Introducing the book of Hebrews

by Ben Reynolds

During July and August 2022, Spring Garden’s preaching series will be on the Letter to the Hebrews. Hebrews is one of the New Testament letters, and it begins the second section of letters. The second set of letters – Hebrews to Jude – are called the “catholic” or “general” epistles because they are written to general audiences. Paul’s letters, on the other hand, are written to specific churches or individuals, such as to the churches in Rome and Philippi or to Timothy and Titus. Hebrews has always overwhelmed me, but the letter has grown on me the more I have studied it, even if I still remain overwhelmed. I see Hebrews as a beautiful and powerful challenge to believers. The letter is primarily concerned with encouraging readers to remain firm in their faith in Jesus and not to drift away or fall into disobedience. These concerns are repeated throughout Hebrews. Hebrews 2:1 says, “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it” (ESV). The author writes that we are of Jesus’s household “if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope” (Heb 3:6). There are calls to “hold fast to the confession” (4:14) and “with confidence draw near to the throne of grace” (4:16). These same ideas are repeated toward 3

the end of the letter: “let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful” (10:22-23). The main message of Hebrews is to remain faithful to Jesus and not turn away from him. The author supports this message with arguments that Jesus is greater than the angels and is greater than Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and the priests (3:3; 4:8; 8:6). Jesus is greater than the angels because he is God’s son (1:4-14), yet Jesus is able to represent us as high priest in heaven because he became human and is like us (2:17-18; 4:15). Because he suffered as a human being, Jesus can help us in our need (2:14-18; 5:7-10; 12:3). The well-known chapter on faith in Hebrews 11 serves as a long list of people who are examples or witnesses to what it means to remain faithful under hardship and difficulty. The author says, “we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls” (10:39). The author follows this statement with the examples of those who have faith (11:1-39; also 6:11-12). The goal of the letter is to encourage believers to hold onto their faith and not to drift from it. The words “perfect,” “complete,” and “mature” are common descriptors throughout the letter of what believers are striving to be. Holding onto faith and continuing to believe in Jesus leads to the perfection and maturing of our faith and our relationship with God. We must look to Jesus and consider him as our example as we learn to become children of God (12:1-7, 12-17). The author of Hebrews is never named. Because Timothy is mentioned in Hebrews 13:23, many in the early church, and since, have thought that Paul wrote Hebrews. Others argue that the letter was not written by Paul and suggest that Luke, Barnabas, Apollos, Priscilla, or someone else close to Paul wrote Hebrews. No one knows for sure who wrote the letter to the Hebrews. Even the audience is not clearly known. The book received the name “the Letter to the Hebrews” because it was thought that the citation of many Old Testament texts and the emphasis on Old Testament law and events indicated that the audience was made up of Jewish (or Hebrew) believers in Jesus.

Something else worth noting about Hebrews is that, although it is called a letter, it is not written like a letter. The author calls is a “word of exhortation” or a sermon (13:22; cf. Acts 13:15). Hebrews opens in 1:1-4 like a grand introduction to a sermon or speech: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke…” I encourage you to read Hebrews this summer as we learn together from God’s Word.

Fee, Gordon D., and Douglas K. Stuart. How to Read the Bible

Book by Book: A Guided Tour. New edition. Grand Rapids:

Zondervan, 2014. [Church library]

Gray, Patrick, and Amy L. B. Peeler. Hebrews: An Introduction and Study Guide. Tamp;T Clark

Study Guides to the New Testament. London: Tamp;T Clark, 2020. [Church library]

Guthrie, Donald. The Letter to the Hebrews: An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries.

Leicester, England: InterVarsity Press, 1983.

Stedman, Ray C. Hebrews. IVP New Testament Commentary

Series. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1992.

Wright, N. T. Hebrews for Everyone. 2nd ed. New Testament for

Everyone. London: SPCK, 2004. [Church library]