Alastair Roberts explains in a video How Should We Understand the People Who Fall Away in Hebrews 6.
Ken Schenck has posted additional installments of his video series on his Hebrews Bible Study:
Week 2: Jesus Fulfills the Story of Salvation.
Week 3: The Supremacy of Christ Should Keep Us Going.
Andreas Köstenberger has a brief series on introductory matters regarding Hebrews. He attempts to answer the following questions:
Who is the Author?
What is the Message?
Who Were the Readers?
Simon Woodman continues his preaching series on Hebrews: The Returning Jesus, based in part on Hebrews 10:24–25, 35–38; 9:26b–28.
Andrew Perriman offers Some notes on Jesus as Son and Wisdom of God in Hebrews 1:1–4.
Friday, August 31, 2018
Thursday, August 23, 2018
Review of Friedeman, Listen, Understand, Obey
Caleb T. Friedeman, ed. Listen, Understand, Obey: Essays on Hebrews in Honor of Gareth Lee Cockerill. Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2017. Paperback. Pp. xx + 187.
As the subtitle suggests, this collection of nine essays is in honor of Gary Cockerill, who was a missionary to Sierra Leone, and a long-time professor, now retired, of Wesley Biblical Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi. He has been a long-time contributor to scholarship on Hebrews. He did his doctoral dissertation on the Melchizedek Christology in Hebrews 7 for Union Theological Seminary in Virginia in 1976. He has contributed several articles on Hebrews that have appeared in various journals over the years. He has written a couple of popular-level books on Hebrews: A Guidebook for Pilgrims to the Heavenly City and a commentary for the Wesleyan Publishing House. But his magnum opus must be his Hebrews commentary in the distinguished New International Commentary series published by Eerdmans. I consider it to be one of the leading commentaries on Hebrews in existence today.
At the outset, I must give full disclosure that I consider Gary Cockerill to be a personal friend. My memory is getting a little fuzzy, but I must have first met him at the first SBL meeting I attended in Philadelphia in November 2005. But it was certainly at the Hebrews and Theology conference I attended at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland in the summer of 2006 when our friendship really began to develop. Ever since then, we have regularly had meals together at every SBL conference. The study of Hebrews is not just an academic exercise for Gary. I have seen how he has been deeply touched in a personal way by the profound message that Hebrews has to offer.
The editor of this collection, Caleb Friedeman, was a student of Gary’s, and at the time of publication of this book was a doctoral candidate at Wheaton College in Illinois. He begins with an introduction giving a justification for the publication of this book. A tribute by his father, Matt Friedeman, immediately follows.
In the opening essay, Rick Boyd explores the use of Psalm 8 in Hebrews. He contends that Psalm 8 is given an eschatological orientation in Hebrews. He argues cogently for an anthropological reading of Psalm 8 in the context of Hebrews. God’s design is to subject the world to come to humanity, but this subjection is not yet realized (2:5–8). Verse 9 indicates a change in subject. Christ fulfills Psalm 8 as the representative human who attains to perfected Sonship (2:10; 7:28) and is crowned with glory and honor (2:9). As pioneer of their salvation, he then is able to lead humanity to God’s originally intended creational design for them.
In the second chapter, Scott Mackie critiques those scholars who try to make a distinction between προσέρχομαι (“draw near”) and εἰσέρχομαι (“enter”) in Hebrews. According to these scholars προσέρχομαι refers to the preliminary or proleptic access that the living have to God, while εἰσέρχομαι denotes full access that the deceased have to God. Mackie examines three passages (4:14–16; 10:19–23; 12:22–24) which use προσέρχομαι, and one passage (6:18–20) which uses εἰσέρχομαι. He contends that there is no distinction in Hebrews’ usage of these verbs. In all four passages the logic of Hebrews demands that believers imitate Jesus’ entry into the heavenly realm; their faithful perseverance is dependent upon their attainment of communicative and relational proximity to God and Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary.
Matt O’Reilly employs social identity theory to explore the temporal aspects of social identity in Hebrews 3:7–4:11. The author of Hebrews depicts God’s rest as a desirable potentially future social identity for his audience. The rest motif functions as a social boundary marker; only believers will be able to enter into the divine rest. The author attempts to show the coherence of their anticipated future social identity with their past. First he associates the promise of rest with God’s divine rest on the seventh day of creation. The creation story helps to define the identity of the people of God in terms of their relationship to God as creator. Second, he connects his audience to the wilderness generation. The author demonstrates that there is continuity between the wilderness generation and the audience in that both had the gospel (the promise of rest) preached to them, but at the same time he wants to encourage the audience not to imitate the unfaithfulness of the wilderness generation and so strengthen their identity as the people of God who enter into God’s rest. Entrance into God’s rest is presently available to God’s people; however, full realization of that rest awaits the future.
Jon Laansma engages in a theological reading of Hebrews regarding the living and active Word of God. In the first part of his essay, “the God Who Acts,” he investigates the narrative substructure in 2:5–8; 3:7–4:11; and 5:11–6:20. Laansma contends that the Abrahamic promise is the thread that weaves throughout the underlying storyline of Hebrews. The promise is to be construed as the sacred space of the heavenly rest and tabernacle into which God’s people can enter only by means of Christ’s priestly and sacrificial ministry. In part two, “the God Who Speaks,” Laansma explores Hebrews’ theology of the word. The God who spoke through the prophets in the Scriptures now speaks in the Son. With the advent of the Son, we now read the OT Scriptures with a Christological hermeneutic. While the OT was God’s word, it was incomplete because it was not God’s word in the Son. Laansma concludes the essay with a brief reading of the exordium (1:1–4).
Caleb Friedeman examines one point of convergence between the Synoptic tradition (in particular Mark) and Hebrews. Both traditions utilize Psalm 2:7 to emphasize that God’s ultimate revelation is in Jesus as the Son of God. Friedeman first traces this theme in the Gospel of Mark. Mark’s introduction at 1:1 and the centurion’s confession at 15:39 form an inclusio for the book, while Jesus’ baptism, transfiguration, and the Parable of the Tenants form key moments in the narrative. He then briefly surveys the usage of Psalm 2 in early Jewish literature (the Dead Sea Scrolls, selected pseudepigrapha, the Septuagint, Targums, and Rabbinic literature) and the New Testament. He concludes that the Synoptic tradition and Hebrews are unique in utilizing Psalm 2:7 to emphasize that Jesus as Son is God’s climactic revelation. Together the two traditions herald the Son as God’s ultimate revelation both in Jesus’ earthly life and in his current position at the right hand of God. Friedeman proposes that Hebrews is dependent upon the Synoptic tradition for this motif.
Amy Peeler examines the “filial foundations of ordination in Hebrews and other New Testament texts” (p. 95). Peeler has argued that Jesus derived his priesthood from his Sonship. As Son, Jesus received his call to the priesthood from his Father. His pedagogical training through suffering and his self-sacrifice perfects him for his role as high priest. In a similar way those who participate in Christ derive their priestly status from their sonship. She begins by tracing the theme of the priesthood of all believers in 1 Peter, Revelation, Paul, and Hebrews. She concludes that in all these texts it is the believer’s filial status that allows them to serve God as priests. Peeler then revisits the same four NT sources and finds that they also give justification for ordination. While all believers are called to be priests, some individuals are set aside for the specialized ministry of leadership.
Carey Vinzant traces a common underlying narrative in three NT authors: John, Paul, and Hebrews. All three exhibit a common Christological trajectory of preexistence, kenosis, and exaltation, but they present these themes in their own distinctive ways. John depicts Jesus as the divine Word made flesh who returns to the Father after his resurrection. Paul’s narrative arc is reflected in two high Christological passages: Philippians 2:5–11 and Colossians 1:15–20. In Hebrews Christ is co-creator, who became lower than the angels, taking on human flesh and experienced temptation, suffering, and death, but now is exalted to the right hand of God as the great High Priest. Likewise, all three develop their accounts of the human problem of sin and the salvation offered by Christ by means of their own distinctive metaphors. In John sin is described as darkness, blindness, and death. The solutions offered by Christ are light, signs leading to belief, and life. For Paul sin is depicted in terms of death, guilt, and debt. Christ provides life, pardon, and freedom. Finally, in Hebrews sin is construed in terms of uncleanness and separation from God. Christ effects cleansing which enables God’s people to enter into the presence of God.
Thomas McCall engages in an exercise in the theological interpretation of Scripture in conversation with Karl Barth and Thomas Aquinas on the topic of the submission/subordination of the Son. After making some initial observations on Hebrews 5:7–10, he gives an overview of Barth’s and Aquinas’ respective views on the obedience of the Son. For Barth, the eternal subordination of the Son is inherent in the life of the Trinity, that is, there exists in the very nature of God Himself a superiority (the Father) and subordination (the Son). By contrast Aquinas claims that the obedience and subordination only applies to the incarnate Son in his mission as redeemer of humanity. But the unity of the Son and the Father is so complete that the Son enjoys the beatific vision even in his earthly life. McCall first critiques Barth’s view, which he finds to be inconsistent with his stated view elsewhere that there is no distinction of personality in the Godhead, and his view runs into the danger of ontological subordination. Furthermore, Barth’s view runs afoul of Hebrews 5 in which Jesus learned obedience, although he was the Son. Jesus’ obedience and submission is not intrinsic to Jesus’ identity as the Son. By contrast Aquinas’ position avoids the problems of Barth’s theology and coheres well with Hebrews 5:7–10.
Chris Bounds undertakes “an exercise in Wesleyan ad fontes” (p. 155) in exploring early Methodist theologian’s appropriation of Hebrews in shaping Wesleyan doctrine. He engages in what amounts to be a descriptive overview of the explanatory notes and commentaries on Hebrews of the earliest Methodist theologians: Joseph Benson, Adam Clarke, Joseph Sutcliffe, and John Wesley. He organizes his descriptive task under the following headings: Jesus Christ, New Covenant Versus Old Covenant, Salvation and Atonement, Obedience Necessary for Final Salvation, Apostasy, and Christian Perfection. Bounds concludes that these commentaries “provide essential fontes from which to understand Methodist theology and evaluate Wesleyan doctrinal development” (p. 169) and that they highlight “the heart and strength of Wesleyan theology: soteriology” (p. 170).
End matter includes a bibliography of Gary Cockerill’s works, and an index of ancient sources.
The essays in this collection are a diverse and interesting assemblage of articles dealing with Hebrews. I personally would liked to have seen more essays included in this festschrift as a fitting tribute to a man who has spent so much of his career uncovering the rich treasures of the biblical book of Hebrews.
I want to thank Caleb Friedeman and Wipf and Stock Publishers for a review copy of this book.
At the outset, I must give full disclosure that I consider Gary Cockerill to be a personal friend. My memory is getting a little fuzzy, but I must have first met him at the first SBL meeting I attended in Philadelphia in November 2005. But it was certainly at the Hebrews and Theology conference I attended at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland in the summer of 2006 when our friendship really began to develop. Ever since then, we have regularly had meals together at every SBL conference. The study of Hebrews is not just an academic exercise for Gary. I have seen how he has been deeply touched in a personal way by the profound message that Hebrews has to offer.
The editor of this collection, Caleb Friedeman, was a student of Gary’s, and at the time of publication of this book was a doctoral candidate at Wheaton College in Illinois. He begins with an introduction giving a justification for the publication of this book. A tribute by his father, Matt Friedeman, immediately follows.
In the opening essay, Rick Boyd explores the use of Psalm 8 in Hebrews. He contends that Psalm 8 is given an eschatological orientation in Hebrews. He argues cogently for an anthropological reading of Psalm 8 in the context of Hebrews. God’s design is to subject the world to come to humanity, but this subjection is not yet realized (2:5–8). Verse 9 indicates a change in subject. Christ fulfills Psalm 8 as the representative human who attains to perfected Sonship (2:10; 7:28) and is crowned with glory and honor (2:9). As pioneer of their salvation, he then is able to lead humanity to God’s originally intended creational design for them.
In the second chapter, Scott Mackie critiques those scholars who try to make a distinction between προσέρχομαι (“draw near”) and εἰσέρχομαι (“enter”) in Hebrews. According to these scholars προσέρχομαι refers to the preliminary or proleptic access that the living have to God, while εἰσέρχομαι denotes full access that the deceased have to God. Mackie examines three passages (4:14–16; 10:19–23; 12:22–24) which use προσέρχομαι, and one passage (6:18–20) which uses εἰσέρχομαι. He contends that there is no distinction in Hebrews’ usage of these verbs. In all four passages the logic of Hebrews demands that believers imitate Jesus’ entry into the heavenly realm; their faithful perseverance is dependent upon their attainment of communicative and relational proximity to God and Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary.
Matt O’Reilly employs social identity theory to explore the temporal aspects of social identity in Hebrews 3:7–4:11. The author of Hebrews depicts God’s rest as a desirable potentially future social identity for his audience. The rest motif functions as a social boundary marker; only believers will be able to enter into the divine rest. The author attempts to show the coherence of their anticipated future social identity with their past. First he associates the promise of rest with God’s divine rest on the seventh day of creation. The creation story helps to define the identity of the people of God in terms of their relationship to God as creator. Second, he connects his audience to the wilderness generation. The author demonstrates that there is continuity between the wilderness generation and the audience in that both had the gospel (the promise of rest) preached to them, but at the same time he wants to encourage the audience not to imitate the unfaithfulness of the wilderness generation and so strengthen their identity as the people of God who enter into God’s rest. Entrance into God’s rest is presently available to God’s people; however, full realization of that rest awaits the future.
Jon Laansma engages in a theological reading of Hebrews regarding the living and active Word of God. In the first part of his essay, “the God Who Acts,” he investigates the narrative substructure in 2:5–8; 3:7–4:11; and 5:11–6:20. Laansma contends that the Abrahamic promise is the thread that weaves throughout the underlying storyline of Hebrews. The promise is to be construed as the sacred space of the heavenly rest and tabernacle into which God’s people can enter only by means of Christ’s priestly and sacrificial ministry. In part two, “the God Who Speaks,” Laansma explores Hebrews’ theology of the word. The God who spoke through the prophets in the Scriptures now speaks in the Son. With the advent of the Son, we now read the OT Scriptures with a Christological hermeneutic. While the OT was God’s word, it was incomplete because it was not God’s word in the Son. Laansma concludes the essay with a brief reading of the exordium (1:1–4).
Caleb Friedeman examines one point of convergence between the Synoptic tradition (in particular Mark) and Hebrews. Both traditions utilize Psalm 2:7 to emphasize that God’s ultimate revelation is in Jesus as the Son of God. Friedeman first traces this theme in the Gospel of Mark. Mark’s introduction at 1:1 and the centurion’s confession at 15:39 form an inclusio for the book, while Jesus’ baptism, transfiguration, and the Parable of the Tenants form key moments in the narrative. He then briefly surveys the usage of Psalm 2 in early Jewish literature (the Dead Sea Scrolls, selected pseudepigrapha, the Septuagint, Targums, and Rabbinic literature) and the New Testament. He concludes that the Synoptic tradition and Hebrews are unique in utilizing Psalm 2:7 to emphasize that Jesus as Son is God’s climactic revelation. Together the two traditions herald the Son as God’s ultimate revelation both in Jesus’ earthly life and in his current position at the right hand of God. Friedeman proposes that Hebrews is dependent upon the Synoptic tradition for this motif.
Amy Peeler examines the “filial foundations of ordination in Hebrews and other New Testament texts” (p. 95). Peeler has argued that Jesus derived his priesthood from his Sonship. As Son, Jesus received his call to the priesthood from his Father. His pedagogical training through suffering and his self-sacrifice perfects him for his role as high priest. In a similar way those who participate in Christ derive their priestly status from their sonship. She begins by tracing the theme of the priesthood of all believers in 1 Peter, Revelation, Paul, and Hebrews. She concludes that in all these texts it is the believer’s filial status that allows them to serve God as priests. Peeler then revisits the same four NT sources and finds that they also give justification for ordination. While all believers are called to be priests, some individuals are set aside for the specialized ministry of leadership.
Carey Vinzant traces a common underlying narrative in three NT authors: John, Paul, and Hebrews. All three exhibit a common Christological trajectory of preexistence, kenosis, and exaltation, but they present these themes in their own distinctive ways. John depicts Jesus as the divine Word made flesh who returns to the Father after his resurrection. Paul’s narrative arc is reflected in two high Christological passages: Philippians 2:5–11 and Colossians 1:15–20. In Hebrews Christ is co-creator, who became lower than the angels, taking on human flesh and experienced temptation, suffering, and death, but now is exalted to the right hand of God as the great High Priest. Likewise, all three develop their accounts of the human problem of sin and the salvation offered by Christ by means of their own distinctive metaphors. In John sin is described as darkness, blindness, and death. The solutions offered by Christ are light, signs leading to belief, and life. For Paul sin is depicted in terms of death, guilt, and debt. Christ provides life, pardon, and freedom. Finally, in Hebrews sin is construed in terms of uncleanness and separation from God. Christ effects cleansing which enables God’s people to enter into the presence of God.
Thomas McCall engages in an exercise in the theological interpretation of Scripture in conversation with Karl Barth and Thomas Aquinas on the topic of the submission/subordination of the Son. After making some initial observations on Hebrews 5:7–10, he gives an overview of Barth’s and Aquinas’ respective views on the obedience of the Son. For Barth, the eternal subordination of the Son is inherent in the life of the Trinity, that is, there exists in the very nature of God Himself a superiority (the Father) and subordination (the Son). By contrast Aquinas claims that the obedience and subordination only applies to the incarnate Son in his mission as redeemer of humanity. But the unity of the Son and the Father is so complete that the Son enjoys the beatific vision even in his earthly life. McCall first critiques Barth’s view, which he finds to be inconsistent with his stated view elsewhere that there is no distinction of personality in the Godhead, and his view runs into the danger of ontological subordination. Furthermore, Barth’s view runs afoul of Hebrews 5 in which Jesus learned obedience, although he was the Son. Jesus’ obedience and submission is not intrinsic to Jesus’ identity as the Son. By contrast Aquinas’ position avoids the problems of Barth’s theology and coheres well with Hebrews 5:7–10.
Chris Bounds undertakes “an exercise in Wesleyan ad fontes” (p. 155) in exploring early Methodist theologian’s appropriation of Hebrews in shaping Wesleyan doctrine. He engages in what amounts to be a descriptive overview of the explanatory notes and commentaries on Hebrews of the earliest Methodist theologians: Joseph Benson, Adam Clarke, Joseph Sutcliffe, and John Wesley. He organizes his descriptive task under the following headings: Jesus Christ, New Covenant Versus Old Covenant, Salvation and Atonement, Obedience Necessary for Final Salvation, Apostasy, and Christian Perfection. Bounds concludes that these commentaries “provide essential fontes from which to understand Methodist theology and evaluate Wesleyan doctrinal development” (p. 169) and that they highlight “the heart and strength of Wesleyan theology: soteriology” (p. 170).
End matter includes a bibliography of Gary Cockerill’s works, and an index of ancient sources.
The essays in this collection are a diverse and interesting assemblage of articles dealing with Hebrews. I personally would liked to have seen more essays included in this festschrift as a fitting tribute to a man who has spent so much of his career uncovering the rich treasures of the biblical book of Hebrews.
I want to thank Caleb Friedeman and Wipf and Stock Publishers for a review copy of this book.
Thursday, August 16, 2018
My Review of Kibbe, Godly Fear or Ungodly Failure?
My review of Michael Harrison Kibbe's book, Godly Fear or Ungodly Failure?: Hebrews 12 and the Sinai Theophanies has just been published by RBL.
Saturday, August 11, 2018
Newly Arrived from France
My newest acquisition. I just received a nice copy of this book from France:
Antoine Guggenheim. Jésus Christ, grand prêtre de l'ancienne et de la nouvelle Alliance Etude théologique et herméneutique du commentaire de saint Thomas d'Aquin sur l'Epître aux Hébreux. Parole et Silence, 2004; reprint 2011.
Blurb from website:
"Le Commentaire de saint Thomas d'Aquin sur l'Épître aux Hébreux, qui n'a encore jamais été étudié de manière aussi ample, ouvre un nouvel accès à sa théologie de l'histoire. Il enrichit la réflexion contemporaine par l'unité constamment maintenue des catégories historique et ontologique, ou spirituelle. Il donne à réfléchir sur le lien qui unit la personne du Christ et son Acte sacerdotal au régime de salut qu'Il accomplit et à celui qu'Il inaugure et, en ce sens, il invite à scruter les relations de Jésus et d'Israël. Les commentaires d'œuvres philosophiques ou théologiques, et d'abord de l'Écriture Sainte elle-même, ont constamment nourri la réflexion systématique de saint Thomas. L'argumentation théologique est, par excellence, comme il le dit lui-même, le fruit de l'étude des Livres saints. Étudier l'herméneutique philosophique et théologique qu'il met en œuvre dans sa « lecture » de l'Épître aux Hébreux nous permet donc, d'une part, de mieux apprécier l'ensemble de sa théologie et, d'autre part, de réfléchir à la tâche de l'exégèse aujourd'hui."
Antoine Guggenheim. Jésus Christ, grand prêtre de l'ancienne et de la nouvelle Alliance Etude théologique et herméneutique du commentaire de saint Thomas d'Aquin sur l'Epître aux Hébreux. Parole et Silence, 2004; reprint 2011.
"Le Commentaire de saint Thomas d'Aquin sur l'Épître aux Hébreux, qui n'a encore jamais été étudié de manière aussi ample, ouvre un nouvel accès à sa théologie de l'histoire. Il enrichit la réflexion contemporaine par l'unité constamment maintenue des catégories historique et ontologique, ou spirituelle. Il donne à réfléchir sur le lien qui unit la personne du Christ et son Acte sacerdotal au régime de salut qu'Il accomplit et à celui qu'Il inaugure et, en ce sens, il invite à scruter les relations de Jésus et d'Israël. Les commentaires d'œuvres philosophiques ou théologiques, et d'abord de l'Écriture Sainte elle-même, ont constamment nourri la réflexion systématique de saint Thomas. L'argumentation théologique est, par excellence, comme il le dit lui-même, le fruit de l'étude des Livres saints. Étudier l'herméneutique philosophique et théologique qu'il met en œuvre dans sa « lecture » de l'Épître aux Hébreux nous permet donc, d'une part, de mieux apprécier l'ensemble de sa théologie et, d'autre part, de réfléchir à la tâche de l'exégèse aujourd'hui."
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Hebrews Highlights June-July 2018
Simon Woodman has been preaching a series on Jesus in Hebrews: the Pastoral Jesus, based on Hebrews 2:14–18; 4:14–15; 6:19–20; 13:20–21; the Familial Jesus, a sermon based in part on Hebrews 2:11–13; 3:13–14; and 9:15; the Accessible Jesus, based in part on Hebrews 4:16; 7:19, 25; 6:19–20; and 10:19–22; and the Vulnerable Jesus, based in part on Hebrews 6:4–6; 13:11–14.
David Alan Black reflects on Turning to Our Great High Priest from Hebrews 4:14–16. This prompted a further reflection from Henry Neufeld.
Philip Church reviews the Passion Translation by examining how it treats Hebrews.
Alastair Roberts explains in a video What is the Biblical Theological Significance of Melchizedek?
Ken Schenck has been posting excerpts of his new Hebrews Bible Study Book.
Jesus Is the Enthroned Son of God
The First Warning to Remain Faithful
Ken also has a "Patrons Only" podcast on Stephen and the Book of Hebrews.
David Alan Black reflects on Turning to Our Great High Priest from Hebrews 4:14–16. This prompted a further reflection from Henry Neufeld.
Philip Church reviews the Passion Translation by examining how it treats Hebrews.
Alastair Roberts explains in a video What is the Biblical Theological Significance of Melchizedek?
Ken Schenck has been posting excerpts of his new Hebrews Bible Study Book.
Jesus Is the Enthroned Son of God
The First Warning to Remain Faithful
Ken also has a "Patrons Only" podcast on Stephen and the Book of Hebrews.
Thursday, July 26, 2018
Hebrews at the Annual Catholic Biblical Society Meeting
Seminar Leader in 2018:
Kevin McCruden, Gonzaga University
Program Details for 2018:
The Continuing Seminar on the Epistle to the Hebrews will convene for a third year in a row at the 2018 annual meeting of the CBA at Regis University in Denver, Colorado. Papers will be presented by Bryan Dyer, Kelli O'Brien, and David Moffitt on topics ranging from the response of faith in Hebrews to intertextual connections between Hebrews and the Gospel of Mark. Presenters will provide brief summaries of their work with significant time devoted to discussion. All are welcome!
1. Kelli O'Brien, independent scholar, "Today, if you hear his voice: Scripture in Hebrews and the Gospel of Mark."
2. Bryan Dyer, Baker Academic and Brazos Press, "All of These Died in Faith": Hebrews 11 and Faith in the Face of Death."
3. David Moffitt and Elizabeth Shively St. University of St. Andrews, "Reception of the New Exodus in Mark and Hebrews."
Kevin McCruden, Gonzaga University
Program Details for 2018:
The Continuing Seminar on the Epistle to the Hebrews will convene for a third year in a row at the 2018 annual meeting of the CBA at Regis University in Denver, Colorado. Papers will be presented by Bryan Dyer, Kelli O'Brien, and David Moffitt on topics ranging from the response of faith in Hebrews to intertextual connections between Hebrews and the Gospel of Mark. Presenters will provide brief summaries of their work with significant time devoted to discussion. All are welcome!
1. Kelli O'Brien, independent scholar, "Today, if you hear his voice: Scripture in Hebrews and the Gospel of Mark."
2. Bryan Dyer, Baker Academic and Brazos Press, "All of These Died in Faith": Hebrews 11 and Faith in the Face of Death."
3. David Moffitt and Elizabeth Shively St. University of St. Andrews, "Reception of the New Exodus in Mark and Hebrews."
Monday, July 23, 2018
Ken Schenck's Hebrews Bible Study
Ken Schenck's Bible study on Hebrews is now available from Seedbed. Here is an excerpt from the book along with a video for week 1 of the study: Jesus Christ Is God's Definitive Word.
Friday, June 29, 2018
The Place of Paideia in Hebrews' Moral Thought
New on the radar screen:
Phillip A Davis, Jr. The Place of Paideia in Hebrews' Moral Thought. WUNT II. Mohr Siebeck. Forthcoming.
"In Hebrews 12:1–17 the author seeks to encourage the readers by interpreting their sufferings as paideia from God. Scholars have typically interpreted this paideia either as corrective reproof or formative training, but by examining the passage in light of Hebrews' ethics, the ancient practice of corporal punishment, and the author's quotation of Proverbs 3:11–12, Phillip A. Davis, Jr. shows this dichotomy to be untenable. The main problem Hebrews addresses is the danger of sinning, not apostasy per se. Yet because Hebrews rejects second repentance, paideia cannot be corrective. At the same time, ancient education had as its goal moral formation, which always involved the pain of physical punishments. The author draws on this commonplace to suggest that the pain of the audience's sufferings should be taken as a concomitant part of their formation in the righteousness the “epistle” demands of them."
HT: Cliff Kvidahl
"In Hebrews 12:1–17 the author seeks to encourage the readers by interpreting their sufferings as paideia from God. Scholars have typically interpreted this paideia either as corrective reproof or formative training, but by examining the passage in light of Hebrews' ethics, the ancient practice of corporal punishment, and the author's quotation of Proverbs 3:11–12, Phillip A. Davis, Jr. shows this dichotomy to be untenable. The main problem Hebrews addresses is the danger of sinning, not apostasy per se. Yet because Hebrews rejects second repentance, paideia cannot be corrective. At the same time, ancient education had as its goal moral formation, which always involved the pain of physical punishments. The author draws on this commonplace to suggest that the pain of the audience's sufferings should be taken as a concomitant part of their formation in the righteousness the “epistle” demands of them."
HT: Cliff Kvidahl
Thursday, June 21, 2018
New Titles Added
Thanks to the Open Digital Theological Library search engine, I have been able to add links to the following works:
Tasker, R. V. G. The Gospel in the Epistle to the Hebrews. London: Tyndale, 1950.
Hort, Fenton John Anthony. "Hebrews 1:8."
Gallos, Erhard H. “Katapausis and Sabbatismos inHebrews.” Ph.D. diss., Andrews University, 2011.
Kuma, Hermann V. A. “Haima in Hebrews.” Ph.D. diss., Andrews University, 2010.
Langenkamp, Peter A. “God’s Word to Man, Wisdom Personified and the Christ of Hebrews 1:3.” M.A. thesis, Athenaeum of Ohio/Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West, 2017.
Rodrigues, Adriani Milli. “Toward a Priestly Christology: A Hermeneutical Study of Christ’s Priesthood.” Ph.D diss., Andrews University, Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, 2017.
Tasker, R. V. G. The Gospel in the Epistle to the Hebrews. London: Tyndale, 1950.
Hort, Fenton John Anthony. "Hebrews 1:8."
Gallos, Erhard H. “Katapausis and Sabbatismos inHebrews.” Ph.D. diss., Andrews University, 2011.
Kuma, Hermann V. A. “Haima in Hebrews.” Ph.D. diss., Andrews University, 2010.
Langenkamp, Peter A. “God’s Word to Man, Wisdom Personified and the Christ of Hebrews 1:3.” M.A. thesis, Athenaeum of Ohio/Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West, 2017.
Rodrigues, Adriani Milli. “Toward a Priestly Christology: A Hermeneutical Study of Christ’s Priesthood.” Ph.D diss., Andrews University, Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, 2017.
Saturday, June 16, 2018
Hebrews at the International SBL Meeting
The following papers dealing with Hebrews in some manner will be presented at the International SBL meeting in Helsinki, Finland, July 30 to August 3:
Embarrasing Inclusion: Samson and Jephthah in the Epistle to the Hebrews
Program Unit: Epistle to the Hebrews
David Allen, Queen's Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education
"The Beispielreihen of scriptural figures in Hebrews 11 famously includes a number of ambiguous characters, those whose commendable achievements are often equally matched by their apparent frailties and misjudgements. The list is a proverbial ‘mixed bag’. However, there are two individuals named within the discourse – Samson, and more notably, Jephthah – whose prior scriptural achievements seem particularly problematic, and whose presence within the cloud of witnesses seems questionable at least. This paper probes their inclusion within the Hebrews 11 retinue. It begins by engaging with the intra-Hebrews effect of such inclusion and the consequences for interpreting the text. The second part of the paper then turns to the ensuing reception of Hebrews, to explore how subsequent interpreters have engaged with the implied praise of such figures, and the ramifications of this for the text’s function."
Philemon: A Conclusion to Paul’s Letters?
Program Unit: Canonical Approaches to the Bible (EABS)
Stefan M. Attard, University of Malta
"Within the context of the gradual formation of the New Testament canon, this paper seeks to highlight the import of the Letter to Philemon in terms of a synchronic analysis that takes the whole Pauline corpus into consideration. Because the Letter to the Hebrews is very generic and lacks a one-on-one style, Philemon can be considered the last significantly personal letter of Paul. The position of Philemon before Hebrews and the other non-Pauline letters hence lends credence to the maximalist view that all the epistles from Romans to Philemon were penned by the Apostle of the Gentiles, since it seems to function as a conclusion to the whole collection of both undisputed and disputed Pauline writings. Though Hebrews may have been considered of Pauline origin at the time the canon was put together, its different positions in various extant documents is a curious phenomenon. For this reason, the placing of Philemon and Hebrews in various codices and manuscripts is examined and the relation of Philemon to the preceding writings (all the way back to the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles) are analysed, both with regards to structural and theological considerations. As for Philemon’s theological outlook, it is legitimate to ask whether this letter echoes some of the main teachings laid down in the previous letters and to what extent, if any, can it be said to fittingly bring to a close basic tenets of this entire corpus of writings. It will be argued that the reasons for its present position in the canon are not to be found primarily in its relative shortness, or in its being addressed to a somewhat unknown individual, but to more relevant concerns that make it a powerful conclusion to Paul’s thoughts."
Deuteronomy's Motif of Life in Hebrews Program
Unit: Epistle to the Hebrews
Albert Coetsee, North-West University (South Africa)
"The influence and effect of the book of Deuteronomy in the New Testament writings is widely accepted. One of the New Testament books that contains the most quotations, references and allusions to Deuteronomy, is the book of Hebrews. Several ground-breaking studies on the influence and effect of Deuteronomy in Hebrews have been done, including the following: Allen (2008), in his very informative PhD thesis (Deuteronomy and Exhortation in Hebrews: An Exercise in Narrative Re-Presentation), investigates the way in which the book of Deuteronomy operates within the paraenetic sections of Hebrews, and argues that Hebrews becomes a “new” Deuteronomy that challenges its predecessor’s contemporary hegemony. Steyn (2007:152-168; Deuteronomy in Hebrews) gives a synopsis of quotations, references and allusions attributed to Deuteronomy, as well as a brief discussion of certain motifs from Deuteronomy in Hebrews, namely covenant, Moses and priesthood. This paper endeavours to contribute to the study of the influence and effect of Deuteronomy in Hebrews by investigating the influence of another possible Deuteronomic motif in Hebrews, namely the motif of “life”. References to “life” are found throughout Deuteronomy. Markl (2014:71; This Word is your life: the theology of ‘life’ in Deuteronomy), who outlines “life” (חיה ) in Deuteronomy (the only study done on this subject in recent literature), calls it “one of the key theological concepts in the book”. With this paper I argue that traces of this motif are present in Hebrews, and I demonstrate how these traces function within the book. The paper first defines the (multifaceted) concept of “life” in Deuteronomy. This is followed up by combing through the text of Hebrews to identify traces of this motif in the words and concepts that the writer employs, as well as the overall theme of the book. In conclusion, the findings are synthesized to give a panorama of this motif in Hebrews."
“The Oil of Gladness” and Priestly Investiture in the Epistle to the Hebrews Program
Unit: Epistle to the Hebrews
Justin Harrison Duff, University of St. Andrews
"The anointment of Jesus with the “oil of gladness” (Heb 1:9) is broadly regarded as a royal investiture. Jesus’s anointment is associated with enthronement, the scepter, and the kingdom (Heb 1:8). The citation in Heb 1:8–9 is also drawn from Psalm 44 LXX, a hymn celebrating Israel’s king. The pronounced relationship between Jesus’s anointment and his kingship, however, may overshadow another function of the oil: high priestly consecration. Like Israel’s kings, Levitical priests were anointed with “holy oil” at their installment (Exodus 29–30, Leviticus 8, 11QT 15:3–16:4) and the high priest was called the “anointed priest” (Lev 4:3, 16:32). Moreover, Hebrews’ “main point” (8:1–2) is that Jesus became a high priest after Melchizedek’s order, a royal ruler and holy minister in the heavenly sanctuary. Although some scholars have briefly considered a priestly anointment in Heb 1:9, the possibility has not been explored in depth and is rarely brought into conversation with the greater Septuagint and second temple tradition. In this paper, I engage these traditions and propose that the anointment in Hebrews appears to consecrate Jesus for two offices: high priest and king. When read against Jewish apocalyptic and early Christian texts in particular, divine anointment may further signal a bodily transformation that safeguards new priests for heavenly space. I therefore suggest that Jesus’s anointment may be connected to his inheritance of the “indestructible life” required by priests after Melchizedek’s order (7:16–17), a quality of life devoid of physical weakness that endures forever in the heavens (7:28)."
Moses the Martyr: A Martyrological Reading of Hebrews 11
Program Unit: Epistle to the Hebrews
Paul Middleton, University of Chester
"While the roll call of the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 contains explicit references to martyrs (11.34–38), they are usually interpreted as comprising a subset of exemplars of Faith alongside other significant Hebrew Bible figures who demonstrated that Faith in different ways. This paper, instead, argues there are strong martyrological elements planted throughout chapter 11, such that those mentioned at the end become the climax of a list of heroes who have in some way undergone (albeit metaphorical) martyrdom. While I will illustrate this claim using a number of figures from the chapter, the paper will focus on the way in which the character of Moses has been refracted through a martyrological lens (11.23–29), such that he proleptically conforms to the model of Christ’s suffering (11.26). Moreover, chapter 11 is situated between two sections of the letter which, I will argue, deal with potential martyrdom (10.26–39; 12.3–7). Therefore, the rhetorical force of the chapter highlights not merely examples of faith, but faith potentially leading to martyrdom. Among these examples is Moses, who imitated the same sufferings of Christ which the Hebrews are in turn called to emulate (13.13)."
The Son of God in Psalm 110 in the Light of the New Testament
Program Unit: Biblical Characters in Three Traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)
Richard K. Min, The University of Texas at Dallas
"As warned by the author of Hebrews, two passages in Psalm 110 generate the enormous controversies and difficulties in New Testament study and exegesis. The first controversy and paradox about the Son of God is the problem of the lordship of Christ. He is the son of David. Yet he is being addressed by David as "my lord" (Psalm 110:1). The paradox deals with the extended human "father-son" relationship in the law, with the divine-human relationship (of lord-servant). This divine lordship of the Son of God is professed by David who is the very author of this psalm and the father of the son of David. All synoptic gospels deal with the passage (Psalm 110:1) as having great significance (Matthew 22:41–46; Mark 12:35–37; Luke 20:41–44). The second controversy and paradox of the Son of God in Psalm 110:4 is the problem of the priesthood of the Son of God who is from the tribe of Judah (Hebrews 7:14–15). According to the law, to have a priest outside of the tribe of Levi and according to the order of Aaronic lineage is impossible. The legal question is how it could be possible for Christ, the son of David, to be a priest of God. This controversy has never been dealt with or resolved in any part of the New Testament except in Hebrews. The paper presents and extends this new perspective and paradigm of circular rhetoric and paradox in the Bible."
Ritualized Actions Stirring Eschatological Hope
Program Unit: Early Christianity (EABS)
Bernhard Oestreich, Theologische Hochschule Friedensau
"Earliest Christian documents witness the expectation of Christ’s imminent glorious parousia (1Thess 4:15; 1Cor 15:51). It is commonly held that this expectation declined as decades elapsed and church members passed away. The emphasis shifted from future to realized eschatology or Christian hope was re-interpreted in an individualistic sense. However, as Erlemann (1993) has shown, there is no clear development towards disappointment and abandoning the expectation. Late documents like Revelation, 2Peter, or Didache do not give up this early conviction of the soon coming parousia despite permanent disappointment. How was this possible? The paper explores the possibility that some ritualized actions of early Christians did not only express eschatological hope but also continuously stirred this hope. One of the features of ritualized actions is the recourse to tradition—especially by actions that seem to stick to traditional forms—that lets historical event and present time fall together in the participants’ experience. Performing rituals of Christian hope would thus make the first generation of Jesus’ followers and later Christians contemporaneous and help the latter ones to be filled with the expectations of earlier generations. The study investigates eschatological elements in Christian rituals, especially the Lord’s supper, in New Testament texts and the Didache. It also entertains the idea that the letter to the Hebrews with its interpretation of Israel’s cult and its contested eschatology could be a theoretical reflection of Christian hope as an afterthought based on the ritual performance of hope."
Elijah, Elisha, and Other "Prophets" in Hebrews 11:33–38
Program Unit: Epistle to the Hebrews
Lotta Valve, Abo Akademi
"The list of exemplary biblical figures of faith in Hebrews 11 turns, in the end of the chapter, into a list of actions of unnamed figures, who in v. 32 are called “prophets.” The rapid listing of their sufferings but also righteous deeds of faith in a stylistically persuasive way is an interesting example of the rhetoric of the author/s. However, it is quite remarkable that the author nevertheless lets these persons go unnamed. Why this procedure? In my paper, I analyze which figures of biblical and intertestamental literature are referred to in this list, and whether there are other than rhetorical reasons for leaving out their names. According to my hypothesis, the relative importance of especially Elijah and Elisha as types for Christ in early Christianity has made it possible for the author to refer to them only vaguely, while simultaneously acknowledging their significance."
Critical Spatial Theory and the Place of the Atonement in Hebrews
Program Unit: Epistle to the Hebrews
Cynthia Long Westfall, McMaster Divinity College
"David Moffitt’s observation in Atonement and the Logic of Resurrection in the Epistle to the Hebrews that heaven is the place in which the author of Hebrews depicts the atonement leads him to deduce that the culmination of the atonement was after the resurrection and ascension. Negative responses to Moffitt’s work have reflected an overriding theological concern with the time in which he concludes the final act of the atonement took place. Place and time are linked without question. As Hermann Minkowski who was Einstein’s teacher said, “Nobody ever noticed a place except at a time or a time except at a place.” However, interpreters of Hebrews often ascribe metaphorical, symbolic or otherwise abstract significance to the references to place, treating them as if they were references to time (e.g. most often in eschatological/apocalyptic future) or assigning them to a theological category or idea (e.g. exaltation). Studies on the role of place say that the preference for mapping reality on time is an anachronistic bias of the characteristically modern domination of space by time, and speak of recovering a sense of place on which meaning is mapped which was characteristic of ancient thought. Critical spatial theory provides definitions and categories for place and space that are helpful, and allow us to explore the meaning of place as its own category in the Book of Hebrews. My thesis is that the interpretation of the Hebrews author of the heavenly tabernacle and its use (priesthood and sacrifices) in the LXX is based on the meaning of place in the continuity and contrast between the past Mosaic tabernacle and what is true in the present of the heavenly tabernacle in the light of Jesus’s sacrificial death."
Embarrasing Inclusion: Samson and Jephthah in the Epistle to the Hebrews
Program Unit: Epistle to the Hebrews
David Allen, Queen's Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education
"The Beispielreihen of scriptural figures in Hebrews 11 famously includes a number of ambiguous characters, those whose commendable achievements are often equally matched by their apparent frailties and misjudgements. The list is a proverbial ‘mixed bag’. However, there are two individuals named within the discourse – Samson, and more notably, Jephthah – whose prior scriptural achievements seem particularly problematic, and whose presence within the cloud of witnesses seems questionable at least. This paper probes their inclusion within the Hebrews 11 retinue. It begins by engaging with the intra-Hebrews effect of such inclusion and the consequences for interpreting the text. The second part of the paper then turns to the ensuing reception of Hebrews, to explore how subsequent interpreters have engaged with the implied praise of such figures, and the ramifications of this for the text’s function."
Philemon: A Conclusion to Paul’s Letters?
Program Unit: Canonical Approaches to the Bible (EABS)
Stefan M. Attard, University of Malta
"Within the context of the gradual formation of the New Testament canon, this paper seeks to highlight the import of the Letter to Philemon in terms of a synchronic analysis that takes the whole Pauline corpus into consideration. Because the Letter to the Hebrews is very generic and lacks a one-on-one style, Philemon can be considered the last significantly personal letter of Paul. The position of Philemon before Hebrews and the other non-Pauline letters hence lends credence to the maximalist view that all the epistles from Romans to Philemon were penned by the Apostle of the Gentiles, since it seems to function as a conclusion to the whole collection of both undisputed and disputed Pauline writings. Though Hebrews may have been considered of Pauline origin at the time the canon was put together, its different positions in various extant documents is a curious phenomenon. For this reason, the placing of Philemon and Hebrews in various codices and manuscripts is examined and the relation of Philemon to the preceding writings (all the way back to the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles) are analysed, both with regards to structural and theological considerations. As for Philemon’s theological outlook, it is legitimate to ask whether this letter echoes some of the main teachings laid down in the previous letters and to what extent, if any, can it be said to fittingly bring to a close basic tenets of this entire corpus of writings. It will be argued that the reasons for its present position in the canon are not to be found primarily in its relative shortness, or in its being addressed to a somewhat unknown individual, but to more relevant concerns that make it a powerful conclusion to Paul’s thoughts."
Deuteronomy's Motif of Life in Hebrews Program
Unit: Epistle to the Hebrews
Albert Coetsee, North-West University (South Africa)
"The influence and effect of the book of Deuteronomy in the New Testament writings is widely accepted. One of the New Testament books that contains the most quotations, references and allusions to Deuteronomy, is the book of Hebrews. Several ground-breaking studies on the influence and effect of Deuteronomy in Hebrews have been done, including the following: Allen (2008), in his very informative PhD thesis (Deuteronomy and Exhortation in Hebrews: An Exercise in Narrative Re-Presentation), investigates the way in which the book of Deuteronomy operates within the paraenetic sections of Hebrews, and argues that Hebrews becomes a “new” Deuteronomy that challenges its predecessor’s contemporary hegemony. Steyn (2007:152-168; Deuteronomy in Hebrews) gives a synopsis of quotations, references and allusions attributed to Deuteronomy, as well as a brief discussion of certain motifs from Deuteronomy in Hebrews, namely covenant, Moses and priesthood. This paper endeavours to contribute to the study of the influence and effect of Deuteronomy in Hebrews by investigating the influence of another possible Deuteronomic motif in Hebrews, namely the motif of “life”. References to “life” are found throughout Deuteronomy. Markl (2014:71; This Word is your life: the theology of ‘life’ in Deuteronomy), who outlines “life” (חיה ) in Deuteronomy (the only study done on this subject in recent literature), calls it “one of the key theological concepts in the book”. With this paper I argue that traces of this motif are present in Hebrews, and I demonstrate how these traces function within the book. The paper first defines the (multifaceted) concept of “life” in Deuteronomy. This is followed up by combing through the text of Hebrews to identify traces of this motif in the words and concepts that the writer employs, as well as the overall theme of the book. In conclusion, the findings are synthesized to give a panorama of this motif in Hebrews."
“The Oil of Gladness” and Priestly Investiture in the Epistle to the Hebrews Program
Unit: Epistle to the Hebrews
Justin Harrison Duff, University of St. Andrews
"The anointment of Jesus with the “oil of gladness” (Heb 1:9) is broadly regarded as a royal investiture. Jesus’s anointment is associated with enthronement, the scepter, and the kingdom (Heb 1:8). The citation in Heb 1:8–9 is also drawn from Psalm 44 LXX, a hymn celebrating Israel’s king. The pronounced relationship between Jesus’s anointment and his kingship, however, may overshadow another function of the oil: high priestly consecration. Like Israel’s kings, Levitical priests were anointed with “holy oil” at their installment (Exodus 29–30, Leviticus 8, 11QT 15:3–16:4) and the high priest was called the “anointed priest” (Lev 4:3, 16:32). Moreover, Hebrews’ “main point” (8:1–2) is that Jesus became a high priest after Melchizedek’s order, a royal ruler and holy minister in the heavenly sanctuary. Although some scholars have briefly considered a priestly anointment in Heb 1:9, the possibility has not been explored in depth and is rarely brought into conversation with the greater Septuagint and second temple tradition. In this paper, I engage these traditions and propose that the anointment in Hebrews appears to consecrate Jesus for two offices: high priest and king. When read against Jewish apocalyptic and early Christian texts in particular, divine anointment may further signal a bodily transformation that safeguards new priests for heavenly space. I therefore suggest that Jesus’s anointment may be connected to his inheritance of the “indestructible life” required by priests after Melchizedek’s order (7:16–17), a quality of life devoid of physical weakness that endures forever in the heavens (7:28)."
Moses the Martyr: A Martyrological Reading of Hebrews 11
Program Unit: Epistle to the Hebrews
Paul Middleton, University of Chester
"While the roll call of the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 contains explicit references to martyrs (11.34–38), they are usually interpreted as comprising a subset of exemplars of Faith alongside other significant Hebrew Bible figures who demonstrated that Faith in different ways. This paper, instead, argues there are strong martyrological elements planted throughout chapter 11, such that those mentioned at the end become the climax of a list of heroes who have in some way undergone (albeit metaphorical) martyrdom. While I will illustrate this claim using a number of figures from the chapter, the paper will focus on the way in which the character of Moses has been refracted through a martyrological lens (11.23–29), such that he proleptically conforms to the model of Christ’s suffering (11.26). Moreover, chapter 11 is situated between two sections of the letter which, I will argue, deal with potential martyrdom (10.26–39; 12.3–7). Therefore, the rhetorical force of the chapter highlights not merely examples of faith, but faith potentially leading to martyrdom. Among these examples is Moses, who imitated the same sufferings of Christ which the Hebrews are in turn called to emulate (13.13)."
The Son of God in Psalm 110 in the Light of the New Testament
Program Unit: Biblical Characters in Three Traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)
Richard K. Min, The University of Texas at Dallas
"As warned by the author of Hebrews, two passages in Psalm 110 generate the enormous controversies and difficulties in New Testament study and exegesis. The first controversy and paradox about the Son of God is the problem of the lordship of Christ. He is the son of David. Yet he is being addressed by David as "my lord" (Psalm 110:1). The paradox deals with the extended human "father-son" relationship in the law, with the divine-human relationship (of lord-servant). This divine lordship of the Son of God is professed by David who is the very author of this psalm and the father of the son of David. All synoptic gospels deal with the passage (Psalm 110:1) as having great significance (Matthew 22:41–46; Mark 12:35–37; Luke 20:41–44). The second controversy and paradox of the Son of God in Psalm 110:4 is the problem of the priesthood of the Son of God who is from the tribe of Judah (Hebrews 7:14–15). According to the law, to have a priest outside of the tribe of Levi and according to the order of Aaronic lineage is impossible. The legal question is how it could be possible for Christ, the son of David, to be a priest of God. This controversy has never been dealt with or resolved in any part of the New Testament except in Hebrews. The paper presents and extends this new perspective and paradigm of circular rhetoric and paradox in the Bible."
Ritualized Actions Stirring Eschatological Hope
Program Unit: Early Christianity (EABS)
Bernhard Oestreich, Theologische Hochschule Friedensau
"Earliest Christian documents witness the expectation of Christ’s imminent glorious parousia (1Thess 4:15; 1Cor 15:51). It is commonly held that this expectation declined as decades elapsed and church members passed away. The emphasis shifted from future to realized eschatology or Christian hope was re-interpreted in an individualistic sense. However, as Erlemann (1993) has shown, there is no clear development towards disappointment and abandoning the expectation. Late documents like Revelation, 2Peter, or Didache do not give up this early conviction of the soon coming parousia despite permanent disappointment. How was this possible? The paper explores the possibility that some ritualized actions of early Christians did not only express eschatological hope but also continuously stirred this hope. One of the features of ritualized actions is the recourse to tradition—especially by actions that seem to stick to traditional forms—that lets historical event and present time fall together in the participants’ experience. Performing rituals of Christian hope would thus make the first generation of Jesus’ followers and later Christians contemporaneous and help the latter ones to be filled with the expectations of earlier generations. The study investigates eschatological elements in Christian rituals, especially the Lord’s supper, in New Testament texts and the Didache. It also entertains the idea that the letter to the Hebrews with its interpretation of Israel’s cult and its contested eschatology could be a theoretical reflection of Christian hope as an afterthought based on the ritual performance of hope."
Elijah, Elisha, and Other "Prophets" in Hebrews 11:33–38
Program Unit: Epistle to the Hebrews
Lotta Valve, Abo Akademi
"The list of exemplary biblical figures of faith in Hebrews 11 turns, in the end of the chapter, into a list of actions of unnamed figures, who in v. 32 are called “prophets.” The rapid listing of their sufferings but also righteous deeds of faith in a stylistically persuasive way is an interesting example of the rhetoric of the author/s. However, it is quite remarkable that the author nevertheless lets these persons go unnamed. Why this procedure? In my paper, I analyze which figures of biblical and intertestamental literature are referred to in this list, and whether there are other than rhetorical reasons for leaving out their names. According to my hypothesis, the relative importance of especially Elijah and Elisha as types for Christ in early Christianity has made it possible for the author to refer to them only vaguely, while simultaneously acknowledging their significance."
Critical Spatial Theory and the Place of the Atonement in Hebrews
Program Unit: Epistle to the Hebrews
Cynthia Long Westfall, McMaster Divinity College
"David Moffitt’s observation in Atonement and the Logic of Resurrection in the Epistle to the Hebrews that heaven is the place in which the author of Hebrews depicts the atonement leads him to deduce that the culmination of the atonement was after the resurrection and ascension. Negative responses to Moffitt’s work have reflected an overriding theological concern with the time in which he concludes the final act of the atonement took place. Place and time are linked without question. As Hermann Minkowski who was Einstein’s teacher said, “Nobody ever noticed a place except at a time or a time except at a place.” However, interpreters of Hebrews often ascribe metaphorical, symbolic or otherwise abstract significance to the references to place, treating them as if they were references to time (e.g. most often in eschatological/apocalyptic future) or assigning them to a theological category or idea (e.g. exaltation). Studies on the role of place say that the preference for mapping reality on time is an anachronistic bias of the characteristically modern domination of space by time, and speak of recovering a sense of place on which meaning is mapped which was characteristic of ancient thought. Critical spatial theory provides definitions and categories for place and space that are helpful, and allow us to explore the meaning of place as its own category in the Book of Hebrews. My thesis is that the interpretation of the Hebrews author of the heavenly tabernacle and its use (priesthood and sacrifices) in the LXX is based on the meaning of place in the continuity and contrast between the past Mosaic tabernacle and what is true in the present of the heavenly tabernacle in the light of Jesus’s sacrificial death."
Friday, June 15, 2018
New Article on Hebrews
New article on Hebrews:
Wenkel, David H. “Abraham’s Typological Resurrection from the Dead in Hebrews 11.” Criswell Theological Review 15.2 (2018): 51–66.
"This study considers the typological function of Abraham and Sarah in Hebrews 11. This study argues that the writer of Hebrews presents Abraham as one who experienced a bodily resurrection of the dead in nuce when God empowered him to procreate at age ninety-nine. A miraculous act of re-invigoration enabled Abraham and Sarah to conceive the child-of-promise (Isaac) when it was impossible. This event was a proto-resurrection of the dead because a part of Abraham’s body that was de ad, was made alive. This is a watershed event in the typological escalation of Hebrews 11 that eventually culminates in the bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead in Hebrews 13."
Wenkel, David H. “Abraham’s Typological Resurrection from the Dead in Hebrews 11.” Criswell Theological Review 15.2 (2018): 51–66.
"This study considers the typological function of Abraham and Sarah in Hebrews 11. This study argues that the writer of Hebrews presents Abraham as one who experienced a bodily resurrection of the dead in nuce when God empowered him to procreate at age ninety-nine. A miraculous act of re-invigoration enabled Abraham and Sarah to conceive the child-of-promise (Isaac) when it was impossible. This event was a proto-resurrection of the dead because a part of Abraham’s body that was de ad, was made alive. This is a watershed event in the typological escalation of Hebrews 11 that eventually culminates in the bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead in Hebrews 13."
Thursday, May 31, 2018
Hebrews Highlights May 2018
David deSilva preaches about Our Great High Priest.
Simon Woodman preaches about The Sustaining Jesus based on Hebrews 1:1–4; 2:10; 3:1–4.
Simon Woodman preaches about The Sustaining Jesus based on Hebrews 1:1–4; 2:10; 3:1–4.
Thursday, May 17, 2018
Updated Scholars Page
I have made some major revisions to the Scholars page. I have added some new names and I have now added their works on Hebrews as a means of justifying their inclusion on this page. I will continue to add names as I have time. As always, I welcome any corrections, updates, or additions.
Friday, May 11, 2018
New Book on Christ, the Law, and the Covenants in Hebrews and Paul
Jean-René Moret. Christ, la Loi et les Alliances. Les lettres aux Hébreux et de Paul : regards croisés.
Dès son origine, l’Église s’est attachée à comprendre en quoi Jésus-Christ était l’accomplissement de l’Ancien Testament. De quelle manière la Loi et l’Ancienne Alliance préparaient-elles la venue de Jésus ? Comment aident-elles à saisir la portée de son œuvre ? Les lettres de Paul et la lettre aux Hébreux contiennent des développements magistraux sur ces sujets.
Ce livre analyse et compare ces deux regards pour en faire ressortir toute la profondeur. Il aidera ainsi à saisir la richesse de l’œuvre de Jésus-Christ, comme les auteurs bibliques l’ont comprise à la lumière de l’Ancien Testament.
Ce livre analyse et compare ces deux regards pour en faire ressortir toute la profondeur. Il aidera ainsi à saisir la richesse de l’œuvre de Jésus-Christ, comme les auteurs bibliques l’ont comprise à la lumière de l’Ancien Testament.
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
Monday, April 30, 2018
Hebrews Highlights April 2018
Henry Neufeld discusses Grace and the Book of Hebrews.
Gail Seidel explains the significance of the Jewish High Priest and Jesus.
Peter Leithart summarizes David Moffitt's book, Atonement and the Logic of Resurrection.
Gail Seidel explains the significance of the Jewish High Priest and Jesus.
Peter Leithart summarizes David Moffitt's book, Atonement and the Logic of Resurrection.
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Inventing Hebrews
Jason Whitlark has informed me that his book, co-authored with Michael Wade Martin (both Baylor University Ph.D. grads, as am I), will be coming out in May. This will be Jason's third book on Hebrews, along with several articles. He is quickly becoming one of the premier Hebrews scholars in the world. If you have read Martin and Whitlark's two articles on the structure of Hebrews (likely the precursors to this book), then you know this book will be good.Michael Wade Martin and Jason A. Whitlark. Inventing Hebrews: Design and Purpose in Ancient Rhetoric. Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series 171. Cambridge.
"Inventing Hebrews examines a perennial topic in the study of the Letter to the Hebrews, its structure and purpose. Michael Wade Martin and Jason A. Whitlark undertake at thorough synthesis of the ancient theory of invention and arrangement, providing a new account of Hebrews' design. The key to the speech’s outline, the authors argue, is in its use of ‘disjointed’ arrangement, a template ubiquitous in antiquity but little discussed in modern biblical studies. This method of arrangement accounts for the long-observed pattern of alternating epideictic and deliberative units in Hebrews as blocks of narratio and argumentatio respectively. Thus the ‘letter’ may be seen as a conventional speech arranged according to the expectations of ancient rhetoric (exordium, narratio, argumentatio, peroratio), with epideictic comparisons of old and new covenant representatives (narratio) repeatedly enlisted in amplification of what may be viewed as the central argument of the speech (argumentatio), the recurring deliberative summons for perseverance. Resolving a long-standing conundrum, this volume offers a hermeneutical tool necessary for interpreting Hebrews, as well as countless other speeches from Greco-Roman antiquity."
Friday, April 13, 2018
Critical Readings in Hebrews
Scott Mackie's edited volume on critical readings in Hebrews is now available:
Mackie, Scott D., ed. The Letter to the Hebrews: Critical Readings (Bloomsbury T&T Clark).
Mackie, Scott D., ed. The Letter to the Hebrews: Critical Readings (Bloomsbury T&T Clark).
Melchizedek Passages in the Bible
Here is a book that I have recently learned about. It is reviewed in The Journal of Theological Studies.
Alan Kam-Yau Chan. Melchizedek Passages in the Bible: A Case Study for Inner-Biblical and Inter-Biblical Interpretation. De Gruyter, 2016.
Aims and Scope:
Melchizedek is a mysterious figure to many people. Adopting discourse analysis and text-linguistic approaches, Chan attempts to tackle the Melchizedek texts in Genesis 14, Psalm 110, and Hebrews 5-7. This seminal study illustrates how the mysterious figure is understood and interpreted by later biblical writers, "... Using the “blessing” motif as a framework, Chan also argues that Numbers 22-24, 2 Samuel 7 and the Psalter: Books I-V (especially Psalms 1-2) provide a reading paradigm of interpreting Psalm 110. In addition, the structure of Hebrews provides a clue to how the author interprets the Old Testament texts.
De Gruyter has provided open-access to this book.
Alan Kam-Yau Chan. Melchizedek Passages in the Bible: A Case Study for Inner-Biblical and Inter-Biblical Interpretation. De Gruyter, 2016.
Aims and Scope:
Melchizedek is a mysterious figure to many people. Adopting discourse analysis and text-linguistic approaches, Chan attempts to tackle the Melchizedek texts in Genesis 14, Psalm 110, and Hebrews 5-7. This seminal study illustrates how the mysterious figure is understood and interpreted by later biblical writers, "... Using the “blessing” motif as a framework, Chan also argues that Numbers 22-24, 2 Samuel 7 and the Psalter: Books I-V (especially Psalms 1-2) provide a reading paradigm of interpreting Psalm 110. In addition, the structure of Hebrews provides a clue to how the author interprets the Old Testament texts.
De Gruyter has provided open-access to this book.
Monday, April 2, 2018
Jared Compton's New Podcast On His Book
Jared Compton has a new podcast on his book, Psalm 110 and the Logic of Hebrews.
I disagree with Mr. Morales' statement that "The use and function of the Old Testament in the book of Hebrews has been a neglected area of study." I can name several books and articles on the topic.
I disagree with Mr. Morales' statement that "The use and function of the Old Testament in the book of Hebrews has been a neglected area of study." I can name several books and articles on the topic.
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