Hebrews
Jesus is Greater Than Moses
The Holy Spirit was speaking directly to Christian Jews who were looking to Jesus out of one eye and at the same time glancing back to Judaism with the other eye. These Jews have been told how the Lord Jesus is superior to any prophetic revelation to the fathers (Heb. 1:1-3) and how He …
Prayer Requested
Acts of kindness and sharing are particularly pleasing to God, even when they go unnoticed by others (vv. 15-16). The task of church leaders is to help people to mature in Christ. Cooperative followers greatly ease the burden of leadership (v. 17). We find the writer emphasizing the …
The Encouragement to Go On
It seems that the author felt that, after some heavy and solemn warnings, a word of encouragement was in order. He states that he is confident that the people he is addressing are ready for better things that come with salvation (v. 9). The words are like those of a pastor who, after warning his …
Christ is Greater Than The Angels
How does someone write to suffering Christians and tell them to stay faithful, despite the fact they are going through severe trials? The author wisely begins not by considering their difficult circumstances, nor by simply telling them, “This is right to do, so do it.” They are reminded that …
The Promises of Faith
In this chapter the writer gathers together the names of those who have faithfully passed the legacy of faith on to the next generation. He reflects on the lives of heroes of the faith like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, …
The Warning of Apostasy
If we are going to grow as a Christian, we must leave the elementary teachings of Christ behind and go forward in Spiritual growth (vv. 1-3). This next passage is perhaps one of the most difficult and controversial passages in the entire Bible (vv. 4-6). The issue centers around whether …
The Just Live By Faith
I personally believe this passage was written to believers and follows in the sequence with the other four warnings. Dr. Warren Wiersbe, in his commentary on Hebrews, suggests the following outline: The believer who begins to drift from the Word (2:1-4) will soon start to doubt the word …
Christ’s Death is Necessary
The author uses the illustration of a will (vv. 16-17). A will requires the death of its own maker. It can be changed many times, so long as its maker lives; but his death sets it in force. Christ’s death put into effect the will and covenant He had made for all who have fulfilled its requirements. Wills …
The Definition of Faith
This eleventh chapter of Hebrews is one of the best known chapters of the Bible on the subject of faith. Two words describe faith: confidence and certainty. These two words need a secure beginning and ending point. The beginning point is believing in God’s character; that He is who …
Jesus Authority is Established Over All Creation
The balance of this chapter continues with an ever-mounting argument for the superiority of Christ over the angels. The people addressed in this epistle were Hebrew Christians who had the greatest and deepest respect for the angels of God. When we look at this passage, we can see some of the …