Hebrews Highlights - December 2021

David Allen offers some Lessons on Preaching Hebrews . . . From Hebrews.

Claude Mariottini queries Who Was Melchizedek's Mother?

Allan Bevere has daily devotions on Hebrews 1–6

                                                        Hebrews 7–10

                                                        Hebrews 11–13

Hebrews Highlights October 2014

Chuck Grantham continues to assemble antique commentary quotes: Hebrews 4:14–5:6, Hebrews 6:1–8, 7:23–28, 8:1–13, 9:11–15.

David L. Allen gives some Lessons on Preaching Hebrews . . . from Hebrews.

Hebrews Highlights January 2014

The Hebrews Highlights for the month of January 2014:

Christian Brady proposes a comparison between 1 Maccabees 2 and Hebrews 11. He summarizes his argument when he argues that Hebrews 11 is a Midrash of 1 Macc. 2.

Phillip Long informs us about Frederic W. Farrar and his commentary on Hebrews. Logos is giving away free copies of this commentary in the month of January. He queries What Can We Know about the author of Hebrews? He also asks Why Not Paul? It appears that he is beginning a series on Hebrews:
Hebrews 1 - Jesus and the Angels
Hebrews 1 - Worship Jesus, the Firstborn
Hebrews 3 - Jesus is Superior to Moses
Hebrews 4:14 - A Great High Priest
Hebrews 4:16 - Boldly, Before the Throne of Grace

Mitch Chase comments On the Possible Inclusios in Hebrews 11and the Central Figure in the List of Names. He highlights commonalities of sacrifice in the Three Stories of Sacrifice in the Name-List of Hebrews 11. He also discusses The Strategy of Christology for Your Endurance.

Jared Compton also queries Did Paul Write Hebrews?
Some older posts by Jared:
     Galatians and Hebrews: A Key Similarity
     Hebrews: The Big Picture
     Hebrews: The Big Picture (imaginative)
     What Hebrews Tells Us about Preaching

Some Resources on Hebrews

David Allen, Dean of the School of Theology and Professor of Preaching at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, has a ten-part series on Interpreting and Preaching Hebrews 6.1–8. He is an advocate for the "Loss of Rewards" view of this passage.

I had previously noted that Trinity Evangelical Divinity School posted a four-part video lecture series on Hebrews by D. A. Carson. Transcripts of the four lectures are also available on the same page.

Logos Bible Software is offering for the month of January a free download of Frederic William Farrar's Hebrews Commentary in the Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges series.

Hebrews Carnival September 2013

Clifford Kvidahl reminds us that Ceslas Spicq's two-volume commentary, L'Épître aux Hébreux, is being translated into English and is available for prepublication purchase at Logos Bible Software.  Spicq' commentary is still the most important French commentary on Hebrews, Samuel Bénétreau's two-volume commentary notwithstanding, even though it was published in 1952–1953.

Abram Kielsmeier-Jones posted his sermon on hospitality based on Hebrews 13:1–5: "A Ministry of Interruptions."

Andy Naselli posted an outline of his sermon, "Training Children for Their Good," partially based on Hebrews 12:4–11.  The full article appears in The Journal of Discipleship and Family Ministry 3.2 (Spring/Summer 2013): 48–64.  The audio file of his sermon can be found here.

Matthew Montonini announces that Gary Cockerill delivered the Scripture and Ministry Lecture at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School entitled "Do not Refuse the One Who Is Speaking (Heb 12:25): Hebrews and Contemporary Preaching."  A video of the lecture is available for streaming.

Henry Neufeld announces that David Alan Black's new book, The Authorship of Hebrews: The Case for Paul, is off to the printer.  He has created a new blog/book site to generate discussion about The Authorship of Hebrews.  I will include a link to this new site on the sidebar.

Kevin Jackson queries, Who Was the Author of Hebrews?  He then enumerates the usual candidates for authorship.

Reflections on Advanced Expository Preaching Workshop

Yesterday I attended the Advanced Expository Preaching Workshop at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.  The workshop was held in their impressive new conference center, the Riley Center.

David Allen began with "Introduction and Structure of Hebrews."  He briefly discussed the leading candidates for authorship of Hebrews before concluding with the most likely candidate (in his view), Luke.  He then went over the structure of Hebrews, beginning with an outline based on the linguistic structures of Hebrews, which becomes the basis for the thematic outline.  The thematic outline then can become the framework upon which to build one's expository preaching.  Allen is of the conviction that exegesis must precede theology.  Hence, when preaching through a book of the Bible, one should determine the overall flow of thought to see how the individual passages fit within the larger argument of the book.  Steven Smith built upon Allen's outline to provide a "Preaching Plan for Hebrews."  He also provided examples of how to use expository preaching to preach a series based on key words or on thematic elements. 

After an outstanding lunch, Herbert Bateman discussed the "Warning Passages in Hebrews."  When preaching the warning passages, one should consider the historical context for Hebrews, the literary challenges of Hebrews, before considering the pastoral concern in Hebrews.  One must understand how the author of Hebrews weaves together exposition and exhortation.  Despite what one might think is going on in the warning passages, Jesus is the focus.  He is the regal priest and turning away from him will result in undesirable consequences for the believer.  Many of his handouts are pre-published material that will appear in his forthcoming book (2011), Charts on the Book of Hebrews, which will be part of the Kregel Charts of the Bible and Theology series. 

Calvin Pearson discussed "Rhetorical Techniques in Hebrews."  He contends that "rhetoric is the study of how we are persuaded, based upon how God structure our minds."  He identified a few rhetorical techniques and illustrated them in Hebrews.  Understanding rhetorical techniques helps us not only to understand what is going on in Hebrews, but also can help us improve our proclamation of the Word of God.

Finally, Matthew McKellar, modeled expository preaching with a sermon on Hebrews 13:9-16 entitled, "We Have An Altar!".  He argued that the revolutionary sacrifice of Jesus for you demands a radical surrender from you.

I felt somewhat of a celebrity there.  David Allen recognized my name from this blog and then he introduced me and announced this blog to the attendees and so I had a bunch of people come up to me asking for my blog address.  So, if you are new to this blog and are reading this, welcome.  I will eventually add a tab for links to preaching resources on Hebrews.

Afterward, I had a nice chat with Dr. Allen and we got to know one another a little and we discussed his commentary and some theology.  Since, I will be reviewing his commentary shortly, I discussed some of my critiques of his book, and he took it all very graciously.  Dr. Allen is not a Calvinist, but he does believe in the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints.  I am, of course, an Arminian and don't believe in that doctrine (although I do believe that the saints should persevere).  But we were able to discuss our differences amicably.  Dr. Allen is a gracious man, who combines confidence with humility--something that more academics should learn to do.  I hope that it is the beginning of good friendship with Dr. Allen.  I guess this means I'll have to be nice to him when I critique his commentary ;-)