Overview of Hebrews

A. THE SUPERIOR POSITION OF GOD’S SON (1:1–3:6)

• 1. God once spoke by means of his prophets, but now he has spoken by means of his Son (1:1-4)

• 2. How the Son is superior to the angels (1:5-14)

  • Only to Jesus Christ did God say: “You are my son” (1:5, 6)

  • Jesus Christ appointed as King by God (1:7-12)

  • Exalted to God’s right hand (1:13, 14)

• 3. Necessary to pay more than the usual attention to what God has spoken through Christ (2:1-9)

  • Warning against neglecting the great salvation provided through Christ (2:1-4)

  • All things, including “the inhabited earth to come,” to be subjected under Jesus’ feet (2:5-9)

• 4. Jesus, the Chief Agent of salvation and a merciful High Priest (2:10-18)

  • Jesus not ashamed to call his spirit-anointed followers his brothers (2:10-13)

  • Through his death as a human, Jesus offered a sin-atoning sacrifice (2:14-18)

• 5. As Son over God’s house, Jesus is greater than Moses (3:1-6)

B. THE PROMISE OF ENTERING INTO GOD’S REST (3:7–4:13)

• 1. Warning example of the unfaithful Israelites, who failed to enter into God’s rest (3:7-19)

  • God became disgusted with the generation of Israelites who left Egypt (3:7-11)

  • Danger of developing “a wicked heart lacking faith” and of “drawing away from the living God” (3:12-15)

  • Disobedience and lack of faith prevented the Israelites from entering into God’s rest (3:16-19)

• 2. There remains a sabbath-rest for God’s people (4:1-13)

  • Faith needed to enter into God’s rest (4:1-5)

  • Entering into God’s rest possible for those listening to God’s voice (4:6-10)

  • God’s living and powerful word effective and sure to be fulfilled (4:11-13)

C. SUPERIORITY OF CHRIST’S PRIESTHOOD (4:14–7:28)

• 1. Jesus, the great High Priest (4:14–5:10)

  • A compassionate High Priest, tested and without sin (4:14-16)

  • Human high priests had to make offerings for their own sins (5:1-3)

  • Christ glorified by God and called a priest “in the manner of Melchizedek” (5:4-6)

  • Learned obedience, was made perfect, and “became responsible for everlasting salvation” (5:7-10)

• 2. Warnings against remaining immature and against apostasy (5:11–6:12)

  • “Solid food belongs to mature people” (5:11-14)

  • Move beyond the primary doctrine, and press on to maturity (6:1-3)

  • Those falling away “nail the Son of God to the stake again” (6:4-8)

  • God will never “forget your work” and love (6:9, 10)

  • Imitate those who inherit the promises “through faith and patience” (6:11, 12)

• 3. God’s promise and oath—“two unchangeable things” (6:13-20)

  • God’s promise and oath to Abraham make the Christian hope sure (6:13-18)

  • This hope is like “an anchor for the soul” (6:19, 20)

• 4. “Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God” (7:1-10)

  • Unique features of Melchizedek’s priesthood (7:1-3)

  • Abraham and through him Levi paid tithes to Melchizedek (7:4-10)

• 5. Jesus, “a priest forever in the manner of Melchizedek” (7:11-28)

  • Jesus’ priesthood superior to the Levitical priesthood (7:11-14)

  • Jesus’ priesthood not dependent on a fleshly line of descent (7:15-17)

  • Jesus, a priest through an oath sworn by God (7:18-22)

  • Christ needs no successors; he can “save completely” (7:23-25)

  • Jesus’ outstanding qualifications as High Priest (7:26-28)

D. SUPERIORITY OF THE NEW COVENANT AND OF CHRIST’S SACRIFICE (8:1–10:39)

• 1. The earthly tabernacle and its significance (8:1-6)

  • Jesus as High Priest at God’s right hand in the heavenly “true tent” (8:1, 2)

  • Sacred service according to the Law foreshadowed heavenly things (8:3-6)

• 2. A new covenant foretold through the prophet Jeremiah (8:7-13)

  • First covenant not faultless; a new covenant needed (8:7, 8)

  • The superior features of the new covenant (8:9-12)

  • God’s declared purpose made the former covenant obsolete (8:13)

• 3. The tent under “the former covenant” is an illustration for the present time (9:1-10)

  • Description of the earthly tent with its furnishings and utensils (9:1-5)

  • The Aaronic high priest entered the Most Holy once each year to offer the blood of animals (9:6-10)

• 4. Everlasting deliverance by means of “the blood of the Christ” (9:11-28)

  • Christ entered into “the greater . . . tent” once for all time “with his own blood” (9:11-14)

  • “The former covenant” inaugurated with animal blood; the “new covenant” validated by Christ’s shed blood (9:15-22)

  • Christ entered “into heaven itself” to present himself before God (9:23-26)

  • When Christ appears “the second time,” it will be for the salvation of believers (9:27, 28)

• 5. Christ “offered one sacrifice for sins for all time” (10:1-18)

  • “The Law has a shadow of the good things to come”; animal sacrifices ineffectual (10:1-4)

  • Christ came into the world to do God’s will (10:5-10)

  • After offering one sacrifice for sins, Jesus sat down at God’s right hand (10:11-14)

  • The new covenant makes complete forgiveness of sins possible (10:15-18)

• 6. A new and living way of approach to God by means of his great High Priest (10:19-25)

  • Approach God “with sincere hearts and complete faith” (10:19-22)

  • Hold fast to “the public declaration of our hope” and to the practice of meeting together in love (10:23-25)

• 7. The danger of practicing sin willfully and the need for endurance (10:26-39)

  • No sacrifice for sins available for those who despise “the blood of the covenant” (10:26-31)

  • Encouragement to endure in faith and not to shrink back (10:32-39)

E. THE VITAL QUALITY OF FAITH (11:1–12:17)

• 1. Definition of faith (11:1-3)

  • Faith is “the assured expectation of what is hoped for, the evident demonstration” of unseen realities (11:1, 2)

  • “By faith we perceive . . . the systems of things . . . put in order by God’s word” (11:3)

• 2. Men and women of ancient times who showed faith and were approved by God (11:4-40)

  • The examples of Abel (11:4) and Enoch (11:5)

  • “Without faith it is impossible to please God well” (11:6)

  • The examples of Noah (11:7), Abraham and Sarah (11:8-19), Isaac (11:20), Jacob (11:21), Joseph (11:22), Moses’ parents (11:23), Moses (11:24-28), the people of Israel (11:29, 30), and Rahab (11:31)

  • Exploits of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets, and other faithful ones in the face of trials and perilous situations (11:32-38)

  • The faithful ones of ancient times not made perfect apart from the joint heirs with Christ (11:39, 40)

• 3. Faith requires endurance; Jehovah’s loving discipline beneficial (12:1-17)

  • “A great cloud of witnesses” who showed faith; Jesus, the “Perfecter of our faith,” endured (12:1-3)

  • Jehovah’s loving discipline “yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness” (12:4-11)

  • Pursuing peace and sanctification leads to blessings (12:12-14)

  • Watch out for anyone who, like Esau, does not appreciate sacred things and who defiles the congregation (12:15-17)

F. THE PRIVILEGED POSITION OF CHRISTIANS IN A KINGDOM THAT CANNOT BE SHAKEN (12:18-29)

• Anointed Christians have approached, not a literal mountain or a literal city, but heavenly Mount Zion and heavenly Jerusalem (12:18-24)

• Do not refuse to listen to him who speaks from the heavens (12:25)

• Anointed Christians will receive an unshakable Kingdom when God shakes both earth and heaven (12:26-29)

G. CONCLUDING EXHORTATIONS AND REMARKS (13:1-25)

• Counsel on brotherly love, assisting those undergoing trials, hospitality, honorable marriage, and dependence on Jehovah (13:1-6)

• Imitate the faith of those taking the lead; avoid “strange teachings” (13:7-9)

• Bear the reproach that Christ bore; keep looking for the city to come (13:10-14)

• Sacrifices that please God: praise, good works, and sharing with others (13:15, 16)

• Benefits of being obedient and submissive to those taking the lead (13:17)

• Paul asks that his fellow believers pray for him and requests that “the God of peace” equip Christians for their work (13:18-21)

• Paul promises to visit the Hebrew Christians; he closes with greetings (13:22-25)