Introduction to Hebrews

Theme

The basic plea of this letter is that the believer ‘go on to maturity’ (6:1) and that he not go aside nor return to his former state. On the one hand, throughout the whole letter solemn warnings are included to indicate the dangers of neglect, unbelief, immaturity and apostasy. One should not depart from the truth and the privileges of the Gospel. On the other hand, the superiority of Christ is emphasized to a point unequalled in the rest of the New Testament. He is above men, angels and the rituals of the Old Testament. He is God’s last and greatest revelation (1:1,2) and the Mediator of a new and better covenant (8:6).
The initial phrase of the ‘letter’ summarizes the totality of biblical revelation. God, who has spoken through the prophets, has now spoken in his Son and this last word has been the culmination of revelation, because it came in someone who is described as Inheritor, Creator, Divine, Sustainer and Redeemer (1:2,3). Now he lives ‘at the right hand of the majesty on high’ as our High Priest (4:14). Thus he is superior to the angels, because he created them (1:4; 2:8). He is superior to Moses because he is the owner over the servant (3:1-4). He is superior to Aaron and his successors because he is the High Priest who obscures inferior priests (4:14; 7:28). The new covenant, of which he is mediator, is superior to the old (8:1-3) and his sacrifice is superior to the ceremonial offerings of bulls and goats (9:1-10:18).
The second major section (10:19-13:25) refers to faith as a superior form of life. Chapters 11 and 12 are the most important in this section. The former shows in what form the faith of the saints of the Old Testament was submitted to trial, the latter shows why the priest is submitted to a testing of faith, just like our faith. The heroes of the faith demonstrated what it meant to walk with God, to live and die depending on his promises. Christ is the major example of all, ‘the Author and Finisher of the faith’ (12:2). We must consider him (12:3) and learn that God, when he permits trials to correct us, guides and cares for us as his children in order to bring us to maturity and ultimately to perfection.
Along with the two principal ideas of the ‘letter’ we find the warning sections.

Outline

I The Superiority of Christ 1:1-10:18
A The Last Revelation 1:1-4
B Superior to the Angels 1:5-2:8
C Greater than Moses 3:1-4:13
D Greater than the Priests 4:14-7:28
E He is Mediator of the New Covenant 8:1-10:18
II The Superiority of Faith 10:19-12:29
A Access to God by means of Christ 10:19-39
B The Faith of the Ancients 11:1-40
C The Son and the Sons 12:1-17
D Mount Sinai and Mount Zion 12:18-29
III Conclusion 13:1-25

The ‘letter ‘ to the Hebrews differs in form from the other letters in the New Testament. In fact the question has been asked if it really is a letter or not. It begins like a tract, later it changes into a sermon and finally it ends like a letter.
One cannot doubt that it is a tract of the highest literary category. The great reality which it expounds is that of the possibility of coming to God in a free way and without work on our part. It is also a sermon, in which there are exhortations to do certain things and to apply its teachings. There are censures, encouragements and admonitions. Nevertheless, it is a letter, although it does not contain an initial greeting, but it does end in the current form of letters of the time. The final greetings and personal messages add a note of more reality to this book.

Autor

Who was this writer, who had found in Christ such blessings and who felt such a great concern for some of his brothers in the faith? There is still no firm answer to this question today. For centuries the common consensus it was attributed to Paul, though this consensus was slow in coming in the West and almost all now deny it. Despite much speculation the reality is that it is anonymous.
The author never mentions himself nor reveals his identity. On the other hand Paul always began his letters by mentioning his name and authenticated them at the end. For the most part Paul cites the Old Testament from the Hebrew text, whilst this author uses the LXX. But the strongest argument against Pauline authorship is that the author includes himself amongst those to whom the Gospel came from the mouths of men who heard the Lord and to whom the Gospel had been authenticated by miracles (2:3,4). However, Paul always strongly defends the fact that he had not received the Gospel from any man, but by revelation (Gal 1:12).
There are various conjectures and traditions about other possible authors such as Barnabas, who belonged to the pauline circle and knew Timothy (13:23). He was a capable man of high moral standards. As a levite one could think that he contemplated the work of Christ in terms of the mosaic ritual. He came from Cyprus, where pure Greek was spoken and he knew the church in Jerusalem and other circles of Hebrew Christians.
Another candidate is Apollos, who was well qualified for such a task. He was a Christian Jew from Alexandria, a man of culture and great knowledge of Scripture (Acts 18:24). He also taught diligently the things concerning the Lord, and it is possible that such a man could have written this work.
Other suggested authors are Silas, Luke, Peter, Clement, Philip and Acquila and Priscilla. But we are on safer ground if we follow the conclusion of Origen ‘but who wrote the epistle God only knows certainly’ (Carson, Moo and Morris, 1992, pp.394-397; Guthrie, 1970, pp. 685-698; Bruce, 1971, pp. xxxv-xlii; Hagner, 1995, pp.8-11).
But such uncertainty does not take away from the greatness of the work. It is an incomparable presentation of the glories of Christ, the Redeemer, the High Priest, the Immutable (1:3; 2:17; 4:14-16; 7:25; 10:13; 13:8). The superiority of Christ and of the life of faith is the double theme of the book.

Style

Its style is Hellenic with a complex structure. The brusqueness, digressions and disorder of Paul are absent. There are differences of theological emphases between Paul and Hebrews. Paul emphasizes the resurrection of Christ, whilst Hebrews emphasizes his exaltation; Paul emphasizes redemption, Hebrews sanctification; there is more emphasis on the new covenant in Hebrews than in Paul. The conflict between the flesh and the spirit and the doctrine of union with Christ are absent in Hebrews. Paul see the Law as our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ (Gel 3), but generally it is something antagonistic to us in Paul. Hebrews sees the Law more positively as anticipating Christ and teaching Christian standards.
The High Priesthood of Christ is dominant in Hebrews, but rare in Paul (cf. I Tim 2:5; Rom 8).

Readers

The readers of this work are also hard to identify. The title ‘To the Hebrews’ could indicate Jews or Jewish Christians. But where were they located?
The most common and obvious conjecture is that they were in Jerusalem. In this city there was a large Jewish Christian community in the middle of the first century of the Common Era (Acts 21:20). Nevertheless there are problems with this theory: the Jerusalem church was known for its poverty whilst the readers of this work were known for their charity to others (6:10; 10:34). It is also doubtful that anyone would censure the Jerusalem church for its failure and inability to understand and teach the Gospel (5:12).
Yigael Yadin has suggested that it was written to the Essene community at Qumran in order to persuade them to convert to faith in Jesus as the Messiah.- this on the basis of the common interest in Melchizedek (Bruce, 1971, p. xxvii).
Other possible addressees include the Christians of Asia Minor, Antioch, Alexandria or Rome (Carson, Moo and Morris, 1992, pp. 400-401; Guthrie, 1970, pp. 698-703; Bruce, 1971, pp. xxiii-xxxv; Hagner, 1995, pp. 1-7). The uncertain location of the readers nevertheless is of less importance than their former experiences and the present condition, which are the occasion of this work.

References

Bruce, F.F. 1971 The Epistle to the Hebrews in New London Commentary on the New Testament, Marshall, Morgan & Scott, London
Carson, D.A., Moo D.J., Morris L., 1992, An Introduction to the New Testament, Apollos, Leicester.
Guthrie, D., 1970, New Testament Introduction, The Tyndale Press, London.
Hagner, D.A., 1990 Hebrews in New International Biblical Commentary, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, Massachusetts