Introduction to The Book of Hebrews: Jesus Is The Word of God, The High Priest of God, and the Promised Messiah
Introduction to the Book of Hebrews
The Book of Hebrews is a most interesting book in the New Testament. The Book of Hebrews quotes extensively from the Old Testament and is thoroughly derived from it, with the exposition being provided by God the Holy Spirit (please see John 15:26 and John 16:13-15). It is a book, in the form of an epistle (letter), which is intended to show that Jesus is the fulfillment of all of the Old Testament scriptures to “the Hebrews”, an audience which would have been well versed in those same Old Testament scriptures (the Mosaic Law, the Prophets, and the Writings, etc., also know as the “Tanakh“).
The main themes of the Book of Hebrews involve:
- God’s denouncement of the sin of “Unbelief”,
- God’s praise of “Faith”, the opposite of unbelief, and
- Jesus is the fulfillment and substance of the Old Testament “Types” and “Shadows” as both the High Priest and the Sacrifices
The author of the Book of Hebrews was evidently addressing what was likely a problem for many of the Jews in that day regarding Jesus as the Christ (Messiah), including those 1) who were newly converted to Christianity and likely undergoing persecution by unconverted Jews, 2) the Jews who were curious whom God might be drawing to Jesus, and 3) the naysayers.
Evidently, there were some Jewish members of the church who were tempted to return to the Mosaic Law and Jewish traditions. This epistle to the Hebrews urges them not to go back, but to move on to full spiritual maturity, by faith. Jesus Christ is better than angels and better than Moses, and He has provided a better sacrifice, a better Priesthood, and a better covenant than anything of the Old Testament and, moreover, Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament laws and sacrifices. Those ordinances were only meant to testify of Jesus. See also, the Road to Emmaus
It is reasonable to conclude that the Book of Hebrews qualifies as a “catechism” ( /ˈkætəˌkɪzəm/; from Ancient Greek: κατηχέω, “to teach orally“), which is a summary, and an exposition of doctrine, to serve as a learning introduction to the Sacraments traditionally used in teaching converts.
And just as it was a teaching guide for Hebrew converts to Christianity, the expositional teaching equally applies to all believers.
Background #1: Who Was the Human Author of the Book of Hebrews?
According to various theologians, Biblical scholars and other academics there has evidently been quite some “controversy” regarding who God used as the human author of the Book of Hebrews. For more on this issue the reader can pursue it here in GotQuestions
However, this teacher’s King James Version of the Bible (an English Translation) states that the Book of Hebrews is an Epistle from the Apostle Paul. Drawing from some significant, but indirect ,evidence, it is quite reasonable to identify Paul as the human vehicle whom God used to author the book of Hebrews.
Paul was well equipped to dictate such an epistle, being a self-proclaimed “Hebrew of the Hebrews“, according to Philippians 3:5, but my King James Bible also says that it was scribed/penned by Timothy in Italy, which is where Paul spent his last days. It is also notable that this epistle specifically mentions “brother Timothy” (in Hebrews 13:23) and Paul is the only Apostle to have done that elsewhere in the Bible.
It should also be noted that the in Paul’s second letter to Timothy, verses 15&16, Paul wrote that he was in “chain” in Rome, and the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews also made mention of being in “bonds” as we read in Hebrews 10:34, which is also consistent with the last words of Paul in Colossians 4:18, “¶The salutation by the hand of me Paul. Remember my bonds. Grace [be] with you. Amen.” (more on this in the post on Chapter 13)
The Epistle to the Hebrews begins with no greetings or salutations common to Paul’s acknowledged epistles to the Gentiles whether to the churches or to a person (like Timothy or Titus), it went to an entire ethnic and instead went right to the heart of the matter making clear that God spoke to us in the OId Testament by the prophets in many different times and ways, but now (in the last days) by His Son, Jesus Christ, Who God appointed to be Heir of all things and by Whom God created all things!
It has also been pointed out to this teacher that the letter to the Hebrews was unique and different from other Pauline epistles in that it is titled as being addressed to a whole ethnic group, rather than specific churches or cities.
Nonetheless, perhaps the very best explanation (at least to this teacher) of why Paul’s name would not be attached to this epistle to the Hebrews is that most likely God (working through Paul) did not want to provide any means by which it might prejudice the “hearing” of the words that would be included within the epistle on the basis of Paul’s previous history 1) with the Hebrews, and 2) Paul’s widely known persecution of early Hebrew converts to Christianity and/or Paul’s later close association with the Gentiles.
To this teacher, this makes a lot of sense given Paul’s own previous assertion in Philippians 3:5 of being a “Hebrew of the Hebrews“, while it does provide evidence of Paul’s humility, perhaps more importantly suggests a recognition that, if he were to have attached his name (and Apostleship), as in the openings of his other epistles written to the Gentiles, it would not carry much weight with the Jews. And note how perfectly this is in keeping with Jesus’ statements that we find in:
- Matthew 13:57, “And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.“
- Mark 6:4, “But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.”
Ultimately, it does not matter who the human author and/or scribe was. The reason that it does not matter is because the True Author is God Alone, through God The Holy Spirit, as we read in 2 Peter 1:21. The Bible is the Word of God and not of men.
Background #2: Who Are The Hebrews?
From Eber עֵבֶר (ʿēḇer), H5677 meaning “the region beyond” (“the great beyond”?), who is a descendant of Shem, one of the three sons of Noah Genesis 10:21, is generally used as a reference to being from near the Euphrates River on the east of the Jordan River (other side of the great salt sea). Ur of the Chaldees, where Abram (Abraham) was from is at the southern reach of the Euphrates River.
“Hebrew” is the word, עִבְרִי (ʿiḇrî) H5680 meaning “one from beyond“, but can also mean “one who traversed” or “who passed over”
1 Chronicles 1:17-27 provides the genealogy from Shem to Abram (Abraham) showing that Abram was a “Hebrew” and hence so were all who were descended from Abraham (both Isaac and Ishmael, both Jew and Arab)…so they could also all be called “Shemites or Semites” from which we hear the world “antisemitic”, and moreover, they could also be called “Hebrews” as they are also all descended from Eber (Genesis 10:21). However the name “Hebrew” generally is now considered synonymous with only the Semitic speaking Israelites, and that is apparently also the case of how it is used in the title of the book of “Hebrews”.
Abram (Abraham) is identified as a Hebrew in Genesis 14:13, “¶And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these [were] confederate with Abram.“
Jonah identified himself as a Hebrew in Jonah 1:9, “And he said unto them, I [am] an Hebrew עִבְרִי (ʿiḇrî) H5680; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry [land].”
Paul identified himself as a Hebrew in Philippians 3:5, “Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;”
NOTE: 1 Chronicles 1:24-27 “¶Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah, Abram; the same [is] Abraham. Does not precisely match what is provided in Luke 3:34-37, “Which was [the son] of Jacob, which was [the son] of Isaac, which was [the son] of Abraham, which was [the son] of Thara, which was [the son] of Nachor, Which was [the son] of Saruch, which was [the son] of Ragau, which was [the son] of Phalec, which was [the son] of Heber, which was [the son] of Sala, Which was [the son] of Cainan, which was [the son] of Arphaxad, which was [the son] of Sem, which was [the son] of Noe, which was [the son] of Lamech,”The difference being that “Cainan” is not listed in the 1 Chronicles accounting between Arphaxad and Sala (Shelah). It is not clear why this is the case, but the lineage ultimately remains the same as Sala/Shelah is still a “son” of Arphaxad, even as a grandson.
Outline: The Priesthood of Jesus Christ
This Outline partitions Hebrews into sections of verses*:
1. The Person of the Priest (Chapters 1:1- 3:6)
A. Jesus Is God (Hebrews 1:1– 2:4)
a. Jesus Is Greater than the Prophets (Hebrews 1:1-3) Jesus made the worlds
b. Jesus Is Greater than the Angels (Hebrews 1:4-14) Jesus made the earth and the heavens, but He is eternal
c. Jesus Is Greater than the Apostles (Hebrews 2:1-5) Jesus performed miracles, and through the Holy Spirit gave gifts to the Apostles so that they could do the same
B. The Priest Jesus Is also Man (Hebrews 2:5– 3:6)
a. The Victorious Brother of God’s children (Hebrews 2:5– 18)
b. The Glorious Son over God’s house (Hebrews 3:1-6)
2. The People of the Priest (Hebrews 3:7– 4:16)
A. Unbelievers are Excluded from God’s Rest (Hebrews 3:7– 4:2)
a. Israelites Fell in the Wilderness (Hebrews 3:7– 3:19
b. The Warning for Today (Hebrews 4:1&2)
B. Believers are Included in God’s Rest (Hebrews 4:3–
a. His Rest Remains Today (Hebrews 4:3-9)
b. His Help is for Today (Hebrews 4:10-16)
3. The Plan for the Priest (Hebrews 5:1– 10)
A. The Priest’s Requirements (Hebrews 5:1)
B. The Priest’s Work (Hebrews 5:2&3)
C. The Priest’s Calling (Hebrews 5:4-6)
D. The Priest’s Perfection (Hebrews 5:7-10)
4. The Plan for the People of the Priest (Hebrews 5:11-6:19)
A. They Are Not Unskilled in the Word, but Go on to Perfection
in the Doctrine of Christ (Hebrews 5:11-6:3)
B. They Do Not Fall Away, but Inherit the Promise (Hebrews 6:4-14).
C. God Confirms Their Promised Inheritance (Hebrews 6:13-19)
5. The Promised Priesthood (Hebrews 6:20-7:28)
A. A Divine Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 6:20-7:4)
B. A Superior Priesthood to the Levites (Hebrews 7:5-14)
C. An Eternal and Powerful Priesthood (Hebrews 7:15-28)
6. The Perfect Priesthood (Hebrews 8:1-10:18)
A. A Spiritual Priesthood that it is Better than the Earthly One. (Hebrews 8:1-6)
B. An Effective Priesthood that Replaces the Earthly On (Hebrews 8:7-13)
C. The Limitations of the Earthly Priest (Hebrews 9:1-10)
D. The Perfection of the Spiritual Priest (Hebrews 9:11-14)
E. The New Fulfills the Promise and the Old Vanishes Away (Hebrews 9:15-17)
F. The Death Required to Fulfill the Promise (Hebrews 9:18-23)
G. The Perfect Death That Fulfills the Promise (Hebrews 9:24-28)
H. The Earthly Priesthood was Never Expected to Take Away Sin (Hebrews 10:1-4)
I. The Spiritual Priesthood Was Prophesied to Take Away Sin (Hebrews 10:5-18)
7. The Perfect People (Hebrews 10:19-13:19)
A.They Have a Faithful and Obedient Heart (Hebrews 10:19-25)
B. They Do Not Despise the New Priesthood (Hebrews 10:26-31)
C. They are Patient in Affliction and in God’s Service (Hebrews 10:32-37)
D. They Have Faith (Hebrews 10:38-11:40)
E. They Keep Their Eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-3)
F. They Do Not Despise Chastisement of the Lord (Hebrews 12:4-13)
G. They Live Holy And Not Sinful Lives
H. They have Come into a Spiritual Kingdom that is Eternal (Hebrews 12:18-29)
I. They are Concerned About Others in Need (Hebrews 13:1-3)
J. They Honor Marriage (Hebrews 13:4)
K. They Seek to Serve God and Not Mammon (Hebrews 13:5&6)
L. They are Faithful to the Gospel That Led Them to Salvation (Hebrews 13:7-16)
M. They Obey and Are Concerned for the Proper Authorities in the Church (Hebrews 13:17-19)
8. The Blessings of the Priest (Hebrews 13:20-25)
Overview of the Book of Hebrews*
“The great design of the book of Hebrews is to set forth the superiority of the Lord Jesus Christ above the prophets, above the angels, and above Moses and over Aaron and his sons (and also above the Apostles). It explicitly shows Jesus’ superiority over the priesthood, His sacrifice over all other sacrifices, and His New Covenant over the Old Covenant. It teaches the Hebrews the true knowledge of the mysteries of their law- the design, use, and meaning of its ceremonies. It is also a book of warning against apostasy, and a book showing the true glory of faith in Christ.” – Henry T. Mahan
Before God created the Universe and its inhabitants, God designed a marvelous Plan of Salvation for the people whom He would choose to save through the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The next Big event after Creation was the fulfillment of His Plan in the Life, Death, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Between these two major events God explained His Plan by means of the Law and the Prophets as we have in the Old Testament.
One of the purposes for the Book of Hebrews is to provide another bridge to help us in our understanding of the relationship between the explanation of God’s Plan in the Old Testament and its anticipated fulfillment in what we know as the New Testament.
The first and most important point that the book of Hebrews makes in that Jesus Christ is God Almighty Himself. Jesus Is The Word of God made flesh and the Embodiment of The Message, Who Is better than all the prophets and angels who spoke before. All the other messengers talked about the Savior and quoted Him (e.g., Isaiah 43:11, Isaiah 60:16, Hosea 13:4). Jesus brought the message with the greatest authority, and Jesus’ message was that He Is the Savior!
The consequence, according to Hebrews 2:3, is that we must listen to Jesus. He is “The Way, the Truth, and The Life“(John 14:6). Acts 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.“
Hebrews Chapter 2 tells us that it was necessary that Jesus become a man, via the seed of Abraham, in order to save men and that Jesus had to become a man to become our eternal High Priest, the Man Who’s job it was to take away men’s sins.
Chapters 3 and 4 tell us more about Jesus in reflection of the Old Testament. Moses was used of God to provide the first five books of the Bible that established the rules for the Aaronic Priesthood. Moses also led national Israel out of Egypt through the wilderness. Joshua led national Israel into the Promised Land. Jesus was better than both Moses and Joshua in that only Jesus can bring the eternal Israel into its eternal Promised Land of Rest (Heaven). And that can only come with the gracious absolution from Sin through Salvation through Jesus Christ. That is why we read in Hebrews 4:15&16 that Jesus is the eternal High Priest, after the order of Melchizedek (a “Theophany“) for the believers, the eternal Israel.
From Hebrews 5:1-10:31, we learn the basis for, as well of the value, the necessity and the success of Jesus’ High Priesthood. The message is that it is Jesus Alone Who can separate man from sin and give the believers eternal life. The objective of this lengthy explanation is to encourage, and to sternly warn, the readers to place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ Alone as the eternal High Priest and to not waiver from that faith.
Hebrews Chapter 11 is a clarion call, by means of precepts and illustrations, to have Faith in the promises of the Word of God. Chapter 12 is another call, also by means of precepts and illustrations, to value those promises above the things of this world. Chapter 13 concludes by showing how a person’s faith in the Great High Priest, and the value that he places on His Promises, shapes that person’s life.
The Book of Hebrews was evidently written to converted Jews who endured persecution, and who were, at least initially, the targets of abuse for their faith in Jesus (Hebrews 10:32-37). This epistle was written for their edification, comfort and exhortation to keep that faith. The author also showed compassion and empathy towards his readers by using the phrase “Let us” 13 times, and thereby sympathetically encouraging the readers by including himself in their struggles.
*Note to the Reader: The Outline and Overview (apart from the initial quote by Henry T. Mahan) provided above are extracted from the work of Elder Tom Schaff (who is now with the Lord).
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