Sermon Tone Analysis

Background to Hebrews

The author of Hebrews is unknown, and the audience is not clearly identified.

Some early Christians grouped this letter among Paul’s writings; others suggested authors in the early church, including Barnabas, Luke, and Clement of Rome.

The author of Hebrews is unknown, and the audience is not clearly identified.

Some early Christians grouped this letter among Paul’s writings; others suggested authors in the early church, including Barnabas, Luke, and Clement of Rome.

Paul taught it and Luke or someone else recorded it or translated it into Greek.

The author appears to have known the recipients, but nothing else about them is clear.

The author appears to have known the recipients, but nothing else about them is clear.

Because the book was written in Greek but is filled with Jewish imagery, the recipients probably were Greek-oriented Jewish Christians.

These believers seem to have wavered in their faith when they faced suffering and adversity because of the gospel.

They also questioned whether Christ’s sacrifice really dealt with their sins.

As a result, it had become increasingly tempting to abandon Christ and return to their former life of Judaism.

Because the book was written in Greek but is filled with Jewish imagery, the recipients probably were Greek-oriented Jewish Christians.

These believers seem to have wavered in their faith when they faced suffering and adversity because of the gospel.

They also questioned whether Christ’s sacrifice really dealt with their sins.

As a result, it had become increasingly tempting to abandon Christ and return to their former life of Judaism.

The Christians who first received Hebrews were probably the target of social rejection from Jews and increasing pressure from those of other religions.

The recipients may have lived in Rome or the surrounding area, as indicated by the greetings sent by people from Italy ().

The Christians who first received Hebrews were probably the target of social rejection from Jews and increasing pressure from those of other religions.

The recipients may have lived in Rome or the surrounding area, as indicated by the greetings sent by people from Italy ().

Hebrews likely was written before the mid-90s AD, since its material is used in an early church letter (1 Clement) that dates to the late first century.

Statistics

Hebrews likely was written before the mid-90s AD, since its material is used in an early church letter (1 Clement) that dates to the late first century.

Since Hebrews is not structured like a typical letter, it may have originally been a sermon that circulated among churches in the Roman Empire.

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016).

Faithlife Study Bible.

Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.ground to Hebrews

kdkdk

Author: Unknown

own

Date: Before early 90’s

Key Verses: 1:1-8

Key Words: faith - 32 times (24 in Chapter 11), therefore - 25 times, heaven- 16 times, better - 13 times, now - 16 times, let us - 13 times, partaker - 6 times

13 chapters, 303 verses, 6,913 words

PURPOSE of the Letter

PURPOSE

The Jewish Christians are encouraged to leave the synagogue and identify publicly (fully) with the church (cf.

13:13).

A. The Jewish Christians are encouraged to leave the synagogue and identify publicly (fully) with the church (cf.

13:13).

They are encouraged to take up the missionary mandate of the gospel.

B. The Jewish Christians are encouraged to take up the missionary mandate of the gospel (cf.

; ).

The were some who under the pressure of persecution were tempted to abandon their belief in the Jesus.

Along with these wavering believers there were Jewish unbelievers in fellowship.

They are warned to personally respond to the abundant and clear evidence in the lives of their Christian friends and co-worshipers.

C. The Jewish unbelievers in fellowship with these Jewish Christians are the focus of chapters 6 and 10.

Notice the presence of three groups, “we,” “you,” and “they.”

They are warned to personally respond to the abundant and clear evidence in the lives of their Christian friends and co-worshipers.

They are warned to personally respond to the abundant and clear evidence in the lives of their Christian friends and co-worshipers.

This supposed historical reconstruction is taken from No Easy Salvation by R. C. Glaze, Jr.: “The problem was not that of tension between the Christian majority and the non-Christian minority.

The very opposite was true.

The Jewish Christians of this congregation had so compromised their faith and sense of stewardship that the two groups could worship together as one congregation.

Neither group seriously troubled the conscience of the other.

No longer did the preaching of the Christian group result in conviction and decision on the part of the unsaved members of the synagogue.

The Christians were in a state of stagnation because of their unwillingness to accept the full demands of courageous Christian living.

The unbelievers had become hardened by continual rejection to the point of utter indifference.

These groups had now become compatible bedfellows.

The reluctance of the Christian group to ‘press on unto perfection’ (6:1) was motivated by two phenomena: high regard for the traditions of Judaism and unwillingness to pay the price of full identification with Christianity, which was becoming more and more a Gentile movement” (p.

23).

D. This supposed historical reconstruction is taken from No Easy Salvation by R. C. Glaze, Jr.

Exploring the Letter of Hebrews

“The problem was not that of tension between the Christian majority and the non-Christian minority.

The very opposite was true.

The Jewish Christians of this congregation had so compromised their faith and sense of stewardship that the two groups could worship together as one congregation.

Neither group seriously troubled the conscience of the other.

No longer did the preaching of the Christian group result in conviction and decision on the part of the unsaved members of the synagogue.

The Christians were in a state of stagnation because of their unwillingness to accept the full demands of courageous Christian living.

The unbelievers had become hardened by continual rejection to the point of utter indifference.

These groups had now become compatible bedfellows.

This epistle, then, being written primarily to Hebrew Christians and especially to such as were tempted to lapse into Judaism, is concerned throughout to exhibit the superiority of the Gospel over the covenant and system connected with Moses.

The reluctance of the Christian group to ‘press on unto perfection’ (6:1) was motivated by two phenomena: high regard for the traditions of Judaism and unwillingness to pay the price of full identification with Christianity, which was becoming more and more a Gentile movement” (p.

23).

This it does, not by minimizing the old covenant but by showing the perfection and finality of the new.

Other than belittling Judaism, the new covenant transfigures it, and honours it by finally fulfilling .

The New and Better Deliverer

Utley, R. J. (1999).

The Superiority of the New Covenant: Hebrews (Vol.

Volume 10, p. 4).

Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.

If those Jewish believers were to be rescued from their danger of viewing the new Christ-faith as merely supplementing Judaism without cancelling it, they must first be made to see the all-eclipsing Divine glory of the God-Man Saviour Himself, which gives absolute finality to all His redemptive and mediatorial work, thereby completely excluding all other saviours and sacrifices.

So, this is the opening subject, in chapters 1-7.

"Long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets...”

Messiah Jesus is far above angels (i., ii).

He is the SON; they are but servants (i.

5-9).

He is the Creator; they are but creatures (verses I0-12).

He is the Sovereign; they are but sub­jects (verses 13-14).

He is the glorified God-Man Saviour, who is not only Himself above angels, but brings many sons into glory, lifting them also above the angels (ii.

5, 9).

He is correspondingly "better" than Moses, Israel's great apostle, greatest of all merely human mediators and law-givers (iii.).

Moses was merely the human agent of the old economy; Christ is the Divine Founder of the new (verses 3, 4).

Moses was faithful as a steward of God's house; but Christ is faithful as Son over His house (verses 5, 6).

Moses was a witness to something better to come; Christ is the fulfiller (verses 5, 6).

He is correspondingly "better" than Moses, Israel's great apostle, greatest of all merely human mediators and law-givers (iii.).

Moses was merely the human agent of the old economy; Christ is the Divine Founder of the new (verses 3, 4).

Moses was faithful as a steward of God's house; but Christ is faithful as Son over His house (verses 5, 6).

Moses was a witness to something better to come; Christ is the fulfiller (verses 5, 6).

He is "better" than Joshua, captain of Israel's Canaan conquest (iv.

1-13).

Joshua led the people into the earthly Canaan, but could not lead them into the true rest, whereas Jesus brings us into the true rest of "ceasing from works" to enjoy a spiritual sabbath-keeping with God (verses 8, 3, 9).

·

He is "better" than Joshua, captain of Israel's Canaan conquest (iv.

1-13).

Joshua led the people into the earthly Canaan, but could not lead them into the true rest, whereas Jesus brings us into the true rest of "ceasing from works" to enjoy a spiritual sabbath-keeping with God (verses 8, 3, 9).

📷

He is "better" than Aaron, Israel's representative high priest (iv.