Hebrews

The epistle to the Hebrews.

This is one of the most important epistles that explain

1. Christ Over the Cosmos

2: Jesus has inherited the world.

How was Jesus the -means- by which God created the world? There is some special relationship between the whole cosmos and mankind, and Jesus is the ultimate man.

4: Jesus is above the angels.

14: Angels are sent out to serve the children of God.

2. The Manhood of Jesus

1-4: We must pay attention to the work of God or we drift away. The promises of angels and prophets and teachers came true, and we must never forget what was accomplished.

5-8: God is making a new world not subject to angels but to man.

Yet, there are still evil forces in this world.

9-13: Jesus is going to bring humankind to a state of glory that is greater than what angels have. But he is not just a big bronzy sky god reigning in terror up above. He suffered with us and tasted death. He is our brother.

14: Jesus taking on our flesh and blood means he can share his divine glory with us. By dying he destroys all evil and death, and so we don't need to fear death any more.

15: The fear of death is what enslaves us to passions and to sin. We act with hatred, greed, malice, and lust because we want to be immortal and youthful and strong and beautiful forever. But because Jesus has destroyed the power of death, we no longer need to be afraid.

If everyone trusted in Christ and no one feared death, there would be no slavery, there would be no longer be any evil in the world.

17: Jesus is the ultimate priest because he can be our representative before God, and God's representative to us. He was tempted, suffered, and died like we do, but rules in glory like God.

3. Moses the Servant, Christ the Heir

1: high priest of our 'confession' - which confession is this? The confession of the gospel in faith.

3: Moses built the house of Israel. Christ built the whole world.

5-6: Moses was a servant in God's house. Jesus is the heir.

12-14: All of the work that God has done is proof of the inheritance that we have, but sin is still able to deceive and discourage us. We must hold fast. Or as 2:3, we must not 'neglect' such a great salvation or drift away from it. It has to be seized upon with belief.

17: What story in Exodus is this referring to?

What is 'his rest?'

4. Entering the Rest

8: The land of Israel provided by Joshua couldn't be the full rest. There's something further.

11: Seeking salvation involves striving, not that our striving could earn salvation, but if we stop striving we stop grasping ahold of what God has already given us.

12-13: What does it mean that 'the word of God' is what exposes us and pierces deep into our souls? Is that Jesus? Is that the words revealed in scripture?

14: Hold fast to what confession? Confession of sin or confession of faith?

5. Christ the High Priest

4: No one can appoint himself to be the high priest. Only God can.

7: Jesus did not want to die. He begged God in the Garden of Gethsamene that he wouldn't have to be crucified. But it had to happen to save mankind. Because he was beloved of God, God raised him from the dead. And we can have hope through his advocacy of us before the father that we too can be raised from the dead.

8: As a man, Jesus learned obedience.

9: Being made perfect? Does this refer to his glorification?

Salvation is for those who obey.

6. Maturity

The basics of Christianity, to the author of Hebrews, are repentance from dead works, faith towards God, washings (baptism? or that washings are no longer needed per 9:10), laying on of hands, the resurrection and doomsday.

5: powers of the age to come -- miraculous gifts? If that's the case, then why would that support cessationism?

8: Jesus and the apostles are unanimous in saying that some people are just fruitless no matter how much Christianity they receive, and they will be burned.

12: The earnest inherit the promise of God, not the sluggish.

15: What was the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham?

17: What passage is this referring to?

18: Two unchangeable things?

7. The Order of Melchizedek

1-10: Is this a symbolic point?

12: A profound point. Law and priesthood are part of the symbolic order over a society. What words control what actions, rituals, and procedures.

15-16: Jesus did not meet the legal requirement of being descended from Levi, but was so full of the overwhelming life of God that he deserved the high priesthood.

18-19: The law was weakless and useless, making nothing perfect, compared to the better hope we have in Christ.

23-25: Other priests are temporary, but Christ's priesthood is forever because he is our eternal representative before God.

28: word of the oath? later than the law?

8. The New Covenant

5: The temple on earth was a shadow of heavenly glory.

7: The first covenant was faulty because people didn't continue with it.

9. The Earthly and Heavenly Sanctuary

10: The old covenant could only provide symbols and rituals meant to be pictures of heavenly things.

12: Christ's own blood was the ritual path into a heavenly realm, the true holy place beyond our world.

14: In order to move from dead works to living works, our conscience must be purified by Christ's blood.

27: You are judged after you die. But how does Christ's return to save those eagerly waiting for him relate to judgment after dying once?

10. Christ’s Sacrifice Once Forever

5: Is the author of Hebrews saying that Jesus recited Psalm 40, or is he saying that Christ was the true author of Psalm 40 speaking through his ancestor David?

13: Why does Jesus wait? What is the course of time that all his enemies must be put under his feet for thousands of years?

19-25: Our response to this good news should be to love and serve one another and be near to one another.

25: Does this day drawing near refer to the day of our death, the day of Christ's judgment, or the day of Christ's judgment on Jerusalem?

29-31: It seems Jesus may judge Christians who apostatize or fall into deep sin more severely than some unknowing unbelievers.

11. Hall of Faith

6: God exists and he rewards those who seek him. Don't neglect to seek him. Seek him, seek him.

7: Noah was willing to reject all the world's wisdom and condemn them, instead seeking salvation from God.

16: We seek a permanent place to dwell with God in heaven. The city of God.

26: What was the reproach of Christ to Moses?

It seems like Jesus Christ taught the apostles that he had been the one leading Moses into the Exodus.

12. Run the Race Faithfully

4: As heavy as it may seem to struggle with sin and temptation, it's probably not as heavy as being crucified.

10: God disciplines us so we can be like him. The suffering is not pointless but leads to peace.

14: The end results of all our work should be more peace with everyone. Otherwise, what are you working towards?

15: Root of bitterness?

16: respect for the birthright promised by God is holiness, perhaps implying that sexual immorality is unholy because it perverts your inheritance. Throwing away what you have been given spiritually in Christ, biologically through the church.

17: grasp the promise of God while you still can!

18-21: Modern church, unfortunately, tries to make Christianity into something safe and not fearful. But we should be fearful of God, and loving him so much that we can endure the fear.

23: the firstborn enrolled in heaven? Specifically, the assembly of those around Christ?

13. Brotherly Love

The culmination of all these meditations on holy things and history is that we should love one another.

9: Teachings, grace, foods?

You can tell if a teaching isn't good if the people devoted to that teaching are not loving and fruitful in it.