The Unique Status of Jesus as the Divine Messiah (original) (raw)
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The Destination of the Epistle to the Hebrews
If there were ever a prize for the New Testament book with the most puzzling mysteries surrounding its creation, the Epistle to the Hebrews2 would take home first place. From its authorship, to its literary style, to references to obscure figures like Melchizedik, this Epistle is full of unknowns, and therefore open to much speculation. Yet, the Epistle remains one of the most enjoyable, moving, and influential works in the New Testament, and has contributed significantly to the Church’s understanding of herself, her understanding of Old Testament, insights to the purpose the sacrificial system served, and provides a wellspring of encouragement and strength in trying times from the faithful saints the came before them. One of the mysteries that surrounds the purpose, and possibly the interpretation, of this Epistle is who the intended recipients were and the original destination of the Epistle. Numerous theories, spanning from Spain to Antioch,3 have been suggested and possible destinations. This essay aims to demonstrate, through the studying of the external ecclesiastical testimony and the internal content of the Epistle, that the work (labeled) “to the Hebrews” was intended for Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. Once a profile of the audience this Epistle addresses is constructed, the implications of this essay’s conclusion promises a refreshed understanding of the occasion of the Epistle and deeper appreciation and encouragement by the pastoral intentions behind this Epistle.
The Epistle of Hebrews (2024 edition)
The Three-Fold Thematic Scheme of the Epistle of Hebrews - The primary theme of the Catholic Epistles is the perseverance in the faith for the New Testament believer. Each of these epistles addresses one aspect of this journey as their secondary theme, so that collectively, they deliver the complete exhortation of the church to enable perseverance. The secondary theme of the epistle of Hebrews offers the testimony of the high priesthood of Jesus Christ as one means of perseverance amidst hardships and persecutions. The other church epistles address the role of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit in the believer’s perseverance. The third, imperative theme of Hebrews is the exhortation to holding fast our confession of faith in Jesus by resting in God’s mercy and grace of God made available through the high priesthood of Jesus Christ. This exhortation establishes the believer’s heart. The other Church Epistles establish the believer’s mind and body, so that collectively, the believer is established in his three-fold make-up: spirit, soul, and body.
Hebrews and the General Epistles
The Bible
Hebrews and the General Epistles (we here refer to James, 1 and 2 Peter, and Jude) 1 share some common themes and assumptions as they address the problem of sin. All five texts are heavy on exhortation. Their authors direct their epistles to insiders-those who already belong to the community of believers in Jesus. 2 As such, much of the exhortation of these letters focuses on the need to remain firm in one's commitment to this belief and to the community of the faithful. One of the central characterizations of sin in these texts is, therefore, turning away from Jesus and the believing community, and/or returning to a past state and past behaviors. Each of these epistles also seeks to reinforce a reorientation of disordered desires. Sin arises when one's primary orientation or inclination is towards the present, visible world. This entails accepting the logic and values of the evil age. Humanity in general is inclined to desire the corruptible things of this world. These texts argue that a proper orientation for life looks instead towards unending life in unhindered fellowship with God in the future age. Thus entering into the coming, eternal realm is the goal of such an orientation. This desire for God and for obtaining the promises he has made stands at the heart of faith. Life that is rightly ordered in the here and now-a faithful life-is life lived in line with the eschatological hope of this future inheritance made possible by Jesus' salvific work. 1 For a discussion of the Johannine epistles see the essay in this volume by Gary M. Burge. 2 Dale Allison has recently challenged the conclusion that James is directed to communities of believers arguing instead that the epistle intends to foster good relations between Christ-believing Jews and non-Christ-believing Jews in synagogue contexts (
THE LETTER TO THE HEBREWS: Exciting and no longer Boring, 2019
Associating a divine Christ with the sacrifice on the cross was gaining credence from authors with very different backgrounds during the second half of the second century.
The Epistle of Ephesians (2024 edition)
The Three-Fold Thematic Scheme of the Epistle of Ephesians - The primary theme of the nine church epistles is the establishment of the doctrines of the New Testament church. Each of these epistles addresses one aspect of this doctrinal foundation as their secondary theme, so that collectively, they deliver the complete doctrinal creed of the church. The secondary theme of the epistle of Ephesians offers the testimony of the office and ministry of the God the Father in the believer’s sanctification, namely His divine foreknowledge regarding His plan of redemption for mankind. The third, imperative theme of Ephesians is the believer’s outward evidence of his sanctification demonstrated in walking a worthy walk and engaging in spiritual warfare to fulfill God’s plan of Redemption. Let me illustrate the theme of Ephesians in modern terms. Imagine that a family is taking a long journey together on a family vacation. There is the mother and father and three or four children. Now as God has created and designed a plan for our lives and for the Church as a whole, so did someone design the car, the highway, all of the signs, the hotels and eating places along the journey and even the route and destination for this journey. So, Dad and Mom get in the car. The father is like the pastor of our church, whom God has ordained as our leader. Just as the pastor has been to Bible school in order to learn how to guide a church, so has the father learned much about how to drive the car and how to read the road map. The father has checked out the car to make sure he can get there as fast and as safely as possible. He has a road map with him and he has listened to the advice from his buddies at work on which route to take. Mom has focused on the comforts of the journey, taking plenty of clothing, snacks in the car, pillows, sunglasses, etc. She wants to make sure the journey is made as enjoyable as possible. Now, look at the child. He has been bouncing a ball this whole time, excited about the trip, but completely in the dark as to how they will get there or what is needed for the journey. Now he is happy because he is carefree. His only concerns are his immediate needs, whether he is hungry or needs to go to the potty, or if his sibling is playing with his toy and he wants it back. Many Christians take this journey in life as a child and not as the adult. They are so consumed with their immediate childish needs that they want the pastor and other church workers to take them on the journey comfortably. They may do something good like sharing their toys and think that they are doing a great work for the Lord, but this is very insignificant compared to the real work for this journey. Thank God for the mature adults who will make sure that everyone makes the journey safely. The children are just along for the ride. God wants us to grow up and understand this journey that we are on. It is not a journey that someone takes by himself. It is a family matter requiring the support of each member. Thus, the major theme of this epistle is that God has blessed the Church with many spiritual blessings and equipped them in order to bring about His purpose and plan on earth. Did not the Lord Jesus refer to this role of the Church in bringing God’s will upon the earth in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven,” (Matt 6:10). Therefore, the believer will find peace and joy only as he sets his heart and affections on these things above and not on the things of this earth. The epistle of Ephesians is structured like a journey and it teaches us how to find our role in God’s plan for our lives and the role of the Church in general of God’s great plan of redemption.