Hebrews

When theologians think of “Introduction” to the study of a book, they refer to questions of authorship, time of writing, the original intended audience and unique contribution to our understanding of God and His ways. Today we accept the book of Hebrews as...

The title to the book of Hebrews (although the title is not inspired and was added much later by those who collected the authorized letters into one “New Testament,”) gives us a clue to the intended original audience. They were Jewish followers of the Lord...

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways … We believe in a God who speaks. From the very beginning we read, “And God said …” (Gen 1:3). The Lord spoke creation into existence with a mere spoken phrase,...

 … in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. God still speaks now. He is not relegated to dusty parchments of the past, nor the black and white photography of the old days of...

And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power ... One of the grandest, most exalting texts of Scripture, this passage presents the deity of Christ in all its glory. God in the...

… When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high … Sin in the Old Testament is seen as something which makes a person “unclean” and the solution, then, is for the person to be purified or cleansed from that...

 … having become as much better than the angels … Angels - fantasy to many, subjects of stained-glass windows and iconography, objects of children’s stories—but something most people really don’t often think about. Yet these spiritual beings are key players...

… as He has inherited a more excellent name than they … The Name – probably one of the most written about subjects in all of Christian literature. The names of God, the names of Christ. Names are descriptions, they invoke emotion and insight. Parents often...

5 For to which of the angels did He ever say, “YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU”? And again, “I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM AND HE SHALL BE A SON TO ME”? 6 And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, “AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD...

8 But of the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness above Your...

10 And, “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of Your hands; 11 they will perish, but You remain; and they all will become old like a garment, 12 and like a mantle You will roll them up; like a garment...

13 But to which of the angels has He ever said, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET”? 14 Are they not all minis-tering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation? As great as...

For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. In woodworking, most injuries in the workshop are the result of not paying attention. Accidents on the highways often come from being distracted,...

2 For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, 3 how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord… The argument is simple:...

3 … After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, 4 God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. Apart of...

5 For He did not subject to angels the world to come, concerning which we are speaking. One of the greatest struggles of faith for the Christian is why does God not fix the world? Bad things happen to what seems like good people, and good things happen to...

6 But one has testified somewhere, saying, “What is man, that You remember him? Or the son of man, that You are concerned about him?" God is concerned about each one of us. And one day we will no longer be subject to the fallen world, but we shall reign....

7 “You have made him for a little while lower than the angels… Astounding that any religion would teach that the Originator of the universe from which all else derives, the Author of all creation in whom all stories are seeded, the Absolute truth out of...

7 “… You have crowned Him with glory and honor, and have appointed Him over the works of Your hands; 8 You have put all things in subjection under His feet.” For in subjecting all things to Him, He left nothing that is not subject to Him. But now we do not...

9 But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. Jesus—He is finally named! Not that His...

10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. God’s purpose and plan was “fitting.” To the spiritual eye we see it as...

11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, Family is what God is all about. Calling Him “Father” is one of the most well-used metaphors for our relationship...

12 … saying, “I will proclaim Your name to My brethren, in the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise.” 13 And again, “I will put My trust in Him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.” Not ashamed, we just heard in the...

14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil …” Many purposes are invested in the death of Christ. We...

15 … and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. The fourth purpose of Christ’s incarnation and death in this section of Hebrews is to bring freedom from the fear of death. Death is something we all will encounter,...

16 For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham. Taking hold of, with a focus on healing help, that is literally what this passage is about. The KJV renders this “He took not on him the nature of angels, but...

17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. Fifth in the list of reasons Christ became incarnate...

18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted. Temptation is common to all humanity and when God became human this was true of Him as well. One of the great mysteries of the...

1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession ... Who is the audience to whom the author of Hebrews writes? This has some bearing on the difficult passages, such as 6:1-8. He often...

2 He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. Faithfulness – that’s the model of Moses and it is ultimately exhibited in the Son of God. Moses, as great as he was, is a shadow, a picture of what Christ was going to be. First...

3 For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. 4 For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. Comparison with Moses continues. Though Christ...

5 Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later ... Faithfulness is the prime commodity, which is in short supply. It is certainly important to God, as suggested in the words of Jesus’...

… 6 but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end. Incomparable comparison, that’s what this is, as we've written before. As great as the patriarch, Jesus...

… 8 do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me, as in the day of trial in the wilderness, 9 where your fathers tried Me by testing Me, And saw My works for forty years. Hardening of the spiritual arteries, that’s what it is. With every disobedience...

7 Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “Today if you hear His voice …” Urgent news requires urgent communication. In the early days of newspaper publishing, not only did the publishers print the regular news, but would also publish an additional issue....

10 “Therefore I was angry with this generation, And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they did not know My ways’” Anger of God is the thing we fear the most. Many reject the notion of God because of a caricaturization, casting Him in the image...

11 “As I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ” Rest is a major theme of the book of Hebrews. Without understanding this concept, the book remains overly mysterious and obtuse. Christians need to understand this “rest” of God. There different...

12 Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the...

14 For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, 15 while it is said, “Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me.” Superiority of Christ over the angels is...

16 For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? It is one of the ironies of the Christian life that we strive to hold on to that which we are laid hold of: “Not that I have already obtained it or...

17 And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? Angry God? Yes! God can be very angry. And He was with the Israelites. They rebelled and He killed them. There is no nice way of packaging...

18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? Continuing on the subject of Israel’s disobedience being an example to avoid, we find great truths about God and His ways in our passage today. God swears!...

19 So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief. Unbelief is the worst. The refusal to take God at His Word. Israel’s disobedience, was rooted in unbelief. That is the issue the author brought up a few verses earlier. “Take care, brethren,...

1 Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. Some things in life are worthy of fear. And one of those is to come short of the rest of God. So much is at stake. To miss this is...

2 For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, “As I swore in My...

3 … although His works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; 5 and again in this passage, “They shall not enter My rest.” Summary of...

6 Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience … When God repeats Himself, we should doubly listen! This verse is a virtual repeat of verse two earlier in the...

7 He again fixes a certain day, “Today,” saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, “Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.” Time is a fascinating idea! The word “today” occurs eight times in Hebrews. Three times...

8 For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. Straightforward as this verse seems to be, to the Greek reader the contrast is much more stark. The name Joshua is a Hebrew name and corresponds to the Greek name Jesus....

9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. Laborious this is not. The writer of Hebrews is not ready to rest his case about the "rest" of God. He toils over his selection of words and OT passages to convey that the story which began with the...

10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. 11 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. Possibility thinking—that’s...

12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Memorization of Scripture usually...

13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Temptation to go back to living by the law is a temptation toward vainness. What an absolute irony! Think about it for a...

14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. Therefore” is one of the most critical words in the Bible. It connects thoughts in a cause and effect relationship, or...

15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. As the musical tension builds, and the climax arrives with its release and exaltation in the chorus, so the...

16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Summarizing the implications of Christ’s superiority, we discover tremendous benefits in coming to the “rest” of God....

1 For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins … Christ is a high priest vastly superior to the Levitical priesthood. That is the theme of this...

4 And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was. High priesthood is an honor, a privilege. After all, the one occupying that position is the sole individual, out of millions of people in Israel, selected...

2 … he [the high priest] can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness; 3 and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself. Being a human being himself, the...

5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”; 6 just as He says also in another passage, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.” If there...

7 In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety Jesus is the divine Son who became human (“in the days of His flesh”). This...

8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. Biblical theology is all about putting the pieces together into a sensible, consistent whole. When we read verses like Hebrews 5:8, we immediately ask how this squares with...

9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation … Perfection and God are two words that go together. Uniquely, unequivocally and exclusively. We have already encountered this idea of the Son being made...

... 10 being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. Melchizedek is one of the most enigmatic individuals in Scripture, surrounded by a cloud of mystery and intrigue. He appears for a brief moment in Genesis 14:17-20, also...

11 Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. Maturity is not an attribute the writer would ascribe to his readers. This rebuke fits in line with one of the purposes of Scripture (2 Tim 3:16)....

12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food… We have come to expect daily devotionals to always be encouraging and uplifting, to warm our...

13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. Basic principles of Christian growth depicted by analogy of human growth from infancy to maturity—this captures succinctly the truth that readers...

14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. Maturity is depicted as the ability to handle solid food, not just milk. Keep in mind that in the ancient world milk was not considered a normal...

1 Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, Maturity means moving beyond the basics. The foundation is important, to be sure....

… 2 of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do, if God permits. Sanfilippo syndrome is a disease resulting in severe intellectual decline in children. Learned abilities...

4 For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, So begins a very difficult passage, on a...

… 6 and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. "Crux of the matter” is the best way to describe this verse. First, if this refers to those...

4 For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, it is...

4 For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, it is...

7 For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; 8 but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it...

9 But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way. "Beloved” identifies that our writer is here talking specifically to genuine believers. Is this subtle evidence of...

10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. Moving on, we are encouraged to focus on the work we were created to do. Of course, this work...

11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Promises ‘R’ God, to...

13 For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, 14 saying, “I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.” Many don’t realize that everything we have in Christ today is linked back to a...

15 And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. Faith involves patience—that is made clear through the book of Hebrews in many ways. Abraham proves an excellent example of believing God for something, then waiting a long time, in his case 25...

16 For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute. Analogy is a primary communication technique of Scripture writers in talking about God. He is so completely “other,” so transcendent,...

17 In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie... Oaths are not something God needs...

… 18 so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. 19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast...

19This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, 20 where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Hope is central...

1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,   2 to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils … Let the dullness of hearing...

2 …[Melchizedek] was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. The mystery begins to unfold as our author peels back the obscurity of this hugely significant individual,...

3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually. Melchizedek was certainly an enigmatic individual. Otherwise obscure in the biblical record,...

4 Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils. 5 And those indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from...

6 But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises. 7 But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. Point: Melchizedek was not a descendant of Levi, and yet he...

8 In this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on. When the Old Testament consists of 39 books and over 31,000 verses, why make such a big deal out of Melchizedek who is mentioned in only...

9 And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes, 10 for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him. Seminal—that’s how theologians describe what this passage is talking about, that ultimately the...

11 Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of...

13 For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning...

15 And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is attested of Him,...

18 For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness 19(for the Law made nothing perfect) .... What has been hinted at, even suggested before, is now unambiguously laid out in plain sight. The Law...

19 … and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. Spiritual gravity is a good way to describe the pull on our spirits to return to our Creator, whose image we bear. Augustine in the 4th century put it this...

20 And inasmuch as it was not without an oath 21 (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him, “The Lord has sworn And will not change His mind, ‘You are a priest forever’ ”) … Some people are surprised...

22 … so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. Guarantees are something we all like, but few are worthwhile. Sports figures guarantee wins, stock advisors guarantee huge returns and manufacturers guarantee products. One...

23 The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, So much space is given to the comparison between Jesus and the Levitical priesthood because of the background of the original intended...

… 24 but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. Eternity is a strange concept—to us mere humans. We are so time dependent that any perception of existence apart from the sequence of before and after...

25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. The need for intercession cannot be overstated; thus the emphasis on Jesus’ priesthood through this section of the book...

26 For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens … Certain things commend themselves simply as just being right. They are appropriately fitting. One of those things was...

…27 who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. When perfection comes, what need is there of imperfection?...

28 For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever. No end to superlatives describing the Son, our passage continues exalting the superiority of Christ over the...

1 Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens … Main points are great, especially when the author explicitly tells the reader—and here is...

… 2 a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man. Religious terminology abounds in Christendom—and by that we mean the whole of the religious world that traces its roots back, whether accurately or inaccurately, to...

3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer. These things, the priesthood and tabernacle, were not just precursors to what was coming; they were not only...

4 Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law … Disqualified! Jesus Christ was ineligible, banned from being a priest in the earthly, Levitical sense. We saw back in 7:14 that the...

… 5 who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, “See,” He says, “that you make all things according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.” The tabernacle of...

6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a...

8 For finding fault with them, He says, “Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, When I will effect a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah …” Fault lies with the people, the “them” of this passage. This clarifies the previous...

9 “Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they did not continue in My covenant, and I did not care for them, says the Lord.” Covenant replacement came because...

10 “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Relying heavily on...

11 “And they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen, and everyone his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all will know Me, from the least to the greatest of them … ’” Restoration to the original condition, only better. It was God’s plan all along...

12 “For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” Wonderful, refreshing words. As in the days of Jeremiah (31:34 from which our verse for today comes), so also in our day. The idea of God being merciful and...

13 When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear. Replacement is the new restoration. Just like the present heavens and earth will someday become obsolete (Heb 1:11),...

1 Now even the first covenant had regulations of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary. God must think it important for us to understand that Christ replaces the old covenant with the new, for He gives much space to this theme in the book of Hebrews. In...

2 For there was a tabernacle prepared, the outer one, in which were the lampstand and the table and the sacred bread; this is called the holy place. The place of worship for the Jews was the tabernacle, which was actually a tent within a larger tent....

... 3 Behind the second veil there was a tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies … The tabernacle was so structured to be a progression toward the holy. A person would enter the outer courtyard, and then proceed through the first veil, or curtain, into...

... 4 having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant … About now many readers of the book of Hebrews begin...

… 4 having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant … Absolute center of Jewish worship during the early...

… 5 and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat; but of these things we cannot now speak in detail. Concluding this summary of the tabernacle’s makeup, we turn from the contents of the ark to that which was placed on top of it. The...

6 Now when these things have been so prepared, the priests are continually entering the outer tabernacle performing the divine worship … Worship symbolism abounds, particularly where the Jewish tabernacle is concerned. The layout and placement all had their...

7… but into the second, only the high priest enters once a year, not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. Repetition brings emphasis. The idea of the Day of Atonement is frequently referred...

8 The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the outer tabernacle is still standing, 9 which is a symbol for the present time … Limitations abound in the old economy of God and His people. The...

9 … Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, 10 since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation. Penchant for...

11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His...

11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His...

13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh … The study of typology ascends to its zenith when comparing the sacrificial system of the Jews to the person of...

… 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? While we don’t know what physical blood type Jesus had, we know it was...

15 For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal...

16 For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. 17 For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. The Greek word behind “covenant” can mean an agreement...

18 Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood. 19 For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and...

21 And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. Any way you look at it, this ritual of sprinkling with blood was a messy thing, quite odd from our 21st century, western perspective. The blood,...

22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Succinct and beautiful in its brevity. Yet, breathtaking in its expansiveness, for it covers a lot of ground. In fact,...

23 Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. Ritualistic cleansing is in view here. Protestant Christianity squirms at the notion of...

23 Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. Heaven had no sin and therefore did not require cleansing in the same sense that the...

24 For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us … Finally, the picture comes into focus. The artist gives His interpretation. Modern artistic...

25 nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own. 26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of...

27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment … Gospel preaching often includes this verse to emphasize the utter weight of the salvation message. Two weighty truths assert the gravity and urgency of receiving the...

… 28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. Singularity is a key theme of this letter to the Hebrews and is contrasted with the...

… 28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. Layers of perspective are required to appreciate this hologram of what is pictured....

1 For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be...

3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. Memories are the things songs are made of … and things our lives are filled with. They are the historical record etched in the mind, the play back recording of life up to this point....

4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Impossibility emphasized. First, the Law could make no one perfect (10:1); the sacrificial system could not take sins away. The high priest could not effect forgiveness. Other things...

5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “Sacrifice and offering You have not desired, but a body You have prepared for Me…” Jesus Christ provided, He was, the better sacrifice. The argument of the book of Hebrews is leading up to this conclusion,...

6 “In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have taken no pleasure.” Why would God say this? After all, didn’t He command His people Israel to make “whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin”? So why does it now say that He has “taken no...

7 “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (in the scroll of the book it is written of Me) to do Your will, O God.’ ” Humanity has been endowed with self-determining will. At the earliest stage, though, our seminal parents, Adam and Eve made a choice, under the...

8 After saying above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have not desired, nor have You taken pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the Law), 9 then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will.” He...

10 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Will of God—this has invoked much study, discussion, yes, even heated debate among Christians. How can you know God’s will for your life? How do you...

11 Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; 12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God… The recurring theme throughout the...

... 12 but He … sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. Seated on the throne, in the position of sovereignty—that’s where the Lord Jesus Christ is now. Turning to Psalm 100,...

14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. "Beautiful” is the word that comes to mind when reading this verse. Worthy of memorization, as all Scripture is, but in particular as an excellent summary of eternal truth....

15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, 16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws upon their heart, and on their mind I will write them… If our perfection is a completed,...

16 … He then says, 17 “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” How can God not remember something? This is the second time (see 8:12) that God’s memory is called into view by quoting from Jeremiah 31:34. God is said to have...

18 Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. Forgiveness—one of the great benefits of being right with God. It is a necessary condition for becoming right with God. It is also a benefit, for it is a result of...

19 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus … What was taught previously as a ground breaking concept (Heb 4:16) is now taken as a given. This is the “so what” aspect of Bible reading, and it is signaled by...

19… by the blood of Jesus 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh … We have two reasons for confidence in entering the holy place (10:19a) which before was only open to the high priest, and that only once a...

21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God … A second “given” that leads to the “so what” of this chapter, is that “we have a great priest over the house of God.” We again await the logical conclusion of these two great summaries which come in...

… 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Drawing near to God is what the book of Hebrews is all about, where we find the rest of...

23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful … Holding fast” is a common exhortation in the book of Hebrews (see 3:6, 3:14, 4:14) as well as the topic of hope (6:11, 6:18-19, 7:19). But, contrary to some...

… 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds … Stimulation is what fellowship is all about—that is, in the sense of provoking or motivating another person. Christians should make a difference, particularly with each other. I...

… 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Simply put, we cannot provoke one another to love and good deeds (vs. 24) unless we spend time together as...

26 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins … The doctrine of eternal security, in some people’s minds, carries within it a significant tension. Why would a Christian be...

… 27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Just like those who in the Old Testament times refused the Law of Moses fell under the judgment of God, so also those who continue sinning by rejecting...

28 Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the...

28 Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the...

30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” Vengeance” is an extremely negative word and it seems incongruous with so many other characteristics of God. After all, He is loving, kind,...

31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. After warning “pseudo-believers” who understood the message of Christ and associated with the believing community, the writer expands on God’s severity. There are huge consequences for...

32 But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, 33 partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. Memory...

32 But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, 33 partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated....

34 For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one. Previewing the walk of faith that is amply illustrated in chapter 11 of this letter to...

35 Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. Four times in this book of Hebrews are we told about being confident (3:6, 4:16, 10:19 and here). The underlying word can be translated as boldness, openness, publicly. We have the...

36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. The concept of eternal reward (which we saw in the previous verse 35) was somewhat foreign to the Greek philosophers. Plato, for example,...

37 For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay. Anticipation of Christ’s return has been a hallmark of Christianity since the ascension of our Savior and Lord into heaven (Acts 1:10). Even the opening of this letter to the...

38 But My righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him. One of the most important verses in Scripture is this one, which is a quote from Habakkuk 2:4 and is also quoted in Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11. It was...

38 But My righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him. Two ways to translate this verse show the expanse of application that scholars point out. The first, as rendered by most modern versions, is that a person...

39 But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul. Vacillating between the personal pronouns, “we”, “us” and “you”, Paul writes to a somewhat mixed audience. His readers include genuine...

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Definitions of a theological nature are curious things. We like to package what we believe in neat, tidy statements with words that are concise and understandable. For such...

2 For by it the men of old gained approval. Beginning the long, illustrious list of faithful men, we have a general statement about faithful men. One thing they have in common, though their particular circumstances and the content of their faith may vary,...

3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. Faith is a prerequisite for every human being when it comes to the origins of the universe, where everything came...

3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. "Ex nihilo” is the phrase theologians use for the creation of the universe. “Out of nothing.” God created all that...

4 By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks. First on the list of God’s Hall of Faith is...

5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. Upon Abel’s death, the line of faith takes a long break....

6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him ... What is seen in Enoch, we now discover is absolutely essential for a relationship with God, namely, pleasing Him. The phrase “it is impossible” is identical to what we found in Hebrews 6:4, which spoke...

6 … for he who comes to God must believe that He is … Faith that pleases God involves two truths. The first is simply a belief in the existence of God. This seems like a no-brainer. One must first believe He exists before one can come to Him. I think of the...

6 … for he who comes to God must believe that … He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. A reward carries within itself that which is good. If it were not good, then it could hardly be called a reward. Certainly that would be no motivation for achievement of...

6 … for he who comes to God must believe that … He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Can God really be good and at the same time sovereign? This verse implies that He is good for He rewards us when we seek Him. But many people have found that following...

7 By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. Of all those who lived...

8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. One of the most frequently mentioned Old Testament characters in the New, Abraham is most...

9 By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise … Static is not an adjective used of faith. Rather, biblical faith is dynamic and living. Abraham’s...

10 for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Property, land, cities—all things that give us a sense of security, no less today than it was back in the day of Abraham. There is something about owning a portion...

11 By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. Certain heroes of the faith are somewhat enigmatic. Sarah is one of them, for in the actual reading of the...

12 Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. One must see the humor in this annotation, this colloquial expression of...

13 All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are...

15 And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. The option always remains for the Christian to turn back. And in fact, that was the temptation of the readers, to turn back to the...

16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them. What an amazing thing—God is not ashamed of those who follow Him, no matter what the world says...

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son … Stretching—that’s what this test was all about. Abraham’s faith was being stretched. God had promised him innumerable...

18 it was he to whom it was said, “In Isaac your descendants shall be called.” Why Isaac? What about Ishmael? Islam claims that the Jews and Christians have it all wrong, that Ishmael, as the firstborn, was the son of promise, not Isaac. Of course, that...

19 He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type. What was Abraham thinking? He obviously was sure that God had commanded him to offer up his son Isaac. Whether or not human sacrifice was...

19 He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type. Abraham’s relationship with God was based on a genuine faith and it was tested. This incidence of offering up Isaac occurred in Genesis 22,...

20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come. Legacy of faith becomes characteristic of Abraham’s son, Isaac. Compared to his father Abraham and his son Jacob, much less is known about Isaac. Most of what we know is about his...

21 By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. Next in the “Hall of Faith” is Joseph, the eleventh son of Jacob. One would think Judah would be son in focus here, since it was through...

22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones. Miniseries of Joseph’s life are well known. The eleventh son of Jacob, the first of his favored wife Rachel’s, he was the love of...

23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. Four hundred years passed with the absence of any notables of faith until the parents of...

24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter … Told in many Sunday School classes and children’s summer camps, the story of Moses resonates to all ages. In some regards the plot line is very simple, yet as with...

25 [Moses] … choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, One thing it is to identify with a group of people when there is great benefit, but it is another thing to do so when that would mean...

... 26 considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. Economically speaking, faith doesn’t make sense, at least in Moses’ case. That is especially provocative in light of the present day...

27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen. Ten times Moses faced Pharaoh; ten times Pharaoh vented anger on Moses and the people. The exalted law-giver never gave way to fear – and he led his...

28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them. Think about it for a minute. God told Moses that a death angel would fly over the land to kill the first-born of all, both humans...

28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them. Firstborn” was a position, a status in the ancient world. Often it meant a double portion of the inheritance and authority in the...

29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned. Miracles seemed to occur quite frequently in the Bible, and so they did—at certain, well-contained time...

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. Under new leadership and after forty years wandering in the desert, the people of Israel continued their walk of faith. Actually, their faith had taken a four-decade...

31 By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace. Examples of great faith are not limited to the great patriarchs; the attention now turns to a non-Jew, a prostitute by the name of...

32 And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, The cascade of faithful people goes on. How does one select individuals for God’s Hall of Faith, there are so many...

... 33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to...

35 Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;  36 and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment.  37 They were...

38 … of whom the world was not worthy … Unbelieving, God-rejecting persecutors of believers treat followers of the creator God of the universe as unworthy of life. The penchant for ridding life of such miscreants, in their opinion, would make the world...

39 And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect. As great as was their faith, and having “gained...

1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us ... Turning the corner from theology and...

... 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Supreme focus in the Christian life is none-other than Jesus....

3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Misery loves company, the saying goes, a cheap alternative to this verse. But here we discover that those who suffer can be inspired...

3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Let’s consider Christ, as the passage suggests. How did He suffer? We could look as early as the forty day fast and temptation in...

4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin … Wrestling with sin for many people amounts to the “normal” struggles of life: paying the bills, saving for the future, finding the right life partner, career, car,...

... 5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him; 6 for those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom...

7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons....

9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so...

11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. One of the truest and most obvious statements to be made is this one: “All discipline...

12 Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. Slumped shoulders and wobbly knees might be an apt...

14 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. Life of faith includes pursuing peace. Remember the first eleven chapters of Hebrews beautifully laid out the case for faith in Christ who is superior to the angels,...

15 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; 16 that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. 17 For you...

18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19 to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20 because they...

22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels … Contrasting the old with the new, the writer of Hebrews continues to show the superiority of Christ over the Old Testament system of law....

… 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect … As believers in God’s grace through Jesus Christ and His perfect sacrifice, we have been...

… 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel. Reprising the teaching from previous chapters, we are reminded that our new standing is that of being identified with Jesus, “His Son”...

25 See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. Terse warnings in the letter to the Hebrews point out...

26 And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.” We left off in verse 24 with being told of having come to a new Jerusalem and to Jesus as the mediator of the new...

27 This expression, “Yet once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Temporary and unsteady world is what we live in. The physical universe is shaky and...

28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe … What then motivates a person to live a righteous life? For many it is ultimately the fear of...

… 29 for our God is a consuming fire. Warnings in the book of Hebrews are powered by the character of God. He is not to be trifled with because He is a “consuming fire.” Thus the book of Hebrews does not present suggestions and alternatives, but warnings...

1 Let love of the brethren continue. Moving from God’s judgment to the topic of love, theology and warnings give way to practical Christian living. Chapters 1-10 of Hebrews laid out the superiority of Christ over all else, chapter 11 focused our attention on...

2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. Not your grandmother’s Sunday afternoon dinner with the visiting preacher, this command of hospitality! The word play is unmistakable. In verse...

3 Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body. Compassion is a hallmark of Christianity and it has been from the very beginning. Jesus spoke of judgment as hinging on this...

4 Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. Catch-all is the word we are tempted to use of this last chapter of Hebrews. But, lest we think this string of seemingly...

5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” Love of money contrasts with love of the brethren, the imprisoned and love of...

… 6 so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?” Confidence is that which we must have to enter God’s presence (Heb 4:16, 10:19). To draw near to God is not for the timid or reticent, but for the bold in...

7 Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith. Memorials help in Christian life and growth; they give us models of Christlikeness to follow in a fallen world, a human picture...

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Eternally consistent, unified, steady, unchanging, dependable, constant, unfailing, stable, unswerving, transcendent. The list of synonyms could go on. Jesus existed before His birth, the second...

9 Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited. False teaching proliferates in the Christian world. That should not...

9 Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited. To be strengthened by grace—how does one do that? Grace comes from...

10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. Hinted at in the previous verse, the comparison becomes clear. The “foods” of verse 9 refer to the animal and grain offerings brought to the temple during life under the...

11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate....

12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. 13 So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. The death and burial places of Christ have been disputed by various traditions....

14 For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come. How ironic, that we who join Christ “outside the camp bearing His reproach” (vs. 13) are really seeking something better than to be accepted back into the old way of...

15 Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. Priests as we now are (Rev 1:6, 1 Peter 2:9), we join in the ranks with Christ, the new and exceedingly superior High...

16 And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. In the midst of reflecting on the deeper trenches of spiritual profundity, as afforded in the book of Hebrews, we risk running aground on the shoals of academic...

17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you. Fundamental to Christianity is an understanding of authority...

18 Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things. 19 And I urge you all the more to do this, so that I may be restored to you the sooner. Urgent call for prayer is the hallmark of a...

20 Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord … Closing statements of a NT book are often overlooked as non-essential wrap-up to the other more “meaty”...

… 21 equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Equipping the readers, in one sense, is the purpose of this book; equipping them to live...

22 But I urge you, brethren, bear with this word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. Urging is the work of the shepherd-heart who not only desires that Christians know the truth, but that they respond to the truth. The writer of Hebrews has...

23 Take notice that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom, if he comes soon, I will see you. 24 Greet all of your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you. 25 Grace be with you all. Final words of a letter usually carry personal...