BEMA Episode Link: 165: Hebrews — Running a Better Race
Episode Length: 34:23
Published Date: Thu, 23 Apr 2020 01:00:00 -0700
Session 4
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings begin to examine the letter of Hebrews and learn from its potential context, hearing the call for us to be people who suffer well and persevere in the faith and struggle authored by Jesus himself.

Discussion Video for BEMA 165

Hebrews (Sermon Series) — Real Life on the Palouse

Hebrews Infographic

Transcript for BEMA 165

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

BEMA Episode 165: Hebrews — Running a Better Race

Title & Source Summary

Episode: BEMA 165: Hebrews — Running a Better Race
Hosts: Marty Solomon and Brent Billings
Topic: An introduction to the Book of Hebrews, exploring its context as a post-temple destruction sermon, its literary structure through the use of inclusio, and its central theme of Jesus as the better high priest who enables faithful perseverance.

This episode establishes the foundation for understanding Hebrews as a homily written for Jewish believers wrestling with the destruction of the temple, showing how Jesus provides a better version of everything they held dear in the Levitical system while calling them to persevere through suffering just as Jesus did.

Key Takeaways

  • Hebrews was likely written as a synagogue homily after AD 70 to address Judaism without the temple from a Jesus perspective
  • The author is unknown but was probably an Alexandrian-trained Jewish believer, possibly Priscilla, writing to other Jews
  • Jesus doesn’t replace Jewish faith but offers a “better version” of everything in the Levitical system - better messenger, better humanity, better Moses, better Sabbath, better high priest
  • The book uses an inclusio literary structure (brackets) from Hebrews 1:3 to 10:12, with “He sat down at the right hand of God” marking the theological argument
  • Jesus serves as a merciful and faithful high priest in the order of Melchizedek, able to empathize with human weakness because he suffered
  • The dominant theme is perseverance - Jesus learned through suffering and showed believers how to suffer well and persevere in faith
  • True faithfulness goes beyond following rules to loving others, especially outsiders and those on the fringes

Main Concepts & Theories

Historical Context and Dating

Recent scholarship suggests Hebrews was written after the temple destruction in AD 70, not before. The present-tense language about the temple and priesthood reflects the ongoing reality of Jewish worship patterns rather than indicating the temple still stood. Both Judaism and Jewish believers had to reimagine their faith without the central temple structure.

Literary Structure: The Inclusio

An inclusio is a Greek literary bracketing tool that identifies an argument within literature. Unlike a chiasm, it doesn’t require inverted parallelism or a central focal point. Hebrews 1-10 forms a massive inclusio bracketed by the identical phrase “He sat down at the right hand of God” (1:3 and 10:12). This signals readers to pay careful attention to the theological argument contained within these brackets.

Jesus as Better High Priest

The central theological argument of the inclusio focuses on Jesus as high priest:

  • Merciful: Jesus can deal gently, sympathize with weakness, and has experienced human suffering
  • Faithful: Jesus has been made perfect through suffering and serves as the source of eternal salvation
  • Order of Melchizedek: This predates and potentially supersedes the Levitical priesthood, solving the problem of Jesus not being from the tribe of Levi
The Progression of “Therefore” Statements

The author builds a cumulative argument through repeated “therefore” statements:

  • Jesus is a better messenger, therefore Jesus offers better humanity
  • Therefore Jesus was a better Moses
  • Therefore this introduces a better Sabbath
  • Therefore we have a better high priest
Perseverance Through Suffering

The book’s dominant exhortation centers on perseverance. Jesus modeled how to suffer well and was glorified through his suffering. Believers are called to similar perseverance, supported by:

  • The example of Jesus as high priest who understands their struggles
  • The “great cloud of witnesses” from Hebrews 11 (the Hall of Faith)
  • The community of faith that encourages one another

Examples & Applications

Jesus as Better Version, Not Replacement
  • Moses was an amazing leader, but Jesus was everything Moses was “and then some”
  • The high priest was incredible to have, but Jesus is “the best high priest you could ever imagine”
  • Torah was a wonderful gift, but Jesus takes Torah and makes it “even better and more clear”
Practical Perseverance
  • Memory of past faithfulness: “Remember those earlier days…when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering”
  • Community support: “Not giving up meeting together…but encouraging one another”
  • Confidence in better promises: “You knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions”
True Faithfulness Beyond Rules
  • Not just Torah observance: While the audience likely still kept kosher and wore tassels, true faithfulness goes deeper
  • Heart of God focus: Faithfulness to God’s heart means loving others, especially outsiders
  • Priestly service: “Let us go out beyond the city gates” to serve as priests to those on the fringes
Post-Temple Judaism Parallels

Both rabbinic Judaism and Jewish believers made similar theological moves after the temple’s destruction:

  • Judaism: Replaced temple worship with Torah obedience and righteous living
  • Jewish believers: Found the same replacement in Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice and high priest

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

  1. Melchizedek Priesthood: Deep dive into Genesis 14 and Psalm 110 to understand this mysterious figure and how his priesthood relates to Jesus
  2. Alexandrian Jewish Thought: Study of Hellenistic Judaism and the school of Alexandria to better understand the author’s intellectual background
  3. Literary Analysis: Detailed examination of the inclusio structure and how it functions with other literary devices throughout Hebrews
  4. Post-70 AD Judaism: Investigation of how both rabbinic Judaism and Jewish Christianity developed in response to the temple’s destruction
  5. Suffering and Theodicy: Biblical theology of suffering, particularly how Jesus models faithful response to undeserved suffering
  6. Hebrews 11 Hall of Faith: Detailed study of each Old Testament figure mentioned and how their stories illustrate perseverant faith
  7. Supersessionism vs. Fulfillment: Careful theological work on how to read Hebrews’ “better” language without falling into anti-Semitic interpretations

Comprehension Questions

  1. How does understanding Hebrews as a post-temple destruction homily change your interpretation of the book’s purpose and audience, and what parallels do you see with how both Judaism and Jewish Christianity adapted to this crisis?

  2. What makes Jesus a “better” high priest according to the inclusio argument in Hebrews 1-10, and how do the qualities of being “merciful and faithful” specifically address the struggles of the original audience?

  3. How does the literary structure of the inclusio help readers understand the author’s theological argument, and why is it important to grasp chapters 1-10 before moving to the famous “Hall of Faith” in chapter 11?

  4. In what ways does Hebrews present Jesus as offering a “better version” rather than a complete replacement of Jewish faith and practice, and how should this affect how Gentile Christians read and apply this book?

  5. How does the theme of perseverance through suffering in Hebrews connect to the practical exhortations about community life, and what does “going outside the city gates” mean for faithful living today?

Brief Personalized Summary

BEMA Episode 165 opens the rich theological treasure of Hebrews with remarkable insight into both its historical context and literary artistry. Understanding this book as a post-temple homily transforms how we read its “better” language - not as replacement theology but as Jewish believers helping other Jewish believers navigate their faith crisis. The inclusio structure reveals the author’s sophisticated argument that Jesus fulfills and perfects everything they treasured about temple worship. Most compelling is how the book connects theology to life: because Jesus is the merciful and faithful high priest who learned obedience through suffering, believers can persevere through their own struggles with confidence. The call to “go outside the city gates” challenges comfortable religion, pushing us toward the margins where love meets real need. This isn’t about abandoning Jewish identity but about discovering its deepest expression in sacrificial service to others, just as Jesus modeled.

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