HEBREWS BIBLE STUDY - INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION – Learning How to Read and Apply the Letter of Hebrews

PART 1: READ IT WITH A GOSPEL FRAMEWORK

I: WHAT IS THE GOSPEL FRAMEWORK?

A. THE GOSPEL IS GOOD NEWS

1. THE GOSPEL IN THE OLD TESTAMENT:

B. THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL IS TWO-FOLD:

1. CHRIST IS RULING NOW, EVERYTHING

ALL AUTHORITY IS HIS - NOW

Matthew 28:18 ESV

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Philippians 2:9–11 ESV

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

THE GOSPEL IS ABOUT THE WORK OF CHRIST IN HUMANITY AND REDEEMED HUMANITY CONTINUATION OF THIS WORK OF CHRIST

Acts 1:1 ESV

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach,

Acts 1:2 ESV

until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.

Acts 1:3 ESV

He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

2. GOD IS THE SUBVERSIVE POWER OF RENEWAL

a. SUBVERSION – THE ACTIVE, PLANNED AND AGGRESSIVE MOVE TO UNDERMINE ESTABLISHED SYSTEMS AND OR INSTITUTIONS

b. THREE KEY IMPLICATIONS OF THE SUBVERSIVE POWER OF THE GOSPEL: KNOW THESE!

- THE GOSPEL IS THE COUNTER CULTURE MESSAGE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

- THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS THE POWER OF A GOD IS WHO BECOMING KING IN THROUGH THE WORK OF HIS SON, JESUS THE MESSIAH

- THE WORLD BY RENEWING IT UNDER THE WORK OF HIS SON IN AND THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH

c. THREE-FOLD APPLICATION OF THE SUBVERSIVE GOSPEL (RENEWAL)

- POLITICAL

- MORAL

- SOCIAL

II. THE CHURCH’S ROLE

A. THE SUBVERSIVE GOSPEL AND THE PRESENT DAY

1. TWO KEYS TO SEEING THIS IN OUR DAY AND TIME

a. KEY #1: WE MUST READ THE GOSPEL’S AND THE MINISTRY OF JESUS IN THIS LIGHT: JESUS CAME TO RIGHT THE KINGSHIP OF GOD IN A WORLD THAT WAS PURSUING EARTHLY KINGS AND GODS

b. KEY #2: WE MUST READ ACTS AND THE EPISTLES AS A MODEL OF WHAT THIS WOULD LOOK LIKE IN THE CHURCH

B. THE CHURCH IS THE LAST SCENE IN THE ACT OF GOD

Hebrews 2:7 ESV

You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor,

Hebrews 2:8 ESV

putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.

Hebrews 2:9 ESV

But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

1. THE CHURCH IS NOT A GROUP WAITING TO ESCAPE THE WORLD. WE ARE CALLED TO FINISH THE WORK OF REDEMPTION

Matthew 28:19–20 ESV

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Acts 1:8 ESV

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Colossians 1:24 ESV

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,

2. THE CHURCH IS A NEW CREATION ASSEMBLY TASKED WITH EXTENDING NEW CREATION BY AND THROUGH THE SUBVERSIVE POWER OF THE GOSPEL

2 Corinthians 5:17–18 ESV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;

2 Corinthians 5:19 ESV

that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:20 ESV

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

C. HEBREWS THE CHURCH AND THE SUBVERSIVE GOSPEL

The Letter Calls the Church to Maturity In Two-Fold Holiness.

THE WAY THE CHURCH WORKS TO SUBVERT THE CULTURE WITH THE GOSPEL IS BY GIVING OURSELVES TO THE INTENTIONAL, ONGOING AND CLEARLY TRANSFORMATIVE GROWTH IN MATURITY IN HOLINESS

a. Mental Holiness

Hebrews 5:11–14 ESV

About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Hebrews 6:1–2 ESV

Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

1). Give yourself to learning and understanding how Jesus is superior to every legitimate spokesperson of God and every angelic being (Chapter 1)

2). Give yourself to learning and understanding how Jesus fulfills the role of the three offices of Israel: Prophet, Priest and King

- Jesus Fulfills the Role of Prophet

Hebrews 1:1 ESV

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,

- Jesus Fulfills the Role of Priest

Hebrews 1:3 (ESV)

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. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

- Jesus Fulfills the Role of King

Hebrews 1:3 (ESV)

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. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

b. Moral Holiness

Hebrews 2:1–4 ESV

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

- Principle of Holiness #1: If disobedience to the word of those who are less than Jesus proved reliable and received just punishment, how much more the punishment if we do not pay attention to the Superior One’s Word?

Hebrews 3:12–15 ESV

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

- Principle of Holiness #2: If, even after professing Christ, the remains the possibility to have an evil heart of unbelief that leads me to fall away, I must be careful to be encouraged by and encourage others to holiness ?

Hebrews 12:14 ESV

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

- Principle of Holiness #3: If my striving for personal holiness is a requirement for seeing the Lord - being saved - there is nothing more important that conformity to the person of Christ?

KEY CONCLUSIONS

WHEN WE GET THE GOSPEL RIGHT WE GET GOD’S PURPOSE RIGHT

WHEN WE GET GOD’S PURPOSE RIGHT WE GET JESUS RIGHT

WHEN WE GET JESUS RIGHT WE GET SALVATION RIGHT

WHEN WE GET SALVATION RIGHT WE GET THE CHURCH’S PURPOSE RIGHT

WHEN WE GET THE CHURCH’S PURPOSE RIGHT WE GET OUR PURPOSE OF HOLINESS RIGHT

BUT… IF WE GET THE GOSPEL WRONG - WE GET EVERYTHING WRONG

PART 2: WHAT IS THE POINT OF HEBREWS (A)

I. THE MESSAGE OF HEBREWS IS “JESUS IS SUPERIOR”:

A. He is superior to human intermediary figures and angelic beings

B. He fulfills the three main offices in the Old Testament: Prophet, Priest and King

1. The office of Prophet: Spoke the very words of God on behalf of God

a. Jesus is that great last prophet Moses spoke of

Deuteronomy 18:15 ESV

“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—

b. Jesus spoke the Word of God

c. Jesus is the Word of God

John 1:14 ESV

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:18 ESV

No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

2. The office of King: The ruler and deliverer of God’s people

a. David was promised his throne would rule forever

2 Samuel 7:16 ESV

And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ”

b. This promise is fulfilled in Jesus the Messiah who is called “Son of David”

Matthew 1:1 ESV

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Luke 1:32–33 ESV

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

3. The office of Priest: The ruler and deliverer of God’s people

o SHOW HOW HEBREWS CITES ALL THREE

SECOND: THE PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST

- Describe what the role of a priest was, and also describe how Jesus fulfills that role in his life, his death and his resurrection and his ascension

- Speak of the centrality of the book being the supremacy of Christ, but the angle of which is his priesthood, or Jesus as priest.

o EVERY CHAPTER IS ABOUT THE PRIESTHOOD OF JESUS

-

THIRD: HEBREWS 2:9 SAYS …

- SO THE CHURCH IS CALLED

o PRIEST’S

o SO THAT WE ARE CALLED TO MIRROR AND MODEL THIS MEDIATORIAL ROLE OF JESUS IN THE WORLD IN ORDER TO “RIGHT THE WRONGS”

FOURTH: HOW IS THE CHURCH TO MODEL THIS PRIESTHOOD?

- MATURITY

o MENTAL MATURITY – THIS IS GODLINESS

§ CHAPTER 5:11FF AS THE FOUNDATION

· THE THEOLOGY OF CHRIST’S ROLE

· LEAVING THE ELEMENTARY THINGS

o MORAL MATURITY – WHICH IS HOLINESS

§ CHAPTER 12:14 AS THE CENTRAL TENANT OF THIS

PART 3: THE RELEVANCE OF HEBREWS IN A PLURALISTIC SOCIETY

Speak of the call of the book for the Church to go onto maturity

And how that holiness is both mental and moral. It is mental, and that it is related to specific beliefs that BELIEVERS must have, and believe, contrasting the elementary principles. And it is moral, and that we must embody in our lives the kind of partners that is illustrated in chapter 11.

This means that the role of the church is to work for in the world.

As we read, Hebrews must read it in light of that overarching construct. Everything that Christ is priest is the foundation for our mental moral holiness. It is also the foundation of our being in the world as priests of God setting right all things in the world by mediating the redemptive power and purposes of God in Christ and every aspect of the world – political, social, moral, educational, etc..

This is why the letter to the book Hebrew is relevant. The application of the priest, hood of Christ and Life) those are the royal priest of God.