Lessons From The Back Of The Book

Hebrews 13:1-25Hebrews is…

1. A letter… 13:24; 13:20-21

2. To a specific congregation… 13:18

3. With specific problems… 10:32-34; 12:4

4. With exhortation… 13:22

5. With warning… 13:7-9

6. With doctrinal significance… 13:9,10

To Whom Was Hebrews Written?To Whom Was Hebrews Written?1. Evidenced by the title.

2. Confirmed by the content.

Where Did They Live?Where Did They Live?

“How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard?”

~ Heb. 2:3

“For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints”

~ Heb. 6:10

“Greet all of your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you”

~ Heb. 13:24

When Was Hebrews Written?When Was Hebrews Written?

1. “Who serve the tabernacle” (13:10)

2. “Whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear” (8:13).

3. “The day drawing near” (10:27)

64 – 68 AD ?

64 – 68 AD ?

Who Wrote The Book Of Hebrews?Who Wrote The Book Of Hebrews?(Testimony of early Christian writers

toward Pauline authorship was mixed!)(Testimony of early Christian writers

toward Pauline authorship was mixed!)

East (accepted)

Pantaenus – 180 ADClement – 190 AD

West (rejected)

Irenaeus – 180 ADHipploytus – 220 ADCyprian – 258 AD

• Tertullian (200 AD), bishop of Hippo, ascribed authorship to Barnabas.

• Augustine (430 AD), bishop of Hippo, turned Western opinion back toward Pauline authorship.

The Interesting Testimony Of OrigenThe Interesting Testimony Of Origen

“But possibly some one pressed with this argument will have recourse to the opinion of those who reject this epistle as not written by Paul. In answer to such an one, we intend to write a separate discourse, to show that the epistle is Paul’s.”“If then, any church receives this epistle as coming from Paul, let it be commended for this; for it is not without reason that the ancients have handed it down as Paul’s. But who wrote the epistle, God only knows certainly. But the account has come down to us is various; some saying… Clement… others Luke.”

Three Main Objections To Pauline Authorship

Three Main Objections To Pauline Authorship

1. “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand, and this is a distinguishing mark in every letter; this is the way I write” ~ 2 Thess. 3:17

2. “…the gospel which was preached by me is not according to main 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ” (Gal. 1:11-12; cf. Heb. 2:3-4).

3. The dissimilarity in tone and content between Hebrews and other letters we know are from Paul’s pen.

What We KNOW About The Author

What We KNOW About The Author1. He was a Jew.

2. He habitually used the LXX.

3. He used excellent Greek.

4. He was familiar with his readers.

5. He was NOT one of the original Twelve.

6. He was acquainted with Timothy.

Why Was Hebrews Written?

Why Was Hebrews Written?“For this reason we must pay much

closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard,”

~ Heb. 2:1-3

“For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard,”

~ Heb. 2:1-3

“There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. 11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall through following the same example of disobedience.”

~ Heb. 3:9-11

The Style of Hebrews?The Style of Hebrews?

1. “polumeros kai polutropos palai ho theos lalesas tois patrasin en tois prophetais” (1:1).

2. “apetor, ametor, agenealogetos” (7:3)

3. “apokeitai tois anthropois (h)apax apothanein” (9:27)

The Vocabulary of Hebrews?

The Vocabulary of Hebrews?

1. Its language is saturated with Old Testament terminology.

2. It is the language or ritual and ceremony.

3. It is the language of comparison and analogy.

Christ: The Center of the Message

Christ: The Center of the Message

Chapters 1-6: The Word of God – Who Christ Is

Chapters 7-10: The Work of God – What Christ Does

Chapters 11-13: The Word of God – Conclusion

Christ: The Lasting Message

Christ: The Lasting Message“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of

witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.

~ Heb. 12:1-3

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.

~ Heb. 12:1-3