The Recipients
The epistle of Hebrews was written to— you guessed it— Hebrews. Although the book does not mention the specific group of Jewish people, everything in the book is seen through Jewish eyes. These Jewish Christians had professed Jesus as their Messiah (Christ) and had become "Christians," or followers of Christ. The time was between the persecution begun by the emperor Nero (A.D. 64, cf. 12:4) and the destruction of Jerusalem (A.D. 70, cf. 10:1-2).
The Writer
The writer of the book of Hebrews is something of a mystery. Nowhere in the book does he identify himself, but he is very familiar with the Old Testament, quoting it more than 35 times in just thirteen chapters. He references the Israelite sacrificial system and priesthood, talks about Moses, Joshua, and Melchizedek, and lists the great Israelite men of faith. Some have speculated that Paul wrote the book, but the style of Hebrews is completely different than the other thirteen epistles we have of Paul. Other suggestions are Luke, Apollos, or Barnabas, but we have to admit, nobody really knows who wrote the book.
The Point of the Book
What is the book of Hebrews all about? These Jewish people had professed Jesus as their Messiah, but now they were beginning to suffer persecution. Not only were they persecuted by the Roman government, other Jews, their former friends and family, were turning on them as well. The Jewish religion was allowed under Roman law, so if they gave up Jesus Christ, they could become Jews again and avoid this persecution. The writer tells them that if they turn back from Jesus Christ, it will be to their own destruction. There is no one else in whom they can place their faith. Therefore, they must press on in faith in Jesus Christ.
In the book of Hebrews, we find four warning passages (2:1–4; 3:7–4:13; 5:11–6:20; 10:26–31). In no uncertain terms, the writer tells these Jews that if they turn back from faith in Jesus Christ, they will suffer eternal punishment. When we read these warnings, it may sound like the writer is saying that believers can lose their salvation. However, we know that is not true from other passages in Scripture (e.g., John 10:28–30; Rom 8:31–39). The writer of Hebrews is saying that by turning away from Jesus Christ, they demonstrate that they never had true faith.
A Brief Outline of the Book
- Jesus Christ is superior to the Old Testament prophets (1:1–4).
- Jesus Christ is superior to the angels (1:5–2:18).
- Jesus Christ is superior to Moses, the mediator of the Old Covenant (3:1–4:16).
- Jesus Christ is superior to Aaron, the Old Testament high priest (5:1–7:28).
- Jesus Christ's ministry is superior to the Old Testament ministry (8:1–10:18).
- An encouragement not to turn away from Jesus Christ (10:19–39).
- An encouragement to continue in faith in Jesus Christ (11:1–12:29).
- An encouragement to continue in Christian conduct (13:1–25).
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