Hebrews Carnival January 2012

The new year has started off with considerable blog activity on the book of Hebrews:

Leon Mauldin illustrates the racing metaphor of Hebrews 12:1 with a picture of the stadium at Aphrodisias.

David Stark offers an interpretation of Melchizedek's Bread and Wine.

Collin Hansen interviews Peter O'Brien about the Warning Passages.  Scot McKnight offers a Brief Response.

William Varner explores the relationship between Hebrews, Angels, and Us.  He also highlights a couple of rhetorical devices that reveal the main message of Hebrews (First; Second).  He also shares about the time he saw the oldest copy of the letter To Hebrews, the Chester Beatty Papyrus, in Dublin.  He provides a picture of the first page of P46.  He also reiterates his argument that Jude is the author of Hebrews.  He then explores the question of the Pauline Authorship of Hebrews.

Justin Mihoc summarizes a paper by Mark Elliott entitled, "The Promise and Threat of  Reception, with Reference to Patristic Interpretation of Texts in Hebrews and Ephesians."

Phillip Long sets forth The Purpose of Hebrews.  He also examines the tradition about Paul as The Author of Hebrews.  He then identifies four things about what we can know about the author.  He also tries to give an explanation as to why the author chose to remain anonymous.  He then discusses Jesus and the Angels in Hebrews 1, Jesus and Moses in Hebrews 3, An Exhortation to Righteousness in Hebrews 3:12-19, Jesus, the Great High Priesthood (Part 1) in Hebrews 4:14-16 and 5:1-10 (Part 2), and Who Melchizedek Was in Hebrews 7:1-3.  He also has a two-part post on Hebrews 6:4-12 (Part 1; Part 2).