Hebrews
Author: Anonymous
An unnamed author writes to believers under pressure to turn back, arguing that Jesus is the better priest of a better covenant.
Outline
The Son (1–2)
God has spoken by his Son, who is greater than the angels and who tasted death for everyone.
A priest like Melchizedek (3–7)
Jesus is greater than Moses, and his priesthood, after the order of Melchizedek, does not pass to another.
A better covenant (8–10)
The old sacrifices could not perfect the conscience, and Christ’s one offering does.
Faith and the city to come (11–13)
The elders obtained a good report by faith, and the readers are told not to refuse the one who speaks.
Key verses
Hebrews 1:1–2
God, who spoke in time past by the prophets, has in these last days spoken by his Son.
Hebrews 4:14–16
A great high priest who was tempted and did not sin invites believers to come boldly for mercy.
Hebrews 11:1
Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews does not name its author, and it does not name its readers in a greeting the way Paul’s letters do. What it does name is a danger. The people addressed have endured a great fight of afflictions. They were made a gazingstock. They took joyfully the spoiling of their goods. Some are now dull of hearing, in danger of drifting, of drawing back, of going back to a form of worship the letter insists cannot be repeated as if Christ had not come. The book is a sermon in writing. It quotes the scriptures of Israel on almost every page, and it reads them as words God is still speaking.
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds. The Son is the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person, and he upholds all things by the word of his power. When he had by himself purged our sins, he sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high, being made so much better than the angels. The first two chapters press that comparison with quotations from the psalms and the law. The Son is worshiped. The angels are ministers. The world to come is not put in subjection to them. It is man, and specifically Jesus, made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, who tastes death for every man. He is not ashamed to call them brethren. Because he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to succor those who are tempted.
The comparison moves to Moses and to the priesthood. Moses was faithful in all his house as a servant. Christ is faithful as a son over his own house, and the readers are that house if they hold fast. Psalm 95 is quoted at length. Today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. The generation that came out of Egypt did not enter the rest because of unbelief. There remains a rest for the people of God. The word of God is quick and powerful. Seeing then that we have a great high priest who is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace. Every high priest is taken from among men. Christ did not glorify himself to be made a high priest. He is a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. That order is older than Levi, and Abraham paid tithes to it. The law made nothing perfect. The bringing in of a better hope did. Jesus is made a surety of a better testament. He is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens. He does not need to offer daily sacrifices. This he did once, when he offered up himself.
The covenant chapter quotes Jeremiah. The Lord will make a new covenant and will remember their sins no more. Christ entered once by his own blood and obtained eternal redemption. By one offering he has perfected for ever those who are sanctified. There remains no more sacrifice for sins if that one is refused.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The elders obtained a good report through faith and did not receive the promise, God having provided some better thing for us. Look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who endured the cross. You are come to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant. See that you refuse not him that speaks. Hebrews is the case that Jesus is not an addition to the old worship. He is the speech of God, the priest, the offering, and the reason not to draw back.