The Epistle to the
Author
Hebrews does not name its author, and there is no unanimity of tradition concerning his identity. Some scholars point out certain internal evidences that may indicate a Pauline authorship, while others suggest that one of Paul’s associates, such as Barnabas or Apollos, may have written the book. Speculation has proved fruitless, and the best conclusion may be that of Origen in the third century, who stated that only God knows for certain who wrote Hebrews.
Date and Location
The content of Hebrews indicates that it was written before the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70 (10:11; 13:11). The only evidence concerning the site of the book’s writing is the greeting sent by “those from Italy” (13:24), perhaps indicating that the author was either in Rome or was writing to Christians in Rome.
Background and Purpose
The majority of early Christians were Jewish. Apparently they expected Christ to return soon, but the delay in His coming and the persecutions against them (10:32–34) caused them to wonder if they had made the right choice in becoming Christians. Consequently, they were in danger of returning to Judaism.
This epistle was written to wavering Jewish believers, encouraging them to stand fast in their faith. The writer points out the overwhelming superiority of Christ over all that they had experienced under the law. What is offered to them through Christ is so much better than that which is promised under the Mosaic economy they should never consider turning back. The author dwells on the incomparable glory of the Person and work of Christ, showing His supremacy over prophets (1:1–3), angels (1:4—2:18), Moses (3:1–19), Joshua (4:1–13), Aaron (4:14—7:18), and the whole ritual of Judaism (7:19—10:39).
Content
A key word of the epistle is “better,” used to describe Christ and the benefits of the gospel (1:4; 7:19, 22; 8:6; 9:23; 10:34; 11:16, 35, 40).
Most of the blessings of Judaism had to do with earthly things: an earthly tabernacle or temple, earthly priests, earthly sacrifices, a covenant that promised earthly prosperity. In contrast, Christ is “at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (1:3), where He dispenses heavenly blessings (3:1; 6:4; 8:5; 11:16; 12:22, 23).
The high point of the epistle is the presentation of the high priestly ministry of the Lord. Christ is High Priest, not after the order of Aaron, but after the order of Melchizedek, who had no predecessors and no successors in the priesthood. Thus, Melchizedek was a perfect type of Christ, who received the office of high priest by the direct call of God, not by inheritance (5:5, 6). Whereas the Aaronic priest had to offer sacrifices continually for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people, Christ once and for all offered His own sinless Person as the perfect sacrifice. In His flesh He experienced the testing that all believers know, and thus He is able to intercede compassionately on their behalf.
Chapter 11 lists some of the great heroes of faith of the Old Testament. Verses 4–35 record marvelous blessings and outstanding victories achieved through faith, while verses 36–38 record those who through faith endured great trial, suffering, and persecution. Significantly, there is no mention of the sins and shortcomings of those listed. The obvious reason is that the blood of Jesus Christ had blotted out the sins and failures, so that their iniquities are remembered against them no more.
Personal Application
Although Hebrews is specifically addressed to Jewish Christians, its teachings and practical admonitions are equally applicable to Gentile believers. In Christ there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile (Col. 3:11). The church today needs the teaching provided in the Old Testament laws of worship, which this book so beautifully relates to Christ and the gospel of eternal salvation. Christianity is not something added on to Judaism. It is something new, but a fuller understanding of the Old Covenant gives a richer and more marvelous appreciation of the New Covenant of God’s grace through our Lord Jesus Christ.
While the epistle is primarily doctrinal in its content, it is also intensely practical. After each doctrinal passage the writer inserts a section in which he gives some very pointed and powerful admonitions based on the teachings presented. At least fifteen times he uses the expression “let” or “let us” (4:1, 11, 14, 16; 6:1; 10:22, 23, 24; 12:1, 2, 28; 13:1, 5, 13, 15, 17).
Christ Revealed
To speak of Christ in Hebrews is to describe Him as a priest who ministers in God’s holy sanctuary, having given Himself as a worthy sacrifice. In striving to keep his readers from apostasy, the writer emphasizes the superiority of Christ to all that has gone before in Old Testament times. Like no other book in the Bible, Hebrews points out the importance and the ministry of the preincarnate Christ. See “Background and Purpose” and “Content” above.
The Holy Spirit at Work
The ministry of the Holy Spirit is seen in a variety of ways, applying to both the Old and New Testament periods: gifts of the Holy Spirit for ministry (2:4); witness to the inspiration of the Old Testament (3:7; 10:15); descriptive of the experience of believers (6:4); interpreting spiritual truth (9:8); assisting in the ministry of Jesus (9:14); insulted by apostasy (10:29).
Outline of Hebrews
I. The superiority of Christ Jesus’ person 1:1—4:13
A. Jesus better than the prophets 1:1–3
B. Jesus better than the angels 1:4—2:18
(First warning: against neglect 2:2–4)
C. Jesus better than Moses 3:1–19
D. Jesus better than Joshua 4:1–13
(Second warning: against unbelief 4:1–3, 11–13)
II. The superiority of Christ Jesus’ ministry 4:4—10:18
A. Jesus better than Aaron 4:14—5:10
1. Understanding and compassionate 4:14—5:4
2. After the order of Melchizedek 5:5–10
(Third warning: againstlack of maturity 5:11—6:20)
B. The Melchizedek priesthood, thus Jesus Christ’s, better than Aaron’s 7:1—8:5
1. Aaron paid tithes to Melchizedek 7:1–10
2. Aaronic priests made nothing perfect 7:11–22
3. Aaronic priests died 7:23–28
4. Aaronic priests served only shadows 8:1–5
C. Jesus mediates a better Covenant 8:6—10:18
1. The better Covenant 8:6–13
2. The Old Covenant’s sanctuary and sacrifices 9:1–10
3. The New Covenant’s sanctuary and sacrifices 9:11—10:18
III. The superiority of the walk of faith 10:19—13:25
A. A call to full assurance of faith 10:19—11:40
1. A call to steadfastness of faith 10:19–39
(Fourth warning: against turning back 10:26–39)
2. A description of faith 11:1–3
3. Heroes of faith 11:4–40
B. The endurance of faith 12:1–29
1. Jesus’ endurance 12:1–4
2. The value of chastening 12:5–24
(Fifth warning: against refusing God 12:25–29)
C. Admonitions to love 13:1–17
1. Love in the social realm 13:1–6
2. Love in the religious realm 13:7–17
D. Conclusion 13:18–25
God’s Supreme Revelation
1 GOD, who 1at various times and ain various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the 1worlds;
3 awho being the brightness of His glory and the express bimage of His person, and cupholding all things by the word of His power, dwhen He had 1by Himself 2purged 3our *sins, esat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
4 having become so much better than the *angels, as aHe has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
The Son Exalted Above Angels
5 For to which of the angels did He ever say:
a“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You” ?
And again:
b“I will be to Him a Father,
And He shall be to Me a Son” ?
6 But when He again brings athe firstborn into the world, He says:
b“Let all the angels of God *worship Him.”
7 And of the angels He says:
a“Who makes His angels spirits
And His ministers a flame of fire.”
a“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A 1scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
9 You have *loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
Therefore God, Your God, ahas anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your *companions.”
10 And:
a“You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
11 aThey will perish, but You remain;
And bthey will all grow old like a garment;
12 Like a cloak You will fold them up,
And they will be changed.
But You are the asame,
And Your years will not fail.”
13 But to which of the angels has He ever said:
a“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool” ?
14 aAre they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will binherit salvation?
Do Not Neglect Salvation
1 Therefore we must give 1the *more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.
2 For if the word aspoken through angels proved steadfast, and bevery transgression and disobedience received a just 1reward,
3 ahow shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, bwhich at the first began to be spoken by the *Lord, and was cconfirmed* to us by those who heard Him,
4 aGod also bearing witness bboth with signs and *wonders, with various miracles, and cgifts1 of the Holy Spirit, daccording to His own will?
The Son Made Lower than Angels
5 For He has not put athe world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels.
6 But one testified in a certain place, saying:
a“What is man that You are mindful of him,
Or the son of man that You take care of him?
7 You have made him 1a little lower than the angels;
You have crowned him with glory and honor,
2And set him over the works of Your hands.
8 aYou have put all things in subjection under his feet.”
For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now bwe do not yet see all things put under him.
9 But we see *Jesus, awho was made 1a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death bcrowned with glory and honor, that He, by the *grace of God, might *taste death cfor everyone.
Bringing Many Sons to Glory
10 For it was fitting for Him, afor whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation bperfect* through sufferings.
11 For aboth He who 1sanctifies and those who are being *sanctified bare all of one, for which reason cHe is not ashamed to call them brethren,
a“I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.”
a“I will put My trust in Him.”
And again:
b“Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.”
14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He aHimself likewise *shared in the same, bthat through death He might destroy him who had the *power of cdeath, that is, the devil,
15 and release those who athrough fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
16 For indeed He does not 1give aid to angels, but He does 2give aid to the seed of Abraham.
17 Therefore, in all things He had ato be made like His brethren, that He might be ba *merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
18 aFor in that He Himself has suffered, being 1tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.
The Son Was Faithful
1 Therefore, holy brethren, *partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the *Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus,
2 who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as aMoses also was faithful in all His house.
3 For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as aHe who built the house has more honor than the house.
4 For every house is built by someone, but aHe who built all things is God.
5 aAnd Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as ba servant, cfor a *testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward,
6 but Christ as aa Son over His own house, bwhose house we are cif we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope 1firm to the end.
Be Faithful
7 Therefore, as athe Holy Spirit says:
b“Today, if you will hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your *hearts as in the rebellion,
In the day of trial in the wilderness,
9 Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me,
And saw My works forty years.
10 Therefore I was angry with that generation,
And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
And they have not known My ways.’
‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”
12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;
13 but 1exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,
a“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
Failure of the Wilderness Wanderers
16 aFor who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses?
17 Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, awhose corpses fell in the wilderness?
18 And ato whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey?
19 So we see that they could not enter in because of aunbelief.
The Promise of Rest
1 Therefore, since a *promise remains of entering His rest, alet us fear lest any of you seem to have *come short of it.
2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, 1not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.
3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:
a“So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest,’ ”
although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: a“And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”;
5 and again in this place: a“They shall not enter My rest.”
6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience,
7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long *time, as it has been said:
a“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts.”
8 For if 1Joshua had agiven them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.
9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.
10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
The Word Discovers Our Condition
11 aLet us therefore *be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.
12 For the word of God is aliving and powerful, and bsharper than any ctwo-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is da discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
13 aAnd there is no *creature hidden from His sight, but all things are bnaked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
Our Compassionate High Priest
14 Seeing then that we have a great aHigh Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, blet us hold fast our confession.
15 For awe do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but bwas in all points *tempted as we are, cyet without sin.
16 aLet us therefore come *boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain *mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Qualifications for High Priesthood
1 For every high priest taken from among men ais appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may *offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.
2 He can 1have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to aweakness.
3 Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for ahimself, to offer sacrifices for sins.
4 And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as aAaron was.
A Priest Forever
5 aSo also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him:
b“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.”
6 As He also says in another place:
a“You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek”;
7 who, in the days of His flesh, when He had aoffered up prayers and supplications, bwith vehement cries and tears to Him cwho was able to save Him from death, and was heard dbecause of His godly fear,
8 though He was a Son, yet He learned aobedience* by the things which He suffered.
9 And ahaving been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who *obey Him,
10 called by God as High Priest a“according to the order of Melchizedek,”
11 of whom awe have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become bdull of hearing.
Spiritual Immaturity
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the 1oracles of God; and you have come to need amilk and not solid food.
13 For everyone who *partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is aa babe.
14 But solid food belongs to those who are 1of *full age, that is, those who by reason of 2use have their senses exercised ato discern both good and evil.
The Peril of Not Progressing
1 Therefore, aleaving* the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to 1perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from bdead works and of faith toward God,
2 aof the doctrine of baptisms, bof laying on of hands, cof *resurrection of the dead, dand of eternal *judgment.
3 And this 1we will do if God permits.
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have *tasted athe heavenly gift, and bhave become *partakers of the *Holy Spirit,
5 and have tasted the good *word of God and the powers of the age to come,
6 1if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, asince they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.
7 For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, areceives blessing from God;
8 abut if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.
A Better Estimate
9 But, beloved, we are *confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner.
10 For aGod is not unjust to forget byour work and 1labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have cministered to the saints, and do minister.
11 And we *desire that each one of you show the same diligence ato the full assurance of *hope until the end,
12 that you do not become 1sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience ainherit the promises.
God’s Infallible Purpose in Christ
13 For when God made a *promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, aHe swore by Himself,
14 saying, a“Surely blessing I will *bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.”
15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the apromise.
16 For men indeed swear by the greater, and aan oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute.
17 Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to athe heirs of promise bthe 1immutability of His counsel, 2confirmed it by an oath,
18 that by two 1immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to alie, we 2might have strong *consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope bset before us.
19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, aand which enters the Presence behind the veil,
20 awhere the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, bhaving become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
The King of Righteousness
1 For this aMelchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,
2 to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated “king of *righteousness,” and then also king of Salem, meaning “king of peace,”
3 without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of *life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.
4 Now *consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the 1spoils.
5 And indeed athose who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham;
6 but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham aand blessed bhim who had the promises.
7 Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better.
8 Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, aof whom it is *witnessed that he lives.
9 Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak,
10 for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.
Need for a New Priesthood
11 aTherefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that *another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron?
12 For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.
13 For He of whom these things are spoken *belongs to another tribe, from which no man has 1officiated at the altar.
14 For it is evident that aour Lord arose from bJudah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning 1priesthood.
15 And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest
16 who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life.
17 For 1He testifies:
a“You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek.”
18 For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of aits weakness and unprofitableness,
19 for athe law made nothing 1perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of ba better hope, through which cwe draw near to God.
Greatness of the New Priest
20 And inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath
21 (for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him:
a“The LORD has sworn
And will not relent,
‘You are a priest 1forever
According to the order of Melchizedek’ ”),
22 by so much more Jesus has become a 1surety of a abetter *covenant.
23 Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing.
24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood.
25 Therefore He is also aable* to save 1to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives bto make intercession for them.
26 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, awho is holy, 1harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, band has become higher than the heavens;
27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His aown sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
28 For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.
The New Priestly Service
1 Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, awho is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
2 a *Minister of athe 1sanctuary and of bthe true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.
3 For aevery high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore bit is necessary that this One also have something to offer.
4 For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law;
5 who serve athe copy and bshadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, c“See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”
6 But now aHe has obtained a more excellent *ministry, inasmuch as He is also *Mediator of a bbetter covenant, which was established on better promises.
A New Covenant
7 For if that afirst covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.
8 Because finding fault with them, He says: a“Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a *new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—
9 “not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the LORD.
10 “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the aLORD: I will put My laws in their *mind and write them on their hearts; and bI will be their God, and they shall be My people.
11 a“None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the bLORD,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.
12 “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, aand their sins 1and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
13 aIn that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
The Earthly Sanctuary
1 Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and athe earthly sanctuary.
2 For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the *showbread, which is called the 1sanctuary;
3 aand behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All,
4 which had the agolden censer and bthe ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were cthe golden pot that had the manna, dAaron’s rod that budded, and ethe tablets of the covenant;
5 and aabove it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.
Limitations of the Earthly Service
6 Now when these things had been thus prepared, athe priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services.
7 But into the second part the high priest went alone aonce a year, not without *blood, which he *offered for bhimself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance;
8 the Holy Spirit indicating this, that athe way into the Holiest of All was not yet made *manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing.
9 It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered awhich cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience—
10 concerned only with afoods and drinks, bvarious 1washings, cand fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.
The Heavenly Sanctuary
11 But Christ came as High Priest of athe good things 1to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.
12 Not awith the blood of goats and calves, but bwith His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place conce for all, dhaving obtained eternal redemption.
13 For if athe blood of bulls and goats and bthe ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, 1sanctifies for the 2purifying of the flesh,
14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit *offered Himself without 1spot to God, acleanse your conscience from bdead works cto serve the living God?
15 And for this reason aHe is the *Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the *redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that bthose who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
The Mediator’s Death Necessary
16 For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
17 For aa testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives.
18 aTherefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood.
19 For when Moses had spoken every 1precept to all the people according to the law, ahe took the blood of calves and goats, bwith water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,
20 saying, a“This is the bblood of the covenant which God has commanded you.”
21 Then likewise ahe sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the *ministry.
22 And according to the law almost all things are 1purified with blood, and awithout shedding of blood there is no 2remission.
Greatness of Christ’s Sacrifice
23 Therefore it was necessary that athe copies of the things in the heavens should be 1purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
24 For aChrist has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are 1copies of bthe true, but into heaven itself, now cto *appear in the presence of God for us;
25 not that He should offer Himself often, as athe high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another—
26 He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
27 aAnd as it is appointed for men to die once, bbut after this the *judgment,
28 so aChrist was boffered once to bear the sins cof many. To those who deagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
Animal Sacrifices Insufficient
1 For the law, having a ashadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, bcan never with these same sacrifices, which they *offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.
2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once 1purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins.
3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.
4 For ait is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.
Christ’s Death Fulfills God’s Will
5 Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:
a“Sacrifice and *offering You did not desire,
But a body You have *prepared for Me.
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin
You had no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—
In the volume of the book it is written of Me—
To do Your will, O God.’ ”
8 Previously saying, “Sacrifice and *offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law),
9 then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, 1O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second.
10 aBy that will we have been 1sanctified* bthrough the *offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Christ’s Death Perfects the Sanctified
11 And every priest stands aministering* daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
12 aBut this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down bat the right hand of God,
13 from that time waiting atill His enemies are made His footstool.
14 For by one *offering He has perfected forever those who are being 1sanctified.
15 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before,
16 a“This is the *covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their *minds I will write them,”
17 then He adds, a“Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
18 Now where there is 1remission* of these, there is no longer an *offering for sin.
Hold Fast Your Confession
19 Therefore, brethren, having aboldness1 to enter bthe Holiest by the blood of Jesus,
20 by a new and aliving way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,
21 and having a High Priest over the house of God,
22 let us adraw near with a true heart bin full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with *pure water.
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for aHe who *promised is faithful.
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
25 anot forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and bso much the more as you see cthe Day approaching.
The Just Live by Faith
26 For aif we sin willfully bafter we have received the knowledge of the truth, there cno longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and afiery *indignation which will devour the adversaries.
28 Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three awitnesses.
29 aOf how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, bcounted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, cand insulted the Spirit of grace?
30 For we know Him who said, a“Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” 1says the Lord. And again, b“The LORD will *judge His people.”
31 aIt is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32 But arecall the former days in which, after you were 1illuminated, you *endured a great struggle with sufferings:
33 partly while you were made aa spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while byou became companions of those who were so treated;
34 for you had compassion on 1me ain my chains, and bjoyfully accepted the plundering of your 2goods, knowing that cyou have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves 3in heaven.
35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, awhich has great reward.
36 aFor you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, byou may receive the promise:
37 “For ayet a little while,
And bHe1 who is coming will come and will not 2tarry.
38 Now athe1 just shall live by faith;
But if anyone draws back,
My soul has no pleasure in him.”
39 But we are not of those awho draw back to 1perdition, but of those who bbelieve to the saving of the soul.
By Faith We Understand
1 Now *faith is the 1substance of things hoped for, the 2evidence aof things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.
3 By faith we understand that athe 1worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
Faith at the Dawn of History
4 By faith aAbel *offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still bspeaks.
5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, a“and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
7 By faith aNoah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, bprepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of cthe righteousness which is according to faith.
Faithful Abraham
8 By faith aAbraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.
9 By faith he dwelt in the land of *promise as in a foreign country, adwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, bthe heirs with him of the same promise;
10 for he waited for athe city which has foundations, bwhose builder and maker is God.
11 By faith aSarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and bshe1 bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him cfaithful who had promised.
12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as adead, were born as many as the bstars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.
The Heavenly Hope
13 These all died in faith, anot having received the bpromises, but chaving seen them afar off 1were assured of them, embraced them and dconfessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 For those who say such things adeclare* plainly that they seek a homeland.
15 And truly if they had called to mind athat country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return.
16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed ato be called their God, for He has bprepared* a city for them.
The Faith of the Patriarchs
17 By faith Abraham, awhen he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
18 1of whom it was said, a“In Isaac your seed shall be called,”
19 *concluding that God awas able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.
20 By faith aIsaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, ablessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.
22 By faith aJoseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.
The Faith of Moses
23 By faith aMoses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s bcommand.
24 By faith aMoses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,
25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the 1passing pleasures of sin,
26 esteeming athe 1reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures 2in Egypt; for he looked to the breward.
27 By faith ahe forsook Egypt, not fearing the *wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.
28 By faith ahe kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
29 By faith athey passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.
By Faith They Overcame
30 By faith athe walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days.
31 By faith athe harlot Rahab did not perish with those who 1did not believe, when bshe had received the spies with peace.
32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of aGideon and bBarak and cSamson and dJephthah, also of eDavid and fSamuel and the *prophets:
33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, astopped the mouths of lions,
34 aquenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
35 aWomen received their dead raised to life again. Others were btortured, not accepting *deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.
36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and aof chains and imprisonment.
37 aThey were stoned, they were sawn in two, 1were tempted, were slain with the sword. bThey wandered about cin sheepskins and goatskins, being *destitute, afflicted, tormented—
38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, ain dens and caves of the earth.
39 And all these, ahaving obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,
40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be amade *perfect apart from us.
The Race of Faith
1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, alet us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and blet us run cwith endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking unto Jesus, the 1author and 2finisher of our faith, awho for the joy that was set before Him bendured* the cross, despising the shame, and chas sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
The Discipline of God
3 aFor consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, blest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
4 aYou have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.
5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:
a“My son, do not despise the 1chastening of the LORD,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
6 For awhom the LORD loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives.”
7 aIf1 you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what bson is there whom a father does not chasten?
8 But if you are without chastening, aof which all have become *partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.
9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to athe Father of spirits and live?
10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, athat we may be partakers of His holiness.
11 Now no 1chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields athe peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Renew Your Spiritual Vitality
12 Therefore astrengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees,
13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.
14 aPursue peace with all people, and holiness, bwithout which no one will see the Lord:
15 looking carefully lest anyone afall short of the grace of God; lest any broot of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;
16 lest there be any afornicator or 1profane person like Esau, bwho for one morsel of food sold his birthright.
17 For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was arejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.
The Glorious Company
18 For you have not come 1to athe mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and 2darkness and tempest,
19 and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it abegged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore.
20 (For they could not endure what was commanded: a“And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned 1or shot with an arrow.”
21 And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, a“I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.”)
22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels,
23 to the 1general assembly and *church of athe firstborn bwho are registered in heaven, to God cthe Judge of all, to the spirits of just men dmade perfect,
24 to Jesus athe *Mediator of the new covenant, and to bthe blood of sprinkling that speaks better things cthan that of Abel.
Hear the Heavenly Voice
25 See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For aif they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven,
26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, a“Yet once more I 1shake not only the earth, but also heaven.”
27 Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the aremoval of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we 1may aserve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
29 For aour God is a consuming fire.
Concluding Moral Directions
1 Let abrotherly love continue.
2 aDo not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing bsome have unwittingly entertained angels.
3 aRemember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.
4 aMarriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; bbut fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, a“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
a“The LORD is my helper;
I will not *fear.
What can man do to me?”
Concluding Religious Directions
7 Remember those who 1rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.
8 Jesus Christ is athe same yesterday, today, and forever.
9 Do not be carried 1about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be *established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.
10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.
11 For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp.
12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might 1sanctify the people with His own blood, *suffered outside the gate.
13 Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing aHis reproach.
14 For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.
15 aTherefore by Him let us continually offer bthe sacrifice of praise to God, that is, cthe fruit of our lips, 1giving thanks to His name.
16 aBut do not forget to do good and to share, for bwith such sacrifices God is well pleased.
17 aObey those who 1rule over you, and be submissive, for bthey watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.
Prayer Requested
18 aPray for us; for we are confident that we have ba good conscience, in all things *desiring to live honorably.
19 But I *especially urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.
Benediction, Final Exhortation, Farewell
20 Now may athe God of peace bwho brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, cthat great *Shepherd of the sheep, dthrough the blood of the everlasting *covenant,
21 make you 1complete* in every *good work to do His will, aworking in 2you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
22 And I appeal to you, brethren, *bear with the word of exhortation, for I have written to you in few words.
23 Know that our brother Timothy has been set free, with whom I shall see you if he comes shortly.
24 Greet all those who 1rule over you, and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you.
1:1–4 See section 2 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Heb.
1:1 God has spoken to and through the prophets in various ways, such as dreams (Dan. 2:3), visions (Ezek. 8:4; 11:24), angels (Zech. 1:9), a burning bush (Ex. 3:4), and direct speech (Gen. 12:1).
1:2, 3 The writer describes the sevenfold excellencies of God’s Son through whom He now speaks. By can be translated “in.” Christ did not merely speak the word of God; He was the Word.
1:3 The fact that the Son sat down at the right hand of God speaks of the completion and acceptance of His sacrificial work. See 10:10, 12.
1:4–14 Christ is better than the angels, who were mediators of the Mosaic Law, because He is the eternal Son of God and the glorified and exalted Man.
1:6 Some view the title firstborn as a reference to the Incarnation, and others to the Second Coming. More likely, it refers to Christ’s position of preeminence.
1:7–9 The writer contrasts the transitory ministerial and creaturely offices of the angels (see Ps. 104:4) with the eternal reign of the Son as divine Sovereign (see Ps. 45:6, 7). Spirits (v. 7) may also be translated “winds.” Although angels occupy a high place as God’s ministers, they are as dependent and perishable as the forces of nature.
1:10–12 Christ is presented as the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and as the immutable One (see Ps. 102:25–27).
1:13, 14 The superiority of Christ is evident in His enthronement (Ps. 110:1), while all the angels are but ministers who serve both Christ and the saints. See, for example, 2 Kin. 6:15–17; Ps. 91:11; 103:20, 21; Matt. 4:11.
2:1 Therefore: Because of the greatness of Christ, Christians must be careful lest they drift away from what He has spoken. The figure is that of a ship drifting past its safe anchorage. Believers are to take heed lest adverse doctrine sweep them away from their Christian convictions.
2:2 The word spoken through angels refers to the Mosaic Law, which the angels mediated (see Deut. 33:2; Ps. 68:17; Acts 7:53; Gal. 3:19).
2:3, 4 The author argues from the lesser to the greater. If disobedience to a revelation transmitted by angels was severely punished, indifference to the salvation brought by Christ receives even greater punishment. The greatness of salvation is confirmed by three facts: it was spoken by the Lord; it was confirmed by the apostles; it was attested by the ministry of the Holy Spirit through miracles and spiritual gifts (see 1 Cor. 12:8–11). It is an age-long expectation that such manifestations of Christ’s glory will be ministered by the Holy Spirit in confirming the spread of the gospel (Mark 16:20; 1 Cor. 2:4).
2:5–9 God has purposed men and not angels to be sovereigns of the created order. The world to come is the new eternal order inaugurated by the enthronement of Christ which is to be consummated at His return.
2:8, 9 Instead of assuming his intended dominion over creation, man had become a slave, held in bondage by death and Satan. So the eternal Son of God appeared in history on Earth as Jesus the Man to provide a way of escape from bondage, access to God’s presence, and an entrance into man’s intended glory. Jesus the Man, exalted in glory at God’s right hand, occupies the position of dominion intended for men, with everything put, or to be put, in subjection under his feet (v. 8).
2:10 The author emphasizes the genuine humanity of Jesus. The path that He trod as the suffering Redeemer was fitting, for thereby He was made perfect. This does not mean that Jesus had moral shortcomings, but that He became perfect or complete as an all-sufficient Savior. Only by suffering temptation and death did He qualify as our captain or leader who has gone ahead of us to open the way of salvation. See 2:14, 17.
2:11–13 There is a profound unity between Jesus and those He saves. We are brethren because in physical birth Jesus shares our descent from Adam, and in the new birth believers become members of the family of God.
2:14, 15 See section 4 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Heb.
2:14, 15 The ultimate purpose of Christ’s Incarnation was the destruction of the devil and deliverance from the fear of death (see 1 Cor. 15:54–57). The destruction of Satan does not mean that he is annihilated, but that his power is curbed in the lives of those committed to Christ.
2:16–18 See section 4 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Heb.
2:16 Jesus took to Himself the nature of humanity, not that of angels (see marginal note).
2:17 Since a High Priest must be one with the people in order to represent them, the Incarnation was indispensable to the atoning work of Jesus.
2:18 Temptation was an exceedingly painful experience for the sinless Son of God. Since He knows all that temptation involves (see 4:15), He empathizes as He enables us to overcome.
3:1 Therefore: Consider all that Christ is and has done, as described in ch. 2. As apostle, Christ is God’s representative to His people; as High Priest, He is their representative to God.
3:2–6 Christ is worthy of more glory than Moses because Moses was merely a servant, and himself a member of the house. In contrast, as God, Christ is both builder and Lord of the house. He is the fulfillment of all that Moses foreshadowed.
3:7–11 The writer testifies to the inspiration of the OT by ascribing the quote from Ps. 95 to the Holy Spirit. Using the tragic failure of the Israelites in the wilderness as an example, he solemnly warns his readers of the peril of unbelief (see 1 Cor. 10:11). Their spirit of disobedience resulted in God’s wrath, excluding them from entrance into the promised rest of Canaan (v. 11).
3:12, 13 Unbelief is caused by a hardened heart, which is caused by the deceitfulness of sin. The result is apostasy, departing from the living God. The writer views the abandonment of the Christian faith as turning away from God. Constant encouragement in the midst of a caring fellowship will help believers remain faithful.
3:14, 15 Partaking of Christ requires a continuance in faith, not merely a one-time experience.
4:1–10 See section 1 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Heb.