Faith & Reason Nexus

AUTHOR: Authorship is uncertain, with some attributing it to Paul, though other scholars suggest different authors.

TIME WRITTEN: Between A.D. 64 and 68

POSITION IN THE BIBLE:

• 58th Book in the Bible
• 19th Book in the New Testament
• 14th of 21 Epistle Books (Romans – Jude)
• 8 Books to follow it

CHAPTERS: 13

VERSES: 303

WORDS: 6,913

OBSERVATIONS ABOUT HEBREWS:

• Authorship:
• Traditionally attributed to Paul, but this is debated. The 3rd-century theologian Origen stated, “Who it was that really wrote the epistle (Hebrews), God only knows.”
• Themes and Content:
• Superiority of Christianity: The book emphasizes the superiority of Christ and the New Covenant over the Old Covenant and Judaic practices.
• Recipients: Likely addressed to Christians in Rome, as indicated by Hebrews 13:24, which mentions “Those from Italy greet you.”
• Maturity of Recipients: The recipients had become Christians through the preaching of eyewitnesses of Christ and were not recent converts but were in danger of falling away (5:12).
• Major Themes:
• “Better”: The book uses the term “better” to describe how Christ’s person and work surpass the Old Covenant:
  • Better Revelation: Christ brings a superior message (1:1-2).
  • Better Priesthood: Christ is a superior high priest (7:7-11, 20-28).
  • Better Covenant: Christ establishes a better covenant (7:22, 8:6).
  • Better Sacrifice: Christ offers a better sacrifice (8:6).
  • Better Hope, Promises, Possessions, Country, Resurrection: All are superior through Christ (6:9, 8:6, 10:34, 11:16, 11:35, 11:40, 12:24).
• Comparative Aspects:
• Old Covenant:
  • Shadow, temporary, mediated by Moses, high priest Aaron, priests were only Levites, and it was imperfect and abolished.
  • Entered by natural birth and intended for Jews only.
• New Covenant:
  • Substance, permanent, mediated by Christ, with Christ as high priest and every Christian as a priest.
  • Perfect and lasting until the end of the age.
  • Entered by spiritual birth and for all nations.
• Old Testament References:
• The book contains nearly 100 references to the Old Testament, predominantly from the Septuagint version. Key books for understanding Hebrews include Exodus and Leviticus.