An Exegesis of Hebrews 2:10-18 (original) (raw)

Truly God is Good: Suffering in Old Testament Perspective

This article discusses the concept of suffering in the Old Testament. It first looks at passages in the Pentateuch that describe life before the fall, which paints a picture of human existence before suffering. It then examines what the Pentateuch and Proverbs teach about avoiding suffering through living a life of faithful obedience. Next, it examines suffering in the books of Job and Ecclesiastes, which tackle head-on the issue of the suffering of the righteous. It then moves to the New Testament to examine how suffering differs on this side of the cross and how modern-day Christians must live in light of the reality of suffering. The article concludes with few proposals for how to apply the biblical theology of suffering.

The Passion of Jesus in Hebrews 2:5-18 and the Argument of the Letter

The present study proposes an explanation of the meaning of the salvation through Jesus’ death in Hebrews 2:5-18. By referring to Hebrews 7 and 11, it points to the pervasiveness of the motif of mortality in the letter; by comparing Heb 2:5-18 with the passages from the Pauline and Johannine corpora of texts, it discerns Hebrews’ original thought in distinction from the other similar expressions of Christian vision of salvation. In consequence, the crucial elements of the passage are clarified. The appropriateness of Jesus’ death is seen against the background of the presence of death in the lives of Abraham and Isaac, of Moses and the Israelites, and of the Levitical priests. The victory over the devil is put into perspective by a survey of the parallel Pauline and Johannine texts underlining the characteristics of Hebrews’ agonistic portrayal of Jesus’ achievement. The study offers in effect a comprehensive interpretation of Heb 2:5-18, responding to issues raised by scholars: questions of the anthropological focus of the passage, its relationship with the rest of the letter, and sources of its ideas.

Grace Tasted Death for All: Thomas Aquinas on Hebrews 2:9

Tyndale Bulletin 63.2, 2012

This article examines the biblical interpretation of Thomas Aquinas, which has until recently been relatively neglected amongst the many works of this leading medieval theologian. Looking particularly at ‘by the grace of God Christ tasted death for all’ (Hebrews 2:9), a key phrase which throws up several exegetical and theological puzzles, it concludes that Aquinas’s approach to it is a prime example of medieval commentating both at its best and its worst. It shows how his lack of knowledge of Greek led him astray, notes his neglect of textual criticism, and examines his reliance on tradition, especially the Hebrews commentary of Peter Lombard. It places his use of the theological formula ‘sufficient for all, efficacious for the elect alone’ when expounding the words ‘for all’ into historical context, surveying exegetical discussion of the extent of the atonement from Origen to Gottschalk to John Owen. Aquinas’s use of the scholastic ‘division of the text’ methodology to identify a melodic line centring on this verse’s theme of ‘grace’ within both Hebrews and Paul (the assumed author) is uncovered, along with other interpretative tactics and a reflective piety which jar against the presuppositions of modern academic biblical studies.

NBST 621 Final Research Paper. - Exegesis of Hebrews 10:11-18

Perhaps more than any other book in the New Testament, the Epistle to the Hebrews warns its readers about the dangers of “drifting away” from their faith and into apostasy: “For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit… to restore them again to repentance” (Hebrews 6:4, 6b, ESV). At the same time, it also provides some of the greatest promises concerning the completeness of Jesus’ saving work as our Faithful High Priest: “He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). Because we so often bring our own theological leanings into our study of God’s Word, it is incumbent upon those who wish to faithfully exegete the Book of Hebrews, to make sure that due weight is given to both the severity of the warnings, as well as the sufficiency of the promises. Buist Fanning describes the situation this way, “all interpreters are faced with the same dilemma in Hebrews: how to bring these seemingly disparate elements into a coherence that is true to the text.” Along with Fanning, I believe the author provides clues in the text that help resolve these differences. He argues it will be the believer’s ability to persevere in the face of temptation that will demonstrate their “vital connection to Christ.” If they endure to the end, that is evidence that they are “members of God’s House” and partakers of the High Priestly ministry of Christ. Therefore, I will argue in this paper that through His "single sacrifice" as our "Faithful High Priest," Jesus dealt decisively with sin and "made perfect forever" the participants of the New Covenant.

The Contribution of Hebrews to New Testament Christology

This essay attempts an exegesis of some of the key Christological texts in the Epistle to the Hebrews in order to sketch the author’s Christology. The challenging introductory questions relating to the Epistle’s composition are largely avoided; the exegetical method instead focuses on context, grammar and syntax, and intertextuality. Competing scholarly viewpoints are presented and weighed. Particular emphasis is placed on the exordium (Hebrews 1:1-4), the catena of scriptural quotations (Hebrews 1:5-14), the discussion of Christ’s humanity (Hebrews 2:6-18), the comparison of Christ with Moses (Hebrews 3:1-6), and the enigmatic comparison of Christ with Melchizedek (Hebrews 7). Other Christologically significant texts discussed more briefly include Hebrews 4:15-16, Hebrews 5:7-9, Hebrews 9:15-16, Hebrews 10:5-10, and Hebrews 13:8. The conclusion drawn from the study is that the author of Hebrews regarded Jesus as the pre-existent, divine Son of God who became incarnate to deal with sin and was exalted by God for his faithfulness unto death. By its dual emphasis on Christ’s divinity and humanity, Hebrews provides the raw materials for later Chalcedonian orthodoxy, although it does not develop these concepts or attempt to resolve the tension between them.

Jesus’ Heavenly Sacrifice in Early Christian Reception of Hebrews: A Survey

The Journal of Theological Studies

Modern readings of Hebrews tend to reduce the text's language of Jesus' sacrificial offering to the event of his crucifixion. In a recent book, Atonement and the Logic of Resurrection in the Epistle to the Hebrews, I argue that such a reduction does not adequately account for either the presence or significance of Jesus' resurrection and bodily ascension for Hebrews' Christology and soteriology. The book's claims have rightly raised questions about why Hebrews has not been read this way in the past. This article offers an initial exploration of some early Christian reception of Hebrews. I demonstrate that, while not universal, a variety of texts from the early centuries of Christianity interpret Hebrews' language of Jesus' atoning sacrifice as referring to Jesus' post-resurrection offering of himself to the Father in the heavens. These findings suggest that early Christian reflection on Hebrews, Jesus' sacrifice, and atonement could approach these interrelated concerns more holistically-that is, orientated toward the full, creedal narrative of the incarnation, than to do some accounts of the atonement that reduce Jesus' sacrifice to his death on the cross. I.

Atonement and the Logic of Resurrection in the Epistle to the Hebrews

Atonement and the Logic of Resurrection in the Epistle to the Hebrews, 2011

The New Testament book known as the epistle to the Hebrews contains little obvious reference to Jesus' resurrection. Modern interpreters generally account for this relative silence by noting that the author's soteriological and christological concerns have led him to emphasize Jesus' death and exaltation while ignoring, spiritualizing, or even denying his resurrection. In particular, the writer's metaphorical appeal to the Yom Kippur sacrifice, with its dual emphasis on the slaughter of the victim and the presentation of the victim's blood by the high priest, allows him to explain the salvific significance of Jesus' death and exaltation. The crucifixion can be likened to the slaughter of the victim, while Jesus' exaltation in heaven can be likened to the high priest entering the holy of holies. In this way the cross can be understood as an atoning sacrifice. Such a model leaves little room for positive or distinct reflection on the soteriological or christological significance of the resurrection. This study argues that the soteriology and high-priestly Christology the author develops depend upon Jesus' bodily resurrection and ascension into heaven. The work begins with a survey of positions on Jesus' resurrection in Hebrews. I then present a case for the presence and role of Jesus' bodily resurrection in the text. First, I demonstrate that the writer's argument in Heb 1-2 for the elevation of Jesus above the angelic spirits assumes that Jesus has his humanity-his blood and flesh-with him in heaven. Second, I show that in Heb 5-7 the writer identifies Jesus' resurrection to an indestructible life as the point when Jesus became a high priest. Third, I explain how this thesis makes v coherent the author's consistent claims in Heb 8-10 that Jesus presented his offering to God in heaven. I conclude that Jesus' crucifixion is neither the place nor the moment of atonement for the author of Hebrews. Rather, in keeping with the equation in the Levitical sacrificial system of the presentation of blood to God with the presentation of life, Jesus obtained atonement where and when the writer says-when he presented himself in his ever-living, resurrected humanity before God in heaven. Jesus' bodily resurrection is, therefore, the hinge around which the high-priestly Christology and soteriology of Hebrews turns.