Common Denominator: Concentrated Hebrews

Showing posts with label Concentrated Hebrews. Show all posts

Sunday, February 25, 2018

11. Conclusion to Hebrews (13:1-25)

IV. Letter Conclusion (13:1-25)

Although Hebrews was probably a short sermon or homily, it ends like a letter. The final chapter gives us just a few more tantalizing hints of the sermon's context.
13:1-6. This section has miscellaneous admonitions that might go with any letter to a body of Christians.
13:1. They should love each other.
13:2. They should show hospitality to people they do not know. Clearly the Christian love ethic not only applied to other believers but to everyone. Hospitality was a core value of the ancient world where traveling was often very dangerous. Modern Westerners are sometimes blind to this value, downplay it, or even make fun of it. But this is sheer ignorance of the ancient world. Anyone who does not hear this dimension of the Sodom/Gomorrah story in Genesis 19 or the story of the Levite and his concubine in Judges 19 is an incompetent interpreter.
The mention of angels here may actually suggest an allusion to the Sodom and Gomorrah story. It was not only Jews who believed that heavenly beings sometimes disguised themselves as human beings and walked the earth. The Baucis/Philemon story in Ovid is an example, and it is quite possible that Acts 14 involves this story. Certainly there are many stories of individuals today who have wondered if helpers who have come along under unusual circumstances might have been angels.
13:3. We hear later in the chapter that Timothy is about to be released from prison (13:23), so praying and caring for those in prison and being tortured was not just an irrelevant comment. 13:7 seems to indicate that earlier leaders of the audience had died for their faith.
13:4. Marriage is to be honored. The sexually immoral and adulterers are singled out for God's judgment. It is not entirely clear what sexual immorality is in view. The individuals in question are presumably married, so the author could refer to visiting prostitutes.
13:5. In every generation, the temptation to be materialistic or to pursue greed is always present.
13:5-6. Meanwhile, God will take care of his people. The precise wording of the quote in 13:5 is only attested elsewhere in Philo.
13:7-19 gives instruction that is more specific to the audience.
13:7 most likely suggests that some of the previous leaders of the community died for their faith, especially those who first brought the good news to them. This verse may then allude to the previous persecution mentioned in 10:32-34 and 6:10.
13:8. While it is true that Jesus is the same "yesterday, today, and forever," the point of the statement surely relates to the persecution of the previous verse. Just as Jesus stood by the audience in their previous persecution, he will stand by to help them in their current crisis and he will be with them forever.
13:9-10. These are truly curious verses, even "strange." Apparently, there is some "strange" teaching in the audience's environment that involves food. These foods seem to relate in some way to a sacrificial altar.
It is a food that someone might think "confirms the heart." One might think it refers to the food laws if it were not for the mention of foods connected to the wilderness tent. Those who serve the tent, Levitical priests, have to right to eat from Christ's table. It is probably too early for this verse to allude to the Christian Eucharist, although it is possible.
We can imagine that some strange teachings developed in synagogues after the temple was destroyed. Perhaps some Jews came to believe that atonement could only now take place in the context of synagogue meals, since the temple was not standing. Any option we come up with can only be speculative.
13:11-13 then turns the metaphor in yet another direction. First there is the image of burning the carcasses of the animals sacrificed on the Day of Atonement in the wilderness outside the camp. So Jesus' body (note the implicit dualism) was crucified and his blood shed just outside Jerusalem. The implication of the continuing metaphor is that what is a disgrace in the eyes of the city of Jerusalem, in the eyes of mainstream Judaism, is in fact an honor for the believer. Our table is not their table.
13:12. Jesus was crucified just outside what was then the walls of Jerusalem. This was the Roman practice, to make an example of insurrectionists by crucifying them on the way leading into a city. (Although the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is now within the walls of Jerusalem, the traditional location of Jesus' crucifixion was actually outside the city walls at the time.
Jesus' blood outside the camp made holy or sanctified the people--he truly cleanses sins.
13:13. So the audience is encouraged once again to despise the shame of being a Christ-follower. They are to bear the abuse of non-believing Jews. Again, perhaps synagogue pressure to conform in some way or to rely on it for atonement somehow is in mind here.
13:14. The dominance of Jerusalem in the preceding verses suggests that Jerusalem is the city that will not remain. This verse may very well be an allusion to the recent destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. The imagery connects to 11:10 and 14-16.
13:15-16. The sacrifices that believers offer instead are sacrifices of praise and the sacrifice of giving to others who are in need.
13:17. The audience is encouraged to submit to its leaders, which could be city-wide Christian elders in a city the size of Rome, if that is the destination. Pastors in all times and places would love for their congregations to heed this instruction.
13:18-19. The author himself now asks for prayers for him and others like Timothy (13:23) who are apparently in trouble with local government. The author asserts that his conscience is clear and thus that there is no legitimate reason for government to punish him. He has been with them before and asks to be restored to them. Hugh Montefiore speculated once that this could be Apollos writing to Corinth, but this is a fairly idiosyncratic position.
13:20-21. These verses are a benediction, even though they are not yet the end of the letter. God is called a God of peace, and the author has urged that the audience pursue peace (cf. 12:14).
13:20. God "brought up" or "brought again" the great shepherd of the sheep from the dead, Jesus.
13:21. By the blood of the eternal covenant God will equip the audience to do every good work so that they can do God's will, to do what is pleasing before him.
13:22-25. This is the final closing of the sermon/letter.
13:22. The author calls Hebrews a "word of exhortation," suggesting it is a homily such as might be read during a synagogue service (cf. Acts 13:15).
13:23. Here is the mention of Timothy, which suggest the author is in the Pauline circle (assuming it is the same Timothy we know from Paul's writings). Timothy is most likely to have been imprisoned at Ephesus, which suggests at least a possible point of origin for the sermon. Obviously this is far from provable.
13:24. "Those from Italy greet you." It is once again only a sliver of evidence, but there are three possibilities: 1) the author is writing Italy and has some people from Italy with him, 2) the author is in Italy and is greeting the audience from there, or 3) he is referring to some well-known Italians (Priscilla-Aquila?).
The first is the option taken most often, although it is far from certain. Why would you not mention the city you were in if you are writing from Italy? Rome fits the evidence we have in terms of past persecutions. The Western church seemed to know that Paul was not the author better than the Eastern church did. The preposition apo might slightly suggest more than the author is referring to individuals "away from" Italy.
13:25. A closing not dissimilar from Paul, a wishing of grace.

I. Sermon Introduction (1:1-2:18)
A. Exordium (1:1-4)
B. Celebration of the Enthroned Son (1:5-14)
C. Background of Salvation (2:1-18)

II. The Argument (3:1-10:18)
A. Enter into God's Rest (3:1-4:13)

B. The High Priestly Argument (4:14-10:18)
1. A Superior Priest (4:14-7:28)
a. Hold Fast (4:14-16)
b. Appointed High Priest (5:1-10)
c. Central Exhortation (5:11-6:20)
d. The Order of Melchizedek (7:1-28)
e. Superior Sanctuary and Sacrifice (8:1-10:18)

III. The Application (10:19-12:29)
A. You Need Endurance (10:19-39)
B. Witnesses of Faith (11:1-40)
C. Run the Race (12:1-29)

Saturday, February 24, 2018

10. Run the Race (12:1-29)

C. Endure God's Discipline (12:1-29)
1. The Cloud of Witnesses (12:1-2)

12:1. "Therefore," connects these verses with the examples of Hebrews 11. Given the examples of Hebrews 11, the audience should run with patience the race set before them.
If you are running a race, you do not want any extra weight. Sin weighs a person down as they run. The sin the author primarily has in mind is the sin of doubt and lack of faith about the promises of God.
12:2. Jesus is an example of faith for the audience (cf. 5:7). He was the pioneer of such faith and his faith became complete in his suffering on the cross.
Jesus disregarded the shame, another example of honor-shame language in Hebrews.
Jesus' sitting at God's right hand is another allusion to Psalm 110:1.

2. Endure God's Discipline (12:3-13)

12:3. Jesus endured hostility from sinners. So should the audience.
12:4. And they have not yet shed blood in their current crisis. William Lane argued that this comment precluded previous deaths but probably not. 13:7 probably indicates that some of their previous leaders had died in a previous persecution.
12:5-11 use the analogy of a parent disciplining a child as what God is doing to the audience. God, as the audience's father, is disciplining them. They need to learn from the discipline.
Discipline can have a couple senses. It can be punishment but it can also be training.
There does seem to be at least a little sense of punishment here, given the quote of Proverbs 3:12.
12:9. God is the Father of spirits. Although this statement is an allusion to Numbers 27:16, it is consistent with the dualistic language throughout Hebrews.
12:10. There is a hint here that parents sometimes are not good in their discipline, but God the Father is. He disciplines the audience for their good. Perhaps then there is the sense of discipline to the word here.
12:11. Here the training sense of discipline is crystal clear. Those who train bear the fruit of righteousness.
12:12-13. What is the take-away from the metaphor? The audience needs to lift its drooping hands and strengthen its weak knees.

3. The Consuming Fire (12:14-29)

The last part of the chapter climaxes with the judgment while also presenting the great hope of those who are faithful.
12:14. The audience is urged to pursue peace with everyone with whom they can be at peace.
The admonition to pursue holiness, "without which no one will see the Lord," is a classic holiness text. The author is urging them in yet another way not to sin.
12:15 is yet another way of saying not to give up. They should not fail to obtain the grace of God. They must not let a "root of bitterness" spring up.
12:16-17. This is the third warning passage and in some ways the most striking of the three.
12:16. Esau sold his birthright for a single morsel. Given 13:9, we wonder if there is something involving food that is going on in the audience's environment. It is threatening their "sonship."
Esau is said to have been sexually immoral and godless. What is important with such Old Testament references is the point Hebrews is making, not whether it is using contextual interpretation.
12:17. After he lost his birthright, Esau wanted to get the blessing of a son back but he could not find a place of repentance. He did not find a place to turn, even though he sought it diligently with tears.
There is some debate about what "it" is that Esau could not find. Both the word blessing and the word repentance match the feminine gender of the word "it" here. Repentance is closer and so is the most likely thing that Esau could not find.
12:18-24. This paragraph contrasts the mountain of the first covenant with the mountain of the second.
12:18-21 presents Mt. Sinai. Even Moses was afraid. In keeping with the holiness of the mountain, any stray animal that touched it must be stoned. This was a physical mountain--it could be touched, another hint of the sermon's dualism.
12:22-24. This is the other mountain, the heavenly Jerusalem and the true Mt. Zion of the living God. The phrase "living God" has appeared now four times (3:12, 9:14, and 10:31).
They "have arrived" at this mountain. The perfect tense is used. It is probably proleptic, meaning that it is a future destination to which their arrival is certain if they only remain faithful.
12:23. Again, the "spirits" of the righteous who have been perfected, another instance of the dualism of the letter.
12:25-29. Here is the judgment, the shaking of both skies and earth. Probably the created skies are in view rather than the highest heaven where God dwells. This is quote from Haggai 2:6.
12:27. The removal of what is shaken, since it has been created, sounds like the removal of the created realm. This would be quite an unprecedented comment, that only heaven would be left after the judgment, even though it at first glance seems to be what is being said and it fits with the dualism of the sermon. The word can also mean "transformation."
12:28. The kingdom that is coming will be an unshakable kingdom.
12:29. God is a consuming fire, perhaps an allusion to the mode of the created realm's "removal" (cf. 2 Pet. 3:12).

Thursday, February 22, 2018

9. Persist in Faith (10:19-11:40)

III. The Application (10:19-12:29)
A. You Need Endurance (10:19-39)

10:19-25 is a hinge paragraph which corresponds to 4:14-16. They both have at their core the exhortation to "hold fast to the confession" and to approach God with confidence on the basis of Christ's priestly work.
10:20. This verse is a clear indication that much of the author's heavenly sanctuary imagery is metaphorical in nature. Grammatically, the veil here is most likely Christ's flesh. The author is not thinking of Christ's flesh as an obstacle but as the entrance to the heavenly Holy of Holies.
10:22. Our hearts have been sprinkled from an evil conscience. That is, our sins have been cleansed by the blood of Christ. We have no more consciousness of their existence. Our bodies have been baptized.
10:24. Believers should spur each other on "to love and good works."
10:25. This is the central preaching text on the need to go to church. We meet together to encourage each other to keep going.
10:26-31. This is the second warning passage in Hebrews urging the audience not to turn away from Christ.
10:26. Intentional sinning, in a sense, "uses up" the sacrifice of Christ. None is left for you because you have exhausted it. Coming to Christ is once again related to getting a certain knowledge ("enlightened," 6:4).
10:27. The prospect of those who turn from God face the same future as those who never turned to him--the prospect of fire. Those whom God judges are considered here his enemies (cf. 10:13).
10:28-29. These verses are again somewhat surprising to Christians. Unlike John who pits law against grace, Hebrews makes a lesser to greater argument--if the punishment under Moses was bad, how much worse will the punishment be for those who despise the Son of God?
There is holiness and honor-shame language here: "despising," "insulting" the Spirit of grace, "considering common the blood by which sanctified."
10:30-31. The judgment of God is evoked, including the classic text from which Jonathan Edwards preached the famous sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God."
10:32-39. This is yet another passage that gives us insight into the past of the audience (cf. 6:10-11).
10:32-34. In the past, they went through a time of suffering. They were publicly shamed or were associated with those who were. Given 13:7, it seems possible that some of their leaders were martyred during that crisis. If the audience is at Rome, certainly the persecution of 64 under Nero comes to mind. Peter and Paul were also martyred at Rome under Nero, although not necessarily in conjunction with that persecution.
10:34. They had association with prisoners. Peter and Paul come to mind. Prisoners needed external support to survive in jail. The plundering of their property has sometimes been connected with the Claudian expulsion of 49, although it seems like we should pick between Nero and Claudius.
The better and remaining possession is of course the heavenly homeland of Hebrews 11:16.
10:35-39. "Therefore" suggests these verses are what the audience should now do. Here is the application. They have done admirably in the past, so they should resolve to endure now. They should not throw away their confidence.
The exhortation to endure, to have faith, to have confidence is the primary exhortation of Hebrews. Hebrews never tells the audience, "Don't go to the temple," "Don't offer sacrifices." Perhaps the temple is not even standing. The exhortation is rather positive--keep going!
10:36. Another reminder of God's promises (cf. Heb 6).
10:37-38. The author quotes/paraphrases Habakkuk 2:3-4. This is of course a key Pauline text (Rom. 1:17). Hebrews uses it a little differently than Paul does. He was building a case for justification by faith. Hebrews is talking about continuance in faithfulness.
10:39. The author has confidence that the audience will not shrink back. They are people of faith, people who keep going to preserve their souls.

B. Witnesses of Faith (11:1-40)

This is the faith chapter of the Bible! It is not just a chapter out of the blue. It fits entirely into the flow of Hebrews. You need endurance, 10:36 says. Seeing these witnesses, keep running, Hebrews 12:1-2 say. They need faith.
So the examples of faith are examples meant to encourage the audience to have faith. All of the different examples speak to the audience's need to have faith or continue in faith. They fall into a number of categories: 1) faith in what you can't see, 2) faith in God's promises, 3) faith in the right kind of sacrifice, 4) faith despite evil rulers, and 5) faith in rescue and resurrection.
11:1-3. 11:1 is not so much a definition of faith as a description of it with a special view to the situation of Hebrews. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for." This statement relates to the temporal, horizontal dimension of believing now something that has not yet happened. "Faith is the evidence of things not seen." This could also relate to the future, but might also relate to the vertical dimension of faith--seeing the heavenly beyond the earthly.
11:2 forms an inclusio with 11:39. Both have the statement, "were witnessed." This chapter thus forms a unit of thought. Witnessing is a minor theme in Hebrews, the verb appearing 8 times.
11:3 falls in the category of faith in what you cannot see. The worlds were "knit" out of things that do not appear. The visible was created out of what was invisible. It is not clear whether the author had creation out of nothing in view, although this is how we Christians read the verse today.
11:4-7. Abel, Enoch, and Noah are mentioned in this paragraph. Abel is an example of offering the right kind of sacrifice with faith. So the audience should trust in Christ's sacrifice.
11:5. Enoch did not experience death because of his faith. So it is possible the audience will be rescued from death, perhaps by being taken to heaven.
11:6 is a general statement that is a major take-away for the audience from the chapter: "Without faith, it is impossible to please God." The audience therefore needs to continue in faith. They need to believe that God will keep his promises, no matter what things may look like at present.
11:7. Noah believed in the promises of God even though they were unseen in the future.
The mention of "righteousness by faith" again confirms that the author of Hebrews stands in some relation to the Pauline circle.
11:8-22. These paragraphs relate to the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.
11:8-12. Abraham was called toward a land of promise, which his heirs were to inherit. He went in faith. The theme of alienation is present in this paragraph and the next. The audience is in a homeland that proves not to be their own.
Abraham was looking forward to a city built by God. We find out soon that this is a heavenly city (11:16). It seems that Hebrews is alluding to some earthly city here that the audience must leave metaphorically, must come to realize is not truly their city. More on this in a moment. He was in the land but not of the land.
11:11-12 talks about how Sarah conceived even though she was beyond the age of procreation. This falls in the category of God bringing back from the dead.
11:13-16. The author pauses in the middle of his examples to reflect on the heroes of faith thus far. They died without receiving the promises. Such might be the case for the audience. They were foreigners on the earth--as the audience truly is. Their homeland is not on earth but in heaven. So the audience must not think that Jerusalem or Rome on earth is their true homeland. If Jerusalem is destroyed, it was never truly their home. God himself has prepared a city in heaven.
11:17-22. Now the author resumes the examples of the patriarchs. Most of the illustrations in this paragraph have to do with coming back from the dead.
11:17-19. Abraham had faith when he offered up Isaac, believing that God could bring him back from the dead. Abraham believed God's promises, as the audience should.
11:20-22. All of these patriarchs believed that God would fulfill his promises even after their deaths. Isaac believed in the future of Jacob and Esau. Jacob believed that God would bless Joseph. Joseph believed Israel would enter the land again after his death. So the audience need not fear death. God would raise them.
11:23-28. This paragraph moves on to Moses.
11:23. In the category of not fearing the king (=Roman emperor), Moses' parents hid him.
11:24-26. Moses chose to suffer with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a time. So the audience should not hide while God's people are being persecuted.
There are advantages to going along with evil powers when they are persecuting others and you are not yet the target. I think of the famous quote from Martin Niemöller: "First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."
11:27. Again, Moses left Egypt not fearing the king's anger. He was looking toward the invisible. So the audience should not fear the Roman emperor's anger. They should have faith in the invisible.
The timing of 11:27 is contested. The Passover is mentioned next, but it was after Moses fled the first time, out of fear. 11:27 sounds more like the exodus.
11:28 may be another allusion to the better blood of Christ. And those who participate in Christ's blood need not fear the judgment either.
11:29-31. The author takes the audience to the entrance into Canaan with crossing the Red Sea, the walls of Jericho, and Rahab.
11:29. If the Egyptians are a cipher for the Romans, the audience is being told not to worry in the face of persecution.
11:30. God sometimes chooses to destroy enemies like the Romans, as happened with Jericho.
11:31. Rahab could represent Roman Christians in Rome who hide Jews or those who were in danger because of the destruction of Jerusalem.
11:32-38. The author now stops individual examples and lists by name individuals and types of faithfulness.
11:32. The masculine singular participle here suggests that the author is male.
11:32-34. Most of these examples come from Judges and the books of Samuel, although Daniel is the one whose faith shut the mouths of lions.
Sometimes God delivers now. Sometimes he delivers from death. That is a key message in these verses.
11:35. The first example is probably the son of the Shunammite woman in 1 Kings 4. The second mother trusting in the resurrection of her sons may be an allusion to 2 Maccabees 7.
11:37. There is a tradition that Isaiah was sawed in half (a work called Martyrdom of Isaiah). Is being stoned to death an allusion to Stephen? The apostle James was killed by the sword.
11:38. Is this an allusion to Elijah?
11:39-40. None of these received the promise because it was not possible until Jesus died and rose from the dead. Only then was perfection of the conscience possible. So they were commended for their faith (remember the inclusio with 11:2) but did not receive the promise.
11:40. Now that Christ has done his high priestly work, both the examples of the past and the audience in the present can be made perfect. All the rainchecks of the sacrifices of the past are now cashed in.

Saturday, February 17, 2018

8. Superior Sanctuary and Sacrifice (Hebrews 8:1-10:18)

See bottom.

2. A Superior Sacrifice and Sanctuary (8:1-10:18)

a. The Main Point (8:1-2)

Nice that Hebrews tells us what the main point of its argument is. The main point is that we have a great high priest.
Jesus is high priest in a heavenly sanctuary rather than an earthly one. There are four basic approaches to the sanctuary in Hebrews: 1) a Platonic archetype (few would accept this option even if Hebrews may use some quasi-Platonic language; 2) an actual structure (like Jewish apocalyptic literature--commands a lot of support right now although I am very unconvinced); 3) the temple of the cosmos (this comes closest to any literal referent on the part of the author; 4) a somewhat shifting metaphor (my choice).
I assume the "Lord" here is God the Father, who made all things (3:4).

b. Mediator of a New Covenant (8:3-13)

8:3. Reiterates the function of a high priest--to offer gifts and sacrifices.
8:4. If Jesus were on earth, he would not be a priest because he is not descended from Levi. He is a heavenly high priest.
8:5. This is the key verse for those who argue for a Platonic tabernacle in heaven as the archetype for the earthly sanctuary. The verse is often translated "copy" and "shadow." But the argument for "copy" is very weak. The word has the sense of an example (cf. 4:11). So the heavenly sanctuary is a "shadowy example."
Moses does make the earthly sanctuary after the "type" shown him in the mountain, but we are not told how exact a correspondence there is between heavenly pattern and earthly antitype.
It should also be mentioned that Philo mixes to together Exodus 25:40 and 25:9 together in the same exact way that Hebrews does here.
8:6. The new covenant is superior to the old covenant, and Jesus is the mediator of it.
8:7. It would be wrong to think that God only instituted the new covenant because the first covenant failed, even though one could take the verse this way. Jesus was always the plan.
8:8-12. This is the longest Old Testament quote in the New Testament. It is re-quoted in an inclusio in 10:16-17. The key points reiterated are about putting God's laws on our hearts and remembering our sins no more. This would seem to be the main points of the quote, aside from the idea of a new covenant itself.
8:13. This verse places us in the "now" and "not yet." The old is disappearing but we still are on earth. The new has started but is not yet fully here. What is sure is that the old Levitical system is disappearing. This verse does not prove that the temple is still standing because few Jews would have thought the temple was gone forever at this time. After all, it was rebuilt after the Babylonians destroyed it.

c. The Two Atonement Systems (9:1-28)

9:1-5. This paragraph contrasts with 9:6-10 by way of a "men-de" construction in Greek ("on the one hand," "on the other"). The first paragraph describes the contents of the earthly wilderness tabernacle.
9:2. Curiously, Hebrews speaks of the two rooms of the tabernacle as the "first tent" and the "second tent." Quite possibly, this language sets up the allegory the author will make in 9:6-10, where the first tent is removed to make clear the way into the second.
9:5 says that "it is not now to speak in detail." The author could mean that these items are not around any more to know in detail. Perhaps more likely, the author could say quite a bit more about the allegorical meaning of these items, but now is not the time to do so.
9:4 puts the altar of incense inside the veil, which is not its location in the Old Testament. However, if this altar relates to prayers, then the author may be signifying that prayer still relates to the new covenant.
9:6-10. This paragraph now talks about the operations of the wilderness tabernacle at their allegorical significance.
9:6-7. Regular priests went into the first tent continually. But once a year, the high priest alone went into the second tent. Here we hear an allusion once again to the "many" versus "singular" contrast of Christ with the old covenant.
9:7. "Sins committed in ignorance" is a reminder that the atonement system was not really set up for intentional sins. So the audience was "enlightened" when they came to Christ (6:4). There is no particular atonement for those who continue to sin willfully after receiving a knowledge of the truth (10:26).
9:8. Now we get the allegorical significance of the two tents, the two rooms to the tabernacle, revealed by way of the Holy Spirit. The way of the Most Holy Place, the way into God's presence, is not apparent while the first tent, the first room to the sanctuary, is still standing. The first tent seems to represent the first covenant, the Levitical system, perhaps the created realm. Perhaps it represents the "first tent" as the first tabernacle itself.
9:9. Here is the clear connection of the first room of the tent to this present age. The author also reiterates that the earthly Levitical system was not actually able to take away sins. It was not able to "perfect the conscience" of the one worshiping.
Perfection of humans in Hebrews again means to cleanse them of sin (see 10:1-2).
The conscience in Hebrews is a consciousness of sins (see 10:2-3). It is like a sin "inbox." When your conscience is cleansed or perfected in Hebrews, there are no emails in your inbox.
9:10. Hebrews connects the earthly atonement system to mere external cleansing of the body.
9:11-14. Having presented the earthly tabernacle and its operation, Hebrews now proceeds to contrast it with the priestly accomplishment of Jesus.
9:11. Jesus is a high priest of "good things that have come to be." This is in contrast to the Law, which had a "shadow of good things about to be" (10:1).
The expression, "made with hands" is used twice in this chapter (9:11, 24). 8:2 had emphasized that the Lord is the one who pitched the true tent. Also significance is the fact that the true tent is "not of this creation."
"through the greater and more perfect tent" could be spatial (he went through the outer room) but is more likely instrumental or modal (by way of the greater and more perfect tent).
9:12. This verse completes a chiasm: a) through, b) not, c) not, d) through.
The reference to heavenly "holies" does not seem to picture a two-part structure in heaven. Rather, the highest heaven itself is the heavenly Most Holy Place.
9:13. The earthly system could only cleanse the flesh, the body. But the blood of Christ is effective to purify the conscience, actually to take away sins.
9:14. Christ's offering was "through eternal spirit." It does not seem likely that the author wants us to picture Christ taking blood into heaven. Could it be that it is the nature of Christ's eternal spirit that makes his sacrifice superior?
9:15-22. This paragraph returns to a theme introduced in 8:6--Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, a covenant that is based in the promises of God.
9:15. Redemption is connected to Christ's death here. Redemption is liberation from the paying of some price or ransom. The redemption has to do with transgressions "in the first covenant." This reminds us that Christ's atonement, for Hebrews, was not meant to target sins Christians might commit going forward. It was meant for the sins of the past.
9:16-17. In these verses, Hebrews shifts from one meaning of diatheke to another. The word primarily means "covenant," but it can also mean a "will" or "testament." Paul does the same thing in Galatians 3:15. Jesus' "will" goes into effect after he dies.
9:18-21. These verses have to do with the inauguration of the two covenants. The first covenant was inaugurated with blood sacrifices.
There is some amalgamation of different Old Testament sacrifices here. For example, the red heifer and hyssop rituals had to do with skin impurities. The implication is that the many and various sacrifices under the old covenant all find their fulfillment in Christ.
9:22. Here is the bottom line. The old covenant required blood to be shed for forgiveness to take place. However, 10:4 will take away this sentiment with the other hand. Ultimately, the author of Hebrews does not believe that any Old Testament sacrifice actually took way sins. They were merely anticipations of the one offering of Christ.
9:23-28. Now the contrast. If the earthly sanctuary had to be inaugurated with sacrifices, so the new sanctuary did as well. The word "examples" (hypodeigma) is used again. It does not mean "copy" but something more like "illustration."
It is an awkward image, for surely nothing in heaven actually needs cleansed! It is perhaps another hint that the idea of a heavenly sanctuary is ultimately metaphorical. There is no literal structure in heaven that needs cleansed. We are talking about the cleansing of human consciences.
9:24. Christ did not enter a hand made sanctuary (cheiropoites again) but into heaven itself. This is an argument that entering the heavenly sanctuary is more or less the metaphorical equivalent of entering heaven.
Christ now appears before the face of God for us, a tie back to passages like 4:14-16.
9:25-26. Again, the "many versus one" theme appears, a recapitulation of verses like 7:27.
9:26. Mention of need for suffering since the foundation of the world may be hyperbole, but it shows the close association the author makes between the creation itself and the need for atonement. He is not Gnostic, but you can see how it could develop.
9:27-28. We die and then are judged. So Christ died and will have a "second coming" in judgment. The parallelism here places Jesus' offering at the time of his death. But his second coming is to bring salvation to those who are awaiting him.

d. System Replaced! (10:1-18)

These verses finish the central argument of the sermon, ending with an inclusio in 10:16-17 that recapitulates the quote of Jeremiah in Hebrews 8.
10:1. The bottom line is that the Jewish Law only had foreshadowings of the realities in Christ. However, they were not an exact image of Christ.
10:1-2. These two verses get us a fair view of what perfection means in Hebrews in relation to a human. The second verse implies that to be perfected means that sins are cleansed and there is no more sin.
10:2-3. These two verses make it clear what the conscience is for Hebrews. It is the faculty of the mind that "remembers" sins. It is closer to "consciousness" than to the popular sense of an angel and a devil on your shoulders. You might liken it to a sin inbox. It says, "You've got sin." When the conscience is cleansed, all the sin emails are deleted. You are clean.
10:4. Here is the bottom line that the sacrifices themselves in the Old Testament were not able to take away sins. Only Jesus' sacrifice is.
10:5-10. These verses indicate the complete replacement of the Levitical system.
10:5-7. This quote of Psalm 40 is taken to be a prophecy of sorts of the replacement of the Levitical system with the singular sacrifice of Christ. Jesus is pictured speaking the psalm as he comes into the world.
The text quoted here follows the Septuagint ("a body you prepared for me") versus the original Hebrew text ("my ears you have opened"). It is key evidence that the author was a Greek-speaker who did not know Hebrew.
10:8-9. Here is the midrashic interpretation. Jesus' body replaces the sacrifices of the Levitical system.
10:10. The offering of Christ's body on the cross we have been sanctified. The sanctification is complete and the sanctified state is continuing.
10:11-18. The central argument closes with recapitulation and summarization.
10:11-12. None of the sacrifices of the old covenant could actually take away sins. But Jesus is done. He has taken his seat (session) at God's right hand, another allusion to Psalm 110:1.
10:13. As he sits, Christ waits for his enemies to be made a footstool for his feet. In contrast to Hebrews 1 Corinthians 15:26 indicates that death is the last enemy. Hebrews probably has in mind the judgment (cf. 10:27).
10:14. Here is truly the bottom line of the entire theological argument of Hebrews. With one offering, Jesus has accomplished perfection, with is the sanctification of sins, their cleansing.
"Those who are being sanctified" is not talking about continual or progressive sanctification. It refers to the collection of individuals sanctified. "Here one is sanctified." "There one was sanctified." "People are being sanctified." In Hebrews, sanctification is a one time event that is to remain completed once it occurs.
10:15-17. Here is the repeat of Jeremiah 31, showing the the key point of interest, beyond the new covenant in general, is the forgiveness of sins and the writing of God's Law on the heart, presumably through the Holy Spirit.
10:15. The Holy Spirit is the one who speaks in a living way through Scripture.
10:18. Again, there is supposed to be a finality of a need for atonement and forgiveness. Once we are cleansed there should be no more sins to cleanse. The offering of Jesus takes care of it.

Wednesday, February 07, 2018

7. Concentrated Hebrews (7:1-28--Melchizedek)

See bottom for previous posts.

d. The Order of Melchizedek (7:1-28)
1. Overview

Chapter 7 resumes where 5:10 left off. Jesus is a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
The author's strategy in this central argument of Hebrews (7:1-10:18) is three fold: 1) Christ is a superior priest, 2) in a superior sanctuary, 3) offering a superior sacrifice. So there is no more need for any Levitical system at all for Jesus has not only fulfilled it. He is actually the reality to which it pointed.
The early Christians understood Psalm 110:1 as a verse about Jesus. The author of Hebrews, perhaps uniquely, understood Psalm 110:4 as about Jesus too. The author understood this verse to say that the Messiah would be a priest after the order of Melchizedek.
But what is a priest after the order of Melchizedek? This is the question that Hebrews 7 seeks to answer.
To answer this question, the author goes to the only other passage in the Old Testament (his Scriptures) where Melchizedek is mentioned, namely, Genesis 14. This is thus a kind of gezerah shewah, "catchword" argument.
There are three basic approaches to Melchizedek: 1) to see him as a Christophany, an appearance of Jesus in the Old Testament, 2) to see him as an archangel of sorts (following the possible lead of 11QMelchizedek), and 3) that Hebrews is doing midrash here, answering an exegetical question in Psalm 110:4 by interpreting the text of Genesis 14.
I favor the last option. First, there is no indication in Hebrews 7 that Jesus was Melchizedek. Rather, the Genesis text "likens" Melchizedek to Jesus. Second, if Melchizedek were an angel, surely Hebrews would say that Jesus was greater than he. Or why didn't Melchizedek provide atonement. Neither of these options seems likely.
What does seem likely is that Hebrews is using Genesis 14 to identify what a priest after the order of Melchizedek is. He is doing a midrash on the Genesis text far more than investigating the historical Melchizedek. This distinction is often lost on those who read the Bible in a pre-modern way anyway.

2. Characteristics of a Melchizedekian Priest (7:1-3)

7:1-3. These verses begin with some preliminary allegorical readings of the Genesis 14 text. What is a priest after the order of Melchizedek? If we take the name Melchizedek as an indication of what such a priest is, then a priest after the order of Melchizedek is a "king of righteousness. If you take the name of the village Salem symbolically, such a priest is a "king of peace."
7:3. With regard to Melchizedek, these seem to constitute a non in thora non in mundo argument, "if it is not in the Torah, it does not exist." This exegetical technique allows you to use the silence of the text in order to draw a conclusion.
So the Genesis text does not mention a priestly genealogy for Melchizedek. It does not mention when he started or ended serving as a priest. So, following Jewish midrash, we can conclude that a priest after the order of Melchizedek has no priestly father, mother, or genealogy. Such a person does not start or end their service according to a designated plan.
These comments are not, in my opinion, meant to suggest that the historical Melchizedek existed from eternity past to eternity future. In that sense, Melchizedek himself was not truly or fully a priest after the order of Melchizedek. Only Jesus is.
But this allegorical interpretation of the Genesis text tells us what a priest after the order of Melchizedek is. It is a priest who is not from a Levitical parentage. Most especially, it is a priest with an indestructible life who remains in office forever. Not having a beginning of days could be a reference to Christ's pre-existence.
Jerome Neyrey has argued that 7:3 would have been immediately understood to be divine language indicating that Jesus was divine. Could be, although the context seems much more focused on Jesus' genealogy.

3. The Greater Priesthood (7:4-10)

There is a simple "transitive" argument in these verses. Melchizedek was greater than Abraham. Levi was in Abraham. Therefore, Melchizedek was greater than Levi. Therefore, a priest after the order of Melchizedek is greater than a priest after the order of Aaron and Levi.
7:4. Abraham gave Melchizedek a tithe, an ancient practice and precedent for all later biblical tithes.
7:7. The one who blesses is superior to the one who is blessed.
7:8. Throughout this chapter, Jesus' never-ending priesthood is seen as the key feature that makes his priesthood superior to Levi's.

4. The Change of Law (7:11-19)

7:11. Perfection did not come through the Levitical priesthood. Human perfection in Hebrews has to do with real cleansing from sin. In Hebrews 10:1-2 we will see very clearly that perfection in this context for Hebrews has to do with taking away sins.
For the author, Psalm 110:4 points to a priesthood beyond the Levitical priesthood.
7:12. The author understands a change in priesthood to imply a change of law. In Hebrews, the author looks at the Jewish Law almost entirely from the perspective of sacrificial law. That is to say, Hebrews is not interested in the works of Law that Paul was: circumcision, food laws, sabbath observance (this is part of a cumulative argument against Pauline authorship). The Law in Hebrews almost entirely refers to sacrificial law.
Hebrews understands priesthoods to stand on the foundation of laws. So the Aaronic priesthood was based on the legitimacy of the Jewish (sacrificial) Law. Now, there is a new covenant, which serves as the basis of the Melchizedekian priesthood.
7:13-14. Here the author states the obvious. Jesus was from the tribe of Judah, not the tribe of Levi. He doesn't have the right genealogy to be an earthly priest. But as we will see he is qualified to be a heavenly one.
7:15-17. This verse is strong evidence that 7:3 is about priestly genealogy rather than eternal ontology. Jesus is qualified by his indestructible life, not his earthly parentage. Psalm 110:4 is quoted again, indicating again the kind of priest that Jesus is.
7:18-19. So the earlier sacrificial commandments are now null and void. They didn't actually work (the author will again develop this idea more fully in chapter 10). The Jewish Law did not perfect any worshiper. However, this new priesthood introduces a better hope.

4. Confirmed with an Oath (7:20-25)

7:20-21. Hebrews already emphasized the oath of Psalm 110:4. Here he does it again. God made no oath about Levitical priests, but he did about Jesus as a priest after the order of Melchizedek.
7:22. This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. This is the first time that the word covenant has been used in the sermon.
7:23-24. Here we have a "singular versus many" argument similar to the one we saw in the first two verses of the sermon. There have been many, many priests. But there is only one priest who continues forever, because he never dies. This is the fourth time the author has mentioned or alluded to Jesus never-ending priesthood.
7:25. Jesus thus remains as an atoning intercessor forever. In my opinion, Jesus' intercession in Hebrews relates predominantly to his intercession for the audience's atonement. Again we have the opportunity mentioned for the audience to draw near to God.

5. Conclusion (7:26-28)

7:26. The author generalizes in conclusion. The audience has a great high priest: holy, blameless, without stain, set apart from sinners, higher than the heavens. The last comment relates to the fact that Jesus now sits in the highest heaven at God's right hand, which is also, presumably, the heavenly Holy of Holies, which we will encounter in the next chapters.
7:27. Jesus does not need to offer a sacrifice for his own sins. He does not have sin (cf. 4:15).
You might call this comment a kind of inclusio with 5:3, bringing the high priest part of the argument to an end.
7:28. God's oath is again contrasted with the Jewish Law. Jesus as Son is mentioned again. Jesus' perfection is mentioned again (reminds us of 5:10).

I. Sermon Introduction (1:1-2:18)

A. Exordium (1:1-4)

B. Celebration of the Enthroned Son (1:5-14)
C. Background of Salvation (2:1-18)

II. The Argument (3:1-10:18)
A. Enter into God's Rest (3:1-4:13)

B. The High Priestly Argument (4:14-10:18)
1. A Superior Priest (4:14-7:28)
a. Hold Fast (4:14-16)
b. Appointed High Priest (5:1-10)

c. Central Exhortation (5:11-6:20)

Tuesday, February 06, 2018

6. Concentrated Hebrews (5:11-6:20--Central Exhortation)

See bottom for posts thus far.

c. The Central Exhortation (5:11-6:20)
1) The Warning (5:11-6:8)

5:11. Throughout Hebrews so far, the author has alternated between teaching and preaching. At 5:11 we get the most pointed warning yet to the audience, the central exhortation of the sermon.
Melchizedek is what sets it off, suggesting that the audience’s weak understanding of Jesus’ atonement stands at the center of their problem. More to come.
5:12. They have been believers for some time--should be teachers by now.
The author shames them by saying they need to go back to the ABCs of faith.
5:13. The use of milk-meat is a commonplace of ancient rhetoric (Philo, Epictetus)
6:1. They need to go on to maturity, "perfection." (not referring to an instantaneous event, however).
The author seems to suggest that the items that follow were beginning ABCs for the audience. But these are not things a Jew would have learned when coming to Christ. They are things that a Gentile would have learned when coming to Christ. This is the strongest evidence that the audience may actually be predominantly Gentile.
6:1-2. Most of these are common Jewish beliefs: repentance of sinful deeds, faith in God, resurrection, eternal judgment.
Baptisms, plural, could refer to baptism in water and in the Holy Spirit
Laying on hands was an early Christian practice of anointing and commissioning for service.
6:3-6. These are the key verses in the Bible on the issue of "second repentance." That is to say, can you return to Christ if you have fallen away?
There are four key interpretations of these verses and others like them in Hebrews (10:26; 12:16-17): a) that it means what it says (if you apostatize, you cannot return), b) that it is an idle threat that would never happen (what's the point of the threat then), c) that they had not really become Christians but only "tasted" a little (Jesus "tasted" death in 2:9 but really died), and d) they only appeared to be Christians but really weren't (if so, Hebrews doesn't know about this possibility).
The Parable of the Prodigal Son is the central passage on this topic. Anyone who longs to return can. This is true not least because it is the Holy Spirit who empowers repentance (cf. Rom. 2:4). In other words, only God allows a person to have the power to repent (6:3), a power that Wesleyans call "prevenient grace."
I have found the paradox of Schroedinger's cat helpful here. You don't know whether the cat is alive or dead until you open the box. In a sense, you don't know whether you have ever fallen away until you die. For those who endure to the end, the cat has never ultimately fallen away.
6:4-5. Various descriptions of truly coming to Christ: being enlightened, tasting of the heavenly gift, namely partaking of Holy Spirit, tasting of the powers of the coming age and the goodness of the word of God.
6:6. To abandon Christ is to crucify him all over again, exposing him to public disgrace (honor-shame language).
6:7-8. Hebrews uses a farming image of watering ground. If you keep watering but only get thorns and thistles, eventually you burn the ground.

2) The Assurance (6:9-20)

6:9. In the end, the author does not think the audience is going to fall away or that God is going to abandon the congregation.
6:10. For one, they have been noble in their faithfulness in the past--a striking invocation of merit!
6:11-12. They need to endure to the end. This section ends with an inclusio alluding back to their dullness in 5:11.
6:13-20. These verses are a "cool-down" after the very pointed exhortation of the previous verses. The author gives words of encouragement that slide back to the topic of Melchizedek in Hebrews 7.
6:13-15. Abraham is invoked as an example of how God keeps his promises, namely the promise to multiply his offspring. This is of course a key Pauline text as well. The message is that the audience can keep going knowing that God will keep his promises to them as well, the promise of Christ's return and the setting up of God's kingdom.
6:16-18. Here and in Hebrews 7, there is emphasis on God's oath. This is interesting given exhortations elsewhere in the New Testament not to make oaths (e.g., Matt. 5:33-37).
6:17-18. What are the two unchangeable things--the oath and God's unlying character? Or is it the promise and the oath?
6:18. It is impossible for God to lie. Theologically, I would simply say that God doesn't lie. God can do whatever he wants, but he will never want to lie.
6:18-19. Note the emphasis on the hope. The audience has hope. They have an anchor.
6:19-20. The chapter ends with a return to the theme of Jesus as high priest, thus getting us ready for the resumption of the central argument in chapter 7.
Jesus has gone "within the veil," foreshadowing the imagery of Hebrews 8-10.

I. Sermon Introduction (1:1-2:18)

A. Exordium (1:1-4)

Thursday, February 01, 2018

5. Concentrated Hebrews (Hebrews 4:14-5:10)

Posts thus far at the bottom.

B. A Superior Priest (4:14-7:28)
1. Hold Fast (4:14-16)

This is a hinge in Hebrews. 10:19-25 says very similar things. It is not exactly an inclusio, since 10:19 begins a new section rather than ending this one.
The common elements with 10:19-25 include 1) the exhortation for the audience to hold fast to the confession, 2) an exhortation to approach Jesus the high priest, and 3) passage through the heavens/the heavenly sanctuary.
4:15. Jesus is again said to be a high priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses (mainly our temptations).
This is the classic verse indicating that Jesus did not have sin while on earth.

2. Appointed High Priest (5:1-10)

5:1. The chapter begins by describing what a high priest is. High priests offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
5:2-3. They have mercy on those who have gone astray. Hint to the audience: Jesus is there for you as you are wavering in your faith. Earthly priests can of course identify with the sinfulness of those who come to them, which is not true of Jesus, who sympathizes with their temptation but not their sin. The earthly high priests have to offer sacrifices for themselves too.
5:4. You have to be appointed a high priest. It's not something you can run for. It's not something you can decide to do. You have to have the right lineage and be appointed.
5:5-6. These two quotes transition us from the earlier part of Hebrews that focused on Jesus as a Son to the next part which focuses on Jesus as a priest. The quotation of Psalm 2 hearkens back to Hebrews 1:5. Then the author quotes Psalm 110:4 to move to the next phase of the argument: Jesus as priest.
5:7. Jesus sounds like a priestly intercessor here, although he will not fully assume this office until after his exaltation (see 5:10). It is natural to think of the Garden of Gethsemane when you read this verse, although it is not actually mentioned.
Jesus' prayer to be saved "out of" death was heard because of his godliness. This is a reminder that the "faith of Jesus" is a model for us. Hebrews certainly means for Jesus to be a model of faith for the audience. Being saved out of death is likely a reference to Jesus' resurrection, since obviously Jesus did not escape dying.
5:8. This can be a puzzling verse. How could Jesus learn obedience? A key is to remember that the author wishes the audience to identify with Jesus here. They are the sons and daughters of God too. They are not too good to undergo suffering since Jesus himself did. He obeyed during a time of persecution, so can they.
Learning obedience refers to Jesus undergoing an event requiring obedience. It is not about him learning per se, unless perhaps the author is thinking of experiential learning. On the other hand, the author could simply be saying that Jesus obeyed.
Of course the New Testament does not teach that Jesus was omniscient while he was on earth (cf. Mark 13:32). As Christians we believe he must have remained omniscient in some sense, but he chose not to access this knowledge fully while he was on earth. I like to think that he didn't access it at all, but played it by the human rules, showing us what is possible through the Holy Spirit. If so, then the additional knowledge he did have on earth came through the Holy Spirit, just as our knowledge can.
5:9. The perfection of Jesus in Hebrews, as we saw in chapter 2, is about Jesus being fully ready to serve as our high priest, as the one who reconciles us to God, as the means of our atonement and life. He is not "locked and loaded" for salvation until after he has died, risen, and been exalted at God's right hand.
Now he is perfected. He is completed as our high priest. He is now our source of eternal salvation, if we will obey him and persist in faith.
5:10. Jesus' completion in this area, his perfection, means his full installation as a high priest after the order of Melchizedek, taking up the idea of Psalm 110:4 he mentioned a few verses earlier.
This is the occasion for another shift to exhortation, in fact the central exhortation of the letter. The theme of Mechizedek will then be picked up again in chapter 7.

Previous posts:

I. Sermon Introduction (1:1-2:18)

A. Exordium (1:1-4)

B. Celebration of the Enthroned Son (1:5-14)
C. Background of Salvation (2:1-18)

II. The Argument (3:1-10:18)
A. Enter into God's Rest (3:1-4:13)
1. A Greater Than Moses (3:1-6)
2. Hear His Voice Today (3:7-4:11)
a. Don't Harden Hearts (3:7-19)
b. Be Diligent to Enter (4:1-10)
3. The Living Word (4:11-13)

Saturday, January 27, 2018

4. Concentrated Hebrews (Hebrews 3:1-4:13)

So far in this series:

I. Sermon Introduction (1:1-2:18)

A. Exordium (1:1-4)

B. Celebration of the Enthroned Son (1:5-14)
C. Background of Salvation (2:1-18)
___________________
II. The Argument (3:1-10:18)
A. Enter into God's Rest (3:1-4:13)

1. A Greater Than Moses (3:1-6)

3:1. I would say that the argument of Hebrews proper begins here. The author will interrupt it once and twice before he gets going full steam, but the thread of the priestly argument starts here.
Jesus is called "apostle" and "high priest" of our confession. Scholars debate whether a specific confession is in mind (e.g., "Jesus is the Son of God" or "Jesus is Lord").
3:2. God "made" Jesus, often translated as "appointed."
The angels mediated the first covenant to Moses, and Hebrews 1 has declared Jesus greater than they. Now we get to Moses, the mediator of the old covenant par excellence. And we will see again that Jesus is greater than he.
3:3-6 Hebrews makes a word play on the word house. The primary meaning is "household." Moses was a servant in God's household (Num. 12:7). But Jesus was a Son. The Son in a household is more worthy than the servant.
3:4. God is the one who built everything. Interesting tension here with 1:2 and 1:10 (cf. also 2:10). I have wondered if this tension suggests that the image of Christ as agent of creation is a metonymy--Christ is God's wisdom, which God used to create the world.
3:5. Moses the servant gave witness to "the things going to be spoken." The things going to be spoken were spoken through Jesus (cf. 2:3).
3:6. We are God's household if we hold fast our confidence in what we are hoping for. Hebrews knows nothing of an eternal security. Only those who persist to the end will be part of the kingdom.

2. Hear His Voice Today (3:7-4:11)
a. Don't Harden Hearts (3:7-19)

Mentioning Moses raises the question of the wilderness generation. Israel left Egypt, but almost none of them reached the Promised Land of Canaan. The author uses this as a parable for the journey of the audience. They have left Egypt. But they will not make it to the unshakeable kingdom (12:28) unless they persist to the end.
3:14. Two verses highlight the conditional nature of their belonging to God's household and their participation in Christ. We have already seen one--3:6. The other is 3:14: "We have become and remain partakers of the Christ if indeed we hold fast the beginning of substance firm until the end." The perfect tense suggests that while they fully became partakers at some point in the past (completed action), that completed result only continues as long as they persist in faith. If they fall away like the wilderness generation, then they cease to be partakers of the Christ.
3:7. "as the Holy Spirit says." Hebrews sees Scripture as the mouthpiece of the Holy Spirit. This is not a past word but a living word directly to the audience today ("says").
3:7-11. This is a quote of Psalm 95:7-11. The psalm is of course a call to ancient Israel to persist in faith and not be like the wilderness generation before them. Hebrews appropriately reapplies it to his audience as well.
3:12. The problem of the wilderness generation was "an evil heart of unbelief." A lack of faith, in other words--a lack of faith that did not move forward to the Promised Land. The audience is also tempted not to continue through with what may lie ahead. Jesus is a sympathetic priest as he was tempted not to go forward with the crucifixion.
The author implies that the audience may be tempted to "turn away from the living God." Such a worry would especially be appropriate if they were Gentiles who had at one point worshiped dead idols. Jews would not see themselves turning away from the God of Israel.
The audience is asked to encourage each other to continue in the wilderness every day that is called "today," which is every day. The opposite course is to be hardened in the deceitfulness of sin. When we think of enjoying the "pleasures of sin for a time" (11:25), such sin could involve the pleasure of not being persecuted.
3:16. Here is the point. All this wilderness generation left Egypt under Moses. The parallel is that the audience had started in faith with Jesus. They had been enlightened (6:4). They have partaken of the Holy Spirit. They were children of God and had a birthright (12:16). They had appropriated the sacrifice of Christ for sins (10:26).
In other words, the audience were truly Christians. The fact that they had partaken of Holy Spirit (like Jesus partaking of blood and flesh in 2:14) shows they were true believers. As Paul says, they had passed through the Red Sea--through the waters of baptism (1 Cor. 10:2). The similarity between Hebrews 3 and 1 Corinthians 10 suggests to me that the author knew this text or had heard Paul or a Pauline someone make this argument.
3:17-18. But their "corpses fell in the desert." They did not make it to the Promised Land. Indeed, God swore they never would. It seems beyond question that the author is saying you can truly be a Christian and still not make it to heaven and the kingdom of God.
3:19. The reason was unbelief. It was their lack of faith. They did not persist to the end.

b. Be Diligent to Enter (4:1-10)

4:1. These verses give the second half of the argument. The "therefore" implies that what follows is a logical consequence of what has preceded. The audience should not be like the wilderness generation. They should enter God's rest.
4:2. The author hopes for a contrast in what happens to the audience. The wilderness generation did not have faith. Hopefully, they will.
4:3. We who believe enter into God's rest, into Canaan.
4:4 The author now makes a catchword argument (gezera shewa) to explain what God's rest is. Psalm 95 says that the wilderness generation would not enter God's rest. This leads the author to ask, "What is the rest of God?" His mind turns to Genesis 2:2, when God rests from creation.
4:9. The conclusion of this train of thought will come later. When we enter the rest of God, we are entering a sabbath rest. In the imagery I lean toward this being final, eschatological rest.
4:6-7. The author now plays on the timeline of the psalm. Joshua did finally lead God's people into Canaan land. But the psalmist wrote after that. So if the psalmist holds out the promise of God's rest after Joshua, there must be another rest available, the one available to the audience.
4:9-10. A sabbath-rest, a final rest remains for God's people. To enter God's rest is to stop working as God did on the seventh day. It would be easy to take this in a very Reformation way--now rely on faith rather than works. But this reading does not seem to fit Hebrews. It seems anachronistic. Even Paul does not say to stop "works." Works are never seen as bad or something to stop in Paul's writings.
So perhaps Hebrews is speaking of the eschaton, when we have finally finished our race (12:2) and can stop the effort that is required by faithfulness.

3. The Living Word (4:11-13)

4:11. These verses then conclude the section. We must be diligent to enter God's final rest. We enter it every day that is called "today," and we strive to enter it once and for all in the eschaton.
The audience does not want to fall by the same example of disbelief as the wilderness generation. The word example here (hypodeigma) is the same one used in 8:5. It seems to have the sense of a biblical precedent here, an example (or perhaps even a type) in the biblical text that points forward to something in the life of the audience or a deeper truth.
4:12-13. These verses are about the logos, the "word of God." It would again be anachronistic to take this in reference to the Bible, although theologically the Bible does contain the central words of God. There is also no clear indication that the author has Jesus in mind as the Word of God. The background here seems more in keeping with the book of Wisdom and Philo.
The word of God in Jewish speculation was the tool of God's creation and of God enacting his will in the world. In Genesis 1, God speaks and it happens. John 1 of course gives us the clearest application of logos background to Christ. In Greek Stoicism, the logos was connected to the Mind that orders all things in the universe, and in Jewish Middle Platonism, that logos became associated with God.
So the word of God enacts God's will in the world, and 4:12 seems to focus on God's will in judgment. The mention of a sword reminds us of Wisdom 18:15-16 talks about God's word leaping from heaven with a sword in judgment of the Egyptians. So the word of God in judgment of the world is living and active and has a sword that gets to the bottom of things.
4:12. The word can tell the difference between soul and spirit. Are these separable? For Philo the spirit was the "soul's soul" and thus part of the soul. It can separate the thoughts and intents of the heart. God knows our true intentions and motives.
4:13. The judgment dimension of these verses is clear both from the context, which is about enduring to the end or facing judgment. But this verse also makes it clear. We are entirely known and exposed before God. We cannot hide our hearts. Is there an allusion to the Garden of Eden?
"His word is for us." Difficult clause to translate. Some render it, "to whom we must give an account." My sense is that it is still talking about God's will in action. God's will faces us and will act on us.

Thursday, January 18, 2018

2. Concentrated Hebrews (Celebration of Son 1:5-14)

Doing notes on Hebrews as I teach a class this semester.

I. Sermon Introduction (1:1-2:18)

A. Exordium (1:1-4)

_____________________________
B. Celebration of the Enthroned Son (1:5-14)

These verses are sometimes called a "catena" or "chain" of quotations from the Old Testament.
They are structured by way of an inclusio, where words at the beginning and end of a section are similar, saying, "the stuff in the middle goes together." The inclusio are the words, "For to which of the angels did he say at some time" in 1:5 and 13. It's not exactly the same in Greek but strikingly similar.
1:5 expands on 1:4, which speaks of Jesus being given a name greater than the angels. The most logical inference from the flow is that this name is "Son," which of course is more of a title than a name.
1:5-6. The structure of these two verses is 1) quote, 2) and again, quote, 3) and again, quote.
1:5a. This verse quotes Psalm 2, which was a royal psalm but, when read canonically in a fuller sense (sensus plenior), can be taken as a messianic psalm. The king became God's son at the point of his enthronement. So also here, Jesus assumes the throne as God's Son at the time of his exaltation. This timing is supported by the use of this psalm elsewhere (e.g., Acts 13:33) and by the context of 1:3-4.
As Christians we believe that Jesus was "eternally begotten of the Father." Jesus has always been God's Son for eternity past. We can believe this fact and yet still hear how Hebrews is talking about Jesus' enthronement as another piece of the Christological puzzle.
1:5b. This is a quote from 2 Samuel 7:14. In its original context, this verse had Solomon in mind--another instance of a king of Israel being thought of as God's son. But in a fuller sense, these words certainly apply to God's greatest Son for all eternity.
1:6. The structure of the quote suggests that the "again" has to do with the fact that this is the third quote and is not talking about when God brings Jesus again into the world at the second coming.
It is tempting to think of Jesus' birth as the meaning of 1:6. "Angels we have heard on high." However, the previous two verses have been about Jesus' exaltation, and if we look at 2:5, we can argue that Hebrews speaks of the "inhabited world" in relation to the heavenly, eschatological world. For this reason, we have concluded that 1:6 is thinking about when Jesus entered heaven after accomplishing atonement. The angels of heaven bow down when Jesus is enthroned in heaven as he sits at God's right hand.
If you look at Deuteronomy 32:43, you will be puzzled. It reads, "Rejoice you nations... for he will avenge the blood of his servants." Here is one of several indications that the author is a Greek-speaker rather than someone who read the Bible in Hebrew or Aramaic (a minor argument against Paul as author). The Septuagint here reads, "Rejoice, heavens, and let all the sons of God worship him." "Sons of God" is a way of referring to the angels. So the author seems to be following some Greek version of Deuteronomy here. Of course, the Dead Sea Scrolls read, "let all the gods worship him," so there could have been an earlier Hebrew version in play as well.
1:7-12. In Greek, these verses are structured by way of a "men-de" construction. This is an "on the one hand-on the other" type of construction. Thus, 1:7 about the angels is meant to contrast with 1:8-12 about Jesus.
1:7. In light of the contrasts that follow, the main point of this quote (Psalm 104:4) would seem to be that angels are transitory and relate to the creation. The author of Hebrews has flipped the sense of the verse, which originally was, "He makes the winds his messengers..."
1:8-9. The main point of this quote from Psalm 45:6-7 is that, unlike the angels, who are servants whose role is transitory, Jesus is the divine king whose throne is forever.
The original psalm was a wedding psalm. The earthly king of Judah is called "God" in a metaphorical sense in Psalm 45, in keeping with the connection between kings and God we have seen in the other quotes. His bride comes out to meet him, along with her virgin companions, and there is hope for children.
Jesus is also anointed from among his companions, the brothers (and sisters) of Hebrews 2:11-13. Notice that the quote makes a distinction between Jesus as God and God the Father as Jesus' God: "God, your God."
1:10-12. This quote contrasts with the transitory ministry of the angels and their connection with the earthly. Meanwhile, Jesus grounds the creation. Remember 1:2 has already said that Christ is the one "through whom God made the worlds." The angels meanwhile are associated with winds and flames.
The creation will become old. God will one day wrap it up like a garment. But the years of Jesus as God's Son and as the Lord will never come to an end. His role is eternal. That of the angels is about to change.
1:13. The catena ends with a quote from Psalm 110:1, a key verse behind Hebrews. It is the exaltation to God's right hand verse, one that may have been highly generative in the early church as God helped them understand the resurrection.
1:14. We have here a clear sense of how Hebrews understands the role of angels in God's plan. They are ministering spirits to humans and the earth in the former age until salvation is fully here. After that, we humans will no longer need their ministry, and they can spend all their time worshiping God with us in the heavenly Jerusalem (12:22).

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

3. Concentrated Hebrews (2:1-18)

So far in this series:

I. Sermon Introduction (1:1-2:18)

A. Exordium (1:1-4)

B. Celebration of the Enthroned Son (1:5-14)

_____________________________
C. Background of Salvation (2:1-18)
1. exhortation interruption 1 (2:1-4)

2:1-4 is an interruption of the flow of teaching (the exposition) with a warning to the audience (exhortation). Hebrews regularly alternates between teaching and preaching. This helps keep the attention of the audience.
2:2-3. The argument is a "lesser to greater" argument (also known as a qal wahomer argument in Hebrew or an a minore ad minore argument in Latin, also an a fortiori argument). The sense is that if you were punished for disobeying the old covenant, you will really be punished for ignoring the new one.
This goes against the Protestant sensibilities of many. This is not "in the new covenant we get away with things we didn't get away with in the old." Rather, the sense is that we should be much more careful in the new than the old, because the stakes are higher. The punishment for disobeying the new covenant--for the people of God--is even greater than the punishment was for Israel in the old covenant.
2:2. The idea that angels mediated the Law to Moses is mentioned three times in the New Testament (here, Acts 7:53; Gal. 3:19).
2:3. This verse does not sound like Paul. Paul typically argued that he received his revelation directly from the Lord and that he was a first tier apostle. This verse seems to put the author in a second tier.
2:4. We remember that miracles, signs, and wonders were a regular feature of the early church.

2. the story of salvation

2:5-18 gives us the logic of salvation, the background to the subsequent argument, a general sense of why atonement was necessary.
2:5-9 seems to have the following train of thought: 1) God created humanity to have glory and honor in the creation but 2) humanity does not have this status--all things are not under its feet. The reason for this fact may be found in Romans 3:23--"All have sinned and are lacking the glory of God." 3) Therefore Jesus became human to fulfill this destiny. 4) Having suffered death for everyone, he can finally lead humanity to glory.
The logic of these verses seems to match the inner logic of Paul, perhaps suggesting that the author of Hebrews had some connection to the Pauline circle. The mention of Timothy in 13:23 may support this sense.
2:5. Some take these verses purely Christologically--solely in reference to Jesus. However, the inner logic, not to mention the original meaning of Psalm 8, suggests that humanity in general is first in view. This fact implies that humans will rule in the coming age alongside Jesus and that they will be superior to angels like Christ.
2:9. Jesus tasted death potentially for everyone. This seems to connect with the fact that Jesus has defeated the Devil, the one with the power of death (2:14).
2:10-13. These verses indicate the solidarity of Jesus with humanity, another indication that humanity has been in view with the quoting of Psalm 8.
2:10. The perfection of Jesus in Hebrews has to do with him being made complete in relation to his ability to function as a priest and sacrifice. He is "locked and loaded" to bring atonement through his suffering.
God is the one for whom and through whom all things exist.
2:11. Jesus sanctifies. He sanctifies, which has a sense here of purifying and cleansing, through his blood.
2:12. This verse quotes Psalm 22, which was a highly generative psalm for the earliest Christians, likely having been quoted by Jesus from the cross. We are not surprised then that the author of Hebrews heard verse 22 on the lips of Jesus.
2:13. A key take-away here is that Jesus had faith in God just as we are to put faith in him.
2:14. This is Hebrews' incarnation verse. Jesus took on blood and flesh.
This is the Christus Victor angle on atonement. Jesus defeated the Devil with his death.
There may be a "last Adam" logic in the background here like Romans 5. Death entered the world through Adam. Jesus frees us from death.
2:16 is a curious verse that makes us think back to Hebrews 1. Were some in the audience suggesting that Jesus had come as an angel? Are there hints of early Gnosticism here or the precedents of Gnosticism? Were some of the audience worshiping angels as in one interpretation of Colossians 2:18 (not mine, actually)? At the very least, Hebrews associates angels with the administration of the old covenant. I am open to the possibility that the church was experiencing some rumblings of an angel Christology.
"Seed of Abraham" probably includes Gentiles here. Otherwise Hebrews would seem to exclude Gentiles from salvation. This suggests a time after Paul when this question was no longer much in play--at least not for the author and audience. Earlier, Paul has to argue that Gentiles are part of the seed of Abraham (Rom. 4:16). Hebrews assumes it. So once again, we have a connection to Paul but seemingly an extension of Paul, post-Pauline situation. I think it is a minor data point toward a Gentile audience--that Gentiles can be included and assumed to be in the seed of Abraham without comment or argument.
2:17-18. These may very well be the key verses of Hebrews. It is also the first mention of Jesus as high priest in the sermon.
These verses imply that Jesus was fully human. He identifies with human suffering and temptation. We therefore have a priest who sympathizes with us.

Monday, January 15, 2018

1. Concentrated Hebrews (1:1-4)

A couple months back I blogged my study notes on Romans. Who knows? I may self-publish them as a study Bible someday. These notes relate to the content I teach in relation to the book.

This semester I'm teaching Hebrews and General Epistles. So here is the beginning of concentrated notes on Hebrews.
________________________
1. Hebrews 1:1-4

Hebrews does not begin like a letter. It does not tell us its author or audience. In fact, Hebrews has numerous uncertainties: 1) unknown author, 2) uncertain destination, 3) uncertain ethnicity of recipients, 4) unknown point of origin, 4) uncertain date, 5) debated reasons for writing.
A majority of Hebrews experts are comfortable with a sense that this document is a "sent sermon," that is, a sermon that was sent to its destination as a letter.
These verses are the introduction to the sermon, sometimes called the "exordium" or the "proemium" of Hebrews.
They are one sentence in Greek, one of the most beautiful Greek sentences in the New Testament. The style is generally called a "periodic" style for its balance and beauty.
1:1-2. The first few words use the same letter in Greek five times (p sound), a literary feature known as "assonance."
The first two verses divide up all of history into two ages. "Formerly" and "these last days." Formerly, God spoke to the fathers through the prophets. In these last days, God has spoken to us through a Son. In the former age, God spoke in many and various ways. In these last days, God spoke in one way--through his Son.
"The last days" is a category of the prophets, especially Jeremiah. We are meant to connect this phrase to the age of the new covenant as in Jeremiah 31, which is quoted in Hebrews 8.
The term, "Son" is a royal term in addition to being a familial term. The primary sense of Jesus' sonship in Hebrews 1 is that of king, "Son of God," as well as heir.
Jesus stands at the beginning and end of history. He is the heir of all things at the end of history, but he is also the one "through whom God made the worlds." Given that Hebrews more typically speaks of God as creator (2:10; 3:4; 11:3). This suggests that 1:2 is speaking somewhat metaphorically of Jesus as creator, probably likening him to God's wisdom (see verse 3).
1:3. Some might suggest this material as hymnic or brought in from somewhere else because of the formulaic "who" followed by poetic statements about Jesus. However, it is also possible that the author himself composed it.
It seems certain that the author was male because of the masculine singular participle in 11:32.
Jesus is the "reflection of glory" and "stamp of substance." The second item is passive (stamp) suggesting the first is "reflection" rather than "radiance." The first statement is likely an allusion to Wisdom 7:26, where it also arguably has a sense of reflection. The fact that Wisdom 7:26 is talking about God's wisdom supports the sense that 1:2 has God's wisdom as the agent of creation in view.
"bringing all things by the word of his power" may be an allusion to the logos, also an agent of creation in Jewish logos speculation. "Bringing" may have a sense of new creation.
"he sat on the right hand of Majesty" - an allusion to Psalm 110:1 and Jesus' "session" at God's right hand when he had finished his atoning work, "having made a purification for sins."
1:4. "having become greater than the angels." Jesus became lower than the angels for a little while (2:9) when he "partook of blood and flesh" (2:14). Now that he has accomplished atonement, he has been exalted above them.
He as much greater than the angels as his inherited name. This inherited title would seem to be "Son," as we will see in the next verse (1:5). It is the title of a king.

Common Denominator

Sunday, February 25, 2018

11. Conclusion to Hebrews (13:1-25)

Saturday, February 24, 2018

10. Run the Race (12:1-29)

Thursday, February 22, 2018

9. Persist in Faith (10:19-11:40)

Saturday, February 17, 2018

8. Superior Sanctuary and Sacrifice (Hebrews 8:1-10:18)

Wednesday, February 07, 2018

7. Concentrated Hebrews (7:1-28--Melchizedek)

Tuesday, February 06, 2018

6. Concentrated Hebrews (5:11-6:20--Central Exhortation)

Thursday, February 01, 2018

5. Concentrated Hebrews (Hebrews 4:14-5:10)

Saturday, January 27, 2018

4. Concentrated Hebrews (Hebrews 3:1-4:13)

Thursday, January 18, 2018

2. Concentrated Hebrews (Celebration of Son 1:5-14)

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

3. Concentrated Hebrews (2:1-18)

Monday, January 15, 2018

1. Concentrated Hebrews (1:1-4)

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