BIBLE STUDY --- NEW TESTAMENT LETTERS

HEBREWS – PART 1

One of the most profound and enigmatic books in the New Testament. The identity of its author, the time of its writing, and the people and place to which it was sent are all shrouded in mystery. Yet, in spite of the uncertainty, Hebrews remains one of the most timely and relevant books in the Bible. Some 300 years ago John Owen, the English Puritan, appropriately remarked: “No doubt the Epistle next in importance to Romans is this to the Hebrews.” The letter is both doctrinal and practical, theological and pastoral. In short, it builds a compelling case for the superiority of Christianity. Hebrews also reflects the impassioned concern of a pastor’s heart. Those who have experienced YHVH’s ultimate work of grace in the Moshiach are urged to hold fast to YHVH’s final word of revelation in his Son. Unlike most other New Testament epistles, Hebrews does not begin like a letter. There is no introductory salutation, the writer is not identified, and no mention is made of those to whom the document is addressed. The author characterizes the work as a “word of exhortation” {13:22}, which suggests a sermon or oral homily {cf. Acts 13:15}. Nonetheless, its conclusion is that of a conventional letter {Hebrews 13:22-25}. Some have detected a gradual transition in the document from an essay to a more specifically epistolary form {cf. 2:1; 4:1; 13:22-25}. The evidence thus suggests that the author may have cast the original homiletic “word of exhortation” into letter form when the need to communicate in writing with his faithful friends became urgent.

AUTHOR

Who wrote the book is not directly stated in the letter. Since the late second century, various authorities have linked the document with the apostle Paul. Clement of Alexandria {d. 220} theorized that Paul wrote the letter in Hebrew for Jews and that Luke translated it into Greek. However, this suggestion has not been widely received by modern scholars. Clement’s pupil Origen {d. 254} stated more generally that the thoughts of the letter are Pauline but that the style is unlike that of the known writings of the apostle. Other early authorities, such as Jerome {d. 419} and Augustine {d. 430}, persuaded that canonicity demanded apostolic authorship, likewise affirmed that Paul was the author. Yet a number of factors argue against the Pauline authorship of Hebrews. The anonymity of the letter is contrary to the consistent pattern of Paul’s introduction in the opening salutation of his letters. Moreover, Hebrews 2:3 indicates the writer was discipled by eyewitnesses of Adonai. Yet Paul insists that his knowledge of the Moshiach was gained from a first hand encounter with the risen Moshiach {cf. Galatians 1:12}. F. F. Bruce evaluates the authorship of Hebrews as follows: “We may say with certainty that the thought of the epistle is not Paul’s, the language is not Paul’s, and the technique of Old Testament quotations is not Paul’s.” Early Christian tradition suggests that Barnabas may have written Hebrews. According to Tertullian {d. 220}, many early authorities believed that Barnabas was responsible for the letter. Acts 4:36 speaks of him as a “son of exhortation” {cf. Hebrews 13:22}. Furthermore, as a Levite, Barnabas would have been familiar with the Jewish sacrificial ritual so prominent in the letter. Luther was the first to suggest that Hebrews may have been penned by Apollos, “an excellent man of learning, who had been a disciple of the apostles and learned much from them, and who was very well versed in Scripture.” As a native of Alexandria {Acts 18:24}, Apollos would have been familiar with the typological interpretation evident in Hebrews. Clearly Apollos was the sort of man who was qualified to write Hebrews. Other names have been suggested as possible authors. Calvin surmised that either Luke or Clement of Rome was responsible for the letter. It is noted that the Greek of Hebrews resembles the language and style of the third Gospel and Acts. Others theorize that Hebrews may have been written by Silas, a Jewish believer from Jerusalem who would have been thoroughly familiar with the Levitical ritual. Silas is described as one of “the church leaders” {Acts 15:22}. He was a co-worker with Paul in the gentile mission, and apparently was known in Rome as well as in Jerusalem {1 Peter 5:12-13}. In conclusion, it is probable that the author of Hebrews was a second-generation Jewish believer, a master of classical Greek whose Bible was the Septuagint, conversant with first-century Alexandrian philosophy, and a creative apologist for the Christian faith. As to the identity of that author, we can affirm no more than Origen in the third century: “But as to who actually wrote the Letter, YHVH alone knows.”

BACKGROUND

The very early title of the letter, “To Hebrews,” suggests that the book concerns Jewish believers living in the Dispersion. The letter itself offers a few hints of the historical circumstances surrounding its composition. Not long after becoming believers, the readers of the letter were exposed to severe persecution {Hebrews 10:32-36}. During their trial, the new believers endured imprisonment, confiscation of personal property, and public ridicule. Yet the persecution had not been fatal; they had not yet been called upon to lay down their lives in martyrdom {12:4}. Amid the excitement of their newfound faith in the Moshiach, they had demonstrated practical concern and love by ministering to fellow believers in need {6:10} and comforting others who had been harassed for their faith {10:34}. But since the time of those earlier trials, the readers had made little progress in Christian maturity {5:11-13}. Moreover, in the face of a new wave of persecution, and despondent over an apparent delay in Adonai’s coming, the believers had begun to waver and abandon hope. Indeed, they threatened to renounce Yeshua Moshiach and to revert back to the security of the Jewish religion that enjoyed the protection of Roman Law. Thus, we read that because of the strange, new teachings of certain Judaizers who sought to draw them back to their former religion {13:9}, the wavering believers had neglected to assemble together {10:25} and had lost confidence in their spiritual leaders {13:17}. Faced with the possibility that these Jewish believers might abandon their faith altogether, the writer sternly warns them of the tragic consequences of renouncing the Son {6:4-6; 10:26-31; 13:12-19} and urges them to renew their commitment to the Moshiach, YHVH’s foremost and final revelation.

DATE

Lacking firm information as to the author and recipients of the letter, no certainty exists as to the date of the writing. We have noted that the author of Hebrews, and probably his readers as well, had been discipled by those who were personally acquainted with Yeshua {2:3}. Further evidence in the letter suggests that Paul probably was not alive. Timothy, Paul’s younger associate, was still living {13:23}. The absence of any mention in Hebrews of the destruction of the Jerusalem temple is significant for dating the letter. In terms of his argument that the old Covenant had passed away and the legal priesthood had been superseded; the writer would scarcely have omitted mention of the temple’s destruction had he written the letter later than AD 70. Hebrews 9:6-10 and 10:1-4, 11-14 plainly suggest that the Jewish sacrifices were still being offered. Hence, it may be supposed with some degree of certainty that the letter was written prior to AD 70. If it was written after Paul’s death, that would put it after AD 67, the traditional date of his execution. Thus, Hebrews may have been written in the period AD 67–70.

ORIGIN AND DESTINATION

The place from which Hebrews was written is also uncertain. Some manuscripts of the letter bear the subscription “written from Rome” or “written from Italy.” Such notations are educated deductions drawn from the statement “The believers from Italy send you their greetings” {13:24}. Most probably this indicates that the writer is extending greetings to a church in Italy on behalf of Italian believers associated with him in another land, possibly Asia. Nevertheless, we cannot locate the point of origin with any certainty. It has been suggested that the letter was written to a group of Jewish converts to Christianity. Yet the precise community to which it was sent is a matter of debate. Opinions vary from Judea to Spain. Tradition has it that Hebrews was directed to Jewish believers living in Palestine. But against a Palestinian destination it may be argued:

1 -- the readers had had no personal contact with Yeshua {2:3}, an unlikely event for mid-first-century residents of Palestine;
2 -- the statement in 12:4 that his readers had not yet given their lives could hardly be said of Palestinian believers of the period;
3 -- the generosity of the believers {10:34; 13:16} was inconsistent with the poverty of the Jerusalem church; and
4 -- the general tone of the letter is Hellenistic rather than rabbinical.

Other proposals for the destination of Hebrews include

A -- Caesarea, on the supposition of Lukan authorship;
B -- Syrian Antioch or Cyprus, assuming Barnabas wrote the letter;
C -- Ephesus, in the light of the conversion of many Jews during Paul’s ministry in that city;
D -- Colosse, noting certain similarities between the Colossian heresy and the false beliefs of the “Hebrews”; and
E -- Alexandria, because of the apparent influence of the philosopher Philo Judaeus in the letter.

The thesis that Hebrews was directed to a group of Jewish believers in Rome has found favour with a number of scholars. Arguments in support of a Roman destination include the following facts:

1 -- The letter was first known in Rome no later than AD 96.
2 -- Romans 11:13, 18 suggests that the church at Rome consisted of a Jewish-believer minority.
3 -- References to persecution and suffering endured by the readers {Hebrews 10:32-33; 12:4} are consistent with known repressive measures exacted by the Roman authorities.
4 -- There is a good possibility that saints who “come from Italy” would convey greetings to their brethren in Rome.
5 -- The Jewish community in Rome preserved certain features of nonconformist or sectarian Judaism that would explain several notable similarities between the theology and praxis of the Qumran community and that expressed in Hebrews.

It is likely that the letter was addressed to a small subgroup within a local church. The exhortation in 5:12 -- “by this time you ought to be teachers” -- hardly would have been relevant to an entire congregation. Hebrews 13:7, 24 lends further support to the theory that the letter was sent to a small group, perhaps to a “house church” within a larger assembly. Tentatively, one might conclude that the addressees were converts from Judaism who dwelt in the Dispersion. Hence, they were familiar with Old Testament Judaism and were acquainted with the religious philosophy of the Greek world. Possibly the readers comprised a house fellowship that tended to disassociate itself from the parent group {10:25}. The existence of such house churches in Rome is confirmed by Romans 16:5, 14-15.

PURPOSE

In response to the threat that his Jewish-believing friends might renounce Christianity and revert to Judaism, the writer by a “word of exhortation” {13:22} communicated to them the finality of the Christian revelation. He sought also to inform his despondent, vacillating readers that the Moshiach, the object of YHVH’s final revelation, is vastly superior to the greatest of Judaism’s heroes. The author, in addition, affirmed the heavenly and eternal character of the salvation secured by the Moshiach. Whereas the legal sacrificial system was powerless to affect the remission of sin, the Moshiach the eternal High Priest “is able, once and forever, to save everyone who comes to YHVH through him” {7:25}. In short, the writer commended to his readers the need for patient endurance amid the persecution and sufferings to which the heirs of eternal salvation are inevitably exposed. Just as Yeshua, the forerunner of our faith, suffered and patiently endured in anticipation of eternal reward, so ought to harass, oppressed believers “take a new grip with your tired hands and stand firm on your shaky legs” {12:12} in anticipation of their reception in that eternal “kingdom that cannot be destroyed” {12:28}. The author’s final purpose for writing was to proclaim the fearful judgment that awaits those who repudiate Yeshua Moshiach. Since “our YHVH is a consuming fire” {12:29}, “what makes us think that we can escape if we are indifferent to this great salvation” {2:3}?

CONTENT

Next to Romans, Hebrews is the most doctrinal book in the New Testament. The writer develops a series of weighty arguments to demonstrate the superiority of the gospel of the Moshiach to the religion of Judaism. Since Yeshua is final both as to his person and his work, Christianity is the ultimate and normative faith. The book’s particularism runs counter to the spirit of the modern world.

THE SUPERIORITY OF THE SON TO FORMER REVELATION {1:1-4}

The writer acknowledges that YHVH revealed himself to the prophets of old in many ways -- through dreams, visions, audible speech, and mighty acts. But “in these last days” {the advent of the end times, cf. 9:26} YHVH spoke finally and definitively through his own Son {1:2}. Central to the argument is the fact that in one way or another the prophets received an eternal word from YHVH. Yet given the intimate relation of the Son to the Father, YHVH’s latest revelation has come forth from the very depths of his own being. Identification of the Son as the pinnacle of divine revelation leads to a concise but profound statement of the Moshiach’s person and his cosmic work. The Son reflects the glory of YHVH in that the sum of the divine attributes brilliantly shines through his person. Moreover, he bears the very image and stamp of YHVH’s nature {1:3}, as the wax bears the impress of the seal. Yeshua as YHVH’s final word of revelation is truly the divine and eternal Son of YHVH. The Moshiach’s excellence is further displayed in the fact that he is the mighty agent through whom the universe was created {verse 2} and by whom the cosmic order is sustained {verse 3}. In the moral realm he has wrought the purification of sins and now sits enthroned on YHVH’s right hand {cf. 8:1}. YHVH’s pleasure toward the Son is seen in that he has appointed the Moshiach heir and head of all {1:2}. His name is surpassed by none save YHVH the Father {verse 4}.

THE SUPERIORITY OF THE SON TO ANGELS {1:5–2:18}

Angels enjoyed an exalted status in biblical and postbiblical Judaism. Traditionally the Jews believed that angels praised YHVH upon his throne, mediated YHVH’s revelation to men, attended to YHVH’s will, and gave succour to the people of YHVH. Angels were far superior to men in power and knowledge. According to the Jewish Apocrypha, angels ruled the stars and were responsible for the rise and fall of civilizations. In Qumran thought, angelic beings would engage in a final cosmic struggle with Belial and the forces of evil at the end of the age. Against this background the writer of Hebrews argues that the Son is vastly superior to the angels. To prove his point, the author assembles a string of well-known Old Testament texts and applies them directly to the Son. YHVH never said of any angel, “Today I have become your Father” {Psalm 2:7}. Yet just such a claim was made on behalf of the Son {Hebrews 1:5}. When the Son incarnated himself in the world, he received the obedient worship of angels {verse 6}. His is the sovereignty and the eternality and the majesty at YHVH’s right hand {verses 8, 11-12}. By contrast, angels are “only servants” {verse 14} that rank below the Son in dignity and might. In Hebrews 2:1-4 the writer parenthetically warns his wavering congregation of the danger of drifting away from the truth of YHVH. If disobedience to the Law mediated by angels resulted in stern punishment, how much more severe would be YHVH’s judgment on those who trampled underfoot the revelation delivered by the Son? If YHVH’s saving grace in the Moshiach is neglected, retribution will surely follow {2:3}. The mention of angels turns the writer’s mind to Yeshua’ humiliation and exaltation {2:5-18}. Psalm 8, a song about the smallness and yet the significance of man, is applied to the experience of Yeshua. In assuming human flesh and blood, Yeshua was made “for a little while… lower than the angels” {Hebrews 2:7}. But subsequent to the completion of his earthly work, he was elevated above the angels and crowned with the glory and honour of heaven {verse 9}. The theological implications of the Moshiach’s descent and ascent are carefully spelled out: The Moshiach descended to earth:

A-- to bring many children to glory {verse 10},
B -- to destroy the devil {verse 14},
C -- to deliver his people from the bondage of death {verse 15}, and
D -- to make an offering on the cross for the sins of the people {verse 17}.

He ascended to heaven:

1 -- to intercede on our behalf as a faithful High Priest {verse 17}, and
2 -- to succour those who are sorely tempted {verse 18}.

The perfect summary of THE Moshiach’s person and work is given in Hebrews 2:9: “What we do see is Yeshua, who ‘for a little while was made lower than the angels’ and now is ‘crowned with glory and honour’ because he suffered death for us. Yes, by YHVH’s grace, Yeshua tasted death for everyone in all the world”.