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The Bible book the letter to the Hebrews

The letter to the Hebrews is a special book of the Bible. A greeting is missing at the beginning and the author’s name is not mentioned. Yet that was the custom at that time. No addressee is mentioned, although the title does say: to the Hebrews. The central theme in the letter is the difference between Judaism and Christianity.

Characteristics of the letter

There is no greeting at the beginning of the letter, but readers are still addressed as brothers and sisters or loved ones, as Paul does in his letters. The way of writing shows that the writer knew his audience. Everything shows that the author is writing to Jewish Christians. Time and again the Old Testament is quoted, i.e. the Jewish Bible passage. And many Jewish customs are discussed.

The letter compares the life of Jesus with the work of priests. The writer quotes Psalm 110 and wants to show that Jesus is also a high priest. But Jesus is not a temporary priest, but forever: with His death He has cleared the way to God forever.

The letter often says: Don’t give up. The conclusion is that the letter was written to people who are in danger of falling away from the Christian faith.

The author

The writer is unknown. There are a few clues about the writer:

  • The writer addresses his readers as brothers and sisters, just as Paul does in his letters to Christians.
  • He knew the Old Testament very well.
  • He was not an apostle.
  • From the way he wrote it seems like he was an important figure in the Christian community. He seems to expect people to do what he says.

 

The message of the letter to the Hebrews

The writer describes the life of a Christian as a foot race in the Roman arena. According to him, the spectators are all kinds of men and women from the Old Testament who have shown in their lives that God can be trusted. He also describes all kinds of examples in the 11th chapter. The object of the competition is Jesus, the Son of God. The participants are the Christians and the spectators encourage them so that they do not lose heart.

Layout of the letter

Chapter 1-4: Jesus is more important than the leaders from the Old Testament
Chapter 4-10: The relationship between the old and new covenant and the position of Jesus therein
Chapter 11-13: Living by faith