Title: The importance of the book of Hebrews
(Explanation to Hebrews 1)
The importance of Hebrews
(Hebrews 1:1-3)
Starting today, we study the book of Hebrews. The book of Hebrews is the amazing Word of God that organically combines the Old and New Testaments. When we learn the book of Hebrews, we can properly understand the exact relationship between the Old and New Testaments. And you can get a biblical answer to the meaning of all the saving work that Christ did.
When we learn the book of Hebrews, we get answers to the role of the Old Testament in the Bible, and we discover that the gospel revealed in the New Testament has its roots in the Old Testament. And we can realize that the Old Testament was fulfilled in both the birth of Jesus Christ and the sacrifice of sinners. Since the Old Testament holds up the gospel, it can be seen that reading and studying it is very beneficial for convincing and consolidating the gospel.
1. The Problem of Hebrews
Since the name of the author is not given in Hebrews, it is not clear who wrote it. The English King James Version states that it is Paul's Epistles, but the American Revised Version and the translation we have now do not give the name of the author. However, it is commonly known that the book of Hebrews is the Bible written by the Apostle Paul.
The name of the book of Hebrews was given, around 200 AD, in the last quarter of the century AD, but there is no clear reason as to why it was given that name. However, given that he is arguing about the relationship between the legal sacrificial system and Christ, he made the Jews who did not recognize Jesus Christ as the High Priest realize that Jesus is the Messiah that God promised in the Law, so that they could receive the Gospel and receive the Gospel. I believe there must have been a purpose in writing the book of Hebrews in order to give it to them.
It is predicted that this epistle was written between 61 AD and 63 AD, before the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus in AD 70.
2. Names of Israel, Jews, Hebrews, etc.
When we read the Bible, we need to be aware of the fact that there are several titles for the Israelites. The word Israel is the name of the covenant that Jacob became the ‘people of God’ with his new name obtained by wrestling all night with the angel at the Jab naru. Therefore, when speaking of Israel, it is used covenantally to refer to the descendants of Abraham's blood.
However, this Israel was called the descendant of Abraham's covenant before Jesus was born, and after that, it is used to refer to Christians who became God's people according to Abraham's faith, not Abraham's lineage. Paul says in Galatians 3:29, “If you belong to Christ, you are Abraham’s children, and heirs according to the promise.” And Galatians 6:16 calls us “the Israel of God.”
And they are also called Jews. The word “Jew” appears a lot in the Bible. However, it appears mostly in the New Testament. The word Jew has been used since the time of the Babylonian captivity by the people of Israel, meaning a person living in Judah. In Israel, the northern and southern dynasties were divided, and the northern dynasty was called Israel, and the southern dynasty was called Judah. So the people of Israel living there were called Jews.
And one more is another name to call a Hebrew. However, the exact meaning of this Hebrew word is not known. However, the term Hebrew is known to have a longer history than Israel or Jews. So, people are known to mean a wide range of races based on Abraham's bloodline and hometown at the time. However, in most cases, the term Hebrews refers to the pure lineage of Abraham, and is identified with the Jews.
3. The Book of Hebrews Emphasis
The emphasis of the book of Hebrews is that the New Testament is superior to the Old Testament. The Jews knew that the New Testament had nothing to do with the Old Testament. Moreover, the priesthood and priesthood in the Old Testament were considered far from those in the New Testament, and they ignored the New Testament and the Gospel. However, if we study the book of Hebrews, we can find that the New Testament is the body of the Old Testament and that the priesthood of Christ is superior to that of the tribe of Levi in the Old Testament. And the book of Hebrews is indispensable for explaining that Christ's sacrifice is more complete and eternal than the animal sacrifices offered in the Old Testament.
Conclusion: As we learn the book of Hebrews, we hope that we can grow into full faith as we find answers to why Christ is our High Priest and how all the Old Testament laws, prophecies and revelations are dealt with in the New Testament. .