Hebrews Part 2 - Introduction/1:1-2

OVERVIEW a) Pure speculation on authorship… Luke – Luke 1:1-2 cf Heb 2:3-4. • Words in Luke 19,482, Acts 18,450, Hebrews 4,953 – Heb13:22 • Would make sense why the reference to Timothy – Acts 16:1-10 cf Heb 13:23. • Neither Luke nor Acts name the author. b) Hebrews is the longest of the Hebrew epistles. As Romans is to the BoC, Hebrews is to NC Israel/Remnant. It is the foundational doctrinal book for NT Israel c) Popular passages in Hebrews – Heb 4:12,16, 9:27,10:4,25, 11:1,6, 12:1-2, 6-7, 13:5-6 d) Important but ignored passages – Heb 1:1-2, 2:3-4, 6:4-6, 9-11, 7:12,19,8:13, 9:15-17,28, 12:28. e) Summary of the book in sections – Heb 6:1 • The first principles of doctrine of Christ: ch 1-5 1) 1:3-14 – Jesus as God, higher than angels. 2) 2:6-18 – Jesus as man, lower than angels. 3) 3-4 – Must follow Jesus into their rest. Must endure & not err as the fathers did with Moses in the wilderness. 4) 5 – Christ is the high priest after the order of Melchisedec • The principles of perfection: 6-13. 1) 6 – Remain faithful to receive the better promise 2) 7 – A better priest 3) 8 – A better covenant 4) 9-10 - A better blood/sacrifice 5) 10 – Patience and Faithfulness required 6) 11 – Examples of the need for faith and obedience 7) 12 – The need for chastisement and godly fear 8) 13 – The need for righteousness and to serve God acceptably Verse 1-2 • “God” – The ultimate author – 2Tim 3:16, 2Pet 1:20-21. • Gods purpose changes, he did not say everything at once. • Sundry times = When God spake – ~Several, different, separate, divers~ • Progressive revelation - Cf Rom 10:4-5 vs Deut 6:25, Gen 9:3 vs Deut 14:3 vs 1Tim 4:4, Joel 3:10 vs Micah 4:3, Rom 16:25 vs Acts 3:21. • Divers manners = How God spake – Different ways, different manners. • His voice – Gen 1:3, 12:1-4, Exo 19:19. Dreams – 20:3. Prophets – 2Sam 12:7,11. Angels – Matt 1:20-21. Apostles – 1Cor 14:37. The Son – John 6:63, Mark 1:14-15. • Not only did God speak at different times in different ways, but also to different people. Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, 12 apostles, Paul. • Time past, unto the fathers, by the prohpets = Gen-John the baptist, Old covenant, Kingdom coming, keep the law. • Last days, unto us, by his son = Matt-John, Kingdom at hand, new covenant being established, law in your hearts. • Hebrew deals with changes in Israel’s program – Heb 8:6-8. • Hebrews 1:1-2 teaches the principle of progressive revelation and the need for rightly dividing because God spoke at different times, in different ways, to different people.