Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/robertsn/rwp-heb/heb.int

Text File | 1993-03-13 | 12KB | 234 lines

                    THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS
                      BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION

                        UNSETTLED PROBLEMS

        Probably no book in the New Testament presents more
unsettled problems than does the Epistle to the Hebrews. On that
score it ranks with the Fourth Gospel, the Apocalypse of John,
and Second Peter. But, in spite of these unsolved matters, the
book takes high rank for its intellectual grasp, spiritual power,
and its masterful portrayal of Christ as High Priest. It is much
briefer than the Fourth Gospel, but in a sense it carries on
further the exalted picture of the Risen Christ as the
King-Priest who reigns and pleads for us now.

                      THE PICTURE OF CHRIST

        At once we are challenged by the bold stand taken by the
author concerning the Person of Christ as superior to the
prophets of the Old Testament because he is the Son of God
through whom God has spoken in the new dispensation (#Heb
1:1-3|), this Son who is God's Agent in the work of creation and
of grace as we see it stated in #Php 2:5-11; Col 1:13-20; Joh
1:1-18|. This high doctrine of Jesus as God's Son with the glory
and stamp of God's nature is never lowered, for as God's Son he
is superior to angels (#Heb 1:4-2:4|), though the humanity of
Jesus is recognized as one proof of the glory of Jesus (#Heb
2:5-18|). Jesus is shown to be superior to Moses as God's Son
over God's house (#Heb 3:1-4:13|), But the chief portion of the
Epistle is devoted to the superiority of Jesus Christ as priest
to the work of Aaron and the whole Levitical line (#Heb
4:14-12:3|). Here the author with consummate skill, though with
rabbinical refinements at times, shows that Jesus is like
Melchizedek and so superior to Aaron (#Heb 4:14-7:28|), works
under a better covenant of grace (#Heb 8:1-13|), works in a
better sanctuary which is in heaven (#Heb 9:1-12|), offers a
better sacrifice which is his own blood (#Heb 9:13-10:18|), and
gives us better promises for the fulfilment of his task (#Heb
10:19-12:3|). Hence this Epistle deserves to be called the
Epistle of the Priesthood of Christ. So W. P. Du Bose calls his
exposition of the book, _High Priesthood and Sacrifice_ (1908).
This conception of Christ as our Priest who offered himself on
the Cross and as our Advocate with the Father runs all through
the New Testament (#Mr 10:46; Mt 20:28; Joh 10:17; Mt 26:28; Ro
8:32; 1Pe 1:18f.; 1Jo 2:1f.; Re 5:9|, etc.). But it is in Hebrews
that we have the full-length portrait of Jesus Christ as our
Priest and Redeemer. The Glory of Jesus runs through the whole
book.

                            THE STYLE

        It is called an epistle and so it is, but of a peculiar
kind. In fact, as has been said, it begins like a treatise,
proceeds like a sermon, and concludes like a letter. It is, in
fact, more like a literary composition than any other New
Testament book as Deissmann shows: "It points to the fact that
the Epistle to the Hebrews, with its more definitely artistic,
more literary language (corresponding to its more theological
subject matter), constituted an epoch in the history of the new
religion. Christianity is beginning to lay hands on the
instruments of culture; the literary and theological period has
begun" (_Light from the Ancient East_, pp. 70f.). But Blass (_Die
Rhythmen der asianischen und romischen Kunstprosa_, 1905) argues
that the author of Hebrews certainly and Paul probably were
students of Greek oratory and rhetoric. He is clearly wrong about
Paul and probably so about the author of Hebrews. There is in
Hebrews more of "a studied rhetorical periodicity" (Thayer), but
with many "parenthetical involutions" (Westcott) and with less of
"the impetuous eloquence of Paul." The eleventh chapter reveals a
studied style and as a whole the Epistle belongs to the literary
_Koiné_ rather than to the vernacular. Moulton (_Cambridge
Biblical Essays_, p. 483) thinks that the author did not know
Hebrew but follows the Septuagint throughout in his abundant use
of the Old Testament.

                            THE AUTHOR

        Origen bluntly wrote: "Who wrote the Epistle God only
knows certainly" as quoted by Eusebius. Origen held that the
thoughts were Paul's while Clement of Rome or Luke may have
written the book. Clement of Alexandria (Eusebius says) thought
that Paul wrote it in Hebrew and that Luke translated it into
Greek. No early writer apparently attributed the Greek text to
Paul. Eusebius thought it was originally written in Hebrew
whether by Paul or not and translated by Clement of Rome. But
there is no certainty anywhere in the early centuries. It was
accepted first in the east and later in the west which first
rejected it. But Jerome and Augustine accepted it. When the
Renaissance came Erasmus had doubts, Luther attributed it to
Apollos, Calvin denied the Pauline authorship. In North Africa it
was attributed to Barnabas. In modern times Harnack has suggested
Priscilla, but the masculine participle in #Heb 11:32| (\me
diêgoumenon\) disposes of that theory. The oldest Greek MSS.
(Aleph A B) have simply \Pros Hebraious\ as the title, but they
place it before the Pastoral Epistles, while the Textus Receptus
puts it after the Pastoral Epistles and Philemon. In the light of
all the facts one can only make a guess without a sense of
certainty. For myself I should with Luther guess Apollos as the
most likely author of this book which is full of the Spirit of
God.

                          THE RECIPIENTS

        If the title is allowed to be genuine or a fair
interpretation of the Epistle, then it is addressed to Jewish
(Hebrew) Christians in a local church somewhere. Dr. James
Moffatt in his _Commentary_ (pp. xv to xvii) challenges the title
and insists that the book is written for Gentile Christians as
truly as First Peter. He argues this largely from the author's
use of the LXX. For myself Dr. Moffatt's reasons are not
convincing. The traditional view that the author is addressing
Jewish Christians in a definite locality, whether a large church
or a small household church, is true, I believe. The author seems
clearly to refer to a definite church in the experiences alluded
to in #Heb 10:32-34|. The church in Jerusalem had undergone
sufferings like these, but we really do not know where the church
was. Apparently the author is in Italy when he writes (#Heb
13:24|), though "they of Italy" (\hoi apo tês Italias\) can mean
those who have come from Italy. These Jewish Christians may even
have lived in Rome itself.

                             THE DATE

        Here again modern scholars differ widely. Westcott places
it between A.D. 64 and 67. Harnack and Holtzmann prefer a date
between 81 and 96. Marcus Dods argues strongly that the Epistle
was written while the temple was still standing. If it was
already destroyed, it is hard to understand how the author could
have written #Heb 10:1f.|: "Else would they not have ceased to be
offered?" And in #Heb 8:13| "nigh to vanishing away" (\eggus
aphanismou\) is only intelligible with the temple service still
going on. The author makes use of the tabernacle instead of the
temple because the temple was patterned after the tabernacle. On
the other hand, the mention of Timothy in #Heb 13:23| as being
"set free" (\apolelumenon\) raises an inquiry concerning Paul's
last plea to Timothy to come to him in Rome (#2Ti 4:11-13|).
Apparently Timothy came and was put in prison. If so, since Paul
was put to death before Nero's own death (June 8, A.D. 68), there
is left only the years 67 to 69 A.D. as probable or even
possible. It is thus the last of the New Testament books before
the Johannine Writings all of which come towards the close of the
century and after the destruction of Jerusalem.

                           THE PURPOSE

        The author states it repeatedly. He urges the Jewish
Christians to hold fast the confession which they have made in
Jesus as Messiah and Saviour. Their Jewish neighbours have urged
them to give up Christ and Christianity and to come back to
Judaism. The Judaizers tried to make Jews out of Gentile
Christians and to fasten Judaism upon Christianity with a purely
sacramental type of religion as the result. Paul won freedom for
evangelical and spiritual Christianity against the Judaizers as
shown in the Corinthian Epistles, Galatians, and Romans. The
Gnostics in subtle fashion tried to dilute Christianity with
their philosophy and esoteric mysteries and here again Paul won
his fight for the supremacy of Christ over all these imaginary
\aeons\ (Colossians and Ephesians). But in Hebrews the author is
battling to stop a stampede from Christ back to Judaism, a revolt
(apostasy) in truth from the living God. These Jews argued that
the prophets were superior to Jesus, the law came by the ministry
of angels, Moses was greater than Jesus, and Aaron than Jesus.
The author turns the argument on the Jews and boldly champions
the Glory of Jesus as superior at every point to all that Judaism
had, as God's Son and man's Saviour, the crown and glory of the
Old Testament prophecy, the hope of mankind. It is the first
great apologetic for Christianity and has never been surpassed.
Moffatt terms it "a profound homily."

                      SOME BOOKS ON HEBREWS

ANDEL, _De Brief aan de Hebraer_ (1906).
ANDERSON, R., _The Hebrews Epistle in the Light of the Types_
   (1911).
AYLES, _Destination, Date and Authorship of the Epistle to the
   Hebrews_ (1899).
BAILEY, _Leading Ideas of the Epistle to the Hebrews_ (1907).
BLASS, F., _Brief an die Hebraer, Text, Angabe der Rhythmen_
   (1903).
BLEEK, F., _Der Hebraerbrief Erklart_ (1840).
BRUCE, A. B., _The Epistle to the Hebrews_ (1899).
DALE, R. W., _The Jewish Temple in the Christian Church_
   (1865).
DAVIDSON, A. B., _The Epistle to the Hebrews_ (1882).
DELITZSCH, F., _Commentary on the Hebrews_ (1857).
DIBELIUS, M., _Der Verfasser des Hebraerbriefes_ (1910).
DODS, M., _Expositor's Greek Testament_ (1910).
DU BOSE, W. P., _High Priesthood and sacrifice_ (1908).
EDWARDS, T. C., _Expositor's Bible_ (1888).
FARRAR, F. W., _Cambridge Greek Testament_ (1893).
GOODSPEED, E. J., _Bible for Home and School_ (1908).
GRIFFTH-THOMAS, W. H., _Let Us Go On_ (1923).
HEIGL, _Verfalser und Addresse des Briefes an die Hebraer_
   (1905).
HOLLMANN, _Schriften d. N. T_. 2 Aufl. (1907).
KENDRICK, A. C., _American Commentary_ (1890).
LIDGETT, J. S., _Sonship and Salvation_ (1921).
LOWRIE, _An Explanation of Hebrews_ (1921).
LUNEMANN, G., _Meyer Komm_. (1882).
MACFADYEN, J. F., _Through the Eternal Spirit_ (1925).
MACNEILL, _The Christology of the Epistle to the Hebrews_
   (1914).
MENEGOZ, E., _La Theologie de l'epitre aux Hebreaux_ (1894).
MILLIGAN, G., _The Theology of the Epistle to the Hebrews_
   (1899).
MOFFATT JAMES, _Int. and Cosit. Comm_. (1924)
MOULE, H. C., _Messages from the Epistle to the Hebrews_ (1909).
MURRAY, ANDREW, _Devotional Commentary_.
NAIRNE, A., _The Epistle of Priesthood_ (1913).
NAIRNE, A., _The Alexandrian Gospel_ (1917).
PEAKE, A. S., _New Century Bible_ (1904).
PORTER, S. J., _The Twelve-Gemmed Crown_ (1913).
RENDALL, F., _The Theology of the Hebrew Christians_ (1886).
RIGGENBACH, M., _Zoeckler Komm_. 2 Aufl. (1913).
ROTHERHAM, _The Epistle to the Hebrews_ (1906).
SAPHIR, A., _Exposition of Hebrews_.
SCOTT, E. F., _The Epistle to the Hebrews_ (1922).
SEEBERG, A., _Der Brief an die Hebraer_ (1912).
SLOT, _De Letterkundige Vorm van den Brief aan de Hebraer
   (1912).
SODEN, VON, _Hand-Comm_. (1899).
THOLUCK, A., _Komm. zum Briefe an die Hebraer_.
VAUGHAN, C. J., _Epistle to the Hebrews_ (1899).
WADE, _The Epistle to the Hebrews_ (1923).
WEISS, B., _Meyer-Komm_. 6 Aufl. (1902).
WEISS, B., _Der Hebraerbrief in Zeitgeschichtlicher Bekuch-
   tung_ (1910).
WELCH, _Authorship of the Epistle to the Hebrews_ (1899).
WESTCOTT, B. F., _Epistle to the Hebrews_ (3rd ed. 1906).
WICKHAM, E. C., _Westminster Comm_. (1910).
WINDISCH, H., _Handbuch zum N.T_. (1913).
WREDE, W., _Das literarisches Ratsel des Hebraerbriefs_ (1906).