The Letter to the Hebrews

1. The Letter to the Hebrews Introduction Winter 2014 FXCC

2. Book, Letter, ? • We will find that this letter is more a sermon than letter • No introduction • No personal notes • Does end much like a letter • Exhortation to stay the course

3. Book, Letter, ? • Hebrews presumes a knowledge of the Old Testament • Particularly Tabernacle ritual • Many references to the OT • In fact it has 83 OT references/quotes • Remember the OT was the Bible of the 1st century church!

4. Old Testament in the New • Romans has 84 OT references • I Corinthians has 26 • Galatians has 14 • Ephesians has 12 • Biblical scholar Craig Evans has produced a 31 page list of OT references found in the NT!

5. Old Testament in the New • Why so many OT references in Hebrews?? • We will at this more of this later • Mainly shows that Jesus is God’s FINAL and BEST revelation • PERIOD

6. Canonicity • Hebrews appears in most of the earliest lists of canonical books • The earliest of the church fathers quote it as scripture and/or are aware of it • Clement of Rome (1st century) • Shepherd of Hermes (1st/2nd century) • Not sure when it gained its title • But at least by end of 2nd century

7. Canonicity • It shows up in P46 (the oldest MSS of Paul’s epistles, late 2nd century) • Origen had no doubts about its canonicity, even if he did not know who wrote it • Eusebius lists it as one of the “acknowledged” books of the canon • Syriac church fathers affirm its canonicity

8. Canonicity • Clement of Rome quotes it, not clear if he considers it canonical • Justin Martyr seems to have known of it (allusions to its language) • Gaius of Rome did not consider it canonical • Irenaeus (Smyrna and Gaul) and Hippolytus Rome) did not consider it canonical • Not listed in Muratorian Canon

9. Canonicity • Tertullian seems to have considered it canonical • In general the Reformation leaders accepted it as canonical, just not Pauline

10. Author • Maybe you noticed that Hebrews does not identify its author • What other Bible books also make no mention of their author? • Was often included among Paul’s epistles • Canonicity was never doubted

11. Author • The eastern church favored the theory of Pauline authorship • The western church resisted that at least until the late 4th century • Tertullian (160-225 AD, western church, Carthage) favored Barnabas as the author

12. Author • Those not supporting Pauline authorship • Irenaeus (Gaul, 130-202 AD) • Hippolytus (Rome, 170-235 AD) • Gaius of Rome (early 3rd century) • Eusebius (Caesarea, Palestine, early 4th century, records that western church did not accept it as Pauline) • Ambrosiaster (Rome, late 4th century)

13. Author • Western opinion changed by • Jerome (Rome, Palestine, 347-420 AD) author of the Latin Vulgate • Augustine of Hippo (N Africa (Algeria), 354-430 AD) author of “City of God” and “Confessions”

14. Author • Generally accepted as Pauline from 4th/5th century until the Reformation (Luther, 1517 AD) • Most early collections of Paul’s writings included 14 letters vice 13 • Not everyone was convinced, but the trend prevailed

15. Author • Other suggested authors • Clement of Rome (1st century bishop) • Luke (translated Paul’s Hebrew language letter to Greek) • Apollos (1st century Christian from Acts) • Barnabas • Priscilla or Priscilla and Aquila

16. Author • General consensus today is that the style and vocabulary of Hebrews is not Pauline • Also 2:1&3 seem to say that the author got his knowledge of Christ from others • Paul declared that he had a personal encounter with Christ

17. Author • Basically Origen (Alexandria and Tyre, 184-253 AD) said it best • “…but who wrote the epistle God only knows.”

18. Audience (Who, Why & Where) • The audience is also not identified in the book • We do have some clues • The book clearly assumes a strong familiarity on the part of the readers with the OT Levitical priesthood and worship • While this could be Gentile Christians, it is most probably Jewish Christians

19. Audience (Who, Why & Where) • The recipients seem ready to give up on Christ and go back to what they knew before, i.e. the Old Covenant of Moses • The author lays out arguments for why Christ was and remains superior to the Mosaic Law • Encourages the recipients to stay the course, remain faithful and claim their reward

20. Audience (Who, Why & Where) • The book repeatedly affirms the superiority of Christ to the OT Levitical system • Order of Melchizedek superior to the Levitical • Change covenant required • The book seems to assume the readers had not seen (or heard) the living Jesus • Thus they probably did not live in Judea or Galilee, but were Hellenistic Jews

21. Audience (Who, Why & Where) • Where did these Jewish Christians live? • Again we do not know • Theories range from Judea to Spain • The temple is never mentioned, so Judea and Galilee are not likely • We have evidence to support knowledge of the book in Rome in the 1st century • But Rome and the west were slow in fully adopting it as canonical

22. Audience (Who, Why & Where) • 13:24 could mean it was written to Rome, but it could just as easily mean it was written from Rome • So bottom line – we just don’t know where the original recipients lived

23. Date • There are no explicit clues in the book that help here, but the lack of certain references help • So far we have struck out • Author • Recipients (who, where) • What about when?

24. Date • The early awareness of the letter and quoting from it, place it in the 1st century • 2:3 would indicate that the recipients had heard the gospel from those who were first generation Christians • 13:23 mention of Timothy is assumed to be Paul’s companion

25. Date • 12:4 “not yet resisted unto blood” could • Mean prior to Nero’s persecution of 64 AD, if written to Rome • Seems to eliminate Jerusalem, etc • Mean prior to Domitian’s (81-96 AD) persecutions • There is NO mention of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD • Such an event would support the author’s point

26. Date • So all in all the best guess for the date is prior to 70 AD and probably prior to 64 too

27. Overview aka Outline • Jan 5 – this Introduction • Jan 12 – Chapter 1 • Jan 19 – Chapter 1 • Jan 26 – Chapter 2 • Feb 2 – Chapter 3 • Feb 9 – Chapter 4 • Feb 16 – Chapter 5

28. Overview aka Outline • Feb 23 – Chapter 6 • Mar 2 – Chapter 7 • Mar 9 – Chapter 8 • Mar 16 – Chapter 9 • Mar 23 – Chapter 10 • Mar 30 – Chapter 11 • Apr 6 – Chapter 12

29. Overview aka Outline • Apr 13 – Chapter 13 • Apr 20 – No Class • Apr 27 – Conclusion

30. References • F.F. Bruce, “The Epistle to the Hebrews”, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Eerdmans, 1967 • Edward Fudge, “Our Man in Heaven: An Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews”,, Baker, 1974 • Available on-line for free • http://www.edwardfudge.com/written/omihtext.html

31. References • Edward Fudge, “Hebrews: Ancient Encouragement for Believers Today”, Leafwood Publishers, 2009 • John Mark Hicks, Hebrews, Word Doc • http://johnmarkhicks.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2009/03/hebrews-edited.doc

32. References • Bobby Valentine’s “Stoned-Campbell Disciple” blog • http://stonedcampbelldisciple.com/2013/08/20/paul-and-the-unquestioned-authority-of-the-old-testament/