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, this writing does not explicitly address any "Hebrews" (a title not attached until the second century), and its author was almost certainly not St. Paul (as had been assumed for much of Christian history). 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:

The structure of Hebrews is not easily discerned, and many different outlines have been proposed by various scholars. The main focus of this writing is on Christology, the proper understanding and interpretation of the identity and significance of Jesus Christ. Jesus is presented in several different ways: as the divine revelation/word of God, as the ultimate priest & sacrifice, and as the outstanding model and exemplar of faith in God.

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 Jesus is directly named "Jesus" (14x) or called "Christ" (12x: alone 9x, JC 3x), but more often he is simply called the "Son" (24x)
- 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 even called an "apostle" in Heb 3:1 (i.e., a messenger or representative from God), only here in the entire NT!
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 is the "pioneer and perfecter of our "faith," surpassing a long list of OT figures (11:1-40; 12:1-2)

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), descendants 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; cf. already 2:17; 3:1)
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; 5:7)
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, 10; 6:20; 7:3, 17, 24; cf. Gen 14:17-20)
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. 1:3; 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 Use of the Scriptures in Hebrews:

The author of Hebrews make frequent use of direct quotations from the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, which is considered to be God's Word:
- " Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and variousways by the prophets..." (Heb 1:1)
Most biblical quotations in Hebrews are fairly short and used without much regard for their original historical or literary contexts, since they are mostly interpreted as speaking about or referring to Jesus, or even as being words spoken by Jesus himself:
- "For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying... [followed by short quotes from Ps 22:22 and Isa 8:17-18]" (Heb 2:11b-13)
- "Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that would be spoken later" (3:5).
- "Now the one of whom these things are spoken [i.e. Jesus] belonged to another tribe..." (7:13).
- "Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,... [followed by a quotation of Ps 40:6-8]" (10:4-7).
For more detail, see the section on Hebrews in the page of "Quotations from the Old Testament in the New Testament."

The Purpose of Hebrews: Exhorting Christians to persevere in Hope and Faith, so they may enter into God's "Rest":

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)
"Christ, however, was faithful over God's house as a son, and we are his house if we hold firm the confidence and the pride that belong to hope. / Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, "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. 2 For indeed the good news came to us just as to them; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, 'As in my anger I swore, They shall not enter my rest,' though his works were finished at the foundation of the world. 4 For in one place it speaks about the seventh day as follows, 'And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.' 5 And again in this place it says, 'They shall not enter my rest.' 6 Since therefore it remains open for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, 7 again he sets a certain day--'today' --saying through David much later, in the words already quoted, 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.' 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not speak later about another day. 9 So then, a sabbath rest still remains for the people of God; 10 for those who enter God's rest also cease from their labors as God did from his. 11 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)
"[God spoke, so that...] we who have taken refuge might be strongly encouraged to seize the hope set before us. / We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, / where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf, has entered, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." (6:18b-20)
"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 perseverence in running the race, endurance in disciplinary 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; identical in ESV, ASV, RSV)
- Alternate English translations of Heb 11:1:

"Now, faith is the substance of things to be hoped for, the evidence of things that appear not. (Douay-Rheims Bible)
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (King James Version; New KJV; Webster Bible; Third Millennium Bible)
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the sign that the things not seen are true. (Bible in Basic English)
"But faith is the substance of things that be to be hoped, and an argument of things not appearing. (Wycliffe’s Translation)
"Now faith is [the] substantiating of things hoped for, [the] conviction of things not seen. (Darby Translation)
"And faith is of things hoped for a confidence, of matters not seen a conviction, (Young's Literal Translation)
"Now faith is assurance of [things] hoped for, a conviction of things not seen. (American Standard Version)
"Now faith is a well-grounded assurance of that for which we hope, and a conviction of the reality of things which we do not see. (Weymouth New Testament)
"Faith assures us of things we expect and convinces us of the existence of things we cannot see. (GOD'S WORD Translation)
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (New International Version & Today’s NIV)
"Faith is being sure of what we hope for. It is being certain of what we do not see. (New International Reader's Version)
"To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see. (Good News Translation)
"Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen. (Hebrew Names Version & World English Bible)
"Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
"Faith is the reality of what we hope for, the proof of what we don't see. (Common English Bible)
"Now faith is the realization of what is hoped for, the proof of things not seen. (Lexham English Bible)
"Trusting is being confident of what we hope for, [being] convinced about things we do not see. (Complete Jewish Bible)
"Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it. (New Century Version)
"What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. (New Living Translation)
"The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. (The Message)

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." (Heb 11:2-3)
Ancestors in Faith ("By faith..."):
- Abel (Heb 11:4; cf. Gen 4:1-10; Matt 23:25; Luke 11:51)
- Enoch (Heb 11:5; cf. Gen 5:18-24; Jude 1:14)
- Comment (Heb 11:6): "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."
- Noah (Heb 11:7; cf. Gen 5:29-32; 6:8--9:29; 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5)
- Abraham (Heb 11:8-12; cf. Gen 12--25)
- Comment: "All these died without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them..." (Heb 11:13-16)
- Abraham (Heb 11:17-19; cf. Gen 12--25)
- Isaac, Jacob, Joseph (Heb 11:20-22; cf. Gen 21--50)
- Moses (Heb 11:23-28; cf. Exod 1--12)
- Israelites cross the Red Sea (Heb 11:29; cf. Exod 14)
- Israelites conquer Jericho (Heb 11:30; cf. Josh 6)
- Rahab at Jericho (Heb 11:31; cf. Josh 2:1-21; 6:16-25; James 2:25)
- Many others named only briefly: Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the Prophets, Women, Martyrs, etc. (Heb 11:32-38)
- Comment: (Heb 11:39-40): "Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, / since God had provided something better so that they would not, apart from us, be made perfect."
- Thus, they function as a "great cloud of witnesses" for us also to persevere in faith (Heb 12:1-29)
Jesus: "the pioneer and perfecter of our faith" (Heb 12:2-3)
- "Pioneer" =
- "Perfector" =
- How?
- Why?

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 Ord.Time – Year B	Heb 2:9-11	.	4th Sunday of Advent – Year C	Heb 10:5-10
28th Sunday of Ord.Time – Year B	Heb 4:12-13		Christmas: Mass during the Day – Years ABC	Heb 1:1-6
29th Sunday of Ord.Time – 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 Ord.Time – Year B	Heb 5:1-6		5th Sunday of Lent – Year B	Heb 5:7-9
31st Sunday of Ord.Time – Year B	Heb 7:23-28		Good Friday – Years ABC	Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9
32nd Sunday of Ord.Time – Year B	Heb 9:24-28		Ascension of the Lord – Year C (opt.)	Heb 9:24-28; 10:19-23
33rd Sunday of Ord.Time – 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 Ord.Time – Year C	Heb 11:1-2, 8-19 or 11:1-2, 8-12		Week 1 of Ord. Time – Mon to Sat – Year I	Heb 1, 2, 3, 4 (selections)
20th Sunday of Ord.Time – Year C	Heb 12:1-4		Week 2 of Ord. Time – Mon to Sat – Year I	Heb 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 (selections)
21st Sunday of Ord.Time – Year C	Heb 12:5-7, 11-13		Week 3 of Ord. Time – Mon to Sat – Year I	Heb 9, 10, 11 (selections)
22nd Sunday of Ord.Time – Year C	Heb 12:18-19, 22-24a		Week 4 of Ord. Time – 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).
Mitchell, Alan C. Hebrews. Sacra Pagina. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2007.
Harrington, Daniel J. The Letter to the Hebrews. New Collegeville Bible Commentary, NT 11. The Liturgical Press, 2006.
Johnson, Luke Timothy. Hebrews: A Commentary. New Testament Library. Westminster John Knox, 2006.
Heen, Erik M., Philip D.W. Krey, and Thomas C. Oden, eds. Hebrews: Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture. NT vol. X. InterVarsity Press, 2005.
Wright, N.T. Hebrews for Everyone. Westminster John Knox, 2004.
Koester, Craig R. Hebrews: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. Anchor Bible 36. 2001.
Lane, William L. Hebrews 1-8 & Hebrews 9-13. 2 vols. Word Biblical Commentary 47a&b. Dallas: Word, 1991.
Attridge, Harold W. Hebrews: A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews. Hermeneia. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1989.
Vanhoye, Albert. Structure and Message of the Epistle to the Hebrews. Rome: Pontifical Biblical Institute, 1989.

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