The Book of Hebrews

An Introduction

I. Background

Uniquely exalts the person & work of Jesus Christ (more than 20 names and title are attributed to Christ throughout Hebrews)

Written to a group of 1st Century Christians who were in danger of giving up.  As Christianity was spreading and new believers found themselves being tested and exposed to fierce persecution (physical assaults, cast into prison, homes plundered, etc.), some accepted the persecution with joy, while others wavered—being tempted to return (go back/give up) to “former religion and the “comforts” of their former lives

(ASK YOURSELF) What about you? Have you ever been tempted (before or now)—have you ever desired to “go back,” or “retreat” to your former way of life/religion?

(READ for yourself Mark 4:16-17)

(ASK YOURSELF) What’s the solution to (1) turning from a worldly lifestyle (“old ways”) or (2) fighting the temptation to “go back,” or “retreat?”

(David Jeremiah) “The writer’s solution was to demonstrate that Christ is the zenith (strongest) of God’s redemptive plan”

(Zane Hodges) “In a unique fashion it (Hebrews) exalts the person and work of Jesus Christ

II. What we know about the author (A.D. 68-69)

Unknown name—but they had not been with Christ (Hebrews 2:3 “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,”)

He was imprisoned for the Gospel (Hebrews 10:34 “For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.”)

He was well educated—the Greek and the vocabulary used in Hebrews are some of the finest in the New Testament

4,942 words are used in Hebrews—1,038 are different—169 words are found only in Hebrews

Readers had not yet suffered to the point of of death (Hebrews 12:4 “In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.”)

III. Themes and Characteristics

Themes

Supremacy of Christ

Sufficiency of Christ

Faith

Endurance

Last days

Characteristics

Book of Evaluation

“Better” is used 13x in Hebrews

“Perfect” is used 14x in Hebrews, referring to a perfect standing before God

“Eternal”

Christ is the author of eternal salvation (Hebrews 5:9 “And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,”)

Christ obtained eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12 “he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.”)

Christ shares eternal inheritance with believers (Hebrews 9:15 “Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.”)

(Warren Wiersbe) “Christ is better because His blessings are eternal and they gave us a perfect standing before God”

Book of Exhortation (Hebrews 13:22 “I appeal to you, brothers, bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly.”)

Simply means encouragement

Translated “comfort” in Romans 15:4 (“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”)

Translated “consolation” in 2 Corinthians 1:5–7 “For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.”)

Related to the word translated “Comforter” (Holy Spirit); John 14:16 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,”

Book of Examination:

One of the questions we will ask ourselves through Hebrews: “What am I really trusting in? Am I trusting the Word of God or am I trusting in the things of this world?”

(READ) 1 John 2:15–17 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

We live in a shaky—shattered—and sinful world. God desires that we be established with grace (Hebrews 13:9 “Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.”)

Established: used 8x in Hebrews and means to be “solidly grounded,” to “stand firm on your feet;” it carries the idea of strength/reliability/confirmation/and permanence

Think back on the study of Gospel Centered Living we just completed: Learning to live in the space of grace

(Warren Wiersbe) “…the key message of Hebrews: You can be secure while everything around you is falling apart”

Book of Expectation

The focus of Hebrews is the future (Hebrews 2:5 “For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking.”)

Today we should be strangers and pilgrims on the earth (Hebrews 11:13 “These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.”)

Book of Exaltation

The first 3 verses set the tone (which is our first lesson)

***Hebrews is not a diet for spiritual babes who want to be spoon-fed and coddled. Hebrews is a letter of strong meat that demands spiritual molars (Warren Wiersbe)***

(A.W. Tozer) “Every man must choose his world. In other words, true believers, who have tasted and seen the goodness of God and His Word, should have no appetite for the present world system”