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THE LETTER TO THE
HEBREWS
INTRODUCTION
The Letter to the Hebrews was written to a group of Christians who, faced with increasing opposition, were in danger of abandoning the Christian faith. The writer encourages them in their faith primarily by showing that Jesus Christ is the true and final revelation of God. In doing this he emphasizes three truths: first, Jesus is the eternal Son of God, who learnt true obedience to the Father through the suffering that he endured. As the Son of God, Jesus is superior to the prophets of the Old Testament, to the angels, and to Moses himself. Secondly, Jesus has been declared by God to be an eternal priest, superior to the priests of the Old Testament, and thirdly, through Jesus the believer is saved from sin, fear, and death; and Jesus, as High Priest, provides the true salvation, which was only foreshadowed by the rituals and animal sacrifices of the Hebrew religion.
By citing the example of the faith of some famous persons in Israel's history (chapter 11), the writer appeals to his readers to remain faithful, and in chapter 12 he urges his readers to continue faithful to the end, with eyes fixed on Jesus, and to endure whatever suffering and persecution may come to them. The book closes with words of advice and warning.
Outline of Contents
Introduction: Christ the complete revelation of God 1.1–3
Christ's superiority over the angels 1.4—2.18
Christ's superiority over Moses and Joshua 3.1—4.13
The superiority of Christ's priesthood 4.14—7.28
The superiority of Christ's covenant 8.1—9.22
The superiority of Christ's sacrifice 9.23—10.39
The primacy of faith 11.1—12.29
Pleasing God 13.1–19
Closing prayer 13.20–21
Final words 13.22–25
Good News Translation® with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. Anglicisation © The British and Foreign Bible Society 1976, 1994, 2004.
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