A Commentary on the Epistle to the HEBREWS - Christ in You Ministries

485 Pages·2006·0.85 MB·English

CHRISTOCENTRIC COMMENTARY SERIES
A Commentary on the Epistle to the
HEBREWS
k
JESUS
Better Than Everything
James A. Fowler
CHRISTOCENTRIC COMMENTARY SERIES
A COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE
HEBREWS
k
JESUS – Better Than Everything
James A. Fowler
ciy
PUBLISHING
P.O. BOX 1822
FALLBROOK, CALIFORNIA92088-1822
ACOMMENTARYON THE EPISTLE TO THE
HEBREWS
kk
JESUS – BetterThan Everything
~ Christocentric Commentary Series ~
Copyright ©2006 by James A. Fowler
ISBN-10 – 1-929541-07-4
ISBN-13 – 978-1-929541-07-2
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored
in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (includ-
ing photocopyings, recording, electronic transmission) without the prior
written permission of the author, except for brief quotations embodied in
critical articles or book reviews. For information contact the author at
C.I.Y. Publishing.
Published by C.I.Y. PUBLISHING
P.O. BOX 1822
FALLBROOK, CALIFORNIA92088-1822
Printed in the United States of America
Scriptural quotations are primarily original translations from the Greek
text of the New Testament, but otherwise from the New American
Standard Bible, copyrights 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,
1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation, LaHabra, California.
CHRISTOCENTRIC COMMENTARY SERIES
Cognizant that there are a plethora of New Testament
Commentary series available on the market, the question might
legitimately be asked, “Why another series of New Testament
commentaries?” Although many capable commentators with
varying theological perspectives have exegeted the text of the
New Testament over the years, seldom do they bring with
them into their studies a Christocentric understanding that the
Christian gospel is solely comprised and singularly centered in
the Person of the risen and living Lord Jesus Christ. The
Christocentric Commentary Series will exegete and comment
on the text of the New Testament from the perspective that the
totality of what Jesus came to bring to the world of mankind is
Himself – nothing more, nothing less. Having historically died
on the cross and risen from the dead, He is not confined to the
parameters of the “Historical Jesus,” but as the Spirit of Christ
He continues to live as He spiritually indwells those who are
receptive to Him by faith. This recognition of the contempo-
rary experiential dynamic of Christ’s life in the Christian will
form the distinctive of the Christocentric Commentary Series,
bearing out Paul’s Christ-centered declaration, “I have been
crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ
lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith
in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me”
(Gal. 2:20).
All legitimate exegesis of the scriptures must pay close
attention to the context in which the texts were originally writ-
ten. The historical context of a text’s sitz im leben, the “setting
in life” of the author and recipients, is particularly important,
for otherwise the interpretation will simply read into the text
the presuppositions of the commentator and become eisegesis
instead of exegesis. The CCS will carefully consider the histor-
ical context as well as the textual context of the scriptures.
Whereas the CCS is not intended to be a devotional com-
mentary series or a detailed technical commentary citing all
contemporary scholarship, our intent is to steer a middle
course that maintains non-technical explanation that is aca-
demically viable. Although reference will be made to words
from the Hebrew and Greek languages, those words will be
converted to Roman lettering, allowing those who do not know
the original languages to pronounce them. Citations, quota-
tions, and endnotes will be kept to a minimum.
Adiversity of interpretive formats will be utilized in the
CCS. Some volumes will employ a verse-by-verse exegetical
format (cf. Hebrews and Galatians), whereas others will pro-
vide comment on contextual passages (cf. The Four Gospels
and Revelation). Regardless of the interpretive format, the
CCS will render a “literal interpretation” of the scripture text,
that is, in accord with the intended literary genre of the author.
As most biblical commentaries are utilized by pastors and
teachers, or studious Christians seeking to understand the
scriptures in depth in order to share with others, we join the
Apostle Paul in the desire to “entrust these to faithful men
(and women) who will be able to teach others also” (II Tim.
2:2). In so doing, may you “do all to the glory of God” (I Cor.
10:31).
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Hebrews 1:1 – 2:4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Hebrews 2:5-18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Hebrews 3:1-19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Hebrews 4:1-13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Hebrews 4:14 – 5:10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Hebrews 5:11 – 6:20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Hebrews 7:1-28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Hebrews 8:1-13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Hebrews 9:1 – 10:18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Hebrews 10:19-39 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Hebrews 11:1-40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Hebrews 12:1-13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Hebrews 12:14-29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401
Hebrews 13:1-25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431
x
.
Introduction
JESUS
Better Than Everything
An Introduction to the Epistle
to the Hebrews
The Epistle to the Hebrews has suffered from anonymity.
There is anonymity of both author and recipients because these
details are not included in the text of the letter. Such anonymi-
ty makes the document suspect in the minds of some for it
provides no specificity of its intended meaning within a given
context. The anonymity of writer and reader allows the epistle
to be abstracted and generalized without a specific sitz im
leben (setting in life) to provide historical context and a basis
for specific amplification and application of the meaning of
the words. Anonymous text allows for a dilution of meaning in
interpretation of the text, or allows an expositor to run rampant
with personal presuppositions imposed upon or applied to the
text. In other words, anonymity can diminish exegesis (inter-
pretive meaning drawn out of the text) and/or facilitate eisege-
sis (interpretive meaning read into the text). In either case,
whether subtractive or additive, such interpretation cannot and
does not take into account the full intent of the original author
to his recipients, and thus diminishes the value and meaning of
the text for subsequent generations of readers.
This has certainly been the case in the interpretation of the
Epistle to the Hebrews. The letter has suffered from neglect
and misuse. The regrettable consequence of the anonymous
authorship of this literature has been the reluctance of some
Christians to accept it as fully authentic and authoritative.
Even in the early church it was little used and cited. Hebrews
1
Introduction
has suffered from a subtle skepticism throughout Christian his-
tory because of its unknown authorship, and contemporary
interpretation continues to neglect this important portion of
inspired scripture. But perhaps of greater consequence is the
fact that the Church through the ages has therefore suffered
from the lack of understanding of the unique message of this
letter in its assertion of the radical supremacy of the Christian
gospel over Judaic religion, and religion in general.
The Epistle to the Hebrews is not the only document of
antiquity that is devoid of the details of origin and destination.
Within the New Testament literature itself there are other
examples of literature without statement of authorship or desti-
nation. John's epistles, for example, do not contain his name or
any designation of his readers, but these have been recon-
structed with what evidence is available (particularly in the
case of First Epistle of John) to provide a meaningful histori-
cal context for interpretation. The same can be accomplished
for the Epistle to the Hebrews, as we will set about to do.
The task of a biblical expositor is to consider the evidence
available concerning the historical context of a document,
draw a conclusion based on that evidence, and interpret the
text accordingly. Biblical scholarship, with its ever-skeptical
approach, has been very cowardly in drawing conclusions
about the authorship of Hebrews, thus assuring that the text
can have only nebulous interpretive meaning. What, then, is
the evidence for authorship, destination and dating of this epis-
tle, in order to give it specific historical context? What is the
most legitimate conclusion that can be drawn based on that
evidence?
Authorship
The primary objections to Pauline authorship have tradi-
tionally been explained as: (1) the absence of Paul's name in
the epistle, (2) the apparent second-hand knowledge referred to
2
Introduction
in 2:3, and (3) the style, grammar and vocabulary of the epistle
which seems to differ from other Pauline writings.
The absence of Paul's name or signature was explained as
early as A.D. 200 in the Hypotypos of Clement of Alexandria
(c. 155-215). Though that eight volume outline of Christian
thought has not been preserved, a portion of that document
was quoted by Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical History:
He (Clement of Alexandria) says that the Epistle to the Hebrews is the
work of Paul, and that it was written to the Hebrews in the Hebrew
language; but that Luke translated it carefully and published it for the
Greeks, and hence the same style of expression is found in this epistle
and in the Acts. But he says that the words, “Paul the Apostle”, were
probably not prefixed, because, in sending it to the Hebrews, who were
prejudiced and suspicious of him, he wisely did not wish to repel them
at the very beginning by giving his name. ...Paul, as sent to the
Gentiles, on account of his modesty did not subscribe himself an apos-
tle of the Hebrews, through respect for the Lord, and because being a
herald and apostle of the Gentiles he wrote to the Hebrews out of his
superabundance.1
The reason for the absence of Paul's name is hereby
explained early in church history as a sensitivity of the
"Apostle to the Gentiles" in writing to Hebrew peoples, who
were his kinsmen. The absence of his name does not exclude
Paul from authorship any more than the absence of John's
name excludes his authorship of the epistles attributed to him.
The contested statement in Hebrews 2:3, "After it (the
word of salvation) was at first spoken through the Lord, it was
confirmed to us by those who heard," seems to evidence a sec-
ond-hand knowledge of the gospel, and Paul certainly argues
vehemently for the right of apostleship through a first-hand
knowledge of Jesus Christ in Galatians 1:11–2:10. But the
words can just as accurately be interpreted by explaining that
Paul was admitting that he was not one of the original twelve
disciples who traveled with the historical Jesus, and therefore
was not privileged to directly hear the words that Jesus spoke
3