In early 2020 I finished a bible study on the book of Hebrews. It took us nine months. Yes we spent that long on one book but to be honest I believe we could have spent much longer on it.
I was eager to get started with Hebrews. The first things we focused on were the author, audience and canonicity of this book. The authorship is truly unknown. But does it really matter? We know the author over all of scripture is the Holy Spirit. Hebrews is written after Christ ascended. We learn that the original audience is that of professing Jewish Christians, the Hebrews. These are those people who came out of Judaism to embrace Christ as their Savior. Being tempted to go back to the Levitical laws they were wavering in their faith. These Hebrews were in danger of falling back into Judaism because they did not understand the true nature of Christianity. This book was written to prove that the New Testament and Jesus’ blood is superior to the Old Testament and the sacrifice of animals.
For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second.
Hebrews 8:7 NASB
The New Covenant replaces the Old Covenant. We move from the Law and the Prophets to grace, from type to reality, from animal sacrifices within the Levitical priesthood to the substitutionary atonement of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. These Hebrews were considering going back to the law, neglecting the salvation they heard about in Christ and were in danger of drifting away from the truth about Christ. They were not pressing on to perfection. The point of Hebrews is that the person and work of Jesus Christ is a much better and perfect sacrifice.
having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.
The author stresses the reader to move forward to spiritual maturity. These Hebrews kept teaching the elementary basic truths over and over again instead of growing and maturing in the faith. Spiritual maturity is an important goal for this author to express to his readers. He intended to encourage these believers to press on in their faith and to not fall back. To keep their focus on the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Persecution and false doctrine are also addressed in this book because the reason why these Jewish Christians were wavering in their faith was due to some false teachings and mixing the law with grace. This false doctrine came from legalistic Judaizers.
9 Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited.
10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.
The key verse for our study is Hebrews 4:14
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
Nice study. Looking forward to the next
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