October 13, 2002
First Church of the Brethren
H. Kevin Derr
Hebrews 1:1-4
“Exploring the Book of Hebrews”
Hebrews 1:1-4
1In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3The Son is the radiance of God’s
glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
I am convinced that we as those who profess the Bible, and especially the NT to be our only guide to faith and practice, should know it well. We should not only be able to place the various books in their order, but we should also know the content. I’m of the increasing opinion that we should be actively working to memorize large portions of scripture. In whole we should be much more sophisticated in our knowledge and understanding of scripture than what we are.
I speak for myself in this, as well as every other person who is part of the body of Christ.
The Bible is our story, it is the source of our knowledge of God, and of God’s saving
action in Jesus Christ. It is the story of our family of faith, it is the source of the values that we
hold and the foundation of our faith. Because it is in the scriptures that we find our experience of the living God. Yes, it is possible to have a vibrant faith without being able to read the scriptures, just as it is possible to go to the top of a 75 story building without an elevator. But why would you want to do it that way?
As believers we should be spending some time each day in study of the scriptures. We should be reading, we should be exploring, we should also be asking questions. I would be glad to suggest some good tools for the study of scripture and you will find a few books on the book table in the Narthex. Feel free to pick up on that interests you. This is by no means an exhaustive collection of books appropriate to the study of Hebrews. It is a beginning point. If you would like some more, let me know and I’ll be glad to suggest others. If you would like a more technical commentary, we can do that, if you would like background studies, we can do that... just let me know and we will find what you need to inform your study.
As we approach the Epistle to the Hebrews, I would ask that you read through this at least once a week. Pick up a commentary on Hebrews and spend some time reading background and contextual information. Expand your understanding not only of this book but of all the New Testament with a concentrated effort here and work to extend yourself not only in biblical
knowledge but also in the application of what we learn in scriptures. I warn you that this will be
a transforming process. As we study the scriptures, we will find our lives changed, our minds renewed and our sensitivities awakened to the overwhelming presence of the Living God.
Prayer
I. The Epistle to Hebrews
A. There are a few things that it is good for us
to establish at the outset of this study.
1. Hebrews is not really a letter. It does not have the regular traits of a first
century letter, so while it is named the Epistle to the Hebrews, it is more likely
a sermon.
A. I have to admit I thought about reciting the whole of Hebrews as a
sermon, but I chose not to, for two reasons,
1. I have not finished memorizing the whole of the text
2. Secondly, as a sermon, there are elements that do not fit nicely
into our modern understandings, so they need some explanation
B. It is an elegant, highly polished work of a first century author who was
well educated and trained in some specific forms of rhetoric
C. It was not the first time that this author put pen to paper.
2. Some early Christian traditions hold that it was first written in Hebrew or
Aramaic and then translated to Greek by Luke. It is for this reason that you
will find some stylistic and grammatical consistencies between Luke-Acts and
Hebrews, or so said the 4th century church historian Eusebius.
A. What is actually the case is hard to say, we have no textual evidence
that this Sermon was first written in any other language, nor is there
large support among early church authors.
B. What we do know is that this is simply some of the best Greek in the
New Testament
C. There are clearly some theological metaphors that are unique to this
sermon, and at the same time, there are many points of connection with
the whole of the New Testament as well as the Old Testament,
especially the days of the Tabernacle.
1. One of the common misconceptions is that this book needs to be
dated before 70 AD because of the references to the OT
sacrificial system.
2. Yet, it never refers directly to the sacrificial system of the
Temple, it speaks only about the Tent, the tabernacle that
existed before the building of Solomon’s Temple
3. So while it was likely written before the temples destruction it is
not necessarily so.
II. Before we start talking about when this was written, we should consider perhaps who wrote
the Sermon we know as the Epistle to the Hebrews.
A. Some of you who are carrying an older KJV, may have this listed as one of Paul’s
epistles. Even in Ancient times there have always been questions of the origin of this
Sermon.
1. What we know is this, the it was included it the Cannon of the New Testament
under the auspices of Pauline Authorship or Sponsorship. All of the works in
the NT have an apostle standing behind them.
A. Matthew and John are fairly clear
B. Mark is supported by Peter
C. Luke and Acts by Paul
D. Romans to Philemon, the 13 epistles of Paul, by Paul
E. Hebrews by Paul
F. The catholic epistles by various apostles, Primarily Peter
G. and the John and Revelation by John
2. Now as we approach Hebrews, it was first included in canonical lists in the
East, the Greek churches and was questioned in the west or Latin churches,
though it was by 400 AD generally accepted
3. While the Epistle to the Hebrews was universally accepted as canonical, as
scripture, it’s authorship was always a question
B. So who is the Author of Hebrews, Paul has been suggested, along with Clement of
Rome, Luke, Barnabas, Jude, Stephen, Phillip the Deacon, Aristion, Priscilla and
Aquila, Epaphras and Apollos . . .
1. In truth anyone of these is a genuine possibility and it could be others who have
never been named. In the end it is impossible to say with any assurance that
one or the other is the answer.
A. Tradition is weighted toward Paul, but there is no compelling evidence
to hold on to this notion, because even those in church history who
name Paul as the author in one sentence will in the next raise questions
about his authorship
B. But what can we know about the author of Hebrews.
1. He was well schooled in the Alexandrian style. He would have
been classically educated, and was well schooled in Greek, and
especially in the Greek OT. All of the quotations of the OT in
Hebrews come not from the Hebrew text but rather from the
Greek text of the LXX. He or she was also rhetoric, the science
of making a convincing argument, and public speaking as well
as writing.
2. While being a Greek speaking and educated, he was also very
fluent in the historic understanding Judaism
A. You will notice quickly that the author of Hebrews often
speaks of the Sacrificial System, but it is only in terms
of the Tabernacle, never in terms of the Temple.
B. It harkens back to the time perhaps, even before the
monarchy, before Saul and David, back to the time of
the Prophets and the Judges
C. So remember, the Sacrificial system mentioned here is
not the Temple System that is easily assumed, it is the
Tabernacle system.
1. Why? Was the temple destroyed?
2. Was this a condemnation of the existing temple
structure, a plea for a new way of seeing a
relationship with the Living God
3. These may be questions we answer in route
III. Who was this sermon, this message first written?
A. That too is a hard question to answer, some will argue that it was written first to a
group of second generation Christians which points to a time later in the first century
or into the early second century.
1. The text tells us that the message was first given to them by those who had
heard from Jesus. The implication we can draw with this is that it is a
community outside of Palestine, not in Jerusalem, Judea or Galilee.
2. Where might they be? Some have suggested Alexandra, but it truth it may well
have been any area where a Greek speaking Jewish community existed.
A. Why do I say Greek speaking Jewish community?
1. There are no Jewish terms explained or detailed, rather
knowledge of them is assumed by the author
2. All the quotations are from the LXX, the Greek OT
3. There are many Hebraic expression that are Hellenized
B. So we find the group originally address was a Greek Speaking Jewish
Christian Community outside of Palestine
B. Next week we will develop the themes of Hebrews in greater detail, some of what you
will see is
1. The Son is superior to the angels
2. The Son is the High Priest
3. We need to pay attention to the message we have heard, because there will be
dire consequences if we ignore it
4. We are given the example of faithful witness that have gone before
5. And all of this will be presented in an Alexandrian Rhetorical style
