17. Hebrews
17. Hebrews
CONTENTS
The book begins without the salutation and the naming of writer and addressees that characterize all New Testament epistles except 1 John and that are common in epistles of the Greco-Roman period. Yet the book concludes in a typically epistolary way, with a benediction, some personal remarks, and a final farewell (Heb. 13:20-25). Moreover, judging by the specificity of the warnings and moral exhortations that punctuate the document, the writer has specific readers in mind (see 5:12; 6:10; 10:32); the natural way to take 13:22 is that the writer is referring to the entire book (though he does not actually call it an "epistle” or "letter,” despite the NIV). It seems justifiable to designate this book an epistle, 1not least because that is how it has been classified throughout most of its history in the church.
"Epistle” or "letter” in the New Testament period, however, was an extremely broad category (see chap. 7 above). The wealth of rhetorical devices in Hebrews has suggested to many (probably rightly) that this work was originally a homily or series of homilies that have been turned into the published form of a somewhat anomalous letter. 2This seems considerably more likely than the suggestion that the opening lines were somehow lost or that the present conclusion was added later—suggestions for which
there is no textual evidence. In any case, it has been shown that Hebrews 13 is integral to the work as a whole. 3
The general theme of Hebrews is not in dispute: the unqualified supremacy of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, a supremacy that brooks no challenge, whether from angelic or human beings. Correlatively, the covenant he has inaugurated is superior to any covenant that has preceded it, his priesthood is better than Levi’s, the sacrifice he has offered is superior to those offered under the Mosaic code, and in fact the very purpose of antecedent revelation was to anticipate him and point to him and to all the blessings he has brought with him. This theme of the supremacy of Christ is not the stuff of an abstract essay; its purpose is repeatedly disclosed by the paraenetic passages (Heb. 2:1-4; 3:7-4:11; 4:14-16; 5:11-6:12; 10:19-39; 12:1-13:17) designed to warn the readers not to turn back from the Christian faith to the forms of piety they once knew.
It is also widely agreed that this book has been carefully constructed. What is not agreed is the shape of that structure. Some have focused on large thematic movements, concluding that the argument for the superiority of Jesus and of the Christian faith extends from Heb. 1:1 to 10:18, after which exhortations take over (10:19-13:25). 4Most find this suggestion too undiscriminating: exhortations abound in the earlier section, and the argument continues in the later. By drawing attention to catchwords, literary inclusions, and the like, some have argued that the body of the book is nestled between an introduction (1:1-4) and a conclusion (13:20-21), to which have been added the glosses of an accompanying letter (13:19, 22-25), and that this body is made up of five chiastically arranged divisions (i.e. 1:5-2:18, the name higher than the angels; 3:1-5:10, Jesus the merciful high priest; 5:11-10:39, Jesus the high priest in the order of Melchizedek; 11:1-12:13, faith and endurance; 12:14-13:19, the peaceful fruit of righteousness). 5This has been shown to be a bit contrived; 6nor does it explain the book’s intensity, its passion. Others believe there is a lengthy prologue (1:14:13) and a lengthy epilogue (10:19-13:25), between which are two expositions of Jesus as high priest (4:14-6:20; 7:1-10:18). 7Still others appeal to rhetorical devices to justify various outlines, which vary enormously. 8Some of them, at least, are not very convincing, such as the view that the book’s structure is controlled by the paraenetic passages, which stand in parallel forms at the beginning and end of each large division (in Kummel’s scheme, 1:1-4:13; 4:14-10:31; 10:32-13:17, followed by an epistolary conclusion). But it is far from clear that the paraenetic passages should be divided up (e.g., Do Heb. 10:26-31 and 10:32-39 belong in separate divisions?), and some paraenetic passages are thereby largely ignored (e.g., 2:1-4).
Attridge rightly observes that most of the smaller units are well marked and that there is little dispute over them. 9The question is how to tie these units into the larger structure of the book. His own attempt seeks a balance between the "static organizational principles of the discourse” and its "dynamic, developmental features,” that is, the movement of thought; but the result diminishes the concrete contrasts the epistle repeatedly draws. For example, Attridge says that Heb. 1:5-2:18 presents Christ the eternal Son as the high priest whose perfected or exalted status was achieved through suffering; the comparison between Christ and the angels is merely a "superficial rubric” used to develop this theme.
In the light of continuing debates on the structure, the following summary surveys the flow of thought with as few judgments as possible on the best way to form a hierarchy of the individual units.
The exordium (Heb. 1:1-4) stresses the superiority and finality of the divine revelation that appeared in God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Verse 4 is transitional, preparing the way for the first sustained argument of the superiority of the Son: he is superior to angelic beings (1:5-14). The first warning or admonition section immediately follows: if this revelation is superior, it is desperately important not to drift away from the gospel it brings, especially when we bear in mind the terrible judgments that befell those who ignored even the earlier, lesser revelation (2:1-4). Chapter 2 briefly continues the contrast between Jesus and the angels (2:5, 9), but only to remind the readers that human destiny transcends that of the angels and that in order to bring humanity to that destiny, Jesus has identified himself with mortal, fallen human beings (2:5-18). In short, he has become their "merciful and faithful high priest in service to God” (2:17).
Before turning to the theme of high priest, however, the author shows in what way Jesus is faithful, and thereby introduces another contrast. Both Moses and Jesus were faithful in their service, but Jesus as the son of the household (Heb. 3:1-6). Mention of Moses’ service in God’s household leads to a stern warning not to fall away into unbelief, as many of Moses’ generation did (3:7-19). But this is cast in terms of an exposition of Psalm 95:7-11 (Heb. 3:7-11) and of the relation between the rest to which the psalm’s readers are invited, the rest intrinsic to entering the land of Canaan, and even the rest God enjoys from the time of the completion of his initial creative work (3:74:11). Joshua led his generation into the promised land, but the fact that later Scripture writers promise more rest proves that possession of the land cannot be the ultimate "rest.” The rest Jesus provides is superior to that of Joshua’s day and is of a piece with the "rest” of God himself. Any thought of escaping the perceptive authority of this revelation is therefore utter folly (4:12-13).
The author returns to the theme of Jesus as high priest, stressing the encouragement Christians enjoy in coming to One who is so able to sympathize with their weaknesses (Heb. 4:14-16). The same qualifications that applied to the high priests of the old covenant (5:1-4) are superlatively found in Christ (5:5-10) for our encouragement. The section ends by referring to Jesus as the "high priest in the order of Melchizedek,” but before the significance of this title is explored, the author again intrudes into the discussion a stern warning (5:11-6:20): he condemns spiritual immaturity (5:11-6:3), warns that apostates cannot be recovered (6:5-8), and encourages his readers to persevere (6:9-12) in light of the certainty of God’s promise (6:13-20). The writer then picks up the theme of the Melchizedekian priesthood (7:1-28), linking Genesis 14:18-20 and Psalm 110 so as to demonstrate the superiority of the priesthood of Melchizedek above that of Levi, and to show that Jesus belongs to the former. The crucial point to which the argument leads is the permanent efficacy of Jesus’ sacrifice. Unlike the sacrifices of the old covenant, which made nothing perfect (7:19), the sacrifice of Jesus is able "to save completely those who come to God through him” (7:25). Indeed, perfection in this epistle is essentially a matter of completion—in particular, the completion of God’s plan of salvation. 11In that light, the Levitical high priest and the old sanctuary are but shadows of the new covenant and the new high priest that the Old Testament prophets themselves foresaw (Heb. 8:1-13; Jer. 31:31-34). Indeed, the announcement of the new covenant had already in principle made the Mosaic covenant old and obsolete (Heb. 8:13). That truth leads to an exposition of the ritual of the tabernacle, especially the Day of Atonement (9:1-10), in order to show that Christ’s sacrifice achieves a permanent effect that the old sacrifices never aspired to (9:11-28). In fact, the old order was designed to be a shadow of the reality that has been introduced by the new (10:1-10). Even the enthronement of the new high priest attests the finality and permanent efficacy of his sacrificial work.
Once again there is a lengthy paraenetic section (Heb. 10:19-11:39) designed to encourage the readers to press on with their Christian profession. To turn aside is profoundly dangerous in light of the exclusive sufficiency of the new covenant. What is required is persevering faith; and this, too, has been modeled by the Scriptures (11:140). The readers must look to Jesus, the pioneer (not "author”) and perfecter of our faith (12:1-3)—the one who has both opened up the way to God and completed (or perfected) all that was necessary. In that light, any trials they face are to be borne as discipline from the loving hand of God (12:4-11); to fall away from want of persistence is to align oneself with Esau (12:12-17). Eager to draw further contrasts between the old covenant and the new in order to foster perseverance, the author sets off the heavenly Zion, to which Christians come, with the earthly Sinai of the old covenant (12:18-29), thus tightly merging biblical exposition and paraenesis.
The concluding exhortations (Heb. 13:1-17) are doubtless shaped to counter particular ways in which the readers’ incipient backsliding is in danger of manifesting itself. There are ethical injunctions to obey (13:1-6). The readers will do well both to follow the example of those who first brought them the gospel (13:7-8) and to submit to their current leaders (13:17). Intertwined with this practical encouragement is the exhortation to offer the "sacrifice of praise,” a sacrifice contrasted with the sacrifices of the old covenant, since they are fulfilled in the sacrifice of Jesus "outside the camp” (13:9-16). If this entails sharing his disgrace, so be it: the implication is that it is infinitely better to share his disgrace than to defect from his grace.
The author concludes with a request for prayer (Heb. 13:18-19), his own prayer and doxology (13:20-21), some personal notes (13:22-23), and final greetings and a benediction (13:24-25).