Introduction to Hebrews Jesus is Greater I grew up in California s Mother Lode Country, a strip of land on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains that was rich in gold and silver, and set off the famous California gold rush when some nuggets were discovered at Sutter s mill in the south fork of the American River in 1848. We lived just a few miles from Sutter s mill, and so I became familiar with the lore and the lure of gold mining at an early age. When I was a kid my favorite thing to do was to explore some of the abandoned mines that dotted the hillsides and canyons around our community. My brothers and friends and I used to spend hours scouring these tunnels, searching for hidden crevices where a hapless miner might have stashed his treasure, or a vein of gold that might have been overlooked a century before. For most of this coming year, we are going to be going on a mining expedition together. We re going to be burrowing into the book of Hebrews and attempting to extract the treasures of truth that are found in it. And there are many, believe me. In fact, verse 3 of chapter 1 is one of the biggest Christological nuggets in all of Scripture, and I can t wait until next week to preach on it. But because I have a reduced amount of time to teach this morning (due to our missionary report), and because the first few verses of Hebrews are some of the most theologically profound in the entire Bible and need all the time I can give to them, I am going to use my limited time to introduce the book of Hebrews to you, and then tell you how we are going to mine its riches each week. The first question some of you might ask is Why Hebrews? Of all the choices in Scripture, why would we want to spend such a concentrated amount of time exploring a book that is so theologically complex and controversial, a book that has so many Old Testament quotations and allusions? A book that delves so deeply into the Levitical priesthood, the Tabernacle, and the Jewish sacrificial system (which has become obsolete)? A book that devotes an entire chapter to an ancient and mysterious figure by the name of Melchizedek? And, perhaps most of all, a book that has some very unsettling warning passages that seem to contradict assurances and promises that are given elsewhere in the New Testament, warnings that suggest that believers can fall away from Christ and be lost forever? Those are valid questions. I grew up hearing that Hebrews was a commentary on the Book of Leviticus. That is not exactly an incentive for wanting to study Hebrews. So why are we doing it? Besides the fact that All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17 NASB), let me quote a scholar who has devoted a significant amount of time studying Hebrews and written extensively on it. Hebrews is a magnificent New Testament document. It is carefully constructed and beautifully written, theologically profound and powerfully argued. It challenges our understanding of reality and makes us ponder a world in which the unseen is more real, more powerful, and more attractive than that which can be seen and touched and counted. The letter that portrays Jesus as Son of God and great high priest, who is both human and
divine, the crucified and exalted one, also makes stringent demands on its readers in relation to Christian discipleship. It summons believers, just as it did the first listeners, to unqualified commitment, unflagging perseverance and a willingness to suffer for one s faith (O Brien, Letter to the Hebrews, 1). As we study the book of Hebrews I assure you that our minds are going to be stretched, our theology will be challenged, and our complacency, if we have it, will be confronted. But we will also, I trust, gain a deeper love and appreciation for God s redemptive plans and purposes, and particularly how it was finally and perfectly completed by His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. I also hope we will mature in our obedience to the Lord and in our love and devotion to Him. I want to address a few introductory matters that I think might be helpful in our understanding. First, Hebrews is one of the few books in the Bible in which there is uncertainty about who wrote the book, when it was written, and precisely to whom. And while recent scholarship has helped to shed some light on these issues, none of these questions can still be answered with absolute certainty. For example, unlike other letters written in the New Testament, Hebrews does not begin with a salutation that identifies its author. He clearly knew his audience, and they knew him, because he said he longed to be reunited with them (13:19), but any identifying information, if there ever was any, has been lost since the first century. Early church Fathers were divided over who wrote Hebrews. Some said it was Paul, or at least one of his associates. But most concluded that the style of Greek was so different than Paul s, as is the book s content and method of argument, that it couldn t possibly be him. What s more, there is a verse in Hebrews (2:3) that says the author received the gospel indirectly, that he was not himself an eyewitness of Jesus, and Paul was emphatic that he was an eyewitness of Jesus and received the gospel directly from the Lord (Gal. 1:11-17). There have been a number of suggestions over the centuries as to who could have written Hebrews. Luke, Barnabas, Apollos, Silas, Timothy, to name a few. But the evidences for any of these is so thin that they are little more than guesses, especially because there are few if any writing samples from any of them with which we can compare styles and content. It is simply best to acknowledge that we don t know who the author is, and that we will happily find out when we get to heaven. What about the audience? Most of us have taken for granted that the audience of this book are Jewish Christians, since it is called Hebrews. But that title was added at least 50 years after the book was written. Though there has been some spirited debate, especially in the last few decades, most scholars believe it was, indeed, written to Jewish Christians, because of the many Old Testament quotations and allusions, which presupposed considerable familiarity with the Levitical and sacrificial system. The author s reference to elementary teachings in 6:1 also presupposes a background in Judaism, as does his ongoing insistence that the old covenant has given way to the new, and, therefore, it would be absolutely futile to return to the old covenant. Something else that may interest you about Hebrews. It is more like a sermon than a letter. Throughout the book the author uses the language of speaking and hearing instead of writing and reading. He says, for example, We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you have become reluctant listeners (5:11). He also says, Even though we speak like this (6:9), and, Now the main point of what we are
saying (8:11); and what more shall I say? (11:32). The point is, Hebrews was meant to first be heard as a discourse, and then seen as a text, presumably read aloud over and over to a congregation. Finally, by way of introduction, it is sometimes helpful to identify the main idea or central theme of a book while you are studying it. For me, the best way to do that is to condense that theme into as concise a statement as possible. And so I ve attempted to do that here: Since Jesus is the exalted Son of God and the high priest who provides full cleansing from sin and open access to God, Christians can and must hold firmly to their faith in spite of adversity. I will probably be tweaking this just a bit as we proceed in our study, but if indeed this is an accurate summary of Hebrews central theme or main idea, then you will hear me refer to it frequently throughout this series. I d like to take a few minutes and explain to you how we will be going on this mining expedition in the Book of Hebrews each week, and I want to do that by introducing you to a couple of words that might be unfamiliar to some of you, but that, I think, are important words and ones that you may want to know and be able to explain. The first word is exegesis. Exegesis is the work of a careful Bible teacher, a teacher that works hard to accurately interpret the Scriptures. Exegesis means to draw the meaning out of the text. It would be comparable to the work of a miner who is digging underground trying to extract precious metals or jewels or minerals that are hidden in the earth. An exegetical preacher or teacher draws the meaning out of the text, allows the text to speak for itself, rather than imposing his/her biases, presuppositions, opinions, etc. into the passage. And the way an exegetical preacher or teacher does this is by applying all the rules of biblical interpretation (hermeneutics) when he/she studies a passage looking at it in its context, grammar, literary genre, identifying and studying key words, seeing what historical or cultural factors might influence the meaning of the passage, etc. This is in contrast to eisogesis, which means to insert meaning into the text. Eisogesis is the cardinal sin of a Bible teacher. Because someone who practices eisogesis essentially makes the text say what he/she wants it to say. Or they have something they want to say and then collect a few Scriptures that they think support what they ve said (we call that proof texting). That brings me to the other word that I d like you to be familiar with: Expository preaching and teaching (Some call it expositional). It is a synonym for exegetical preaching and teaching, but it is a more commonly used and understood term. Let me give you as simple a definition as I can. Expository preaching accurately interprets the original meaning of the biblical text and explains its central application to the contemporary audience. This is what I do, this is what Dan and Michael and Jan and Greg do, this is what ELLS International is all about we teach pastors in developing countries how to become expository preachers and teachers. This is a conviction we have. You say, Fine, but why do you feel a need to explain this? Here s why this is important for you, not just as a part of the body of Christ at EBC, but when you listen to sermons on the radio, or television, or when you are visiting another church. This kind of preaching and teaching is the basis for the teacher s trustworthiness as a spokesperson for God. Here s why: You can be sure that the teacher is not just
giving his opinions, or proceeding from his own agenda, or shooting from the hip. The teacher has done the necessary hard work, the due diligence, so that you can be reasonably certain that you are hearing from God when the teacher is teaching. Because expositional preaching and teaching is carefully examining a passage in its context, and drawing the meaning out of the text, not inserting meaning into the text. The last thing I want to do this morning is talk for a few moments about how you can get the most out of this series in Hebrews. First, I want to encourage you to read through the entire book this week all thirteen chapters. That s less than two chapters a day. Better yet, read it all in one sitting it will probably take you less than an hour. Get the flow of the book, become familiar with the language, the themes, the theology, the exhortations, the patterns, the images, the style of the author. Then, before you come each Sunday find out what passage I m going to be preaching on, and read it three or four times during the week before you get here (I have my preaching calendar planned through August, and I d be happy to share that with you just keep in mind that it will be revised numerous times). Try to identify the main idea of that passage, the key words, and the central application. Here s something else that you might want to consider doing. Identify some key passages and memorize them. They could be passages about the nature of Christ (Christological); they could be passages about salvation (soteriological); it could be the passage about faith (Heb. 11), or about God s discipline (Heb. 12). Thirty five years ago this month I started to memorize the book of Hebrews in preparation for a class I was taking at Biola beginning in February, and I memorized the first seven chapters. I cannot tell you how helpful that has been to me over the years. Finally, if you are not involved in a Family Life Group, please use the application questions on the back of the outline to consider ways to apply what the Lord is teaching us. Remember, truth is transformational. It is God s intention that we become more and more conformed to the image of Christ, and He wants to use His Word as one of the means to do that.
Why study Hebrews? PASTOR STAN MYERS JANUARY 17, 2016 Introduction to Hebrews Pertinent issues to understanding Hebrews Author Date Occasion and purpose Central theme Since Jesus is the exalted Son of God and the high priest who provides full cleansing from sin and open access to God, Christians can and must hold firmly to their faith in spite of adversity Approach to our study of Hebrews Exegesis vs. Eisogesis Expositional preaching/teaching Expository preaching accurately explains the original meaning of the biblical text and its central application to the contemporary audience Getting the most out of this series
Family Life Groups Sermon Discussion Questions
Introduction to Hebrews 1. As Emmanuel Bible Church prepares to embark on a year-long study of Hebrews, it is God s intention that each of us be transformed by the truth in this book. Discuss some ways that you and your family members can cooperate with the Holy Spirit to get the very most out of Hebrews? 2. Are there any things currently distracting you from hearing what God wants to say to you when his Word is being taught on Sunday mornings? If so, what are they and how can you remove those distractions? 3. Is there anything you can do to prepare to be a better listener to God s Word?