Hebrews

1
Hebrews

• GO DEEPER
• The Theology
• of Hebrews

2
The Great High Priest

• The heart of Hebrews (414 1018) is shaped by
  the image of high priest.
• Humans connect to the divine through sacrifices,
  temples, priests (STP)
• Access to the blessings of God (His promises
  His rest) come through properly offered
  sacrifices. 911-14 1014,19.
• Jesus is the priest who nullifies all other STP
  (711-12,18 101-4)
• The perfect priest is the last priest.

3
The Great High Priest

• Ps 1104 you is applied to Jesus Hb 56 717.
  Two Keys
• Jesus is not the best of Jerusalem priest, hes
  not even one of them (tribe of Judah, not Levi)
• Perfect priest, not in being more of what was,
  but in being unique, order of Melchizedek
• Contrasts old STP its effects with the new
  priesthood of Jesus

4
Levitical Priesthood
Jesus Priesthood

• Eternal priest 73,24
• Chosen by Gods own oath 720-22
• One sacrifice 727
• Enters Heavenly 924
• Makes no sacrifice for self, perfect 727
• He is the sacrifice, the blood of the perfect
  offering that cleanses from sin 912-14

• Levi born a priest
• Chosen by men to serve in temple 75
• Repeat sacrifices 96 101
• Enters earthly shadow temple 85
• Polluted by sin sacrificed for himself 53
  727
• A failure to cleanse conscience 101-4

5
Core Assumptions

• Hebrews assumes that God is holy and that only a
  holy person can approach God.
• Properly spilled blood can make a person holy and
  thus come to God
• Christian have a better covenant because they can
  claim a better sacrifice
• Jesus is the perfect sacrifice, perfect priest.
  He spills perfect blood in the perfect place.
  Jesus STPs are eternal.
• All this perfection of sacrifice makes our
  perfection possible.

6
Core Assumptions

• Tension between the Old and New
• New depends on and supersedes the old 88-13
  91,15
• Jesus is not simply a perfection of the old 711
• The old never worked at all 104
• Levitical priesthood always flawed Gen 14, Ps 110
  
• Tension between the Now Future
• Jesus is pioneer leading to Gods rest 210
  122 47-11
• Todays not the time of rest but of journey,
  growth, hope
• Hope is lived out in midst of sufferings
  terrors of life

7

• The Desert tabernacle 91-5

8
The Tabernacle

• Lev 16 Day of Atonement 97-14
• Priest go into First Tent every day 96
• High Priest goes in the Second Tent once a yr 97
• By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way
  into the sanctuary has not yet been disclosed as
  long as the first tent is still standing. 98
• Separateness inaccessibility of Holy of Holies
  is a symbol of separation of God and man
• Concl this symbol denotes the ineffectiveness of
  all sacrifices performed in the first tent.

9
The Sacrifices

• Sacrifices in first tent touches outside things,
  just as they are conducted outside. 910
• They cannot perfect the conscience of the
  worshiper 99
• How can the killing of animals clean the heart
  soul of humans?
• Ans old STPs have no power over sin 101-4 but
  Christ high priest of the good things to
  comeobtained eternal redemption. 911-15.

10
Key OT Texts

• Ps 957-11 Heb 37-11
• Gen 14 Ps 110 Heb 73-21
• Jer 3131-34 Heb 88-12
• Ps 406-8 Heb 105-7
• Heb 108-9 With the arrival of Jesus (the I of
  Ps 40) temple sacrifices are in opposition to
  Gods will. Jesus abolishes the first in order
  to establish the second (covenant). v.9
• Hab 2 Heb 1037,38

11
Book Structure Theological Interpretation
followed by Exhortation

• See p.454 in DLNT
• List the Warnings. Describe the nature function
  of these warnings?
• Heb 21-4
• 312 41
• 64-8
• 1026-31
• 1214-29

12
Heb 64-6 Greek Sentence Structure

• Impossible those once enlightened
• After having tasted the heavenly gift
• And after having become partakers of the H.S.
• And after having tasted the good word of God
  and the powers of the coming age
• And If they have fallen away
• To again renew unto repentance
• because they are crucifying to themselves
  the Son of God
• and because they are making him a public
  spectacle

13
Apostasy

• Hebrews 64-6 impossible to renew to
  repentance. Once apostate, always apostate?
• Those who fell away (aorist tense),
• Because they keep on Crucifying (present) the Son
  of God again to themselves and,
• Because they Continually put him to open shame
  (present).
• Hebrews 612 but be imitators of those who
  through faith and patience inherit the promises.

14
Apostasy

• Hebrews 61-12 Christians? Or only professing
  Christians?
• those who have once been enlightened v.4
• who have tasted the heavenly gift ( D.O. in
  genitive case, but see 29)
• and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit
  (214)
• have tasted the goodness of the Word of God and
  the powers of the age to come v5

15
Apostasy in the General Epistles

• Major purpose of the G.E. as a whole is to
  prevent Apostasy and to restore backsliders.
• Definition of apostasy - A true Christians
  reverting to a lost condition by willfully and
  continuously turning away from the truth of the
  gospel. Heb 66
• Definition of backsliding - A true Christians
  temporary lapse of faith and practice followed by
  repentance and restoration. 1 John 21,2

16
The Road to Perfection

• Ps 957-11 in Hebrews 37-9
• Even though God calls you, God will reject you if
  you reject God.
• Israel rejected God in the wilderness and didnt
  enter into Gods rest
• Gods promised rest is unfulfilled and still open
• The power of promise to draw us toward God
  411

17
The Road to Perfection

• Jesus was made perfect 210 58-9. What does
  this mean?
• Perfection is acquired through a journey of
  obedience and suffering
• Those who follow Jesus, the pioneer, is also made
  perfect
• Pilgrim wandering suffering 1032-39. Opposite
  of REST? Or Road to
• Jesus suffered, then he rested

18
The Road to Perfection

• We are not alone in this journey Heb 11 121
• Heb 11 Heroes remained faithful even though they
  did not receive their promises.
• Faith to live on the basis of promise 111
• Faith is a journey, the road through suffering
• Diverse imperatives in chs 12 13 rest on
  following Jesus footsteps on this faith road
• God is still the God who demands perfection. Only
  perfection can come into the presence of God and
  not be consumed by the consuming fire. 1229

19
Christology in Hebrews

• Two Themes Priest King
• Jesus salvific death (images from OT cultus)
• Jesus exalted status (images from OT royality)
• Heb 13 when he made purification for sins
  (priest) sat down at the right hand of the
  Majesty on High. (king)
• Heb 1320-21 resurrected great shepherd (ANE
  royal image) and his blood of the eternal
  covenant (priest)

20
Christology in Hebrews

• Dual Emphasis on exalted divine SON (royal image)
  and full partaker in the human nature (priestly
  function). Heb 1 - 2 57-10
• As Priest
• Temporal Aaronic overshadowed by eternal
  Melchizedek (Heb 51-10 71-28
• Tabernacle ministry of old covenant superseded
  Heavenly Tabernacle ministry of new covenant (Heb
  81 928)
• Inadequacy of OT sacrifices - Efficacy/finality
  of Jesus sacrifice (Heb 101-18)

21
Christology in Hebrews

• AS KING
• Angels as servants (17,14), Christ status as
  unique Son
• Moses as faithful servant in the house (31-6),
  Christ as Son over the house (built by Him).
• AS Prophet (like Moses, Act 322) with consequent
  authority over Gods people to define obedience
  to God.
• Lord

22
Conclusion

• Jesus is the final only High Priest who can
  make us perfect, if we follow Him in suffering,
  obedience, faith.
• The Journey is difficult, marked by suffering,
  but Jesus brings the new
• If you hold to your faith and run with
  perseverance the race, you will come before
  Gods consuming fire as perfect and enter into
  His rest.