Epistle to the Hebrews

The "Epistle" to the "Hebrews"
by Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D.

The 19th book of the New Testament is usually called "The Epistle (or Letter) to the Hebrews." However, its form or genre is not really like an ancient letter (except for the ending), but more like a treatise and a homily (a sermon based on scripture). Moreover, it does not explicitly address any "Hebrews" (a title not attached until the second century). Nonetheless, the composition commonly known as "To the Hebrews" was one of the most influential early Christian writings, especially in showing how Christianity began understanding itself as separate from and superior to Judaism.

Introduction to the NT Book called "Hebrews":

Various Outlines of Hebrews:

Thematic Contents (from R. Brown)

Structural Analysis (from A. Vanhoye)

Rhetorical Emphases (from P. Perkins)

Introduction (1:1-3)

Superiority of Jesus as God's Son (1:4—4:13)

Over the angels (1:4—2:18)
Over Moses (3:1—4:13)

Superiority of Jesus' priesthood (4:14—7:28)

Superiority of Jesus' sacrifice and his ministry in the heavenly tabernacle inaugurating a new covenant (8:1—10:18)

Faith and endurance: availing oneself of Jesus' priestly work (10:19—12:29)

Exhortation to profit from Jesus' sacrifice (10:19-39)
OT Examples of Faith (11:1-40)
The example of Jesus' suffering and the Lord's discipline (12:1-13)
Warning against disobedience through OT examples (12:14-29)

Injunctions about practice (13:1-19)

Conclusion: blessings and greetings (13:20-25)

Introduction (1:1-4)

A. The name superior to the angels
(1:5—2:18; on Eschatology)

B. Jesus faithful and compassionate
(3:1—5:10; on Ecclesiology)

C. The central exposition
(5:11—10:39; on Sacrifice)

B'. Faith and endurance
(11:1—12:13; on Ecclesiology)

A'. The peaceful fruit of justice
(12:14—13:19; on Eschatology)

Conclusion (13:20-25)

Prologue: God has spoken through the Son (1:1-4)

The Son's superiority to the angels (1:5-14)

Exhortation: Do not drift away from such a salvation (2:1-4)

By suffering the Son brings many to salvation (2:5-18)

Jesus is greater than Moses (3:1-6)

Exhortation: Do not fall away like Israel in the wilderness (3:7—4:16)

Jesus is the sympathetic high priest (5:1-10)

Exhortation: Do not be immature in faith (5:11—6:12)

God's promises are confirmed by an oath (6:13-20)

Jesus is the high priest in the order of Melchizedek (7:1—10:18)

Exhortation: Hold fast to your faith and good works; there is no sacrifice for the sin of turning away from Christ (10:19-39)

Heroes of faith grasp the reality of heavenly things (11:1-40)

Exhortation: Persevere, remembering Christ's example and those who went before you (12:1—13:19)

Epistolary Conclusion (13:20-25)

Major Themes:

The Christology of Hebrews:

Sometimes he is named "Jesus" (14x), but more often called the "Son" (24x) or "Christ" (12x: alone 9x; JC 3x)
- Jesus is called an "apostle" in Heb 3:1 (i.e., a messenger or representative from God), only here in the entire NT!
- Jesus is also called "Lord" three times (2:3; 7:14; 13:20), a title which in Hebrews more often (13x) refers to the Father
Jesus is superior to all other beings:
- The "Son" is greater than the OT prophets (1:1-3)
- The "Son" is superior to the angels (1:4-14; 2:5-18)
- Jesus is worthy of more glory than Moses (3:1-6)
- He provides the promised "rest," which Joshua did not (4:1-11)
- Jesus is a "great high priest," greater than Aaron and other high priests (4:14—5:10)
- His priestly ministry is far superior to that of the Levitical priesthood (7:1—10:18):
  - He is priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek (7:1-29)
  - He is the minister of a new covenant, which replaces the old (8:1-13)
  - He enters and ministers in the perfect heavenly sanctuary(9:1-29)
  - He offers a perfect sacrifice, his own blood, once for all (10:1-28)

Jesus, the Great High Priest in the Order of Melchizedek:

Jesus could normally not be considered a "priest" in ancient Judaism at all (8:4):
- Jesus was a member of the tribe of Judah, while all Jewish priests had to belong to the tribe of Levi (Heb 7:11-14; see a chart of the Twelve Tribes of Israel).
- Yet Jesus is called a high priest "according to the order of Melchizedek" (Heb 5:5-10; 6:20; 7:1-17; cf. Ps 110:4), which is contrasted to and considered greater than the "order of Aaron" (Heb 7:11).
Who is/was Melchizedek?
- A person who encountered Abraham only once, in a very brief story of the OT (Gen 14:17-20)
  - He is said to be "King of Salem" (i.e. the city of Jeru-salem! see Gen 14:18; Heb 7:1-2)
  - Etymologically, the two parts of his name (melchi + zedek) mean "king of righteousness" (Heb 7:2)
  - But since "Salem" or "shalom" means "peace," he is also called "king of peace" (Heb 7:2)
- He is called a "priest of God Most High" (Heb. El Elyon; Gen 14:18; 7:1)
  - Note: He is not a Jewish priest, since he lived prior to the establishment of any priesthood in Israel (recall that all Jewish priests are members of the tribe of Levi, who was a great-grandson of Abraham, while Moses and Aaron lived centuries later).
  - Since he has no genealogy or descendants recorded in the OT, he could be considered "a priest forever" (Ps 110:4; Heb 7:3)
- In the OT story, he offers Abraham bread and wine, rather than sacrificing any animals, as priests might normally do (Gen 14:18)
  - This is later interpreted as a foreshadowing of the Christian Eucharist
- He also blesses Abraham with a prayer addressed to "God Most High" (Gen 14:19-20; Heb 7:1)
  - In turn, Abraham gives him a tithe (10%) of everything he had captured in the recent battle (Gen 14:20)
According to Hebrews, this encounter shows that Abraham recognizes the superiority of Melchizedek:
- Logically, the inferior is blessed by the superior, and the inferior offers a tithe to the superior, not vice versa (Heb 7:2)

Thus the priesthood of Melchizedek must be superior to that of Levi and Aaron (7:4-10), descendents of Abraham who lived generations later
Thus also the priesthood of Jesus, a new and different type "according to the order of Melchizedek," is superior to the Jewish priesthood, based on the tribe of Levi and the order of Aaron.

The Ministry of Jesus as Great High Priest and Perfect Sacrifice:

Jewish High Priests (and Their Sacrifices)	Jesus as High Priest (and Perfect Sacrifice)
are called by God, chosen from among mortals, like Aaron was (5:1, 4)	was appointed high priest by God, as God's own Son (4:14; 5:5)
can be compassionate with people, since they too are weak and sinful (5:2)	can sympathize with human weakness, since he was tested as we are, but without sinning himself (4:15)
offer sacrifices for their own sins as well as those of others (5:3; 7:27-28; 9:7, 9)	offers sacrifices & prayers only for others, not for himself, since he is sinless & perfect (5:15; 7:26-28; 9:14)
are priests in the order of Aaron, from the tribe of Levi (5:4; 7:11)	is a priest forever, "according to the order of Melchizedek" (5:6; 6:20; 7:3, 17, 24)
have an imperfect priesthood (levitical), inferior to Melchizedek's (7:1-11)	is a priest of a new order (Melchizedek's) that replaces the levitical (7:11-19)
take office without an oath (7:20)	has his priesthood confirmed with an oath from God (7:21; cf. Ps 110:4)
all eventually die, so there must be many priests and high priests (7:23)	is the only permanent high priest, since he lives forever (7:16-17, 24-25)
offer sacrifices day after day, year after year (7:27; 9:6; 10:1, 11)	offered himself as a sacrifice once for all time (7:27; 9:12, 14, 26; 10:10, 14)
hold office on earth, according to the law (8:4)	has passed through the heavens, and is seated by God's throne ( 8:1; cf. 4:14)
worship in an earthly sanctuary, a mere shadow of the heavenly one (8:5; 9:1)	ministers in the heavenly tabernacle set up by God, not mortals (8:2, 9:11, 24)
follow the first covenant, the old covenant, given through Moses (8:7, 9)	is the "mediator of a better covenant," a new covenant (8:6-13; 9:15-28)
enter the innermost "Holy of Holies" once a year (9:7)	enters only once into the greater and perfect tabernacle (9:11-28; 10:10)
offer the blood of goats and calves (9:7, 13, 19, 25)	offers his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption (9:12; 10:19)
their sacrifices are imperfect, since they use animals (9:23; 10:4)	his sacrifice is perfect, since he himself is perfect/sinless (7:26, 28; 9:14)

The Purpose of Hebrews: Exhorting Christians to Persevere in the Faith:

Most of this book seems like a theological treatise, with heavy use of biblical quotations and interpretations but with only a few scattered words of exhortation. In contrast, the last two chapters are filled with explicit exhortations directed at the Christian readers.

"We must pay greater attention to what we have heard (i.e. testimony about Jesus), so that we do not drift away from it." (2:1)
"Today, if you hear his voice, / do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, as on the day of testing in the wilderness, / where your ancestors put me to the test, though they had seen my works / for forty years. Therefore I was angry with that generation, and I said, 'They always go astray in their hearts, and they have not known my ways.' / As in my anger I swore, 'They will not enter my rest.'" (3:7-11; quoting Ps 95:7-11)
"Take care, brothers and sisters, that none of you may have an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. / But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called 'today,' so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. / For we have become partners of Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end." (3:12-14)
"Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest is still open, let us take care that none of you should seem to have failed to reach it... / Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall through such disobedience as theirs." (4:1, 11)
"Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. / For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. / Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (4:14, 16)
"About this we have much to say that is hard to explain, since you have become dull in understanding. / For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic elements of the oracles of God... // Therefore let us go on toward perfection, leaving behind the basic teaching about Christ, and not laying again the foundation..." (5:11-12; 6:1)
"And we want each one of you to show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope to the very end, / so that you may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises." (6:11-12)
"Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus,... // let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. / Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. / And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, / not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (10:19-25)
"But recall those earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings... // Do not, therefore, abandon that confidence of yours; it brings a great reward. / For you need endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. / For yet 'in a very little while, the one who is coming will come and will not delay; / but my righteous one will live by faith. My soul takes no pleasure in anyone who shrinks back.' / But we are not among those who shrink back and so are lost, but among those who have faith and so are saved." (10:32, 35-39; citing Isa 26:20; Hab 2:3-4)
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." (11:6)
Finally, Heb 12-13 contains about thirty explicit commands and exhortations, esp. calling for endurance in suffering, steadfastness in faith, harmony among believers, mutual love, care for prisoners, hospitality to strangers, morality in sexual relationships, respect and obedience for leaders, the sharing of goods, prayer for one another, the praise of God, etc. (click here for the NAB text of Heb 12-13)

Faith: Definition and Role Models (Heb 11-12)

Definition: "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." (11:1; NRSV; compare other translations)
Effects: "Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible." (11:2-3)
Ancestors in Faith ("By faith..."):
- Abel, Enoch, Noah (11:4-7)
- Abraham (11:8-12, 17-19)
- Isaac, Jacob, Joseph (11:20-22)
- Moses (11:23-28)
- The Israelites crossing the Red Sea & Rahab at Jericho (11:29-31)
- Many others briefly named: Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the Prophets, Women, Martyrs, etc. (11:32-38)
- All these died without having received the promises! (11:13-16; 11:39-41)
- Thus, they function as a "great cloud of witnesses" for us also to persevere in faith (12:1-29)
Jesus: "the pioneer and perfecter of our faith" (12:2-3)

Questions for Review and Discussion:

The Epistle to the Hebrews:
- Is it really an "epistle"? Why was it called "Hebrews"?
- Who was likely the original audience, and what was the original purpose of this letter?
- What does this letter exhort its Christian readers to do (in general, and in detail)?
- Why does this book have so many OT quotations, and how else does it use the OT?
Priests and Priesthood:
- What are the basic dictionary definitions (applicable to all religions) of "priest" and "sacrifice"?
- Who could be a priest in ancient Israel? What were the roles and duties of Jewish priests and high priests?
- What does Hebrews mean by calling Jesus a "high priest, according to the order of Melchizedek"?
- What is he said to have done as high priest? How does this compare to the Jewish high priests of his day?
- In what ways are Christian priests today similar to or different from Jewish priests of the time of Jesus?
Faith and Models of Faith:
- What are the modern dictionary definitions of "faith"? (more than one!)
- How is "faith" defined or described, according to Heb 11?
- How did the biblical "ancestors" mentioned in Heb 11-12 show their faith in God?
- How did they show their "faith" in God? What kind of "faith" did Jesus have?

Use of Hebrews in the Lectionary for Mass:

Sunday of Ordinary Time	Reading from Hebrews	.	Sunday or Feast; or Weekday in Ord.Time	Reading from Hebrews
27th Sunday of OT – Year B	Heb 2:9-11	.	4th Sunday of Advent – Year C	Heb 10:5-10
28th Sunday of OT – Year B	Heb 4:12-13		Christmas: Mass during the Day – Years ABC	Heb 1:1-6
29th Sunday of OT – Year B	Heb 4:14-16		Sunday within the Octave of Christmas: Holy Family – Year B (opt.)	Heb 11:8, 11-12, 17-19
30th Sunday of OT – Year B	Heb 5:1-6		5th Sunday of Lent – Year B	Heb 5:7-9
31st Sunday of OT – Year B	Heb 7:23-28		Good Friday – Years ABC	Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9
32nd Sunday of OT – Year B	Heb 9:24-28		Ascension of the Lord – Year C (opt.)	Heb 9:24-28; 10:19-23
33rd Sunday of OT – Year B	Heb 10:11-14, 18		Sunday after Trinity Sunday: Body and Blood of Christ – Year B	Heb 9:11-15
19th Sunday of OT – Year C	Heb 11:1-2, 8-19 or 11:1-2, 8-12		Week 1 of OT – Mon to Sat – Year I	Heb 1, 2, 3, 4 (selections)
20th Sunday of OT – Year C	Heb 12:1-4		Week 2 of OT – Mon to Sat – Year I	Heb 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 (selections)
21st Sunday of OT – Year C	Heb 12:5-7, 11-13		Week 3 of OT – Mon to Sat – Year I	Heb 9, 10, 11 (selections)
22nd Sunday of OT – Year C	Heb 12:18-19, 22-24a		Week 4 of OT – Mon to Sat – Year I	Heb 11, 12, 13 (selections)

For Further Reading and Study:

Brown, Raymond E. An Introduction to the New Testament. New York: Doubleday, 1997. - "Letter (Epistle) to the Hebrews" (pp. 683-704).
Lane, William L. Hebrews. Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas: Word, 1991.
Vanhoye, Albert. Structure and Message of the Epistle to the Hebrews. Rome: Pontifical Biblical Institute, 1989.
Attridge, Harold W. The Epistle to the Hebrews: A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews. Hermeneia Commentary. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1989.
Hagner, Donald A. Hebrews. New International Biblical Commentary. San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1983.