What is the book of Hebrews about?
 |
| English: The Flight of the Prisoners, c. 1896-1902 , gouache on board, 8 15/16 x 11 5/8 in. (22.7 x 29.7 cm), Jewish Museum, New York, NY. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
In the case of Gentiles, some Jewish believers stridently opposed their inclusion. The only way that Gentiles could be acceptable to God, they argued, was by satisfying a precondition: they would have to be circumcised according to the Law of Moses. In effect, Gentiles would have to become Jews before they could become Christians.
This issue was first raised by Stephen, who in essence charged the Jewish council with using Judaism as an excuse for not believing in Jesus (7:2–53). Later, circumcision was hotly debated among church leaders in Jerusalem (11:1–18; 15:1–29; Gal. 2:1–10) and Antioch (2:11–16). Eventually the Jerusalem church officially declared that Christ alone was necessary for salvation.
But that didn’t stop false teachers from traveling many of the same paths as the apostles. Some arrived in Galatia and disturbed Gentiles there with a “different gospel” (1:6–7). With holy indignation, Paul sent a strongly worded letter to the Galatians in which he insisted that salvation depends on Christ alone. Similar messages went to believers in Ephesus (Eph. 2:11–22), Philippi (Phil. 3:2–16), and Rome (Rom. 2:1–3:30; 11:11–32; 15:7–13).
The gospel of “Christ alone” prevailed. Before long, Gentiles outnumbered Jews in the church, and the pendulum swung to the other extreme. “There is neither Jew nor Greek,” the apostles said (Gal. 3:28; see also Eph. 2:14–18; Col. 3:11). So what value was left in Judaism if Christ alone was necessary for salvation? Why bother with an outdated system?
The Other Side of the Coin
Such issues troubled Jewish Christians. Although Jews throughout the empire were coming to faith, they were now a minority among believers. Would Christianity prove to be just one more episode in the inevitable loss of their Jewish heritage and assimilation into a Gentile world?
The letter to the Hebrews (along with Rom. 9–11) spoke to those fears by showing the other side of the coin. Rather than dismiss the Jewish heritage, Hebrews affirmed it (Heb. 6:13–20).
• It celebrated the richness of God’s special relationship with Israel (1:1; 6:13–15).
• It showed God’s work in Jewish history and the fulfillment of His plans for the nation in Christ (8:7–13; 10:15–17).
• It revealed significant parallels between details of the Old Testament heritage—such as smells, sounds, traditions, and names—and the new way of Christ (6:20–7:28; 9:1–10:14; 13:10–13).
• It recalled many of the heroes of Israel’s history, such as Abraham (6:13–7:6; 11:8–19), Moses (2:2–6; 11:23–28), Aaron (4:14–5:10), Joshua (7:8–10), David (7:6–7), and others (11:4–40).
What a treasure Jewish Christians could have in light of God’s partnership with them! They need not be swallowed up by the Gentile cultures around them. Embracing Christ, they could still hold on to their roots and be themselves (6:13–19).
Hebrews was written to Jewish believers (1:1; 2:14–18; 3:1–6), but it encourages each of us to go back and reexamine, accept, and affirm our roots. That doesn’t mean that everything in our past is honoring to God and worth preserving. Indeed, we may have to repudiate certain beliefs, traditions, or behaviors because they run counter to biblical truth.
Nevertheless, part of identifying ourselves with Christ involves a recognition of what God has made us to be from our backgrounds. By tracing the paths of history that He has used to prepare us for the gospel, we can discover delightful new insights into His wisdom, sovereignty, and grace.
Thomas Nelson, Inc., Word in Life Study Bible [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1996.
