Getting close to the end. We've presented the content of Hebrews as a series of conversations between Apollos and Tertius. It is a fictional picture, but I don't think it's impossible. In my opinion, it's as good a guess as any specific guess could be.
The Story of Hebrews concludes...
1 -- The Setting of Hebrews
2 -- The Cast of Characters
3 -- The Context at Corinth/Ephesus (13:22-25)
4 -- Closing Clues (13:1-19)
5 -- The Main Takeaway (4:14-16; 10:25-31)
6 -- Remember the Good Times (5:11-6:2; 10:32-39)
7 -- The Impossibility of Repentance (6:3-8; 10:26-31)
8 -- The Rhetorical Strategy of Hebrews
9 -- An Eternal Priest (Hebrews 5, 7)
10 -- The New Covenant (Hebrews 8)
11 -- A Better Sacrifice and Sanctuary (Hebrews 9-10)
12 -- The Cheering Witnesses (Hebrews 11)
13 -- The Discipline of the Lord (Hebrews 12)
14 -- Celebrating the Enthroned Christ (Hebrews 1)
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1. "What is left of the sermon?" Tertius asked.
"The proposition," Apollos replied. "Near the beginning of the sermon, we want to state clearly that "Jesus was made like us in every way so that he could serve as a faithful and merciful high priest for us in order to atone for the sins of the people" (2:17-18). That's what this sermon is all about.
"That explains everything," Tertius said. "It hints that Jesus is the one who has taken care of the sins of Israel. Even though the temple is destroyed, Jesus is their true high priest."
"And Jesus has suffered unjustly like they are suffering," Apollos added. "So they can count on him to identify with their troubles."
"Many speeches start off with a narration of the situation," Tertius said. "Do you want to embed this key statement explicitly in what they are currently undergoing?"
Apollos paused for a moment.
"I want to situate it in the cosmic story," Apollos anwered. "I want to situate them in the human problem."
"In Paul's letter to the Romans, he talked about Adam versus Christ," Tertius said.
"Yes, something along those lines, but maybe without naming Adam," Apollos responded.
2. "We've just celebrated the enthroned Christ as king," Apollos continued.
"Yes, Christ the Son of God who is far more exalted than the angels who mediated the first covenant," Tertius agreed.
"First, let's pause for the first exhortation," Apollos said.
"We've talked about that," Tertius agreed. "We will alternate between teaching and preaching."
"Christ is greater than the angels, so they had better pay attention and not drift away" (2:1), Apollos added.
"Because if the word spoken through angels was serious and breaking that word brought serious consequences," Tertius started.
"Then the consequences of neglecting the word through Christ will be even worse," Apollos finished. "And to think of all the signs and wonders that confirmed it, too!"
3. "Sounds good," Tertius said. "Now the story of salvation?"
"Yes," Apollos answered. "The coming world is not going to be for the angels of the first covenant. It will be for Christ and humanity."
"Makes me think of the eighth psalm," Tertius said.
"Exactly. They will know that association of Christ enthroned with the eighth psalm. 'What is humanity that you care for them... you crowned them with glory and honor and put everything under humanity's feet."
"At least that's the way it was supposed to be with Adam and Eve," Tertius agreed.
"Sadly so," Apollos added. "We do not yet see everything under humanity's feet."
"But we see Jesus!" Tertius said triumphantly.
"He lived out the psalm!" Apollos agreed.
Apollos continued. "Let's use the word order to make it like we are investigators. We don't see all things under humanity's feet (2:8). What we see is the one having been made lower than the angels for a little while... Jesus. He lived out and fulfilled the psalm!" (2:9).
"And he was crowned with glory and honor!" Tertius said. "He tasted death for everyone."
"Yes, he tasted death so that we do not have to face death for all eternity. He destroyed the one who has the power of death--the Devil" (2:14).
"He was made like us, with blood and flesh," Tertius added. "So that he could solve our death problem" (2:14).
"There are some great words in the Psalms and Isaiah that fit here," Apollos said. "They speak of how the Christ was a brother alongside us" (Heb. 2:12; Ps. 22:22; Isa. 8:17-18).
"Jesus solved the human problem," Tertius concluded.
"Yes. He was made like us so that he could fulfill humanity's intended goal, which had been foiled by death."
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