Overview Article
Have you ever known a person who turned his or her back on Christ and the church and simply walked away? Perhaps you have struggled to maintain your own Christian commitment in the face of disillusionment, spiritual confusion, loss of perspective, or outright persecution. The book of Hebrews points us to Christ. It provides light to help struggling Christians see Jesus clearly and stand firm.
Key People, Places, and Terms
People 29
Places 9
Key Terms 160
Themes
The Superiority of the Son 27 The book of Hebrews shows why Jesus, the Son of God, is greater than all others in who he is (his nature) and what he does (his ministry). The Son's superior nature is mainly discussed in Hebrews 1:1–3:6 . In the book... God’s Word 12 A basic truth of Scripture is that God has spoken. The author of the letter to the Hebrews, like other Jewish preachers of the time, presents the Old Testament as words from God. He often starts passages with "God say... Endurance 10 When Jesus was about to suffer and die, he told his followers they would also experience great difficulties (see Matthew 24:9 ). He emphasized the importance of endurance: “The one who perseveres to the end will be sa... Altars 9 Noah built the first altar mentioned in the Bible ( Genesis 8:20–21 ). Cain and Abel also gave offerings to God ( Genesis 4:3–5 ). The patriarchs built many altars (see Genesis 12:7–8 ; 13:4 , 18 ; 22:9 ; 26:25 ; 33:2... God’s Sabbath Rest 8 The idea of God's Sabbath rest (as described in Hebrews 4:1–11 ) has been difficult for many scholars to understand. It includes ideas from the Old Testament, like the promised land as a place to rest from slavery and... Spiritual Maturity 7 When someone trusts in Jesus Christ for salvation, it marks the beginning of a journey that will continue the rest of their life. They do not stay the same. They transform and grow to be more like Jesus. This process... Royal Psalms 6 The royal psalms all mention the king, his rule, and his relationship with God. Most scholars consider Psalms 2 , 18 , 20 , 21 , 45 , 61 , 72 , 89 , 101 , 110 , 132 , and 144 as royal psalms. Belief in God's rule is t... Apostasy 5 Sadly, opposition to God is not limited to those outside the community of faith. The Bible tells of many who seemed to know God but turned away (see Numbers 16 ; Deuteronomy 13 ; 2 Kings 17:5–23 ; Ezekiel 8 ). God bri...
See all (20)
The Holy Spirit’s Presence 5 The book of Acts emphasizes the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Before the Spirit came, Jesus spoke about the Spirit's influence on his followers ( 1:8 ; see John 14:15–17 , 26 ; 15:26 ; 16:7–15 ). The Spirit c... The Holy Spirit’s Work 5 Different New Testament writers emphasized various aspects of the Holy Spirit's work. The apostle John, for example, emphasized the Spirit's role as a teacher and revealer of God's thoughts and ways ( John 14:17 , 26... The Christ Hymn: Christ’s Divine Nature 5 The passage in Philippians 2:6–11 is often called the Christ Hymn. This section reveals what early Christians believed about Jesus Christ. The hymn shows that early Christians believed Jesus existed before his birth o... The Day Is Coming 5 Jesus prophesied three future events in the Synoptic Gospels: One event was his own death and resurrection ( Mark 8:31 ; 9:31 ; 10:33–34 ). This had already happened before the Gospels were written. God’s New Covenant 4 A covenant is a promise or agreement between two groups or people that usually includes responsibilities for each side. God made a covenant with the people of Israel through Moses and the giving of the law ( Exodus 19... Angels 4 In the Bible, angels are God's messengers who carry out his plans and tell his will to humans ( Genesis 16:7–12 ; Numbers 22:22–34 ; Judges 13:3–21 ; 2 Kings 1:3 , 15 ; Zechariah 1:4–12 ). The Hebrew Old Testament and... Love in the Community of Christ 4 Living in a community is not always easy. The community of Jesus Christ (the church) has often experienced disunity and division throughout its history. Even in its earliest days, the church struggled with unity issue... Remove the Evil 4 Sin is so opposed to God’s holiness that it cannot exist with him. The same should be true for God's people. God is holy, and he expects his people to show his holiness ( Leviticus 11:45 ; 19:2 ). God required severe... Atonement 4 Leviticus 16 explains the Day of Atonement. On this day, the high priest presented the community's sins to the LORD. Worshiping a holy God requires removing any ceremonial uncleanness or sin. God's grace accepted an a... By Faith 4 Faith is a key theme in Scripture, but many misunderstand it. Some think faith means any kind of spirituality, like saying someone is a "person of faith." Others think it means a strong belief that good things will ha... Christian Suffering 3 We should not be surprised when we experience suffering ( 1 Peter 4:12 ). Christians who live differently by obeying God should expect the culture to respond with hostility. We should expect mockery, bad treatment, fa... God’s Covenants 3 The word "covenant" (from the Hebrew word berith ) means "bond." A covenant is a binding relationship based on a commitment that includes promises and duties. The covenant relationship requires faithfulness and enable...
Related Articles
Outline
God fully shows who he is through his Son 1:1–4
The Son is greater than the angels 1:5–2:18
The Son is the high priest who is faithful and full of mercy 3:1–5:10
The Son is a priest like Melchizedek 5:11–10:39
The need to have faith and not to give up 11:1–12:13
Instructions about living together as a community 12:14–13:21
Final greetings 13:22
Use of the Old Testament in Hebrews
62 quotations from 12 Old Testament books
Total quotations 62
Connected books 12
Most-connected book Psalms 29
All References
No connections match the current filters.