (officially, the author is unknown), but the succinct and not-run-on nature of the narrative in even this first chapter belies that.

“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.”

“… and through whom he made the universe.” Interesting. This obliquely supports my theory that Jesus is the cross section of the trans-universal God into our own particular universe (that may or may not be the only one, who knows?).

Back to the text….

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.”

God never said to any angels that he was their father or that they were his children. He did say that the angels would worship his son and would be servants. God did say that his Son’s throne would be established forever, that he “loved righteousness and hated wickedness.”

God also said that the heavens and the earth he created would eventually be used up and would be put away like worn out clothes, “But you remain the same, and your years will never end.” (And this supports the part of my theory that maintains (only a hunch, no proof) the fundamental imperfectability of a four dimensional universe.)

The angels are “ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation.” The Son will sit at God’s right hand, his enemies a footstool for his feet.

Hebrews 2 2008 October 20^th for November 14^th

The author continues, now quoting widely from his Bible, what we now know as the Old Testament. Since the chapters and verses were not numbered at that time, for referential convenience, he says things like, “But there is a place where someone has testified:…”

Never fear. Someone else has cross-referenced all this and provided exhaustive footnotes in our modern, numbered Bible.

“How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?”

God has provided salvation from our sins and transgressions. Jesus announced it himself before he performed it.

The creation is now under the oversight of angels, as we discussed yesterday, and man (humanity) is a little below that, but because Jesus suffered and experienced death, he is now crowned and is above everything in creation, angels included, excepting God himself. And men are also elevated and made holy, being relatives, indeed, brothers.

He shared in our humanity and experienced death and through this destroyed the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil. God did not bring this about to help angels, but to help people, the descendants of Abraham. He made atonement for the people and, “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

Hebrews 3 2008 October 20^th for November 17^th

“Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.” Jesus is greater than Moses. After all, the builder of the house is greater than the house. God is the builder of everything.

Follow the lead of the Holy Spirit. Don’t be rebellious and sinful as Israel was during their testing in the desert. God swore in anger that none of them would experience his rest. They wandered for forty years and saw him do great things to preserve them as a nation, but that generation died on the march.

“See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.”

That generation in the desert did not enter the Promised Land because of their unbelief.

Hebrews 4 – 5 2008 October 27^th for November 18^th

God has promised rest, but we have to take it. We have heard the message, the Good News, but it has been profitless to some because they did not combine the knowledge with faith. Even God rested from his work in the creation and he offers his rest to us, but some do not enter into it with him.

Be careful to enter into this rest. To do otherwise is an act of disobedience, a means of falling short and falling away. It is also a bad example to others who might then also fall away.

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

In other words, don’t try to get away with anything. There may be hiding but there is no hiding from God.

Jesus is our high priest. He “has gone through the heavens.” Because he was human he can empathize with us. He was tempted just like we are but did not sin. Priests represent men in matters of failure with respect to God. Each priest offers sacrifices first for himself and then for the people he represents.

Priests are not self-appointed, but are called, appointed and commissioned by God. Aaron did not decide to become a priest. God made him a priest. Jesus is also a priest, of the highest order. He called only on God and was obedient all the way to death. By this “he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him…”

The section ends with an interesting rebuke that sounds a lot like Paul:

“We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

Hebrews 6 2008 October 27^th for November 19^th

The elementary teachings about Christ lay the original foundation from acts that lead to death. They are about baptism, laying on hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. Once this has all been gone over, once a convert has experienced the joy of life with Christ, if they fall away, it is impossible to do it again. It would be like making Christ die a second time and that would be a disgrace. It is like land that produces thorns rather than good crops. We’d rather burn it up than waste more rain on it.

But, we don’t think this is happening to any of our audience here. The good things you have done in obedience to God are not forgotten. Jesus went into the inner sanctuary on our behalf. He is our priest, of the highest order. God cannot lie. We can trust Jesus.

Hebrews 7 2008 October 27^th for November 20^th

When we have spoken about the “highest order” of priests, we have been speaking of Melchizedek, a priest in ancient Jerusalem to whom Abraham himself paid tithes (tithes on plunder, no less.) Imagine that: the patriarch Abraham paying tithes to someone. The institution of the tithe wasn’t even set up until Levi, grandson of Abraham. Tithes are to be paid to the priests, descendants of Levi.

“One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.”

(This could be read as saying that life begins pre-pre-conception, given “One might even say…”)

Melchizedek had no lineage, no (known) ancestry. He was the high priest through whom Abraham himself, while waiting patiently for the promises of God, worshipped.

Jesus is of the order of Melchizedek, eternal. The Law of Moses said that priests were Levites, but that law, “The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.”

Jesus was from the tribe of Judah, not Levi. With this change in the priesthood comes a change in the law.

The Levitical priests ended their ministries when they died, but Christ lives forever, he is the permanent priest. Christ does not offer sacrifices for his own sins because there are none. He offered himself as a sacrifice for our sins once for all so that they are cancelled in perpetuity. Christ, the Son, is the perfect priest forever and intercedes for us all the time.

Hebrews 8 2008 November 2^nd for 21st

We do have a perfect high priest, Jesus in heaven. If he were not in heaven he would not be needed for this duty since there are already duly appointed priests under the law here on earth. Those priests, however, are under the covenant of the law given in the desert under Moses and Aaron. If there had been nothing wrong with that covenant it would not have needed replacement, but God found the people under that law inadequate and through Jeremiah (who we will study next) prophesied that there would be a replacement.

All of the accoutrements of the old covenant, such as the temple and the priesthood, were imperfect copies of the real ones in heaven, which, in and with Christ, are now in effect. The old will age, diminish, and eventually disappear.

Hebrews 9 2008 November 2^nd for December 1^st

Speaking of the first covenant, the example by which we would learn how the forgiveness of God worked:

“Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.”

When everything was ready and on an annual basis, the priest went from the outer room to the inner room, entering the presence of God, using a device of making sacrifices of animals on behalf of himself and the people before he could go in. Blood was required. This was all done as an illustration so that we could understand that blood was necessary to be acceptable to God due to sin.

This is an image of Christ entering into the tabernacle in heaven, not the one here since it is part of this creation. And he had to enter on the basis of blood too, in his case his own blood. This was one sacrifice for everyone and everything for all time; otherwise Christ would have to suffer over and over throughout history.

“In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

Christ did not use animals for this cleansing; he used himself.

“Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

(This verse was a big part of dad’s theology.)

Hebrews 10:1 – 18 2008 November 2^nd for December 2^nd

The idea of a change in the sacrificial covenant is summarized:

“The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming – not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered?”

But, “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”

Doing God’s will, Christ offered himself as a sacrifice. The first type of sacrifice, the blood of animals, was done away with and Christ established and performed the second, that is complete “once for all.”

Because of this, God stops remembering any sins and lawless acts of the forgiven, and there is no further sacrifice for them.

Hebrews 10:19 – 39 2008 November 5^th for December 3^rd

Those who are saved are not to continue sinning because there is no additional sacrifice left. Under the Law of Moses, the guilty were condemned to death without mercy on the word of two or three witnesses. The blood of Christ is a much bigger deal than the Law of Moses. “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

It is good to continue to meet together and encourage each other. The reward is so great that believers have been publicly insulted, had their property confiscated, and stood with their brothers who were treated likewise.

Persevere and hang on. “But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.”

Hebrews 11 2008 November 5^th for December 4^th

It is all about faith.

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.

“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was made out of what was visible.”

Abel’s sacrifice was better than Cain’s because of faith. That faith still testifies past Abel’s death. Enoch had faith and was taken out of this life without going through death. Noah built the ark on faith long before there was any sign of climate change. Abraham followed his call on faith even though he lived in tents in a land that his heirs would eventually inherit. Isaac and Jacob also lived in faith, but did not live to see the total fulfillment of the promises. Abraham received Isaac back from death on faith. Jacob blessed his sons from his deathbed on faith. When Joseph went to Egypt he had faith that the Israelites would return and left instructions about his bones being carried back. Moses’ parents did not fear the ruler, but had faith and saved their son. Moses grew up in the palace, but on faith left it and was treated as a slave then an exile. It was on faith that the people passed safely through the Sea of Reeds. By faith Rahab the prostitute was key in the Jericho operation and the conquest of Jericho succeeded.

“And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tall about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated – the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.

“These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”

Hebrews 12 2008 November 5^th for December 5^th

We are to throw away every hindrance and focus only on Jesus in the way that he set aside everything and took on the cross. For this he sat down at the right hand of God and for this we are treated as sons and disciplined as such. Count suffering and hardship as these disciplines.

Only through holiness does anyone see God, so live at peace with all. “See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.”

(The birthright was a big deal to the Hebrew people.)

When they came to God’s mountain and heard his voice, they begged for it to be quiet they were so overwhelmed. Even animals that touched the mountain had to be destroyed.

The earth will be shaken because it is temporal and can be shaken. The kingdom of God cannot be shaken. “Let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire.’”

Hebrews 13 2008 November 9^th for December 8^th

The writer concludes:

“Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.”

Be free from the love of money or sexual impurity or adultery. “Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.”

When the high priest offers sacrifices, he carries the remains of the animal outside the city to be burned. Jesus’ sacrifice occurred entirely outside of the city, “to make the people holy through his own blood.”

Continually praise God through Jesus.

“Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

Live honorably; pray for the brothers; have a clear conscience.

The writer closes by bringing greetings and news of other believers and saying that he hopes to come see them soon, this having been only a “short” letter.

Concluding Thoughts on Hebrews 2008 November 9^th for December 9^th

Christianity is a new religion, a serious revision of Judaism. The book of Hebrews is a letter to Jewish believers to establish in detail the differences.

Jesus is higher than the angels. He is higher than the high priests. He is of an eternal order of priests. The old system of animal and grain sacrifices performed by the high priests on an annual basis showed what God requires for sin, it showed that blood must be shed and that all, high priest included, are imperfect and in need of forgiveness. Having spent generations, centuries, observing these, the Jews were well positioned to fully understand and appreciate the sacrificial work of Jesus.

Jesus’ sacrifice was the last and only one actually needed. Much detail is then given about how each part of the law maps, imperfectly, into the new covenant instituted by Jesus’ sacrifice, how one can be saved only once, not multiple times, and how the followers of Christ must be honorable and upright.

There is a long treatise on faith, how every key person within the religion had faith that was not fully satisfied by events that occurred during their lifetime. In fact, we often call our religion “the faith” for this very reason. It is not about what we can or do know from observations, it is about what we know through trust even in the absence of such observations. (This is why science and religion are not in direct conflict. Science supposedly works only from observations. Religion supposedly works mostly from faith, belief in the “unobservable.”)

Indeed, as we speculated at the beginning, much of what we (Protestants) believe now is derived from this book. We are not Jewish by heritage so the letter, as we read it, gives a connection between the Law and the New Covenant that is interesting and informative background but is not essential to our own conversion to this new faith.

A thread that I haven’t introduced or followed here is to study in depth differences in emphasis or conclusion between this book and the writings of Paul or the quotes from Jesus. My hunch is that seeming conflicts between Hebrews and other books would turn out to be differences of emphasis or point of view, not actual conflicts.

An example of what I’m talking about here is the contrast between secure salvation and the idea that one cannot be saved twice. Why would being saved twice even be under discussion unless some had fallen away and why would we claim that salvation is irrevocable if some had in fact fallen away? It could just be different points of view on the same issue, not a disagreement. It could be that the condensed doctrines of our own tradition have the wrong emphasis. It could be that we don’t know what we’re talking about when bringing these matters up as problems.

One view about the relationship between God and his people is that he never violates his people (unlike other rulers). If they want to be with him and submit to what he requires for that, they are always welcome. If they don’t, he allows it, even though the consequences are, from our point of view, severe. This view does not disagree directly with either doctrine, but it is a doctrine that covers the issue without emphasizing the presumed contractual nature of salvation. An explanation that I could bring to the presumed conflict, then, would point out that the contractual nature of salvation is not Biblical but the relational view presented here supercedes the supposed conflict between views that did seem to specify terms of such a contract.

I might argue thus if we were to discuss these things at length, which we do not.

I will say that a lot of our doctrine as Christians (former Jews or not) comes from Hebrews and I wonder if the emphasis that we Protestants give this writing compared to the others is an appropriate one. This is one of the many mysteries.

© 2008 Courtney B. Duncan.