Hebrews 1:1-2:4 Lesson 415

Hebrews 1:1-2:4 Lesson 415

Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

"The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews"

"Jesus is God."

Authorship:

Despite the name, the author of "The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews" is unknown.  While much of Hebrews is written in the style of Paul, parts are not. Bible scholars are divided on who is the author.  Many believe Paul wrote Hebrews, while others say it was Barnabas, Apollos, Luke, Silas, Philip, Aquila, Priscilla, or Clement of Rome.  Some even believe it was written by a long-forgotten Alexandrian.  Even though the author does not identify them self, they refer to Timothy as a spiritual "brother" (13:23); perhaps this is a hint. Whoever they were, they had a deep knowledge of Jewish history, laws, and customs.  More importantly, they had the divine inspiration of God (2 Peter 1:21). It appears Hebrews was written in Rome (13:24), and although the date is uncertain, most scholars agree it was between AD 62 and 69

Purpose and Theme:

The Old Testament predicted and prepared the way for Jesus (Hebrews 1:1-3). With the crucifixion, the Old Testament prophesies were fulfilled, the barrier between man and God was torn down, the Old Covenant (Mosaic Law) replaced with the New Covenant, and the door to salvation opened. But early Jewish converts faced persecution for leaving the synagogues to follow the Messiah (10:32-34).  Practicing Jews considered Jewish Christians traitors and ostracized them from society. The book of Hebrews was written to encourage these "outcasts" and assure them that Jesus was the Savior promised in the Old Testament.

At a time of spiritual uncertainty, the book of Hebrews counseled Jewish Christians not to retreat back to Judaism's rites and ceremonies.  Hebrews teaches us that Jesus fulfilled the promise and prophecies of the Old Testament and confirms the supremacy of Christianity (God's New Covenant) over Judaism (God's Old Covenant). Hebrews tells us that the purpose of the Jewish system of never-ending sacrifices outlined in the Old Testament were to prepare the way for Jesus, the once-and-forever sacrifice.  In no uncertain terms, we are told that the sacrifices outlined in the Old Testament are no longer needed.  Jesus was the final sacrifice.

Although written ostensibly for Jewish Christians (hence the many references to the Old Testament), Hebrews is an inspirational message designed to help all believers overcome life's obstacles and temptations.  Hebrews teaches us that knowledge of Jesus combats doubt and loss of faith.  Hebrews reads like a sermon, a pep talk urging Christians not to abandon their faith despite hardships.

Hebrews is broken down into two main segments, doctrinal (1:1-10:18) and practical (10:19-13:25):

1) Verses 1:1- 10:18 - Jesus is superior to the prophets (1:1-3), Superior to angels (1:4-2:8); Jesus the Savior (2:9-18); Jesus is superior to Moses (3:1-6); Superior to Joshua (4:8-12); Superior to high priests; A warning against falling away (5:11-6:20); The High Priest and King Melchizedek (7:1-28); The superior Covenant (8:1-13); The superior tabernacle (9:1-10); Christ the supreme sacrifice (9:13-10:18).

2) Verses 10:19 - 13:25 - Perseverance; The superiority of faith over rites and ceremonies; Pleasing God with faith; Examples from "faiths hall of fame" (11:1-12:2); Endurance of faith (12:3-29); The workings of faith (13:1-16); Final appeal, benediction and closing remarks (13:17-25).

Study Tip:

The more we learn about the Mosaic Law and the Old Testament, the more we understand the New Testament. Always click on the links to the Old Testament passages. They are vital tools that help us understand God's plan.

The Epistle of Paul The Apostle To The Hebrews

The King James Bible

Hebrews 1:1-2:4
Jesus is better than angels

1God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

2Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

3Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:

4Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

5For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?

6And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.

7And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.

8But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

9Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

10And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:

11They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;

12And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

13But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?

14Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Hebrews 2:1-2
Don't backslide

1Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

2For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;

3How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

4God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

Margin notes:

"At sundry times and in divers manners." (1:1) - "At different times and in various ways." Many Bible scholars consider Genesis 1:1, John 1:1, and Hebrews 1:1-4 the three most majestic opening sentences in the 66 books of the Bible.

"Spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets." (1:1) - "In times past God spoke to our forefathers via the prophets." These prophets were Moses, Isaiah, Daniel, etc. See "Today's Question" below to learn how God talked to mankind.

"Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son." (1:2) - "Has in these recent days spoken to us through His Son." God no longer sends prophets to teach us. Jesus told us everything we needed to know.

"He made the worlds." (1:2) - God made the world, the universe, and everything in it (Genesis 1:1-26; Hebrews 11:3).

"The express image of his person." (1:3) - Jesus Christ is the exact image and character of God (John 14:9; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 1:14-15). In short, Jesus is God, not figuratively, not almost, but truly God.

"Upholding all things by the word of his power." (1:3) - Jesus sustains everything in the universe. Without His constant maintenance, everything would cease to exist (Colossians 1:17).

"By himself purged our sins." (1:3) - Jesus died to purge our sins and save us.

"Sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high." (1:3) - In Jewish culture, the right seat represented honor and power.  This seat is reserved for Jesus.

"Better than the angles." (1:4) - Jews considered angels divine beings just one step below God in magnitude. Many believed that the word "us" in "Let us make man in our image" (Genesis 1:26) referred to angels.  Early false Christian teachers taught that we could only talk to or approach God via angels. Some believed that God Himself was an angel; so they revered all angels.  Jesus is the Son of God and therefore supreme over angels.  Christians must not worship them (Colossians 2:18; Revelation 19:10).

"A more excellent name than they." (1:4) - Jesus is exalted above everything, including angels (Philippians 2:9).

"Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee?" (1:5) - Quoted from Psalm 2:7. Paul also quoted Psalm 2:7 in Acts 13:33.

"I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?" (1:5) - Paraphrased from 2 Samuel 7:14.

"Firstbegotten." (1:6) - Jesus is called the firstborn due to His high position, not because He was the first to be born on earth.

"Let all the angels of God worship him." (1:6) - Worshipping Jesus is blasphemous to Jews. They believe that only God is worthy of worship. But if angels worship Jesus, He must be superior to them.

"Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire." (1:7) - Paraphrased from Psalm 104:4, proving that Jesus is higher than angels.

"Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom." (1:8) - From Psalm 45:6 showing that God gave Jesus control over the universe.

"Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." (1:9) - From Psalm 45:7.

"And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation..." (1:10-12) - Paraphrased from Psalm 102:25-27. Additional note: In the Old Testament, "Lord" refers to God the Father; in the New Testament, "Lord" refers to Jesus, the Son.

"They shall perish." (1:11) - As described in 2 Peter 3:10-13.

"They all shall wax old as doth a garment." (1:11) - "They will all grow old (and useless), like aging clothes."

"As a vesture shalt thou fold them up." (1:12) - "Like a (worn out) robe, you will fold them up and replace them."  This means that the earth and everything on it will not last forever.

"Thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail." (1:12) - "You (Jesus) never change, and your years will never end."

"Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?" (1:13) - From Psalm 110:1, written a thousand years before Christ was born, proving that Jesus (not an angel ) is Lord. See also Joshua 10:24.

"Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?." (1:14) - "Aren't they all serving spirits, sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?"  If angels are servants, how can they rank higher than the Son of God?

"Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard." (2:1) - "Therefore we should pay close attention to the things we have heard." This refers to the "things" we "heard" from Jesus (1:2).

"Slip." (2:1) - To fall away from the truth, to backslide.

"If the word spoken by angels was stedfast." (2:2) - "If the word (Mosaic Law) God gave Israel through angels (Acts 7:53; Galatians 3:19) was true."

"And every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward." (2:2) - "And every violation and disobedience received a just punishment." This means sinners will be punished.

New Living Translation

Hebrews 1:1-2:4
Jesus Christ Is God's Son

1 Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets.

2 And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe.

3 The Son radiates God's own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.

4 This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names.  The Son Is Greater Than the Angels

5 For God never said to any angel what he said to Jesus:    "You are my Son.
    Today I have become your Father."
God also said,
"I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son."

6 And when he brought his firstborn Son into the world, God said,
  "Let all of God's angels worship him."

7 Regarding the angels, he says,
"He sends his angels like the winds,
his servants like flames of fire."

8 But to the Son he says,
   "Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever.
     You rule with a scepter of justice.

9 You love justice and hate evil.
    Therefore, O God, your God has anointed you,
      pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else."

10 He also says to the Son,
"In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth
and made the heavens with your hands.

11 They will perish, but you remain forever.
      They will wear out like old clothing.

12 You will fold them up like a cloak
      and discard them like old clothing.
But you are always the same;
      you will live forever."

13 And God never said to any of the angels,
"Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
  until I humble your enemies,
  making them a footstool under your feet."

14 Therefore, angels are only servants-spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.

Hebrews 2:1-4
A Warning against Drifting Away

1 So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.

2 For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished.

3 So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak?

4 And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.

This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word-for-word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."

Today's question:

1. How did God talk to mankind (1:1)?

"It is either the Mosaic Law or Grace. The two don't mix. To say we are saved through Grace but must keep ourselves by works is to deny Grace."

Harold George Ihlefeldt (1920-1971)

Answer: (Do you agree?)

1. God used many different ways to talk to mankind. Here's a list of people who communed with God and how (click on the links).

God talked to How Where to find it.

Abraham personally Genesis 12:1-4

Abraham personally Genesis 18

Jacob a dream Genesis 28:10-22

Jacob an angel Genesis 32:22-32

Joseph a dream Genesis 37:5-10

A baker and a butler a dream Genesis 40:5

Pharaoh a dream Genesis 41:1-8

Moses fire Exodus 3:2

Moses and Aaron personally Exodus 7:8

The people of Israel fire and a cloud Exodus 13:21

Moses fire Exodus 20:1-21

Moses personally Exodus 31:18

Balaam a talking mule Numbers 22:21-35

Isaiah a vision Isaiah 1

King Belshazzar writing on a wall Daniel 5:5-9

The prophet Jonah telepathically Jonah 1:1-2

Joseph an angel in a dream Matthew 1:20-21; 2:13

The wise men dreams Matthew 2:12

Jesus personally Matthew 3:16-17

Zacharias the angel Gabriel Luke 1:13-20

The Virgin Mary an angel Luke 1:27-38

Shepherds an angel Luke 2:8-15

Paul a vision Acts 18:9-10

The Jews through holy men 2 peter 1:21

God speaks to us now through Jesus Christ (1-2).

Application thought for the day:

Summarize, in your own words, the lesson in this passage.
Ponder what it means to you and your faith.

Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; the "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies;" "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Everyday Bible" published by World Wide Publications, Minneapolis, Minnesota; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Testament" translated from the Latin Vulgate, published by Guild Press, New York, New York; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course, the "King James Bible." All were critical in putting these lessons together.
© 2023 evolke

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