Hebrews

This is the fourteenth in a series of twenty-one summaries of the New Testament letters.  The fourteenth is Hebrews, and the outline comes from Albert Vanhoye:

a   The Name Superior to the Angels, 1:5-2:18 (Eschatology)
     b   Jesus Faithful and Compassionate, 3:1-5:10 (Ecclesiology)
          c   Central Exposition, 5:11-10:39 (Sacrifice)
     b'  Faith and Endurance, 11:1-12:13 (Ecclesiological Paraenesis)
a'  The Peaceful Fruit of Justice, 12:14-13:19 (Eschatology)

The 'a' pattern is linked by an emphasis on eschatology, or the study of the last things.  In the first section, we see examples of this: After the Son provided purification for sins, "he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven." (1:3)  The psalmist is quoted, saying, "Your throne O God, will last for ever and ever..." (1:8)  Another psalmist is quoted, saying, "In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.  They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment." (1:11)  The author speaks of "the world to come." (2:5)  And he writes that "we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor..." (2:9).  In the second section, we also see examples of this: the author writes: "But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem." (12:22)  He writes that God has promised: "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." (12:26)  He writes: "For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come." (13:14)  He speaks of pastors having to "give an account."  All this suggests the author's focus on judgment and the character of the world to come.

The 'b' pattern is linked by an emphasis on ecclesiology, or the study of the church.  In the first section, we see examples of this: In 3:5, Moses is described as a servant in God's house.  In 3:6, Jesus is described as Son over God's house, and "we are his house."  He writes that God's people are to "encourage one another daily." (3:13).  He writes that "there remains a sabbath rest for the people of God." (4:9)  Because Jesus is like us in every way except for sin, God's people can "approach God's throne of grace with confidence." (4:16)  In the second section, we also see examples of this, with an emphasis on moral instruction, or paraenesis, for building up the church.  The readers of the letter are to emulate the figures listed: Noah acted a certain way when warned about things not yet seen. (11:7).  Abraham was called to go to a place he would later receive as an inheritance. (11:8)  All the people who are described "were longing for a better country - a heavenly one." (11:16)  Moses "chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin." (11:25)  The author has emphasized all along that none of these people received what they were looking for in their lifetime.  In 11:40, he tells us why: "...none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect." (11:40)  When we see the vast "cloud of witnesses," we are exhorted to "run with perseverance the race marked out for us." (12:2)  In 12:8, we are told about what it means to be true sons and daughters.  All this suggests the author's focus on how God is building a beautiful house through the church whose full glory is yet to be seen.  This is section one.  Section two exhorts us to be like the great saints and live in expectation of something we haven't truly seen yet.

The 'c' section is central, focusing on Jesus as sacrifice.  10:19-25 sums it up well: "Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (10:19-25)