Stevens, Daniel Joseph. “A Promise Remains: A Study of Promise in the Epistle to the Hebrews.” Ph.D. diss., King’s College, 2019.
Abstract:
"Despite receiving little direct attention, the theme of promise
often features in scholars’ discussions of the central themes of the
Epistle to the Hebrews, with some even asserting that promise is the
foundational motif of the entire work. However, the way in which the
author of Hebrews portrays divine promises and uses them to contribute
to the structure of his theology has not yet been satisfactorily
described. What the author means by promise, how promise relates to
other types of divine commitments, and the content and timing of the
promise’s fulfilment all need clarification and more precise attention.
Through an exegesis of the relevant passages of Hebrews, this thesis
provides a new reading of promise in Hebrews. After an exegesis of the
epistle, I then describe Hebrews’ overall theology of promise. I argue
that, unlike in previous analyses, rest is not the primary content of
promise, nor is it the primary lens through which the other instances of
promise language should be understood. On the contrary, I argue that
the promise is most closely associated with the benefits promised to
Abraham, and then mediated through the various subsequent covenants.
Further, while previous studies have left it unclear how the divine
promise relates to both the Old and New Covenants, I argue that Hebrews
develops a view of salvation history in which covenants are founded upon
promises and then bring those promises to fruition. This is true of
both the Old and New Covenants, though in different ways. I then
demonstrate the ways in which this understanding of promise sheds light
on the author’s hermeneutic and on his method of achieving his hortatory
purposes for the epistle. Finally, I conclude by re-asserting the
consistency of the author’s thought regarding promise and by addressing
questions raised by earlier studies of this theme."
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