Question for everyone. A friend and I are starting a Bible study on Hebrews tomorrow. Do any of the more experienced Christians here have any suggestions on important themes that we should cover?
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Hebrews Bible Study
- Thread starter arunma
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Hebrews is the easiest book in all the Bible to read--its the book that pulls everything else together and makes it make sense. The theme of the entire book is the superiority of Christ to all things. His deity and superiority to angels in the first couple of chapters; the superiority of his priesthood, sacrifice and covenant; the superiority of the punishment he dishes out to disobeyers (ch 10) and the superiority of his followers (in that they have full access to God directly through Him).
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- Mar 16, 2004
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It should be remembered that Hebrews was written to a group of Christians that were tempted to return to the Levetical system to escape persecution. Hebrews shows the superiority and perfection of Christ (Hebrews 1:1-3), superiority of Christ over the angels (1:4-14), the priority of salvetion (2:1-2:18), The perfection of the Savior (2:9-18), The superiority of Christ over Moses (3:1-6), the Sabbath rest of faith (3:7-4:1-13), The Superiority of Christ over the Levetical preisthood (4:1-7:28), The importance of the New Covenant and the failings of the Old covenant (8:1-10:25).
Notice how much space is used to convince them that the priesthood of Christ is superior to that of the Levetical priesthood.
Look at this, this is the heart of the emphasis and the turning point of the letter:
"Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one anotherand all the more as you see the Day approaching."
(Hebrew 10:19-25)
The rest is examples of a life of faith and exortations to follow those examples. It is from this point on that the study should get personal and hit a person where they live.
Grace and peace,
Mark
Notice how much space is used to convince them that the priesthood of Christ is superior to that of the Levetical priesthood.
Look at this, this is the heart of the emphasis and the turning point of the letter:
"Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one anotherand all the more as you see the Day approaching."
(Hebrew 10:19-25)
The rest is examples of a life of faith and exortations to follow those examples. It is from this point on that the study should get personal and hit a person where they live.
Grace and peace,
Mark
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Thank you Mark. By the way, I didn't know that Hebrews was written to people who wanted to return to the priesthood. That makes me view the entire letter from an entirely different perspective.
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Heb 13:12-13 "Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. {13} Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach."
In the last chapter we find a call to Hebrew Christians to leave Judaism: "Just as Christ suffered outside the camp, so you should leave the camp (i.e. Judaism) and suffer with him."
In the last chapter we find a call to Hebrew Christians to leave Judaism: "Just as Christ suffered outside the camp, so you should leave the camp (i.e. Judaism) and suffer with him."
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TrevorL
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Howdy arunma,
Greetings. Paul's aim is to convince these Jewish believers in Christ, that Christ is superior to the Mosaic system of things. I like the contrast in the opening verses:
The hidden or missing ellipsis is enclosed in the statement on the right hand side and provides the theme The revelation in the past was "in many parts", that is, it was fragmentary, piecemeal, in portions. The past revelation was also in many ways, in their history, in types, in ritual, etc. The past was incomplete and lacking in finality. It looked forward to a further and complete revelation. The Son is the embodiment in himself of all the foreshadowings of the past.
Kind regards
Trevor
Greetings. Paul's aim is to convince these Jewish believers in Christ, that Christ is superior to the Mosaic system of things. I like the contrast in the opening verses:
The hidden or missing ellipsis is enclosed in the statement on the right hand side and provides the theme The revelation in the past was "in many parts", that is, it was fragmentary, piecemeal, in portions. The past revelation was also in many ways, in their history, in types, in ritual, etc. The past was incomplete and lacking in finality. It looked forward to a further and complete revelation. The Son is the embodiment in himself of all the foreshadowings of the past.
Kind regards
Trevor
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johnd
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Also it helps to view the book of Hebrews as a divinely inspired commentary on:
Jeremiah 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: 33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
Jeremiah 31:31-34 is essentially the Gospel prophetically placed in the Old Testament.
Hebrews is a book written to the Hebrews telling the Hebrews to stop being Old Covenant Hebrews and to become New Covenant Hebrews because God has moved on from the Old Hebrew Covenant to the New Hebrew Covenant.**
**John 4:22, Romans 2:28-29, Romans 9:6-13, Philippians 3:3
Galatians 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
Romans 3:31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
Jeremiah 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: 33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
Jeremiah 31:31-34 is essentially the Gospel prophetically placed in the Old Testament.
Hebrews is a book written to the Hebrews telling the Hebrews to stop being Old Covenant Hebrews and to become New Covenant Hebrews because God has moved on from the Old Hebrew Covenant to the New Hebrew Covenant.**
**John 4:22, Romans 2:28-29, Romans 9:6-13, Philippians 3:3
Galatians 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
Romans 3:31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
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