INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF HEBREWS

FILLMER HEVENER, PASTOR, GUTHRIE MEMORIAL CHAPEL

I.  WHO WROTE HEBREWS?

• BOOK NOT SIGNED.

• MANY BIBLE BOOKS NOT SIGNED. FOR EXAMPLE: GENESIS, JOSHUA, MATTHEW, MARK, ACTS, AND RUTH AS WELL AS OTHERS.
  
  
• WRITING CLEARLY EXISTED DURING TIME OF MOSES.
  
  
• BIBLE RECORDS GOD AS WRITING 3 TIMES: DECALOGUE, EX. 31:18; HANDWRITING ON WALL, DAN. 5; WRITING IN SAND, JOHN 8.
  
  
• LANGUAGE CHANGE: FROM COMPLEX GRAMMAR TO SIMPLER GRAMMAR. EX.: OLD ENGLISH MORE COMPLEX THAN MIDDLE ENGLISH GRAMMAR; MIDDLE ENGLISH GRAMMAR MORE COMPLEX THAN MODERN ENGLISH GRAMMAR. THE LONGER A LANGUAGE EXISTS, THE SIMPLER IT TENDS TO BECOME IN ITS GRAMMAR. THIS FACT SUPPORTS GEN. 1. MAN WAS CREATED MATURE WITH ABILITY TO SPEAK COMPLEX LANGUAGE.
  
  

• MUCH EVIDENCE POINTS TO PAUL.

  • PAUL WROTE TO HEBREWS. 2 PETER 3:15-16.
    
    
  • PAUL OFTEN CLOSES LETTERS WITH "GRACE BE WITH YOU...."
    
    

  • THEOLOGY - PAUL'S CENTRAL THEME IN ALL OF HIS WRITINGS: SALVATION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. SAME IN HEBREWS. HEB. 10:38, 2:4.

  • WRITER KNEW O.T. SACRIFICIAL SYSTEM AND CEREMONIAL LAW. PAUL, BEING A PHARISEE, WOULD FIT THIS CRITERIA.

  • PAUL FREQUENTLY USES METAPHORS HAVING TO DO WITH SPORTING EVENTS AS TEACHING DEVICES (EX. RUNNING THE RACE OF LIFE.)

  • THE BOOK WAS ACCEPTED BY ITS RECEIVERS AS INSPIRED AND FROM GOD BECAUSE IT WAS INCLUDED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT CANON.
    
    

II.  BOOK WRITTEN TO CONVERTED JEWS.

• INSTRUCTING THEM THAT SALVATION IS THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST ALONE, NOT FOLLOWING RITUALS REQUIRED BY CEREMONIAL LAW, WHICH WAS ERADICATED AT CHRIST'S DEATH.

• TEMPLE CURTAIN SEPARATING HOLY PLACE FROM MOST HOLY PLACE TORN FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, SIGNIFYING THE COMPLETION OF THE WORK OF THE CEREMONIAL LAW, REQUIRING ANIMAL SACRIFICES. MATT. 27:51. MARK 15:38.

• NOW SALVATION IS THROUGH FAITH IN THE BLOOD OF CHRIST, THE SACRIFICIAL LAMB, WHO DIED ONCE FOR ALL. HEB. 10:10.

• CHRIST IS NOW OUR HIGH PRIEST.

  SITTING AT RIGHT HAND OF FATHER
  
  
  
  NOW, WE HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO CHIRST, OUR MEDIATOR, WITHOUT GOING THROUGH ANOTHER.
  
  
  THE PERFECT, ETERNAL CHRIST IS SUPERIOR TO ANGELS, WHO ARE CREATED BEINGS.