John ritenbaugh, reiterating that internal evidence substantiates the high probability that the apostle paul authored the book of hebrews, stresses that christs ultimate goal is to bring the entire creation under. Jerusalem audiencepeople who needed encouragement to stand strong while on the receiving end of persecution from templeobservant jews. A call to persevere 32 remember the early days that you were in the light, when you endured a great conflict in the face of suffering. The text does not mention the name of its author, but was traditionally attributed to paul the apostle. However, doubt on pauline authorship in the roman church is reported by eusebius. Aug 06, 2011 scholars are quite certain that the book of hebrews was written after jesus death, burial and resurrection and therefore the book of hebrews was written sometime after ad 30. They were in great danger of going back into judaism. Nov 30, 2019 please enjoy this series on the essential new testament book, hebrews. Survey of hebrews what is a good summary of the book of hebrews. Jan 28, 2010 but because of the book of hebrews we realize that is no excuse. These christians however were partially in danger to withdraw from christendom and to go back to judaism because of the heavy outward pressure of persecution hebrews 6.
It speaks to those as to why and how to follow christ. They may have considered demoting christ from gods son to a. First, in the earliest manuscript editions of the new testament books, hebrews is included after romans among the books written by the apostle paul. The time of the writing of this book can be dated before 64 a. No matter who the human author of hebrews was, there are indications that it was written fairly early in the new testament period, probably somewhere around ad 67 to 69.
Hebrews 5 8 jesus is our high priest hebrews 6 be fruitful in your devotion to christ as our eternal high priest hebrews 7 christ is a priest after the order of melchizedek hebrews 8 christ, a minister of a superior covenant hebrews 9 10 jesus is our sacrifice for sins hebrews 9 christ offered himself in the perfect templetabernacle heaven. Indoeuropean tribes philistines move to palestine named after them from the aegean sea. We discover later in the book that the readers of this letter had been persecuted. There are a couple reasons why this might be the case. Guthrie points out how the book of hebrews refers to the old testament. In truth, many of the early jewish believers were slipping back into the rites and rituals of. The epistle to the hebrews, or letter to the hebrews, or in the greek manuscripts, simply to the. This book was especially written to those jews who had become christians, and as a result of their claiming christ as their lord and savior, they encountered various problems. The book of hebrews is a powerful application lesson. Even before the inception of the new testament church, the old testament group of the faithful went through the same experience.
Persecution of christians in the new testament wikipedia. And when we look through the book of hebrews, we recognize that the christians at that time were up against some really difficult odds. Some say jesus was simply a good teacher, a wise prophet, or even an angel. Why hebrews was written part two church of the great god. Luke translated it carefully and published it for the greeks, and hence the same style of expression is found in this epistle and in the acts.
It was to this fearful, struggling group of believers that the letter of hebrews was written. Though some scholars argue that the earlier persecutions of hebrews 10. The book of hebrews hebrews is one of the most challenging books in the new testament. The letter to the hebrews appears in the new testament after the thirteen pauline letters and before the seven catholic letters. A conclusion to the probable nature of the persecution referenced in hebrews 10. Dec 07, 2019 please enjoy this series on the essential new testament book, hebrews. Guthrie walks you through the entire text, explaining its complex. The author of the book of hebrews provides a summary statement of that fact. What was the nature of the persecution mentioned in the. Written for an audience of jewish believers in a time of persecution, the book of hebrews proclaims an eternal truth. Aug 22, 2009 it could be that the book of hebrews was written to the church in jerusalem facing persecution from outside the church but again, its a matter of speculation based on interpretation of the book.
Much of the book of hebrews is, according to chapter 8, focused on. This had to make a huge impact with the intended readers of the book of hebrews. From the letter itself it is clear that the writer must have had authority in the apostolic church and was an intellectual hebrew christian well versed in the ot. Scripture, though, declares him to be someone much greater. He was most likely a jewish christian who wrote just before the destruction of jerusalem and its temple by the romans in ad 70. Christianity, in rome, during neros persecution of christians between ad 64 and 68. One thing is clear from the contents of the epistle. But it helps when we recognize that the original audience was facing persecution and that they were tempted to turn away from christ. Many of its topics and themes are difficult to understand, and it tends to approach them differently than other new testament books do. The book of hebrews compares and contrasts jesus to key historical people and events from the old testament. Persecution definition and meaning bible dictionary. They appear to have grown less attentive to christian instruction, and some apparently have ceased regular attendance at their meetings. Rome burned that year and nero blamed it the christians, which began the persecution.
The book of hebrews hebrews is one of the most challenging. I think that would be an appropriate description of the twentieth century american church. If you have any questions or comments regarding any of our videos. The letter to the hebrews 10 hour course this course is the culmination of over 20 years of research and teaching on the book of hebrews by dr. Let me make a general observation an overview of the book of hebrews and the whole study will become a thrilling application for us today. From the above facts, the evidence would seem to point to the jewish christians in particular at jerusalem where persecution and loss of property would be evident. In this book we discover that the original audience was facing persecution and that they were tempted to turn away from christ. Introduces perspectives on the author, audience, date and purpose of the book of hebrews that can help us interpret the original meaning and apply this book to our modern world. The book of hebrews presents jesus christ and his superiority. Higher purpose ministries better a sermon series on. As they confronted this possibility, the hebrews were tempted to cast aside any identification with christ. Better is the title of my sermon series on the new testament book of hebrews. The book was written before jerusalem was destroyed and during the persecution. The audience for the book of hebrews had suffered some persecution.
What was the nature of the persecution mentioned in the epistle to. Many attribute the book of hebrews to paul but the vast majority of. The book of hebrews ends with a challenge to faithfully trust jesus and follow great old testament models of faith despite lifes hardships and persecution. When we think about the book of hebrews, we need to understand that it was a letter. According to many scholars, the book of hebrews was written to a group of secondgeneration jewish christians who were facing growing persecution. It was written to people, written to people in a particular situation. We see this clearly in the book of acts where typically nonmessianic jews were the primary forces behind the persecution of christians while. Scholars are quite certain that the book of hebrews was written after jesus death, burial and resurrection and therefore the book of hebrews was written sometime after ad 30. The present lack of physical persecution hebrews 12. This was a time when the persecution of rome and the jewish religious leaders was ramping up as never before. The jewish christians in rome who received the letter were subject to further persecution and possibly their own martyrdom as well see hebrews 10.
Scholars are quite certain that the book of hebrews was written after. The pressure encountered by the recipients of the book of hebrews was not a bloody persecution, but instead constant psychological pressures economic, health, persecution on the church, social, family, etc. Guthrie walks you through the entire text, explaining its complex structure and navigating you through its twists and turns. Use these popular bible verses from hebrews for a better understanding. Walter martin, founder of the christian research institute and writer of the bestselling book kingdom of the cults, quipped in his usual tongueincheek manner that the book of hebrews was written by a hebrew to other hebrews telling the hebrews to stop acting like hebrews. It seems that at the time hebrews was written, christians could find safety from persecution if they rejected their distinctively christian beliefs and identified more closely with their local jewish community. More than any other new testament book, hebrews connects the dots between the old testament and the new. I believe hebrews is just the book gods spirit may employ to move us in this direction. When you consider the wide agreement among biblical scholars about who wrote every other book of the new testament, its a little mysterious that we dont know who wrote hebrews. The idea of being persecuted for the christian faith sounds outdated like.
Dan winklers book on hebrews is called gods word of encouragement now we always want to see how our biblical studies apply to us today. One of the problems with reading hebrews is identifying the date and recipient of the letter. The association of barnabas with the book of hebrews may be because he was described as a son of encouragement, and hebrews. Hebrews is a book filled with warnings to be careful of sin and to follow christ and full of encouragement. But this temptation was not what we might first imagine. This book is very special to me because it was written to the jewish christians in the church who were undergoing very severe persecution that the vast majority of believers have never had to experience. This letter was written before the persecution of 64 a. A friend and i recently read out loud through the book of hebrews using the books of the bible. Although the identity of the author of the book remains to be a topic for debate and discussion in churches and among scholars today, the book of hebrews is attributed to. He is greater than angels, the torah, moses, the promised land, priests, melchizedek, sacrifices, and the covenant. Perhaps nowhere in the new testament does the old testament come into focus more than in the book of hebrews, which has as its foundation the levitical priesthood.
Persecution broke out against christians at various times, to varying. Hebrews is a lengthy letter included in the new testament that encourages christs followers to withstand persecution and remain true to the newly formed church. Voice bible studies, the book of hebrews, introduction, lesson 1. The persecution of christians in the new testament is an important part of the early christian narrative which depicts the early church as being persecuted for their heterodox beliefs by a jewish establishment in what was then the roman province of judea. It was not cool then either and christians probably faced much greater persecution than dirty looks and mean comments. Voice bible studies, the book of hebrews, introduction. Best commentaries and books on hebrews logos bible software. Canaanites live in the citystate of jericho, a tributary of egypt 1500 bc. Read the book of hebrews, 1 in the past god spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The book of hebrews solves this problem by arguing that the hebrew scriptures also foretold that the messiah would be a priest although of a. The book of hebrews was intended to encourage messianic jews hebrew christians living in the diaspora who were tempted to abandon their faith because of the pressure of persecution and because of. Others were wrestling with the thought of doing the same. The epistle to the hebrews, or letter to the hebrews, or in the greek manuscripts, simply to the hebrews. One of the reasons they had been persecuted was for sympathizing with other christians who had been imprisoned see hebrews 10.
Join us on truth for life as alistair begg shares a convincing argument for the superiority of christ. Judaism was a legal and recognized religion at that time. Persecution broke out against christians at various times, to varying degrees across roman empire in the first century. It could be that the book of hebrews was written to the church in jerusalem facing persecution from outside the church but again, its a matter of speculation based on interpretation of the book. True the writer of hebrews claims to be a secondgeneration christian heb 2. Weve noted that the audience of hebrews had suffered persecution and that this persecution was tempting them toward apostasy. Early tradition, in the main, attributed this text to paul, but the western church did not accept its pauline authorship until the fourth century. Are you familiar with the expression, fat, dumb and happy. Better is a good title for the book since the author to hebrews uses the word better times as he compares the christianity to the old way of living and as he compares jesus christ to the patriarchs, the prophets, the angels, the priests, and everything else. The referred letter sends a message encouraging christians to persevere through their struggle between christianity and judaism. The book of hebrews elevates jesus above historical people. The book of hebrews was probably written to jewish christians in rome who were facing persecution under nero. The background of such exhortations must have been the readers need to continue enduring amid persecution and the trials of life e. There were two wellknown times of persecution for christians during the first century a.
With its myriad references to hebrew customs and the old testament, the book was likely sent to a jewish christian community, possibly in rome. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at. Jews who did not believe in christ were not in danger of persecution from nero at that time. Serious persecution of the christian church began with the case of stephen acts 7. Hebrews is one of the most challenging books in the new testament. These were in particular people who had professed to be. The books of maccabees are found in the apocrypha, which is not. What kinds of persecution did the audience of hebrews experience. Most scholars agree that this letter is specifically directed to the newest jewish converts who may have been having second thoughts, because of persecution. Jesus is both the son of god and our great high priest. The book of hebrews devotional reading plan youversion bible. I am fairly well convinced that the recipients were in rome, living just before the neroian persecutions.
Significantly, the book makes no reference to the destruction of the temple at jerusalem in ad 70, and the author wrote as if the sacrificial system were still in existence hebrews 10. Apr 23, 2019 from the contents, it appears evident that the unsigned letter to the hebrews was written for christians who were being persecuted for their faith. Its purpose was to exhort christians to persevere in the face of persecution. The author of hebrews writes it was declared at first by the lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard 3.
The epistle to the hebrews was written to jews who had become christians, but through persecution and great suffering were sorely tempted to go back to the old. Thats why the author of hebrews placed their emphasis on standing strong in the faith. I can definitely recommend this way of experiencing the bible. Was the book of hebrews written to jewish christians under. They were no longer allowed to be a part of that community. This message of the superiority of jesus would have been particularly important to jewish christians in rome, who were struggling under neros persecution and. And when we look through the book of hebrews, we recognize that the christians at that time were up against some. The writer to the hebrews constantly compares the inadequacies of the old testament sacrificial system to the perfection and completion in christ. Book of hebrews overview insight for living ministries. I think the standard arguments for this position are solid see faithful to the end, for example. These were in particular people who had professed to be christians but had no true faith in the saviour jesus christ. The book of hebrews was written to jews who claimed to be christians. Remember they were jewish christians that are going through a difficult time and these jewish christians are considering giving up their christian faith and going back to the traditions and rituals of the old jewish religion. Stand against persecution in america american family.