1 LFBI BIBLE SURVEY IV Hebrews I. HEBREWS 1-7: A BETTER DELIVERER Answering to Matthew's gospel and calling for a King to bring in the Kingdom. A. A Better Prophet and Rest (1-4) 1. Chapter One: Better than Angels (1:4) 2. Chapter Two: Better through Suffering (2:10) 3. Chapter Three: Better than Moses (3:3) 4. Chapter Four: A Better Rest (4:8-9) B. A Better Priest and Hope (5-7) 1. Chapter Five: Better than Aaron (5:10-11) 2. Chapter Six: Better Things of You (6:9) 3. Chapter Seven: A Better Hope (7:19) II. HEBREWS 8-10: A BETTER COVENANT & PROVISIONS Answering to Mark's gospel and calling for a priest to serve. A. Chapter Eight: Better Promises (8:6) B. Chapter Nine: Better Sacrifices (9:23) C. Chapter Ten: Better Possessions (10:34) III. HEBREWS 11-12: A BETTER RESURRECTION & WITNESS Answering to Luke's gospel with a call to an ideal perfection. A. Chapter Eleven: A Better Eternity (11:16,35,40) B. Chapter Twelve: A Better Testimony (12:24) IV. HEBREWS 13: A BETTER WALK & WORK Answering to John's gospel and calling for love (v 1) and light (v 21) from the eternal word (v 8) and great shepherd (v 20). Chapter Thirteen: Better Works (13:21) I. WHY HEBREWS IS A BOOK 1. It ties together Jesus mystery of the kingdom of God with the kingdom of heaven, Mark 4:11; Heb 1:8;12:28 2. It explains in great detail the mystery of God s will as it relates to Israel s blindness, Rom 11:25; Eph 1:9; Heb 6:17;8:8-12;10:36-37 3. It advances our understanding of the revelation of the mystery of Paul s gospel, Rom 16:25; Eph 3:3-4,9; Heb 4:2 4. It expands our understanding of the mystery of the faith, 1 Tim 3:9; Heb 10:22-23,38 5. It explains the mystery of godliness, 1 Tim 3:16; Heb 1:2-8 6. It is anonymous as to its authorship 7. It is unclear about its date 8. It is unspecified as to its recipients II. ITS PLACE IN HISTORY Point 1. Hebrew Christians were prepared for a complete from Judaism by the book of Hebrews. A. BIBLICAL HISTORY ACTS 2:30,32; 3:19-20; 4:32-33; 7:58; 21:18-20; 28:28-29 Point 2. The grander the dimensions of the greater our worship of God. B. CHURCH HISTORY 1 TIM 3:16
2 Definition: The mystery of godliness is that Jesus Christ was God with on. Heb 1:3; 2 Cor 4:4 Point 3. It is not enough to have faith, if our faith is not rooted in, and believing the truth allows you to see reality. III. HOW HEBREWS DESCRIBES THE QUALITIES AND FUNCTIONS OF JESUS CHRIST 1. 1:1-4 APPOINTED heir of all things; MADE the worlds; BEING the brightness of God s glory; UPHOLDING all things by the word of his power; by himself PURGED our sins; SAT DOWN on the right hand of the Majesty on high; MADE so much better than the angels; OBTAINED a more excellent name by inheritance 2. 2:10-18 the captain of our salvation 3. 3:3 worthy of more glory than Moses 4. 4:15 touched with the feeling of our infirmities 5. 7:24-25 continues forever with an unchangeable priesthood 6. 8:6 a more excellent ministry 7. 12:2-3 the author and finisher of our faith 8. 13:20 the great shepherd, brought back from the dead SUMMARY OF CHRIST IN HEBREWS Chapters Titles Focus 1 Jesus Son of God His Deity 2-3 Jesus Son of Man His Humanity 4-10 Jesus High Priest His Ministry 11-13 Jesus Better Way His Example THE HOLY SPIRIT Seen Seven Times in Hebrews His Personhood 2:4 in giving gifts His Inspiration 3:7 speaking to us His Impartation 6:4 in our experience His Teaching 9:8 interpreting truth His Deity 9:14 assisting Jesus His Testimony 10:15 speaking by prophets His Grace 10:29 insulted by apostasy IV. ITS PLACE IN PROPHECY (DOCTRINALLY) Point 4. Even when the building is destroyed (shadow), must continue (substance). Point 5. When we get saved, the Holy Spirit sets us apart for the mission, so we can be crafted and to fulfilling God s Eternal Purpose. V. ITS PLACE IN YOUR LIFE (INSPIRATIONALLY) Point 6. There are sometimes sad spiritual, even in the Christian life. SEVEN DANGERS FOR SAINTS A. We have a better deliverer in Christ (1-7), so avoid 1. : Do not slip from (mg. let leak away) the truth of the word about salvation, 2:1-4 2. : Do not disbelieve biblical authority and thereby depart from God, 3:7-14
3 HEBREW A. They are no longer "God's house" (v 6) B. They grieve God (v 10) C. They do not finally enter into the "rest" of God (the place where God abides (v 11) CHRISTIAN A. He forsakes God's house by removing himself from it B. He grieves the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30) even though he does not lose the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13) C. He loses his inheritance even though he goes to heaven (1 Cor 3:15) 3. : Do not disobey the word and thereby it cease to work for you, 4:11-13 4. : Do not be unskillful in the word and so fall away from your first faith in Christ, 5:11-6:20 5. : Do not despise the certainty of the words of truth, 10:25-39 6. : Do not fail of the grace of the God who speaks to you, 12:14-17 7. : Do not refuse him or you will be removed and not remain, 12:24-29 BETTER PROMISES MEANS BIGGER "Let us..." do twelve things 1. Fear because of the promise of rest (4:1) 2. Labor because of the prospect of unbelief (4:11) 3. Hold fast because of the profession of a high priest (4:14) 4. Come boldly because of the possibility of mercy (4:16) 5. Press on because of the eternal purpose of perfection (6:1) 6. Draw near because of our purity of conscience (10:22) 7. Consider so we can provoke good works in others (10:24) 8. Lay aside because of the preponderance of witnesses (12:1) 9. Run because of patience required in the race (12:1) 10. Have grace as God's provision for service (12:28) 11. Go forth for a permanent city (13:13-14) 12. Offer praise, because our God is worthy (13:15) FACTS, FACTORS 7 FACTOIDS THE ABC S OF HEBREWS BOOK: Hebrews AUTHOR: Paul DATE: c. AD 64 BACKGROUND: Historical Earliest Christians (Jewish) wavering in faith Doctrinal Crossing from shadows to substance Inspirational Holding on to the faith so Christ can work MEANING OF TITLE: The ones who cross over THEME: Hasten toward maturity because we have everything that is better in the Eternal Purpose of God CHRIST SEEN AS: Captain of our salvation, 2:10 KEY VERSE: 11:40 KEY WORDS: Better 13x Perfect 12x CHAPTERS: 13 VERSES: 303 WORDS: 6,913 LESSON: Do not let go of faith or you will fall from grace VI. ITS PLACE IN THE BIBLICAL CANON NT BOOKS Matthew ends the old dispensation Acts opens the new dispensation Hebrews answers the question how and why the transition
Thesis: The whole ministry of Paul is based on the revelation God gave him in explanation of the of how the gospel ties into the types, in consistency with the OT shadows, as the fulfilling of God s Eternal Purpose. 4 Point 7. Romans heads the Christian Church epistles, and shows the necessity of faith in Christ alone; Hebrews heads the Hebrew-Christian epistles and shows the of faith in Christ alone. A. HEBREWS AUTHORSHIP 1. The Bible says Paul wrote to the Dispersion, 2 Pet 3:15, cf 3:1; 1 Pet 1:1 2. The author of Hebrews was well known to its readers, Heb 13:18,cf 22; 1 Cor 9:20 3. The author evinces a mastery of the Jew s religion, as Paul did, Gal 1:14; Phil 3:5 4. The Bible says Paul wrote from prison in Italy, Acts 28:16,30-31 cf. Heb 13:19,24 5. Paul had a precedent of sending Timothy to places before he arrived, Phil 2:19-24 cf. Heb 13:23 6. Hebrews ends with the signature salutation Paul claims as his own, 2 Thes 3:17-18 cf. Heb 13:25 7. Paul s authorship of Hebrews fits the original vision Christ gave him, Acts 9:15 B. ITS DATE Between while Paul was for two years under house arrest in Rome C. ITS RECIPIENTS (AUDIENCE) Recipients: Hebrews was written to, and Hebrew Christians in Jerusalem who were in danger of forsaking faith in Christ to put their trust back in temple sacrifices. D. ITS PURPOSE Theme: The argument of this epistle is, though the Old Covenant was divine, it was just. Three Primary Purposes 1. To provide a key to interpreting the OT in light of the new dispensation dawning 2. To display how God s blessings under the dispensation of grace are better than Israel, or anyone, could know under the Law 3. To prove how the revelation of the mystery of Christ (Eph 3:3-4; Col 1:26-27; 2:2; 4:3) in Paul s gospel (Rom 16:25; Eph 6:19) is the wisdom of God (2 Cor 2:6-8) in the mystery of the will of God (Eph 1:9) to complete the Eternal Purpose of God (Eph 3:9-11,21) VII. ITS OUTLINE The Pentateuch Of Hebrews SECTION CHAPTERS THEME Genesis Hebrews 1-4 First Principles of the Oracles Exodus Hebrews 5-7 Establish a Better Priesthood Leviticus Hebrews 8-10 Commune in a Better Sanctuary Numbers Hebrews 11-12 Walk in the World by Faith Deuteronomy Hebrews 13 Review of the Commandments
CHAPTERS 1-7 Better Deliverer: Christ Doctrinal dissertation 5 Hebrews: Three Better Things CHAPTERS 8-10 Better Covenant: Calvary Central exhortation CHAPTERS 11-13 Better Way: Faith Practical application A Person Provisions Principles New Priest New Sanctuary New Sacrifice Contrast: Prophets Contrast: Aaron Comparison: Melchizedek Comparison: Saints Danger: Doubting Danger: Despising Danger: Denying FAST FACTS 1. Hebrew is the first book of the eight General Epistles 2. Hebrews was written about six years before the destruction of the temple, which took place in AD 70 3. Hebrews is sometimes called the orphan epistle, because neither writer nor recipients are explicitly named 4. Hebrews has been called the 5th gospel 5. The Gospels talk about Christ's work on Earth; Hebrews of Christ's work in Heaven 6. Hebrews is the companion book to Leviticus 7. Paul is the author of Hebrews 8. Yet the author remains anonymous because of the existence of temple sacrifices and Paul's lack of respect from the Jews 9. Romans reveals the necessity of Christianity while Hebrews reveals the superiority of Christianity; Romans is a court of justice, but Hebrews is a temple of worship 10. In the book of Hebrews Paul argues with the Jews that instead of losing all they had, they gained all God is giving in Jesus the Messiah 11. Paul writes Hebrews to warn the Jewish believers about the limitations of Judaism 12. Hebrews reveals how Jesus is better then the law of Moses 13. Hebrews shows how Jesus made one finished work for sin, eliminating the need for temple sacrifices 14. Hebrews contains seven warnings 15. In Hebrews 1:1 "sundry" is the only place where this word is used in the Bible, perfect(tion) is used 12x, eternal 5x, heaven(s)(ly) 16x, once 11x, promise(d)(s) 18x 16. Hebrews chapter 11 is called the roll-call of faith, a faith hall of fame 17. Hebrews is the essence of Paul s teaching in synagogues of the Dispersion SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY Faith that Endures, J. Dwight Pentecost, Kregel Expository Notes on Hebrews, H. A. Ironside, Kregel Exploring Hebrews by John Phillips, Kregel The Messianic Jewish Epistles, Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Ariel Ministries The Epistle to the Hebrews, William Kelly, (OP) Hebrews, Ray C. Stedman, Intervarsity Press