Description

Originally Presented: Sept 25, 2016

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 1:1-14

It is a tonic for the spiritually debilitated. The study of this epistle leads us beneath the surface of things to the profound depths of our evangelical faith, and enriches and establishes our understanding of the grace of God manifested on our behalf in the incarnation, self-offering, and exaltation of him who is the Apostle and High Priest of our confession. 'There is, indeed, no book in Holy Scripture,' says Calvin in the foreword to his commentary on Hebrews, 'which speaks so clearly of the priesthood of Christ, so splendidly extols the power and worth of that unique sacrifice which he offered by his death, deals more adequately with the use and also the abrogation of ceremonies, and, in short, explains more fully that Christ is the end of the Law.'

Philip Edgcumbe Hughes, A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews, 1.

Theme of Hebrews: the absolute supremacy of Christ

• superior to the OT prophets - 1:1-3
• superior to the angels - 1:4-2:12
• superior to Moses - 3:1-4:13
• superior to Aaronic priesthood - 4:14-5:10; 6:20-7:28
• mediates a superior covenant - 8:1-9:10
• superior to OT sacrifices - 9:11-10:18

Date: c. A.D. 60's

• quoted by Clement of Rome in A.D. 95
• Heb 2:3,4 - author learned from contemporaries of Jesus
• during the lifetime of Timothy (cf. Heb 13:23)
• temple seems to be in operation, due to discussion of sacrifices; temple was
• destroyed in A.D. 70

Language:

"The Language of the epistle is both in vocabulary and style purer and more vigorous than any other book of the New Testament."

B. F. Westcott, The Epistle to the Hebrews, xliv

There are 138 'once-used-words' (hapax legomena) in Hebrews.