The Epistle To The Hebrews Introduction Truth For Today Commentary (An Exergesis & Application of the Holy Scriptures) Every New Testament book helps us to understand the first century, but Hebrews is one of the most practical in this regard. Readers of Hebrews in the twentieth century (and the twenty-first) will identify quickly with the first recipients of this letter when they see how they struggled to hold on to their faith in Jesus in the midst of growing world chaos and powerful cultural pressures to return to a more comfortable past. Ray C. Stedman, Hebrews, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1992), 9. Some today allow culture to lure them into a way of life that contradicts the life we have in Christ, but the Book of Hebrews calls upon us to stand firm. It requires us to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and is above all created beings and things. It requires a trust in His death and bodily resurrection. Further, it requires that we not depend on some sacrament performed for us to bring us safely to heaven. The author's purpose in writing Hebrews was to "nail Christians to Christ," that is, to encourage the readers to remain faithful regardless of their circumstances (2:1; 3:12; 4:1; 6:1-12; 10:22-25; 12:25). The theme is set forth in 3:12, 13: Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 1
Another purpose of the epistle is to show that Christians are to approach God through the sanctifying work of Jesus Christ, our High Priest. Hebrews is the only New Testament book which elaborates on the doctrines of Christ's priesthood and the covenant. It focuses on the new hope Jewish Christians had in Christ. Doctrinal errors crumble under the message of this book. To those who reject the full inspiration of the Scriptures, for example, Hebrews is a rebuke because it contains a high view of the inspiration of the entire Old Testament. Hebrews 1:5-13 refers to the Old Testament as having been directly spoken by God, and in this way it demonstrates that the Bible remains the Word of God when correctly translated! Surely, no higher view of inspiration for the Scriptures can be found in the Bible than that contained in Hebrews. Similarly, the text refutes the teaching that Judaism will be restored along with its temple. Such would be turning back from the "better" (superior) to the "lesser" (inferior). Hebrews 8:13 implies that the religious system of Judaism and the temple were soon to be removed, vanishing forever. Several of the key words in the epistle could be noted. Two that especially stand out are "eternal" (5:9; 6:2; 9:12, 14, 15: 13:20) and "better" (1:4; 6:9; 7:7, 19, 22; 8:6; 9:23; 10:34; 11:16, 35, 40; 12:24). God, through Christ, has provided "something better" for us (11:40). In fact, what is "better" than the law, the new covenant, is clearly the best thing ever offered. The promise of the "eternal inheritance" has been given! (See 9:15.) THE AUTHOR Biblical writers, perhaps out of modesty, sometimes omitted their names from their writings. This was done by the writers of the Gospel Accounts and by John in his epistles. It could well be the reason that the writer's name is absent from the Book of Hebrews. Because the author's name does not appear in connection with the book, it has been ascribed to many possible writers. Speculations have suggested that Hebrews was written by Clement 2
of Rome, Silas, Philip, or even Aquila and Priscilla; however, the most convincing evidence points to Apollos, Barnabas, or Paul. Apollos The theory that Apollos authored the book is based merely on similarities in the use of terms by the writer of Hebrews and by the Jewish theologian Philo Judaeus of Alexandria (c. 20 B.C. - A.D. c. 50). Sidney G. Sowers believed that the author of Hebrews came "from the school of Alexandrian Judaism as Philo...." He mentioned some readings in the LXX that are attested only in Philo and Hebrews. (Sidney G. Sowers, The Hermaneutics of Phillo and Hebrews, Basel Studies of Theology, no. 1 [Richmond, Va.: John Knox Press, 1965], 66-68.) Apollos was from Alexandria (Acts 18:24), but we have no writings of his to compare with Hebrews. If this hypothesis were valid, it seems that Clement of Alexandria, writing about A.D. 200, would have mentioned it. Rather, he concluded that Paul was the author. Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1984), 7. In spite of the clever reasoning used to defend the idea, the suggestion that Apollos wrote Hebrews lacks proof. Barabas Some historical justification may be given for considering Barnabus as the author. Tertullian, who died about A.D. 200, referred to "an Epistle to the Hebrews under the name of Barnabus" and then quoted from the book we have in the Bible. Tertullian On Modesty 20. His being a Levite lends some credence to possible authorship by Barnabus since Hebrews deals so much with Levitical activities; but again in this case, we have no writings by him with which to compare Hebrews. Barnabus had a close and friendly relationship with the early church in Jerusalem (Acts 4:36, 37; 11:24, 26-30). In Acts 14:14 he is designated as an "apostle," which must mean that he was sent to other areas as a "messenger" of the churches, or by the church in Jerusalem. 3
Paul Ray C. Stedman said that a standing joke in his seminary days was "Who wrote the epistle of Paul to the Hebrews?" Stedman, 10. Current scholarship, in the main, denies that Paul had anything to do with its writing and casts aside the ancient tradition that in some sense, attributed Hebrews to Paul. Historical evidence is not reliable, but we cannot dismiss the testimony of those who believe that Paul wrote the book. Evidence for Pauline Authorship. Typical of Pauline thought is the often-utilized word "covenant" (Heb. 7:22; 8:6-10, 13; 9:1, 4, 16, 17; 10:16, 29; 12:24; 13:20). The word rendered "testament" (diatheke), which meant a "contract," especially a "will" or a "covenant," is found often in Paul's writings (see Rom. 9:4; 11:27; 1 Cor. 11:25; 2 Cor. 3:6, 14; Gal. 3:15, 17: 4:24; Eph. 2:12). One theory is that, while in Jerusalem, Paul delivered the message of Hebrews as a sermon to Roman Jews. It is further thought that when he arrived in Rome, he may have dictated the message to Luke, who polished it for publication. That it was originally a sermon is suggested by the statement "Time will fail me" (11:32), which reflects "the kind of Greek language normally used in a speech. David A. Fiensy, New Testament Introduction, exp., The College Press NIV Commentary (Joplin, MO.; College Press Publishing Co., 1994), 330. The expression "word of exhortation" (13:22) clearly means a sermon in Acts 13:15. Donald Guthrie said, "If 'word of exhortation' means here, as in Acts 13:15, a homily, it would suggest that the structure of the letter owes its origin to a sermon given on a special occasion and later adapted into letter form by the addition of personal comments at the end" (Donald Guthrie, The Letter to the Hebrews: An Introduction and Commentary. The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries [Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1983], 31). Luke's style of writing in Acts is similar to the style of Hebrews, and this suggests the possibility that Luke was Paul's amanuensis ("scribe") for Hebrews. If Hebrews was dictated by Paul in Rome, it is reasonable to believe that a copy would have remained there. If so, it would have been known in Rome for some years. However, if Clement of Rome (who wrote around A.D. 96) knew the author's identity, he did not say so. 4
Other church fathers had much to say concerning the authorship of Hebrews: - Clement of Alexandria (A.D. c. 150-c. 215), a Greek theologian, viewed the book as having been written by Paul to Hebrews in the Hebrew language and translated into Greek by Luke. Eusebius Ecclesiastical History 6.14. - Origen (A.D. c. 185-c. 254), who is viewed as the greatest theologian and biblical scholar of the early church, considered the message Paul's; but he believed that another served as the redactor. Ibid., 6.25. Origen referred to Paul as the author. - Jerome (A.D. c. 347-c. 420), translator of the Latin Scriptures (the Vulgate), was aware of doubts about Pauline authorship. Nevertheless, he said, "We must admit that the epistle written to the Hebrews is regarded as Paul's, not only by the churches of the east, but by all church writers who have from the beginning written in Greek." Jerome Letters 129.3. This translation is from Craig R. Koester, Hebrews: A Translation with Introduction and Commentary, The Anchor Bible, vol. 36 (New York: Doubleday, 2001), 27. Granting that all church fathers writing in Greek accepted Hebrews as being from Paul, it is strange that their acceptance is not given more weight. They were no doubt aware that the usage of Greek in Hebrews is not typical of Paul's writing, so they must have had other, stronger reasons for accepting Paul as the author. Objections to Pauline Authorship. William Leonard categorized the various objections to accepting a Pauline authorship of Hebrews as historical, literary, and doctrinal. William Leonard, Authorship of the Epistle to the Hebrews (Rome: Vatican Polyglot Press, 1939), 18. This scholar advocated that the "Pauline mind" was behind the writing of Hebrews. His book is a thorough study of the style and words in Hebrews. (1) Style. The difference in writing style is the standard objection. Leonard describes this stylistic problem by saying, 5
The language of the Epistle is altogether above the Pauline standard, the vocabulary being fuller..., while the sentence building is characterized by calm, artistic regularity.... The affective movement is that of a calm thinker, not of a fiery apostle. The absence of abruptness, sentence-smashing, interrogative transitions like: "Know you not," What, therefore, shall we say?" is strangely conspicuous. The rhythm has a Hellenic and rhetorical perfection such as sets Hebrews apart as a thing of special beauty. The colour of the whole is Levitical and, therefore, alien to the spirit of Paul. Ibid. The topic of Hebrews is so far different from Paul's epistles that a true stylistic comparison is difficult. The style is not far beneath the eloquence of the Book of Philemon, which is rarely denied to Paul. Besides, if it was composed as a sermon and later written down, the near poetry of the words shows that the speaker was one who knew well how to hold attention with a sermon. Thomas G. Long presented this scenario: It is almost as if the Preacher who composed Hebrews spreads out sermon notes on a pulpit somewhere, looks out at the congregation, pauses a moment in dramatic suspense, and then begins with words as graceful and rhythmical as the beat of a human heart: "Polymeros kai polytropos palai..." ("In many fragments and in many fashions in former times...," 1:1). Thomas G. Long, Hebrews, Interpretation (Louisville: John Knox Press, 1997), 4. Leonard, by evaluating Philemon and Philippians, demonstrated that Paul used words with the same roots as the unique forms in Hebrews. Leonard, 24-26. Some forms may seem to be entirely new to his vocabulary, but there is no word used in Hebrews that would have been impossible to the mind of Paul. (2) Apostleship. Another common objective is the author's granting that he was not an eyewitness of Christ as were the apostles, based on the sentence "After it was at the first spoken though the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard..." However, it is also true that Paul occasionally placed himself 6
alongside his readers. In Ephesians 2:3, for example, he classed himself with the former Ephesian sinners; but surely, as a righteous Jew, he had not conducted himself in the fashion described. It is possible, then, that this amazing document to the Hebrews was first delivered as a sermon that was prepared and presented by Paul, and then transcribed by another (probably Luke) from notes. This could have been done with Paul's approval -- or it could even have been done without his approval if it was written following his death. THE DATE The first known quotation from the book of Hebrews is from Clement of Rome in A.D. 96. James Moffatt quoted Clement of Rome to demonstrate that the late first-century author who penned a letter from the church in Rome to the church in Corinth (First Epistle of Clement) knew of the Book of Hebrews. (James Moffatt, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews [New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1924; reprint, Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1952], xiii-xiv.) Several other ideas also help narrow the date to before the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70. (1) No mention is made of the fall of Jerusalem, so the city must have been still standing. (2) The present tense is used of the work of priests, indicating, that their function was on-going at the time of the writing. All temple ministration ceased forever with the temple's destruction in A.D. 70. David A. Fiensy said, Since Hebrews omits any reference to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple - an event that would have made his argument about the abrogation of the temple worship much more forceful (see Hebrews 9 and 10 - the epistle must have been written before A.D.70... and possibly around A.D. 64. Fiensy, 325. (3) The exhortation to "go... outside the camp" (13:13) is an obvious allusion to Judaism as it related to Jerusalem. The phrase would have had significant meaning to those of Judea in view of prophecies of impending doom (based on Mt. 24; Mk. 13; Lk. 21:7-28). The observation "do not have a lasting city" (13:14) may have been an indirect reference to the approaching destruction of 7
Jerusalem. It is plainly said that the old system was about to "disappear" (8:13). Sacrifice by the high priest is spoken of as a current ritual in 13:11. The date of the writing of Hebrews, then, must precede A.D. 70. (4) The persecution mentioned in 10:32 was not likely that which occurred under Nero in Rome about A.D. 65 and afterwards. Neither does the time of the expulsion of Jews from Rome under Claudius in the early fifties A.D. seem to qualify as "the former days." The persecution in 10:32 must have been much earlier than either of these two. A date of A.D. 63-64 can be reasonably accepted, but the book may have been written closer to A.D. 70. THE RECIPIENTS Closely tied to the matter of dating the Book of Hebrews is the difficulty of determining who received it. The oldest manuscript of this New Testament book, P, Fiensy, 325. has the inscription "To the Hebrews." From about A.D. 200 on, ancient manuscripts available to us have the same title. Perhaps this title was added at the end of the second century, when the books of the New Testament canon were put into a single collection. However, there is no compelling reason to think that it was not on the original autograph, and there is no evidence that the epistle ever bore any other address. In the first century, the term "Hebrews" distinguished nativeborn Palestinian Jews from those born elsewhere (Acts 6:1). This is equivalent to the modern term for a native Israeli - "Sabra." Later, the Hebrews were called "Jews," as in the Gospel of John. However, the term in John means "one from Judea," indicating a Judean, evidently in contrast to believers in Jesus who were from Galilee. The location of the recipients of the epistle is a matter of conjecture, but some inferences can be drawn from thoughts stated in the text. Chapter 13 makes it evident that the author was well known to the readers (13:19, 23). He knew of their former sufferings (10:32) and how they had lost their goods (10:33, 34) but had not shed their own blood (as James had; 12:2) or experienced the loss of 8
those close to them. The "point of shedding blood" could refer only to the preceding generation in Judea (12:4). This fact could point to Judean Christians who were the next generation after Acts 8:1-4 and 9:1, 2, and particularly to a group of believing priests. Jewish Christians in Rome The recipients of the epistle knew Timothy personally (13:23), so the mention of him suggests to some that the letter was addressed to a Roman group. He was evidently well known among that congregation. However, he was also known to Palestinian Jews (see Acts 20:4; 21:3, 8, 15). Since Clement had a copy of Hebrews in Rome, and quoted from it, Simon J. Kistemaker proposed that the book was written to a Roman group of Christians around A.D. 80. Certainly, the Jewish Christians in Rome could have benefited greatly from its contents even though the reference to the sacrificing done at the temple would be more meaningful if written to a Judean destination. If one argues for Roman recipients, he must remember that 10:25 could refer to the persecution under Nero that was soon to come; if that is the persecution, a date of A.D. 63-64 would be required. Ibid., 325. If it was not that persecution, the letter would have to be dated in the late A.D. 80's or early 90's, shortly before the persecution under Domitian became acute. In this case, the later date would be possible for its writing and would be the date of the 80's that was suggested by Kistemaker. However, if the Roman address has not been proved, Kistemaker's argument for the late date has no basis in fact. Even he conceded that "those from Italy greet you" could be interpreted as meaning "those who are in Italy send you their greetings" (13:24). Kistemaker, 16-18. This possibility makes his defense of Roman recipients weak. If the letter was written to a Roman congregation or house church, 13:24 would have to be translated, "Those from Italy greet you" William Hendriksen, Bible Survey: A Treasury of Bible Information, 3rd. ed., rev. and enl. (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1947), 429. (NASB). Since the expression is ambiguous, it could as easily have been intended to mean, as it is 9
often translated, "they of Italy" (KJV;ASV). Brooke Foss Westcott believed "they of Italy" means that a small group from Italy was with the author whereever he was when he wrote this treatise. Brooke Foss Wescott, The Epistle to the Hebrews: The Greek Text with Notes and Essays (London: Macmillan & Co., 1889, reprint, Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1973), xliv. A Group of Converted Priests This "word of exhortation" (13:22) could well have been written to a group of converted priests (such as those of Acts 6:7). However, these recipients had begun to slide back toward Judaism in heart, which would have been a natural tendency for that body of men. An extended statement of what converted priests faced after conversion to Christ is given in Guthrie, 33-34. He described them as having become "nonentities" and assumed that they had to give up their priestly functions immediately, which is not a necessary assumption. The priestly nature of Hebrews would have been partially unintelligible to most Gentiles, even as it is to many Christians; but it would have applied directly to a band of believing priests. Its content and timing would have been of supreme importance to them - for their lives may have depended on it, as well as their souls. The particular revelation that Jesus is our "high priest" would have struck them with force (Heb. 4:15, 16; 8:1). Jerusalem and Palestine It is possible that this book was written to Christian Jews in Jerusalem and Palestine. The first to mention the recipients as being "in Jerusalem and Palestine" was Chrysostom (c. 347- c. 407) in his introduction on Hebrews. Chrysostom Homilies on the Epistle to the Hebrews Argument 2. The likelihood that the readers were from that area became more evident with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which has also led some scholars to accept the idea of a priestly group as the recipients. Possibly, a group within the Jerusalem church received the epistle since they were urged to respect their leaders and were addressed separately (13:17, 24). There is no indication that they were a mixed church of Jews and Gentiles. Westcott, xxxvi. Eusebius stated that, until the revolt under Hadrian (A.D. 132-135), the church in Jerusalem was wholly composed of Hebrews. Eusebius Ecclesiastical History 4.5. 10
Fiensy objected to the view of Palestinian recipients due to the high quality of Greek in the epistle. Greek, for the Christians of that area, would have been only "a second language and for many unknown or only crudely known." Fiensy, 326. If the recipients were priests, though, they were teachers of the people and may have been well acquainted with the intricacies of the Greek language. Besides this, reading and comprehension are more readily acquired than writing skill in another language, so they may have easily understood the epistle. Hebrew 2:3 has been used to argue that the first readers were not Judeans since they had neither heard nor seen the Lord. This could be another example of the writer's putting himself in the place of his readers, as in Ephesians 2:3. A date of A.D. 63 or 64 for Hebrews is certainly late enough in time that most of the early church leaders would have been deceased. (Notice the past tense in 13:7.) The validity of one argument for a Judean destination depends on one's interpretation of Hebrews 10:25. To be in harmony with the wording of the text and the prophecies of Jesus (Mt. 24; Mk. 13; Lk. 21), the "day drawing near" must be understood as the "day" of the suffering of thousands of Jews. This occurred along with Jerusalem's fall and the temple's destruction in A.D. 70. As a person cannot "see" his death coming if there are not physical indications of illness or injury, one cannot "see" the second coming of Christ because there are no "signs" to indicate the time. The signs given by Jesus in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 pointed to the fall of Jerusalem and not to the end of time. The signs Jesus offered in these texts, foretelling events leading up to the fall of Jerusalem, could be recognized as they were being fulfilled in A.D. 66-70. In contrast to the signs of the fall which Jesus gave, He next addressed the matter of His second coming by saying, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven,.... but the Father alone" (Mt. 24:36). There are no signs to serve as indicators of His return. Rather, all the signs named were applicable solely to the happenings which led up to and included the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. The fact that in Matthew 24 Jesus continually said "you" to the apostles indicates that they and others alive in their "generation" would see the fulfillment (24:34). This interpretation greatly enhances the meaning of the passage for 11
Judean saints, who were likely the first recipients of the letter, rather than those in Rome or elsewhere. The best conclusion, then, seems to be that this treatise was intended for Judea, where it was needed and would surely be used to remind the readers of earlier prophecies by Christ concerning the fall of Jerusalem. These admonitions would help to keep them faithful, even though they would be required to leave Jerusalem and flee for their lives as the time of Jerusalem's destruction drew near. The date of the writing appears to have been shortly before A.D. 70. The temple was still standing but was going to be passing away. The letter could surely have been directed to the region where true "Hebrews" still lived in the mid-seventh decade of the first century. F.F, Bruce noted,"... the certainty on the destination of the epistle is unattainable in the present state of our knowledge, and fortunately its exegesis is for the most part independent of this question." F.F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Hebrews, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1964), xxxv. THE CANONICITY OF THE BOOK The question of authorship in turn affects the question of canonicity, which asks, "Does Hebrews belong in the Bible? Is it truly 'Scripture'?" The epistle's place in the canon was not denied in the East during the first three centuries A.D. Eusebius (c. 263-339) placed it among the acknowledged writings, but also among the books whose inspiration was disputed. Eusebius Ecclesiastical History 3.3; 6.13. Hebrews was clearly accepted by Clement of Rome in the West canonical. One may account for his acceptance on the basis of his belief that it was written by Paul. Polycarp, also in the West, about A.D. 115, referred to Christ as "The EternalPriest." which must be an echo of Hebrews. Polycarp Epistle to the Philippians 12; quoated in William Leonard, Authorship of the Epistle to the Hebrews (Rome: Vatican Polyglot Press, 1939), 5. However, the epistle did not have a wide acceptance in the West until much later. The twenty-seven books of our New Testament were not listed officially until the Synod of Hippo in A.D. 393. 12
One may wonder why Hebrews, having been quoted from or alluded to several times by Clement of Rome, was so slow in being accepted as scripture in the West. In short, the reason was the lack of proof for apostolic authorship. If the epistle was written in Rome and sent to the East (Judea), those in Rome quickly forgot who wrote it. This may have caused it to fall into disuse after the time of Clement. Furthermore, the epistle might have been less used and appreciated by the Jews in Rome due to the fact that its contents related particularly to the Jewish religion as practiced in Judea prior to the destruction of the temple. After the passing of thirty-five years from the beginning of the church to the writing of Hebrews, and another thirty years to the writing of Clement, many early members in Rome would have been dead; by then the authorship of Hebrews could easily have been forgotten in that area. If this is what occurred, then perhaps it explains why the churches in Rome failed to give Hebrews the credibility due it, raising doubts about its canonicity. In contrast, Hebrews was well remembered in the East as Pauline in thought. Those who received a letter would most likely recall its author. Also, a treatise is easier to remember than a sermon, particularly with the treatise being continually and carefully studied. AN ADDITIONAL FUNCTION OF THE BOOK Two escapes from Jerusalem in A.D. 70 greatly affected the future of Judasim. One was Rabbi Yohannon ben Zakkai, who was carried out in a coffin and who then arranged with the Roman General Vespasian to take the lead in reorganizing Jewish practices. His work laid a foundation for rabbinical Judaism. The other escape was that of the faithful church in Jerusalem. According to Eusebius, Christians fled in fulfillment of the command of Christ (Mt. 24:15, 16; Mk. 13:14; Lk. 21:20, 21) to Pella, a Gentile city in Decapolis. These Christians escaped when, as Josephus expressed it, the Roman army departed "for no reason on the world." Josephus Wars 2.19.1. With the return of the Romans under Vespasian and Titus, the temple was destroyed and ancient Jewish ritual and worship forever perished from the world. 13
This tremendous change in the nature of Jewish worship allowed for a fuller effect of the teaching of the New Testament that the church is now the "temple of God" (Eph. 2:19-22; 1 Pet. 2:4-8). Hebrews, if written some time during A.D. 63-67, was perfectly timed to prepare Jewish Christians for the loss of their temple and all that it represented. In God's providence, this book may have served as a prophetic comfort to Jewish Christians in much the same way the Book of Revelation comforted the whole church in the face of persecution thirty years later. HEBREWS AND OLD TESTAMENT The author of Hebrews obtained his biblical quotations from the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Old Testament completed by 150 B.C. The exception is found in 10:30, which is either a paraphrase or a quotation from an edition of the Greek text of the Old Testament unknown to us today. It is the same version quoted by Paul in Romans 12:19. He viewed the whole Old Testament as the true utterances of God. Hebrews 3:7 introduces a quotation from Psalm 95:7-11 with the phrase "just as the Holy Spirit says." The writer also stated that the "Holy Spirit [was] signifying" certain things in the Old Testament (9:8). The words of Psalm 40:6-8 are attributed to the Messiah in Hebrews 10:5-7. No higher view of divine inspiration for these quotations from the Old Testament is possible. THE GENRE OF THE BOOK Hebrews is comparable to no other New Testament book; for it begins as a treatise, becomes a homily, and ends as a letter. The exception is found in 10:30, which is either a paraphrase or a quotation from an edition of the Greek text of the Old Testament unknown to us today. It is the same version quoted by Paul in Romans 12:19. James Thompson said that Hebrews is like a sermon of the ancient synagogue in style, train of thought, and method of argument. James Thompson, The Letter to the Hebrews, The Living Word Commentary (Austin, Tex.: R.B. Sweet Co., 1971), 8. 14